Tag: Trump appointee

Want to Know More About: The Kavanaugh Hearing

George Stephanopoulos: “She Came In Fear. He Came In Anger. Now, Senators Must Decide Right There At The U.S. Capitol Who Do They Believe? How Will They Vote? Should Brett Kavanaugh Get A Lifetime Seat On The Supreme Court?” [Good Morning America, ABC, 9/28/18; VIDEO]

Terry Moran: “At Times It Felt Less Like A Senate Hearing Room Than Some Kind of Medieval Trial By Ordeal, And Began With The Moment The Country Was Waiting For. Dr. Christine Blasey Ford For The First Time Under Oath Speaking Publicly, Her Voice Trembling.” MORAN: “Washington is still shaken to its core by a wrenching day of testimony. There was so much raw human pain and at times it felt less like a senate hearing room than some kind of medieval trial by ordeal and began with the moment the country was waiting for. Dr. Christine Blasey Ford for the first time under oath speaking publicly, her voice trembling.” [Good Morning America, ABC, 9/28/18; VIDEO]

Mary Bruce: “What’s Clear This Morning Is That Republican Leaders Are Plowing Ahead, After A Late Night Huddle Here On The Hill, Top Republicans Emerged Standing Firmly By Judge Kavanaugh, But What Is Not Clear Is Whether Republicans Have Enough Votes To Get Him Confirmed.” [Good Morning America, ABC, 9/28/18; VIDEO] Continue reading “Want to Know More About: The Kavanaugh Hearing”

Meet With Kavanaugh? Not Until There’s a Deal on His Documents, Democrats Say Image

The following article by Sheryl Gay Stolberg was posted on the New York Times website July 23, 2018:

Judge Kavanaugh, President Trump’s Supreme Court nominee, on Capitol Hill. Credit: Al Drago,The New York Times

WASHINGTON — Senate Democrats are largely giving Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh the brushoff, refusing the customary “courtesy visits” until Republicans agree to turn over voluminous documents from the Supreme Court nominee’s past.

In the two weeks since President Trump nominated him to succeed the retiring Justice Anthony M. Kennedy, Judge Kavanaugh has met with 23 Republicans, and not a single Democrat. Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, the Democratic leader, said in an interview Monday that he would not meet with Judge Kavanaugh until the top Republican and the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee reach agreement on what documents should be produced.

And those two senators, Charles E. Grassley of Iowa and Dianne Feinstein of California, are still far apart.

View the complete article here.

Justice Dept. Nominee Says He Once Represented Russian Bank

The following article by Charlie Savage and Adam Goldman was posted on the New York Times website July 24, 2017:

An Alfa Bank branch in Moscow. President Trump’s nominee to run the Justice Department’s criminal division, Brian A. Benczkowski, has disclosed that he did work for the bank, whose owners have ties to Russian President Vladimir V. Putin. Credit Andrey Rudakov/Bloomberg

WASHINGTON — President Trump’s nominee to lead the Justice Department’s criminal division, Brian A. Benczkowski, has disclosed to Congress that he previously represented Alfa Bank, one of Russia’s largest financial institutions, whose owners have ties to President Vladimir V. Putin.

Mr. Trump nominated Mr. Benczkowski, a partner at the Kirkland & Ellis law firm and a former Bush administration Justice Department official, in June, and he is scheduled to appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee for a confirmation hearing on Tuesday.

Alfa Bank was at the center of scrutiny last year over potential ties between the Trump campaign and Russia after computer experts discovered data suggesting a stream of communications between a server linked to the Trump Organization and a server linked to the bank. Reports about the mysterious data transmissions fueled speculation about a back channel. Continue reading “Justice Dept. Nominee Says He Once Represented Russian Bank”