Tag: Trump abuse of power

The Pro-Trump Super PAC at the Center of the Ukraine Scandal Has Faced Multiple Campaign Finance Complaints

Randy Perkins donated $500,000 to America First Action, a pro-Trump super PAC, a day after his company won federal money as part of a contract. The same PAC was dubbed “Committee 1” in a federal indictment alleging illegal donations from two Rudy Giuliani associates.

Last year, a Department of Defense contractor quietly donated half a million dollars to a group supporting President Donald Trump’s reelection.

Once a watchdog organization noticed it, the contribution raised an alarm. Federal contractors are not allowed to donate to political entities. And groups are required by law to examine all donations for potential legal issues. If they discover that a contractor has made a contribution, the money has to be returned. Continue reading “The Pro-Trump Super PAC at the Center of the Ukraine Scandal Has Faced Multiple Campaign Finance Complaints”

The Memo: Trump’s sea of troubles deepens

The Hill logoThe swirling troubles around President Trump got deeper this week thanks to a series of missteps.

Chaos and confusion in northeast Syria, an admission of a Ukrainian quid pro quo from White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney, and the controversial decision to host a forthcoming Group of Seven (G-7) summit at Trump’s own resort in Florida all conspired to push the president even further back onto the defensive. Democrats are picking up speed in their efforts to impeach him.

The White House has been in damage control mode — with limited success.

View the complete October 19 article by Niall  Stanage on The Hill website here.

Growing number of Republicans struggle to defend Trump on G-7 choice, Ukraine and Syria

Washington Post logoA growing number of congressional Republicans expressed exasperation Friday over what they view as President Trump’s indefensible behavior, a sign that the president’s stranglehold on his party is starting to weaken as Congress hurtles toward a historic impeachment vote.

In interviews with more than 20 GOP lawmakers and congressional aides in the past 48 hours, many said they were repulsed by Trump’s decision to host an international summit at his own resort and incensed by acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney’s admission — later withdrawn — that U.S. aid to Ukraine was withheld for political reasons. Others expressed anger over the president’s abandonment of Kurdish allies in Syria.

One Republican, Rep. Francis Rooney (Fla.) — whose district Trump carried by 22 percentage points — did not rule out voting to impeach the president and compared the situation to the Watergate scandal that ended Richard Nixon’s presidency.

View the complete October 18 article by Rachael Bade, Mike DeBonis and Seung Min Kim on The Washington Post website here.

Ex-Ethics Chiefs Rip Donald Trump’s Decision To Host G-7 At His Own Resort

Walter Shaub and Richard Painter blasted the plans, calling them “unacceptable” and “the most overt corruption to date.”

Two former government ethics experts have strongly condemned President Donald Trump’s decision to host the 2020 G-7 summit of world leaders at his own golf resort in Miami.

Richard Painter, the former chief ethics attorney for President George W. Bush, described Thursday’s announcement by acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney as “unacceptable.” Walter Shaub, the former head of the U.S. Office of Government Ethics, called it “the most overt corruption to date.”

“This is not only self-dealing, this is a violation of the emoluments clause of the Constitution, which specifically provides that a person holding a position of trust with the U.S. government cannot accept any profits or benefits from foreign governments,” Painter told CNN’s Don Lemon on Thursday night.

View the complete October 18 article by lee Moran on the Huffington Post website here.

Trump’s Impeachable Conduct Strikes at the Heart of the Rule of Law: Part 2

This is part two in a series documenting the ways in which President Trump’s actions related to Ukraine violate basic tenets of American law. Read the first installment, which focuses on bribery and extortion, here.

Center for American Progress logoThere is substantial evidence to show that President Donald Trump committed impeachable offenses. Pressuring a foreign government to interfere in U.S. elections by, among other things, withholding military aid undermines America’s democracy and national security. In fact, concern over foreign interference is one of the reasons the founders provided for the constitutional power of impeachment in the first place.

President Trump continues to claim that his actions in the Ukraine-related scandal have been “perfect.” This couldn’t be further from the truth. While a president need not break any specific laws in order to be impeached and removed from office, the type of behavior exhibited by President Trump is prohibited by a range of federal laws. Continue reading “Trump’s Impeachable Conduct Strikes at the Heart of the Rule of Law: Part 2”

The Executive Privilege Is Far From Absolute

Center for American Progress logoFor a man who says he has nothing to hide, President Donald Trump and his administration seem to want to keep an awful lot hidden. Following a week of depositions and testimony featuring acting Director of National Intelligence Joseph Maguire and the U.S. Intelligence Community Inspector General Michael Atkinson, the White House abruptly changed course last week, signaling a shift in its approach to the impeachment inquiry. On October 8, after the State Department reportedly ordered U.S. Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland not to appear for a deposition with House investigators, the president’s chief legal adviser informed House leadership that President Trump and his administration would not comply with the impeachment inquiry. Subpoenas immediately followed.

Remarkably, despite White House efforts to block her participation, former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch decided to appear before House investigators—and she may have inspired others to step forward, too. Fiona Hill, former White House adviser on Russia, appeared before House investigators on Monday, and Ambassador Sondland is expected to appear before House investigators on Thursday, despite earlier White House efforts to keep him quiet. Although the White House continues to try to limit what current and former administration employees can say, lawyers representing those employees have pushed back, arguing that the executive privilege does not apply. With a number of hearings and document production deadlines looming, there will be many opportunities for the White House to attempt to withhold cooperation. Continue reading “The Executive Privilege Is Far From Absolute”

Fox Reporter Stunned By Plan To Hold G-7 Session At Trump Doral

Fox News journalist Chris Stirewalt on Thursday appeared stunned by Donald Trump’s decision to host the 2020 G-7 meeting at his Doral resort in Miami, FL, describing the decision as “an unnecessary problem to create for himself.”

Stirewalt spoke with host Harris Faulkner after the president’s Acting Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney told reporters the the next G-7 summit will be held at a Trump property.

“I got to tell you, the idea that this administration, dealing with what this administration is dealing with, right? A lot. You’ve for the unraveling in Syria, you’ve got the march toward Trump impeachment here at home, breaking news story every day,” Stirewalt began. “The world is on fire.”

View the complete October 17 article by Elizabeth Preza from AlterNet on the National Memo website here.

Mulvaney admission deals blow to White House impeachment defense

The Hill logoThe White House defense against Democrats’ impeachment inquiry suffered a major blow Thursday with acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney’s admission that aid for Ukraine was linked to President Trump’s desire for the country to pursue a political probe related to the 2016 election.

The stunning admission marked the first time a White House official had publicly undermined Trump’s repeated denials of any quid pro quo. It also coincided with a host of current and former administration officials raising concerns during closed-door testimony about the administration’s Ukraine policy.

Mulvaney indicated he felt the behavior was nothing out of the ordinary, telling reporters to “get over it.”

View the complete October 18 article by Brett Samuels and Morgan Chalfant on The Hill website here.

Our Republic Is Under Attack From the President

New York Times logoIf President Trump doesn’t demonstrate the leadership that America needs, then it is time for a new person in the Oval Office

Last week I attended two memorable events that reminded me why we care so very much about this nation and also why our future may be in peril.

The first was a change of command ceremony for a storied Army unit in which one general officer passed authority to another. The second event was an annual gala for the Office of Strategic Services (O.S.S.) Society that recognizes past and present members of the intelligence and Special Operations community for their heroism and sacrifice to the nation. What struck me was the stark contrast between the words and deeds heralded at those events — and the words and deeds emanating from the White House.

On the parade field at Fort Bragg, N.C., where tens of thousands of soldiers have marched either preparing to go to war or returning from it, the two generals, highly decorated, impeccably dressed, cleareyed and strong of character, were humbled by the moment.

View the complete October 17 commentary by William H. McRaven, former commander of the United States Special Operations Command, on The New York Times website here.

Mulvaney Says, Then Denies, That Trump Held Back Ukraine Aid as Quid Pro Quo

New York Times logoConflicting comments by the acting White House chief of staff threw Washington into turmoil.

WASHINGTON — Mick Mulvaney, the acting White House chief of staff, threw the Trump administration’s defense against impeachment into disarray on Thursday when he said that the White House withheld nearly $400 million in military aid to Ukraine to further President Trump’s political interests.

Mr. Mulvaney told journalists in a televised White House briefing that the aid was withheld in part until Ukraine investigated an unsubstantiated theory that Ukraine, not Russia, was responsible for hacking Democratic Party emails in 2016 — a theory that would show that Mr. Trump was elected without Russian help.

The declaration by Mr. Mulvaney, which he took back later in the day, undercut Mr. Trump’s repeated denials of a quid pro quo that linked American military aid for Ukraine to an investigation that could help Mr. Trump politically.

View the complete October 17 article by Michael D. Shear and Katie Rogers on The New York Times website here.