thehuffingtonpost--2020-01-27--Delta Fined $50,000 For Booting 3 Muslim Passengers From Flights

The U.S. Department of Transportation has ordered Delta Air Lines to pay a $ 50,000 fine to settle claims by three Muslim passengers that they were subjected to discriminatory treatment by airline employees .
In a consent order on Friday , DOT held that Delta violated federal anti-bias laws when its pilots removed the Muslim passengers from two separate flights in July 2016 after the airline ’ s own security offices had given them clearance to travel .
Delta disagreed with DOT ’ s conclusion that it engaged in discriminatory conduct , according to a response included in the consent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ incidents could have been addressed “ differently.
” One of the two cases involved a Cincinnati couple , Nazia and Faisal Ali .
The two were not named in the DOT order , but they were identified by the Council on American-Islamic Relations ( CAIR ) , which has been representing them .
The Alis boarded a Delta flight at Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris on July 26 , 2016 .
They were traveling home after a 10th anniversary trip to Europe .
Another passenger told a flight attendant that the couple @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sweating ” and made the passenger feel “ very uncomfortable , ” the order stated .
The flight attendant observed Faisal Ali using the word “ Allah ” several times while texting on his phone and claimed that he made eye contact with her when she walked by but “ did not smile.
” Nazia Ali was wearing a headscarf .
Another flight attendant who walked through the cabin said that she saw Faisal Ali changing the screen on his phone when she passed by .
The captain on board the flight looped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who determined that the Alis were American citizens who raised “ no red flags.
” A Delta supervisor removed the couple from the plane for further vetting .
But even after the Alis were cleared for travel , the captain refused to let them back on the flight “ because the flight attendants were not comfortable ” having the couple on board .
“ It appears that but for [ the couple ’ s ] perceived religion , Delta would not have removed or denied them re-boarding from [ the flight ] @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The second incident involved a Muslim passenger traveling from Amsterdam to New York on July 31 , 2016 .
In this case , passengers told flight attendants that the unnamed individual was making “ significant eye contact , ” according to the consent order .
They said they observed him in the gate area speaking with “ a person of similar ethnicity ” who appeared to give him a small package .
On the aircraft , flight attendants said that the individual moved from a non-window seat to a window seat , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and appeared to be sweating .
Delta corporate security told the flight ’ s captain that the individual ’ s record had “ no red flags.
” But flight attendants insisted that they were “ uncomfortable ” and the captain ultimately returned to the gate and asked for the individual to be removed and rebooked on a later flight .
“ In both cases , Delta maintains that it acted on observations of behavior , rather than identity , ” the airline said in its response .
“ Delta asserts that it has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ here , and has improved its processes because of them .
”

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The U.S. Department of Transportation has ordered Delta Air Lines to pay a $50,000 fine to settle claims by three Muslim passengers that they were subjected to discriminatory treatment by airline employees.
In a consent order on Friday, DOT held that Delta violated federal anti-bias laws when its pilots removed the Muslim passengers from two separate flights in July 2016 after the airline’s own security offices had given them clearance to travel.
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In addition to the fine, the airline must have the flight attendants, pilots and customer service agents involved in the incidents undergo civil rights training.
The department said that the order “establishes a strong deterrent against future similar unlawful practices by Delta and other carriers.”
Delta disagreed with DOT’s conclusion that it engaged in discriminatory conduct, according to a response included in the consent order, but acknowledged that the two incidents could have been addressed “differently.”
One of the two cases involved a Cincinnati couple, Nazia and Faisal Ali. The two were not named in the DOT order, but they were identified by the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), which has been representing them.
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The Alis boarded a Delta flight at Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris on July 26, 2016. They were traveling home after a 10th anniversary trip to Europe. Another passenger told a flight attendant that the couple appeared “fidgety, nervous, and sweating” and made the passenger feel “very uncomfortable,” the order stated. The flight attendant observed Faisal Ali using the word “Allah” several times while texting on his phone and claimed that he made eye contact with her when she walked by but “did not smile.” Nazia Ali was wearing a headscarf. Another flight attendant who walked through the cabin said that she saw Faisal Ali changing the screen on his phone when she passed by.
The captain on board the flight looped in Delta’s corporate security officer, who determined that the Alis were American citizens who raised “no red flags.” A Delta supervisor removed the couple from the plane for further vetting. But even after the Alis were cleared for travel, the captain refused to let them back on the flight “because the flight attendants were not comfortable” having the couple on board.
“It appears that but for [the couple’s] perceived religion, Delta would not have removed or denied them re-boarding from [the flight],” DOT wrote in its evaluation.
The couple flew back to Cincinnati the next day. In a 2016 interview with the Cincinnati Enquirer, Nazia Ali said the experience was “humiliating.”
“We were treated like criminals,” she said. “I thought, ‘We are American citizens. You can’t do this to us.’”
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Watch an interview with Nazia Ali in this WKRC news report from 2016.
The second incident involved a Muslim passenger traveling from Amsterdam to New York on July 31, 2016. In this case, passengers told flight attendants that the unnamed individual was making “significant eye contact,” according to the consent order. They said they observed him in the gate area speaking with “a person of similar ethnicity” who appeared to give him a small package. On the aircraft, flight attendants said that the individual moved from a non-window seat to a window seat, looked out the window “constantly” and appeared to be sweating.
Delta corporate security told the flight’s captain that the individual’s record had “no red flags.” But flight attendants insisted that they were “uncomfortable” and the captain ultimately returned to the gate and asked for the individual to be removed and rebooked on a later flight.
The airline insisted that it did not discriminate against the Muslim passengers.
“In both cases, Delta maintains that it acted on observations of behavior, rather than identity,” the airline said in its response. “Delta asserts that it has learned from the two incidents at issue here, and has improved its processes because of them.”
A Delta Air Lines flight takes off from Amsterdam Airport in the Netherlands. Boarding1Now via Getty Images
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Karen Dabdoub, executive director of CAIR’s Cincinnati chapter, told the Associated Press that the $50,000 fine amounted to a “slap on the wrist” for a multibillion-dollar company like Delta.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-01-28--Doug Collins Expected To Try Ousting New Georgia Senator In GOP Battle

ATLANTA ( AP ) — Georgia Rep. Doug Collins , an ardent ally of President Donald Trump and vocal opponent of his impeachment , is expected to announce he will challenge fellow Republican and newly appointed Sen. Kelly Loeffler for her seat this year , a Republican official said Monday .
The decision by the four-term lawmaker could complicate the GOP ’ s chances of holding onto the seat as Republicans battle to retain their Senate majority in this November ’ s elections .
Loeffler , 49 , was appointed this month to the seat by Republican Gov .
Brian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Isakson , who left office due to deteriorating health .
She ’ s a businesswoman and a newcomer to politics .
The conservative Collins , top Republican on the House Judiciary Committee , was Trump ’ s preferred choice for the appointment .
Trump supporters had criticized Loeffler as too moderate .
But Kemp picked the wealthy Loeffler , who has said she will spend $ 20 million to retain the seat , in what was viewed as a bid to woo suburban and female voters .
Since Kemp chose her , Loeffler @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like gun rights and building a wall along the border .
Besides Loeffler ’ s considerable piggy bank , Collins will also face opposition from the National Republican Senatorial Committee .
The Senate GOP ’ s campaign arm traditionally supports incumbent Republican senators against primary challenges and is supporting Loeffler .
Loeffler will also be supported by the influential U.S. Chamber of Commerce , said Scott Reed , the organization ’ s senior political strategist .
He called her “ exactly the type of pro-business and pro-growth candidate we support.
” The GOP @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spoke on condition of anonymity to reveal private conversations .
Collins ’ move was reported Monday night by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Politico .
Under current Georgia law , Loeffler and any other candidates , regardless of party , would run together in a November special election .
If no one wins a majority of the vote , a runoff would be held in January — with control of the Senate potentially in the balance .
But the new bill , opposed by Kemp , would establish May primaries .
The measure was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s House Governmental Affairs Committee .
So far , two Democrats have announced plans to challenge Loeffler .
Matt Lieberman is an Atlanta educator and the son of former vice presidential candidate Joe Lieberman .
Ed Tarver of Augusta served as U.S. attorney for Georgia ’ s Southern District during President Barack Obama ’ s two terms .
The Rev .
Raphael Warnock , who pastors the Atlanta church once led by Martin Luther King Jr. and his father , is considering a bid and could announce soon .
He ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leaders , and a primary could allow the winner to consolidate party support .

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ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia Rep. Doug Collins, an ardent ally of President Donald Trump and vocal opponent of his impeachment, is expected to announce he will challenge fellow Republican and newly appointed Sen. Kelly Loeffler for her seat this year, a Republican official said Monday.
The decision by the four-term lawmaker could complicate the GOP’s chances of holding onto the seat as Republicans battle to retain their Senate majority in this November’s elections.
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Loeffler, 49, was appointed this month to the seat by Republican Gov. Brian Kemp to replace the retired Sen. Johnny Isakson, who left office due to deteriorating health. She’s a businesswoman and a newcomer to politics.
The conservative Collins, top Republican on the House Judiciary Committee, was Trump’s preferred choice for the appointment. Trump supporters had criticized Loeffler as too moderate.
But Kemp picked the wealthy Loeffler, who has said she will spend $20 million to retain the seat, in what was viewed as a bid to woo suburban and female voters. Since Kemp chose her, Loeffler has emphasized a pro-Trump message on issues like gun rights and building a wall along the border.
House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Doug Collins (R-GA) speaks during a House Committee on December 17, 2019. POOL New / Reuters
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Besides Loeffler’s considerable piggy bank, Collins will also face opposition from the National Republican Senatorial Committee. The Senate GOP’s campaign arm traditionally supports incumbent Republican senators against primary challenges and is supporting Loeffler.
Loeffler will also be supported by the influential U.S. Chamber of Commerce, said Scott Reed, the organization’s senior political strategist. He called her “exactly the type of pro-business and pro-growth candidate we support.”
The GOP official who described Collins’ expected plans spoke on condition of anonymity to reveal private conversations. Collins’ move was reported Monday night by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Politico.
Another complication in the race arose Monday when a Georgia legislative panel approved a bill that could change the state’s party primary system.
Under current Georgia law, Loeffler and any other candidates, regardless of party, would run together in a November special election. If no one wins a majority of the vote, a runoff would be held in January — with control of the Senate potentially in the balance.
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But the new bill, opposed by Kemp, would establish May primaries. The measure was approved Monday by a subcommittee of Georgia’s House Governmental Affairs Committee.
Kemp promptly issued a veto threat.
“You don’t change the rules at half-time to benefit one team over another,” spokeswoman Candice Broce said in a statement.
So far, two Democrats have announced plans to challenge Loeffler. Matt Lieberman is an Atlanta educator and the son of former vice presidential candidate Joe Lieberman. Ed Tarver of Augusta served as U.S. attorney for Georgia’s Southern District during President Barack Obama’s two terms.
The Rev. Raphael Warnock, who pastors the Atlanta church once led by Martin Luther King Jr. and his father, is considering a bid and could announce soon. He’s widely seen as the favorite of party leaders, and a primary could allow the winner to consolidate party support.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-01-28--Trump Lawyer Jay Sekulow Argues John Bolton’s Book ‘Inadmissible’ In Senate Trial

WASHINGTON ― President Donald Trump ’ s defense team argued on Tuesday that former national security adviser John Bolton ’ s bombshell book manuscript should be kept out of the Senate impeachment trial .
The unpublished manuscript essentially confirms the main charge against Trump , according to The New York Times .
But Trump ’ s attorneys contend that even if the account were true , it would not merit the removal of a president during an election year .
“ You can ’ t impeach the president on an unsourced allegation , ” Jay Sekulow , one of Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Tuesday , calling the manuscript of the upcoming book “ inadmissible.
” Bolton ’ s book alleges that Trump tied the release of congressionally approved Ukraine aid to the Ukranian government ’ s opening investigations into former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter .
The news about the manuscript , first described by The New York Times over the weekend , caught Senate Republicans by surprise , upping the pressure on them to allow witnesses such as Bolton and other documents to be presented during the trial .
Sekulow quoted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Justice and the office of Vice President Mike Pence pushing back against Bolton ’ s recollections about the hold on Ukraine aid .
He also repeated an argument from Harvard law professor and fellow defense team member Alan Dershowitz , who said that the president can not be removed from office “ even if there was a quid pro quo , which we have clearly established there was not.
” By calling into question the veracity of Bolton ’ s account during the trial , however , Trump ’ s lawyers may be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ testify .
“ I ’ d like to hear from John Bolton .
That would be my preference , ” Sen. Mitt Romney ( R-Utah ) told reporters on Tuesday .
It ’ s up to the Senate whether Bolton becomes part of the trial .
Senators will vote later this week on whether to issue witness subpoenas .
The president ’ s team has argued against calling witnesses , while Democrats have insisted that Bolton and other people with direct knowledge of the president ’ s actions should testify .
Some Republicans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ read the book manuscript in a secure room .
“ Looking at the manuscript makes sense to me , ” Sen. Lindsey Graham ( R-S.C. ) told HuffPost on Tuesday .
“ You have to be able to put John Bolton under oath and question him , and they are so scared of his testimony because they know it will blow a giant hole in the president ’ s case , ” Murphy said .
Sen. Dick Durbin ( D-Ill. ) argued that hearing from Bolton under cross-examination is the only way to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s true and whether it ’ s credible .
”

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WASHINGTON ― President Donald Trump’s defense team argued on Tuesday that former national security adviser John Bolton’s bombshell book manuscript should be kept out of the Senate impeachment trial.
The unpublished manuscript essentially confirms the main charge against Trump, according to The New York Times. But Trump’s attorneys contend that even if the account were true, it would not merit the removal of a president during an election year.
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“You can’t impeach the president on an unsourced allegation,” Jay Sekulow, one of Trump’s personal lawyers, told senators on Tuesday, calling the manuscript of the upcoming book “inadmissible.”
Bolton’s book alleges that Trump tied the release of congressionally approved Ukraine aid to the Ukranian government’s opening investigations into former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter. The news about the manuscript, first described by The New York Times over the weekend, caught Senate Republicans by surprise, upping the pressure on them to allow witnesses such as Bolton and other documents to be presented during the trial.
Sekulow quoted statements from Trump, the Department of Justice and the office of Vice President Mike Pence pushing back against Bolton’s recollections about the hold on Ukraine aid. He also repeated an argument from Harvard law professor and fellow defense team member Alan Dershowitz, who said that the president cannot be removed from office “even if there was a quid pro quo, which we have clearly established there was not.”
By calling into question the veracity of Bolton’s account during the trial, however, Trump’s lawyers may be bolstering the case for calling him to testify.
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“I’d like to hear from John Bolton. That would be my preference,” Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) told reporters on Tuesday.
It’s up to the Senate whether Bolton becomes part of the trial. Senators will vote later this week on whether to issue witness subpoenas.
The president’s team has argued against calling witnesses, while Democrats have insisted that Bolton and other people with direct knowledge of the president’s actions should testify.
Some Republicans suggested that senators should be able to read the book manuscript in a secure room. “Looking at the manuscript makes sense to me,” Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) told HuffPost on Tuesday.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), a key moderate, said that viewing Bolton’s manuscript “might be helpful.”
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But Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) called the idea of merely reading the manuscript “total bullshit.”
“You have to be able to put John Bolton under oath and question him, and they are so scared of his testimony because they know it will blow a giant hole in the president’s case,” Murphy said.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-01-28--Trump's Lawyers Wrap Up Defense Arguments As Senators Mull Over Allowing Witnesses

The arguments from defense lawyers have jostled for public attention with revelations from a forthcoming book by former National Security Adviser Bolton , who says Trump wanted to withhold military aid from Ukraine until it committed to helping with investigations into Democratic rival Joe Biden .
Trump and his lawyers have repeatedly insisted he never tied the security aid to political investigations .
GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham wrote on Twitter that he “ totally ” supports Lankford ’ s proposal .
Graham , a key Trump ally , said the Bolton document should be made available to the Senate , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ each Senator has the opportunity to review the manuscript and make their own determination.
” The Bolton revelations distracted from hours of arguments Monday by Trump ’ s lawyers , who declared anew that no witness has testified to direct knowledge that Trump ’ s delivery of aid was contingent on investigations into Democrats .
Bolton appeared poised to say exactly that if summoned by the Senate .
Trump is charged with abusing his presidential power by asking Ukraine ’ s leader to help investigate Biden at the same time his administration was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ security aid .
A second charge accuses Trump of obstructing Congress in its probe .
On Monday , Trump ’ s attorneys , including high-profile lawyers Ken Starr and Alan Dershowitz , launched a historical , legal and political attack on the entire impeachment process .
They said there was no basis to remove Trump from office , defended his actions as appropriate and assailed Biden , who is campaigning for the Democratic nomination to oppose Trump in November .
Former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi devoted her presentation to Biden and his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ board of a Ukraine gas company when his father was leading the Obama administration ’ s diplomatic dealings with Kyiv .
The legal team argued that Trump had legitimate reasons to be suspicious of the younger Biden ’ s business dealings and concerned about corruption in Ukraine and that , in any event , he ultimately released the aid without Ukraine committing to investigations the Republican president wanted .
Trump has sought , without providing evidence , to implicate the Bidens in the kind of corruption that has long plagued Ukraine .
Though @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been no evidence of wrongdoing by either the former vice president or his son .
Starr , whose independent counsel investigation resulted in the impeachment of President Bill Clinton — he was acquitted by the Senate — bemoaned what he said was an “ age of impeachment.
” Impeachment , he said , requires an actual crime and a “ genuine national consensus ” that the president must go .
Neither exists here , Starr said .
Dershowitz , the final speaker of the evening , argued that impeachable offenses require criminal-like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ legal scholars .
He said “ nothing in the Bolton revelations , even if true , would rise to the level of an abuse of power or an impeachable offense.
” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell hadn ’ t known know about Bolton ’ s book , his office said .
But the GOP leader appeared unmoved by news of the book .
His message at the lunch , said Indiana GOP Sen. Mike Braun , was , “ Take a deep breath , and let ’ s take one step at a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ team wraps up its arguments , senators have 16 hours for written questions to both sides .
By late in the week , they are expected to hold a vote on whether or not to hear from any witnesses .

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WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump’s legal team prepared to wrap up arguments in his impeachment trial Tuesday as Senate Republicans wrestled with whether to allow witnesses, including John Bolton who appeared ready to contradict a key Trump claim.
The arguments from defense lawyers have jostled for public attention with revelations from a forthcoming book by former National Security Adviser Bolton, who says Trump wanted to withhold military aid from Ukraine until it committed to helping with investigations into Democratic rival Joe Biden. Trump and his lawyers have repeatedly insisted he never tied the security aid to political investigations.
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News of the book clouded White House hopes for a big finish Tuesday as well as a swift end to the impeachment trial. Democrats are demanding witnesses, and some Republicans are expressing openness to the idea.
One Republican, Sen. James Lankford of Oklahoma, is floating an idea to subpoena Bolton’s book manuscript so senators can see the evidence themselves — in private.
It’s an idea that may be gaining traction even as other Republicans have warned against a protracted legal dispute with the White House, which has tried to block administration officials.
GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham wrote on Twitter that he “totally” supports Lankford’s proposal. Graham, a key Trump ally, said the Bolton document should be made available to the Senate, in a classified setting, “where each Senator has the opportunity to review the manuscript and make their own determination.”
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However, Chuck Schumer, the Senate’s top Democrat, called the proposal, which would keep Bolton out of public testimony, “absurd.”
“We’re not bargaining with them. We want four witnesses, and four sets of documents, then the truth will come out,” Schumer said.
Senate Republicans were to meet behind closed doors to consider next steps.
The Bolton revelations distracted from hours of arguments Monday by Trump’s lawyers, who declared anew that no witness has testified to direct knowledge that Trump’s delivery of aid was contingent on investigations into Democrats. Bolton appeared poised to say exactly that if summoned by the Senate.
“We deal with transcript evidence, we deal with publicly available information,” Trump attorney Jay Sekulow said. “We do not deal with speculation.”
Trump is charged with abusing his presidential power by asking Ukraine’s leader to help investigate Biden at the same time his administration was withholding hundreds of millions of dollars in security aid. A second charge accuses Trump of obstructing Congress in its probe.
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On Monday, Trump’s attorneys, including high-profile lawyers Ken Starr and Alan Dershowitz, launched a historical, legal and political attack on the entire impeachment process. They said there was no basis to remove Trump from office, defended his actions as appropriate and assailed Biden, who is campaigning for the Democratic nomination to oppose Trump in November.
Former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi devoted her presentation to Biden and his son Hunter, who served on the board of a Ukraine gas company when his father was leading the Obama administration’s diplomatic dealings with Kyiv. The legal team argued that Trump had legitimate reasons to be suspicious of the younger Biden’s business dealings and concerned about corruption in Ukraine and that, in any event, he ultimately released the aid without Ukraine committing to investigations the Republican president wanted.
Trump has sought, without providing evidence, to implicate the Bidens in the kind of corruption that has long plagued Ukraine. Though anti-corruption advocates have raised concerns, there has been no evidence of wrongdoing by either the former vice president or his son.
Democrats say Trump released the money only after a whistleblower submitted a complaint about the situation.
Starr, whose independent counsel investigation resulted in the impeachment of President Bill Clinton — he was acquitted by the Senate — bemoaned what he said was an “age of impeachment.” Impeachment, he said, requires an actual crime and a “genuine national consensus” that the president must go. Neither exists here, Starr said.
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“It’s filled with acrimony and it divides the country like nothing else,” Starr said of impeachment. “Those of us who lived through the Clinton impeachment understand that in a deep and personal way.”
Dershowitz, the final speaker of the evening, argued that impeachable offenses require criminal-like conduct — a view largely rejected by legal scholars. He said “nothing in the Bolton revelations, even if true, would rise to the level of an abuse of power or an impeachable offense.”
“Purely non-criminal conduct, including abuse of power and obstruction of Congress, are outside the range of impeachable offenses,” Dershowitz said.
Even as defense lawyers laid out their case as planned, it was clear Bolton’s book had scrambled the debate over whether to seek witnesses. Trump’s legal team has rejected Bolton’s account, and Trump himself denied it.
“I NEVER told John Bolton that the aid to Ukraine was tied to investigations into Democrats, including the Bidens,” Trump tweeted. “If John Bolton said this, it was only to sell a book.”
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Republican senators face a pivotal moment. Pressure is mounting for at least four to buck GOP leaders and form a bipartisan majority to force the issue. Republicans hold a 53-47 majority.
“John Bolton’s relevance to our decision has become increasingly clear,” GOP Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah told reporters. Sen. Susan Collins of Maine said she has always wanted “the opportunity for witnesses” and the report about Bolton’s book “strengthens the case.”
At a private GOP lunch, Romney made the case for calling Bolton, according to a person unauthorized to discuss the meeting and granted anonymity.
Other Republicans, including Sen. Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania, said if Bolton is called, they will demand reciprocity to hear from at least one of their witnesses. Some Republicans want to call the Bidens.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell hadn’t known know about Bolton’s book, his office said. But the GOP leader appeared unmoved by news of the book. His message at the lunch, said Indiana GOP Sen. Mike Braun, was, “Take a deep breath, and let’s take one step at a time.”
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Once the president’s team wraps up its arguments, senators have 16 hours for written questions to both sides. By late in the week, they are expected to hold a vote on whether or not to hear from any witnesses.
Trump and his lawyers have argued repeatedly that Democrats are using impeachment to try to undo the results of the last presidential election and drive Trump from office.
Democrats, meanwhile, say Trump’s refusal to allow administration officials to testify only reinforces that the White House is hiding evidence. The White House has had Bolton’s manuscript for about a month, according to a letter from Bolton’s attorney.
Schumer said: “We’re all staring a White House cover-up in the face.”
Bolton’s account was first reported by The New York Times and was confirmed to The Associated Press by a person familiar with the manuscript. “The Room Where It Happened; A White House Memoir” is to be released March 17.
Joe Biden, campaigning in Iowa, said he sees no reason for testimony by him or his son.
“I have nothing to defend. This is all a game, even if they bring me up,” he told reporters. “What is there to defend? This is all ― the reason he’s being impeached is because he tried to get a government to smear me and they wouldn’t. Come on.”
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-01-28--Donald Trump And Ivanka Whine About Scathing Don Lemon Segment

President Donald Trump was not amused by a brutally hilarious CNN segment that aired over the weekend ― and daughter Ivanka isn ’ t happy either .
Both took to Twitter on Tuesday to gripe about a Saturday night segment with anchor Don Lemon , New York Times contributing op-ed writer Wajahat Ali and GOP-strategist-turned-Trump-critic Rick Wilson .
The clip that went viral among conservative snowflakes featured the three discussing Secretary of State Mike Pompeo ’ s widely ridiculed angry reaction to being pressed late last week by an NPR reporter about his utter failure to defend former U.S .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ became the target of attacks by Rudy Giuliani , Trump ’ s personal attorney .
Pompeo took reporter Mary Louise Kelly into a private room , let loose a profanity-laced tirade and challenged her to find Ukraine on a world map ( which Kelly later said she did ) .
On the next day ’ s CNN segment , Wilson joked that Pompeo was playing to that “ boomer rube ” demo , and then said in an exaggerated accent , “ Donald Trump is the smart one and y ’ all elitists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ You elitists with your geography and your maps and your spelling !
” Wilson also joked that Pompeo surely “ knows deep in his heart that Donald Trump couldn ’ t find Ukraine on a map if you had the letter ‘ U ’ and a picture of an actual crane on a map.
” After the Daily Caller tweeted out the segment with the caption “ America , this is what CNN thinks of you ... ” the president ― who routinely belittles others ― retweeted it with his standard insult @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by saying that the network ’ s “ arrogance , mocking accents and smug ridicule of this nation ’ s ‘ Real Elites ’ is disgusting.
” You consistently make fun of half the country and then complain that it is divided .
The arrogance , mocking accents and smug ridicule of this nation ’ s ‘ Real Elites ’ is disgusting .
https : //t.co/p3RQzymx4s — Ivanka Trump ( @ IvankaTrump ) January 28 , 2020 These media hacks don ’ t just hate the President , they hate the Americans who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are so low , they find it funny to mock regular , everyday Americans .
November is coming , & those Americans will once again have the last laugh pic.twitter.com/HwXDO0KpZF — Donald Trump Jr. ( @ DonaldJTrumpJr ) January 28 , 2020 Ali has responded that the criticism over a couple of jokes was hypocritical .
Trump tweeted our CNN clip from 2 days ago .
Friends are now concerned about my safety .
I refuse to be intimidated & bullied by bad faith actors who cry fake victimhood , whining about a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ endorsing Trump , a cruel vulgarian who debases everyone .
— Wajahat `` Some Muslim ...
I 've Never Heard Of '' Ali ( @ WajahatAli ) January 28 , 2020 Other Twitter users put in their two cents .
Many were especially harsh toward Ivanka , to the point of turning # nepotismbarbie into a trending term .
Calling someone dumb for laughing at a joke where another person is making fun of how ignorant you are , and then promoting the joke about your own stupidity on Twitter , is really @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Morten Øverbye ( @ morten ) January 28 , 2020 My sound is off .
Did @ donlemon bankrupt casinos , stare at a solar eclipse , get stumped by an umbrella , call someone Tim Apple , deny he knew Lev Parnas despite video proving he did , call nazis “ very fine people ” , and use a Sharpie on a weather map or something ?
— Matthew Gellert ( @ MatthewGellert ) January 28 , 2020 Ivanka also came in for a drubbing , to the point of turning # @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ IvankaTrump aka # nepotismBarbie just a reminder that you have ZERO Qualifications for any government job and are enriching yourself on TAXPAYER $ $ .
How many trademarks did you get this year thanks to your deplorable Gene pool ?
?
Take Your failed realtor hubby & get out .
— JenniferLA_NY ( @ LanyJennifer ) January 28 , 2020 your dad was given a million dollars at age 4 and has never worked a day in his life and tweets from a gold-plated toilet so what was that you were saying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ itsJeffTiedrich ) January 28 , 2020

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President Donald Trump was not amused by a brutally hilarious CNN segment that aired over the weekend ― and daughter Ivanka isn’t happy either.
Both took to Twitter on Tuesday to gripe about a Saturday night segment with anchor Don Lemon, New York Times contributing op-ed writer Wajahat Ali and GOP-strategist-turned-Trump-critic Rick Wilson.
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The clip that went viral among conservative snowflakes featured the three discussing Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s widely ridiculed angry reaction to being pressed late last week by an NPR reporter about his utter failure to defend former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch when she became the target of attacks by Rudy Giuliani, Trump’s personal attorney. Pompeo took reporter Mary Louise Kelly into a private room, let loose a profanity-laced tirade and challenged her to find Ukraine on a world map (which Kelly later said she did).
On the next day’s CNN segment, Wilson joked that Pompeo was playing to that “boomer rube” demo, and then said in an exaggerated accent, “Donald Trump is the smart one and y’all elitists are dumb!”
Ali added: “You elitists with your geography and your maps and your spelling!”
Wilson also joked that Pompeo surely “knows deep in his heart that Donald Trump couldn’t find Ukraine on a map if you had the letter ‘U’ and a picture of an actual crane on a map.”
Here’s the complete segment:
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After the Daily Caller tweeted out the segment with the caption “America, this is what CNN thinks of you...” the president ― who routinely belittles others ― retweeted it with his standard insult of Lemon.
Don Lemon, the dumbest man on television (with terrible ratings!). https://t.co/iQXCc7lvCt — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 28, 2020
Ivanka Trump chimed in by saying that the network’s “arrogance, mocking accents and smug ridicule of this nation’s ‘Real Elites’ is disgusting.”
You consistently make fun of half the country and then complain that it is divided.
The arrogance, mocking accents and smug ridicule of this nation’s ‘Real Elites’ is disgusting. https://t.co/p3RQzymx4s — Ivanka Trump (@IvankaTrump) January 28, 2020
Donald Trump Jr. also seemed a little triggered.
These media hacks don’t just hate the President, they hate the Americans who support him. No wonder their ratings are so low, they find it funny to mock regular, everyday Americans.
November is coming, & those Americans will once again have the last laugh pic.twitter.com/HwXDO0KpZF — Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) January 28, 2020
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Ali has responded that the criticism over a couple of jokes was hypocritical.
Trump tweeted our CNN clip from 2 days ago. Friends are now concerned about my safety. I refuse to be intimidated & bullied by bad faith actors who cry fake victimhood, whining about a harmless, silly 30 second clip while endorsing Trump, a cruel vulgarian who debases everyone. — Wajahat "Some Muslim...I've Never Heard Of" Ali (@WajahatAli) January 28, 2020
Other Twitter users put in their two cents. Many were especially harsh toward Ivanka, to the point of turning #nepotismbarbie into a trending term.
Calling someone dumb for laughing at a joke where another person is making fun of how ignorant you are, and then promoting the joke about your own stupidity on Twitter, is really something else. https://t.co/g1Rtc07gj6 — Morten Øverbye (@morten) January 28, 2020
So, Rick Wilson goes after Trump on Don Lemon's show and Trump goes after...Don Lemon?
Sounds about white. #UCrane #tuesdaythoughtspic.twitter.com/0AZr2Xq7G8 — Holly Figueroa O'Reilly (@AynRandPaulRyan) January 28, 2020
My sound is off. Did @donlemon bankrupt casinos, stare at a solar eclipse, get stumped by an umbrella, call someone Tim Apple, deny he knew Lev Parnas despite video proving he did, call nazis “very fine people”, and use a Sharpie on a weather map or something? — Matthew Gellert (@MatthewGellert) January 28, 2020
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Ivanka also came in for a drubbing, to the point of turning #nepotismbarbie into a trending term.
Hey @IvankaTrump aka #nepotismBarbie
just a reminder that you have ZERO Qualifications for any government job and are enriching yourself on TAXPAYER $$. How many trademarks did you get this year thanks to your deplorable Gene pool??
Take Your failed realtor hubby & get out. — JenniferLA_NY (@LanyJennifer) January 28, 2020
your dad was given a million dollars at age 4 and has never worked a day in his life and tweets from a gold-plated toilet so what was that you were saying about real elites — Jeff Tiedrich (@itsJeffTiedrich) January 28, 2020
Wilson, meanwhile, retweeted some artwork that someone thought to offer:


thehuffingtonpost--2020-01-28--Trump Asks 'What The Hell Has Happened To Fox News' After Chris Van Hollen Interview

The interview wasn ’ t pointedly anti-Trump , though Trump ’ s response suggests he felt it was .
Notably @ @ @ @ @ mentioned Shep Smith , the former Fox News anchor whom the president had often targeted @ @ @ @ @ in October .
Trump also lashed out at CNN and MSNBC as “ fake news @ @ @ @ @ by the nickname Fox News personality Sean Hannity uses : “ MSDNC.
” Watch the @ @ @ @ @ Hollen below :

The interview wasn’t pointedly anti-Trump, though Trump’s response suggests he felt it was.
Notably, Trump’s tweets mentioned Shep Smith, the former Fox News anchor whom the president had often targeted. Smith left the network in October.
Trump also lashed out at CNN and MSNBC as “fake news,” and called MSNBC by the nickname Fox News personality Sean Hannity uses: “MSDNC.”
Watch the Fox News segment with Van Hollen below:


thehuffingtonpost--2020-01-28--Former Trump Chief Of Staff John Kelly On Ukraine Claim: 'I Believe John Bolton'

Kelly once told at least one other person that he didn ’ t care what Trump did that might lead @ @ @ @ @ impeachment , because then “ at least this chapter of American history would come to @ @ @ @ @ reported in August 2018 .
A retired Marine general , Kelly served Trump as secretary @ @ @ @ @ White House chief of staff for two years before leaving the administration in December 2018 @ @ @ @ @ would testify in the Senate trial if subpoenaed , but Republican senators have been blocking @ @ @ @ @ or present more evidence .
Trump has predictably denied all wrongdoing , tweeting on Monday @ @ @ @ @ John Bolton that the aid to Ukraine was tied to investigations into Democrats , including @ @ @ @

Kelly once told at least one other person that he didn’t care what Trump did that might lead to the president’s impeachment, because then “at least this chapter of American history would come to a close,” Politico reported in August 2018.
A retired Marine general, Kelly served Trump as secretary of homeland security and then White House chief of staff for two years before leaving the administration in December 2018.
Bolton previously said he would testify in the Senate trial if subpoenaed, but Republican senators have been blocking efforts to call any witnesses or present more evidence.
Trump has predictably denied all wrongdoing, tweeting on Monday that he “NEVER told John Bolton that the aid to Ukraine was tied to investigations into Democrats, including the Bidens.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-01-28--Powerful Earthquake Strikes Between Cuba And Jamaica

HAVANA ( AP ) — A powerful magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck in the Caribbean Sea between Jamaica and eastern Cuba on Tuesday , shaking a vast area from Mexico to Florida and beyond , but there were no immediate reports of casualties or heavy damage .
The quake was centered 139 kilometers ( 86 miles ) northwest of Montego Bay , Jamaica , and 140 kilometers ( 87 miles ) west-southwest of Niquero , Cuba , according to the U.S. Geological Survey .
It hit at 2:10 p.m. ( 1910 GMT ) and the epicenter was a relatively shallow 10 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ surface .
The quake was felt strongly in Santiago , the largest city in eastern Cuba , said Belkis Guerrero , who works in a Roman Catholic cultural center in the center of Santiago .
“ We were all sitting and we felt the chairs move , ” she said .
“ We heard the noise of everything moving around.
” She said there was no apparent damage in the heart of the colonial city .
“ It felt very strong but it doesn ’ t look like anything happened , ″ she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also felt a little farther east at the U.S. Navy base at Guantanamo Bay , Cuba , on the southeastern coast of the island .
There were no immediate reports of injuries or damages , said J. Overton , a spokesman for the installation , which has a total population of about 6,000 people .
Several South Florida buildings were evacuated as a precaujtion , according to city of Miami and Miami-Dade County officials .
No injuries or road closures hade been reported .
The quake also hit the Cayman Islands , leaving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sewage spilling from cracked mains .
There were no immediate reports of deaths , injuries or more severe damage , said Kevin Morales , editor-in-chief of the Cayman Compass newspaper .
The islands experience so few earthquakes that newsroom staff were puzzled when it hit , he said .
“ It was just like a big dump truck was rolling past , ” Morales said .
“ Then it continued and got more intense.
” Dr. Stenette Davis , a psychiatrist at a Cayman Islands hospital , said she saw manhole covers blown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and sewage exploding into the street , but no more serious damage .
Claude Diedrick , 71 , who owns a fencing business in Montego Bay , said he was sitting in his vehicle reading when the earth began to sway .
“ It felt to me like I was on a bridge and like there were two or three heavy trucks and the bridge was rocking but there were no trucks , ” he said .
He said he had seen no damage around his home in northern Jamaica .

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HAVANA (AP) — A powerful magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck in the Caribbean Sea between Jamaica and eastern Cuba on Tuesday, shaking a vast area from Mexico to Florida and beyond, but there were no immediate reports of casualties or heavy damage.
The quake was centered 139 kilometers (86 miles) northwest of Montego Bay, Jamaica, and 140 kilometers (87 miles) west-southwest of Niquero, Cuba, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. It hit at 2:10 p.m. (1910 GMT) and the epicenter was a relatively shallow 10 kilometers (6 miles) beneath the surface.
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Dr. Enrique Arango Arias, head of Cuba’s National Seismological Service, told state media that there had been no serious damage or injuries reported.
The quake was felt strongly in Santiago, the largest city in eastern Cuba, said Belkis Guerrero, who works in a Roman Catholic cultural center in the center of Santiago.
“We were all sitting and we felt the chairs move,” she said. “We heard the noise of everything moving around.”
She said there was no apparent damage in the heart of the colonial city.
“It felt very strong but it doesn’t look like anything happened,″ she told The Associated Press.
It was also felt a little farther east at the U.S. Navy base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, on the southeastern coast of the island. There were no immediate reports of injuries or damages, said J. Overton, a spokesman for the installation, which has a total population of about 6,000 people.
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Several South Florida buildings were evacuated as a precaujtion, according to city of Miami and Miami-Dade County officials. No injuries or road closures hade been reported.
The quake also hit the Cayman Islands, leaving cracked roads and what appeared to be sewage spilling from cracked mains. There were no immediate reports of deaths, injuries or more severe damage, said Kevin Morales, editor-in-chief of the Cayman Compass newspaper.
The islands experience so few earthquakes that newsroom staff were puzzled when it hit, he said.
“It was just like a big dump truck was rolling past,” Morales said. “Then it continued and got more intense.”
Dr. Stenette Davis, a psychiatrist at a Cayman Islands hospital, said she saw manhole covers blown off by the force of the quake, and sewage exploding into the street, but no more serious damage.
Claude Diedrick, 71, who owns a fencing business in Montego Bay, said he was sitting in his vehicle reading when the earth began to sway.
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“It felt to me like I was on a bridge and like there were two or three heavy trucks and the bridge was rocking but there were no trucks,” he said.
He said he had seen no damage around his home in northern Jamaica.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said the quake could generate waves 1 to 3 feet above normal in Cuba, Jamaica, the Cayman Islands, Honduras, Mexico and Belize.
The USGS initially reported the magnitude at 7.3.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-01-28--Trump, Netanyahu Unveil Long-Awaited Middle East Peace Plan

WASHINGTON ( AP ) — President Donald Trump unveiled his long-awaited Middle East peace plan Tuesday , calling for the creation of a State of Palestine with its capital in portions of east Jerusalem .
He declared it a “ win-win ” opportunity for both Israel and the Palestinians .
Trump , releasing the plan before a pro-Israel audience at the White House with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by his side , acknowledged that he has done a lot for Israel , but he said he wanted the deal to be a “ great deal for the Palestinians.
” Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ opportunity ” for Palestinians to achieve an independent state of their own .
The plan more than doubles the territory currently under Palestinian control , although it also recognizes Israeli sovereignty over major settlement blocs in the West Bank , something to which the Palestinians will almost certainly object .
The Palestinians have already rejected the proposal , accusing Trump of being biased in favor of Israel as he has adopted policies that bolster Israel at their expense .
The plan does call for a four-year freeze in new Israeli settlement construction , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agreement would be negotiated .
However , it was not immediately clear if the freeze could be extended if a final deal is not concluded in the four years .
The 50-page political outline goes further in concessions to the Palestinians than many analysts had believed was likely .
However , it would require them to accept conditions they have been previously unwilling to consider , such as accepting West Bank settlements .
It builds on a 30-page economic plan for the West Bank and Gaza that was unveiled last June and which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the terms of the “ peace vision ” that Trump ’ s son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner has been working on for nearly three years , the future Palestinian state would consist of the West Bank and Gaza , connected by a combination of above-ground roads and tunnels .
The White House event came as Trump ’ s impeachment trial continues in the Senate and Israel ’ s parliament had planned a hearing to discuss Netanyahu ’ s request for immunity from criminal corruption charges .
Netanyahu withdrew that request hours before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Israel ’ s parliament , the Knesset , is still expected to meet .
The body had been likely to vote against immunity , dealing Netanyahu a blow .
In the run-up to the March 2 election , Netanyahu had called for annexing parts of the West Bank and imposing Israeli sovereignty on all its settlements there .
Israel captured the West Bank in the 1967 Mideast war , and the Jordan Valley in particular is considered a vital security asset .
Security responsibility for the Jordan Valley would remain in Israel ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could be scaled back as the nascent Palestinian state builds its capacity , under the terms of the plan , which says that statehood will be contingent on the Palestinians meeting international governance criteria .
U.S. officials , speaking on condition of anonymity ahead of the plan ’ s release , said they expected negative responses from the Palestinians , as well as Turkey and Iran , but were hopeful that Jordan and Egypt , the only two Arab nations to have peace treaties with Israel , would not reject it outright .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ states like Saudi Arabia , the United Arab Emirates and others to cautiously welcome the plan .
The reaction of Jordan , which would retain its responsibilities over Jerusalem ’ s al-Aqsa Mosque under the plan , will be particularly significant , according to the officials , who said Kushner and others were reaching out to Arab leaders ahead of the rollout .
The Palestinians see the West Bank as the heartland of a future independent state and east Jerusalem as their capital .
Most of the international community supports their position , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ foreign policy by siding more blatantly with Israel .
The centerpiece of his strategy was recognizing Jerusalem as Israel ’ s capital and moving the American Embassy there .
He ’ s also closed Palestinian diplomatic offices in Washington and cut funding to Palestinian aid programs .
But the Palestinians refuse to even speak to Trump and they called on support from Arab leaders .
The Palestinian leadership also has encouraged protests in the West Bank , raising fears that the announcement in Washington could spark a new round of violence .
Ahead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said it was reinforcing infantry troops along the Jordan Valley .

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WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump unveiled his long-awaited Middle East peace plan Tuesday, calling for the creation of a State of Palestine with its capital in portions of east Jerusalem. He declared it a “win-win” opportunity for both Israel and the Palestinians.
The plan ends speculation as to whether his administration, in preparing a proposal without input from Palestinian leaders, would abandon a “two-state resolution” to the conflict.
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Trump, releasing the plan before a pro-Israel audience at the White House with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by his side, acknowledged that he has done a lot for Israel, but he said he wanted the deal to be a “great deal for the Palestinians.” Trump said the deal is a “historic opportunity” for Palestinians to achieve an independent state of their own.
The plan more than doubles the territory currently under Palestinian control, although it also recognizes Israeli sovereignty over major settlement blocs in the West Bank, something to which the Palestinians will almost certainly object. The Palestinians have already rejected the proposal, accusing Trump of being biased in favor of Israel as he has adopted policies that bolster Israel at their expense.
The plan does call for a four-year freeze in new Israeli settlement construction, during which time details of a comprehensive agreement would be negotiated. However, it was not immediately clear if the freeze could be extended if a final deal is not concluded in the four years.
The 50-page political outline goes further in concessions to the Palestinians than many analysts had believed was likely. However, it would require them to accept conditions they have been previously unwilling to consider, such as accepting West Bank settlements. It builds on a 30-page economic plan for the West Bank and Gaza that was unveiled last June and which the Palestinians have also rejected,
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Under the terms of the “peace vision” that Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner has been working on for nearly three years, the future Palestinian state would consist of the West Bank and Gaza, connected by a combination of above-ground roads and tunnels.
Netanyahu and his main political challenger in March elections, Benny Gantz, had signed off on the plan.
The White House event came as Trump’s impeachment trial continues in the Senate and Israel’s parliament had planned a hearing to discuss Netanyahu’s request for immunity from criminal corruption charges. Netanyahu withdrew that request hours before the proceedings were to begin, but Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, is still expected to meet. The body had been likely to vote against immunity, dealing Netanyahu a blow.
In the run-up to the March 2 election, Netanyahu had called for annexing parts of the West Bank and imposing Israeli sovereignty on all its settlements there. Israel captured the West Bank in the 1967 Mideast war, and the Jordan Valley in particular is considered a vital security asset.
Security responsibility for the Jordan Valley would remain in Israel’s hands for the foreseeable future but could be scaled back as the nascent Palestinian state builds its capacity, under the terms of the plan, which says that statehood will be contingent on the Palestinians meeting international governance criteria.
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U.S. officials, speaking on condition of anonymity ahead of the plan’s release, said they expected negative responses from the Palestinians, as well as Turkey and Iran, but were hopeful that Jordan and Egypt, the only two Arab nations to have peace treaties with Israel, would not reject it outright. The officials said they expected Gulf Arab states like Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and others to cautiously welcome the plan.
The reaction of Jordan, which would retain its responsibilities over Jerusalem’s al-Aqsa Mosque under the plan, will be particularly significant, according to the officials, who said Kushner and others were reaching out to Arab leaders ahead of the rollout.
The Palestinians see the West Bank as the heartland of a future independent state and east Jerusalem as their capital. Most of the international community supports their position, but Trump has reversed decades of U.S. foreign policy by siding more blatantly with Israel. The centerpiece of his strategy was recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and moving the American Embassy there. He’s also closed Palestinian diplomatic offices in Washington and cut funding to Palestinian aid programs.
Those policies have proven popular among Trump’s evangelical and pro-Israel supporters and could give him a much-needed boost from his base as he gears up for a reelection battle this year.
But the Palestinians refuse to even speak to Trump and they called on support from Arab leaders. The Palestinian leadership also has encouraged protests in the West Bank, raising fears that the announcement in Washington could spark a new round of violence. Ahead of the announcement, the Israeli military said it was reinforcing infantry troops along the Jordan Valley.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-01-28--Joe Scarborough Comes Up With Scathing New Way To Describe Donald Trump's Legal Team

If irony weren ’ t already dead and buried years ago , it was Ken Starr yesterday talking about how @ @ @ @ @ sufficient to impeach a president , you need a crime .
He literally dragged the @ @ @ @ @ the grave .
He meticulously tied the corpse ’ s neck bone to the back @ @ @ @ @ he ran that tractor throughout the graveyard of stupidity and ran over every headstone .
@ @ @ @ @ on the corpse of irony again and putting its bones back into the ground one @ @ @ @ @

If irony weren’t already dead and buried years ago, it was Ken Starr yesterday talking about how abuse of power is not sufficient to impeach a president, you need a crime. He literally dragged the corpse of irony out of the grave. He meticulously tied the corpse’s neck bone to the back of a tractor, and he ran that tractor throughout the graveyard of stupidity and ran over every headstone. Before once again kicking dirt on the corpse of irony again and putting its bones back into the ground one by one by one.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-01-28--Read Live Updates From Trump Team's Last Day Of Opening Arguments In Impeachment Trial

Donald Trump ’ s defense team is taking the Senate floor Tuesday for its final day of opening arguments in the president ’ s impeachment trial .
During their presentation a day earlier , the team of attorneys , led by White House counsel Pat Cipollone , ignored an explosive report from The New York Times about allegations made by former national security adviser John Bolton in a draft of his forthcoming book .
In the manuscript , Bolton reportedly says Trump told him in August that he wanted to continue withholding congressionally approved military aid to Ukraine until officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ investigations he requested into political rival Joe Biden and the 2016 election .
Democrats are pushing for the Senate to call Bolton and other key witnesses during the impeachment trial , though Republicans have largely signaled that they ’ re reluctant to do so .
Both the House ’ s group of impeachment managers , led by Rep. Adam Schiff ( D-Calif. ) , and Trump ’ s defense team were allotted 24 hours over three days to present their opening arguments .
Afterward , senators will have 16 hours to ask questions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Read live coverage of Tuesday ’ s portion of the impeachment trial below :

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Donald Trump’s defense team is taking the Senate floor Tuesday for its final day of opening arguments in the president’s impeachment trial.
During their presentation a day earlier, the team of attorneys, led by White House counsel Pat Cipollone, ignored an explosive report from The New York Times about allegations made by former national security adviser John Bolton in a draft of his forthcoming book.
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In the manuscript, Bolton reportedly says Trump told him in August that he wanted to continue withholding congressionally approved military aid to Ukraine until officials from the eastern European country helped with investigations he requested into political rival Joe Biden and the 2016 election.
Democrats are pushing for the Senate to call Bolton and other key witnesses during the impeachment trial, though Republicans have largely signaled that they’re reluctant to do so.
Both the House’s group of impeachment managers, led by Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), and Trump’s defense team were allotted 24 hours over three days to present their opening arguments. Afterward, senators will have 16 hours to ask questions before voting on whether to call witnesses.
Read live coverage of Tuesday’s portion of the impeachment trial below:


thehuffingtonpost--2020-01-28--Fox Hosts Turn On 'Tool For The Left' John Bolton Like Never Before

Fox hosts flipped the switch on their former longtime colleague John Bolton on Monday following his bombshell revelation in the Ukraine scandal .
Tucker Carlson , Sean Hannity , Laura Ingraham , Lou Dobbs and others condemned President Donald Trump ’ s former national security adviser ― who was a paid Fox News contributor for 11 years until he joined Trump ’ s White House in 2018 ― over his forthcoming book that reportedly confirms the impeachment case against the president .
Bolton writes in “ The Room Where It Happened ” that Trump tied the release of congressionally approved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s announcement of an investigation into Joe Biden .
Fox Business Network host Lou Dobbs claimed Bolton “ has been reduced to a tool for the radical Dims and the deep state.
” An accompanying graphic also called Bolton ― who has served in every Republican administration since former President Ronald Reagan ― “ a tool for the left.
” Carlson , a longtime critic of Bolton , suggested he had always been “ a snake.
” “ Republicans in Washington tonight seem shocked to discover that John Bolton has turned and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But they shouldn ’ t be shocked .
That ’ s who John Bolton is .
That ’ s who John Bolton has always been .
That ’ s what John Bolton does , ” Carlson said .
“ Now they ’ re acting like this is a big bombshell , Bolton ’ s book .
Okay .
The problem is , it ’ s a New York Times story .
How often did this New York Times get things wrong ?
” he asked .
Ingraham dismissed Bolton ’ s claim @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a picture of Bolton with , well , a red herring .

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Fox hosts flipped the switch on their former longtime colleague John Bolton on Monday following his bombshell revelation in the Ukraine scandal.
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Bolton writes in “The Room Where It Happened” that Trump tied the release of congressionally approved military aid to Ukraine to the country’s announcement of an investigation into Joe Biden.
Fox Business Network host Lou Dobbs claimed Bolton “has been reduced to a tool for the radical Dims and the deep state.”
An accompanying graphic also called Bolton ― who has served in every Republican administration since former President Ronald Reagan ― “a tool for the left.”
Check out the clip here:
Lou Dobbs: "John Bolton himself has been reduced to a tool for the radical Dims and the Deep State" pic.twitter.com/84AORpfWUg — Jason Campbell (@JasonSCampbell) January 28, 2020
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Carlson, a longtime critic of Bolton, suggested he had always been “a snake.”
“Republicans in Washington tonight seem shocked to discover that John Bolton has turned and betrayed his former boss, President Trump. But they shouldn’t be shocked. That’s who John Bolton is. That’s who John Bolton has always been. That’s what John Bolton does,” Carlson said.
Check out the clip here:
.@TuckerCarlson:
John Bolton has always been a snake
https://t.co/yvga0GY2tc — Sara A. Carter (@SaraCarterDC) January 28, 2020
Sean Hannity cast doubt on Bolton’s revelation in a rant on his radio show.
“Now they’re acting like this is a big bombshell, Bolton’s book. Okay. The problem is, it’s a New York Times story. How often did this New York Times get things wrong?” he asked.
Check out the audio here:
Ingraham dismissed Bolton’s claim as a “red herring” with a picture of Bolton with, well, a red herring.
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Check out the clip here:
Contributor Dan Bongino, meanwhile, claimed twice in one tweet that “nobody cares.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-01-28--Trump Defense Urges Senators To Feel Bad For Trump

“ Put yourself in the shoes of the president , ” attorney Jay Sekulow said .
“ The president of the United States , before he was the president , was under an investigation.
” “ And then we asked why the president is concerned about advice he ’ s being given , ” Sekulow said in his closing remarks on Tuesday afternoon .
“ Put yourself in his shoes .
Put yourself in his shoes.
” Democrats allege that the president corrupted U.S. foreign policy for his own personal benefit , ignoring the advice of American diplomats , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Their abuse of power charge says the president withheld military aid from Ukraine in order to coerce the country into announcing phony investigations ― one into former Vice President Joe Biden , the president ’ s highest-polling possible Democratic opponent for 2020 , and another into whether Ukraine , and not Russia , was really responsible for interfering in the 2016 election .
“ Put yourself in his shoes ” has been a recurring theme of the president ’ s defense , with Sekulow and others repeatedly highlighting reasons the president had to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ didn ’ t do what he allegedly did , but they also implied that he couldn ’ t help himself because he was frustrated .
Sekulow mentioned a variety of Trump ’ s gripes with the FBI , some of which have been partly substantiated by investigations from the Justice Department ’ s inspector general .
He mentioned “ Crossfire Hurricane ” ― the name of the 2016 FBI investigation into the Trump campaign that eventually morphed into the Mueller investigation ― and the FBI employees involved in the investigation who traded anti-Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the FISA process that targeted former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page .
Trump has openly admitted that he wanted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to announce “ a major investigation into the Bidens.
” Trump ’ s defense has characterized it as a general investigation of corruption that just happened to involve the Bidens .
By recounting the president ’ s complaints about the intelligence community , his attorneys are suggesting he had good reason to go around the State Department and use his personal attorney , Rudy Giuliani , as his agent in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ukraine testified that Trump used Giuliani to create a “ highly irregular ” diplomatic channel to Ukraine .
On Monday , Trump attorney Pam Bondi urged senators to consider why the president would want Ukraine to investigate Biden and his son Hunter .
Bondi listed various instances of newspapers publishing stories about Hunter Biden ’ s questionable seat on the board of a notoriously corrupt Ukrainian energy company ― but she did not herself say that the Bidens had committed a crime .
“ All we are saying is that there was a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ raise this issue , and that is enough , ” she said .
The biggest question about what happens next with the Senate trial is whether enough Republicans will join with Democrats in a coming vote on whether to subpoena witnesses ― with former national security adviser John Bolton ’ s name at the top of the list .
Bolton has reportedly written a book manuscript that essentially confirms Democrats ’ allegation that the president abused his power by withholding aid from Ukraine .
Following Tuesday ’ s trial proceedings , Republican senators @ @ @ @ @ @ @ path forward .
Members exiting the meeting , which ran over an hour , were unusually tight-lipped , but Sen. John Cornyn ( R-Texas ) told reporters afterward that “ no final decision ” on witnesses had been made .
In a legal analysis presented for Trump ’ s defense on Monday evening , criminal defense attorney Alan Dershowitz argued that “ nothing in the Bolton revelations , even if true , would rise to the level of an abusive power or an impeachable offense .
”

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WASHINGTON ― President Donald Trump’s impeachment defense team wrapped up its opening arguments in the Senate impeachment trial by pleading with senators to try to understand the president’s feelings.
“Put yourself in the shoes of the president,” attorney Jay Sekulow said. “The president of the United States, before he was the president, was under an investigation.”
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Trump’s 2016 campaign was under FBI investigation, and then the president wound up being investigated by special counsel Robert Mueller, Sekulow argued.
“And then we asked why the president is concerned about advice he’s being given,” Sekulow said in his closing remarks on Tuesday afternoon. “Put yourself in his shoes. Put yourself in his shoes.”
Democrats allege that the president corrupted U.S. foreign policy for his own personal benefit, ignoring the advice of American diplomats, the law and the U.S. national interest. Their abuse of power charge says the president withheld military aid from Ukraine in order to coerce the country into announcing phony investigations ― one into former Vice President Joe Biden, the president’s highest-polling possible Democratic opponent for 2020, and another into whether Ukraine, and not Russia, was really responsible for interfering in the 2016 election.
“Put yourself in his shoes” has been a recurring theme of the president’s defense, with Sekulow and others repeatedly highlighting reasons the president had to be upset. They argued that Trump didn’t do what he allegedly did, but they also implied that he couldn’t help himself because he was frustrated.
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“By recounting the president’s complaints about the intelligence community, his attorneys are suggesting he had good reason to go around the State Department.”
Sekulow mentioned a variety of Trump’s gripes with the FBI, some of which have been partly substantiated by investigations from the Justice Department’s inspector general. He mentioned “Crossfire Hurricane” ― the name of the 2016 FBI investigation into the Trump campaign that eventually morphed into the Mueller investigation ― and the FBI employees involved in the investigation who traded anti-Trump texts. He also mentioned problems with the FISA process that targeted former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page.
“You can’t view this case in a vacuum,” Sekulow said.
Trump has openly admitted that he wanted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to announce “a major investigation into the Bidens.” Trump’s defense has characterized it as a general investigation of corruption that just happened to involve the Bidens.
By recounting the president’s complaints about the intelligence community, his attorneys are suggesting he had good reason to go around the State Department and use his personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani, as his agent in Ukraine. The former acting ambassador to Ukraine testified that Trump used Giuliani to create a “highly irregular” diplomatic channel to Ukraine.
On Monday, Trump attorney Pam Bondi urged senators to consider why the president would want Ukraine to investigate Biden and his son Hunter. Bondi listed various instances of newspapers publishing stories about Hunter Biden’s questionable seat on the board of a notoriously corrupt Ukrainian energy company ― but she did not herself say that the Bidens had committed a crime.
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“All we are saying is that there was a basis to talk about this, to raise this issue, and that is enough,” she said.
Former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, a member of President Donald Trump's defense team, arrives at the Capitol last Thursday. AP Photo/Julio Cortez
The biggest question about what happens next with the Senate trial is whether enough Republicans will join with Democrats in a coming vote on whether to subpoena witnesses ― with former national security adviser John Bolton’s name at the top of the list. Bolton has reportedly written a book manuscript that essentially confirms Democrats’ allegation that the president abused his power by withholding aid from Ukraine.
A vote could happen as early as Friday, after senators have had two days to question the House impeachment managers and Trump’s defense team.
Following Tuesday’s trial proceedings, Republican senators met behind closed doors to discuss the path forward. Members exiting the meeting, which ran over an hour, were unusually tight-lipped, but Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) told reporters afterward that “no final decision” on witnesses had been made.
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In a legal analysis presented for Trump’s defense on Monday evening, criminal defense attorney Alan Dershowitz argued that “nothing in the Bolton revelations, even if true, would rise to the level of an abusive power or an impeachable offense.”
Sekulow ran with that argument on Tuesday morning, citing Dershowitz.
“You cannot turn conduct that is not impeachable into impeachable conduct simply by using words like ‘quid pro quo’ and ‘personal benefit,’” he said. Several Senate Republicans have said they agreed.
House impeachment manager Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) suggested the Dershowitz argument itself is sort of incriminating.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-01-28--GOP Group Taunts Donald Trump By Driving 'President Pence' Billboard Truck Around D.C.

A conservative group said it is stepping up its advocacy for removing President Donald Trump from office with a new mobile billboard campaign .
Republicans for the Rule of Law has announced a truck emblazoned with the image of Vice President Mike Pence and the messages “ Remove Trump For Pence ” and “ Pence , It Could Be Worse ” will be driven around Washington , D.C. , for eight hours on Tuesday .
The vehicle ’ s tour starts at 10 a.m. near the Capitol , where Trump is on trial in the Senate for his Ukraine misconduct @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republicans for the Rule of Law said a truck with anti-Trump messages , like the one mocked up in this supplied image , will be driven around Washington for eight hours on Tuesday .
“ Removing President Trump from office wouldn ’ t undo the 2016 election .
The same voters and electors who chose President Trump also chose Vice President Pence , ” the anti-Trump group ’ s spokesperson Tim Miller said Tuesday in a statement to HuffPost , alongside a mocked-up image of the truck .
” That ’ s why @ @ @ @ @ @ @ should not fear a fair trial , because even if Trump is removed that still leaves them with President Pence which is ... not bad , I guess ?
” Miller added .
The group , which is part of the conservative Defending Democracy Together advocacy organization , last week launched the “ President Pence ” website and this TV ad :

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A conservative group said it is stepping up its advocacy for removing President Donald Trump from office with a new mobile billboard campaign.
Republicans for the Rule of Law has announced a truck emblazoned with the image of Vice President Mike Pence and the messages “Remove Trump For Pence” and “Pence, It Could Be Worse” will be driven around Washington, D.C., for eight hours on Tuesday. The vehicle’s tour starts at 10 a.m. near the Capitol, where Trump is on trial in the Senate for his Ukraine misconduct.
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Republicans for the Rule of Law said a truck with anti-Trump messages, like the one mocked up in this supplied image, will be driven around Washington for eight hours on Tuesday. Republicans for the Rule of Law
“Removing President Trump from office wouldn’t undo the 2016 election. The same voters and electors who chose President Trump also chose Vice President Pence,” the anti-Trump group’s spokesperson Tim Miller said Tuesday in a statement to HuffPost, alongside a mocked-up image of the truck.
”That’s why we’re reminding Republicans that they should not fear a fair trial, because even if Trump is removed that still leaves them with President Pence which is... not bad, I guess?” Miller added.
The group, which is part of the conservative Defending Democracy Together advocacy organization, last week launched the “President Pence” website and this TV ad:


thehuffingtonpost--2020-01-28--Ken Starr's 'Age Of Impeachment' Whine Gets The Treatment On Twitter

It we are in the “ Age of Impeachment ” as Ken Starr argues he is its progenitor of that @ @ @ @ @ partisan impeachment of Bill Clinton .
His argument is filled with holes .
He has @ @ @ @ @ House is doing what HE did to Clinton !
This is pure bogus diversion !

It we are in the “Age of Impeachment” as Ken Starr argues he is its progenitor of that age when he launched the partisan impeachment of Bill Clinton. His argument is filled with holes. He has no basis to say the House is doing what HE did to Clinton! This is pure bogus diversion!


thehuffingtonpost--2020-01-28--In Amy Klobuchar's Past, Questions About A Teen Jailed For Life

ASSOCIATED PRESS Myon Burrell , convicted in the murder of Tyesha Edwards , stands for a photograph at the Stillwater @ @ @ @ @ Oct. 23 , 2019 , in Stillwater , Minn. ( AP Photo/John Minchillo )

Myon Burrell, convicted in the murder of Tyesha Edwards, stands for a photograph at the Stillwater Correctional Facility, Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2019, in Stillwater, Minn. (AP Photo/John Minchillo) ASSOCIATED PRESS
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — It was a prime-time moment for Amy Klobuchar.
Standing in the glare of television lights at a Democratic presidential debate last fall, she was asked about her years as a top Minnesota prosecutor and allegations she was not committed to racial justice.
“That’s not my record,” she said, staring into the camera.
Yes, she was tough on crime, Klobuchar said, but the African American community was angry about losing kids to gun violence. And she responded.
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She told a story that she has cited throughout her political career, including during her 2006 campaign for the U.S. Senate: An 11-year-old girl was killed by a stray bullet while doing homework at her dining room table in 2002. And Klobuchar’s office put Tyesha Edwards’ killer ― a black teen ― behind bars for life.
But what if Myon Burrell is innocent?
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An Associated Press investigation into the 17-year-old case uncovered new evidence and myriad inconsistencies, raising questions about whether he was railroaded by police.
The AP reviewed more than a thousand pages of police records, court transcripts and interrogation tapes, and interviewed dozens of inmates, witnesses, family members, former gang leaders, lawyers and criminal justice experts.
The case relied heavily on a teen rival of Burrell’s who gave conflicting accounts when identifying the shooter, who was largely obscured behind a wall 120 feet away.
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With no other eyewitnesses, police turned to multiple jailhouse snitches. Some have since recanted, saying they were coached or coerced. Others were given reduced time, raising questions about their credibility. And the lead homicide detective offered “major dollars” for names, even if it was hearsay.
There was no gun, fingerprints, or DNA. Alibis were never seriously pursued. Key evidence has gone missing or was never obtained, including a convenience store surveillance tape that Burrell and others say would have cleared him.
Burrell, now 33, has maintained his innocence, rejecting all plea deals.
His co-defendants, meanwhile, have admitted their part in Tyesha’s death. Burrell, they say, was not even there.
For years, one of them ― Ike Tyson ― has insisted he was actually the triggerman. Police and prosecutors refused to believe him, pointing to the contradictory accounts in the early days of the investigation. Now, he swears he was just trying to get the police off his back.
“I already shot an innocent girl,” said Tyson, who is serving a 45-year sentence. “Now an innocent guy ― at the time he was a kid ― is locked up for something he didn’t do. So, it’s like I’m carrying two burdens.”
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Ianna Burrell displays a newspaper clipping that followed the murder trial of her brother, Myon Burrell, at her home in Shakopee, Minn., Friday, Oct. 25, 2019. (AP Photo/John Minchillo) ASSOCIATED PRESS
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Asked for comment on the case, a Klobuchar campaign spokesperson said Burrell was tried and convicted of Tyesha’s murder twice, and the second trial occurred when Klobuchar was no longer the Hennepin County Attorney. If there was new evidence, she said, it should be immediately reviewed by the court.
Questions about the case come at a difficult time, as Klobuchar and other presidential hopefuls, including Joe Biden and Michael Bloomberg, face scrutiny for their records on racial justice in the 1990s and early 2000s.
Black and brown communities were being decimated by the war on drugs, and the since-discredited “super-predator” theory prevailed, predicting that droves of poor, fatherless young men devoid of moral conscience would wreak havoc in their neighborhoods.
Democrats joined Republicans in supporting harsher policing and tougher sentencing, leading to the highest incarceration rates in the nation’s history.
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Some politicians have tried to distance themselves from the period’s perceived excesses. In January, for instance, Klobuchar returned a $1,000 campaign donation from Linda Fairstein, who prosecuted New York’s infamous Central Park Five, four black teens and one Hispanic who were later exonerated in the rape of a white jogger in 1989.
While campaigning to be the top prosecutor in Minnesota’s most populous county in 1998, Klobuchar advocated for harsher penalties for juvenile offenders.
Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., speaks to reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2020. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana) ASSOCIATED PRESS
In Minnesota, allegations of gang affiliation or motive played on the fears of mostly white jurors and led to harsher sentences.
“If you were young and black, and your case was tied to gangs or drugs, it was an especially scary time,” said Mary Moriarty, a public defender in Minnesota’s Hennepin County for nearly three decades. “I do firmly believe that there were people convicted of crimes that they did not do.’
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She said that the murder Burrell went down for was problematic from the start.
“In the case of Myon Burrell ― where you had a really high-profile shooting of an innocent girl and you put a lot of pressure on the system to get someone to be responsible for that ― I think a lot of corners were probably cut.”
In Minneapolis, soaring homicides had briefly earned the city the grim nickname “Murderapolis.” By the time Klobuchar took office in 1999, crime rates had started to drop. But tensions remained high. Tyesha’s death set off an uproar.
Police pulled out all stops, deploying more than 40 officers and gang task force members.
Despite the lack of physical evidence, they all but wrapped up their case against Burrell in four days.
Ike Tyson, 21, and Hans Williams, 23, were easy. Several people saw them roll by in their car minutes before the attack, and a 911 tip from one of their girlfriends helped seal the deal.
Burrell, then 16, was arrested only after a tip from an often-used jailhouse informant. During his lengthy legal process, Burrell hired and fired six attorneys as they failed to cross-examine witnesses, pursue alibis or challenge glaring irregularities in the investigation.
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In the end, his sentence stuck: Natural life in prison.
The Minneapolis police declined to comment for this story. Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman’s office said it’s confident the correct person was convicted but it’s always open to reviewing new evidence.
Assistant County Attorney Jean Burdorf, the only prosecutor left who was directly involved in the case, insists that Burrell received justice. “I’ll tell you what I’ve told a lot of people over the years. I have a lot of confidence in Minnesota’s justice system,” she said.
“Certainly, he’s been through the court process, and his conviction has remained intact.”
Family photos of Myon Burrell during his teenage years before and after incarceration are displayed a the home of his sister, Ianna, in Shakopee, Minn., Friday, Oct. 25, 2019. (AP Photo/John Minchillo) ASSOCIATED PRESS
Ianna Burrell pours over documents and photographs of her incarcerated brother Myon Burrell at her home, Friday, Oct. 25, 2019, in Shakopee, Minn. (AP Photo/John Minchillo) ASSOCIATED PRESS
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For years, many caught up in Burrell’s case have insisted police got the wrong person. Some say they initially lied to protect themselves or their friends. Others say they told police what they wanted to hear to get deals on their own sentences or to punish a rival.
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Even though some have changed their stories more than once, they insist they are now telling the truth because they have nothing to gain.
Burrell’s co-defendants were members of the Tyson Mob and the Vice Lords. They say drugs and guns were a way of life in their rough neighborhood. But the shooting wasn’t gang warfare as police claimed, they insisted ― it was personal.
Tyson said he and Williams were driving in south Minneapolis when they spotted a group of guys hanging out. Among them was 17-year-old Timmy Oliver, a member of the rival Gangster Disciples, who had menacingly waved a gun at them weeks earlier.
The pair slowed down, scowled at Oliver, then continued on. They picked up an unidentified acquaintance, got a gun and headed back. Tyson said it was his idea, and the intention was to scare Oliver, not to kill him.
The three parked a block away, with Williams waiting in the driver’s seat for a quick getaway. Tyson and the third man jumped out, cutting through an alley and ducking between houses. Shielded by a wall, Tyson said he could clearly see Oliver standing in the yard across the street with his back turned.
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He said he fired off eight rounds, the last few as he was running backward toward the car. It wasn’t until later that evening that he learned one of his bullets killed Tyesha in the house next door.
“There was only one weapon, one set of shells,” said Tyson. “I’m the one that did this. I did this.”
Soon after the shooting, he was telling friends, his attorney, fellow inmates and even a prison guard that Burrell was not at the scene, court records show. But he said his lawyer told him he’d never see the outside of a prison unless he implicated the youth. Eventually he buckled, but only after being promised his plea would not be used against Burrell.
Tyson doesn’t want to name the other man who was with him, saying he doesn’t want to pull in a person who was only peripherally involved.
The getaway driver, Hans Williams, did identify a third man ― by his full name and in a photo lineup. Police initially said they didn’t want to “muddy up the case” with an unverified name, later that they didn’t believe him. They made no real effort to follow up. After getting a denial from the suspect in 2005, the chief homicide detective “permanently checked” out their recorded conversation and gave it to the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office. It has since gone missing.
The gun was never recovered and officers said prints on the magazine and the car were not sufficient for identification. Ballistic tests on Tyson’s jacket were not carried out to verify claims that he was the triggerman.
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The gravestone of Tyesha Edwards, the victim of a 2002 shooting that resulted in the murder conviction Myon Burrell, rests at Washburn-McReavy Crystal Lake Funeral Chapel and Cemetery, Thursday, Oct. 24, 2019, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/John Minchillo) ASSOCIATED PRESS
The killing of Tyesha Edwards topped television news that night.
That’s how a prison inmate first heard about it. Desperate to get money or time cut off his own sentence, he quickly reached out to Oliver, a friend and fellow gang member. Minutes later, the often-used informant gave the cops Burrell’s name, helping steer their investigation, the AP found.
Oliver, who had his own troubles with the law, didn’t go to police that day, as he promised. He said one of the bullets had pierced his pants, so he threw them away and went to buy a new pair.
But three days later, he was picked up by officers following another, unrelated shooting. Police now had their sole eyewitness in custody, interviewing him for more than eight hours. Though mandated by law, the interrogation was never recorded. Police later said they “made a mistake.”
Well after midnight, Oliver signed a statement saying he saw Burrell standing across the street in an open lot between two houses, shooting until he emptied his weapon. Later, Oliver’s story would change. He said his diminutive, 5-foot-3 rival was firing from behind a 5-foot wall, 120 feet away, but that his hooded face was still clearly recognizable.
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Oliver’s best friend, Antoine Williams, said when the gunfire stopped, he ran to his side.
“I asked Timmy at the time, ‘Who, who did the shooting?’” Antoine Williams recalled in a recorded interview with a private investigator hired by one of Burrell’s attorneys. “He said, ‘I couldn’t see where it was coming from.’”
He later asked Oliver ― who died in a shooting in 2003 ― why he lied to police.
Oliver told him, “They threatened him, kinda put it like, ‘It was your fault because you were there. You were the intended target,’” Antoine Williams said.
With a new trial date approaching and their key witness, Oliver, gone to the grave, the police turned to informants in the jails and prisons. Some were offered generous sentence reductions, cash and other deals for those willing to come forward with a story about what happened in the shooting, even if it wasn’t true, inmates said.
There were at least seven jailhouse informants, two of whom had coughed up information in more than a dozen other cases. Another went by 29 different aliases.
Terry Arrington, a member of a rival gang, was among those who talked.
He said he was approached by four officers and the prosecutor at a federal correctional facility where he faced 19 years in prison and was told he could knock that down to three if he was willing to cooperate.
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He said he knew nothing about the case: “They basically brought me through what to say. Before I went before the grand jury, they brought me in a room and said … ‘When you get in, hit on this, hit on this.’ I was still young and I had fresh kids that I was trying to get home to, so I did what they asked.”
He got his deal, but now lives with that burden.
“Like, I don’t wish jail on nobody,” he said, now back in prison at Rush City correctional facility on other charges. “Even though we was enemies ... that’s still a man ... So it really bothers me right now.”
He says at least three other men who were locked up with him in the same unit also cut deals with police. One other has recanted.
As far as Arrington knows, “everybody told a lie to get time cut.”
Burrell, convicted with no gun, fingerprints or hard evidence implicating him, has drawn a growing number of legal experts, community leaders and civil rights activists who are worried that a black teenager may have been wrongly convicted. (AP Photo/John Minchillo) ASSOCIATED PRESS
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Like many young black men in his neighborhood, Burrell’s distrust of police came early. He was 12 when a drug addict drew a switchblade, slashing his sister in the hand and drawing blood. His mom called the police, but they assumed the boy was the assailant, threw him up against a sharp fence before hauling him to the station in cuffs. Only then did they realize they had the wrong person.
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Soon after, he was caught selling drugs and hanging out with the wrong crowd. Worried he might end up in jail, like his dad and oldest brother, his mother packed up the family and moved to Bemidji, a small city 3 1/2 hours away. But the 13-year-old struggled to fit in and found himself coming back to the Twin Cities often.
In 2002, the family traveled to Minneapolis to spend Thanksgiving with his grandmother.
Less than 24 hours later, Tyesha was dead and police were desperate to find her killer.
They decided early on it was Burrell, though he had not had any serious brushes with the law.
In a video taken by police hours before his arrest, chief homicide detective Richard Zimmerman is seen talking to man brought to the station following another shooting. The officer says he is ready to pay “major dollars” for information about Tyesha’s murder ― even if it’s just street chatter.
“Hearsay is still worth something to me,” Zimmerman tells the man, offering $500 a name. “Sometimes ... you get hearsay here, hearsay there. Sometimes it’s like a jigsaw puzzle, things come together, you know what I mean?”
The man gave up three names, but Zimmerman paid for just one: Burrell’s.
The afternoon of the shooting, Burrell said, he was playing video games with a group at his friend’s house. Hungry, they decided to walk to Portland Market on 38th Street. When they didn’t see anything they liked, they continued on to Cup Foods, just a few hundred yards from Tyesha’s house.
During his nearly three-hour interrogation, Burrell identified two people he saw at Cup Foods ― Latosha Evans and his friend, Donnell Jones.
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Police never followed up. But Evans and Jones told the AP they were with Burrell at Cup Foods, either as shots were fired or immediately after, when sirens were blaring.
Though the store itself was under police surveillance because of allegations of drug dealing and weapons sales, it appears officers never recovered video surveillance tapes.
A pedestrian stops outside the former home, in blue, of Tyesha Edwards, an 11-year-old girl pierced in the heart by a stray bullet in 2002 while doing homework at her family's dining room table, Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2019, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/John Minchillo) ASSOCIATED PRESS
Ianna Burrell holds a photograph of her brother during his first year in prison as she pours over documents at her home, Friday, Oct. 25, 2019, in Shakopee, Minn. (AP Photo/John Minchillo) ASSOCIATED PRESS
Evans remembers worrying that Burrell would get caught up in a police sweep and told him he better leave.
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“I’d hate to you get blamed for this,’” she remembers telling him. “I hugged him and he went his way.”
Burrell was picked up four days later. He was not in a gang database, and had never been tied to a serious crime.
During the interrogation, he never asked for an attorney, but he did ask for his mother 13 times. Each time he was told, “no, not now,” though she was in a room next door.
A police officer told him that he was a huge disappointment to his mother, and that she had told officers she thought he was capable of the shooting.
“Are you kidding?” Burrell responded. “That’s a lie. ... That’s not truthful. ... I don’t believe that.”
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Meanwhile, officers told his mother, falsely, that they had several eyewitnesses saying Burrell was the one and only shooter. Sinking into tears, she asked again and again to see him. “Not yet,” they said.
One month later, the day before Burrell’s indictment, his mother was driving back to Bemidji after a prison visit. She swerved off the road, crashing into a tree. The car burst into flames, killing her.
Klobuchar denied Burrell’s request to go to his mother’s funeral. He was, she said, a threat to society.
Burrell has spent most of his life in prison. He says he believes authorities knew that he was innocent all along: “They just didn’t feel like my life was worth living.”
If he had told police he was there, but had been an unwilling participant, as officers seemed to want, his nightmare might have been over by now. But he says he wants justice not just for himself, but for Tyesha. He could never admit to a crime he didn’t commit, he says.
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“That’s something I struggle with to this day, you know. I coulda been home,” said Burrell. “At least I can look in the mirror and I can still be proud of who I see looking back.”
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This story was produced in collaboration with American Public Media.