thehuffingtonpost--2020-02-19--Democratic Voters Now See Sanders As Primary Front-Runner, Poll Finds

Democratic voters now see Sen. Bernie Sanders ( I-Vt. ) as more likely to win the party ’ s presidential primary than his rivals , even as uncertainty about the eventual outcome of the race remains high , according to a new HuffPost/YouGov poll .
Nearly 8 in 10 , meanwhile , say they ’ re at least satisfied with the field of candidates currently running .
About a third of Democratic and Democratic-leaning voters now say they think Sanders is the most likely nominee .
This represents a shift from late January , when former Vice President Joe Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ winner , and from the days after the Iowa caucuses , when Sanders and Biden were seen as having about equal prospects .
In the latest poll , just 15 % name Biden as the most probable winner ; 12 % name former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg , and 15 % say another candidate .
About a fifth say they ’ re not sure ― a faction that has actually gotten bigger since the beginning of the year .
Just 4 % of Democratic and Democratic-leaning voters say it ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 43 % say it ’ s down to a few candidates , and 42 % say the primary is still anyone ’ s to win .
Early-state contests like the ones held in Iowa and New Hampshire are meaningful for the momentum and viability they offer , even if there are limited number of delegates at stake .
And public perception about the results isn ’ t always as simple as crowning one candidate the winner and saying the rest are losers ― multiple contenders may be seen as having pulled out stronger-than-expected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meet expectations .
Two-thirds of Democratic and Democratic-leaning voters say Sanders did well in New Hampshire , with 58 % saying the same of former South Bend , Indiana , Mayor Pete Buttigieg and 48 % of Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar .
On the flip slide , 60 % see Biden as having done poorly in the state , while 38 % say Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard did poorly , and 36 % each that businessman Tom Steyer and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren did .
These numbers probably reflect , to some extent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the candidates .
But they also reflect a fairly broad awareness of the dynamics of the election , and the campaign narratives that have played out : After Iowa , voters gave roughly equal standing to Sanders and Buttigieg , with Warren and Biden trailing ― rankings that echoed the eventual results reported from the caucuses .
Just under two-thirds of Democratic and Democratic-leaning voters say they followed the results of the New Hampshire primary at least somewhat closely , although just about one-third say they followed it very closely .
After the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were divided in their levels of confidence that the results were accurately counted .
That ’ s not the case for New Hampshire .
About three-quarters are at least somewhat confident in the results from that state , and about 4 in 10 are very confident .
Roughly three-quarters also say they ’ re at least somewhat confident that the presidential primary as a whole will be conducted fairly .
These voters are also overwhelmingly content with the state of the field .
Seventy-nine percent say they ’ re either satisfied with or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ primary , and just 14 % say they ’ re either dissatisfied or upset .
When asked to pick which of the individual candidates they ’ d be enthusiastic to see as the nominee , 46 % picked Warren and 43 % chose Sanders , followed by Biden and Klobuchar at 34 % each , Bloomberg at 31 % , Steyer at 13 % and Gabbard at 2 % .
Forty-three percent would be upset if Gabbard were nominated , the poll finds , with about a quarter each saying they ’ d @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the nominee .
About a fifth would be upset with Biden , and between 12 % to 15 % say they ’ d be upset with Warren , Klobuchar , Buttigieg or Steyer .
Use the widget below to further explore the results of the HuffPost/YouGov survey , using the menu at the top to select survey questions and the buttons at the bottom to filter the data by subgroups : Most surveys report a margin of error that represents some but not all potential survey errors .
YouGov ’ s reports include @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rests on a specific set of statistical assumptions about the selected sample rather than the standard methodology for random probability sampling .
If these assumptions are wrong , the model-based margin of error may also be inaccurate .
Click here for a more detailed explanation of the model-based margin of error .

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Democratic voters now see Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) as more likely to win the party’s presidential primary than his rivals, even as uncertainty about the eventual outcome of the race remains high, according to a new HuffPost/YouGov poll. Nearly 8 in 10, meanwhile, say they’re at least satisfied with the field of candidates currently running.
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About a third of Democratic and Democratic-leaning voters now say they think Sanders is the most likely nominee. This represents a shift from late January, when former Vice President Joe Biden was seen as the most likely eventual winner, and from the days after the Iowa caucuses, when Sanders and Biden were seen as having about equal prospects.
In the latest poll, just 15% name Biden as the most probable winner; 12% name former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, and 15% say another candidate. About a fifth say they’re not sure ― a faction that has actually gotten bigger since the beginning of the year.
Just 4% of Democratic and Democratic-leaning voters say it’s clear which candidate will win. Another 43% say it’s down to a few candidates, and 42% say the primary is still anyone’s to win.
A new HuffPost/YouGov poll measures perceptions of the Democratic campaign in the aftermath of the New Hampshire primary. Ariel Edwards-Levy/HuffPost
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Early-state contests like the ones held in Iowa and New Hampshire are meaningful for the momentum and viability they offer, even if there are limited number of delegates at stake. And public perception about the results isn’t always as simple as crowning one candidate the winner and saying the rest are losers ― multiple contenders may be seen as having pulled out stronger-than-expected performances, or as having failed to meet expectations.
Two-thirds of Democratic and Democratic-leaning voters say Sanders did well in New Hampshire, with 58% saying the same of former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg and 48% of Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar. On the flip slide, 60% see Biden as having done poorly in the state, while 38% say Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard did poorly, and 36% each that businessman Tom Steyer and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren did.
A new HuffPost/YouGov poll measures perceptions of the Democratic campaign in the aftermath of the New Hampshire primary. Ariel Edwards-Levy/HuffPost
These numbers probably reflect, to some extent, voters’ own preexisting opinions about the candidates. But they also reflect a fairly broad awareness of the dynamics of the election, and the campaign narratives that have played out: After Iowa, voters gave roughly equal standing to Sanders and Buttigieg, with Warren and Biden trailing ― rankings that echoed the eventual results reported from the caucuses.
Just under two-thirds of Democratic and Democratic-leaning voters say they followed the results of the New Hampshire primary at least somewhat closely, although just about one-third say they followed it very closely.
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After the Iowa caucuses, Democratic and Democratic-leaning voters were divided in their levels of confidence that the results were accurately counted. That’s not the case for New Hampshire. About three-quarters are at least somewhat confident in the results from that state, and about 4 in 10 are very confident. Roughly three-quarters also say they’re at least somewhat confident that the presidential primary as a whole will be conducted fairly.
These voters are also overwhelmingly content with the state of the field. Seventy-nine percent say they’re either satisfied with or enthusiastic about the candidates running in the primary, and just 14% say they’re either dissatisfied or upset. When asked to pick which of the individual candidates they’d be enthusiastic to see as the nominee, 46% picked Warren and 43% chose Sanders, followed by Biden and Klobuchar at 34% each, Bloomberg at 31%, Steyer at 13% and Gabbard at 2%.
Forty-three percent would be upset if Gabbard were nominated, the poll finds, with about a quarter each saying they’d be upset with Bloomberg or Sanders as the nominee. About a fifth would be upset with Biden, and between 12% to 15% say they’d be upset with Warren, Klobuchar, Buttigieg or Steyer.
A new HuffPost/YouGov poll measures perceptions of the Democratic campaign in the aftermath of the New Hampshire primary. Ariel Edwards-Levy/HuffPost
Use the widget below to further explore the results of the HuffPost/YouGov survey, using the menu at the top to select survey questions and the buttons at the bottom to filter the data by subgroups:
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The HuffPost/YouGov poll consisted of 1,000 completed interviews conducted Feb. 12-15 among U.S. adults, including 322 Democratic and Democratic-leaning registered voters, using a sample selected from YouGov’s opt-in online panel to match the demographics and other characteristics of the adult U.S. population.
HuffPost has teamed up with YouGov to conduct daily opinion polls. You can learn more about this project and take part in YouGov’s nationally representative opinion polling. More details on the polls’ methodology are available here.
Most surveys report a margin of error that represents some but not all potential survey errors. YouGov’s reports include a model-based margin of error, which rests on a specific set of statistical assumptions about the selected sample rather than the standard methodology for random probability sampling. If these assumptions are wrong, the model-based margin of error may also be inaccurate. Click here for a more detailed explanation of the model-based margin of error.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-02-19--Pete Buttigieg Hit With Campaign Finance Complaint From Watchdog Group

VoteVets , a super PAC that supports military veterans in politics and has thrown its support behind Buttigieg , bought more than $ 630,000 in television advertising in Nevada — a move that came one week after Buttigieg campaign strategist Michael Halle tweeted that the former South Bend , Indiana , mayor would benefit from his military record being on the airwaves in Nevada through the caucuses , which are on Feb. 22 .
The nonpartisan Campaign Legal Center , which works to lessen the influence of money in politics , said in its complaint filed Tuesday that “ there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and the Buttigieg campaign accepted , over $ 639,000 in illegal and excessive in-kind contributions in the form of coordinated communications.
” HuffPost reported on the tweet and the subsequent VoteVet ads , noting that Halle ’ s tweet did not appear to violate anti-coordination laws because he sent it in a public forum for all to see .
However the Campaign Legal Center says the specificity of the tweet makes it worthy of more legal scrutiny .
“ The tweet was very concise , but it was also very specific , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ finance expert with CLC .
“ The campaign acknowledged VoteVets was the audience for this communication .
The level of specificity for the tweet and the clear audience for the tweet requested and suggested VoteVets run these ads — and then they did.
” CLC ’ s use of “ requested ” or “ suggested ” is crucial to its complaint .
While federal anti-coordination law does allow exceptions “ if the information material to the creation , production , or distribution of the communication was obtained from a publicly available source , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the campaign is directly suggesting or requesting specific content .
On Feb. 5 , Halle tweeted : “ Pete ’ s military experience and closing message from Iowa work everywhere especially in Nevada where it ’ s critical they see this on the air through the caucus.
” The Buttigieg campaign did not deny that VoteVets was the audience for the tweet .
Chris Meagher , a Buttigieg spokesman , said that “ if the largest progressive veterans group wants to help spread the word about his service , we welcome it , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ If the FEC does find the Buttigieg campaign in violation of the law , it would likely result in a fine , Fischer said .
He added that the elections commission rules were written decades ago , before the widespread use of social media in presidential campaigns , which can make implementation fuzzy .
“ There ’ s a fair argument that the FEC coordination rules are so lax and so underenforced that this kind of coordination is legal , ” Fischer said .
“ It ’ s certainly the case that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rules that are on the books , and that invites super PACs and parties to push the legal bounds.
” But he noted , when it comes to “ requesting or suggesting ” advertising , the FEC is explicit : There ’ s no exception for public forums .

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A campaign finance watchdog has filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission alleging Pete Buttigieg’s campaign illegally coordinated advertising with a super PAC.
VoteVets, a super PAC that supports military veterans in politics and has thrown its support behind Buttigieg, bought more than $630,000 in television advertising in Nevada — a move that came one week after Buttigieg campaign strategist Michael Halle tweeted that the former South Bend, Indiana, mayor would benefit from his military record being on the airwaves in Nevada through the caucuses, which are on Feb. 22.
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The nonpartisan Campaign Legal Center, which works to lessen the influence of money in politics, said in its complaint filed Tuesday that “there is reason to believe that VoteVets made, and the Buttigieg campaign accepted, over $639,000 in illegal and excessive in-kind contributions in the form of coordinated communications.”
HuffPost reported on the tweet and the subsequent VoteVet ads, noting that Halle’s tweet did not appear to violate anti-coordination laws because he sent it in a public forum for all to see. However the Campaign Legal Center says the specificity of the tweet makes it worthy of more legal scrutiny.
“The tweet was very concise, but it was also very specific,” said Brendan Fischer, a campaign finance expert with CLC. “The campaign acknowledged VoteVets was the audience for this communication. The level of specificity for the tweet and the clear audience for the tweet requested and suggested VoteVets run these ads — and then they did.”
CLC’s use of “requested” or “suggested” is crucial to its complaint. While federal anti-coordination law does allow exceptions “if the information material to the creation, production, or distribution of the communication was obtained from a publicly available source,” that exception does not apply if the campaign is directly suggesting or requesting specific content.
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The Buttigieg campaign declined to comment.
On Feb. 5, Halle tweeted: “Pete’s military experience and closing message from Iowa work everywhere especially in Nevada where it’s critical they see this on the air through the caucus.”
The Buttigieg campaign did not deny that VoteVets was the audience for the tweet. Chris Meagher, a Buttigieg spokesman, said that “if the largest progressive veterans group wants to help spread the word about his service, we welcome it,” in a statement to Politico.
The following week, VoteVets ran television advertising in Nevada doing just that.
If the FEC does find the Buttigieg campaign in violation of the law, it would likely result in a fine, Fischer said. He added that the elections commission rules were written decades ago, before the widespread use of social media in presidential campaigns, which can make implementation fuzzy.
“There’s a fair argument that the FEC coordination rules are so lax and so underenforced that this kind of coordination is legal,” Fischer said. “It’s certainly the case that the FEC has failed to enforce the coordination rules that are on the books, and that invites super PACs and parties to push the legal bounds.”
But he noted, when it comes to “requesting or suggesting” advertising, the FEC is explicit: There’s no exception for public forums.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-02-19--Rod Blagojevich Praises Himself, Offers No Apology After Release From Prison

“ I ’ m a Trumpocrat , ” he said .
“ If I have the ability to vote , I ’ m gon na vote for him.
” ( In Illinois , prisoners ’ voting rights are automatically restored upon release from prison . )
Blagojevich also thanked his wife and daughters , remarking how much his children grew while he was away .
He spoke about his accomplishments as governor and painted himself as a victim spared by Trump ’ s “ kind heart.
” “ It ’ s been a long , long journey .
I ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and bloody , ” he said , even as he sported a bleeding chin ― the result , he said , of a shaving mishap .
In a tweet on Wednesday , Trump said Blagojevich had “ paid a big price ” for his efforts at extortion , once again downplaying the harm that corruption inflicts on a democracy .
In his appearance on Wednesday , Blagojevich seemed to paint himself as a martyr and a “ political prisoner.
” He even invoked Martin Luther King Jr. : “ As Martin Luther King @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to earth will one day rise again because no lie can live forever .
’ ”

“I’m a Trumpocrat,” he said. “If I have the ability to vote, I’m gonna vote for him.” (In Illinois, prisoners’ voting rights are automatically restored upon release from prison.)
Blagojevich also thanked his wife and daughters, remarking how much his children grew while he was away. He spoke about his accomplishments as governor and painted himself as a victim spared by Trump’s “kind heart.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-02-19--Trump Ousts Top Defense Official Who Warned Against Withholding Ukraine Aid

WASHINGTON ( AP ) — President Donald Trump has ousted the Pentagon ’ s top policy official who had certified last year that Ukraine had made enough anti-corruption progress to justify the Trump administration ’ s release of congressionally authorized aid to Kyiv in its conflict against Russian-backed separatists .
The Trump administration ’ s delay in releasing the aid to Ukraine was central to the president ’ s impeachment by the House on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress .
The Senate voted to acquit the president .
But in the wake of the Senate trial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officials he has perceived as being disloyal .
Rood is the latest official to be purged .
His forced resignation comes as Democrats on the Hill express concerns that Trump is on a vendetta in the wake of his acquittal .
Just days after the Senate vote , the White House reassigned an Army officer , Lt. Col. Alex Vindman , a key witness in the impeachment inquiry , from the National Security Council , and pushed his twin brother , an NSC lawyer , out with him .
Gordon Sondland , Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who also was a key witness before House investigators , was recalled from his post .
Trump tweeted Wednesday that he wanted to “ thank John Rood for his service to our Country , and wish him well in his future endeavors !
” Rood , in his letter to Trump , did not mention Ukraine .
“ It ’ s my understanding from Secretary ( Mark ) Esper that you requested my resignation , ” Rood said .
Rood said he will step down as of Feb. 28 .
Rood wrote in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Pentagon had made a thorough assessment of Ukraine ’ s anti-corruption actions and other reforms .
And he said that , “ I have certified that the government of Ukraine has taken substantial actions to make defense institutional reforms for the purpose of decreasing corruption ” and making other improvements.
” Rood wrote that his certification , legally required before the aid could be released , was based on insights gained in “ persistent U.S. engagement ” with Ukraine , including meetings between the U.S. defense secretary and his Ukrainian counterpart .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the ability to have the team that he wants to have in policy positions , ” Hoffman said at news conference .
He said Rood ’ s resignation letter spoke for itself .
Rood last year told reporters that , “ In the weeks after signing the certification I did become aware that the aid had been held .
I never received a very clear explanation other than there were concerns about corruption in Ukraine.
” He also spoke in favor of releasing the aid , suggesting that withholding it would hurt America @ @ @ @ @ @ @ secretary Alyssa Farah said James Anderson , who is currently serving as the deputy for policy , will take over the job until a permanent replacement is appointed by the President and confirmed .
Rood has served as undersecretary for policy since January 2018 , but also had worked in various government agencies including the State Department , the CIA and the NSC for more than 20 years .
He held senior policy jobs mainly during Republican administrations and also served as a senior policy adviser to Sen. Jon Kyl , R-Ariz .

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WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has ousted the Pentagon’s top policy official who had certified last year that Ukraine had made enough anti-corruption progress to justify the Trump administration’s release of congressionally authorized aid to Kyiv in its conflict against Russian-backed separatists.
John Rood resigned Wednesday, saying he was leaving at Trump’s request.
The Trump administration’s delay in releasing the aid to Ukraine was central to the president’s impeachment by the House on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. The Senate voted to acquit the president. But in the wake of the Senate trial, an emboldened Trump has gone after officials he has perceived as being disloyal.
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Rood is the latest official to be purged. His forced resignation comes as Democrats on the Hill express concerns that Trump is on a vendetta in the wake of his acquittal. Just days after the Senate vote, the White House reassigned an Army officer, Lt. Col. Alex Vindman, a key witness in the impeachment inquiry, from the National Security Council, and pushed his twin brother, an NSC lawyer, out with him. Gordon Sondland, Trump’s ambassador to the European Union who also was a key witness before House investigators, was recalled from his post.
Trump tweeted Wednesday that he wanted to “thank John Rood for his service to our Country, and wish him well in his future endeavors!”
Rood, in his letter to Trump, did not mention Ukraine. “It’s my understanding from Secretary (Mark) Esper that you requested my resignation,” Rood said. Rood said he will step down as of Feb. 28.
Rood wrote in a May 23 letter to Congress that the Pentagon had made a thorough assessment of Ukraine’s anti-corruption actions and other reforms. And he said that, “I have certified that the government of Ukraine has taken substantial actions to make defense institutional reforms for the purpose of decreasing corruption” and making other improvements.”
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Rood wrote that his certification, legally required before the aid could be released, was based on insights gained in “persistent U.S. engagement” with Ukraine, including meetings between the U.S. defense secretary and his Ukrainian counterpart.
Asked about Rood’s resignation, chief Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Hoffman declined to speculate on the reason for Trump’s decision.
“The president has the opportunity and the ability to have the team that he wants to have in policy positions,” Hoffman said at news conference. He said Rood’s resignation letter spoke for itself.
Rood last year told reporters that, “In the weeks after signing the certification I did become aware that the aid had been held. I never received a very clear explanation other than there were concerns about corruption in Ukraine.” He also spoke in favor of releasing the aid, suggesting that withholding it would hurt America’s defense priorities.
Pentagon press secretary Alyssa Farah said James Anderson, who is currently serving as the deputy for policy, will take over the job until a permanent replacement is appointed by the President and confirmed.
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Esper said Rood played “a critical role″ on issues such as nuclear deterrence, NATO, missile defense and the National Defense Strategy.
Rood has served as undersecretary for policy since January 2018, but also had worked in various government agencies including the State Department, the CIA and the NSC for more than 20 years. He held senior policy jobs mainly during Republican administrations and also served as a senior policy adviser to Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-02-19--IRS, Facebook Square Off In Court Over $9 Billion In Unpaid Taxes

SAN FRANCISCO ( Reuters ) - Facebook Inc is slated to begin a tax trial in a San Francisco court on Tuesday , as the Internal Revenue Service tries to convince a judge the world ’ s largest social media company owes more than $ 9 billion linked to its decision to shift profits to Ireland .
The trial , which Facebook expects will take three to four weeks , could see top executives including hardware chief Andrew Bosworth and Chief Technology Officer Mike Schroepfer called to testify , according to a document the company filed in January .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the intellectual property it sold to an Irish subsidiary in 2010 while building out global operations , a move common among U.S. multinationals .
Ireland has lower corporate tax rates than the United States , so the move reduced the company ’ s tax bill .
Under the arrangement , Facebook ’ s subsidiaries pay royalties to the U.S.-based parent for access to its trademark , users and platform technologies .
From 2010 to 2016 , Facebook Ireland paid Facebook U.S. more than $ 14 billion in royalties and cost-sharing payments , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ company said the low valuation reflected the risks associated with Facebook ’ s international expansion , which took place in 2010 before its IPO and the development of its most lucrative digital advertising products .
“ Facebook Ireland and Facebook ’ s other foreign affiliates - not Facebook US - led the high-risk , and ultimately successful , international effort to sell Facebook ads , ” the company said in a pre-trial memorandum .
Facebook is the world ’ s second-biggest seller of online ads after Alphabet Inc ’ s Google .
Monthly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 8 % to 2.5 billion in the fourth quarter , while 2.9 billion people used one of its apps - Facebook , WhatsApp , Instagram or Messenger - each month .
Bertie Thomson , a Facebook spokeswoman , said the company stood by the decisions in 2010 when it “ had no mobile advertising revenue , its international business was nascent and its digital advertising products were unproven.
” If the IRS prevails , Facebook would face an additional federal tax liability of up to $ 9 billion , plus interest and any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recent securities filing .

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SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Facebook Inc is slated to begin a tax trial in a San Francisco court on Tuesday, as the Internal Revenue Service tries to convince a judge the world’s largest social media company owes more than $9 billion linked to its decision to shift profits to Ireland.
The trial, which Facebook expects will take three to four weeks, could see top executives including hardware chief Andrew Bosworth and Chief Technology Officer Mike Schroepfer called to testify, according to a document the company filed in January.
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The witness list also includes Naomi Gleit and Javier Olivan, veterans of Facebook’s aggressive growth team, and Chief Revenue Officer David Fischer.
The IRS argues that Facebook understated the value of the intellectual property it sold to an Irish subsidiary in 2010 while building out global operations, a move common among U.S. multinationals. Ireland has lower corporate tax rates than the United States, so the move reduced the company’s tax bill.
Under the arrangement, Facebook’s subsidiaries pay royalties to the U.S.-based parent for access to its trademark, users and platform technologies. From 2010 to 2016, Facebook Ireland paid Facebook U.S. more than $14 billion in royalties and cost-sharing payments, according to the court filing.
The company said the low valuation reflected the risks associated with Facebook’s international expansion, which took place in 2010 before its IPO and the development of its most lucrative digital advertising products.
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“Facebook Ireland and Facebook’s other foreign affiliates - not Facebook US - led the high-risk, and ultimately successful, international effort to sell Facebook ads,” the company said in a pre-trial memorandum.
Facebook is the world’s second-biggest seller of online ads after Alphabet Inc’s Google. Monthly users of its core social network climbed 8% to 2.5 billion in the fourth quarter, while 2.9 billion people used one of its apps - Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram or Messenger - each month.
Bertie Thomson, a Facebook spokeswoman, said the company stood by the decisions in 2010 when it “had no mobile advertising revenue, its international business was nascent and its digital advertising products were unproven.”
If the IRS prevails, Facebook would face an additional federal tax liability of up to $9 billion, plus interest and any penalties, the company estimated in a recent securities filing.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-02-19--Bloomberg Faces Backlash After Derisive Remarks About Transgender People Resurface

Mike Bloomberg came under fire from LGBTQ rights advocates this week after a 2019 video in which he made crude and derisive remarks about the transgender community resurfaced .
The video , which was shot at a New York forum hosted by the Bermuda Business Development Agency last year , appeared in a Tuesday BuzzFeed News report .
In the footage , Bloomberg ― who is running for the Democratic presidential nomination ― describe a transgender person as “ some guy wearing a dress ” and “ it ” in a discussion about politicians calling for trans-inclusive protections .
Just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Bloomberg ’ s campaign released a short video touting the Democratic presidential hopeful ’ s support for LGBTQ youth and featuring designer Isaac Mizrahi , who is gay .
Queer supporters of Mike Bloomberg , how do you explain this to our transgender family and friends ?
Because they deserve a Democratic nominee that doesn ’ t refer to them as “ it.
” pic.twitter.com/HNwuxDZzhf — H. Alan Scott / Sadie Pines ( @ HAlanScott ) February 19 , 2020 The 2019 video was , in many respects , startlingly similar to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Oxford in England .
In the earlier footage , Bloomberg also refers to “ some man wearing a dress ” while describing a hypothetical transgender person .
The most recent video received a blistering response from media personalities and LGBTQ rights advocates , who condemned Bloomberg ’ s remarks as “ transphobic ” and “ appalling.
” The Bloomberg campaign did not reply to HuffPost ’ s request for comment on the video .
However , in a statement issued to BuzzFeed News and NBC Tuesday , a spokesperson said that Bloomberg @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had signed a sweeping transgender civil rights bill into law in 2002 .
It also pointed to his support for the Equality Act , a comprehensive anti-discrimination bill seen by many as the LGBTQ rights movement ’ s top legislative priority .
“ Mike is running to defeat [ President ] Donald Trump and reverse the many policies he has implemented that attack the rights of the transgender community , ” the statement continued .
Pointing to an increase in the number of fatal attacks against trans people last year , the Human @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of his first presidential debate Wednesday in Las Vegas .
“ We expect all pro-equality candidates , including Mayor Bloomberg , to create policy solutions to end the epidemic of violence our community faces , not use the same talking points our opponents use to dehumanize transgender people and justify their own hateful beliefs , ” HRC President Alphonso David said in an email to HuffPost .
“ Transgender women aren ’ t ‘ he-she or it , ’ they ’ re women , ” he continued .
“ LGBTQ people are human @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
”

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Mike Bloomberg came under fire from LGBTQ rights advocates this week after a 2019 video in which he made crude and derisive remarks about the transgender community resurfaced.
The video, which was shot at a New York forum hosted by the Bermuda Business Development Agency last year, appeared in a Tuesday BuzzFeed News report. In the footage, Bloomberg ― who is running for the Democratic presidential nomination ― describe a transgender person as “some guy wearing a dress” and “it” in a discussion about politicians calling for trans-inclusive protections.
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Just hours before the BuzzFeed article was published, Bloomberg’s campaign released a short video touting the Democratic presidential hopeful’s support for LGBTQ youth and featuring designer Isaac Mizrahi, who is gay.
Queer supporters of Mike Bloomberg, how do you explain this to our transgender family and friends? Because they deserve a Democratic nominee that doesn’t refer to them as “it.” pic.twitter.com/HNwuxDZzhf — H. Alan Scott / Sadie Pines (@HAlanScott) February 19, 2020
The 2019 video was, in many respects, startlingly similar to a 2016 clip shot at the University of Oxford in England. In the earlier footage, Bloomberg also refers to “some man wearing a dress” while describing a hypothetical transgender person.
The most recent video received a blistering response from media personalities and LGBTQ rights advocates, who condemned Bloomberg’s remarks as “transphobic” and “appalling.”
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The Bloomberg campaign did not reply to HuffPost’s request for comment on the video. However, in a statement issued to BuzzFeed News and NBC Tuesday, a spokesperson said that Bloomberg, as mayor of New York, had signed a sweeping transgender civil rights bill into law in 2002. It also pointed to his support for the Equality Act, a comprehensive anti-discrimination bill seen by many as the LGBTQ rights movement’s top legislative priority.
“Mike is running to defeat [President] Donald Trump and reverse the many policies he has implemented that attack the rights of the transgender community,” the statement continued.
Pointing to an increase in the number of fatal attacks against trans people last year, the Human Rights Campaign urged Bloomberg to apologize ahead of his first presidential debate Wednesday in Las Vegas.
“We expect all pro-equality candidates, including Mayor Bloomberg, to create policy solutions to end the epidemic of violence our community faces, not use the same talking points our opponents use to dehumanize transgender people and justify their own hateful beliefs,” HRC President Alphonso David said in an email to HuffPost.
“Transgender women aren’t ‘he-she or it,’ they’re women,” he continued. “LGBTQ people are human and deserve to be treated with respect.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-02-19--Kamala Harris: With All-White Debate, Everyone Is 'Accountable' On Black Maternal Health

SAN FRANCISCO — Sen. Kamala Harris ( D-Calif. ) said Tuesday ahead of a roundtable on Black maternal health that it is up to all the 2020 presidential candidates , regardless of their race or gender , to prioritize such issues .
HuffPost asked Harris , who dropped out of the race in December , whether she thought key perspectives would be missing from the Democratic debate stage in Nevada on Wednesday , specifically on issues like Black maternal mortality , given that all the candidates who qualified were white .
“ I strongly believe it should not be incumbent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Black women ’ s issues , ” Harris said .
“ If you want to be a leader in any field , much less president of the United States , [ Black maternal health ] should be one of your issues .
It should be a priority issue , you should know about it , you should understand it and you should be committed to dealing with it.
” “ And certainly that was a voice that I would bring to the debate stage when I was in the race , ” Harris @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accountable , regardless of their gender , of their race , for creating priorities around this.
” Harris , who has championed the issue for years as a senator , reintroduced her Maternal CARE Act in 2019 , which would direct funds to medical schools and other health programs to carry out implicit bias trainings and give grants to states to implement “ culturally competent ” medical home programs for at-risk pregnancies .
The senator kicked off Tuesday ’ s event at her Senate offices by reading out what she called a “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the U.S. are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications than white women .
Over two dozen women , almost all Black , attended the roundtable , with several telling personal stories of facing racism in their experiences either as patients or as health providers and advocates in the field of maternal health .
“ I had one pediatrician say , ‘ You ’ re really great with the teen moms — because you used to be one.
’ And I wasn ’ t , ” said Tanefer Camara , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ What I said was : ‘ I ’ m great with all moms.
’ ” Karesha Boyd , who is a mother of four , recounted how she went to the hospital for her last pregnancy and was told she had a “ tubal ” or ectopic pregnancy , when fertilized eggs grow outside the uterus .
She was sent home with medication .
Later she was still bleeding and began vomiting , so she called an ambulance .
Once back at the hospital , after getting surgery , she was told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ later , convinced she still was , she went back to the hospital .
“ I ended up having the baby .
This is the baby , ” she said , rocking her baby , whom she was breastfeeding .
“ They thought that I was crazy .
That ’ s why it ’ s important for [ Harris ’ ] bill to pass.
” Burke Harris noted that hospitals were segregated only a few decades ago .
Later Dr. Stephen Lockhart , the chief medical officer of the Sutter Health hospital system @ @ @ @ @ @ @ born at home in St. Louis in 1958 because hospitals were still segregated at the time .
Some women suggested going further than implicit bias trainings and including accountability measures as well as a financial impact for hospitals that don ’ t show improvement .
Harris said she “ couldn ’ t agree more ” and requested ideas for best practices around measuring outcomes .
“ The hospitals are just going to get a lump of money , and if they bring down those maternal mortality rates , then they get a bonus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , then they ’ re going to have money taken away from them , ” the presidential candidate said .

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SAN FRANCISCO — Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) said Tuesday ahead of a roundtable on Black maternal health that it is up to all the 2020 presidential candidates, regardless of their race or gender, to prioritize such issues.
HuffPost asked Harris, who dropped out of the race in December, whether she thought key perspectives would be missing from the Democratic debate stage in Nevada on Wednesday, specifically on issues like Black maternal mortality, given that all the candidates who qualified were white.
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“I strongly believe it should not be incumbent on a Black woman to talk about Black women’s issues,” Harris said. “If you want to be a leader in any field, much less president of the United States, [Black maternal health] should be one of your issues. It should be a priority issue, you should know about it, you should understand it and you should be committed to dealing with it.”
“And certainly that was a voice that I would bring to the debate stage when I was in the race,” Harris added. “And I hold everyone accountable, regardless of their gender, of their race, for creating priorities around this.”
Some of the leading candidates in the race have spoken to the issue of Black maternal mortality in their campaigns, including Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.).
Harris, who has championed the issue for years as a senator, reintroduced her Maternal CARE Act in 2019, which would direct funds to medical schools and other health programs to carry out implicit bias trainings and give grants to states to implement “culturally competent” medical home programs for at-risk pregnancies.
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The senator kicked off Tuesday’s event at her Senate offices by reading out what she called a “startling” statistic: Black women in the U.S. are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications than white women.
Sen. Kamala Harris speaks at a Black maternal health roundtable her office hosted Tuesday in San Francisco. Sarah Ruiz-Grossman/HuffPost
Over two dozen women, almost all Black, attended the roundtable, with several telling personal stories of facing racism in their experiences either as patients or as health providers and advocates in the field of maternal health.
“I had one pediatrician say, ‘You’re really great with the teen moms — because you used to be one.’ And I wasn’t,” said Tanefer Camara, who is a lactation consultant in Oakland. “What I said was: ‘I’m great with all moms.’”
Karesha Boyd, who is a mother of four, recounted how she went to the hospital for her last pregnancy and was told she had a “tubal” or ectopic pregnancy, when fertilized eggs grow outside the uterus. She was sent home with medication. Later she was still bleeding and began vomiting, so she called an ambulance.
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“The ambulance driver told me: ‘They shouldn’t have sent you home,’” Boyd said. “I knew it didn’t feel right.”
Once back at the hospital, after getting surgery, she was told she was no longer pregnant. Months later, convinced she still was, she went back to the hospital.
“I ended up having the baby. This is the baby,” she said, rocking her baby, whom she was breastfeeding. “They thought that I was crazy. That’s why it’s important for [Harris’] bill to pass.”
“It should not be incumbent on a Black woman to talk about Black women’s issues.” - Sen. Kamala Harris
After several women shared their stories, Dr. Nadine Burke Harris, the surgeon general of California, noted that the U.S. health care system is “just like our broader American society ... built on a history of racism and oppression.”
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Burke Harris noted that hospitals were segregated only a few decades ago. Later Dr. Stephen Lockhart, the chief medical officer of the Sutter Health hospital system in Northern California, said he was born at home in St. Louis in 1958 because hospitals were still segregated at the time.
Harris, who noted that California is a “great leader” on Black maternal health, asked for ideas from the room to improve her legislation.
Some women suggested going further than implicit bias trainings and including accountability measures as well as a financial impact for hospitals that don’t show improvement. Harris said she “couldn’t agree more” and requested ideas for best practices around measuring outcomes.
“The hospitals are just going to get a lump of money, and if they bring down those maternal mortality rates, then they get a bonus, and if they don’t, then they’re going to have money taken away from them,” the presidential candidate said.
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Harris concluded Tuesday’s event by saying Black maternal health “can’t just be a fight waged by Black women.”
“Everyone has to be held accountable for this issue,” Harris said, adding that “elections matter.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-02-19--Bloomberg Vetoed 2003 Bill Expanding Rape Victims’ Access To Emergency Contraception

One bill required pharmacies in the city that don ’ t sell emergency contraception to post a sign alerting customers or face a penalty of up to $ 500 .
The other mandated that emergency rooms in city-funded hospitals provide access to the morning-after pill to rape victims , if they wanted it .
The city would be prohibited from contracting with hospitals that did not comply .
“ I can ’ t believe the mayor vetoed those bills ...
This is something that is so important for women to have available to them , and it ’ s just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ respond favorably to ... making these emergency contraceptive drugs available , ” said Oliver Koppell , then a Democratic member of the council , during an April 9 , 2003 , meeting .
`` It is the least the law can say to make sure that women who have suffered such a horrible crime get the medical standard of care in every emergency room in this city ... '' The Bloomberg campaign noted that the former mayor has received kudos plaudits from abortion rights groups during his career .
Bloomberg supports abortion rights @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Planned Parenthood and EMILY ’ s List , which works to elect Democratic women who support abortion access .
In 2005 and 2009 , he received the backing of NARAL Pro-Choice New York , a major abortion rights group .
And both Planned Parenthood and NARAL have given him awards .
But he has also donated heavily to Republican politicians who oppose these rights .
And in this case , Bloomberg was on the opposite side of reproductive rights groups on the issue of these emergency contraception bills .
The city council conducted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only half the city ’ s emergency rooms gave rape victims the option of the morning-after pill .
Just 55 % of the 170 pharmacies surveyed in the city carried at least one type of emergency contraception .
They opposed the emergency room mandate because they didn ’ t like that it would interfere with the contracting process and were worried about the potential cost during a “ fiscal crisis ” and deep budget cuts , according to Isaac Weisfuse , a deputy commissioner of health at the time who spoke before the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the law can say to make sure that women who have suffered such a horrible crime get the medical standard of care in every emergency room in this city , ” she said during an April 9 , 2003 meeting , adding that without a law , treatment would entirely be up to individual hospital administrators , who change on a regular basis .
“ We need to set the standard for women who are victims of crime in this city and then make sure the hospitals in this city that we do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The pieces of legislation that Bloomberg vetoed had the strong support of reproductive rights advocates .
Representatives from Planned Parenthood , the National Abortion Reproductive Action League of New York and the National Organization of Women , among others , spoke before the council in favor of the bills .
Emergency contraception “ should be offered at every hospital in this city that treats rape survivors or on an emergency basis .
Every rape survivor has the right to know about all , and have access to all treatment options , ” said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Planned Parenthood of New York City .
In December , Malin came out and praised the Bloomberg campaign ’ s plan for reducing the mortality rates of pregnant women .
The idea of the pharmacy bill was not only to shame pharmacies into offering emergency contraception , but to save women the trouble and embarrassment of having to ask if they sell it .
It “ requires any pharmacy that does not sell EC to conspicuously post this over its prescription counters , sort of like saying there ’ s no fire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from standing in line , and women really do not need to stand in lines at multiple pharmacies only to find out they don ’ t have EC , ” said Carolyn Westhoff , then a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Columbia University .
In 2004 , the New York City Council issued a new report , finding that even after the state and city passed its emergency room laws , nearly a quarter of hospital emergency rooms in the city were “ failing women and breaking the law by not providing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to prevent pregnancy.
” It also found that nearly a quarter of pharmacies were still not stocking the morning-after pill either .

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In 2003, over the objections of the New York City Council and reproductive rights advocates, then-New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg vetoed two bills that would have expanded access to, and information about, emergency contraception.
One bill required pharmacies in the city that don’t sell emergency contraception to post a sign alerting customers or face a penalty of up to $500. The other mandated that emergency rooms in city-funded hospitals provide access to the morning-after pill to rape victims, if they wanted it. The city would be prohibited from contracting with hospitals that did not comply.
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The city council overrode Bloomberg’s veto.
“I can’t believe the mayor vetoed those bills ... This is something that is so important for women to have available to them, and it’s just incredible to me that anyone could not respond favorably to ... making these emergency contraceptive drugs available,” said Oliver Koppell, then a Democratic member of the council, during an April 9, 2003, meeting.
At that time, Bloomberg was a Republican. He is now running for the Democratic presidential nomination.
Bloomberg did sign a third bill that required clinics treating sexually transmitted diseases to carry emergency contraception.
“"It is the least the law can say to make sure that women who have suffered such a horrible crime get the medical standard of care in every emergency room in this city..."” - Former New York City Council Member Christine Quinn (D)
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The Bloomberg campaign noted that the former mayor has received kudos plaudits from abortion rights groups during his career. Bloomberg supports abortion rights and has donated millions to groups like Planned Parenthood and EMILY’s List, which works to elect Democratic women who support abortion access. In 2005 and 2009, he received the backing of NARAL Pro-Choice New York, a major abortion rights group. And both Planned Parenthood and NARAL have given him awards.
But he has also donated heavily to Republican politicians who oppose these rights. And in this case, Bloomberg was on the opposite side of reproductive rights groups on the issue of these emergency contraception bills.
The city council conducted an investigation in 2002, finding that only half the city’s emergency rooms gave rape victims the option of the morning-after pill. Just 55% of the 170 pharmacies surveyed in the city carried at least one type of emergency contraception.
Women outside Manhattan, especially in Staten Island and Queens, also had less access to emergency contraception.
Bloomberg and his administration objected to the pharmacy legislation because, they said, it would be hard to enforce.
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They opposed the emergency room mandate because they didn’t like that it would interfere with the contracting process and were worried about the potential cost during a “fiscal crisis” and deep budget cuts, according to Isaac Weisfuse, a deputy commissioner of health at the time who spoke before the council.
In urging the council to override Bloomberg’s veto at the time, then-council member Christine Quinn (D) called the emergency room measure “the least we can do for women that have been raped.”
“It is the least the law can say to make sure that women who have suffered such a horrible crime get the medical standard of care in every emergency room in this city,” she said during an April 9, 2003 meeting, adding that without a law, treatment would entirely be up to individual hospital administrators, who change on a regular basis. “We need to set the standard for women who are victims of crime in this city and then make sure the hospitals in this city that we do business with live up to it.”
As New York City's mayor in 2003, Michael Bloomberg vetoed two bills by the city council expanding access to emergency contraception. The council eventually overrode his vetoes. (AP Photo/Shiho Fukada) ASSOCIATED PRESS
The pieces of legislation that Bloomberg vetoed had the strong support of reproductive rights advocates. Representatives from Planned Parenthood, the National Abortion Reproductive Action League of New York and the National Organization of Women, among others, spoke before the council in favor of the bills.
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Emergency contraception “should be offered at every hospital in this city that treats rape survivors or on an emergency basis. Every rape survivor has the right to know about all, and have access to all treatment options,” said Joan Malin, who was then president of Planned Parenthood of New York City. In December, Malin came out and praised the Bloomberg campaign’s plan for reducing the mortality rates of pregnant women.
The idea of the pharmacy bill was not only to shame pharmacies into offering emergency contraception, but to save women the trouble and embarrassment of having to ask if they sell it.
It “requires any pharmacy that does not sell EC to conspicuously post this over its prescription counters, sort of like saying there’s no fire extinguisher here ― which does save one from standing in line, and women really do not need to stand in lines at multiple pharmacies only to find out they don’t have EC,” said Carolyn Westhoff, then a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Columbia University.
John A. Crotty was the mayor’s liaison to city council at the time. (He is not affiliated with Bloomberg's presidential campaign.) Crotty said that there was a “significant” number of reproductive rights laws passed during that time, but that on this particular bill, it wasn’t the end goal that was the objection but the means to reaching it. He said it was primarily an issue for the state, not the city.
“Forcing an unfunded mandate on hospitals and pharmacies (which were primarily covered by state law, hence the governor passing a version of it later) which were, and continue to, lose money didn’t seem the best way to expand access,” Crotty said.
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“Imposing a standard, regardless of how laudable, without a way to pay for it or enforce it was/is irresponsible,” he added. “Accepting the cynical standard of passing a bill to look good, that achieved zero results was never acceptable.”
Later in 2003, in October, New York Gov. George Pataki (R) signed a law requiring every hospital in the state to offer the option of emergency contraception to rape victims.
In 2004, the New York City Council issued a new report, finding that even after the state and city passed its emergency room laws, nearly a quarter of hospital emergency rooms in the city were “failing women and breaking the law by not providing survivors of rape/sexual assault the medication necessary to prevent pregnancy.” It also found that nearly a quarter of pharmacies were still not stocking the morning-after pill either.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-02-19--Democrats Swap Pre-Debate Barbs As Mike Bloomberg Faces First Test

The attacks underscore how seriously Democrats are taking the former New York mayor ’ s campaign , now that he ’ s rocketed to double-digit support in national polls and qualified to appear in debates .
Bloomberg was a lifelong Democrat before winning the New York mayor ’ s race as a Republican in 2002 .
He later switched to independent and formally registered as a Democrat last year .
On CNN Wednesday morning , Sanders ’ national press secretary Briahna Joy Gray tried to rebut questions surrounding the Vermont senator ’ s health by pointing to Bloomberg , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attacks in the past.
” Sanders suffered a heart attack last fall and released letters from doctors attesting to his health .
But Bloomberg has never suffered a heart attack ; he released a doctors ’ letter last year that said he did undergo coronary stent surgery in 2000 .
Separately , the Biden campaign took on Bloomberg over ads the former mayor is running that feature shots of him working closely with former President Barack Obama .
The Biden campaign posted a video to Twitter highlighting past comments Bloomberg made criticizing Obama @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accusing him of failing to address racism during his term .
The video also includes a clip of Bloomberg declaring “ I ’ m a friend of Donald Trump ’ s , he ’ s a New York icon.
” Bloomberg had until recently largely escaped scrutiny from the media and attacks from his opponents by avoiding the early primary states and focusing instead on campaigning in the 14 states that vote in the March 3 Super Tuesday primaries .
And his massive campaign — with over 2,000 staffers nationwide and over $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has given him enough of a boost to win high-profile endorsements and double-digit support in the polls .
With much of the attention on Bloomberg , there is increasing fear from establishment-minded Democrats about Sanders ’ strength in the race .
After he finished at the top in Iowa and New Hampshire , polls suggest the self-described democratic socialist is poised for another strong showing in Nevada ’ s caucuses on Saturday .
Longtime establishment favorite Biden , the former Obama vice president , is fighting to breathe new life into his flailing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the bottom of a moderate muddle behind former South Bend , Indiana , Mayor Pete Buttigieg and Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar .
Sanders , a Vermont senator , has emerged as the progressive wing ’ s preference after two contests as Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren struggles to regain energy for her campaign .
Some Democrats fear that conditions are ripe for a bare-knuckles brawl on national television that could carve new scars into a divided party that must ultimately come together this fall if it hopes to deny the Republican president a second @ @ @ @ @ @ @ already indicated they will lean into his explosive comments on race and gender in addition to their charge that he ’ s using a fortune earned from a career on Wall Street in an effort to buy the presidency .
Bloomberg ’ s rise in national polls has been fueled almost exclusively by an unprecedented national advertising campaign , carefully controlled campaign events and a sprawling national organization that has likely already cost him more than half a billion dollars .
In a conference call with reporters , the aides took particular aim @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republican billionaire ” who is running “ patently dishonest ads ” suggesting that he has the backing of Obama .
Biden aides said the former vice president would note Bloomberg ’ s criticism of Obama ’ s policies , including the 2010 health insurance overhaul , while noting that Bloomberg did not support Obama ’ s election in 2008 and only offered a tepid endorsement very late in the 2012 campaign .
Bloomberg is not actually competing in Nevada ’ s Saturday caucuses or any of the four primary contests scheduled for this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and resources in the delegate-rich states that begin voting in March .
In the modern era , such a strategy has never worked .
Yet it ’ s never been attempted by someone as wealthy as Bloomberg , who has already invested more than $ 400 million into a national advertising campaign and hired more than 2,000 campaign staffers .

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LAS VEGAS (AP) — Hours before taking the stage, Mike Bloomberg came under attack from his Democratic rivals in a likely preview of his Wednesday night debate debut when the billionaire businessman meets his rivals onstage for the first time.
Both Bernie Sanders’ and Joe Biden’s campaigns took aim at the 78-year-old former Republican, the former raising questions about Bloomberg’s health and the latter pointing out reversals on key issues.
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The attacks underscore how seriously Democrats are taking the former New York mayor’s campaign, now that he’s rocketed to double-digit support in national polls and qualified to appear in debates. Bloomberg was a lifelong Democrat before winning the New York mayor’s race as a Republican in 2002. He later switched to independent and formally registered as a Democrat last year.
He has faced relatively little national scrutiny in his surprisingly swift rise from nonpartisan megadonor to top-tier presidential contender.
But Wednesday night’s debate in Las Vegas, where Bloomberg faces five hungry opponents in the first major unscripted moment of his 2020 campaign, poses the greatest test yet of his unorthodox campaign.
“He is going to have a giant target on his back from all sides,” said Democratic strategist Brian Brokaw. “It’ll either all come together brilliantly or could fall apart very quickly.”
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The attacks began before the debate’s 9 p.m. EST start.
On CNN Wednesday morning, Sanders’ national press secretary Briahna Joy Gray tried to rebut questions surrounding the Vermont senator’s health by pointing to Bloomberg, who she said had also “suffered heart attacks in the past.” Sanders suffered a heart attack last fall and released letters from doctors attesting to his health. But Bloomberg has never suffered a heart attack; he released a doctors’ letter last year that said he did undergo coronary stent surgery in 2000.
Gray later walked back her statement, saying on Twitter that she “misspoke” about Bloomberg’s health.
Separately, the Biden campaign took on Bloomberg over ads the former mayor is running that feature shots of him working closely with former President Barack Obama. The Biden campaign posted a video to Twitter highlighting past comments Bloomberg made criticizing Obama on health care and climate change and accusing him of failing to address racism during his term. The video also includes a clip of Bloomberg declaring “I’m a friend of Donald Trump’s, he’s a New York icon.”
Bloomberg had until recently largely escaped scrutiny from the media and attacks from his opponents by avoiding the early primary states and focusing instead on campaigning in the 14 states that vote in the March 3 Super Tuesday primaries. And his massive campaign — with over 2,000 staffers nationwide and over $400 million spent on ads already — has given him enough of a boost to win high-profile endorsements and double-digit support in the polls.
With much of the attention on Bloomberg, there is increasing fear from establishment-minded Democrats about Sanders’ strength in the race. After he finished at the top in Iowa and New Hampshire, polls suggest the self-described democratic socialist is poised for another strong showing in Nevada’s caucuses on Saturday.
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After more than a year of campaigning, there is little clarity in the Democrats’ urgent search for a nominee to run against President Trump in November.
Longtime establishment favorite Biden, the former Obama vice president, is fighting to breathe new life into his flailing campaign, which enters the night at the bottom of a moderate muddle behind former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg and Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar. Sanders, a Vermont senator, has emerged as the progressive wing’s preference after two contests as Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren struggles to regain energy for her campaign.
Some Democrats fear that conditions are ripe for a bare-knuckles brawl on national television that could carve new scars into a divided party that must ultimately come together this fall if it hopes to deny the Republican president a second term.
Bloomberg’s rivals have already indicated they will lean into his explosive comments on race and gender in addition to their charge that he’s using a fortune earned from a career on Wall Street in an effort to buy the presidency. Bloomberg’s rise in national polls has been fueled almost exclusively by an unprecedented national advertising campaign, carefully controlled campaign events and a sprawling national organization that has likely already cost him more than half a billion dollars.
Alexandra Rojas, executive director of the Sanders-allied Justice Democrats, called Wednesday Bloomberg’s first “public moment of accountability.”
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“It’s going to be a chance to finally bring scrutiny to Bloomberg’s record as a Republican plutocrat,” she said.
Bloomberg’s team was working to lower expectations ahead of his performance, suggesting his debate skills are rusty after more than a decade since his last election.
Bloomberg hasn’t been on a debate stage since 2009. His team notes he never faced more than one rival at a time over three elections for New York City mayor.
Despite the challenges, senior adviser Tim O’Brien signaled that Bloomberg welcomed a fight against Sanders, whom the campaign perceives to be the race’s clear front-runner.
“I think you’re going to see us go toe-to-toe with Bernie Sanders on important issues,” O’Brien said in an interview, raising questions about Sanders’ personal wealth, record on criminal justice and gun control.
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Bloomberg’s campaign released a list of more than a dozen debate guests, featuring survivors of gun violence from several states. They include one man present at the 2017 shooting in Las Vegas that left 58 dead and hundreds more injured.
Sanders welcomed a fight.
The Vermont senator railed against Bloomberg and “a system that allows billionaires to buy elections,” while campaigning in Nevada on the eve of the debate.
“Here is the message: Anyone here worth $60 billion, you can run for president, and you can buy the airwaves. My friends, that is called oligarchy, not democracy.”
Senior Biden campaign aides on Wednesday offered a forecast of an aggressive candidate who would try to draw sharp contrasts with Bloomberg and Sanders.
In a conference call with reporters, the aides took particular aim at Bloomberg, calling him a “Republican billionaire” who is running “patently dishonest ads” suggesting that he has the backing of Obama. Biden aides said the former vice president would note Bloomberg’s criticism of Obama’s policies, including the 2010 health insurance overhaul, while noting that Bloomberg did not support Obama’s election in 2008 and only offered a tepid endorsement very late in the 2012 campaign.
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Bloomberg is not actually competing in Nevada’s Saturday caucuses or any of the four primary contests scheduled for this month, preferring to invest his time and resources in the delegate-rich states that begin voting in March. In the modern era, such a strategy has never worked. Yet it’s never been attempted by someone as wealthy as Bloomberg, who has already invested more than $400 million into a national advertising campaign and hired more than 2,000 campaign staffers.
The focus on Bloomberg on the debate stage means there will be less oxygen for others at a critical moment.
Buttigieg allies in particular see Sanders as the real threat and are frustrated by the fixation on Bloomberg. Buttigieg has begun drawing sharp contrasts with Sanders and is expected to continue doing so on the debate stage, letting the rest of the field pile on Bloomberg.
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Steve Peoples and Alexandra Jaffe reported from Washington. Associated Press writer Kathleen Ronayne in Sacramento, California, contributed to this report.
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Catch up on the 2020 election campaign with AP experts on our weekly politics podcast, “Ground Game.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-02-20--Roger Stone Sentenced To 40 Months For Lying To Congress, Witness Tampering

Roger Stone , a political consultant and longtime ally to President Donald Trump , was sentenced to 40 months on Thursday after being convicted of lying to Congress and witness tampering .
Prosecutors initially recommended a sentence of seven to nine years in federal prison for Stone , but Attorney General William Barr had other ideas .
Earlier this month , Department of Justice leadership took the unprecedented step of walking back federal prosecutors ’ sentencing recommendation shortly after a 2 a.m. Trump tweet whining that it was “ a horrible and very unfair situation ” for Stone .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ― made up of 1,100 members ― to call for an emergency meeting on Tuesday to address concerns that the DOJ is meddling in political cases that should be left to federal judges and prosecutors .
Judge Amy Berman Jackson ( whom Stone previously attacked in an Instagram post that he later had to delete and apologize for ) ultimately decided on the felon ’ s sentencing .
Stone ’ s lawyers attempted and failed to delay the sentencing earlier in the week .
In her decision to sentence Stone to just over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a sentence of seven to nine years “ would be greater than necessary.
” She also pushed back on the notion that Stone was simply a victim trying to protect Trump .
“ He was not prosecuted , as some have complained , for standing up for the president , ” she said in her sentencing decision .
“ He was prosecuted for covering up for the president.
” Stone was found guilty in November of lying to congressional investigators about Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election .
He was convicted on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , including obstructing an official proceeding and witness tampering .
Stone had previously bragged about his connection to WikiLeaks , the shady information hub that released a trove of hacked emails from the Democratic National Committee .
He later lied to Congress about his connection with WikiLeaks .
Rick Gates , a former Trump campaign official , testified that he was in communication with Stone and believed the political operative had inside access to WikiLeaks .
“ At some point I ’ ll make a determination , but Roger Stone and everybody has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has not been a fair process , ” Trump said .

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Roger Stone, a political consultant and longtime ally to President Donald Trump, was sentenced to 40 months on Thursday after being convicted of lying to Congress and witness tampering.
Prosecutors initially recommended a sentence of seven to nine years in federal prison for Stone, but Attorney General William Barr had other ideas. Earlier this month, Department of Justice leadership took the unprecedented step of walking back federal prosecutors’ sentencing recommendation shortly after a 2 a.m. Trump tweet whining that it was “a horrible and very unfair situation” for Stone.
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The entire prosecution team resigned after the DOJ’s new recommendation on Stone’s sentencing.
The rare crisis prompted the Federal Judges Association ― made up of 1,100 members ― to call for an emergency meeting on Tuesday to address concerns that the DOJ is meddling in political cases that should be left to federal judges and prosecutors.
Judge Amy Berman Jackson (whom Stone previously attacked in an Instagram post that he later had to delete and apologize for) ultimately decided on the felon’s sentencing. Stone’s lawyers attempted and failed to delay the sentencing earlier in the week.
In her decision to sentence Stone to just over three years in prison, Jackson said a sentence of seven to nine years “would be greater than necessary.” She also pushed back on the notion that Stone was simply a victim trying to protect Trump.
“He was not prosecuted, as some have complained, for standing up for the president,” she said in her sentencing decision. “He was prosecuted for covering up for the president.”
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Stone was found guilty in November of lying to congressional investigators about Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. He was convicted on all seven counts he was charged with, including obstructing an official proceeding and witness tampering.
Stone had previously bragged about his connection to WikiLeaks, the shady information hub that released a trove of hacked emails from the Democratic National Committee. He later lied to Congress about his connection with WikiLeaks. Rick Gates, a former Trump campaign official, testified that he was in communication with Stone and believed the political operative had inside access to WikiLeaks.
Following Stone’s sentencing, Trump didn’t rule out the possibility of a pardon when asked by reporters.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-02-20--Dana Rohrabacher Confirms He Offered Trump Pardon To Julian Assange

WASHINGTON — Former California Republican congressman Dana Rohrabacher confirmed in a new interview that during a three-hour meeting at the Ecuadorian Embassy in August 2017 , he told Julian Assange he would get President Trump to give him a pardon if he turned over information proving the Russians had not been the source of internal Democratic National Committee emails published by WikiLeaks .
In a phone interview with Yahoo News , Rohrabacher said his goal during the meeting was to find proof for a widely debunked conspiracy theory : that WikiLeaks ’ real source for the DNC emails was not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have since concluded , but former DNC staffer Seth Rich , who was murdered on the streets of Washington in July 2016 in what police believe was a botched robbery .
White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham immediately denounced the claim about a pardon discussion with Assange as a “ complete fabrication , ” adding that the president “ barely knows Dana Rohrabacher ” and has “ never spoken to him on this subject or almost any subject.
” Rohrabacher said that not only did talk of a Trump pardon take place during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up by calling then White House chief of staff John Kelly to discuss the proposal .
He did not , however , ever speak to Trump about it , he said .
“ I spoke to Julian Assange and told him if he would provide evidence about who gave WikiLeaks the emails I would petition the president to give him a pardon , ” Rohrabacher said .
“ He knew I could get to the president.
” When he spoke to Kelly , the then chief of staff was “ courteous ” but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ raise the matter directly with the president .
“ He knew this had to be handled with care , ” Rohrabacher said , and that it could be spun by the news media in ways that would be “ harmful ” to the president .
In fact , Rohrabacher said he never heard anything further from Kelly about the matter , nor did he ever discuss the subject directly with Trump .
Rohrabacher , who was defeated when he ran for reelection in 2018 and is now a consultant to the cannabis industry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the few members of Congress willing to defend Russian President Vladimir Putin .
He also was a strong defender of Trump on the Russia investigation by special counsel Robert Mueller .
He said the president personally called him to thank him for one of his TV appearances during which he said that Trump was right to be angry with then Attorney General Jeff Sessions for recusing himself about all matters relating to the investigation .
Rohrabacher also emphasized in the interview that he only wanted “ truthful ” information from Assange and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But he said he believed then — and even more so now — that the information he was seeking would prove that WikiLeaks got its DNC emails from Seth Rich , a claim that if true would undercut the findings of U.S. intelligence agencies and Mueller ’ s prosecutors that Russian agents had hacked the Democratic Party and stolen the emails .
“ Seth Rich ’ s name came up a couple of times ” during his meeting with Assange , Rohrabacher said , although he acknowledged that the WikiLeaks founder never confirmed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Still , Rohrabacher added , he believed the media is covering up the late DNC staffer ’ s supposed role in the theft of the party emails .
“ The whole thing stinks , ” he said .
A Yahoo News podcast , “ Conspiracyland , ” revealed last summer that Russian intelligence agencies first planted the conspiracy theory that Rich was murdered by gunmen hired by Hillary Clinton .
It also reported that Russian trolls later repeatedly boosted claims on Twitter and other social media platforms that the former staffer had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fact , a top Washington police commander overseeing the investigation into Rich ’ s death said during the “ Conspiracyland ” podcast that law enforcement had found no evidence that Rich ’ s death was in any way related to his work at the DNC or that he played any role in the leaking of party emails .

WASHINGTON — Former California Republican congressman Dana Rohrabacher confirmed in a new interview that during a three-hour meeting at the Ecuadorian Embassy in August 2017, he told Julian Assange he would get President Trump to give him a pardon if he turned over information proving the Russians had not been the source of internal Democratic National Committee emails published by WikiLeaks.
In a phone interview with Yahoo News, Rohrabacher said his goal during the meeting was to find proof for a widely debunked conspiracy theory: that WikiLeaks’ real source for the DNC emails was not Russian intelligence agents, as U.S. officials have since concluded, but former DNC staffer Seth Rich, who was murdered on the streets of Washington in July 2016 in what police believe was a botched robbery.
A lawyer for Assange in London on Wednesday cited the pardon offer from Rohrabacher during a court hearing on the U.S. government’s request to extradite the WikiLeaks founder.
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Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham immediately denounced the claim about a pardon discussion with Assange as a “complete fabrication,” adding that the president “barely knows Dana Rohrabacher” and has “never spoken to him on this subject or almost any subject.”
Rohrabacher said that not only did talk of a Trump pardon take place during his meeting, but he also followed up by calling then White House chief of staff John Kelly to discuss the proposal. He did not, however, ever speak to Trump about it, he said.
“I spoke to Julian Assange and told him if he would provide evidence about who gave WikiLeaks the emails I would petition the president to give him a pardon,” Rohrabacher said. “He knew I could get to the president.”
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When he spoke to Kelly, the then chief of staff was “courteous” but made no commitment that he would even raise the matter directly with the president. “He knew this had to be handled with care,” Rohrabacher said, and that it could be spun by the news media in ways that would be “harmful” to the president. In fact, Rohrabacher said he never heard anything further from Kelly about the matter, nor did he ever discuss the subject directly with Trump.
Rohrabacher, who was defeated when he ran for reelection in 2018 and is now a consultant to the cannabis industry, long had a reputation as one of the few members of Congress willing to defend Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Joshua Blanchard via Getty Images
He also was a strong defender of Trump on the Russia investigation by special counsel Robert Mueller. He said the president personally called him to thank him for one of his TV appearances during which he said that Trump was right to be angry with then Attorney General Jeff Sessions for recusing himself about all matters relating to the investigation.
Rohrabacher also emphasized in the interview that he only wanted “truthful” information from Assange and never suggested that he “lie.” But he said he believed then — and even more so now — that the information he was seeking would prove that WikiLeaks got its DNC emails from Seth Rich, a claim that if true would undercut the findings of U.S. intelligence agencies and Mueller’s prosecutors that Russian agents had hacked the Democratic Party and stolen the emails.
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“Seth Rich’s name came up a couple of times” during his meeting with Assange, Rohrabacher said, although he acknowledged that the WikiLeaks founder never confirmed to him that Rich was his source. Still, Rohrabacher added, he believed the media is covering up the late DNC staffer’s supposed role in the theft of the party emails. “The whole thing stinks,” he said.
A Yahoo News podcast, “Conspiracyland,” revealed last summer that Russian intelligence agencies first planted the conspiracy theory that Rich was murdered by gunmen hired by Hillary Clinton. It also reported that Russian trolls later repeatedly boosted claims on Twitter and other social media platforms that the former staffer had leaked the material to WikiLeaks.
In fact, a top Washington police commander overseeing the investigation into Rich’s death said during the “Conspiracyland” podcast that law enforcement had found no evidence that Rich’s death was in any way related to his work at the DNC or that he played any role in the leaking of party emails.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-02-20--Donald Trump Mocked Someone Over A Twitter Typo And His Mentions Burst Into Flames

Did Donald Trump really just try to insult someone about a typo ?
This man is the most blatant hypocrite @ @ @ @ @ he was elected president ?
Nothing but a fear mongering divider in chief with a @ @ @ @ @ protection .
We must vote this fool out

Did Donald Trump really just try to insult someone about a typo? This man is the most blatant hypocrite I have ever seen and he was elected president? Nothing but a fear mongering divider in chief with a lust of power for legal protection. We must vote this fool out


thehuffingtonpost--2020-02-20--Michael Bloomberg Said NDAs Are 'For Everybody's Interests.' He's Dead Wrong.

Wednesday night ’ s debate was , by and large , a trainwreck for former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg , with his 2020 Democratic presidential opponents leaving no stone unturned in launching attacks at him — taking turns highlighting everything from his racist policies as mayor to his recent transphobic comments to his alleged history of sexism and misogyny at his media company .
Central to the latter is Bloomberg and his company ’ s use of nondisclosure agreements to silence women who made sexual harassment and gender discrimination claims , the subject of one of the night @ @ @ @ @ @ @ There ’ s agreements between two parties that wanted to keep it quiet , and that ’ s up to them .
They signed those agreements , and we ’ ll live with it , ” Bloomberg said .
After Warren again pressed him on whether he would allow the women to break their NDAs , Bloomberg again claimed that “ they decided , when they made an agreement , they wanted to keep it quiet for everybody ’ s interests.
” However , as the revelations of the Me Too movement have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ use of these agreements is often mutual in name only .
In practice , NDAs end up reinforcing the power differential between the individual and the company , the same power differential that enables the alleged misconduct .
But increasingly , employers across many industries – including tech , entertainment , media and politics — have also used NDAs to keep employees silent about workplace sexual misconduct , effectively sweeping it under the rug .
Companies often pair NDAs with other onerous legal tools , like secret monetary settlements to buy accusers ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accusers to settle their claims privately instead of taking them to court .
One of the most extreme offenders was former movie mogul and accused serial sexual abuser Harvey Weinstein , whose army of lawyers forced several of his more than 80 accusers into signing byzantine agreements with many strings attached .
“ There ’ s something not quite right about a situation where an entire army of wealthy white men had compelled two young women to sign a 30-page agreement that we couldn ’ t quite understand , ” Chiu told HuffPost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to “ a Houdini-style rope.
” “ They knew how the law worked , and they just let us go straight into signing this agreement that was massively imbalanced on his side .
They pretended we had benefits when in reality we didn ’ t. ” “ Very few women ‘ choose ’ to be forever silenced — I can ’ t believe he thought he could get away with that answer , ” former Fox News host Gretchen Carlson , who formed an organization to fight to restrict the use of NDAs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said in a tweet Thursday regarding Bloomberg ’ s answer on the debate stage from the night before .
On Wednesday , Warren also drew parallels between Bloomberg and the man the candidates onstage hope to defeat : President Donald Trump , who has also used NDAs to silence women , including Alva Johnson , a 2016 campaign staffer who accused him of forcibly kissing her , and Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal , who alleged that Trump had extramarital affairs with them and received hush money from Trump ’ s then-attorney Michael @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 2016 .
Some advocates of the use of NDAs in sexual harassment cases — among them , the women ’ s rights lawyer Gloria Allred — say NDAs can be helpful because they give the accusers anonymity so they aren ’ t associated with the incidents forever , especially in the age of social media and the internet .
However , by releasing someone from the agreement , it at least gives them the option to speak out and tell their side of the story if they choose — giving them back @ @ @ @ @

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Wednesday night’s debate was, by and large, a trainwreck for former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, with his 2020 Democratic presidential opponents leaving no stone unturned in launching attacks at him — taking turns highlighting everything from his racist policies as mayor to his recent transphobic comments to his alleged history of sexism and misogyny at his media company.
Central to the latter is Bloomberg and his company’s use of nondisclosure agreements to silence women who made sexual harassment and gender discrimination claims, the subject of one of the night’s most fiery exchanges.
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When Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) asked if Bloomberg would release the women from the NDAs, the former mayor repeatedly hemmed and hawed before ultimately declining to do so.
Along the way, he defended the use of nondisclosure agreements by implying they were mutually beneficial.
“There’s agreements between two parties that wanted to keep it quiet, and that’s up to them. They signed those agreements, and we’ll live with it,” Bloomberg said.
After Warren again pressed him on whether he would allow the women to break their NDAs, Bloomberg again claimed that “they decided, when they made an agreement, they wanted to keep it quiet for everybody’s interests.”
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However, as the revelations of the Me Too movement have demonstrated time and time again, the use of these agreements is often mutual in name only. In practice, NDAs end up reinforcing the power differential between the individual and the company, the same power differential that enables the alleged misconduct.
It’s common for companies to require employees to sign NDAs to prevent them from leaking trade secrets, such as pending deals, projects or research.
But increasingly, employers across many industries – including tech, entertainment, media and politics — have also used NDAs to keep employees silent about workplace sexual misconduct, effectively sweeping it under the rug. Companies often pair NDAs with other onerous legal tools, like secret monetary settlements to buy accusers’ silence and forced arbitration clauses that compel accusers to settle their claims privately instead of taking them to court.
These NDAs often leave accusers with no choice but to sign them, especially when the accuser is a young, low-level employee who’s up against a giant company and facing potential career retribution.
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One of the most extreme offenders was former movie mogul and accused serial sexual abuser Harvey Weinstein, whose army of lawyers forced several of his more than 80 accusers into signing byzantine agreements with many strings attached.
Some of them, including former Weinstein employees Zelda Perkins and Rowena Chiu, have become advocates for curtailing the use of NDAs in cases involving sexual misconduct in the workplace.
“There’s something not quite right about a situation where an entire army of wealthy white men had compelled two young women to sign a 30-page agreement that we couldn’t quite understand,” Chiu told HuffPost earlier this month, comparing her NDA to “a Houdini-style rope.” “They knew how the law worked, and they just let us go straight into signing this agreement that was massively imbalanced on his side. They pretended we had benefits when in reality we didn’t.”
NDAs also helped cover up the sexual misconduct allegations involving former NBC “Today” anchor Matt Lauer and other officials at NBC, as well as those involving Fox News founder Roger Ailes and former host Bill O’Reilly.
“Very few women ‘choose’ to be forever silenced — I can’t believe he thought he could get away with that answer,” former Fox News host Gretchen Carlson, who formed an organization to fight to restrict the use of NDAs in cases of workplace sexual misconduct, said in a tweet Thursday regarding Bloomberg’s answer on the debate stage from the night before.
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💯 - very few women “choose” to be forever silenced — I can’t believe he thought he could get away with that answer. He tried it on The View a month ago and it got little traction. Now it’s center stage. Time to end NDAs - join our mission @LiftOurVoicesUS https://t.co/XYJ8peGkMb — Gretchen Carlson (@GretchenCarlson) February 20, 2020
Carlson still cannot speak about the details of her sexual harassment lawsuit against Ailes because she is bound by a nondisclosure agreement.
On Wednesday, Warren also drew parallels between Bloomberg and the man the candidates onstage hope to defeat: President Donald Trump, who has also used NDAs to silence women, including Alva Johnson, a 2016 campaign staffer who accused him of forcibly kissing her, and Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal, who alleged that Trump had extramarital affairs with them and received hush money from Trump’s then-attorney Michael Cohen to prevent them from speaking out in 2016.
Some advocates of the use of NDAs in sexual harassment cases — among them, the women’s rights lawyer Gloria Allred — say NDAs can be helpful because they give the accusers anonymity so they aren’t associated with the incidents forever, especially in the age of social media and the internet.
However, by releasing someone from the agreement, it at least gives them the option to speak out and tell their side of the story if they choose — giving them back their agency and power.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-02-20--Trump To Rally GOP Voters In A State Where He Was Already Tabbed The Caucus Winner

ASSOCIATED PRESS As Republicans in several other states have done , GOP officials in Nevada decided to forego any competition that might stand in the way of President Donald Trump 's renomination .
Trump ’ s third rally of the week is to take place at the city ’ s convention center at noon , local time .
But Trump effectively won the state ’ s 25 delegates to the summer nominating convention five months ago at a state party meeting in Winnemucca .
“ He has overwhelming support from Republicans in this state .
He has like 99.9 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Michael McDonald , Nevada ’ s state GOP chairman .
He added that the party would use the few hundred thousand dollars saved to help down-ballot candidates this November .
Stuart MacGuire , though , is one Nevada Republican who is happy to offer some now .
“ Why don ’ t they trust Nevada Republicans to vote ?
What are they afraid of ?
” he said .
At the time of the decision to cancel the caucuses , three other Republicans were challenging Trump for the nomination ― former Govs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bill Weld of Massachusetts , and former Rep. Joe Walsh of Illinois .
Only Weld is still running .
Walsh , calling the president “ corrupt , ” “ a criminal ” and “ a tyrant , ” said , “ I ’ d like to be outraged at Trump for having the nerve to do a rally in a state in which he canceled the caucus .
But I ’ m not .
... “ This is what he does.
” Instead , Walsh said , “ I ’ m angry with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ problem disenfranchising Republican voters out of devotion to their king , and I ’ m disappointed in Nevada Republican voters who haven ’ t rioted against their party bosses to get their vote back.
” Trump campaign communications director Tim Murtaugh said the visit to Nevada Friday is not about Saturday , when state party leaders will formally endorse the resident for reelection at a meeting in Pahrump , about an hour west of Las Vegas .
Rather , the rally is about the November election ― the same as his visits this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Arizona , Hawaii , Kansas , South Carolina , Virginia and Wisconsin also have canceled delegate-awarding Republican primaries or caucuses .
A handful of others effectively canceled such contests by imposing high signature requirements or just plain deciding that no one other than Trump could participate .
Minnesota Republicans , for example , are producing a ballot reminiscent of the old Soviet Union , with only one candidate ― Trump ― listed .
Georgia Republicans demanded that Walsh promise to support the eventual nominee , which he was unwilling to do , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of his Georgia supporters , Walsh ’ s campaign said .
It , too , produced a ballot with just Trump ’ s name on it .
In Virginia , state Republicans are not participating in the March 3 Super Tuesday primary as Virginia Democrats are , and will instead award their 48 delegates to Trump at their state convention in May .
Nevada is one of the states Trump lost narrowly in 2016 to Democrat Hillary Clinton , along with New Hampshire and Minnesota , and his campaign believes it can win @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , express confidence that whomever they nominate will hold the state and its six electoral votes .
Although Clinton defeated Trump by only about two-and-a-half percentage points , a backlash to the president in Nevada helped Democrats defeat an incumbent Republican U.S. senator and take back the governor ’ s mansion in the 2018 midterm election .
MacGuire , who is 68 and retired from the hospitality industry , said he thinks Trump ’ s behavior and the Republican Party ’ s actions to support him have made a Democratic win in Nevada @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republican Party in Nevada is shrinking , ” he said .
“ I think there are Republicans leaving the party to become independents and even Democrats .
Because they care about honesty and decency as basic values .
And that ’ s not something Washington Republicans are interested in .
”

As Republicans in several other states have done, GOP officials in Nevada decided to forego any competition that might stand in the way of President Donald Trump's renomination. ASSOCIATED PRESS
LAS VEGAS ― President Donald Trump is staging a Las Vegas campaign rally Friday, even though Nevada Republicans already rigged their caucus to ensure he would win by canceling the presidential preference vote.
Trump’s third rally of the week is to take place at the city’s convention center at noon, local time. But Trump effectively won the state’s 25 delegates to the summer nominating convention five months ago at a state party meeting in Winnemucca.
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“He has overwhelming support from Republicans in this state. He has like 99.9%. It’s amazing,” said Michael McDonald, Nevada’s state GOP chairman. He added that the party would use the few hundred thousand dollars saved to help down-ballot candidates this November.
“We haven’t had any blowback,” McDonald said.
Stuart MacGuire, though, is one Nevada Republican who is happy to offer some now. “Why don’t they trust Nevada Republicans to vote? What are they afraid of?” he said.
At the time of the decision to cancel the caucuses, three other Republicans were challenging Trump for the nomination ― former Govs. Mark Sanford of South Carolina and Bill Weld of Massachusetts, and former Rep. Joe Walsh of Illinois. Only Weld is still running.
Walsh, calling the president “corrupt,” “a criminal” and “a tyrant,” said, “I’d like to be outraged at Trump for having the nerve to do a rally in a state in which he canceled the caucus. But I’m not. ... “This is what he does.”
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Instead, Walsh said, “I’m angry with the Nevada party bosses who had no problem disenfranchising Republican voters out of devotion to their king, and I’m disappointed in Nevada Republican voters who haven’t rioted against their party bosses to get their vote back.”
Walsh ended his candidacy after a poor showing in the Iowa caucuses earlier this month.
Trump campaign communications director Tim Murtaugh said the visit to Nevada Friday is not about Saturday, when state party leaders will formally endorse the resident for reelection at a meeting in Pahrump, about an hour west of Las Vegas. Rather, the rally is about the November election ― the same as his visits this week to Arizona and Colorado.
“These are states that President Trump intends to win in November. That’s the reason for the rallies,” Murtaugh said.
Alaska, Arizona, Hawaii, Kansas, South Carolina, Virginia and Wisconsin also have canceled delegate-awarding Republican primaries or caucuses. A handful of others effectively canceled such contests by imposing high signature requirements or just plain deciding that no one other than Trump could participate.
Minnesota Republicans, for example, are producing a ballot reminiscent of the old Soviet Union, with only one candidate ― Trump ― listed. Georgia Republicans demanded that Walsh promise to support the eventual nominee, which he was unwilling to do, and also wanted to see a list of his Georgia supporters, Walsh’s campaign said. It, too, produced a ballot with just Trump’s name on it.
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In Virginia, state Republicans are not participating in the March 3 Super Tuesday primary as Virginia Democrats are, and will instead award their 48 delegates to Trump at their state convention in May.
Nevada is one of the states Trump lost narrowly in 2016 to Democrat Hillary Clinton, along with New Hampshire and Minnesota, and his campaign believes it can win them this year.
Democrats, though, express confidence that whomever they nominate will hold the state and its six electoral votes. Although Clinton defeated Trump by only about two-and-a-half percentage points, a backlash to the president in Nevada helped Democrats defeat an incumbent Republican U.S. senator and take back the governor’s mansion in the 2018 midterm election.
MacGuire, who is 68 and retired from the hospitality industry, said he thinks Trump’s behavior and the Republican Party’s actions to support him have made a Democratic win in Nevada more likely.
“I think the Republican Party in Nevada is shrinking,” he said. “I think there are Republicans leaving the party to become independents and even Democrats. Because they care about honesty and decency as basic values. And that’s not something Washington Republicans are interested in.”