thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-01--Getting Through... With Fariha Róisín

Getting Through... With Fariha Róisín

Róisín knows a thing or two about survival .
In the 10 or so years that I ’ ve known her , I have seen the themes of survival and attaining a good life come up over and over again in our conversations and in her work as a writer and artist .
Her book of poetry , “ How to Cure a Ghost , ” and newsletter of the same name are centered on exploring identity and what healing looks like as a queer , Muslim femme navigating sexual and emotional trauma .
“ Like A Bird , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a story about a young woman navigating the aftermath of a traumatic sexual assault and finding community in the process .
( Róisín began writing the book when she was just 12 years old . )
[ Laughs ] Oh , my God .
I am , in this current moment , good .
I ’ m talking to you .
I ’ m happy to be doing this .
I ’ m grateful to be doing this .
I ’ m grateful that anybody wants to hear anything I have to say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I often forget how vulnerable I am .
I ’ m so disparaging to myself because I wish I was stronger , but like , I am not a caricature .
I ’ m a person .
Sitting with that is really difficult in a time where we are being asked — and forced , really — to question , “ Who are we ?
What do we stand by in this difficult time ?
” We ’ re having to completely shift our paradigms with how we view the world and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a lot of us are finally thinking more expansively about our humanity .
And to me , sending and receiving voice notes — as much as I hate technology — is such a beautiful way that we can communicate .
It is such an intimate , epistolary thing , but done through the voice .
I am not capable of being a hundred all the time .
I just can ’ t .
I like isolation too much , and I like being alone too much .
So it ’ s such a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I ’ m ready , I will listen to the voice notes you send me and then I will get back in an equally thoughtful way .
There ’ s something more intentional about it as well .
It doesn ’ t lack intimacy , so it ’ s like , it ’ s this perfect thing that you can offer somebody , you know ?
I ’ m absolutely aided [ in healing ] 100 % of the time by the fact that I can write .
That has absolutely , time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the case .
I think this year , having a book that I ’ ve been working on for 18 years come out and to have to sit with that while I ’ m in it , during a pandemic , it ’ s forced me to think about time .
The synchronicity of time , the mirroring of time , the lapses in time .
We ’ re thinking about the ways in which our childhoods have affected us as adults .
We ’ re thinking about patterns .
And I think @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about tracking that through my work .
I think a lot about Saidiya Hartman ’ s writing about archival silence — she ’ s talking about slavery in particular , but it can be applicable to so much .
There is so much archival silence in my cultural lineage .
So much that I don ’ t understand that I ’ m almost computing in real time .
And then I ’ m having to put it into writing and into work .
And that synthesization is , I think , the only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Being able to both hold the information that I ’ m getting and not fall apart , which is the natural inclination .
Like , “ I can ’ t do this .
This is too much .
I don ’ t like this.
” The amount of uncomfortability that I have had to be in , sustained , to just have it work through me , move through me , so I can process and then write about it .
I think that ’ s the only , only way that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are so many good things .
I mean , my book came out and I , against all odds , have been working on liking myself and really genuinely enjoying my own company and enjoying my work .
Having more pride in how I feel about myself and not falling into these old ways of thinking where I am the victim .
I don ’ t blame myself for wanting to feel like my life is shit .
But this year , perhaps more than ever before , and despite everything that happened @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so energized by myself and by my own resilience .
I have a desire to tell the truth .
To do the work , to be curious enough , to keep digging , to not feel like it ’ s OK , or to accept whatever comes .
If there ’ s a plateau , there ’ s a plateau .
If there ’ s ups and downs , there ’ s ups and downs .
But just accepting that I am on this very interesting path and really trying to find moments @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think survivors are the best dream makers because everything has been stripped of us and we continue to believe in something .
That ’ s incredible .
And so , I see so much .
I see us having to reckon with ourselves as humanity on a large scale , in ways that I don ’ t think people can fully imagine .
And we need to believe collectively that it ’ s possible .
And that ’ s why this year , I became an abolitionist because I believe in freedom for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ possibility of freedom for all .
Like truthfully .
And I understand that it ’ s complex and utopic , but like , that ’ s what makes abolition so incredible .
The hope that it instills .
Of course we want to fight for that .
There is no other way .
I ’ m so ready for that work .
I know a lot of us are .
So that gives me a lot of tenderness for the journey to come .
I know we have to evolve as a species @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going to have to happen .
And that means exciting things are going to happen .
And that means futures are going to be built that we could only dream of in a Marvel movie , you know .
[ Laughs ] And we should , we have to give up a lot .
We owe it to ourselves to do that .
I don ’ t think that we can ever give advice like that which is applicable to everyone .
But for those who are ready to look at their shadow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Look , you know , don ’ t let it dictate you .
Don ’ t let it overwhelm you or overcome you , but hear what it ’ s trying to tell you .
I have a very good friend Alex , who is a therapist , and he is also someone I do ayahuasca with .
And he works in demon therapy , which is just listening to these ugly , shameful , demonic voices that we all have .
Demon therapy is like , “ What is that voice telling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” There ’ s a difference between listening to your shadow voice being shitty to you and then actually having a conversation with it and being like , “ What are you trying to tell me ?
” and engaging with it as a being , almost .
Rather than [ thinking ] it ’ s something that is overpowering you , what is it trying to signal at you ?
What would happen if you were to be nice to that demon ?
Maybe that demon is just wanting some attention .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ that ’ s rooted maybe in your child self where you feel scared and you ’ re not sure and you ’ re uncomfortable by what ’ s happening in your life , but you don ’ t have capacity to say it out loud .
Your psychosis has created this thing that ’ s , like , nine-figured .
It ’ s just so wild how we ’ re always talking to ourselves and yet have such little deciphering tools that have been robbed through colonization , that have been robbed through @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , these are the things that they did to us .
They forced us to forget .
And so now , we don ’ t even know what ’ s going on .
We get called “ crazy.
” We ’ re depressed , whatever .
All of these things have a Western scientific model and understanding , but I ’ m so curious about what it means when you stretch it all out and you really look at it — sitting with yourself and not allowing judgment to enter the room .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ yourself ?
I think that , to me , is the most significant thing that I could tell someone to do right now .
OK , don ’ t laugh .
“ Ad Astra.
” Watch it .
It ’ s exceptional .
It deals so much with things that I ’ ve been thinking about in terms of power .
The whole film is sort of a diagnosis of the male condition .
Like , why are men the way that they are ?
And it ’ s so underrated .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ close to Neptune and you feel like , “ Yeah , that ’ s Neptune !
” [ Laughs ] I don ’ t know how anybody did that , but like , that ’ s Neptune .
And I think talking and thinking more expansively about toxic masculinity is so much about the work I ’ m doing in terms of thinking about abuse and sexual abuse and the blurred lines between authorship and censorship and the binaries in which we understand power and sex and rape , you know ?
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ What else ?
I mean , “ I May Destroy You , ” “ My Brilliant Friend , ” “ Normal People ” are all some of the best TV shows I watched this year .
I ’ ve just been consuming art as I always do — reading a lot and remembering that I really enjoy culture .
It ’ s always been such a salve for me to be able to lose myself and see myself and have understanding of myself and articulation of myself through art .
I know you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s why we are who we are .
Like absolutely , our relationship to the art we have consumed throughout our lives has led us to who we are as people now and the influences that we have , what we ’ re drawn to , our own methods of wanting to tell stories — all of those things have been informed by that .

The dedication of Fariha Róisín’s debut novel, “Like A Bird,” reads: “To every survivor. I wrote this for us.”
Róisín knows a thing or two about survival. In the 10 or so years that I’ve known her, I have seen the themes of survival and attaining a good life come up over and over again in our conversations and in her work as a writer and artist. Her book of poetry, “How to Cure a Ghost,” and newsletter of the same name are centered on exploring identity and what healing looks like as a queer, Muslim femme navigating sexual and emotional trauma. “Like A Bird,” which was released in September, tells a story about a young woman navigating the aftermath of a traumatic sexual assault and finding community in the process. (Róisín began writing the book when she was just 12 years old.)
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It seemed natural, then, to open this weekly interview series, “Getting Through…,” with Róisín, as we all think deeply about what survival means for us in 2020.
This year has been chaotic and bleak: More than 268,000 people in the United States have lost their lives to a pandemic that has forced many of us into self-imposed isolation. We’ve witnessed via our phones, TVs and computer screens natural disasters, toxic political figures, the unjust killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and countless other Black people and so much more devastation.
How do we get through this together and as individuals?
In the coming weeks, “Getting Through…” will explore the ways in which people from all backgrounds and walks of life — artists, scientists, entertainers, healers, activists, entrepreneurs and “everyday” folks — are processing, connecting and taking care of themselves and others during these wild times. Hopefully, these conversations will serve as a record and a guide for anyone who reads them.
Below, Róisín discusses why she writes to heal, the difficulties of self-care and how she’s getting through the last few weeks of 2020 and beyond.
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Let’s start with probably the most loaded question of 2020, which is “how are you?”
[Laughs] Oh, my God. I am, in this current moment, good. I’m talking to you. I’m happy to be doing this. I’m grateful to be doing this. I’m grateful that anybody wants to hear anything I have to say, and I know you know that. I often forget how vulnerable I am. I’m so disparaging to myself because I wish I was stronger, but like, I am not a caricature. I’m a person. Sitting with that is really difficult in a time where we are being asked — and forced, really — to question, “Who are we? What do we stand by in this difficult time?” We’re having to completely shift our paradigms with how we view the world and how we view ourselves.
So much has been coming up during this time about [my] child self, trauma and abuse and grief — then also, at the same time, the sublime reality of being alive. I live for relationship, for connection, but I feel my reality is that I am always going to be deeply lonely though. That’s what I’m always fighting with. So I think I’ve been wrestling with loneliness.
During this time of COVID-19, we’re all thinking a lot about, as you’re saying, our place in the collective, thinking about cultivating community in spite of distance. How are you finding ways to connect with people?
I think a lot of us are finally thinking more expansively about our humanity. And to me, sending and receiving voice notes — as much as I hate technology — is such a beautiful way that we can communicate. It is such an intimate, epistolary thing, but done through the voice. I am not capable of being a hundred all the time. I just can’t. I like isolation too much, and I like being alone too much. So it’s such a great way to maneuver time. When I’m ready, I will listen to the voice notes you send me and then I will get back in an equally thoughtful way. There’s something more intentional about it as well. It doesn’t lack intimacy, so it’s like, it’s this perfect thing that you can offer somebody, you know?
Where were you mentally, emotionally and physically when COVID started popping off?
I was in love. I was really excited to see my then-boo. And I think I felt incredibly equipped for the year to come.
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You’ve written a book of poetry, a novel and now a newsletter that all ultimately explore what it means to heal as a person. How has writing helped you process this year?
I’m absolutely aided [in healing] 100% of the time by the fact that I can write. That has absolutely, time and time again, proven to be the case. I think this year, having a book that I’ve been working on for 18 years come out and to have to sit with that while I’m in it, during a pandemic, it’s forced me to think about time. The synchronicity of time, the mirroring of time, the lapses in time. We’re thinking about the ways in which our childhoods have affected us as adults. We’re thinking about patterns. And I think there’s something really deeply profound about tracking that through my work.
I think a lot about Saidiya Hartman’s writing about archival silence — she’s talking about slavery in particular, but it can be applicable to so much. There is so much archival silence in my cultural lineage. So much that I don’t understand that I’m almost computing in real time. And then I’m having to put it into writing and into work. And that synthesization is, I think, the only way that I have survived this year. Being able to both hold the information that I’m getting and not fall apart, which is the natural inclination. Like, “I can’t do this. This is too much. I don’t like this.” The amount of uncomfortability that I have had to be in, sustained, to just have it work through me, move through me, so I can process and then write about it. I think that’s the only, only way that we can survive this time.
What, if anything, has been the hardest thing you’ve had to survive this year?
Heartbreak. Immense, undulating heartbreak.
What’s been something really good that has happened this year?
There are so many good things. I mean, my book came out and I, against all odds, have been working on liking myself and really genuinely enjoying my own company and enjoying my work. Having more pride in how I feel about myself and not falling into these old ways of thinking where I am the victim. I don’t blame myself for wanting to feel like my life is shit. But this year, perhaps more than ever before, and despite everything that happened to me this year, I feel so energized by myself and by my own resilience. I have a desire to tell the truth. To do the work, to be curious enough, to keep digging, to not feel like it’s OK, or to accept whatever comes. If there’s a plateau, there’s a plateau. If there’s ups and downs, there’s ups and downs. But just accepting that I am on this very interesting path and really trying to find moments of enjoyment has been good.
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You’re working on a book of poetry called “Survival Takes a Wild Imagination.” I love that title and I think it speaks so much to this current moment, because I think a lot of people have been thinking about imagination and imagining new worlds as the current one is burning. Can you tell me what you imagine and what you wish to see in these last few weeks of 2020 and beyond?
I think survivors are the best dream makers because everything has been stripped of us and we continue to believe in something. That’s incredible. And so, I see so much. I see us having to reckon with ourselves as humanity on a large scale, in ways that I don’t think people can fully imagine. And we need to believe collectively that it’s possible. And that’s why this year, I became an abolitionist because I believe in freedom for all, but I believe in the possibility of freedom for all. Like truthfully. And I understand that it’s complex and utopic, but like, that’s what makes abolition so incredible. The hope that it instills. Of course we want to fight for that. There is no other way. I’m so ready for that work. I know a lot of us are. So that gives me a lot of tenderness for the journey to come. I know we have to evolve as a species, and I think that’s going to have to happen. And that means exciting things are going to happen. And that means futures are going to be built that we could only dream of in a Marvel movie, you know. [Laughs] And we should, we have to give up a lot. We owe it to ourselves to do that.
What does self-care look like to you, particularly during this time?
I really am quite bad at self-care, which my therapist reminds me of all the time. These days, the way that I have been caring for myself is validating myself and validating my own story and my own truth and knowing and believing in myself, steadfastly, no matter what small voice pokes through the holes. I’m very elegantly telling myself don’t listen to that dumbass voice. [Laughs] Fuck that shadow self.
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What’s your advice to anyone who’s struggling in this moment?
I don’t think that we can ever give advice like that which is applicable to everyone. But for those who are ready to look at their shadow selves, I would say, “Look, you know, don’t let it dictate you. Don’t let it overwhelm you or overcome you, but hear what it’s trying to tell you. I have a very good friend Alex, who is a therapist, and he is also someone I do ayahuasca with. And he works in demon therapy, which is just listening to these ugly, shameful, demonic voices that we all have. Demon therapy is like, “What is that voice telling you? What would it say?” There’s a difference between listening to your shadow voice being shitty to you and then actually having a conversation with it and being like, “What are you trying to tell me?” and engaging with it as a being, almost. Rather than [thinking] it’s something that is overpowering you, what is it trying to signal at you?
What would happen if you were to be nice to that demon? Maybe that demon is just wanting some attention. It’s feeling insecure, and that’s rooted maybe in your child self where you feel scared and you’re not sure and you’re uncomfortable by what’s happening in your life, but you don’t have capacity to say it out loud. Your psychosis has created this thing that’s, like, nine-figured. It’s just so wild how we’re always talking to ourselves and yet have such little deciphering tools that have been robbed through colonization, that have been robbed through the proliferation of white supremacy. Like, these are the things that they did to us. They forced us to forget. And so now, we don’t even know what’s going on. We get called “crazy.” We’re depressed, whatever. All of these things have a Western scientific model and understanding, but I’m so curious about what it means when you stretch it all out and you really look at it — sitting with yourself and not allowing judgment to enter the room. What are you trying to say to yourself? I think that, to me, is the most significant thing that I could tell someone to do right now.
And finally, some levity. This is the fun question. What music, movies or books are getting you through this moment?
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OK, don’t laugh. “Ad Astra.” Watch it. It’s exceptional. It deals so much with things that I’ve been thinking about in terms of power. The whole film is sort of a diagnosis of the male condition. Like, why are men the way that they are? And it’s so underrated. The cinematography is just unbelievable. You get close to Neptune and you feel like, “Yeah, that’s Neptune!” [Laughs] I don’t know how anybody did that, but like, that’s Neptune. And I think talking and thinking more expansively about toxic masculinity is so much about the work I’m doing in terms of thinking about abuse and sexual abuse and the blurred lines between authorship and censorship and the binaries in which we understand power and sex and rape, you know? I just always want to go deeper.
What else? I mean, “I May Destroy You,” “My Brilliant Friend,” “Normal People” are all some of the best TV shows I watched this year. I’ve just been consuming art as I always do — reading a lot and remembering that I really enjoy culture. It’s always been such a salve for me to be able to lose myself and see myself and have understanding of myself and articulation of myself through art. I know you relate. I feel like that’s why we are who we are. Like absolutely, our relationship to the art we have consumed throughout our lives has led us to who we are as people now and the influences that we have, what we’re drawn to, our own methods of wanting to tell stories — all of those things have been informed by that.
This interview has been edited for clarity and length.
More recommendations from Róisín
Books: “Braiding Sweetgrass” by Robin Wall Kimmerer, “Earth Democracy” by Vandana Shiva, “Carceral Capitalism” by Jackie Wang, “Scenes of Subjection” by Saidiya Hartman, “In the Dream House” by Carmen Maria Machado, “Funny Weather: Art in an Emergency” by Olivia Laing, “Priestdaddy” by Patricia Lockwood, “The Transit of Venus” by Shirley Hazzard, “Invasive Species” by Marwa Helal, “Pedagogy of the Oppressed” by Paulo Freire, “Sultana’s Dream” by Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain, “Golden Gulag” by Ruth Wilson Gilmore
Movies: “Ad Astra,” “Shirley,” “Moonlight,” “Synonyms,” “The Personal History of David Copperfield,” “Never Rarely Sometimes Always,” “Chungking Express,” “Mogul Mowgli”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-01--Mnuchin Defends Shutting Down Fed Emergency Loan Programs

WASHINGTON ( AP ) — Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin is defending his decision to close down a number of emergency Federal Reserve loan programs at a time when coronavirus cases are surging .
Democrats were unconvinced , however , saying that Mnuchin ’ s actions are politically motivated and take away tools that the Biden administration could use to support the economy .
Mnuchin argued that the programs he decided not to extend into next year were being lightly utilized and the more than $ 400 billion allocated for those Fed loan programs could be better used elsewhere if Congress @ @ @ @ @ @ @ small businesses and unemployed workers .
Democrats aired their criticism Tuesday as Mnuchin and Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell testified at a Senate Banking Committee oversight hearing about the $ 2 trillion CARES Act approved by Congress last March .
Powell , as he had before , urged Congress to authorize further economic support , something that lawmakers have been struggling to do for months .
A bipartisan group of lawmakers pressured congressional leaders Tuesday to accept a compromise to end the impasse on COVID-19 relief before Congress adjourns for the holidays .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Joe Manchin , D-W.Va. , and Susan Collins , R-Maine , are pushing a $ 908 billion , including $ 228 billion to extend and upgrade “ paycheck protection ” subsidies for businesses for a second round of relief to hard-hit businesses like restaurants .
It would revive a special jobless benefit , but at a reduced level of $ 300 per week rather than the $ 600 benefit enacted in March .
State and local governments would receive $ 160 billion , and there is also money for vaccines .
Powell said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the additional relief was as a “ bridge ” to get the economy from the current situation with rising virus cases to a period when the vaccines will be widely distributed.
” “ We can see the end .
We just need a way to get there , ” Powell told lawmakers .

LOADING ERROR LOADING
WASHINGTON (AP) — Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin is defending his decision to close down a number of emergency Federal Reserve loan programs at a time when coronavirus cases are surging.
Democrats were unconvinced, however, saying that Mnuchin’s actions are politically motivated and take away tools that the Biden administration could use to support the economy.
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Mnuchin argued that the programs he decided not to extend into next year were being lightly utilized and the more than $400 billion allocated for those Fed loan programs could be better used elsewhere if Congress moved the funds into relief programs for small businesses and unemployed workers.
Democrats aired their criticism Tuesday as Mnuchin and Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell testified at a Senate Banking Committee oversight hearing about the $2 trillion CARES Act approved by Congress last March.
Powell, as he had before, urged Congress to authorize further economic support, something that lawmakers have been struggling to do for months.
A bipartisan group of lawmakers pressured congressional leaders Tuesday to accept a compromise to end the impasse on COVID-19 relief before Congress adjourns for the holidays.
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The group including Senate centrists such as Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and Susan Collins, R-Maine, are pushing a $908 billion, including $228 billion to extend and upgrade “paycheck protection” subsidies for businesses for a second round of relief to hard-hit businesses like restaurants.
It would revive a special jobless benefit, but at a reduced level of $300 per week rather than the $600 benefit enacted in March. State and local governments would receive $160 billion, and there is also money for vaccines.
Powell said Tuesday that the way to think of the additional relief was as a “bridge” to get the economy from the current situation with rising virus cases to a period when the vaccines will be widely distributed.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-01--Justice Department Probed 'Bribery-For-Pardon Scheme' As Trump Campaigned, Court Reveals

ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images President Donald Trump was running for reelection as the alleged bribery scheme was being investigated , court records reveal .
The Justice Department has spent months investigating a “ bribery-for-pardon scheme , ” even as President Donald Trump was running for reelection , according to court documents unsealed Tuesday .
In a 20-page heavily redacted opinion , dated Aug. 28 but posted Tuesday evening , U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell wrote that attorney-client privilege didn ’ t protect certain communications if they were alleged to be part of a “ bribery-for-pardon scheme.
” The communications @ @ @ @ @ @ @ copied to a third party who was not an attorney , the opinion stated .
“ In sum , the attorney-client privilege does not protect communications disclosed to third parties and , here [ redacted ] was such a third party to each of the emails submitted by the government , ” the Aug. 28 opinion states .
Howell , chief judge of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia , presided over special counsel Robert Mueller ’ s grand jury investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were seized after an unidentified office was searched in response to a warrant .
The federal agents were investigating a “ secret lobbying scheme ” in which certain people “ acted as lobbyists to senior White House officials , without complying with the registration requirement , ” to secure “ a pardon or reprieve of sentence.
” The filings did not reveal the names of specific individuals or provide the dates of the alleged actions .

LOADING ERROR LOADING
The Justice Department has spent months investigating a “bribery-for-pardon scheme,” even as President Donald Trump was running for reelection, according to court documents unsealed Tuesday.
In a 20-page heavily redacted opinion, dated Aug. 28 but posted Tuesday evening, U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell wrote that attorney-client privilege didn’t protect certain communications if they were alleged to be part of a “bribery-for-pardon scheme.” The communications involved in the bribery investigation had been copied to a third party who was not an attorney, the opinion stated.
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“In sum, the attorney-client privilege does not protect communications disclosed to third parties and, here [redacted] was such a third party to each of the emails submitted by the government,” the Aug. 28 opinion states. Howell, chief judge of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, presided over special counsel Robert Mueller’s grand jury investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election.
The court documents reveal that dozens of devices were seized after an unidentified office was searched in response to a warrant. The federal agents were investigating a “secret lobbying scheme” in which certain people “acted as lobbyists to senior White House officials, without complying with the registration requirement,” to secure “a pardon or reprieve of sentence.”
The filings did not reveal the names of specific individuals or provide the dates of the alleged actions.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-01--Barr: No Evidence Of Fraud That’d Change Election Outcome

In an interview with The Associated Press , Barr said U.S. attorneys and FBI agents have been working to follow up specific complaints and information they ’ ve received , but they ’ ve uncovered no evidence that would change the outcome of the election .
The comments are especially direct coming from Barr , who has been one of the president ’ s most ardent allies .
Before the election , he had repeatedly raised the notion that mail-in voter fraud could be especially vulnerable to fraud during the coronavirus pandemic as Americans feared going to polls and instead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ month , Barr issued a directive to U.S. attorneys across the country allowing them to pursue any “ substantial allegations ” of voting irregularities , if they existed , before the 2020 presidential election was certified , despite no evidence at that time of widespread fraud .
That memorandum gave prosecutors the ability to go around longstanding Justice Department policy that normally would prohibit such overt actions before the election was certified .
Soon after it was issued , the department ’ s top elections crime official announced he would step aside from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Trump campaign team led by Rudy Giuliani has been alleging a widespread conspiracy by Democrats to dump millions of illegal votes into the system with no evidence .
They have filed multiple lawsuits in battleground states alleging that partisan poll watchers didn ’ t have a clear enough view at polling sites in some locations and therefore something illegal must have happened .
The claims have been repeatedly dismissed including by Republican judges who have ruled the suits lacked evidence .
Local Republicans in some battleground states have followed Trump in making @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against the election in tweets and in interviews though his own administration has said the 2020 election was the most secure ever .
Trump recently allowed his administration to begin the transition over to Biden , but has still refused to admit he lost .
The issues Trump ’ s campaign and its allies have pointed to are typical in every election : Problems with signatures , secrecy envelopes and postal marks on mail-in ballots , as well as the potential for a small number of ballots miscast or lost .
But they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the claims .
Attorney Sidney Powell has spun fictional tales of election systems flipping votes , German servers storing U.S. voting information and election software created in Venezuela “ at the direction of Hugo Chavez , ” – the late Venezuelan president who died in 2013 .
Powell has since been removed from the legal team after an interview she gave where she threatened to “ blow up ” Georgia with a “ biblical ” court filing .
Barr didn ’ t name Powell specifically but said : “ There ’ s been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and that would be the claim that machines were programmed essentially to skew the election results .
And the DHS and DOJ have looked into that , and so far , we haven ’ t seen anything to substantiate that , ” Barr said .
He said people were confusing the use of the federal criminal justice system with allegations that should be made in civil lawsuits .
He said such a remedy for those complaints would be a top-down audit conducted by state or local officials , not the U.S. Justice Department @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tendency to use the criminal justice system as sort of a default fix-all , and people don ’ t like something they want the Department of Justice to come in and ‘ investigate , ’ ” Barr said .
“ Most claims of fraud are very particularized to a particular set of circumstances or actors or conduct .
They are not systemic allegations and .
And those have been run down ; they are being run down , ” Barr said .
“ Some have been broad and potentially cover a few thousand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on .
”

LOADING ERROR LOADING
WASHINGTON (AP) — Attorney General William Barr said Tuesday the Justice Department has not uncovered evidence of widespread voter fraud that would change the outcome of the 2020 presidential election.
His comments come despite President Donald Trump’s repeated claims that the election was stolen, and his refusal to concede his loss to President-Elect Joe Biden.
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In an interview with The Associated Press, Barr said U.S. attorneys and FBI agents have been working to follow up specific complaints and information they’ve received, but they’ve uncovered no evidence that would change the outcome of the election.
“To date, we have not seen fraud on a scale that could have affected a different outcome in the election,” Barr told the AP.
The comments are especially direct coming from Barr, who has been one of the president’s most ardent allies. Before the election, he had repeatedly raised the notion that mail-in voter fraud could be especially vulnerable to fraud during the coronavirus pandemic as Americans feared going to polls and instead chose to vote by mail.
Last month, Barr issued a directive to U.S. attorneys across the country allowing them to pursue any “substantial allegations” of voting irregularities, if they existed, before the 2020 presidential election was certified, despite no evidence at that time of widespread fraud. That memorandum gave prosecutors the ability to go around longstanding Justice Department policy that normally would prohibit such overt actions before the election was certified. Soon after it was issued, the department’s top elections crime official announced he would step aside from that position because of the memo.
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The Trump campaign team led by Rudy Giuliani has been alleging a widespread conspiracy by Democrats to dump millions of illegal votes into the system with no evidence. They have filed multiple lawsuits in battleground states alleging that partisan poll watchers didn’t have a clear enough view at polling sites in some locations and therefore something illegal must have happened. The claims have been repeatedly dismissed including by Republican judges who have ruled the suits lacked evidence. Local Republicans in some battleground states have followed Trump in making similar unsupported claims.
Trump has railed against the election in tweets and in interviews though his own administration has said the 2020 election was the most secure ever. Trump recently allowed his administration to begin the transition over to Biden, but has still refused to admit he lost.
The issues Trump’s campaign and its allies have pointed to are typical in every election: Problems with signatures, secrecy envelopes and postal marks on mail-in ballots, as well as the potential for a small number of ballots miscast or lost.
But they’ve also requested federal probes into the claims. Attorney Sidney Powell has spun fictional tales of election systems flipping votes, German servers storing U.S. voting information and election software created in Venezuela “at the direction of Hugo Chavez,” – the late Venezuelan president who died in 2013. Powell has since been removed from the legal team after an interview she gave where she threatened to “blow up” Georgia with a “biblical” court filing.
Barr didn’t name Powell specifically but said: “There’s been one assertion that would be systemic fraud and that would be the claim that machines were programmed essentially to skew the election results. And the DHS and DOJ have looked into that, and so far, we haven’t seen anything to substantiate that,” Barr said.
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He said people were confusing the use of the federal criminal justice system with allegations that should be made in civil lawsuits. He said such a remedy for those complaints would be a top-down audit conducted by state or local officials, not the U.S. Justice Department.
“There’s a growing tendency to use the criminal justice system as sort of a default fix-all, and people don’t like something they want the Department of Justice to come in and ‘investigate,’” Barr said.
He said first of all there must be a basis to believe there is a crime to investigate.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-01--Kayleigh McEnany: Trump Had An All-Female Senior Communications Team Before Biden

White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany took aim at President-elect Joe Biden ’ s incoming all-female communications team on Sunday , tweeting that the Trump administration already employed a senior press team entirely composed of women — a claim which is of questionable veracity .
In her tweet , McEnany highlighted an article by The Washington Post .
The article noted that Biden had assembled a diverse communications group made up of women , led by former Obama-era staffers Kate Bedingfield , who will serve as the White House communications director , and Jen Psaki , who will be White @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden was getting undue credit and accused The Washington Post of “ blinding propagandist Fake News proclivities.
” President @ realDonaldTrump already has an ALL FEMALE Senior White House Press Team .
So does @ VP ...
So does @ FLOTUS ...
So does @ SecondLady ...
The completely DISCREDITED @ washingtonpost once again reveals their blinding propagandist Fake News proclivities ⬇ pic.twitter.com/HpP0KL8kgD — Kayleigh McEnany ( @ kayleighmcenany ) November 30 , 2020 McEnany ’ s claim that President Trump and Vice President Mike Pence employ an “ ALL FEMALE ” senior @ @ @ @ @ @ @ depends on a fine distinction over what constitutes a “ senior ” official .
McEnany appears to be conveniently ignoring men like deputy press secretaries Judd Deere and Brian Morgenstern , who report directly to her .
Her claim that Vice President Pence ’ s communications team is all woman also ignores Devin O ’ Malley , Pence ’ s press secretary .
In Biden ’ s incoming administration , both positions like McEnany ’ s and O ’ Malley ’ s as well as deputy press secretary roles would be filled entirely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President-elect Harris today announced new members of the White House staff who will serve in senior communications roles .
For the first time in history , these communications roles will be filled entirely by women.https : //t.co/SjWAWJg941 — Biden-Harris Presidential Transition ( @ Transition46 ) November 29 , 2020 In a response to McEnany ’ s tweet , George Conway , the husband of former White House counselor Kellyanne Conway , shared screenshots of Deere , Morgenstern and O ’ Malley ’ s Twitter accounts — all of which prominently state their job @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remarks were “ weird and pointless.
” Aaron Blake , who reports on politics for The Washington Post , also responded to McEnany ’ s statements in an editorial , arguing that while the Trump administration had certainly placed women in key positions , “ three of the seven jobs Biden filled Sunday have men serving in the equivalent roles in the Trump White House .
Call it ‘ senior ’ or anything else , the Biden White House ’ s communications team will feature significantly more women.
” A number of other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ McEnany for her remarks , pointing out what Blake described as “ thoroughly odd parsing by the White House — almost as if it is looking for things to complain about .
”

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White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany took aim at President-elect Joe Biden’s incoming all-female communications team on Sunday, tweeting that the Trump administration already employed a senior press team entirely composed of women — a claim which is of questionable veracity.
In her tweet, McEnany highlighted an article by The Washington Post. The article noted that Biden had assembled a diverse communications group made up of women, led by former Obama-era staffers Kate Bedingfield, who will serve as the White House communications director, and Jen Psaki, who will be White House press secretary.
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McEnany wrote that Biden was getting undue credit and accused The Washington Post of “blinding propagandist Fake News proclivities.”
President @realDonaldTrump already has an ALL FEMALE Senior White House Press Team.
So does @VP...
So does @FLOTUS...
So does @SecondLady...
The completely DISCREDITED @washingtonpost once again reveals their blinding propagandist Fake News proclivities ⬇ pic.twitter.com/HpP0KL8kgD — Kayleigh McEnany (@kayleighmcenany) November 30, 2020
McEnany’s claim that President Trump and Vice President Mike Pence employ an “ALL FEMALE” senior White House press team is misleading and depends on a fine distinction over what constitutes a “senior” official. McEnany appears to be conveniently ignoring men like deputy press secretaries Judd Deere and Brian Morgenstern, who report directly to her. Her claim that Vice President Pence’s communications team is all woman also ignores Devin O’Malley, Pence’s press secretary.
In Biden’s incoming administration, both positions like McEnany’s and O’Malley’s as well as deputy press secretary roles would be filled entirely by women.
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President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Harris today announced new members of the White House staff who will serve in senior communications roles.
For the first time in history, these communications roles will be filled entirely by women.https://t.co/SjWAWJg941 — Biden-Harris Presidential Transition (@Transition46) November 29, 2020
In a response to McEnany’s tweet, George Conway, the husband of former White House counselor Kellyanne Conway, shared screenshots of Deere, Morgenstern and O’Malley’s Twitter accounts — all of which prominently state their job titles — and said McEnany’s remarks were “weird and pointless.”
This is just such a weird and pointless thing to lie about. https://t.co/nyKIAFAdC2 pic.twitter.com/C4MkayEZib — George Conway (@gtconway3d) November 30, 2020
It's obviously several orders of magnitude not as bad as lying about electoral integrity, but still, why? — George Conway (@gtconway3d) November 30, 2020
Aaron Blake, who reports on politics for The Washington Post, also responded to McEnany’s statements in an editorial, arguing that while the Trump administration had certainly placed women in key positions, “three of the seven jobs Biden filled Sunday have men serving in the equivalent roles in the Trump White House. Call it ‘senior’ or anything else, the Biden White House’s communications team will feature significantly more women.”
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A number of other voices chimed in on Twitter to chide McEnany for her remarks, pointing out what Blake described as “thoroughly odd parsing by the White House — almost as if it is looking for things to complain about.”
Did Kayleigh just erase Judd Deere? — Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) November 30, 2020
Wonder how Judd Deere, who answers most calls to that office, and Morgenstern feel upon learning this https://t.co/9hhSWPNbnj — Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) November 30, 2020
I feel sorry for @JuddPDeere45 @BMorgenstern45 and @JHoganGidley - I guess they don't count as being part of the current communications team? 🤷🏼♀ https://t.co/vZbbC0Knh7 — Brittany Bailey (@BrittBaileyTV) November 30, 2020
Judd Deere is a man, many people are saying — RenoSparksCow (@RenoCow) November 30, 2020
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-01--Barr Appoints John Durham As Special Counsel In Russia Probe Investigation

ASSOCIATED PRESS John Durham is leading the investigation into the origins of the Russia probe .
He is no stranger to high-profile , highly scrutinized investigations .
( AP Photo/Bob Child , File ) WASHINGTON ( AP ) — Attorney General William Barr has given extra protection to the prosecutor he appointed to investigate the origins of the Trump-Russia probe , giving him the authority of a special counsel to complete his work without being easily fired .
Barr told The Associated Press on Tuesday that he had appointed U.S. Attorney John Durham as a special counsel in October under @ @ @ @ @ @ @ counsel Robert Mueller in the original Russia probe .
He said Durham ’ s investigation has been narrowing to focus more on the conduct of FBI agents who worked on the Russia investigation , known as Crossfire Hurricane .
The investigations grew out of allegations of cooperation between Donald Trump ’ s 2016 presidential campaign and Russians to help him defeat Democrat Hillary Clinton .
With the 2020 election approaching , Barr told the AP on Tuesday , “ I decided the best thing to do would be to appoint them under the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to provide Durham and his team some assurance that they ’ d be able to complete their work regardless of the outcome of the election.
” The current investigation , a criminal probe , had begun very broadly but has since “ narrowed considerably ” and now “ really is focused on the activities of the crossfire hurricane investigation within the FBI , ” Barr said .
He said he expects Durham would detail whether any additional prosecutions will be brought and make public a report of the investigation ’ s findings .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ by The Associated Press , Barr says Durham is authorized “ to investigate whether any federal official , employee or any person or entity violated the law in connection with the intelligence , counter-intelligence or law enforcement activities ” directed at the 2016 presidential campaigns , anyone associated with the campaigns or the Trump administration .
A senior Justice Department official told the AP that although the order details that it is “ including but not limited to Crossfire Hurricane and the investigation of Special Counsel Robert S. Mueller III , ” the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ official said that line specifically relates to FBI personnel who worked on the Russia investigation before the May 2017 appointment of Mueller , a critical area of scrutiny for both Durham and for the Justice Department inspector general , which identified a series of errors and omissions in surveillance applications targeting a former Trump campaign associate .
The focus on the FBI , rather than the CIA and the intelligence community , suggests that Durham may have moved past some of the more incendiary claims that Trump supporters had hoped would yield allegations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ namely , the question of how intelligence agencies reached their conclusion that Russia had interfered in the 2016 election .
Appointing Durham as a special counsel would mean that he could only be fired for very specific reasons under the law .
Under the regulations , a special counsel can be fired only by the attorney general and for specific reasons , such as misconduct , dereliction of duty , conflict of interest of other violations of Justice Department policies .
An attorney general must allow document those reasons in writing .

John Durham is leading the investigation into the origins of the Russia probe. He is no stranger to high-profile, highly scrutinized investigations. (AP Photo/Bob Child, File) ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON (AP) — Attorney General William Barr has given extra protection to the prosecutor he appointed to investigate the origins of the Trump-Russia probe, giving him the authority of a special counsel to complete his work without being easily fired.
Barr told The Associated Press on Tuesday that he had appointed U.S. Attorney John Durham as a special counsel in October under the same federal statute that governed special counsel Robert Mueller in the original Russia probe. He said Durham’s investigation has been narrowing to focus more on the conduct of FBI agents who worked on the Russia investigation, known as Crossfire Hurricane.
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The investigations grew out of allegations of cooperation between Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign and Russians to help him defeat Democrat Hillary Clinton.
With the 2020 election approaching, Barr told the AP on Tuesday, “I decided the best thing to do would be to appoint them under the same regulation that covered Bob Muller, to provide Durham and his team some assurance that they’d be able to complete their work regardless of the outcome of the election.”
The current investigation, a criminal probe, had begun very broadly but has since “narrowed considerably” and now “really is focused on the activities of the crossfire hurricane investigation within the FBI,” Barr said. He said he expects Durham would detail whether any additional prosecutions will be brought and make public a report of the investigation’s findings.
In an Oct. 19 order, obtained by The Associated Press, Barr says Durham is authorized “to investigate whether any federal official, employee or any person or entity violated the law in connection with the intelligence, counter-intelligence or law enforcement activities” directed at the 2016 presidential campaigns, anyone associated with the campaigns or the Trump administration.
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Text of AG Barr's letter notifying Congress today that US Attorney John Durham will be special counsel reviewing FBI's Russia probe of Trump heading into Biden administration pic.twitter.com/M6eT9sbf6y — Steven Nelson (@stevennelson10) December 1, 2020
A senior Justice Department official told the AP that although the order details that it is “including but not limited to Crossfire Hurricane and the investigation of Special Counsel Robert S. Mueller III,” the Durham probe has not expanded. The official said that line specifically relates to FBI personnel who worked on the Russia investigation before the May 2017 appointment of Mueller, a critical area of scrutiny for both Durham and for the Justice Department inspector general, which identified a series of errors and omissions in surveillance applications targeting a former Trump campaign associate.
The focus on the FBI, rather than the CIA and the intelligence community, suggests that Durham may have moved past some of the more incendiary claims that Trump supporters had hoped would yield allegations of misconduct, or even crimes — namely, the question of how intelligence agencies reached their conclusion that Russia had interfered in the 2016 election.
Appointing Durham as a special counsel would mean that he could only be fired for very specific reasons under the law.
Under the regulations, a special counsel can be fired only by the attorney general and for specific reasons, such as misconduct, dereliction of duty, conflict of interest of other violations of Justice Department policies. An attorney general must allow document those reasons in writing.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-01--Trump Reportedly Considering Pardons For 3 Of His Children And Rudy Giuliani

President Donald Trump has discussed pardoning three of his children and his personal attorney Rudy Giuliani before he leaves office and before any of them have been charged with potential crimes , according to several reports on Tuesday evening .
ABC News and The New York Times both reported that Trump has discussed the pre-emptive pardons with advisers , expressing fear that his successor , President-elect Joe Biden , would unjustly target them when he assumes office in January .
The pardons could benefit Donald Trump Jr. , Eric Trump and Ivanka Trump , as well as Ivanka ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Kushner have also served as White House advisers in the Trump administration .
Trump has begun to issue pardons and has granted clemency to former aides and longtime supporters .
Last month , he pardoned former national security adviser Michael Flynn , who twice pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about his contacts with a Russian official during the transition before Trump took office in 2017 .
Neither of the five has been charged with a crime , and it ’ s unclear what impropriety a pardon would seek to guard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ federal crimes , but they do not protect against state or local ones .
Pardons are traditionally sought by applications to a federal pardon attorney at least five years after a conviction or release from prison .
Trump ’ s older children have run afoul of federal investigators multiple times during his tenure in the White House .
Donald Trump Jr. faced scrutiny over his contacts with Russian officials during the 2016 campaign as part of special counsel Robert Mueller ’ s investigation , although he was not charged .
Kushner also drew @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his application for White House security clearances .
Intelligence officials raised concerns about granting Kushner with the access , but Trump intervened to unilaterally grant the top-secret clearance .
Giuliani , one of Trump ’ s most vocal surrogates and a key figure behind the discredited attempt to undercut the results of the 2020 election , has reportedly asked the White House directly for a pardon in advance of any criminal charges ( Giuliani tweeted that the claim , published by the Times , was “ # fakenews ” ) .
Some of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the president to issue the pardons before he leaves office .
Fox News host Sean Hannity said Monday that Trump “ needs to pardon his whole family and himself ” as he goes “ out the door.
” “ I assume that the power of the pardon is absolute and that he should be able to pardon anybody that he wants to , ” the conservative commentator said on his radio show .
Adding to the turmoil surrounding the president ’ s final days , court filings revealed Tuesday that the Justice Department @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” scheme .
The documents did not name any specific individuals or provide dates of the alleged actions , but they appeared to point to an active investigation that could soon lead to charges .

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President Donald Trump has discussed pardoning three of his children and his personal attorney Rudy Giuliani before he leaves office and before any of them have been charged with potential crimes, according to several reports on Tuesday evening.
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Trump has begun to issue pardons and has granted clemency to former aides and longtime supporters. Last month, he pardoned former national security adviser Michael Flynn, who twice pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about his contacts with a Russian official during the transition before Trump took office in 2017.
None of the five has been charged with a crime, and it’s unclear what impropriety a pardon would seek to guard against. Presidential pardons provide protections against federal crimes, but they do not protect against state or local ones. Pardons are traditionally sought by applications to a federal pardon attorney at least five years after a conviction or release from prison.
Trump’s older children have run afoul of federal investigators multiple times during his tenure in the White House. Donald Trump Jr. faced scrutiny over his contacts with Russian officials during the 2016 campaign as part of special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation, although he was not charged. Kushner also drew attention when he omitted foreign contacts from his application for White House security clearances. Intelligence officials raised concerns about granting Kushner with the access, but Trump intervened to unilaterally grant the top-secret clearance.
Giuliani, one of Trump’s most vocal surrogates and a key figure behind the discredited attempt to undercut the results of the 2020 election, has reportedly asked the White House directly for a pardon in advance of any criminal charges (Giuliani tweeted that the claim, published by the Times, was “#fakenews”).
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Some of Trump’s allies have been pushing the president to issue the pardons before he leaves office. Fox News host Sean Hannity said Monday that Trump “needs to pardon his whole family and himself” as he goes “out the door.”
“I assume that the power of the pardon is absolute and that he should be able to pardon anybody that he wants to,” the conservative commentator said on his radio show.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-01--The Left Promises A Bruising Battle If Biden Taps Rahm Emanuel

Lorenzo Bevilaqua/ABC News/Getty Images Former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel 's hard-nosed centrism propelled him to the heights of power .
But changing political winds and a policing scandal have emboldened his critics .
“ As the former Mayor of Chicago , Rahm Emanuel has shown us that he is not a principled leader or person , ” Derrick Johnson , president of the NAACP , told HuffPost in a statement .
“ His time in public service proved to be burdened with preventable scandal and abandonment of Chicago ’ s most vulnerable community .
How can we expect him to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ His actions and approach to governing are detrimental to the Biden Administration and , more importantly , the American people.
” He has also faced skepticism in some Democratic circles for his brand of pro-corporate policy-making , embodied by his role in shepherding through passage of the North American Free Trade Agreement in 1994 as an adviser to President Bill Clinton , and his internal objections to President Barack Obama ’ s pursuit of comprehensive health care reform in 2010 .
It would be perceived as a slap in the face to labor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Larson , senior director for government affairs at the Communications Workers of America CWA is the parent union of the Association of Flight Attendants , which represents 50,000 flight attendants at 20 airlines and frequently interacts with officials at the Department of Transportation .
Sara Nelson , president of the AFA , voiced her opposition to Emanuel on Twitter , noting that the Transportation Department is “ effectively the labor department for aviation.
” The department includes the Federal Aviation Administration , which regulates safety and working conditions on airplanes .
CWA , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ members in trade-vulnerable manufacturing and call center jobs , has long opposed trade agreements , such as NAFTA , that enabled greater offshoring .
Larson cited Emanuel ’ s role whipping votes to enact NAFTA as reason enough to not want him as U.S. trade representative , warning that it would “ send the wrong message ” to working-class voters of all races .
Most recently , progressive activists raised the alarm bells that senior Biden adviser Bruce Reed , whose record on the deficit , welfare programs and the 1994 crime bill @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was under consideration for director of the Office of Management and Budget .
The nomination went to Tanden , the president of liberal think tank Center for American Progress , this week .
While not a friend of the left flank of the party , Tanden is also not a pro-austerity ideologue , which progressives took some solace in .

Former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel's hard-nosed centrism propelled him to the heights of power. But changing political winds and a policing scandal have emboldened his critics. Lorenzo Bevilaqua/ABC News/Getty Images
The rumored prospect of a Cabinet seat for former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel is threatening President-elect Joe Biden’s fragile peace with the left flank of his party.
So far, Biden, who had clinched the Democratic nomination by proudly defying pressure from his left, has managed to strike a balance with his personnel choices, eliciting praise and more than a few sighs of relief from progressives.
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Progressives have applauded his pick of Janet Yellen for treasury secretary. Progressive Sens. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Sherrod Brown of Ohio both backed Biden’s choice of Neera Tanden for director of the Office of Management and Budget. And the group Justice Democrats and the climate action-focused Sunrise Movement expressed cautious optimism about John Kerry being named climate czar.
“As the former Mayor of Chicago, Rahm Emanuel has shown us that he is not a principled leader or person.” - Derrick Johnson, NAACP president
But the idea of a top spot for Emanuel, who is being floated in news stories as a possible transportation secretary or U.S. trade representative, is causing a stir among key Democratic constituencies, including labor unions, progressive activists and Black leaders. The Biden transition team declined to comment on the speculation around Emanuel.
“As the former Mayor of Chicago, Rahm Emanuel has shown us that he is not a principled leader or person,” Derrick Johnson, president of the NAACP, told HuffPost in a statement. “His time in public service proved to be burdened with preventable scandal and abandonment of Chicago’s most vulnerable community. How can we expect him to do better on a federal level? His actions and approach to governing are detrimental to the Biden Administration and, more importantly, the American people.”
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Emanuel left his post as Chicago’s mayor in 2019, deciding against a third-term run. He became the least popular mayor in modern Chicago history after failing to explain why he blocked the release of a video of the police killing of Laquan McDonald, a 17-year-old Black resident, until after his 2015 reelection.
“I can’t find a stronger word than ‘disqualifying,’ but whatever that word is, that’s what it ought to be,” said former Georgia state Senate Whip Vincent Fort, a labor union lobbyist and ally of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), referring to Emanuel’s suppression of the McDonald video. “I can’t imagine a worse [Cabinet] nominee at this point.” Fort remains influential in Black progressive circles in the Peach State.
Demonstrators confront cops during a protest over the fatal shooting of Laquan McDonald in Chicago. Emanuel has struggled to explain the concealment of a video of the shooting. Andrew Nelles / Reuters
Emanuel’s record is the subject of polarizing debate among Democrats. In Chicago, his actions on transportation and infrastructure won him praise: He expanded safe bike options, added rapid transit stations and taxed ride-share service to fund public works. As White House chief of staff in 2009, however, Emanuel was reportedly a key figure behind the Obama administration’s decision to kill a massive transportation and infrastructure bill, which included a gas tax.
He has also faced skepticism in some Democratic circles for his brand of pro-corporate policy-making, embodied by his role in shepherding through passage of the North American Free Trade Agreement in 1994 as an adviser to President Bill Clinton, and his internal objections to President Barack Obama’s pursuit of comprehensive health care reform in 2010.
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One test of the anti-Emanuel opposition is whether it can make inroads with more rank-and-file Democrats. Two mainstream Democratic senators spoke positively about Emanuel to HuffPost on Tuesday.
“I have no issues with Rahm,” said Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut. “He has a history of rubbing some folks pretty roughly but I think he brings some good ideas to the table.”
Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia had even kinder words for Emanuel.
“I think very highly of Rahm. He could do that job very, very well,” Kaine said speaking of the transportation secretary post.
But already, organized labor, which Biden has made a central part of his coalition from the beginning, is joining the anti-Emanuel chorus.
“It would be perceived as a slap in the face to labor ― across the labor movement.” - Shane Larson, senior director for government affairs at the Communications Workers of America
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Nominating Emanuel “would be perceived as a slap in the face to labor ― across the labor movement,” according to Shane Larson, senior director for government affairs at the 700,000-member Communication Workers of America. “It would be received very poorly.”
CWA is the parent union of the Association of Flight Attendants, which represents 50,000 flight attendants at 20 airlines and frequently interacts with officials at the Department of Transportation. Sara Nelson, president of the AFA, voiced her opposition to Emanuel on Twitter, noting that the Transportation Department is “effectively the labor department for aviation.” The department includes the Federal Aviation Administration, which regulates safety and working conditions on airplanes.
“We do not need a union buster setting the rules for workers in aviation,” Nelson wrote. “That just doesn’t reflect Joe Biden’s deep commitment to workers & our unions.”
CWA, which endorsed Biden and counts some 200,000 members in trade-vulnerable manufacturing and call center jobs, has long opposed trade agreements, such as NAFTA, that enabled greater offshoring. Larson cited Emanuel’s role whipping votes to enact NAFTA as reason enough to not want him as U.S. trade representative, warning that it would “send the wrong message” to working-class voters of all races.
“Rahm Emanuel would be a nightmare. And a betrayal,” John Samuelsen, international president of the Transport Workers Union of America, AFL-CIO, which represents 150,000 workers in more than 100 local unions and endorsed Biden, told the Intercept.
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The AFL-CIO, the country’s largest federation of labor unions, declined to comment for this story, as did the United Steel Workers, which represents workers in manufacturing sectors heavily affected by international trade, and the Alliance for American Manufacturing, a group funded jointly by the USW and the steel industry.
Emanuel bonds with former President Bill Clinton in 2015. As an aide to Clinton, Emanuel helped drive the North American Free Trade Agreement through Congress, rankling unions. Brian Kersey via Getty Images
It’s unclear how real the rumors of a Cabinet post for Emanuel are. Biden’s transition team has been tight-lipped about their deciding process. And skeptics note that Emanuel may be being mentioned as a diversionary tactic.
Most recently, progressive activists raised the alarm bells that senior Biden adviser Bruce Reed, whose record on the deficit, welfare programs and the 1994 crime bill has aged poorly in the party, was under consideration for director of the Office of Management and Budget. The nomination went to Tanden, the president of liberal think tank Center for American Progress, this week. While not a friend of the left flank of the party, Tanden is also not a pro-austerity ideologue, which progressives took some solace in.
Emanuel, however, has had a more publicly polarizing career than Reed. He oversaw a record 50 public school closures in Chicago, expanded the use of charter schools and presided over the city’s teachers union strike in 2012.
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Representative-elect Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.), a former middle school principal who ousted Rep. Eliot Engel with a campaign that emphasized addressing racial inequity, contrasted the prospect of an Emanuel pick with Biden’s selection of Yellen, the former Federal Reserve chairwoman, for treasury secretary.
The Yellen selection was “a really good move,” Bowman said. “A name like Rahm Emanuel is not. It’s terrible. His name is only being floated so, hopefully, it doesn’t go any further than that.”
“You would see the unity on the left break down in a way it hasn’t yet.” - Alex Lawson, executive director of Social Security Works
An Emanuel appointment would not be received calmly, according to Alex Lawson, executive director of Social Security Works, which advocates for expanding Social Security.
“You would see the unity on the left break down in a way it hasn’t yet,” said Lawson, predicting a round of condemnations from progressive elected officials.
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A spokesperson for Rep. Pramila Jayapal, a Washington state Democrat who co-chairs the Congressional Progressive Caucus, did not respond to a request for comment.
With Democrats fighting two high-stakes Senate run-off elections in Georgia in January, some Democrats are arguing that any drama over an Emanuel nomination is just not worth the political risk. As it stands, Biden’s candidacy did not revive the enthusiasm of Georgia’s Black voters to the heights it reached during Obama’s two runs.
One prominent Georgia Democratic strategist, who spoke on condition of anonymity, wondered whether, given the need to increase Black turnout for the January Senate runoffs, Emanuel’s appointment could be a modest drag on Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff’s Senate campaigns.
“I don’t know that the juice is worth the squeeze there,” the Democrat said. “For a number of reasons, it would probably be best to stay away from Rahm Emanuel for something like that now.”
Fort, the former Georgia state senator, offered a similar assessment.
“It could very well be a razor-thin margin,” he said. “So why do we need a wild card at this point?”
Igor Bobic contributed reporting from Capitol Hill in Washington.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-01--Trump’s ‘Save America’ PAC Could Pay For Big Macs, Hush Money … Pretty Much Anything

WASHINGTON ― While President Donald Trump has raised many tens of millions of dollars with the promise of overturning his election loss last month , his supporters are mainly donating into a fund he could use for Big Macs , golf equipment and , if he wants , even more hush money payments .
“ It ’ ll be a slush fund , ” said Paul S. Ryan , a campaign finance lawyer with the group Common Cause .
“ Trump could decide to pay himself $ 1 million a year out of this fund .
That ’ s legal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ] Don Jr. and Ivanka , if he wanted to .
It ’ s pretty clear that this is a classic bait-and-switch scheme.
” Neither the Trump campaign nor the Republican National Committee responded to HuffPost queries about Trump ’ s post-election fundraising .
Save America ’ s first report for money raised and spent between Election Day and Nov. 23 is not due with the Federal Election Commission until later this week .
One top Republican fundraiser close to Trump laughed upon learning of the soon-to-be former president ’ s ability to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Good for him , ” he said on condition of anonymity .
“ I hope he does it to just to piss everybody off.
” Despite the prohibition against personally benefiting from money donated to his campaign , Trump as a candidate in 2016 and then as the sitting president for four years managed to circumvent that restriction by directing money ― both from his campaign as well as the RNC ― to his own businesses .
These included his mixed-use Trump Tower building in New York City , his golf resorts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one just blocks from the White House in Washington , D.C. Those entities collected nearly $ 8 million between the time he took office and just before the election , according to a HuffPost analysis of FEC filings .
But much of that money went to pay operating costs of those businesses , with some smaller fraction winding up in Trump ’ s pocket .
His Save America committee , in contrast , can pick up his personal expenses directly ― everything from travel and entertainment costs to mortgage payments to legal fees @ @ @ @ @ @ @ salary of however much he chooses to take .
Leadership PACs ’ ostensible purpose is for elected officials to be able to raise and spend money to help colleagues win elections , thereby earning loyalty that those officials can use to further their own ambitions .
They are typically created by members of Congress hoping to rise in their parties ’ leadership ranks .
“ Trump was a grifter before he was in the White House .
He was a grifter while he was in the White House .
There ’ s surely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ grifting as he leaves and once he ’ s gone , ” said Robert Weissman , president of the watchdog group Public Citizen .
“ The special problem this time is , in conning his supporters , he ’ s also sowing deep distrust of the most basic institutions of our democracy , in ways that may have dire , long-term consequences.
” “ Our End-of-Month goal is crucial to ensuring we have the resources to DEFEND the Election , and we don ’ t want the President to see a list without @ @ @ @ @ @ @ another one five days later .
And an email on Tuesday read : “ Making sure we have enough resources to protect the integrity of this Election is critical ; especially when the Left and Fake News media are working overtime to try to STEAL IT.
” Those who click through the donation links wind up on a page for the Trump Make America Great Again Committee , which for four years has been a joint venture between the Trump campaign and the RNC , but which on Nov. 18 amended its mission @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump registered six days after losing the election .
According to that explanation , 75 % of every donation goes to Trump ’ s Save America committee and 25 % goes to the RNC ’ s general fund .
Only after Save America has received $ 5,000 from any given donor does the Trump portion of the donation shift to a “ recount ” fund established within the Trump campaign .
And only after the RNC portion of a donor ’ s total reaches $ 35,500 does that fraction start passing to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ headquarters ” funds that the RNC maintains .
Meaning that a single person ’ s donations must hit $ 6,666.67 before a single penny starts flowing to a dedicated recount fund .
Because the emails and texts are sent to donors who typically give in the $ 20 or $ 50 range , the chance that any of the money winds up in either of the dedicated election funds is slim .

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WASHINGTON ― While President Donald Trump has raised many tens of millions of dollars with the promise of overturning his election loss last month, his supporters are mainly donating into a fund he could use for Big Macs, golf equipment and, if he wants, even more hush money payments.
Unlike political campaign and party committees, whose money cannot be converted to personal use by a candidate, Trump’s “Save America” is a so-called “leadership” PAC, with far less stringent rules regulating its spending.
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“It’ll be a slush fund,” said Paul S. Ryan, a campaign finance lawyer with the group Common Cause. “Trump could decide to pay himself $1 million a year out of this fund. That’s legal. He could pay [his children] Don Jr. and Ivanka, if he wanted to. It’s pretty clear that this is a classic bait-and-switch scheme.”
Neither the Trump campaign nor the Republican National Committee responded to HuffPost queries about Trump’s post-election fundraising. Save America’s first report for money raised and spent between Election Day and Nov. 23 is not due with the Federal Election Commission until later this week.
The Washington Post reported on Monday that Trump raised $150 million since Nov. 3, while The New York Times reported a $170 million total. Neither outlet broke down how much of that went to Save America versus Trump’s campaign and the RNC.
One top Republican fundraiser close to Trump laughed upon learning of the soon-to-be former president’s ability to use donor money for personal expenses. “Good for him,” he said on condition of anonymity. “I hope he does it to just to piss everybody off.”
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Despite the prohibition against personally benefiting from money donated to his campaign, Trump as a candidate in 2016 and then as the sitting president for four years managed to circumvent that restriction by directing money ― both from his campaign as well as the RNC ― to his own businesses. These included his mixed-use Trump Tower building in New York City, his golf resorts, and his hotels, particularly the one just blocks from the White House in Washington, D.C. Those entities collected nearly $8 million between the time he took office and just before the election, according to a HuffPost analysis of FEC filings.
But much of that money went to pay operating costs of those businesses, with some smaller fraction winding up in Trump’s pocket. His Save America committee, in contrast, can pick up his personal expenses directly ― everything from travel and entertainment costs to mortgage payments to legal fees. It could even pay him a salary of however much he chooses to take.
Leadership PACs’ ostensible purpose is for elected officials to be able to raise and spend money to help colleagues win elections, thereby earning loyalty that those officials can use to further their own ambitions. They are typically created by members of Congress hoping to rise in their parties’ leadership ranks.
But while congressional ethics rules restrict members of the House and Senate from accepting income or other personal benefit from those PACs, no such restriction applies to Trump.
“The Trump campaign is running a fraudulent scam with the full assistance of the Republican Party.” - Stuart Stevens, Republican campaign consultant
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“Trump was a grifter before he was in the White House. He was a grifter while he was in the White House. There’s surely no reason to expect him to stop grifting as he leaves and once he’s gone,” said Robert Weissman, president of the watchdog group Public Citizen. “The special problem this time is, in conning his supporters, he’s also sowing deep distrust of the most basic institutions of our democracy, in ways that may have dire, long-term consequences.”
Most of the Trump campaign’s hundreds of texts and emails since Election Day to its list of small-dollar donors, in fact, have falsely suggested that Trump lost the Nov. 3 election because of fraud.
“Please contribute $5 IMMEDIATELY to DEFEND the Election from the Radical Left and you can increase your impact by 1000%,” read a Nov. 22 email.
“Our End-of-Month goal is crucial to ensuring we have the resources to DEFEND the Election, and we don’t want the President to see a list without YOUR NAME on it,” said another one five days later.
“We’re pacing behind our Deadline Goal! Pres Trump is doing something he’s never done before. ALL GIFTS 1000%-IMPACT FOR 1 HR. Donate NOW,” urged a text sent Monday. “We can’t let Biden & Kamala try to STEAL the Election.”
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And an email on Tuesday read: “Making sure we have enough resources to protect the integrity of this Election is critical; especially when the Left and Fake News media are working overtime to try to STEAL IT.”
Those who click through the donation links wind up on a page for the Trump Make America Great Again Committee, which for four years has been a joint venture between the Trump campaign and the RNC, but which on Nov. 18 amended its mission to include Save America, the committee Trump registered six days after losing the election.
And while an animated color graphic urges donors to “Join the Election Defense Team,” the fine print beneath makes clear that the vast majority of donations will not send a single dime to any “election defense” effort.
According to that explanation, 75% of every donation goes to Trump’s Save America committee and 25% goes to the RNC’s general fund. Only after Save America has received $5,000 from any given donor does the Trump portion of the donation shift to a “recount” fund established within the Trump campaign. And only after the RNC portion of a donor’s total reaches $35,500 does that fraction start passing to the dedicated “legal proceedings” or “headquarters” funds that the RNC maintains.
Meaning that a single person’s donations must hit $6,666.67 before a single penny starts flowing to a dedicated recount fund. Because the emails and texts are sent to donors who typically give in the $20 or $50 range, the chance that any of the money winds up in either of the dedicated election funds is slim.
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Joe Walsh, a former Republican congressman who unsuccessfully ran against Trump for the 2020 GOP presidential nomination, said Trump’s hardcore fans do not care. “I’ve brought it up to his supporters. They don’t believe it,” Walsh said.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-01--Trump Campaign Files Lawsuit Challenging Wisconsin Election Results

MADISON , Wis. ( AP ) — President Donald Trump filed a lawsuit Tuesday in Wisconsin seeking to disqualify hundreds of thousands of ballots in a longshot attempt to overturn Democrat Joe Biden ’ s win in the battleground state he lost by nearly 20,700 votes .
Trump filed the day after Democratic Gov .
Tony Evers and the chairwoman of the Wisconsin Elections Commission certified Biden as the winner of the state ’ s 10 Electoral College votes .
Trump asked the Wisconsin Supreme Court , controlled 4-3 by conservatives , to take the case directly , rather than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The state ’ s highest court also is considering whether to hear two other lawsuits filed by conservatives seeking to invalidate ballots cast during the presidential election .
Trump repeats many of the claims he made without evidence during a recount of votes in Milwaukee and Dane counties that large swaths of absentee votes were illegally cast .
Local officials rejected his claims during the recount , and Trump is challenging procedures that have been in place for years and never been found to be illegal .
“ The people of Wisconsin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the law , plain and simple , ” Trump ’ s Wisconsin attorney , Jim Troupis , said in a statement .
“ During the recount in Dane and Milwaukee counties , we know with absolute certainty illegal ballots have unduly influenced the state ’ s election results.
” In Phoenix , a judge has scheduled a Thursday trial in Arizona GOP Chairwoman Kelli Ward ’ s lawsuit that seeks to annul Biden ’ s victory in the state .
A judge is letting Ward ’ s lawyers and experts compare the signatures @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on file to determine whether there were any irregularities .
Democratic Secretary of State Katie Hobbs ’ office , which certified Arizona ’ s election results on Monday , said there was no factual basis for conducting such a review .
Trump is running out of time to have his legal cases heard .
The Electoral College is scheduled to meet on Dec. 14 and Congress is to count the votes on Jan. 6 .
Trump ’ s Wisconsin lawsuit seeks to have ballots discarded where election clerks filled in missing address information @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is inserted .
The state elections commission told clerks before the election that they could fill in missing information on the absentee ballot envelopes , a practice that has been in place for at least the past 11 elections .
Trump also challenged any absentee ballot where a voter declared themselves to be “ indefinitely confined ” under the law , a designation that increased from about 57,000 in 2016 to nearly 216,000 this year due to the coronavirus pandemic .
Such a declaration exempts voters from having to show photo identification to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Court in March ruled that it is up to individual voters to determine whether they are indefinitely confined .
Trump also wants to discard any absentee ballot where there was not a written application on file and all absentee ballots cast in person during the two weeks before Election Day .
People who vote in person early fill out a certification envelope in which they place their ballot and which serves as the written record .
But the vast majority of absentee requests these days are made online , with a voter ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with no paper record .

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MADISON, Wis. (AP) — President Donald Trump filed a lawsuit Tuesday in Wisconsin seeking to disqualify hundreds of thousands of ballots in a longshot attempt to overturn Democrat Joe Biden’s win in the battleground state he lost by nearly 20,700 votes.
Trump filed the day after Democratic Gov. Tony Evers and the chairwoman of the Wisconsin Elections Commission certified Biden as the winner of the state’s 10 Electoral College votes. Trump asked the Wisconsin Supreme Court, controlled 4-3 by conservatives, to take the case directly, rather than have it start in a lower court.
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The state’s highest court also is considering whether to hear two other lawsuits filed by conservatives seeking to invalidate ballots cast during the presidential election.
Trump repeats many of the claims he made without evidence during a recount of votes in Milwaukee and Dane counties that large swaths of absentee votes were illegally cast. Local officials rejected his claims during the recount, and Trump is challenging procedures that have been in place for years and never been found to be illegal.
Evers and Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul did not immediately return messages seeking comment on Trump’s lawsuit.
“The people of Wisconsin deserve election processes with uniform enforcement of the law, plain and simple,” Trump’s Wisconsin attorney, Jim Troupis, said in a statement. “During the recount in Dane and Milwaukee counties, we know with absolute certainty illegal ballots have unduly influenced the state’s election results.”
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Similar Trump campaign lawsuits have failed in other battleground states.
In Phoenix, a judge has scheduled a Thursday trial in Arizona GOP Chairwoman Kelli Ward’s lawsuit that seeks to annul Biden’s victory in the state. A judge is letting Ward’s lawyers and experts compare the signatures on 100 mail-in ballot envelopes with signatures on file to determine whether there were any irregularities. Democratic Secretary of State Katie Hobbs’ office, which certified Arizona’s election results on Monday, said there was no factual basis for conducting such a review.
Trump is running out of time to have his legal cases heard. The Electoral College is scheduled to meet on Dec. 14 and Congress is to count the votes on Jan. 6.
Trump’s Wisconsin lawsuit seeks to have ballots discarded where election clerks filled in missing address information on the certification envelope where the ballot is inserted. The state elections commission told clerks before the election that they could fill in missing information on the absentee ballot envelopes, a practice that has been in place for at least the past 11 elections.
Trump also challenged any absentee ballot where a voter declared themselves to be “indefinitely confined” under the law, a designation that increased from about 57,000 in 2016 to nearly 216,000 this year due to the coronavirus pandemic. Such a declaration exempts voters from having to show photo identification to cast a ballot. The Wisconsin Supreme Court in March ruled that it is up to individual voters to determine whether they are indefinitely confined.
Trump also wants to discard any absentee ballot where there was not a written application on file and all absentee ballots cast in person during the two weeks before Election Day.
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People who vote in person early fill out a certification envelope in which they place their ballot and which serves as the written record. But the vast majority of absentee requests these days are made online, with a voter’s name entered into an electronic log with no paper record.
The Trump campaign said his lawsuit would disqualify 221,000 votes in Dane and Milwaukee counties.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-12-01--William Barr Kept Silent For Weeks As Trump's Voter Fraud Conspiracy Theories Spread

Attorney General William Barr , who has served as President Donald Trump ’ s right-hand man and protector , waited nearly an entire month after the 2020 presidential election to publicly state the obvious : Trump doesn ’ t have evidence for his conspiracy theories about widespread voter fraud .
“ To date , we have not seen fraud on a scale that could have affected a different outcome in the election , ” Barr told The Associated Press on Tuesday , adding that most claims of fraud were “ not systemic allegations ” and that any allegations were run @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the same .
But Barr ’ s admission is striking because he ’ s one of the Trump officials who promoted fear about election fraud in the first place .
In the lead-up to the election , Barr and Trump-appointed U.S. attorneys across the country told the public they were keeping a close eye out for voter fraud .
He did , however , wait nearly a month after Election Day to state he hadn ’ t found widespread fraud .
During that time , Trump and his supporters like Rudy Giuliani have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mass voter fraud , insisting that Trump actually won in a landslide .
Trump and his team have continued floating conspiracy theories even as former and current law enforcement officials warned that they posed a public safety threat .
Barr , the top law enforcement official in the country , stayed quiet even as these dangerous theories spread .
After Barr ’ s comments to the AP , what remains of the Trump campaign quickly went on the attack .
Giuliani and Jenna Ellis , a Trump campaign senior legal adviser , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be without any knowledge or investigation of the substantial irregularities and evidence of systemic fraud.
” The allegations that have been emerging from the Trump camp fall apart under the slightest scrutiny , and often , Republican-appointed judges have quickly booted them out of court .
Even amid the Trump campaign ’ s legal battle ― in which it has attempted to disenfranchise millions of Americans and convince Republican state legislators to help overturn the will of voters ― only a handful of elected Republicans have been able to publicly admit that Joe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remain a formidable force in Republican politics for the foreseeable future , so Republicans don ’ t want to cross him just yet and incur his wrath and that of his supporters .
But Barr ’ s comments on voter fraud could potentially make it easier for Republican officials to make the jump , even as they use bogus or exaggerated claims about fraud to support further voting restrictions that would make it more difficult for primarily Democratic voters to cast ballots .
Barr ’ s comments could provide cover for another Republican @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump appointee who has to worry both about being fired by Trump and about keeping his job once Biden takes office .
So far , Wray has remained silent .
The FBI ’ s press office , which has repeatedly declined to comment about Trump ’ s voter fraud conspiracy theories , declined HuffPost ’ s request for comment following Barr ’ s remarks to the AP .
Even as he shot down the Trump campaign ’ s mass voter fraud conspiracy theories , Barr still offered the president a spoonful of sugar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , he had quietly appointed U.S. Attorney John Durham as a special counsel to investigate certain intelligence and law-enforcement activities surrounding the 2016 election and the origin of the Russia probe , which has been a Trump obsession for years .

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Attorney General William Barr, who has served as President Donald Trump’s right-hand man and protector, waited nearly an entire month after the 2020 presidential election to publicly state the obvious: Trump doesn’t have evidence for his conspiracy theories about widespread voter fraud.
“To date, we have not seen fraud on a scale that could have affected a different outcome in the election,” Barr told The Associated Press on Tuesday, adding that most claims of fraud were “not systemic allegations” and that any allegations were run down.
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Multiple key officials have said the same. But Barr’s admission is striking because he’s one of the Trump officials who promoted fear about election fraud in the first place. In the lead-up to the election, Barr and Trump-appointed U.S. attorneys across the country told the public they were keeping a close eye out for voter fraud.
Election Day 2020 went pretty smoothly overall, especially amid a global pandemic. Barr was looking for fraud, and he didn’t find it.
He did, however, wait nearly a month after Election Day to state he hadn’t found widespread fraud. During that time, Trump and his supporters like Rudy Giuliani have kept spreading increasingly unhinged conspiracy theories about mass voter fraud, insisting that Trump actually won in a landslide. Trump and his team have continued floating conspiracy theories even as former and current law enforcement officials warned that they posed a public safety threat. Barr, the top law enforcement official in the country, stayed quiet even as these dangerous theories spread.
Attorney General William Barr is one of the Trump officials who promoted fear about election fraud in the first place. Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
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After Barr’s comments to the AP, what remains of the Trump campaign quickly went on the attack. Giuliani and Jenna Ellis, a Trump campaign senior legal adviser, said Barr’s opinion “appears to be without any knowledge or investigation of the substantial irregularities and evidence of systemic fraud.”
The allegations that have been emerging from the Trump camp fall apart under the slightest scrutiny, and often, Republican-appointed judges have quickly booted them out of court. Even amid the Trump campaign’s legal battle ― in which it has attempted to disenfranchise millions of Americans and convince Republican state legislators to help overturn the will of voters ― only a handful of elected Republicans have been able to publicly admit that Joe Biden is the president-elect.
Trump will remain a formidable force in Republican politics for the foreseeable future, so Republicans don’t want to cross him just yet and incur his wrath and that of his supporters. But Barr’s comments on voter fraud could potentially make it easier for Republican officials to make the jump, even as they use bogus or exaggerated claims about fraud to support further voting restrictions that would make it more difficult for primarily Democratic voters to cast ballots.
Barr’s comments could provide cover for another Republican: FBI Director Christopher Wray, a Trump appointee who has to worry both about being fired by Trump and about keeping his job once Biden takes office. So far, Wray has remained silent. The FBI’s press office, which has repeatedly declined to comment about Trump’s voter fraud conspiracy theories, declined HuffPost’s request for comment following Barr’s remarks to the AP.
Even as he shot down the Trump campaign’s mass voter fraud conspiracy theories, Barr still offered the president a spoonful of sugar: He announced that, last month, he had quietly appointed U.S. Attorney John Durham as a special counsel to investigate certain intelligence and law-enforcement activities surrounding the 2016 election and the origin of the Russia probe, which has been a Trump obsession for years.