The fighter

When Mark Meadows resigned from Congress on March 30 to become White House chief of staff , he vacated a coveted seat .
North Carolina 's recently redrawn 11th Congressional District encompasses most of the state 's mountainous western region and tilts Republican despite the liberal city of Asheville at its center .
Of the 12 candidates on the Republican primary ballot in March , the only two who earned more than 10 % of the vote were 62-year-old businesswoman Lynda Bennett and Madison Cawthorn , who will not meet the constitutional age requirement for Congress until his 25th birthday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the requisite 30 % , the contest to replace Meadows has led to a June 23 runoff election that will pit two generations of the GOP against each other .
Cawthorn and his story are well known in western North Carolina , where his familial roots extend to the Revolutionary War .
Once a staffer for Meadows , he was nominated by the former congressman to attend the U.S .
Naval Academy , but his plans came crashing down on April 3 , 2014 , when a catastrophic car accident left him partially @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` When my accident happened , I had spent my entire life building my athletic ability , building my mental ability , making sure I could pass any tests I was ever given , '' Cawthorn told the Washington Examiner .
The homeschooling graduate had earned a full-ride ROTC scholarship from the U.S. Marine Corps .
`` I was the No .
1 pick in the whole nation .
I had it all . ''
`` Everything was going great for me , '' he continued .
`` I had a great family @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could n't get much better for me . ''
The otherwise cheerful Cawthorn looked down sadly as he described the night when he was riding back with his friend from a spring break trip to Florida .
`` I 'm asleep taking a nap , and I run into a wall at 70 miles per hour .
My entire life was taken away from me . ''
His friend had fallen asleep at the wheel of their SUV and plowed into a concrete road barrier .
After his friend pulled him from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bystanders , Cawthorn was flown to a trauma center in Daytona Beach .
Remembering when he regained consciousness , he said , `` I wake up and I ca n't move my legs .
All I see is my family around me , looking at me with nothing but pity . ''
That 's when he realized , `` Wow , I 'm really messed up , whatever 's going on . ''
Cawthorn had been reclining with his legs up when they crashed , and the force of the impact snapped his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shattered his ankle , broke his pelvis , and cost him a kidney .
His internal organs were pushed up into his chest , crushing his lungs .
`` Both my lungs collapsed , so I could n't speak for a very long time , '' he said , recalling how he learned to communicate with sign language .
Only his head escaped injury .
The doctors were amazed he survived .
Cawthorn spent many weeks in Florida until he was transferred to a hospital in Atlanta that specializes in spinal injuries .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ months after his accident that he was able to return to his hometown of Hendersonville , North Carolina , where his ordeal had become a widely followed local news story .
When he first went back to visit the Chick-fil-A where he had worked since he was 14 , media were present , and many in the community showed up to applaud him .
His former manager wept as he hugged him .
Should Cawthorn defeat Bennett in June and go on to win the general election in November , he would become @ @ @ @ @ @ @ distinction is presently held by 30-year-old Democratic New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez , who stands opposite him across the widening political gulf among the younger generation .
Cawthorn 's tragic situation gave him insight into why the big-government spending of Ocasio-Cortez might appeal to some people .
`` I had over $ 3 million in medical debt as an 18-year-old , '' he said , for which reason he has made healthcare reform his top priority as a potential legislator .
`` I would like to be the face of the Republican Party @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Regarding solutions to a broken healthcare system , Cawthorn said , `` For so long , the Republican Party has been the party of 'no . '
They have n't really presented a unified front . ''
Cawthorn claims his debt pushed him and put him in a good position to start his own real estate investment business and become a motivational speaker , but he acknowledged `` a lot of people in this country are hurting '' because of their astronomical medical bills .
`` We 've got to introduce more competition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that if someone has a catastrophic injury like I did , they 're not going to be $ 3 million in debt .
That 's absurd . ''
Along with defending the Second Amendment , which he says `` protects all the other amendments , '' the other pillar of Cawthorn 's campaign platform is resisting the rising tide of socialism in the United States .
`` So many people , the generation 40 and younger , are starting to fall and be deceived for all these lies that sound good , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ good to say , ' I want to let everyone have the same standard of living , ' but I want to vote for not just what feels good , but what does good . ''
Cawthorn is well acquainted with the objection that he is too young to serve in Congress .
`` We actually thought at the beginning of this campaign that was going to be probably one of my weakest areas , '' he said , referring to his youth .
`` But I have found that is actually one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Despite his ability to rattle off the ages of Founding Fathers such as James Madison and Alexander Hamilton when they distinguished themselves in their 20s , Cawthorn concedes they lived in a different time , when lifespans were shorter and men grew up faster .
He parries that argument , however , with a reminder that his own life expectancy was once 18 years .
`` I was supposed to die at 18 .
I had a 1 % chance of life , '' he said , a fact he says has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of how precious life is . ''
`` I have had the misfortune of not being on this earth as long as my opponent has been , '' he continued .
`` But I do n't think that 's a weakness .
I think it gives me a vigor , it gives me a fire , and it gives me a fight that you 're not going to see in someone who is going to rest on their laurels and say , 'Oh , I 'm successful . '
'' Cawthorn is also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ change exhibited by the election of President Trump , of whom he is a fan .
He believes `` messaging '' has been the chief weakness of the Republican old guard .
`` I really feel like they were so idealistic and such conservative ideologues , '' he said .
Acknowledging he is a dyed-in-the-wool conservative , Cawthorn said he believes too many conservatives have cared only about the politics that have always worked , while letting the culture slip away to the Left .
`` They said , 'Oh , well , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ culture .
We do n't need to worry about what the sheep think . '
'' He pointed to younger politicians such as Texas Rep. Dan Crenshaw and congressional candidate Anna Paulina Luna as examples of those who use social media effectively to convey to their generation that `` the policies the Left wants to push are both morally and financially bankrupt . ''
`` I think a lot of people realize that there is a generational time bomb going off in the Republican Party , '' Cawthorn said .
`` And if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now , then 20 , 30 years down the road , maybe even sooner , we 're going to lose every single election for the rest of time . ''
He believes the GOP needs to start reaching out to young people and passing the torch or else `` it 's going to be very , very bad . ''
Cawthorn , who missed first place in March by about 2,000 of the more than 90,000 votes cast , said `` effectiveness '' is what distinguishes him most as a candidate .
Much @ @ @ @ @ @ @ someone who is not beholden to PACs , special interests , and `` D.C .
bosses . ''
Because of what he has suffered , he believes himself to be uniquely equipped to represent North Carolina 's 11th Congressional District faithfully amid the corruption of Washington , D.C. '' If I could go back and if I could do it all over again , I would make sure I did n't fall asleep , because I do not want to be in this wheelchair .
But I will say that this wheelchair has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not think I could have learned in any other way , '' he said .
`` It has given me a sense of fight and a sense of grit . ''
`` It 's taken me to the deep abyss .
I have looked into hell , I 've looked at it in the eyes , and I know how bad life can be , '' he said .
`` And so because of that , I know I 'll never waver . ''
He credits his faith in God with having sustained @ @ @ @ @ @ @ simply as `` the guy with a big smile in the wheelchair , '' who might get pushed around by the bigwigs on Capitol Hill , Cawthorn asserts , `` I was burned alive .
I died in a car accident and then I came back to life . ''
`` If they want to push me or do whatever they can , I promise I will fight back because I have been through far worse than they could ever imagine , '' he added .
`` I will never , never not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The people of western North Carolina are the only people I care about .
I really think that my accident has given me the resolve to represent them . ''
Jon Brown is the deputy breaking news editor for the Washington Examiner .

When Mark Meadows resigned from Congress on March 30 to become White House chief of staff, he vacated a coveted seat. North Carolina's recently redrawn 11th Congressional District encompasses most of the state's mountainous western region and tilts Republican despite the liberal city of Asheville at its center.
Of the 12 candidates on the Republican primary ballot in March, the only two who earned more than 20% of the vote were 62-year-old businesswoman Lynda Bennett and Madison Cawthorn, who will not meet the constitutional age requirement for Congress until his 25th birthday on Aug. 1. Because neither broke the requisite 30%, the contest to replace Meadows has led to a June 23 runoff election that will pit two generations of the GOP against each other.
Cawthorn and his story are well known in western North Carolina, where his familial roots extend to the Revolutionary War. Once a staffer for Meadows, he was nominated by the former congressman to attend the U.S. Naval Academy, but his plans came crashing down on April 3, 2014, when a catastrophic car accident left him partially paralyzed at the age of 18.
"When my accident happened, I had spent my entire life building my athletic ability, building my mental ability, making sure I could pass any tests I was ever given," Cawthorn told the Washington Examiner. The homeschooling graduate had earned a full-ride ROTC scholarship from the U.S. Marine Corps. "I was the No. 1 pick in the whole nation. I had it all."
"Everything was going great for me," he continued. "I had a great family. I was extraordinarily healthy. Life couldn't get much better for me." The otherwise cheerful Cawthorn looked down sadly as he described the night when he was riding back with his friend from a spring break trip to Florida. "I'm asleep taking a nap, and I run into a wall at 70 miles per hour. My entire life was taken away from me."
His friend had fallen asleep at the wheel of their SUV and plowed into a concrete road barrier. After his friend pulled him from the fiery wreck with the help of two bystanders, Cawthorn was flown to a trauma center in Daytona Beach. Remembering when he regained consciousness, he said, "I wake up and I can't move my legs. All I see is my family around me, looking at me with nothing but pity." That's when he realized, "Wow, I'm really messed up, whatever's going on."
Cawthorn had been reclining with his legs up when they crashed, and the force of the impact snapped his spine. The accident burned him, shattered his ankle, broke his pelvis, and cost him a kidney. His internal organs were pushed up into his chest, crushing his lungs. "Both my lungs collapsed, so I couldn't speak for a very long time," he said, recalling how he learned to communicate with sign language. Only his head escaped injury. The doctors were amazed he survived.
Cawthorn spent many weeks in Florida until he was transferred to a hospital in Atlanta that specializes in spinal injuries. It wasn't until more than four months after his accident that he was able to return to his hometown of Hendersonville, North Carolina, where his ordeal had become a widely followed local news story. When he first went back to visit the Chick-fil-A where he had worked since he was 14, media were present, and many in the community showed up to applaud him. His former manager wept as he hugged him.
Should Cawthorn defeat Bennett in June and go on to win the general election in November, he would become the youngest member of Congress. That distinction is presently held by 30-year-old Democratic New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who stands opposite him across the widening political gulf among the younger generation.
Cawthorn's tragic situation gave him insight into why the big-government spending of Ocasio-Cortez might appeal to some people. "I had over $3 million in medical debt as an 18-year-old," he said, for which reason he has made healthcare reform his top priority as a potential legislator. "I would like to be the face of the Republican Party when it comes to healthcare."
Regarding solutions to a broken healthcare system, Cawthorn said, "For so long, the Republican Party has been the party of 'no.' They haven't really presented a unified front."
Cawthorn claims his debt pushed him and put him in a good position to start his own real estate investment business and become a motivational speaker, but he acknowledged "a lot of people in this country are hurting" because of their astronomical medical bills. "We've got to introduce more competition in that market to lower costs so that if someone has a catastrophic injury like I did, they're not going to be $3 million in debt. That's absurd."
Along with defending the Second Amendment, which he says "protects all the other amendments," the other pillar of Cawthorn's campaign platform is resisting the rising tide of socialism in the United States. "So many people, the generation 40 and younger, are starting to fall and be deceived for all these lies that sound good," he said. "It probably feels good to say, 'I want to let everyone have the same standard of living,' but I want to vote for not just what feels good, but what does good."
Cawthorn is well acquainted with the objection that he is too young to serve in Congress. "We actually thought at the beginning of this campaign that was going to be probably one of my weakest areas," he said, referring to his youth. "But I have found that is actually one of my greatest strengths, easily."
Despite his ability to rattle off the ages of Founding Fathers such as James Madison and Alexander Hamilton when they distinguished themselves in their 20s, Cawthorn concedes they lived in a different time, when lifespans were shorter and men grew up faster. He parries that argument, however, with a reminder that his own life expectancy was once 18 years. "I was supposed to die at 18. I had a 1% chance of life," he said, a fact he says has given him "a very personal account of how precious life is."
"I have had the misfortune of not being on this earth as long as my opponent has been," he continued. "But I don't think that's a weakness. I think it gives me a vigor, it gives me a fire, and it gives me a fight that you're not going to see in someone who is going to rest on their laurels and say, 'Oh, I'm successful.'"
Cawthorn is also conscious of the GOP's generational sea change exhibited by the election of President Trump, of whom he is a fan. He believes "messaging" has been the chief weakness of the Republican old guard. "I really feel like they were so idealistic and such conservative ideologues," he said.
Acknowledging he is a dyed-in-the-wool conservative, Cawthorn said he believes too many conservatives have cared only about the politics that have always worked, while letting the culture slip away to the Left. "They said, 'Oh, well, we don't need to worry about culture. We don't need to worry about what the sheep think.'" He pointed to younger politicians such as Texas Rep. Dan Crenshaw and congressional candidate Anna Paulina Luna as examples of those who use social media effectively to convey to their generation that "the policies the Left wants to push are both morally and financially bankrupt."
"I think a lot of people realize that there is a generational time bomb going off in the Republican Party," Cawthorn said. "And if we don't start defusing it right now, then 20, 30 years down the road, maybe even sooner, we're going to lose every single election for the rest of time." He believes the GOP needs to start reaching out to young people and passing the torch or else "it's going to be very, very bad."
Cawthorn, who missed first place in March by about 2,000 of the more than 90,000 votes cast, said "effectiveness" is what distinguishes him most as a candidate. Much like Trump, he sells himself as someone who is not beholden to PACs, special interests, and "D.C. bosses." Because of what he has suffered, he believes himself to be uniquely equipped to represent North Carolina's 11th Congressional District faithfully amid the corruption of Washington, D.C.
"If I could go back and if I could do it all over again, I would make sure I didn't fall asleep, because I do not want to be in this wheelchair. But I will say that this wheelchair has given me some lessons that I do not think I could have learned in any other way," he said. "It has given me a sense of fight and a sense of grit."
"It's taken me to the deep abyss. I have looked into hell, I've looked at it in the eyes, and I know how bad life can be," he said. "And so because of that, I know I'll never waver." He credits his faith in God with having sustained him. To those who see him simply as "the guy with a big smile in the wheelchair," who might get pushed around by the bigwigs on Capitol Hill, Cawthorn asserts, "I was burned alive. I died in a car accident and then I came back to life."
"If they want to push me or do whatever they can, I promise I will fight back because I have been through far worse than they could ever imagine," he added. "I will never, never not do what my constituents want of me. The people of western North Carolina are the only people I care about. I really think that my accident has given me the resolve to represent them."
Jon Brown is the deputy breaking news editor for the Washington Examiner.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-05-15--Joe Biden and the unmasking of Michael Flynn: What we know

Joe Biden ’ s presence on the declassified “ unmasking '' list related to retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn has quickly become an election issue , but there are many unanswered questions about how he fits into wider controversies surrounding the Russia investigation .
The former vice president is just one part of a large web of officials , characters , and events being scrutinized as part of what President Trump has dubbed “ Obamagate ” : the suspicion that government officials abused power and worked to sabotage Trump ’ s presidency under the guise of an investigation into the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
With Biden now the presumptive Democratic nominee , some Republicans that the revelation of his name on the unmasking list and the possibility that he personally worked to upend the incoming Trump administration should disqualify him from the presidency .
Democrats and the Biden campaign accuse Trump and Republicans of manufacturing a controversy in order to distract from the coronavirus crisis , note that the list does not prove any illegal activity , and argue that a large number of top Obama officials interested in Flynn is an indication that incoming Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , not that the Obama White House was conspiring against the incoming administration .
Here is how Biden ’ s name on the list is drawing calls for him to reveal more information , how the list fits in with what we know about his involvement , and Biden ’ s reaction .
Flynn , whom Trump picked to be his national security adviser on Nov. 18 , 2016 , became the subject of intense media scrutiny and a cornerstone in arguments that the Trump campaign had ties to Russia .
A Washington @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 12 , 2017 , contained classified details that kicked off a media frenzy .
Citing a “ senior U.S. government official , ” he wrote that Flynn and Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak spoke on the phone on Dec. 29 , 2016 , the day that Obama announced sanctions on Russia and suggested that Flynn violated the Logan Act .
Flynn later resigned and pleaded guilty to making false statements in a conversation with the FBI regarding his calls with Kislyak .
The Justice Department its charges against Flynn on Thursday following the recent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of those documents showed that now-fired FBI agent Peter Strzok and the FBI ’ s “ seventh floor ” leadership stopped the bureau from closing its investigation into Flynn in early January 2017 , in spite of the fact that investigators had uncovered “ no derogatory information '' on Flynn .
The content of Flynn 's conversations with the Russian envoy would have been picked up by intelligence agencies monitoring communications with foreign targets .
Names of U.S. citizens are normally concealed in intelligence reports , but U.S. officials with clearance can legally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is in a process called `` unmasking . ''
A declassified list of officials who received information in response to unmasking requests , declassified by acting Director of National Intelligence Richard Grenell and by the Washington Examiner on Wednesday , shows that 16 individuals made 49 unmasking requests related to Flynn between Election Day 2016 and Jan. 31 , 2017 .
The newly public NSA document shows 39 Obama officials who received the unmasking intelligence .
To some , it is a list showing individuals who could have leaked the classified information about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Flynn ’ s downfall and gave legs to a yearslong investigation into the Trump campaign ’ s ties to Russia .
One of those was senior officials was Biden .
An unmasking request with Biden as the authorized recipient was either made or received on Jan. 12 , 2017 , the latest date listed on the document .
That is the Washington Post published the column that contained leaked classified details from Flynn 's call with the Russian ambassador , but Biden is not the only official who requested or received information around @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was listed on the same date , and United Nations Ambassador Samantha Power apparently received information on Jan. 11 .
It remains unconfirmed , however , whether Biden personally made the request and whether he looked at the information gleaned from the unmasking .
The unmasking request list also does not indicate which conversations Flynn was part of that Biden , or other officials listed , thought necessary to reveal Flynn 's identity — the Dec. 29 calls or others .
Thirty-seven of the 49 unmasking requests on the list were dated before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's ambassador .
There is clear evidence Biden heard about the FBI ’ s interest in Flynn at least a week earlier .
He attended a Jan. 5 , 2017 , Oval Office meeting with former President Barack Obama , Former Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates , former FBI Director James Comey , then-CIA Director John Brennan , then-Director of National Intelligence James Clapper , then-national security adviser Susan Rice , and others .
According to an internal memo about the meeting that Rice emailed herself on the day of Trump ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to stay behind when the meeting concluded while Biden and Rice also stayed behind .
Obama was said to have stressed that he wanted these investigations handled `` by the book . ''
Yates Robert Mueller ’ s special counsel team that it was during that meeting where she learned about the Flynn-Kislyak intercepts and the FBI 's investigation into Flynn from Obama himself .
Mueller ’ s 448-page report , released in April 2019 , said the Russians interfered in the 2016 election in a “ sweeping and systematic fashion , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any criminal conspiracy between Trump 's campaign and Russia .
No one was charged with crimes related to Russia collusion .
The notes from Yates and Rice did not describe whether Biden had prior knowledge of the Flynn call or an investigation into him .
Biden with reporters about the White House meeting a week later in a session with multiple news outlets on Jan. 12 , 2017 — the same day that was listed beside his name on the unmasking list , and the same date the Washington Post column was published @ @ @ @ @ @ @ publish British ex-spy Christopher Steele ’ s dossier .
Biden said intelligence officials brought up the dossier because they were preparing to brief Trump on it , but he called it “ totally ancillary ” to the primary purpose of the meeting and did not mention Flynn .
Also , on Jan. 12 , 2017 , Biden mentioned Flynn in an interview with MSNBC ’ s Andrea Mitchell .
He said of Flynn : “ He ’ s a very smart guy .
He ’ s very well-informed of the importance of intelligence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of it and may disagree on emphasis.
” May 2020 : Biden downplays Flynn revelations and campaign responds Biden contradicted himself when asked about Flynn in a Tuesday interview with ABC ’ s George Stephanopoulos after the Justice Department filed to its charges against Flynn .
The former vice president audibly sighed when the question came up , first denying knowing about an FBI investigation into Flynn in early 2017 , and then correcting himself .
`` I know nothing about those moves to investigate Michael Flynn , '' Biden said , adding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” is all ” and a way to divert attention “ from the real concerns of the American people.
” Stephanopoulos noted that Biden was present at the Jan. 5 meeting .
`` I thought you asked me whether or not I had anything to do with him being prosecuted , '' Biden replied , after fidgeting with his earpiece .
`` I was aware that there was , that they asked for an investigation , but that 's all I know about it . ''
After the unmaking list went public on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ issued a that accused Trump and Republicans of attempting to distract from the coronavirus pandemic and portrayed the unmasking requests as a normal procedure .
“ These documents simply indicate the breadth and depth of concern across the American government — including among career officials — over intelligence reports of Michael Flynn ’ s attempts to undermine ongoing American national security policy through discussions with Russian officials or other foreign representatives , ” Bates said .
Bates then denied that Biden knew Flynn 's identity before he received unmasking information : “ Importantly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ known Flynn ’ s identity beforehand .
These documents have absolutely nothing to do with any FBI investigation and they confirm that all normal procedures were followed – any suggestion otherwise is a flat out lie.
” The Biden campaign did not respond to a request to elaborate on what Bates meant about the unmasking requests having nothing to do with an FBI investigation .
While Biden ’ s name on the list prompted accusations from Republicans about whether Biden played a role in pushing the FBI to investigate a Trump ally , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ answers .
Republican Sens .
Ron Johnson and Charles Grassley , who received the unmasking list , said : `` The officials listed should confirm whether they reviewed this information , why they asked for it , and what they did with it.
” It is also unknown whether Biden personally made an unmasking request or whether it is simply in his name , and whether the information was requested on Jan. 12 or received on that date .
Biden ’ s campaign did not respond to questions about whether the unmasking request @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Jan. 12 Washington Post that contained classified information , whether Biden or anyone from his office leaked the Flynn information , or whether he knows who leaked the information .
U.S. Attorney John Durham is conducting an investigation into the unmasking saga and the criminal leaks .

Joe Biden’s presence on the declassified “unmasking" list related to retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn has quickly become an election issue, but there are many unanswered questions about how he fits into wider controversies surrounding the Russia investigation.
The former vice president is just one part of a large web of officials, characters, and events being scrutinized as part of what President Trump has dubbed “Obamagate”: the suspicion that government officials abused power and worked to sabotage Trump’s presidency under the guise of an investigation into the Trump campaign’s ties to Russia.
With Biden now the presumptive Democratic nominee, some Republicans argue that the revelation of his name on the unmasking list and the possibility that he personally worked to upend the incoming Trump administration should disqualify him from the presidency.
Democrats and the Biden campaign accuse Trump and Republicans of manufacturing a controversy in order to distract from the coronavirus crisis, note that the list does not prove any illegal activity, and argue that a large number of top Obama officials interested in Flynn is an indication that incoming Trump officials were involved in highly suspicious activity, not that the Obama White House was conspiring against the incoming administration.
Here is how Biden’s name on the list is drawing calls for him to reveal more information, how the list fits in with what we know about his involvement, and Biden’s reaction.
Flynn and the unmasking list
Flynn, whom Trump picked to be his national security adviser on Nov. 18, 2016, became the subject of intense media scrutiny and a cornerstone in arguments that the Trump campaign had ties to Russia.
A Washington Post column by David Ignatius on Jan. 12, 2017, contained classified details that kicked off a media frenzy. Citing a “senior U.S. government official,” he wrote that Flynn and Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak spoke on the phone on Dec. 29, 2016, the day that former President Barack Obama announced sanctions on Russia and suggested that Flynn violated the Logan Act.
Flynn later resigned and pleaded guilty to making false statements in a conversation with the FBI regarding his calls with Kislyak. The Justice Department dropped its charges against Flynn on Thursday following the recent release of previously concealed documents. Some of those documents showed that now-fired FBI agent Peter Strzok and the FBI’s “seventh floor” leadership stopped the bureau from closing its investigation into Flynn in early January 2017, in spite of the fact that investigators had uncovered “no derogatory information" on Flynn.
The content of Flynn's conversations with the Russian envoy would have been picked up by intelligence agencies monitoring communications with foreign targets. Names of U.S. citizens are normally concealed in intelligence reports, but U.S. officials with clearance can legally request to learn who the U.S. individual is in a process called "unmasking."
A list of officials who received information in response to unmasking requests, declassified by acting Director of National Intelligence Richard Grenell and obtained by the Washington Examiner on Wednesday, shows that 16 individuals made 49 unmasking requests related to Flynn between Election Day 2016 and Jan. 31, 2017. The newly public National Security Agency document shows 39 Obama officials who received the unmasking intelligence. To some, it is a list showing individuals who could have leaked the classified information about Flynn, an act that set off Flynn’s downfall and gave legs to a yearslong investigation into the Trump campaign’s ties to Russia.
One of those senior officials was Biden.
Biden ties to Flynn saga in January 2017
An unmasking request with Biden as the authorized recipient was either made or received on Jan. 12, 2017, the latest date listed on the document.
That is the same day the Washington Post published the column that contained leaked classified details from Flynn's call with the Russian ambassador, but Biden is not the only official who requested or received information around that date. Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew was listed on the same date, and United Nations Ambassador Samantha Power apparently received information on Jan. 11.
It remains unconfirmed, however, whether Biden personally made the request and whether he looked at the information gleaned from the unmasking.
The unmasking request list also does not indicate which conversations Flynn was part of that Biden, or other officials listed, thought necessary to reveal Flynn's identity — the Dec. 29 calls or others. Thirty-seven of the 49 unmasking requests on the list were dated before Flynn's controversial phone calls with Russia's ambassador.
There is clear evidence Biden heard about the FBI’s interest in Flynn at least a week earlier.
He attended a Jan. 5, 2017, Oval Office meeting with Obama, Former Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates, former FBI Director James Comey, then-CIA Director John Brennan, then-Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, then-national security adviser Susan Rice, and others. According to an internal memo about the meeting that Rice emailed herself on the day of Trump’s inauguration, Obama asked Yates and Comey to stay behind when the meeting concluded, while Biden and Rice also stayed behind. Obama was said to have stressed that he wanted these investigations handled "by the book." Yates told Robert Mueller’s special counsel team that it was during that meeting that she learned about the Flynn-Kislyak intercepts and the FBI's investigation into Flynn from Obama himself.
Mueller’s 448-page report, released in April 2019, said the Russians interfered in the 2016 election in a “sweeping and systematic fashion,” but it “did not establish” any criminal conspiracy between Trump's campaign and Russia. No one was charged with crimes related to Russia collusion.
The notes from Yates and Rice did not describe whether Biden had prior knowledge of the Flynn call or an investigation into him.
Biden spoke with reporters about the White House meeting a week later in a session with multiple news outlets on Jan. 12, 2017 — the same day that was listed beside his name on the unmasking list, and the same date the Washington Post column was published — following BuzzFeed News's decision to publish British ex-spy Christopher Steele’s anti-Trump dossier. Biden said intelligence officials brought up the dossier because they were preparing to brief Trump on it, but he called it “totally ancillary” to the primary purpose of the meeting and did not mention Flynn.
Also, on Jan. 12, 2017, Biden mentioned Flynn in an interview with MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell. He said of Flynn: “He’s a very smart guy. He’s very well-informed of the importance of intelligence. We may disagree on the use of it and may disagree on emphasis.”
May 2020: Biden downplays Flynn revelations and campaign responds
Biden sought to distance himself from the FBI's Flynn investigation during a Thursday interview on MSNBC.
“Mr. Vice President, what was your involvement in the investigation of Michael Flynn and the FBI investigation of Michael Flynn?” host Lawrence O’Donnell asked.
Biden replied: “I was never a part or had any knowledge of any criminal investigation into Flynn while I was in office. Period. Not one single time.”
The Trump campaign quickly pointed out that Biden didn't talk about his knowledge of the FBI's counterintelligence investigation into Flynn, which had been initiated in August 2016.
And Biden contradicted himself when asked about Flynn in a Tuesday interview with ABC’s George Stephanopoulos after the Justice Department filed to drop its charges against Flynn. The former vice president audibly sighed when the question came up, first denying knowing about an FBI investigation into Flynn in early 2017, and then correcting himself.
"I know nothing about those moves to investigate Michael Flynn," Biden said, adding that Trump’s focus on Flynn ”is all about diversion ” and a way to divert attention “from the real concerns of the American people.”
Stephanopoulos noted that Biden was present at the Jan. 5 meeting.
"I thought you asked me whether or not I had anything to do with him being prosecuted," Biden replied, after fidgeting with his earpiece. "I was aware that there was, that they asked for an investigation, but that's all I know about it."
After the unmaking list went public on Wednesday, Biden campaign spokesman Andrew Bates issued a statement that accused Trump and Republicans of attempting to distract from the coronavirus pandemic and portrayed the unmasking requests as a normal procedure.
“These documents simply indicate the breadth and depth of concern across the American government — including among career officials — over intelligence reports of Michael Flynn’s attempts to undermine ongoing American national security policy through discussions with Russian officials or other foreign representatives,” Bates said.
Bates then denied that Biden knew Flynn's identity before he received unmasking information: “Importantly, none of these individuals could have known Flynn’s identity beforehand. These documents have absolutely nothing to do with any FBI investigation and they confirm that all normal procedures were followed — any suggestion otherwise is a flat out lie.”
The Biden campaign did not respond to a request to elaborate on what Bates meant about the unmasking requests having nothing to do with an FBI investigation.
Unanswered questions
While Biden’s name on the list prompted accusations from Republicans about whether Biden played a role in pushing the FBI to investigate a Trump ally, the new information raises more questions than answers.
Republican Sens. Ron Johnson and Charles Grassley, who received the unmasking list, said: "The officials listed should confirm whether they reviewed this information, why they asked for it, and what they did with it.”
It is also unknown whether Biden personally made an unmasking request or whether it is simply in his name, and whether the information was requested on Jan. 12 or received on that date.
Biden’s campaign did not respond to questions about whether the unmasking request for Biden was made in response to the Jan. 12 Washington Post article that contained classified information, whether Biden or anyone from his office leaked the Flynn information, or whether he knows who leaked the information.
U.S. Attorney John Durham is conducting an investigation into the unmasking saga and the criminal leaks.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-05-15--Biden campaign predicts 318 electoral-vote romp in Trump referendum election

Joe Biden 's campaign sees a wide path to electoral victory in the presidential election and is not worried about the coronavirus pandemic keeping the candidate at home as it plans to make the 2020 election a referendum on President Trump .
Biden campaign manager Jen O'Malley Dillon , who previously led former Texas Rep. Beto O'Rourke 's bid and joined Biden shortly after he became the Democratic presidential nominee , projected confidence in the former vice president 's chances during a presentation to reporters on Friday .
“ We are pulling ahead in Florida , in Pennsylvania , in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Arizona , ” O'Malley Dillon said .
“ If we kept these numbers , and we kept them through November , that would put us at 318 electoral votes . ''
Trump or Biden must secure 270 electoral college votes to win the race in November .
Outside the six swing states most often discussed by political analysts , the Biden campaign is eyeing an expanded electoral map that breaks states down into three types .
There are those it hopes to protect that Hillary Clinton won in 2016 : Nevada , Colorado @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hampshire .
It also hopes to win states that Trump won 2016 , but that Democrats won in 2008 or 2012 : Iowa , Wisconsin , Michigan , Ohio , Pennsylvania , North Carolina , Florida , and Maine .
Lastly , it is eyeing Republican strongholds that the Biden campaign sees as new battleground states : Arizona , Texas , and Georgia .
“ I ’ m bullish about Arizona , ” she added .
The state , where Biden leads Trump in the RealClearPolitics average of polls by 4.4 percentage points @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but now has one Democratic senator : Kyrsten Sinema .
The Biden voters in that state , O'Malley Dillon said , are those who voted for Romney and then Clinton , as well as Latino voters and those under 30 .
Despite the coronavirus pandemic keeping campaigns from running normal operations , Biden is beefing up his staff and plans to employ 600 people in battleground states by June .
The presentation was a response to critics who say that Biden is not doing enough to campaign effectively as he is forced to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the president 's performance during the coronavirus pandemic , Biden 's campaign argued , will help him make 2020 a `` referendum '' on Trump .
`` The single biggest driver in terms of turnout and enthusiasm is actually going to be the percentage of people who have very favorable , very unfavorable opinion of Donald Trump , '' said Biden senior strategist Mike Donilon .

Joe Biden's campaign sees a wide path to electoral victory in the presidential election and is not worried about the coronavirus pandemic keeping the candidate at home as it plans to make the 2020 election a referendum on President Trump.
Biden campaign manager Jen O'Malley Dillon, who previously led former Texas Rep. Beto O'Rourke's bid and joined Biden shortly after he became the Democratic presidential nominee, projected confidence in the former vice president's chances during a presentation to reporters on Friday.
“We are pulling ahead in Florida, in Pennsylvania, in Michigan, in Wisconsin, and in Arizona,” O'Malley Dillon said. “If we kept these numbers, and we kept them through November, that would put us at 318 electoral votes."
Trump or Biden must secure 270 electoral college votes to win the race in November.
Outside the six swing states most often discussed by political analysts, the Biden campaign is eyeing an expanded electoral map that breaks states down into three types.
There are those it hopes to protect that Hillary Clinton won in 2016: Nevada, Colorado, Minnesota, Virginia, and New Hampshire. It also hopes to win states that Trump won 2016, but that Democrats won in 2008 or 2012: Iowa, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Florida, and Maine. Lastly, it is eyeing Republican strongholds that the Biden campaign sees as new battleground states: Arizona, Texas, and Georgia.
“I’m bullish about Arizona,” she added. The state, where Biden leads Trump in the RealClearPolitics average of polls by 4.4 percentage points, has tiled reliably Republican for decades but now has one Democratic senator: Kyrsten Sinema. The Biden voters in that state, O'Malley Dillon said, are those who voted for Romney and then Clinton, as well as Latino voters and those under 30.
Despite the coronavirus pandemic keeping campaigns from running normal operations, Biden is beefing up his staff and plans to employ 600 people in battleground states by June.
The presentation was a response to critics who say that Biden is not doing enough to campaign effectively as he is forced to stay in his Delaware home.
But the president's performance during the coronavirus pandemic, Biden's campaign argued, will help him make 2020 a "referendum" on Trump.
"The single biggest driver in terms of turnout and enthusiasm is actually going to be the percentage of people who have very favorable, very unfavorable opinion of Donald Trump," said Biden senior strategist Mike Donilon.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-05-15--If Biden broke national security clearance law, don't let him get away with it

If politicians were wiretapping your phone , you ’ d want to know .
And if they were breaking the law by doing so , you ’ d want them to be held accountable .
Official records released last week suggest that former Vice President Joe Biden and other high-level Obama administration political appointees may have broken the law .
Before serving in Congress , I spent over 26 years in the Air Force , retiring as a lieutenant colonel .
During my military career , and as a defense contractor following my service , I had various jobs that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ classified information .
While director of the chief information officer staff at U.S. Special Operations Command , I held one of the highest levels of security clearances in government .
But my high security clearance alone did not permit me to access all classified information , because there was a second prerequisite for access to certain classified information — a clearly identified “ need to know.
” So , my position or security clearance didn ’ t qualify me to see all of our nation ’ s secrets .
I only saw a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ assigned work required me to see them .
It would have been a federal crime for me to gain access to intelligence and classified information for which I didn ’ t have a clearly specified “ need to know.
” Federal law sometimes permits the FBI to listen in on phone conversations of foreigners in America .
If that foreigner is speaking to an American private citizen , the name of the private citizen is required to be masked from almost everyone in the counterintelligence world .
If a government official has a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the name of that private citizen , the official can seek to have that individual ’ s identity “ unmasked.
” But unmasking is a serious act , and such a request would normally only be granted to a select group of intelligence community or Justice Department officials who are on the front lines of working a case .
Yet , like in the military , a private citizen ’ s masked name is classified information , and those without a clear “ need to know ” may be in violation of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ individual .
Why should you care about all this ?
Because we now know that then-Vice President Biden made an unmasking request to obtain the name of Michael Flynn , only eight days before Biden was about to leave government service and lose his access to classified information .
He wasn ’ t on the front line as an investigator , and he was on his way out the door , so he almost assuredly did not have a “ need to know ” for the classified information he sought .
The history @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how serious of a breach this really is .
Decades ago , Intelligence Community officials were barred from capturing the information of innocent people whose conversations were incidentally picked up on wiretaps or surveillance of foreign officials or terrorists .
Since then , private citizens have been caught in this security net thousands of times a year .
Washington bureaucrats promised that this was not a privacy violation because the identities of private citizens would be masked to nearly everyone who saw the confidential wiretap transcripts — except those with a legitimate “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They lied — at least in the case of Flynn , they did .
Dozens of Obama administration officials improperly asked for the information to be unmasked , but the most prominent of those offenders was Biden .
These were the political opponents of Donald Trump , who were still spiteful over his 2016 election victory .
Because Flynn was on the Trump team , he was targeted .
The questions that every reporter who interviews Biden should ask are simple : What was your “ need to know ” for the identity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , since you were just days away from losing your power to do anything in government and you were not involved in conducting intelligence investigations , why would you even want to know the identity ?
Here ’ s the most troubling issue in all of this : Without a legitimate “ need to know ” for the classified information he requested , it may well have been illegal for Biden to even ask for , and for the intelligence officials to provide , such access .
This may well be true for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who similarly asked for access without the legally required “ need to know.
” This issue needs to be addressed , and it ’ s why I ’ m calling for the Justice Department inspector general and the appropriate congressional oversight committees to investigate whether Biden and others acted criminally by using their positions to gain access to classified information through unmasking when they likely had no legitimate “ need to know ” for that information .
During my Air Force career , had someone under my command done what Biden did , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and potential charges to be filed .
As a member of Congress , with oversight responsibilities over the executive branch , I now have an obligation to do the same thing .

If politicians were wiretapping your phone, you’d want to know. And if they were breaking the law by doing so, you’d want them to be held accountable. Official records released last week suggest that former Vice President Joe Biden and other high-level Obama administration political appointees may have broken the law.
Before serving in Congress, I spent over 26 years in the Air Force, retiring as a lieutenant colonel. During my military career, and as a defense contractor following my service, I had various jobs that required me to have access to highly classified information. While director of the chief information officer staff at U.S. Special Operations Command, I held one of the highest levels of security clearances in government.
But my high security clearance alone did not permit me to access all classified information, because there was a second prerequisite for access to certain classified information — a clearly identified “need to know.”
So, my position or security clearance didn’t qualify me to see all of our nation’s secrets. I only saw a subset of them based on whether my assigned work required me to see them. It would have been a federal crime for me to gain access to intelligence and classified information for which I didn’t have a clearly specified “need to know.”
Federal law sometimes permits the FBI to listen in on phone conversations of foreigners in America. If that foreigner is speaking to an American private citizen, the name of the private citizen is required to be masked from almost everyone in the counterintelligence world.
If a government official has a legitimate “need to know” for the name of that private citizen, the official can seek to have that individual’s identity “unmasked.” But unmasking is a serious act, and such a request would normally only be granted to a select group of intelligence community or Justice Department officials who are on the front lines of working a case. Yet, like in the military, a private citizen’s masked name is classified information, and those without a clear “need to know” may be in violation of the law if they seek to unmask the individual.
Why should you care about all this? Because we now know that then-Vice President Biden made an unmasking request to obtain the name of Michael Flynn, only eight days before Biden was about to leave government service and lose his access to classified information. He wasn’t on the front line as an investigator, and he was on his way out the door, so he almost assuredly did not have a “need to know” for the classified information he sought.
The history of this topic sheds light into just how serious of a breach this really is. Decades ago, Intelligence Community officials were barred from capturing the information of innocent people whose conversations were incidentally picked up on wiretaps or surveillance of foreign officials or terrorists. Since then, private citizens have been caught in this security net thousands of times a year. Washington bureaucrats promised that this was not a privacy violation because the identities of private citizens would be masked to nearly everyone who saw the confidential wiretap transcripts — except those with a legitimate “need to know.”
Guess what? They lied — at least in the case of Flynn, they did. Dozens of Obama administration officials improperly asked for the information to be unmasked, but the most prominent of those offenders was Biden. These were the political opponents of Donald Trump, who were still spiteful over his 2016 election victory. Because Flynn was on the Trump team, he was targeted.
The questions that every reporter who interviews Biden should ask are simple: What was your “need to know” for the identity of a private American citizen? And, since you were just days away from losing your power to do anything in government and you were not involved in conducting intelligence investigations, why would you even want to know the identity?
Here’s the most troubling issue in all of this: Without a legitimate “need to know” for the classified information he requested, it may well have been illegal for Biden to even ask for, and for the intelligence officials to provide, such access. This may well be true for other political officeholders in the Obama administration who similarly asked for access without the legally required “need to know.”
This issue needs to be addressed, and it’s why I’m calling for the Justice Department inspector general and the appropriate congressional oversight committees to investigate whether Biden and others acted criminally by using their positions to gain access to classified information through unmasking when they likely had no legitimate “need to know” for that information.
During my Air Force career, had someone under my command done what Biden did, I would have called for an investigation and potential charges to be filed. As a member of Congress, with oversight responsibilities over the executive branch, I now have an obligation to do the same thing.
Rep. Bill Johnson, a Republican, represents Ohio’s 6th Congressional District.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-05-15--Chris Wallace: Biden gave ‘skillful answer’ to wavering supporters after Tara Reade allegation

Fox News anchor Chris Wallace said Joe Biden had a “ pretty skillful answer ” to voters who are reconsidering supporting him over an allegation that he sexually assaulted a former Senate staffer .
“ On the one hand , he wants to absolutely flatly deny the truth of the allegation , the very damaging allegation , shocking allegation … that he sexually assaulted her in the halls of Congress .
But on the other hand , while he wants to deny her allegation , he does n't want to in any way to dismiss the allegations of women in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` It 's one of those things — that I flatly deny the allegation , but I 'm not in any way going to go after the accuser , ” he said .
Biden advised voters who believe Reade ’ s allegation not to vote for him .
`` If they believe Tara Reade , they probably should n't vote for me .
I wouldn ’ t vote for me if I believed Tara Reade , '' he said Thursday .
Biden has vehemently denied the allegation that he penetrated her with his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wallace said he doesn ’ t expect the allegation will remain a storyline through Election Day , unless more evidence comes to light .
“ I think that as it now stands , it goes away in the sense that , you know , she has told her story .
It ’ s a shocking story .
It ’ s a disturbing story .
But she doesn ’ t have any real evidence of it , so it ’ s a classic 'he said , she said . '
Now , if she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more backing to her case or if somebody else were to come out and tell a similar story and it ’ s worth pointing out that no one else has come out and told a similar story … but nothing anywhere close to the level of sexual assault , ” Wallace said .
Wallace also noted that Trump has faced similar allegations , and voters who believe Reade are unlikely to vote for him .
“ President Trump does not come in with clean hands on this either , ” Wallace said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ number of women who have accused him of sexual assault , so I don ’ t know that people that are upset by even the allegation of sexual assault will say that ’ s it , I ’ m not going for Biden , I ’ ll go for President Trump instead , who has also denied similar allegations .
”

Fox News anchor Chris Wallace said Joe Biden had a “pretty skillful answer” to voters who are reconsidering supporting him over an allegation that he sexually assaulted a former Senate staffer.
“On the one hand, he wants to absolutely flatly deny the truth of the allegation, the very damaging allegation, shocking allegation … that he sexually assaulted her in the halls of Congress. But on the other hand, while he wants to deny her allegation, he doesn't want to in any way to dismiss the allegations of women in general,” Wallace said Friday.
"It's one of those things — that I flatly deny the allegation, but I'm not in any way going to go after the accuser,” he said.
Biden advised voters who believe Reade’s allegation not to vote for him.
"If they believe Tara Reade, they probably shouldn't vote for me. I wouldn’t vote for me if I believed Tara Reade," he said Thursday.
Biden has vehemently denied the allegation that he penetrated her with his fingers without her consent decades ago.
Wallace said he doesn’t expect the allegation will remain a storyline through Election Day, unless more evidence comes to light.
“I think that as it now stands, it goes away in the sense that, you know, she has told her story. It’s a shocking story. It’s a disturbing story. But she doesn’t have any real evidence of it, so it’s a classic 'he said, she said.' Now, if she is able to find something that provides more backing to her case or if somebody else were to come out and tell a similar story and it’s worth pointing out that no one else has come out and told a similar story … but nothing anywhere close to the level of sexual assault,” Wallace said.
Wallace also noted that Trump has faced similar allegations, and voters who believe Reade are unlikely to vote for him.
“President Trump does not come in with clean hands on this either,” Wallace said. “There’ve obviously been a number of women who have accused him of sexual assault, so I don’t know that people that are upset by even the allegation of sexual assault will say that’s it, I’m not going for Biden, I’ll go for President Trump instead, who has also denied similar allegations.”
Watch the latest video at foxnews.com


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-05-15--The Hunter Biden time bomb is still ticking under his father’s presidential campaign

The biggest liability for Joe Biden 's presidential campaign may be a painter living in a Hollywood Hills mansion — his son , Hunter Biden .
The problems are likely yet to come for the campaign of Joe Biden , the presumptive 2020 Democratic presidential nominee .
That 's because President Trump has largely remained holed up in the White House amid the coronavirus pandemic , with much of the country locked down , leaving Hunter Biden as a side issue at best .
While a smattering of online ads from Trump 's campaign reference Hunter Biden 's business dealings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ entirely been mum on the issue since Joe Biden , the former vice president and 36-year Delaware senator , nabbed the Democratic nomination in early March .
House Republicans , however , are making sure the issue is n't going away .
Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio , one of Trump 's closest House Republican allies , sent a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Thursday asking for documents related to the Ukrainian natural gas company Burisma and Hunter Biden 's ties to it .
In particular , Jordan requested all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's co-founder Mykola Zlochevsky over a three-year period starting Jan. 1 , 2014 .
Jordan accused Hunter Biden , former Secretary of State John Kerry 's son Christopher Heinz , and American businessman Devon Archer of abusing their connections to politicians for their personal financial gain .
The three were `` part of a broad effort by Burisma to bring in well-connect [ ed ] Democrats during a period when the company was facing investigations backed not just by domestic Ukrainian forces but by officials in the Obama Administration , '' Jordan wrote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ story .
Jordan 's letter is the latest indication that GOP lawmakers will be providing much of the support to the Trump campaign 's main knocks on both Bidens .
In March , Sen. Ron Johnson , who heads the Senate Homeland Security Committee , told reporters that he plans on releasing an interim report on his committee 's investigation into Burisma .
`` These are questions that Joe Biden has not adequately answered , '' Johnson said at the time .
`` And if I were a Democrat primary voter , I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before I cast my final vote . ''
Johnson later subpoenaed State Department records related to the firing of Ukrainian Prosecutor General Viktor Shokin .
Shokin was dismissed in March 2016 by the Ukrainian president and claims he was removed because of his intentions to investigate Hunter Biden 's role in Burisma .
Joe Biden has denied any inappropriate ties between his son and Burisma , despite the fact that Hunter Biden made hundreds of thousands of dollars sitting on the company 's board seemingly without any knowledge of the natural gas industry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden has largely remained absent from the campaign trail either physically or in his father 's campaign speeches .
He never attended any campaign rallies for his father before the coronavirus outbreak and has seemingly retreated to his California home with his new wife .
The Trump campaign , meanwhile , has signaled both publicly and privately that it intends on using the Biden family 's ties to China as a chief campaign issue .
The new report from Senate Republicans will likely only provide fresh political ammunition for Trump 's reelection team @ @ @ @ @ @ @ China problem .
Our data shows that Biden ’ s softness on China is a major vulnerability , among many , ” Trump campaign Communications Director Tim Murtaugh told the Washington Examiner last month .

The biggest liability for Joe Biden's presidential campaign may be a painter living in a Hollywood Hills mansion — his son, Hunter Biden.
The problems are likely yet to come for the campaign of Joe Biden, the presumptive 2020 Democratic presidential nominee. That's because President Trump has largely remained holed up in the White House amid the coronavirus pandemic, with much of the country locked down, leaving Hunter Biden as a side issue at best.
While a smattering of online ads from Trump's campaign reference Hunter Biden's business dealings in China, the president has almost entirely been mum on the issue since Joe Biden, the former vice president and 36-year Delaware senator, nabbed the Democratic nomination in early March.
House Republicans, however, are making sure the issue isn't going away.
Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, one of Trump's closest House Republican allies, sent a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Thursday asking for documents related to the Ukrainian natural gas company Burisma and Hunter Biden's ties to it.
In particular, Jordan requested all documents related to Hunter Biden and Burisma's co-founder Mykola Zlochevsky over a three-year period starting Jan. 1, 2014. Jordan accused Hunter Biden, former Secretary of State John Kerry's son Christopher Heinz, and American businessman Devon Archer of abusing their connections to politicians for their personal financial gain.
The three were "part of a broad effort by Burisma to bring in well-connect[ed] Democrats during a period when the company was facing investigations backed not just by domestic Ukrainian forces but by officials in the Obama Administration," Jordan wrote, quoting a 2019 New York Times story.
Jordan's letter is the latest indication that GOP lawmakers will be providing much of the support to the Trump campaign's main knocks on both Bidens.
In March, Sen. Ron Johnson, who heads the Senate Homeland Security Committee, told reporters that he plans on releasing an interim report on his committee's investigation into Burisma.
"These are questions that Joe Biden has not adequately answered," Johnson said at the time. "And if I were a Democrat primary voter, I’d want these questions satisfactorily answered before I cast my final vote."
Johnson later subpoenaed State Department records related to the firing of Ukrainian Prosecutor General Viktor Shokin. Shokin was dismissed in March 2016 by the Ukrainian president and claims he was removed because of his intentions to investigate Hunter Biden's role in Burisma.
Joe Biden has denied any inappropriate ties between his son and Burisma, despite the fact that Hunter Biden made hundreds of thousands of dollars sitting on the company's board seemingly without any knowledge of the natural gas industry.
Aside from those denials, Hunter Biden has largely remained absent from the campaign trail either physically or in his father's campaign speeches. He never attended any campaign rallies for his father before the coronavirus outbreak and has seemingly retreated to his California home with his new wife.
The Trump campaign, meanwhile, has signaled both publicly and privately that it intends on using the Biden family's ties to China as a chief campaign issue. The new report from Senate Republicans will likely only provide fresh political ammunition for Trump's reelection team.
“Joe Biden has a big China problem. Our data shows that Biden’s softness on China is a major vulnerability, among many,” Trump campaign Communications Director Tim Murtaugh told the Washington Examiner last month.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-05-15--Kevin McCarthy says no promises made to Steve King about return of committee assignments

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy made clear Friday that no deal was made to give Rep. Steve King his committee seats back .
King , an Iowa Republican , was ejected from his congressional committees early last year after he reportedly made remarks that seemed sympathetic to white supremacy in an interview with the New York Times .
On Tuesday , King claimed he and McCarthy agreed he could eventually go back to his committee assignments if he wins his primary on June 2 .
`` Congressman King 's comments can not be exonerated .
Committee assignments are decided by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have the opportunity to make his case talking to members on the Steering Committee , '' McCarthy , a California Republican , told reporters at his weekly press conference .
`` I think he 'd get the same answer that he got before . ''
McCarthy would not say if he plans on supporting King 's fall reelection bid if he wins his primary .
`` People have the determination to decide who they want to vote for , '' McCarthy said .
When asked if Republican leadership will keep him off his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ If he wins reelection , he has the right to go to the Steering Committee , and the Steering Committee will take up the committee assignments , just like every single [ GOP ] member . ''
King currently holds a narrow lead over his lead Republican primary challenger , state Sen. Randy Feenstra .

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy made clear Friday that no deal was made to give Rep. Steve King his committee seats back.
King, an Iowa Republican, was ejected from his congressional committees early last year after he reportedly made remarks that seemed sympathetic to white supremacy in an interview with the New York Times. On Tuesday, King claimed he and McCarthy agreed he could eventually go back to his committee assignments if he wins his primary on June 2.
However, McCarthy told reporters otherwise.
"Congressman King's comments cannot be exonerated. Committee assignments are decided by the Steering Committee. And he'll have the opportunity to make his case talking to members on the Steering Committee," McCarthy, a California Republican, told reporters at his weekly press conference. "I think he'd get the same answer that he got before."
McCarthy would not say if he plans on supporting King's fall reelection bid if he wins his primary.
"People have the determination to decide who they want to vote for," McCarthy said.
When asked if Republican leadership will keep him off his committees indefinitely, he responded, "If he wins reelection, he has the right to go to the Steering Committee, and the Steering Committee will take up the committee assignments, just like every single [GOP] member."
King currently holds a narrow lead over his lead Republican primary challenger, state Sen. Randy Feenstra.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-05-15--Ex-Biden staff member says Tara Reade was fired for poor performance, not harassment complaint

A man who worked in Joe Biden 's Senate office at the same time as Tara Reade in 1993 said that she was fired due to poor performance , not because she was retaliated against for complaining about experiencing sexual harassment in the office .
Dozens of other staff members questioned other key aspects of her allegations , including that she was asked to serve drinks at a fundraiser .
Ben Savage , who was a systems administrator in the then-senator 's office from 1993 to 1996 , told PBS NewsHour in an article published Friday that he witnessed Reade @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Of all the people who held that position , she ’ s the only one during my time there who couldn ’ t necessarily keep up or who found it frustrating , ” Savage said .
Savage said that he told deputy chief of staff Dennis Toner about Reade 's performance issues .
Toner maintained that he does not remember Reade but said that he recalled Savage was a good worker .
Reade declined to be interviewed by PBS NewsHour , but her attorney Douglas Wigdor said that she does not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her termination had nothing to do with complaints of sexual harassment .
“ Ms .
Reade recalls that there was a lot of nitpicking regarding her performance in the office , ” Wigdor said .
“ She was also very nervous at that point and distracted , so it is possible that from time to time , there was a mistake made … but her performance had nothing to do with her termination.
” Reade , 56 , alleges that when she worked in his Senate office in 1993 , Biden sexually assaulted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ touching her hair and neck and by forcibly kissing her and penetrating her with his fingers .
She also said staff members once asked her to serve drinks at an event because they said Biden liked her legs .
Reade says that she complained about the harassment , but not the assault , to top staff members , who deny hearing any complaint from her .
Several friends and Reade 's brother have told news outlets in recent weeks that Reade told them about sexual harassment or assault in Biden 's office , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1996 court document shows that she complained about sexual harassment in Biden 's office to her ex-husband .
Biden has vigorously denied Reade 's allegations .
On Thursday , Biden said that he does not remember Reade working in his office in 1993 .
Dozens of former staff members who spoke to PBS NewsHour also refuted Reade 's telling of a tense meeting with top staff members in which she was told that Biden wanted her to serve drinks at a fundraiser because he liked her legs .
More than 50 former staff @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attending a fundraiser for Biden in D.C. , and some noted that Biden rarely attended D.C. events in order to take the train home to his family in Delaware each night .
Two men said that Biden specifically did not want women to serve drinks such as coffee .
“ He didn ’ t want an image of a young woman staffer serving him , ” said former staff member John Earnhardt , who took over for Reade after she left .
Former staff members did , however , recall Biden frequently touching @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was seen as an endearing , comforting quality rather than sexual in nature .
“ There were times , as I now look back , that I think we messed up .
We should have said something about that , ” one former staffer said .
“ We probably should have recognized that made people uncomfortable .
”

A man who worked in Joe Biden's Senate office at the same time as Tara Reade in 1993 said that she was fired due to poor performance, not because she was retaliated against for complaining about experiencing sexual harassment in the office. Dozens of other staff members questioned other key aspects of her allegations, including that she was asked to serve drinks at a fundraiser.
Ben Savage, who was a systems administrator in the then-senator's office from 1993 to 1996, told PBS NewsHour in an article published Friday that he witnessed Reade mishandling her job of processing constituent mail.
“Of all the people who held that position, she’s the only one during my time there who couldn’t necessarily keep up or who found it frustrating,” Savage said.
Savage said that he told deputy chief of staff Dennis Toner about Reade's performance issues. Toner maintained that he does not remember Reade but said that he recalled Savage was a good worker.
Reade declined to be interviewed by PBS NewsHour, but her attorney Douglas Wigdor said that she does not remember Savage and disputed his assertion that her termination had nothing to do with complaints of sexual harassment.
“Ms. Reade recalls that there was a lot of nitpicking regarding her performance in the office,” Wigdor said. “She was also very nervous at that point and distracted, so it is possible that from time to time, there was a mistake made … but her performance had nothing to do with her termination.”
Reade, 56, alleges that when she worked in his Senate office in 1993, Biden sexually assaulted her and sexually harassed her by inappropriately touching her hair and neck and by forcibly kissing her and penetrating her with his fingers. She also said staff members once asked her to serve drinks at an event because they said Biden liked her legs. Reade says that she complained about the harassment, but not the assault, to top staff members, who deny hearing any complaint from her.
Several friends and Reade's brother have told news outlets in recent weeks that Reade told them about sexual harassment or assault in Biden's office, with varying degrees of detail. A 1996 court document shows that she complained about sexual harassment in Biden's office to her ex-husband.
Biden has vigorously denied Reade's allegations. On Thursday, Biden said that he does not remember Reade working in his office in 1993.
Dozens of former staff members who spoke to PBS NewsHour also refuted Reade's telling of a tense meeting with top staff members in which she was told that Biden wanted her to serve drinks at a fundraiser because he liked her legs.
More than 50 former staff members said that they could not recall attending a fundraiser for Biden in D.C., and some noted that Biden rarely attended D.C. events in order to take the train home to his family in Delaware each night. Two men said that Biden specifically did not want women to serve drinks such as coffee.
“He didn’t want an image of a young woman staffer serving him,” said former staff member John Earnhardt, who took over for Reade after she left.
Former staff members did, however, recall Biden frequently touching women without warning but said that it was seen as an endearing, comforting quality rather than sexual in nature.
“There were times, as I now look back, that I think we messed up. We should have said something about that,” one former staffer said. “We probably should have recognized that made people uncomfortable.”


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-05-15--Biden leads Trump in Florida: Poll

Biden leads Trump in Florida: Poll

Joe Biden holds an edge over President Trump in the swing state of Florida , though voters there expect the president to get reelected .
A new poll from Florida Atlantic University 's Business and Economics Polling Initiative has the former vice president winning 53 % of the vote , with Trump earning 47 % .
The shift in support is significant from last month , when FAU found Trump holding a slim lead over Biden in the state .
Although a majority of voters in Florida currently do not plan on voting for him , they do think Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fifty-three percent said they expect Trump to beat Biden in November , and 78 % of Trump supporters said they 're excited for the candidate , compared with 64 % saying the same for Biden .
The survey interviewed 928 registered voters in Florida from May 8-12 and had a margin of error of 3.1 percentage points .
“ While Joe Biden does not seem to generate the enthusiasm that past candidates have garnered , it might not matter , ” said Kevin Wagner , a professor of political science at FAU and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Many Democrats seem motivated by the desire to defeat President Trump.
” Trump currently earns a 43 % approval rating , with a 46 % disapproval .
That constitutes a 6-point drop from March , when his approval was at 49 % and his disapproval at 41 % .
Forty-five percent of voters in the state approved of his handling of the coronavirus , with the same number disapproving .
In 2016 , Trump won the state by just over 1 point , with 49.02 % of the vote .
Former Secretary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

Joe Biden holds an edge over President Trump in the swing state of Florida, though voters there expect the president to get reelected.
A new poll from Florida Atlantic University's Business and Economics Polling Initiative has the former vice president winning 53% of the vote, with Trump earning 47%. The shift in support is significant from last month, when FAU found Trump holding a slim lead over Biden in the state.
Although a majority of voters in Florida currently do not plan on voting for him, they do think Trump is headed for a second term. Fifty-three percent said they expect Trump to beat Biden in November, and 78% of Trump supporters said they're excited for the candidate, compared with 64% saying the same for Biden.
The survey interviewed 928 registered voters in Florida from May 8-12 and had a margin of error of 3.1 percentage points.
“While Joe Biden does not seem to generate the enthusiasm that past candidates have garnered, it might not matter,” said Kevin Wagner, a professor of political science at FAU and a research fellow of the initiative. “Many Democrats seem motivated by the desire to defeat President Trump.”
Trump currently earns a 43% approval rating, with a 46% disapproval. That constitutes a 6-point drop from March, when his approval was at 49% and his disapproval at 41%. Forty-five percent of voters in the state approved of his handling of the coronavirus, with the same number disapproving.
In 2016, Trump won the state by just over 1 point, with 49.02% of the vote. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton earned 47.92%.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-05-15--Republicans fear for Senate majority if Burr resigns and forces North Carolina special election

Senior Republicans worried about the party 's Senate majority are monitoring the investigation into alleged insider trading by Sen. Richard Burr , fretting the party might be forced to defend yet another competitive seat this fall in a snap special election .
The North Carolina Republican stepped down Thursday as Senate Intelligence Committee chairman after the Justice Department began investigating whether he used classified information about the coronavirus to dump stocks before a pandemic-induced market plunge .
If Burr were to resign under pressure before Sept. 4 , a November special election would be triggered to fill the remainder of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ face as they scramble to protect their 53-seat majority .
“ People still don ’ t know exactly what transpired , which is why the current review is important , ” a Republican insider said .
“ But North Carolina already features what will be a very expensive Senate race , and another one would be quite challenging for Republicans.
” Senate Republicans are girding for a difficult fall campaign .
The GOP is on the defensive in Arizona , Colorado , Maine , Montana , and North Carolina , where Sen. Thom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seats in Iowa and Georgia also on the party ’ s watchlist .
Adding a second North Carolina seat to the mix is a headache and an expense Republicans could do without , especially with President Trump ’ s prospects uncertain and the economy in free fall .
Republicans are only on offense in Alabama and Michigan .
Although North Carolina leans Republican , it is competitive .
Trump won there in 2016 by just 3.6 percentage points .
Under state law , Democratic Gov .
Roy Cooper must appoint a member of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any Senate vacancy and is required to choose from candidates selected by the state party .
So if Burr resigned , Republicans would retain control of the seat .
And if Burr leaves on or after Sept. 4 , his replacement will serve out his term , which ends in 2023 .
Some Republicans are confident that the party is positioned to win any ensuing special election .
Pointing to Reps. Richard Hudson and Mark Walker and former Gov .
Pat McCrory , Republican insiders say Republicans have plenty of strong contenders to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Democrats do not have .
“ I ’ d think it would be fine .
Democrats do not have a strong bench , ” said Michael Steel , a Republican operative and North Carolina native .
Democrats disagree , arguing that the allegations against Burr are among the reasons why the Republican majority is in jeopardy .
Special elections can be unpredictable .
In 2017 , Democrats flipped control of an Alabama Senate seat in a special election after the state 's overwhelmingly pro-Trump , Republican electorate concluded that the GOP nominee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ self-dealing , and cowardice are why these Republicans are some of the most vulnerable Senate incumbents in the country — and why voters are going to fire them in November , '' Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee spokeswoman Helen Kalla said in a statement .
Burr previously announced plans to retire in 2023 upon the expiration of his third term .
The Republican rejects allegations that he engaged in insider trading , saying in a statement after the controversy surfaced in March that he `` relied solely on public news reports '' in his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his stock portfolio in 33 separate transactions .
`` Sen. Burr filed a financial disclosure form for personal transactions made several weeks before the U.S. and financial markets showed signs of volatility due to the growing coronavirus outbreak , '' his spokesman previously told the Washington Examiner .

Senior Republicans worried about the party's Senate majority are monitoring the investigation into alleged insider trading by Sen. Richard Burr, fretting the party might be forced to defend yet another competitive seat this fall in a snap special election.
The North Carolina Republican stepped down Thursday as Senate Intelligence Committee chairman after the Justice Department began investigating whether he used classified information about the coronavirus to dump stocks before a pandemic-induced market plunge. If Burr were to resign under pressure before Sept. 4, a November special election would be triggered to fill the remainder of his term, multiplying the challenges Republicans face as they scramble to protect their 53-seat majority.
“People still don’t know exactly what transpired, which is why the current review is important,” a Republican insider said. “But North Carolina already features what will be a very expensive Senate race, and another one would be quite challenging for Republicans.”
Senate Republicans are girding for a difficult fall campaign. The GOP is on the defensive in Arizona, Colorado, Maine, Montana, and North Carolina, where Sen. Thom Tillis is up for reelection, with seats in Iowa and Georgia also on the party’s watchlist. Adding a second North Carolina seat to the mix is a headache and an expense Republicans could do without, especially with President Trump’s prospects uncertain and the economy in free fall. Republicans are only on offense in Alabama and Michigan.
Although North Carolina leans Republican, it is competitive. Trump won there in 2016 by just 3.6 percentage points.
Under state law, Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper must appoint a member of the incumbent senator's party to fill any Senate vacancy and is required to choose from candidates selected by the state party. So if Burr resigned, Republicans would retain control of the seat. And if Burr leaves on or after Sept. 4, his replacement will serve out his term, which ends in 2023.
Some Republicans are confident that the party is positioned to win any ensuing special election. Pointing to Reps. Richard Hudson and Mark Walker and former Gov. Pat McCrory, Republican insiders say Republicans have plenty of strong contenders to choose from — a luxury they argue the Democrats do not have.
“I’d think it would be fine. Democrats do not have a strong bench,” said Michael Steel, a Republican operative and North Carolina native.
Democrats disagree, arguing that the allegations against Burr are among the reasons why the Republican majority is in jeopardy.
Special elections can be unpredictable. In 2017, Democrats flipped control of an Alabama Senate seat in a special election after the state's overwhelmingly pro-Trump, Republican electorate concluded that the GOP nominee was unacceptable.
“The corruption, self-dealing, and cowardice are why these Republicans are some of the most vulnerable Senate incumbents in the country — and why voters are going to fire them in November," Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee spokeswoman Helen Kalla said in a statement.
Burr previously announced plans to retire in 2023 upon the expiration of his third term. The Republican rejects allegations that he engaged in insider trading, saying in a statement after the controversy surfaced in March that he "relied solely on public news reports" in his decision to sell a large percentage of his stock portfolio in 33 separate transactions.
"Sen. Burr filed a financial disclosure form for personal transactions made several weeks before the U.S. and financial markets showed signs of volatility due to the growing coronavirus outbreak," his spokesman previously told the Washington Examiner.
Mike Brest contributed to this report.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-05-16--A Biden pardon of Trump the latest liberal conspiracy theory

Activists cheered when Joe Biden committed to not pardoning President Trump .
But the concern at the root of the question is not based on substantive evidence any top Democrats think pardoning Trump would be a beneficial move should they win the White House .
In a Thursday MSNBC town hall , a viewer submitted a question for the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee : `` Would you be willing to commit to not pulling a President Ford and giving Donald Trump a pardon under the pretext of healing the nation ? ''
he asked , referring to the pardon of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1974 amid the Watergate scandal .
`` In other words , are you willing to commit to the American ideal that no one is above the law ? ''
Biden assured the questioner he would not .
“ Absolutely , yes .
I commit , ” Biden said .
“ It ’ s hands-off completely .
Look , the attorney general of the United States is not the president ’ s lawyer .
It ’ s the people ’ s lawyer.
” Before the wide 2020 Democratic presidential field had narrowed , many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stand against pardoning Trump , including New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker and Montana Gov .
Steve Bullock .
`` If I ’ m elected President of the United States , there will be no pardons for anyone implicated in these investigations , '' Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren said in a February 2019 blog post .
Former Attorney General Eric Holder , in a September interview , fueled concerns among the Left that Trump could face no accountability for perceived wrongdoings .
He was asked whether it would harm Democrats to prosecute Trump after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ absence of impeachment proceedings .
`` Yes , I think there is a potential cost to the nation by putting on trial a former president , '' he said , adding that while President Gerald Ford 's pardoning of Nixon might have kept him from winning the 1976 election , `` I tend to think that that was probably the right thing to do.
” A Democratic president who defeats Trump , however , would be in a categorically different position than Ford , having taken over for a man from his own @ @ @ @ @ @ @ running mate .
And rather than voicing support for pardoning Trump , some prominent Democratic officials hint or outright show support for prosecuting him after he leaves office , making it unlikely that Biden would take the drastic step of essentially exonerating Trump with a pardon in an effort to emulate Ford 's desire to move on .
California Sen. Kamala Harris said in June 2019 , when she was seeking the Democratic presidential nomination , would have `` no choice '' but to prosecute Trump .
`` There has to be accountability @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mean , look , people might , you know , question why I became a prosecutor .
Well , I 'll tell you one of the reasons — I believe there should be accountability .
Everyone should be held accountable , and the president is not above the law . ''
House Intelligence Committee Chairman Rep. Adam Schiff in July 2019 tweeted an exchange with special counsel Robert Mueller that noted the president could technically be legally prosecuted for actions he took after he leaves office that the Department of Justice thinks he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Though it is not likely , the question about pardoning Trump is a way for Democrats to allow Biden and prominent candidates to hint at the possibility of prosecuting Trump while avoiding having to make a legally and politically messy pledge to prosecute him .
For Bullock , the issue served as a way for him to try to rally support .
He shared a video of himself pledging to not prosecute Trump in a tweet last May when he was seeking the Democratic presidential nomination .
A Trump pardon is the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Last month , Biden asserted that Trump will try to delay the November election .
“ Mark my words , I think he is gon na try to kick back the election somehow , come up with some rationale why it can ’ t be held , ” Biden said , claiming that Trump is “ trying to let the word out that he ’ s going to do all he can to make it very hard for people to vote ” because “ that ’ s the only way he thinks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not constitutionally able to change the date of the November election and has not indicated that he will try to .

Activists cheered when Joe Biden committed to not pardoning President Trump. But the concern at the root of the question is not based on substantive evidence that any top Democrats think pardoning Trump would be a beneficial move should they win the White House.
In a Thursday MSNBC town hall, a viewer submitted a question for the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee: "Would you be willing to commit to not pulling a President Ford and giving Donald Trump a pardon under the pretext of healing the nation?" he asked, referring to the pardon of President Richard Nixon after he resigned in 1974 amid the Watergate scandal. "In other words, are you willing to commit to the American ideal that no one is above the law?"
Biden assured the questioner he would not.
“Absolutely, yes. I commit,” Biden said. “It’s hands-off completely. Look, the attorney general of the United States is not the president’s lawyer. It’s the people’s lawyer.”
Before the wide 2020 Democratic presidential field had narrowed, many contenders were on the record taking a stand against pardoning Trump, including New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker and Montana Gov. Steve Bullock.
"If I’m elected President of the United States, there will be no pardons for anyone implicated in these investigations," Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren said in a February 2019 blog post.
Former Attorney General Eric Holder, in a September interview, fueled concerns among the Left that Trump could face no accountability for perceived wrongdoings. He was asked whether it would harm Democrats to prosecute Trump after he is out of office in the absence of impeachment proceedings.
"Yes, I think there is a potential cost to the nation by putting on trial a former president," he said, adding that while President Gerald Ford's pardoning of Nixon might have kept him from winning the 1976 election, "I tend to think that that was probably the right thing to do.”
A Democratic president who defeats Trump, however, would be in a categorically different position than Ford, having taken over for a man from his own party whom he campaigned with as a running mate.
And rather than voicing support for pardoning Trump, some prominent Democratic officials hint or outright show support for prosecuting him after he leaves office, making it unlikely that Biden would take the drastic step of essentially exonerating Trump with a pardon in an effort to emulate Ford's desire to move on.
California Sen. Kamala Harris said in June 2019, when she was seeking the Democratic presidential nomination, would have "no choice" but to prosecute Trump.
"There has to be accountability," Harris added. "I mean, look, people might, you know, question why I became a prosecutor. Well, I'll tell you one of the reasons — I believe there should be accountability. Everyone should be held accountable, and the president is not above the law."
House Intelligence Committee Chairman Rep. Adam Schiff in July 2019 tweeted an exchange with special counsel Robert Mueller that noted the president could technically be legally prosecuted for actions he took after he leaves office that the Department of Justice thinks he could not be constitutionally charged with now.
Mueller was asked, “Did you actually totally exonerate the president?"
He responded simply, “No,” and said, “The president was not exculpated.”
When asked if it was true Trump could be charged when he leaves office, Mueller responded simply, “True.”
That’s pretty clear cut. — Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff) July 24, 2019
Though it is not likely, the question about pardoning Trump is a way for Democrats to allow Biden and prominent candidates to hint at the possibility of prosecuting Trump while avoiding having to make a legally and politically messy pledge to prosecute him.
For Bullock, the issue served as a way for him to try to rally support. He shared a video of himself pledging to not prosecute Trump in a tweet last May when he was seeking the Democratic presidential nomination.
A Trump pardon is the latest unlikely scenario garnering attention from Democrats. Last month, Biden asserted that Trump will try to delay the November election.
“Mark my words, I think he is gonna try to kick back the election somehow, come up with some rationale why it can’t be held,” Biden said, claiming that Trump is “trying to let the word out that he’s going to do all he can to make it very hard for people to vote” because “that’s the only way he thinks he can possibly win.”
Trump is not constitutionally able to change the date of the November election and has not indicated that he will try to.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-05-16--Justin Amash announces he will not run for president

Michigan Rep. Justin Amash announced he will not be running for president .
On Saturday afternoon , Amash wrote in a tweet thread that he will not be seeking the Libertarian Party 's nomination for president despite announcing an exploratory committee earlier this year .
`` After much reflection , I ’ ve concluded that circumstances don ’ t lend themselves to my success as a candidate for president this year , and therefore I will not be a candidate , '' Amash wrote .
Amash defected from the Republican Party before voting for President Trump 's impeachment and became @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republicans and libertarians .
In late April , Amash became the favored presidential nominee for the Libertarian Party after announcing an exploratory committee .
`` We ’ re ready for a presidency that will restore respect for our Constitution and bring people together .
I ’ m excited and honored to be taking these first steps toward serving Americans of every background as president , '' Amash wrote in a tweet announcing the committee .
`` Americans are ready for practical approaches based in humility and trust of the people . ''
Amash @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House of Representatives during the Tea Party wave of 2010 .
Later , he became a co-founder of the conservative House Freedom Caucus .
In 2019 , Amash `` declared his independence '' from the Republican Party on the Fourth of July , accusing his GOP colleagues of holding greater loyalty to Trump rather than to his principles of limited government , free markets , and individualism .

Michigan Rep. Justin Amash announced he will not be running for president.
On Saturday afternoon, Amash wrote in a tweet thread that he will not be seeking the Libertarian Party's nomination for president despite announcing an exploratory committee earlier this year.
"After much reflection, I’ve concluded that circumstances don’t lend themselves to my success as a candidate for president this year, and therefore I will not be a candidate," Amash wrote.
After much reflection, I’ve concluded that circumstances don’t lend themselves to my success as a candidate for president this year, and therefore I will not be a candidate. — Justin Amash (@justinamash) May 16, 2020
Amash defected from the Republican Party before voting for President Trump's impeachment and became an electoral candidate of interest for anti-Trump Republicans and libertarians.
In late April, Amash became the favored presidential nominee for the Libertarian Party after announcing an exploratory committee.
"We’re ready for a presidency that will restore respect for our Constitution and bring people together. I’m excited and honored to be taking these first steps toward serving Americans of every background as president," Amash wrote in a tweet announcing the committee. "Americans are ready for practical approaches based in humility and trust of the people."
Amash, 39, was elected to the House of Representatives during the Tea Party wave of 2010. Later, he became a co-founder of the conservative House Freedom Caucus.
In 2019, Amash "declared his independence" from the Republican Party on the Fourth of July, accusing his GOP colleagues of holding greater loyalty to Trump rather than to his principles of limited government, free markets, and individualism.