talkingpointsmemo--2020-10-21--Obama Blasts Trump For Treating Presidency ‘Like A Reality Show’

Former President Barack Obama delivered a biting speech against President Trump during a drive-in campaign event for his former VP Joe Biden in Philadelphia on Wednesday .
Obama began his remarks with a dig at Trump by referencing the President ’ remarks during a campaign rally in Erie , Pennsylvania the day before when he admitted to rallygoers that his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic that ’ s caused his approval ratings to tank in the state — which he desperately needs to win on Election Day — forced him to stop by .
“ I know the President spent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ apparently he complained about having to travel here , then he cut the event short .
Poor guy , ” Obama said .
“ I don ’ t feel that way .
I love coming to Pennsylvania .
You guys delivered for me twice , and I am back here tonight to ask you to deliver the White House for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.
” Obama went on to rip Trump for “ treating his presidency like a reality show.
” “ He hasn ’ t shown any interest in doing the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his friends or treating the presidency like a reality show he can use to get attention , ” Obama said .
“ And by the way , even then his TV ratings are down .
So you know that upsets him.
” Obama pointed out that “ this is not a reality show ” and that “ the rest of us have had to live with the consequences of him proving himself incapable of taking the job seriously ” now that more than 220,000 Americans have died from COVID-19 .
The former President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ issues , which included the New York Times ’ report on Trump holding a secret Chinese bank account .
Obama sarcastically quipped that if he had a secret Chinese bank account while running for re-election in 2012 , Fox News “ would ’ ve called me ‘ Beijing Barry . '
” Obama carved out time in his speech to praise his former VP as he recalled how he came to know and love Biden , saying that he didn ’ t know him that well when he chose him as his VP @ @ @ @ @ @ @ together .
“ We weren ’ t super close .
He and I came from different places .
We came from different generations .
But I came to admire Joe as a man who has learned early on to treat everybody he meets with dignity and respect , living by the words his parents taught him , ” Obama said .
“ No one ’ s better than you , Joe , but you ’ re better than nobody .
And that empathy , that decency , that belief that everybody counts , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ That ’ s who he ’ ll be.
” Obama added that “ the presidency doesn ’ t change who you are , it reveals who you are ” before saying that Biden “ has shown himself to be a friend of working people.
” Obama went on to tear into Trump further by criticizing the President ’ s denigrating remarks toward fallen soldiers by calling them “ losers , ” ripping him for failing to “ take the basic steps to protect himself ” against COVID-19 , lacking a “ great plan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for retweeting conspiracy theories .
Obama remarked that if Biden wins the election , the public wouldn ’ t have to worry about him spreading conspiracy theories unlike Trump .
“ You ’ ll be able to go about your lives knowing that the President is not going to retweet conspiracy theories about secret cabals running the world or that navy SEALS didn ’ t actually kill Bin Laden , ” Obama said .
“ Think about that — the President of the United Statess retweeted that .
Imagine , what — what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have a President that goes out of his way to insult anybody who doesn ’ t support him or threaten them with jail.
” Obama rounded out his speech by urging the public against being “ complacent.
” “ We can ’ t be complacent .
I don ’ t care about the polls .
There were a whole bunch of polls last time — didn ’ t work out , ” Obama said .
“ Because a whole bunch of folks stayed at home and got lazy and complacent .
Not this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ended his speech by telling the public that “ America is a good and decent place.
” “ But we ’ ve just seen so much noise and nonsense that sometimes it ’ s hard for us to remember , ” Obama said .
“ Philadelphia , I ’ m asking you to remember what this country can be .
”

Former President Barack Obama delivered a biting speech against President Trump during a drive-in campaign event for his former VP Joe Biden in Philadelphia on Wednesday.
Obama began his remarks with a dig at Trump by referencing the President’ remarks during a campaign rally in Erie, Pennsylvania the day before when he admitted to rallygoers that his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic that’s caused his approval ratings to tank in the state — which he desperately needs to win on Election Day — forced him to stop by.
“I know the President spent some time in Erie last night and apparently he complained about having to travel here, then he cut the event short. Poor guy,” Obama said. “I don’t feel that way. I love coming to Pennsylvania. You guys delivered for me twice, and I am back here tonight to ask you to deliver the White House for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.”
Obama went on to rip Trump for “treating his presidency like a reality show.”
“He hasn’t shown any interest in doing the work or helping anybody but himself and his friends or treating the presidency like a reality show he can use to get attention,” Obama said. “And by the way, even then his TV ratings are down. So you know that upsets him.”
Obama pointed out that “this is not a reality show” and that “the rest of us have had to live with the consequences of him proving himself incapable of taking the job seriously” now that more than 220,000 Americans have died from COVID-19.
The former President also took swipes at Trump on various issues, which included the New York Times’ report on Trump holding a secret Chinese bank account. Obama sarcastically quipped that if he had a secret Chinese bank account while running for re-election in 2012, Fox News “would’ve called me ‘Beijing Barry.'”
Obama carved out time in his speech to praise his former VP as he recalled how he came to know and love Biden, saying that he didn’t know him that well when he chose him as his VP, despite having served in the Senate together.
“We weren’t super close. He and I came from different places. We came from different generations. But I came to admire Joe as a man who has learned early on to treat everybody he meets with dignity and respect, living by the words his parents taught him,” Obama said. “No one’s better than you, Joe, but you’re better than nobody. And that empathy, that decency, that belief that everybody counts, that’s who Joe is. That’s who he’ll be.”
Obama added that “the presidency doesn’t change who you are, it reveals who you are” before saying that Biden “has shown himself to be a friend of working people.”
Obama went on to tear into Trump further by criticizing the President’s denigrating remarks toward fallen soldiers by calling them “losers,” ripping him for failing to “take the basic steps to protect himself” against COVID-19, lacking a “great plan to replace Obamacare” and his penchant for retweeting conspiracy theories.
Obama remarked that if Biden wins the election, the public wouldn’t have to worry about him spreading conspiracy theories unlike Trump.
“You’ll be able to go about your lives knowing that the President is not going to retweet conspiracy theories about secret cabals running the world or that navy SEALS didn’t actually kill Bin Laden,” Obama said. “Think about that — the President of the United Statess retweeted that. Imagine, what — what? We’re not going to have a President that goes out of his way to insult anybody who doesn’t support him or threaten them with jail.”
Obama rounded out his speech by urging the public against being “complacent.”
“We can’t be complacent. I don’t care about the polls. There were a whole bunch of polls last time — didn’t work out,” Obama said. “Because a whole bunch of folks stayed at home and got lazy and complacent. Not this time. Not this election.”
Obama ended his speech by telling the public that “America is a good and decent place.”
“But we’ve just seen so much noise and nonsense that sometimes it’s hard for us to remember,” Obama said. “Philadelphia, I’m asking you to remember what this country can be.”
Watch Obama’s remarks below:


talkingpointsmemo--2020-10-21--Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats To Boycott ‘Sham’ Amy Coney Barrett Vote

Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee will boycott Thursday ’ s vote on Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett , calling it a “ sham process from the beginning.
” “ Republicans have moved at breakneck speed to jam through this nominee , ignoring her troubling record and unprecedented evasions , and breaking longstanding committee rules to set tomorrow ’ s vote , ” said the committee Democrats in a statement .
“ Fearing a loss at the ballot box , Republicans are showing that they do not care about the rules or what the American people want , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” “ We will not grant this process any further legitimacy by participating in a committee markup of this nomination just twelve days before the culmination of an election that is already underway , ” they added .
The move will be a symbolic one to placate liberals , and is almost certain not to have an impact on Barrett ’ s confirmation .
Even if the Democrats did show up , they ’ d be outvoted by the Republican majority who will send her nomination to the full floor .
From there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to put Barrett on the bench .
Cognizant of their weakness as the minority party in the chamber , Senate Democrats have been trying to exact as high a political price as possible for the Republicans ’ rushed confirmation .
During the committee hearings last week , Democrats hammered the threat to the Affordable Care Act Barrett ’ s nomination would pose , and pummeled the alarm on the damage she could help do to LGBTQ protections , abortion rights and civil rights gains .
Democrats have coalesced behind the health care message @ @ @ @ @ @ @ candidates alike .
Oral arguments in the latest suit against the ACA begin November 10 , meaning that Barrett will likely be on the bench to hear them , based on the current clip at which Republicans are jamming the confirmation through .
According to a HuffPost report , Democrats plan to fill their empty seats with photos of constituents who stand to lose their coverage , and even their lives , if the ACA is dismantled by the high court .
Similar photos dotted the committee room during questioning , often as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the personal anecdotes of those dependent on the law .
Currently , Barrett ’ s full Senate floor vote is scheduled for next Thursday .

Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee will boycott Thursday’s vote on Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett, calling it a “sham process from the beginning.”
“Republicans have moved at breakneck speed to jam through this nominee, ignoring her troubling record and unprecedented evasions, and breaking longstanding committee rules to set tomorrow’s vote,” said the committee Democrats in a statement. “Fearing a loss at the ballot box, Republicans are showing that they do not care about the rules or what the American people want, but are concerned only with raw political power.”
“We will not grant this process any further legitimacy by participating in a committee markup of this nomination just twelve days before the culmination of an election that is already underway,” they added.
The move will be a symbolic one to placate liberals, and is almost certain not to have an impact on Barrett’s confirmation. Even if the Democrats did show up, they’d be outvoted by the Republican majority who will send her nomination to the full floor. From there, Republicans seem to have the votes to put Barrett on the bench.
Cognizant of their weakness as the minority party in the chamber, Senate Democrats have been trying to exact as high a political price as possible for the Republicans’ rushed confirmation. During the committee hearings last week, Democrats hammered the threat to the Affordable Care Act Barrett’s nomination would pose, and pummeled the alarm on the damage she could help do to LGBTQ protections, abortion rights and civil rights gains.
Democrats have coalesced behind the health care message especially, one that unites lawmakers and candidates alike. Oral arguments in the latest suit against the ACA begin November 10, meaning that Barrett will likely be on the bench to hear them, based on the current clip at which Republicans are jamming the confirmation through.
According to a HuffPost report, Democrats plan to fill their empty seats with photos of constituents who stand to lose their coverage, and even their lives, if the ACA is dismantled by the high court. Similar photos dotted the committee room during questioning, often as visual aids to assist senators in telling the personal anecdotes of those dependent on the law.
Currently, Barrett’s full Senate floor vote is scheduled for next Thursday.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-10-21--Romney Emerges As Yet Another GOPer Who Did Not Vote For Trump

Sen. Mitt Romney ( R-UT ) said he did not cast his vote for President Trump in the presidential election , according to CNN on Wednesday .
Romney , who has become as a vocal critic of Trump , already voted in Utah .
According to CNN , Romney would not indicate whether he voted for Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden or wrote in another candidate .
“ I did not vote for President Trump , ” Romney told CNN on Capitol Hill on Wednesday .
When asked who earned his vote , the Utah Republican senator told CNN “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ keeping private at this stage.
” Earlier this week , Romney raised concerns that Trump was damaging GOP support .
“ I think our party is in trouble with young people , increasingly with older people , with minorities , ” Romney told CNN .
“ And those young people we were in trouble with five years ago are now voting , and so we ’ ve got some real work to do.
” Last January , Romney was the only Republican who voted for the abuse of power charge during the Senate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republican has raised alarms about Trump and his character , which the President has reacted to by hurling insults at him .
However , Romney has maintained his reputation for being a loyal GOP vote , and he supports the rushed confirmation of Trump ’ s Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett .
Romney becomes the latest prominent Republican to come out against Trump ahead of the November presidential election .
Last week , Maryland Gov .
Larry Hogan ( R ) wrote in the late President Ronald Reagan on his ballot .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ symbolic .
It ’ s not going to change the outcome in my state , ” Hogan told The Washington Post on Friday .
“ But I thought it was important to just cast a vote that showed the kind of person I ’ d like to see in office.
” Massachusetts Gov .
Charlie Baker ( R ) also broke from Trump last week ahead of the presidential election .
Baker ’ s communications director Lizzy Guyton told WCVB that Baker “ can not support Donald Trump for president and is focused @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and that “ he ’ ll leave the election analysis to the pundits .
”

Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT) said he did not cast his vote for President Trump in the presidential election, according to CNN on Wednesday.
Romney, who has become as a vocal critic of Trump, already voted in Utah. According to CNN, Romney would not indicate whether he voted for Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden or wrote in another candidate.
“I did not vote for President Trump,” Romney told CNN on Capitol Hill on Wednesday.
When asked who earned his vote, the Utah Republican senator told CNN “that’s something I’m keeping private at this stage.”
Earlier this week, Romney raised concerns that Trump was damaging GOP support.
“I think our party is in trouble with young people, increasingly with older people, with minorities,” Romney told CNN. “And those young people we were in trouble with five years ago are now voting, and so we’ve got some real work to do.”
Last January, Romney was the only Republican who voted for the abuse of power charge during the Senate’s impeachment trial. The Utah Republican has raised alarms about Trump and his character, which the President has reacted to by hurling insults at him.
However, Romney has maintained his reputation for being a loyal GOP vote, and he supports the rushed confirmation of Trump’s Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett.
Romney becomes the latest prominent Republican to come out against Trump ahead of the November presidential election.
Last week, Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) wrote in the late President Ronald Reagan on his ballot.
“I know it’s simply symbolic. It’s not going to change the outcome in my state,” Hogan told The Washington Post on Friday. “But I thought it was important to just cast a vote that showed the kind of person I’d like to see in office.”
Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker (R) also broke from Trump last week ahead of the presidential election. Baker’s communications director Lizzy Guyton told WCVB that Baker “cannot support Donald Trump for president and is focused on seeing Massachusetts through the pandemic” and that “he’ll leave the election analysis to the pundits.”


talkingpointsmemo--2020-10-21--What We Know About Rudy Giuliani’s Intimate Appearance In The ‘Borat’ Sequel

Rudy Giuliani apparently left out a few key details when he said in July that he ’ d called the cops on Sacha Baron Cohen .
Several reports on Baron Cohen ’ s new film , a sequel to his 2006 hit “ Borat , ” say it shows Giuliani getting into bed while in a room with a young woman and putting his hand down his pants .
Baron Cohen then interrupts the scene .
The British actor is known for going undercover in his movies , in Borat ’ s case as an offensive journalist from Kazakhstan .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to make amends for his last movie by attempting to give away his 15-year-old daughter “ Tutar ” ( played by the apparently 24-year-old Bulgarian actress Maria Bakalova ) to various prominent Republicans .
That , apparently , included a somewhat successful attempt at seducing Giuliani .
According to reporters at The Guardian , Vanity Fair , and The Daily Beast who ’ ve seen the scene in question , it begins with Tutar interviewing Giuliani in a hotel suite .
The former New York City mayor compliments Tutar and holds her hands @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He lies down in bed and , in The Daily Beast ’ s description , “ starts sticking his hands down his pants in a seemingly suggestive manner.
” Borat then bursts in , per the reports , and yells at Giuliani : “ She ’ s 15 !
She ’ s too old for you !
” In a radio interview flagged by The Daily Beast Wednesday , Giuliani said the motion was just him tucking his shirt back in after taking off the electronic equipment he ’ d had on for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this picture they take which looks doctored , but in any event , I ’ m tucking my shirt in .
I assure you that ’ s all I was doing , ” he said .
Rudy made the point himself on Twitter soon after : At the time , in July , Giuliani spokesperson Christianné Allen said the mayor had “ foiled ” Baron Cohen ’ s “ scam interview ” and chased the filmmaker off before calling the cops .
“ Un-fooled and placid , Mayor Giuliani notified security to call @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ It was then , upon hearing the word police , Cohen turned from a screaming banshee into a fleeing hyena.
” Giuliani did apparently call the cops , as he said publicly at the time .
But he didn ’ t mention anything about having been seduced .
Some far-right internet activists rushed to Twitter to defend the former mayor ’ s honor .
Jack Posobiec , who once infamously used a “ Rape Melania ” poster to sabotage an anti-Trump protest , accused people sharing stills from the scene of violating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Posobiec , who the Southern Poverty Law Center called a neo-Nazi collaborator for his well-documented ties to the far-right , was a driving force behind the “ pizzagate ” conspiracy theory , which alleged that Democrats ran a child sex trafficking ring out of a pizza parlor in the nation ’ s capital .
In his own video , fellow former pizzagater and anti-feminist “ gorilla mindset ” guru Mike Cernovich said that Baron Cohen , not Giuliani , should be “ investigated immediately ” because Baron Cohen ’ s character in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only 15 years old .
“ In the video , from what I can tell , Sacha Baron Cohen runs out while Rudy and that women are in a compromising position , and he says , ‘ She ’ s only 15 , ’ ” Cernovich said .
“ So I think that Sacha Baron Cohen should be investigated immediately .
People are going , ‘ Well , the actress was a certain age.
’ What did he know , when did he know it ?
These are Sacha Baron Cohen ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ media news anchors are 15 ?
” Cernovich added , defending Giuliani from claims that he knowingly got into bed with a purported child .

Rudy Giuliani apparently left out a few key details when he said in July that he’d called the cops on Sacha Baron Cohen.
Several reports on Baron Cohen’s new film, a sequel to his 2006 hit “Borat,” say it shows Giuliani getting into bed while in a room with a young woman and putting his hand down his pants. Baron Cohen then interrupts the scene.
The British actor is known for going undercover in his movies, in Borat’s case as an offensive journalist from Kazakhstan. In the new film, Borat tries to make amends for his last movie by attempting to give away his 15-year-old daughter “Tutar” (played by the apparently 24-year-old Bulgarian actress Maria Bakalova) to various prominent Republicans.
That, apparently, included a somewhat successful attempt at seducing Giuliani.
According to reporters at The Guardian, Vanity Fair, and The Daily Beast who’ve seen the scene in question, it begins with Tutar interviewing Giuliani in a hotel suite. The former New York City mayor compliments Tutar and holds her hands before following her into the bedroom. He lies down in bed and, in The Daily Beast’s description, “starts sticking his hands down his pants in a seemingly suggestive manner.”
Borat then bursts in, per the reports, and yells at Giuliani: “She’s 15! She’s too old for you!”
In a radio interview flagged by The Daily Beast Wednesday, Giuliani said the motion was just him tucking his shirt back in after taking off the electronic equipment he’d had on for the staged interview.
“They have this picture they take which looks doctored, but in any event, I’m tucking my shirt in. I assure you that’s all I was doing,” he said.
Rudy made the point himself on Twitter soon after:
(2) In fact, the NY Post today reports "it looks to me like an exaggeration through editing." As soon as I realized it was a set up I called the police, which has been noted in THR article on July 8th. — Rudy W. Giuliani (@RudyGiuliani) October 21, 2020
(4) We are preparing much bigger dumps off of the hard drive from hell, of which Joe Biden will be unable to defend or hide from. I have the receipts. — Rudy W. Giuliani (@RudyGiuliani) October 21, 2020
At the time, in July, Giuliani spokesperson Christianné Allen said the mayor had “foiled” Baron Cohen’s “scam interview” and chased the filmmaker off before calling the cops.
“Un-fooled and placid, Mayor Giuliani notified security to call the police,” Allen said. “It was then, upon hearing the word police, Cohen turned from a screaming banshee into a fleeing hyena.”
Un-fooled and placid, Mayor Giuliani notified security to call the police. It was then, upon hearing the word police, Cohen turned from a screaming banshee into a fleeing hyena. I hear he was last seen running down the street in his bathrobe. Better luck next time, Sacha! — Christianné L Allen (@Christianne_L_A) July 9, 2020
Giuliani did apparently call the cops, as he said publicly at the time. But he didn’t mention anything about having been seduced.
Some far-right internet activists rushed to Twitter to defend the former mayor’s honor.
Jack Posobiec, who once infamously used a “Rape Melania” poster to sabotage an anti-Trump protest, accused people sharing stills from the scene of violating New York’s revenge porn law.
Posobiec, who the Southern Poverty Law Center called a neo-Nazi collaborator for his well-documented ties to the far-right, was a driving force behind the “pizzagate” conspiracy theory, which alleged that Democrats ran a child sex trafficking ring out of a pizza parlor in the nation’s capital.
Congrats to everyone posting those Giuliani pictures, you just broke the New York State revenge porn lawhttps://t.co/L28VsRKCkt — Jack Posobiec ?? (@JackPosobiec) October 21, 2020
In his own video, fellow former pizzagater and anti-feminist “gorilla mindset” guru Mike Cernovich said that Baron Cohen, not Giuliani, should be “investigated immediately” because Baron Cohen’s character in the scene says that his daughter is only 15 years old.
“In the video, from what I can tell, Sacha Baron Cohen runs out while Rudy and that women are in a compromising position, and he says, ‘She’s only 15,’” Cernovich said. “So I think that Sacha Baron Cohen should be investigated immediately. People are going, ‘Well, the actress was a certain age.’ What did he know, when did he know it? These are Sacha Baron Cohen’s own words.”
“How many conservative media news anchors are 15?” Cernovich added, defending Giuliani from claims that he knowingly got into bed with a purported child.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-10-21--Veterans Affairs Secretary Headlines GOP Fundraiser as COVID-19 Cases Surge

This story first appeared at ProPublica .
ProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative newsroom .
Sign up for The Big Story newsletter to receive stories like this one in your inbox .
Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie headlined a fundraiser for the North Carolina Republican Party last week , taking time away from his job leading the government ’ s second-largest agency at a moment when COVID-19 cases are surging in VA hospitals .
Though legal , campaigning by cabinet secretaries is a departure from historical norms .
Nevertheless , it ’ s become standard practice in the administration of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mike Pompeo has hit the campaign trail for Trump , and several other cabinet members recently visited Iowa .
Seema Verma , the administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services , is also campaigning in North Carolina .
Trump himself has routinely blurred politics with official functions , most prominently by hosting the Republican convention on the White House lawn , and he ’ s brushed off more than a dozen staff violations of the federal Hatch Act , which limits political activity by government employees .
Wilkie , in particular @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trips that appear to have partisan agendas .
In a letter last week , the top Democrats on the House and Senate veterans committees accused Wilkie of using taxpayer-funded travel to boost Trump and other Republican candidates .
“ Leaders at VA have historically risen above partisan politics , ” Senate veterans committee ranking member Jon Tester of Montana and House committee chairman Mark Takano of California said in their letter to Wilkie .
“ Furthermore , efforts to engage in overtly political activity may have come at the expense of legitimate functions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The letter highlighted Wilkie ’ s previous official trips to North Carolina , Maine and Montana for appearances with GOP senators in tough reelection races .
The partisan tilt of the Montana trip was especially pronounced because it included no events with Tester despite his key post on the Senate panel that oversees the VA. Wilkie ’ s latest visit to North Carolina , his home state , was not part of an official trip , according to the VA ’ s response to a Freedom of Information Act request .
That indicates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for by taxpayers .
Wilkie ’ s spokeswoman declined to say who footed the bill for his travel or why he was in North Carolina on a weekday instead of at his job .
“ He attended this event as a private citizen , ” spokeswoman Christina Noel said .
The party ’ s financial disclosures , which might show donations and expenditures connected to the event , are not yet available for that time period .
The North Carolina GOP ’ s finance director , Amanda Parrish , didn ’ t respond @ @ @ @ @ @ @ took steps to comply with the Hatch Act .
The invitation , obtained by ProPublica , omitted Wilkie ’ s official titles , referring to him as “ honorable ” ( a general signifier for people who have been Senate confirmed ) .
The invitation also said “ his participation is not a solicitation for funds , ” but it listed suggested donations ranging from $ 250 to $ 2,500 .
The email accompanying the fundraiser invitation said the organizers wanted “ this event jam-packed ( within CDC guidelines ) .
” But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state party chairman showed people indoors less than 6 feet apart and not wearing masks .
Noel declined to comment on what public health measures Wilkie observed to participate in the event .
Other political figures who attended , including state Rep. Holly Grange and Trump campaign organizer Matt Dula , didn ’ t respond to requests for comment .
From North Carolina , Wilkie traveled to Arizona , Utah and Colorado for what appeared to be official functions , according to posts on his Twitter account .
A former aide to North @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Thom Tillis , and former Sen. Jesse Helms , Wilkie is widely viewed as aspiring to elected office in the state .
North Carolina ’ s other senator , Richard Burr , is not seeking reelection in 2022 .
Noel didn ’ t respond to a question about Wilkie ’ s political ambitions .
Wilkie has faced criticism for appearing disengaged from the VA ’ s critical programs .
He ’ s also under investigation by the department ’ s inspector general for allegations , which Wilkie has denied , that he attempted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who said she was sexually assaulted in a VA hospital .
The results of the probe are expected soon .
The VA hospital system currently has almost 4,500 active cases of COVID-19 ( including veterans and employees ) , a 70 % increase from a month ago .
More than 3,700 VA patients have died of the virus .
Veterans are a key constituency for Trump , a favorite topic in his tweets and at rallies .
The VA is accommodating more political events this year by relaxing a long-standing policy that discourages @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an election .
Noel didn ’ t respond to a question about the change .

This story first appeared at ProPublica. ProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative newsroom. Sign up for The Big Story newsletter to receive stories like this one in your inbox.
Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie headlined a fundraiser for the North Carolina Republican Party last week, taking time away from his job leading the government’s second-largest agency at a moment when COVID-19 cases are surging in VA hospitals.
Though legal, campaigning by cabinet secretaries is a departure from historical norms. Nevertheless, it’s become standard practice in the administration of President Donald Trump. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has hit the campaign trail for Trump, and several other cabinet members recently visited Iowa. Seema Verma, the administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, is also campaigning in North Carolina. Trump himself has routinely blurred politics with official functions, most prominently by hosting the Republican convention on the White House lawn, and he’s brushed off more than a dozen staff violations of the federal Hatch Act, which limits political activity by government employees.
Wilkie, in particular, was already under fire for frequent trips that appear to have partisan agendas. In a letter last week, the top Democrats on the House and Senate veterans committees accused Wilkie of using taxpayer-funded travel to boost Trump and other Republican candidates.
“Leaders at VA have historically risen above partisan politics,” Senate veterans committee ranking member Jon Tester of Montana and House committee chairman Mark Takano of California said in their letter to Wilkie. “Furthermore, efforts to engage in overtly political activity may have come at the expense of legitimate functions of the department’s mission.”
The letter highlighted Wilkie’s previous official trips to North Carolina, Maine and Montana for appearances with GOP senators in tough reelection races. The partisan tilt of the Montana trip was especially pronounced because it included no events with Tester despite his key post on the Senate panel that oversees the VA.
Wilkie’s latest visit to North Carolina, his home state, was not part of an official trip, according to the VA’s response to a Freedom of Information Act request. That indicates his fundraiser appearance wasn’t paid for by taxpayers. Wilkie’s spokeswoman declined to say who footed the bill for his travel or why he was in North Carolina on a weekday instead of at his job.
“He attended this event as a private citizen,” spokeswoman Christina Noel said.
The party’s financial disclosures, which might show donations and expenditures connected to the event, are not yet available for that time period. The North Carolina GOP’s finance director, Amanda Parrish, didn’t respond to messages seeking comment.
The event took steps to comply with the Hatch Act. The invitation, obtained by ProPublica, omitted Wilkie’s official titles, referring to him as “honorable” (a general signifier for people who have been Senate confirmed). The invitation also said “his participation is not a solicitation for funds,” but it listed suggested donations ranging from $250 to $2,500.
The email accompanying the fundraiser invitation said the organizers wanted “this event jam-packed (within CDC guidelines).” But a photo posted on Facebook by the state party chairman showed people indoors less than 6 feet apart and not wearing masks.
Noel declined to comment on what public health measures Wilkie observed to participate in the event.
Other political figures who attended, including state Rep. Holly Grange and Trump campaign organizer Matt Dula, didn’t respond to requests for comment.
From North Carolina, Wilkie traveled to Arizona, Utah and Colorado for what appeared to be official functions, according to posts on his Twitter account.
A former aide to North Carolina’s endangered incumbent senator, Thom Tillis, and former Sen. Jesse Helms, Wilkie is widely viewed as aspiring to elected office in the state. North Carolina’s other senator, Richard Burr, is not seeking reelection in 2022. Noel didn’t respond to a question about Wilkie’s political ambitions.
Wilkie has faced criticism for appearing disengaged from the VA’s critical programs. He’s also under investigation by the department’s inspector general for allegations, which Wilkie has denied, that he attempted to collect dirt on a congressional staffer who said she was sexually assaulted in a VA hospital. The results of the probe are expected soon.
The VA hospital system currently has almost 4,500 active cases of COVID-19 (including veterans and employees), a 70% increase from a month ago. More than 3,700 VA patients have died of the virus.
Veterans are a key constituency for Trump, a favorite topic in his tweets and at rallies. The VA is accommodating more political events this year by relaxing a long-standing policy that discourages site visits by political candidates close to an election. Noel didn’t respond to a question about the change.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-10-21--Trump Allies Mash Hunter Biden And QAnon Conspiracy Theories Into One Horrible Mess

The out-on-bail former campaign chairman for President Donald Trump , Steve Bannon , teased the coming “ storm ” gathering around Hunter Biden to viewers of his YouTube show Tuesday night .
“ It ’ s going to be… It ’ s going to be a storm , ” Bannon said .
“ The storm clouds are around the Biden camp .
The storm clouds are around the Biden camp .
A gathering storm , and they are doing a disastrous job.
” The comment appeared to be a criminally sloppy reference to the QAnon conspiracy theory , which is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government insider has for years anonymously spilled secrets online for his followers to decode .
His message ?
There is a ring of satanic , pedophilic elites — mostly Democrats , Hollywood stars , and Deep State operatives — that secretly control the world .
But Trump is going to stop them .
“ The storm ” is a reference to the storied culmination of Trump ’ s battle against these political evildoers : mass arrests and , depending on who you ask , executions .
“ Q ” has been predicting that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only to push the predictions back again , and again , and again .
Nonetheless , the promise of “ the storm ” is apparently so enticing that “ Q ’ ” s followers don ’ t hold his lengthy track record of bunk predictions against him .
Bannon is hardly alone in hat-tipping the blood-thirsty fever dream that ’ s sucked up thousands of Americans into internet delusion .
With Rudy Giuliani and other right-wing internet denizens making wild claims about what might lie on a laptop , that , these same @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hunter Biden , many on the right are using the story to spin up their own fantasy of unmasking a pedophilic cabal .
( Former intelligence officials , meanwhile , have described the whole thing as a likely Russian disinformation effort . )
The new set of conspiracy theorists includes Giuliani himself , who , as it became clear that mainstream outlets were passing on the dubious goods he was hawking , has punched up the volume .
The former New York City mayor claimed Tuesday night that he had uncovered “ numerous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ laptop .
“ That ’ s dynamite stuff !
” Newsmax interviewer Greg Kelly responded before trying to steer Giuliani back to the former vice president ’ s purported financial conflicts .
Elsewhere on the fringe web , Caleb Hull , the political strategist who ’ s recovering from the discovery this July of his shockingly racist old Twitter account , joined in on the fun .
So did Wayne Allen Root , the bonkers writer and radio host .
On Sunday , he claimed ( citing “ high up ” unnamed sources @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hunter Biden “ raping & torturing little Chinese children.
” The claim has been retweeted more than forty thousand times .
Years ago , as NBC News ’ Ben Collins noted , a similar assertion circulated about Hillary Clinton and her top aide Huma Abedin as part of the so-called “ Pizzagate ” theory .
A nonexistent videotape dubbed “ Frazzledrip ” was said to show Clinton and Abedin torturing a child .
Alas , the Deep State liberals at the FBI apparently prevented justice from ever being served on the Pizzagate perpetrators @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their own hands , including when a man went to the purported center of the child abuse ring , a Washington , D.C. pizzeria called Comet Ping Pong , and fired three shots before surrendering to police .
( “ The intel on this , ” he now-famously conceded , “ wasn ’ t 100 percent.
” ) Pizzagate nonetheless birthed QAnon , and believers in the meta-conspiracy theory have engaged in a crime spree of their own for years .
The anonymous “ Q , ” whose posts fuel hallucinations around the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden news , posting about behind-the-scenes machinations at the FBI and in political back rooms across the globe .
On Sunday , Q posted about the migraine-inducing bread crumbs that form the foundation for much of the latest hysteria : A signature on a subpoena for Hunter Biden ’ s purported old laptop purportedly matches that of an FBI agent who , at least at one point , focused on child pornography cases .
The clip traveled from the online , anonymous conspiracy theorist straight to cable TV : Maria Bartiromo , host @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , brought up the detail during an interview with Sen. Ron Johnson ( R-WI ) , the chamber ’ s top purveyor of ( often baseless ) Joe Biden dirt .
“ Connect the dots , ” Bartiromo ordered the senator during an interview Sunday .
“ If an FBI agent is working on child pornography issues for five years , why is he subpoenaing the laptop of Hunter Biden ?
Is there a connection here ?
Should this suggest that there ’ s a child pornography issue here on that laptop ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ just made the connection , ” Johnson replied .
“ Again , I think this is what the FBI has to come clean about .
This isn ’ t a standard investigation , where if the FBI doesn ’ t indict somebody , everything remains confidential .
This is something that , as we were talking about , relates to national security.
” He tried to pivot , returning to talking points about the Biden family ’ s alleged financial entanglements , but Bartiromo was insistent : “ Was the FBI agent who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ senator ?
” she asked .
“ You just read the news report , I can ’ t comment any further , ” Johnson said , adding that “ I ’ ve heard all kinds of things that I think will probably be revealed over the next few days .
”

The out-on-bail former campaign chairman for President Donald Trump, Steve Bannon, teased the coming “storm” gathering around Hunter Biden to viewers of his YouTube show Tuesday night.
“It’s going to be… It’s going to be a storm,” Bannon said. “The storm clouds are around the Biden camp. The storm clouds are around the Biden camp. A gathering storm, and they are doing a disastrous job.”
The comment appeared to be a criminally sloppy reference to the QAnon conspiracy theory, which is based on the belief that a supposed government insider has for years anonymously spilled secrets online for his followers to decode. His message? There is a ring of satanic, pedophilic elites — mostly Democrats, Hollywood stars, and Deep State operatives — that secretly control the world. But Trump is going to stop them.
“The storm” is a reference to the storied culmination of Trump’s battle against these political evildoers: mass arrests and, depending on who you ask, executions. “Q” has been predicting that the storm is nigh since 2017, only to push the predictions back again, and again, and again.
Nonetheless, the promise of “the storm” is apparently so enticing that “Q’”s followers don’t hold his lengthy track record of bunk predictions against him.
Bannon is hardly alone in hat-tipping the blood-thirsty fever dream that’s sucked up thousands of Americans into internet delusion. With Rudy Giuliani and other right-wing internet denizens making wild claims about what might lie on a laptop, that, these same ratfuckers suggest, used to belong to Hunter Biden, many on the right are using the story to spin up their own fantasy of unmasking a pedophilic cabal. (Former intelligence officials, meanwhile, have described the whole thing as a likely Russian disinformation effort.)
The new set of conspiracy theorists includes Giuliani himself, who, as it became clear that mainstream outlets were passing on the dubious goods he was hawking, has punched up the volume. The former New York City mayor claimed Tuesday night that he had uncovered “numerous pictures of underage girls” on the laptop.
“That’s dynamite stuff!” Newsmax interviewer Greg Kelly responded before trying to steer Giuliani back to the former vice president’s purported financial conflicts.
Elsewhere on the fringe web, Caleb Hull, the political strategist who’s recovering from the discovery this July of his shockingly racist old Twitter account, joined in on the fun.
I’m no QAnon conspiracy theorist, but the media refusing to cover a story of the Dem nominee’s family allegedly being involved in pedophilia and using government power to funnel in millions certainly isn’t helping dismiss the argument for Q — Caleb Hull (@CalebJHull) October 21, 2020
So did Wayne Allen Root, the bonkers writer and radio host. On Sunday, he claimed (citing “high up” unnamed sources) that files on the laptop showed Hunter Biden “raping & torturing little Chinese children.” The claim has been retweeted more than forty thousand times.
BREAKING NEWS. My sources- as high up as it gets- watched videos on Hunter's laptops TODAY. Just told me point blank…no rumor…they saw Hunter raping & torturing little Chinese children…Chinese govt has the same videos…Biden is compromised. Blackmailed. Can NEVER be Prez. — Wayne Allyn Root (@RealWayneRoot) October 19, 2020
Years ago, as NBC News’ Ben Collins noted, a similar assertion circulated about Hillary Clinton and her top aide Huma Abedin as part of the so-called “Pizzagate” theory. A nonexistent videotape dubbed “Frazzledrip” was said to show Clinton and Abedin torturing a child.
Alas, the Deep State liberals at the FBI apparently prevented justice from ever being served on the Pizzagate perpetrators. But upright citizens took things into their own hands, including when a man went to the purported center of the child abuse ring, a Washington, D.C. pizzeria called Comet Ping Pong, and fired three shots before surrendering to police. (“The intel on this,” he now-famously conceded, “wasn’t 100 percent.”) Pizzagate nonetheless birthed QAnon, and believers in the meta-conspiracy theory have engaged in a crime spree of their own for years.
The anonymous “Q,” whose posts fuel hallucinations around the county, has gobbled up the Hunter Biden news, posting about behind-the-scenes machinations at the FBI and in political back rooms across the globe.
On Sunday, Q posted about the migraine-inducing bread crumbs that form the foundation for much of the latest hysteria: A signature on a subpoena for Hunter Biden’s purported old laptop purportedly matches that of an FBI agent who, at least at one point, focused on child pornography cases.
The clip traveled from the online, anonymous conspiracy theorist straight to cable TV: Maria Bartiromo, host of Fox News’ Sunday Morning Features, brought up the detail during an interview with Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI), the chamber’s top purveyor of (often baseless) Joe Biden dirt.
Ron Johnson is on Fox News suggesting there's child pornography on the computer that purportedly belongs to Hunter Biden pic.twitter.com/rwvyL1UH4i — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 18, 2020
“Connect the dots,” Bartiromo ordered the senator during an interview Sunday. “If an FBI agent is working on child pornography issues for five years, why is he subpoenaing the laptop of Hunter Biden? Is there a connection here? Should this suggest that there’s a child pornography issue here on that laptop?”
“Well, I think you just made the connection,” Johnson replied. “Again, I think this is what the FBI has to come clean about. This isn’t a standard investigation, where if the FBI doesn’t indict somebody, everything remains confidential. This is something that, as we were talking about, relates to national security.”
He tried to pivot, returning to talking points about the Biden family’s alleged financial entanglements, but Bartiromo was insistent: “Was the FBI agent who served the subpoena investigating child pornography, senator?” she asked.
“You just read the news report, I can’t comment any further,” Johnson said, adding that “I’ve heard all kinds of things that I think will probably be revealed over the next few days.”


talkingpointsmemo--2020-10-21--US Surgeon General To Appear In Court After Illegally Entering Closed Park Amid COVID

U.S .
Surgeon General Jerome Adams will appear in court via Zoom on Wednesday after receiving a citation for illegally @ @ @ @ @ that had been closed due to COVID-19 .
Law enforcement handed Adams the citation on @ @ @ @ @ spotted walking around and taking photos in Kualoa Regional Park in violation of Honolulu Mayor @ @ @ @ @ orders on park shutdowns .
The health official stated he was unaware of the restriction @ @ @ @ @ an “ unfortunate situation ” at the time .
“ I was out trying to @ @ @ @ @ is something that I encourage people to do , ” he said , according to @ @ @ @ @ station KHON2 .
Those who violate the order face up to a year in prison @ @ @ @ @ 5,000 .
The hearing is slated for 2:30 PM ET .

U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams will appear in court via Zoom on Wednesday after receiving a citation for illegally entering a park in Hawaii that had been closed due to COVID-19.
Law enforcement handed Adams the citation on August 23 after he was spotted walking around and taking photos in Kualoa Regional Park in violation of Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell’s emergency orders on park shutdowns.
The health official stated he was unaware of the restriction and described the incident as an “unfortunate situation” at the time.
“I was out trying to be physically active, which is something that I encourage people to do,” he said, according to local Fox and CW news station KHON2.
Those who violate the order face up to a year in prison and/or fines up to $5,000.
The hearing is slated for 2:30 PM ET.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-10-21--Biden Reached Out To Wife Of Officer Who Died From COVID-19: ‘Like Talking To A Friend’

The wife of a New Jersey police officer who died from COVID-19 in May told CNN that Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden personally reach out to her a few days after she pleaded to the public to vote President Trump out of office in an op-ed .
In her op-ed published in NJ.com on Sunday , Alice Roberts criticized Trump for downplaying his COVID-19 diagnosis when he told the public : “ Don ’ t let it take over your lives.
” “ Instead of responding to the pandemic by bringing the nation together and doing whatever it would take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it , downplayed it , and pointed fingers , ” Roberts wrote .
Roberts ended her op-ed by pleading with readers to vote Trump out .
“ Consider the long-term consequences that his failed pandemic response has had on first responders , doctors , nurses , workers , students , teachers , and families , ” Roberts wrote .
“ Think of how much more we still stand to lose if we re-elect President Trump who , time and again , has shown us who he is , mask off.
” During an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continued criticizing Trump ’ s handling of COVID-19 and urged viewers to vote for Biden on Election Day .
After telling CNN that she hopes her late husband ’ s death “ can bring about some positive change in this country ” and that she wants people to know that COVID-19 “ isn ’ t fake news and it ’ s not exaggerated , ” Roberts said that Trump isn ’ t capable of showing empathy .
“ He had a choice to be more human and to show empathy , but I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ possible — he ’ s not possible — it ’ s not possible for him to show empathy because I don ’ t think he can feel that emotion , ” Roberts said .
“ I think he thinks of one person and that ’ s himself and he likes to grandstand .
You know , he hasn ’ t called me to wish me his sympathies.
” Roberts then revealed that she ’ d heard from New Jersey Gov .
Phil Murphy ( D ) as well as Biden on Tuesday night @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and caring and kindness and that ’ s really lacking in the President.
” Roberts recalled her phone call with Biden being “ incredible ” and that it felt like “ talking to a friend.
” “ He called me and he told me about his tragedies in his life , which I had already known about , and basically that no words that he could say would make a difference , he understood that , ” Roberts said .
“ It was honestly just like talking to a friend and , you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was like 11:30 and we just chatted for probably 20 minutes.
” Roberts added that there aren ’ t “ a lot of highlights in my days recently ” but that Biden reaching out to her “ was definitely a highlight.
” “ He is the kind , caring guy and that to me is a huge piece of what we need right now in the White House , ” Roberts said .
When asked what she would say to Trump if he called her , Roberts responded that she would hang up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I don ’ t think I could say the words I would want to say to him , ” Roberts said .
“ But I know his words wouldn ’ t really be genuine so they wouldn ’ t — they wouldn ’ t really mean anything at all .
I don ’ t want to hear from him .
He has spoken in his actions and , you know , as they say , actions speak louder than words .
”

The wife of a New Jersey police officer who died from COVID-19 in May told CNN that Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden personally reach out to her a few days after she pleaded to the public to vote President Trump out of office in an op-ed.
In her op-ed published in NJ.com on Sunday, Alice Roberts criticized Trump for downplaying his COVID-19 diagnosis when he told the public: “Don’t let it take over your lives.”
“Instead of responding to the pandemic by bringing the nation together and doing whatever it would take to control the pandemic, he ignored it, downplayed it, and pointed fingers,” Roberts wrote.
Roberts ended her op-ed by pleading with readers to vote Trump out.
“Consider the long-term consequences that his failed pandemic response has had on first responders, doctors, nurses, workers, students, teachers, and families,” Roberts wrote. “Think of how much more we still stand to lose if we re-elect President Trump who, time and again, has shown us who he is, mask off.”
During an interview on CNN on Wednesday, Roberts continued criticizing Trump’s handling of COVID-19 and urged viewers to vote for Biden on Election Day.
After telling CNN that she hopes her late husband’s death “can bring about some positive change in this country” and that she wants people to know that COVID-19 “isn’t fake news and it’s not exaggerated,” Roberts said that Trump isn’t capable of showing empathy.
“He had a choice to be more human and to show empathy, but I don’t think he’s possible — he’s not possible — it’s not possible for him to show empathy because I don’t think he can feel that emotion,” Roberts said. “I think he thinks of one person and that’s himself and he likes to grandstand. You know, he hasn’t called me to wish me his sympathies.”
Roberts then revealed that she’d heard from New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D) as well as Biden on Tuesday night, saying that both showed “empathy and caring and kindness and that’s really lacking in the President.”
Roberts recalled her phone call with Biden being “incredible” and that it felt like “talking to a friend.”
“He called me and he told me about his tragedies in his life, which I had already known about, and basically that no words that he could say would make a difference, he understood that,” Roberts said. “It was honestly just like talking to a friend and, you know, it was late, it was like 11:30 and we just chatted for probably 20 minutes.”
Roberts added that there aren’t “a lot of highlights in my days recently” but that Biden reaching out to her “was definitely a highlight.”
“He is the kind, caring guy and that to me is a huge piece of what we need right now in the White House,” Roberts said.
When asked what she would say to Trump if he called her, Roberts responded that she would hang up.
“I’m sorry, I don’t think I could say the words I would want to say to him,” Roberts said. “But I know his words wouldn’t really be genuine so they wouldn’t — they wouldn’t really mean anything at all. I don’t want to hear from him. He has spoken in his actions and, you know, as they say, actions speak louder than words.”
Watch Roberts’ remarks below:


talkingpointsmemo--2020-10-21--Even The Law Firm Representing Trump Camp Is Giving More To Biden

Jones Day law firm may be lining its coffers with millions of dollars as it serves the legal interests of President Trump ’ s reelection campaign .
But the lawyers at that same firm may not hold any type of personal allegiance to the President .
According to a new report , lawyers at Jones Day have donated about $ 90,000 to the campaign committee of former Veep Joe Biden and just $ 50 to the Trump campaign .
A Reuters analysis of Federal Election Commission records reveals a wide gap between individual lawyer donations to the candidates , with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden ’ s campaign and a comparatively meager $ 1.75 million going to Trump ’ s reelection bid between the beginning of last year and the end of August this year .
The news comes after a report revealed that Trump ’ s campaign burned through a once-massive fundraising advantage , spending more than $ 800 million of its $ 1.1 billion before early September .
In August , Biden beat out Trump by raising $ 155 million by late September .
According to Politico , Biden ’ s campaign had $ 141 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump ’ s campaign — and is still pushing to earn more .
The figures reflect more than 120,000 contributions reported by the candidates ’ principal campaign committees to the FEC late last month , which includes individual donations , not law firm contributions made through the end of August .
With that in mind — it ’ s possible that donations to political action committees , or law firm PAC donations to candidates are not reflected in the data and could account for additional contributions to the Trump campaign not reflected in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Two Jones Day attorneys who asked to not be named told Reuters that they donated to Biden because they preferred his policies .
“ It shouldn ’ t be news that rich , liberal lawyers in Biden ’ s pocket are desperately trying to make up for his lackluster candidacy or that every big law firm has lawyers on both sides of the political aisle , ” Trump campaign spokeswoman Samantha Zager told Reuters in an statement .
As Reuters notes , Jones Day is not the only legal firm that has represented @ @ @ @ @ @ @ funds to the Biden campaign .

Jones Day law firm may be lining its coffers with millions of dollars as it serves the legal interests of President Trump’s reelection campaign. But the lawyers at that same firm may not hold any type of personal allegiance to the President.
According to a new report, lawyers at Jones Day have donated about $90,000 to the campaign committee of former Veep Joe Biden and just $50 to the Trump campaign.
A Reuters analysis of Federal Election Commission records reveals a wide gap between individual lawyer donations to the candidates, with nearly $29 million being flooded into Biden’s campaign and a comparatively meager $1.75 million going to Trump’s reelection bid between the beginning of last year and the end of August this year.
The news comes after a report revealed that Trump’s campaign burned through a once-massive fundraising advantage, spending more than $800 million of its $1.1 billion before early September. In August, Biden beat out Trump by raising $155 million by late September. According to Politico, Biden’s campaign had $141 million more in the bank than President Trump’s campaign — and is still pushing to earn more.
The figures reflect more than 120,000 contributions reported by the candidates’ principal campaign committees to the FEC late last month, which includes individual donations, not law firm contributions made through the end of August.
With that in mind — it’s possible that donations to political action committees, or law firm PAC donations to candidates are not reflected in the data and could account for additional contributions to the Trump campaign not reflected in these findings, as Reuters noted.
Two Jones Day attorneys who asked to not be named told Reuters that they donated to Biden because they preferred his policies.
“It shouldn’t be news that rich, liberal lawyers in Biden’s pocket are desperately trying to make up for his lackluster candidacy or that every big law firm has lawyers on both sides of the political aisle,” Trump campaign spokeswoman Samantha Zager told Reuters in an statement.
As Reuters notes, Jones Day is not the only legal firm that has represented Trump and whose lawyers have given hefty funds to the Biden campaign.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-10-21--Obama To Hold First In-Person Campaign Event For Biden On Wednesday

Former President Barack Obama is set to hold his first campaign rally for his former veep and now-Democratic candidate Joe @ @ @ @ @ ticketed event will be a “ drive-in ” rally in Philadelphia at approximately 6:00 p.m @ @ @ @ @ Biden campaign press pool report .
Obama is expected to speak directly to Black men @ @ @ @ @ in early voting , according to the Philadelphia Inquirer .

Former President Barack Obama is set to hold his first campaign rally for his former veep and now-Democratic candidate Joe Biden on Wednesday.
The ticketed event will be a “drive-in” rally in Philadelphia at approximately 6:00 p.m. ET, per a Biden campaign press pool report. Obama is expected to speak directly to Black men and encourage them to participate in early voting, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-10-22--Trump Mulls Ousting FBI Director For Not Delivering Damaging Investigation Into Biden

President Donald Trump , angry that he hasn ’ t received the damaging pre-election bombshell on Democratic rival Joe Biden that he ’ s been pushing for , has reportedly been discussing with aides the possibility of firing FBI Director Christopher Wray for not handing Trump said bombshell in the form of an investigation into Biden .
The Washington Post reported on Wednesday night that Trump wants a public announcement of a federal probe into Biden and his son , Hunter , that could damage the Democrat similar to how then-FBI Director James Comey had announced a renewed investigation into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ emails less than two weeks before Election Day four years ago .
As the elections draw nearer with little indication that the FBI director will deliver Trump that kind of campaign boost , the President has reportedly been telling advisers that Wray was one of his worst appointees .
White House spokesperson Judd Deere said in a statement , “ If the President doesn ’ t have confidence in someone , he will let you know.
” Trump has publicly attacked Wray for testifying that Russia has been working to “ denigrate ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the President ’ s favor .
Trump has also expressed anger over how Wray has not boosted the President ’ s fearmongering over “ antifa , ” an anti-fascist movement that Trump has falsely claimed to be an organization .

President Donald Trump, angry that he hasn’t received the damaging pre-election bombshell on Democratic rival Joe Biden that he’s been pushing for, has reportedly been discussing with aides the possibility of firing FBI Director Christopher Wray for not handing Trump said bombshell in the form of an investigation into Biden.
The Washington Post reported on Wednesday night that Trump wants a public announcement of a federal probe into Biden and his son, Hunter, that could damage the Democrat similar to how then-FBI Director James Comey had announced a renewed investigation into 2016 Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton’s emails less than two weeks before Election Day four years ago.
As the elections draw nearer with little indication that the FBI director will deliver Trump that kind of campaign boost, the President has reportedly been telling advisers that Wray was one of his worst appointees.
White House spokesperson Judd Deere said in a statement, “If the President doesn’t have confidence in someone, he will let you know.”
Trump has publicly attacked Wray for testifying that Russia has been working to “denigrate” Biden in order to sway the elections in the President’s favor. Trump has also expressed anger over how Wray has not boosted the President’s fearmongering over “antifa,” an anti-fascist movement that Trump has falsely claimed to be an organization.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-10-22--Fauci Suggests Downplaying COVID Contributed To ‘Building Distrust’ In Public Health Agencies

Dr. Anthony Fauci in a recent interview addressed a growing distrust in public health agencies as the coronavirus continues to rage across the country and the message from President Donald Trump remains one of almost nonchalant resignation to a virus that he has suggested will — as if by magic — disappear .
The infectious-disease expert remarked on the “ building distrust ” toward government health officials during a taped interview with the Council of Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency made public earlier this week and first reported by the Project on Government Oversight .
“ We ’ ve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ us in government , all of us , you and I and all of the people that work for me , and all the people that work for you , that there is a building distrust now in the transparency of what we do , ” Fauci told the group of government watchdogs , adding : “ It ’ s the elephant in the room.
” Fauci said that confidence in public health recommendations depends on transparency .
“ If you ’ re going to make scientific-based public health recommendations , everything has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public health expert said .
“ Otherwise once you lose the confidence of people , they don ’ t believe what you ’ re saying or they believe you ’ re holding things back or they believe there ’ s a political motivation to things , ” he added .
The comments come as President Trump has repeatedly misled the public about the severity of the coronavirus , minimizing its impact and potential dangers for months as thousands of Americans contracted and died from the virus .
In an apparent effort to regain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now just weeks away , President Trump has repeatedly sought to paint a rosier picture of his handling of a virus that has now killed more than 221,000 people in the United States .
“ The issue that people say you don ’ t want to alarm people is totally nonsense , ” Fauci said , adding : “ We ’ re a pretty strong country .
We can handle the truth.
” The remark follows repeated accusations from President Trump in July that Fauci was “ a bit of an alarmist.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nation was rounding the final turn on the COVID-19 crisis , even as cases continued to surge and Fauci was encouraging Americans to “ hunker down ” in preparation for what might be a challenging winter with cases far from contained around the country .
Even after his own diagnosis with coronavirus , Trump has peddled mistruths about the disease , suggesting after he was treated with a cocktail of steroids and experimental drugs that he hadn ’ t really needed them and that immunity to the virus was guaranteed after someone is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who has directed the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases for 36 years , has far-reaching experiences with responding to public health crises — from HIV/AIDS in the 1980s to Zika more recently .
“ If you go back over outbreaks in the past , the one thing that has always prevailed as the things that make things work is when people are open and honest and don ’ t hold information back , ” he said , later adding : “ we should come back and always tell the truth @ @

Dr. Anthony Fauci in a recent interview addressed a growing distrust in public health agencies as the coronavirus continues to rage across the country and the message from President Donald Trump remains one of almost nonchalant resignation to a virus that he has suggested will — as if by magic — disappear.
The infectious-disease expert remarked on the “building distrust” toward government health officials during a taped interview with the Council of Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency made public earlier this week and first reported by the Project on Government Oversight.
“We’ve got to admit it, those of us in government, all of us, you and I and all of the people that work for me, and all the people that work for you, that there is a building distrust now in the transparency of what we do,” Fauci told the group of government watchdogs, adding: “It’s the elephant in the room.”
Fauci said that confidence in public health recommendations depends on transparency.
“If you’re going to make scientific-based public health recommendations, everything has got to be transparent,” the public health expert said.
“Otherwise once you lose the confidence of people, they don’t believe what you’re saying or they believe you’re holding things back or they believe there’s a political motivation to things,” he added.
The comments come as President Trump has repeatedly misled the public about the severity of the coronavirus, minimizing its impact and potential dangers for months as thousands of Americans contracted and died from the virus. In an apparent effort to regain footing in the presidential election that is now just weeks away, President Trump has repeatedly sought to paint a rosier picture of his handling of a virus that has now killed more than 221,000 people in the United States.
“The issue that people say you don’t want to alarm people is totally nonsense,” Fauci said, adding: “We’re a pretty strong country. We can handle the truth.”
The remark follows repeated accusations from President Trump in July that Fauci was “a bit of an alarmist.” In September he falsely suggested that the nation was rounding the final turn on the COVID-19 crisis, even as cases continued to surge and Fauci was encouraging Americans to “hunker down” in preparation for what might be a challenging winter with cases far from contained around the country.
Even after his own diagnosis with coronavirus, Trump has peddled mistruths about the disease, suggesting after he was treated with a cocktail of steroids and experimental drugs that he hadn’t really needed them and that immunity to the virus was guaranteed after someone is infected with coronavirus and recovers.
Fauci, who has directed the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases for 36 years, has far-reaching experiences with responding to public health crises — from HIV/AIDS in the 1980s to Zika more recently.
“If you go back over outbreaks in the past, the one thing that has always prevailed as the things that make things work is when people are open and honest and don’t hold information back,” he said, later adding: “we should come back and always tell the truth.”


talkingpointsmemo--2020-10-22--Intel Officials Say Iran Is Responsible For Emails Aimed At Intimidating Dem Voters

WASHINGTON ( AP ) — U.S. officials have accused Iran of being behind a flurry of emails sent to Democratic voters in multiple battleground states that appeared to be aimed at intimidating them into voting for President Donald Trump .
The officials did not lay out specific evidence for how they came to pinpoint Iran , but the activities attributed to Tehran would mark a significant escalation for a country some cybersecurity experts regard as a second-rate player in online espionage .
The announcement was made late Wednesday at a hastily called news conference 13 days before the election .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ s concern about efforts by foreign countries to influence the election by spreading false information meant to suppress voter turnout and undermine American confidence in the vote .
Such direct attempts to sway public opinion are more commonly associated with Moscow , which conducted a covert social media campaign in 2016 aimed at sowing discord and is again interfering this year , but the idea that Iran could be responsible suggested that those tactics have been adopted by other nations , too .
“ These actions are desperate attempts by desperate adversaries , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s top intelligence official , who , along with FBI Director Chris Wray , insisted that the U.S. would impose costs on any foreign countries that interfere in the 2020 U.S. election and that the integrity of the election is still sound .
“ You should be confident that your vote counts , ” Wray said .
“ Early , unverified claims to the contrary should be viewed with a healthy dose of skepticism.
” The two officials called out Russia and Iran for having obtained voter registration information , though such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was no allegation either country had hacked a database for it .
Iran used the information to push out spoofed emails , officials said , and created a video that Ratcliffe said falsely suggested that voters could cast fraudulent ballots from overseas .
Wray and Ratcliffe did not describe the emails linked to Iran , but officials familiar with the matter said the U.S. has linked Tehran to messages sent to Democratic voters in at least four states , including battleground locations like Pennsylvania , Florida and Arizona .
The emails falsely purported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Boys and warned that “ we will come after you ” if the recipients didn ’ t vote for Trump .
Though Democratic voters were targeted , Ratcliffe said the spoofed emails were intended to hurt Trump in the contest against Democrat Joe Biden , though he did not elaborate on how .
It would not be the first time that the Trump administration has said Tehran is working against the Republican president .
An intelligence assessment released in August said : “ Iran seeks to undermine U.S. democratic institutions , President Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ advance of the 2020 elections .
Iran ’ s efforts along these lines probably will focus on online influence , such as spreading disinformation on social media and recirculating anti-U.S. content.
” A spokesman for Iran ’ s mission to the United Nations , Alireza Miryousefi , denied Tehran had anything to do with the alleged voter intimidation .
“ Unlike the U.S. , Iran does not interfere in other country ’ s elections , ” Miryousefi wrote on Twitter .
“ The world has been witnessing U.S. ’ own desperate public attempts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ elections at the highest level.
” Iran ’ s Foreign Ministry summoned the Swiss ambassador on Thursday over the allegations .
The Swiss Embassy has overseen America ’ s interests in Tehran since the aftermath of the 1979 hostage crisis .
“ The Islamic Republic of Iran , while rejecting the allegations and the fake reports , again emphasizes that there ’ s no difference for Tehran which candidate goes to the White House , ” the ministry said in a statement .
Trump , speaking at a rally in North Carolina , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but he repeated a familiar campaign assertion that Iran is opposed to his reelection .
He promised that if he wins another term he will swiftly reach a new accord with Iran over its nuclear program .
“ Iran doesn ’ t want to let me win .
China doesn ’ t want to let me win , ” Trump said .
“ The first call I ’ ll get after we win , the first call I ’ ll get will be from Iran saying , ‘ Let ’ s make a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pelosi and Rep. Adam Schiff , the Democratic chairman of the House intelligence committee , said the “ disturbing ” threats cut to the heart of the right to vote .
“ We can not allow voter intimidation or interference efforts , either foreign or domestic , to silence voters ’ voices and take away that right , ” they said in a statement .
Asked about the emails during an online forum earlier Wednesday , Pennsylvania Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar said she lacked specific information .
“ I am aware that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ swing states and we are working closely with the attorney general on these types of things and others , ” she said .
While state-backed Russian hackers are known to have infiltrated U.S. election infrastructure in 2016 , there is no evidence that Iran has ever done so , and it was not clear how officials were able to identify Iran so quickly .
The operation represented something of a departure in cyber-ops for Iran , which sought for the first time on record to undermine voter confidence .
Iran ’ s previous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
A top cyberthreat analyst , John Hultquist of FireEye , said the striking development marked “ a fundamental shift in our understanding of Iran ’ s willingness to interfere in the democratic process .
While many of their operations have been focused on promoting propaganda in pursuit of Iran ’ s interests , this incident is clearly aimed at undermining voter confidence.
” The voter intimidation operation apparently used email addresses obtained from state voter registration lists , which include party affiliation and home addresses and can include email addresses and phone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in an apparently widespread targeted spamming operation .
The senders claimed they would know which candidate the recipient was voting for in the Nov. 3 election , for which early voting is ongoing .
Federal officials have long warned about the possibility of this type of operation , as such registration lists are not difficult to obtain .
“ These emails are meant to intimidate and undermine American voters ’ confidence in our elections , ” Christopher Krebs , the top election security official at the Department of Homeland Security , tweeted Tuesday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ surfaced .
___ Bajak reported from Boston .
Associated Press writers Christina A. Cassidy in Atlanta ; Michael Balsamo , Colleen Long and Zeke Miller in Washington ; Amir Vahdat in Tehran , Iran ; and Jon Gambrell in Dubai , United Arab Emirates , contributed .
___ AP ’ s Advance Voting guide brings you the facts about voting early , by mail or absentee from each state : https : //interactives.ap.org/advance-voting-2020/ .

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. officials have accused Iran of being behind a flurry of emails sent to Democratic voters in multiple battleground states that appeared to be aimed at intimidating them into voting for President Donald Trump.
The officials did not lay out specific evidence for how they came to pinpoint Iran, but the activities attributed to Tehran would mark a significant escalation for a country some cybersecurity experts regard as a second-rate player in online espionage. The announcement was made late Wednesday at a hastily called news conference 13 days before the election.
The allegations underscored the U.S. government’s concern about efforts by foreign countries to influence the election by spreading false information meant to suppress voter turnout and undermine American confidence in the vote. Such direct attempts to sway public opinion are more commonly associated with Moscow, which conducted a covert social media campaign in 2016 aimed at sowing discord and is again interfering this year, but the idea that Iran could be responsible suggested that those tactics have been adopted by other nations, too.
“These actions are desperate attempts by desperate adversaries,” said John Ratcliffe, the government’s top intelligence official, who, along with FBI Director Chris Wray, insisted that the U.S. would impose costs on any foreign countries that interfere in the 2020 U.S. election and that the integrity of the election is still sound.
“You should be confident that your vote counts,” Wray said. “Early, unverified claims to the contrary should be viewed with a healthy dose of skepticism.”
The two officials called out Russia and Iran for having obtained voter registration information, though such data is sometimes easily accessible and there was no allegation either country had hacked a database for it. Iran used the information to push out spoofed emails, officials said, and created a video that Ratcliffe said falsely suggested that voters could cast fraudulent ballots from overseas.
Wray and Ratcliffe did not describe the emails linked to Iran, but officials familiar with the matter said the U.S. has linked Tehran to messages sent to Democratic voters in at least four states, including battleground locations like Pennsylvania, Florida and Arizona. The emails falsely purported to be from the far-right group Proud Boys and warned that “we will come after you” if the recipients didn’t vote for Trump.
Though Democratic voters were targeted, Ratcliffe said the spoofed emails were intended to hurt Trump in the contest against Democrat Joe Biden, though he did not elaborate on how. It would not be the first time that the Trump administration has said Tehran is working against the Republican president.
An intelligence assessment released in August said: “Iran seeks to undermine U.S. democratic institutions, President Trump, and to divide the country in advance of the 2020 elections. Iran’s efforts along these lines probably will focus on online influence, such as spreading disinformation on social media and recirculating anti-U.S. content.”
A spokesman for Iran’s mission to the United Nations, Alireza Miryousefi, denied Tehran had anything to do with the alleged voter intimidation.
“Unlike the U.S., Iran does not interfere in other country’s elections,” Miryousefi wrote on Twitter. “The world has been witnessing U.S.’ own desperate public attempts to question the outcome of its own elections at the highest level.”
Iran’s Foreign Ministry summoned the Swiss ambassador on Thursday over the allegations. The Swiss Embassy has overseen America’s interests in Tehran since the aftermath of the 1979 hostage crisis.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran, while rejecting the allegations and the fake reports, again emphasizes that there’s no difference for Tehran which candidate goes to the White House,” the ministry said in a statement.
Trump, speaking at a rally in North Carolina, made no reference to the announcement, but he repeated a familiar campaign assertion that Iran is opposed to his reelection. He promised that if he wins another term he will swiftly reach a new accord with Iran over its nuclear program.
“Iran doesn’t want to let me win. China doesn’t want to let me win,” Trump said. “The first call I’ll get after we win, the first call I’ll get will be from Iran saying, ‘Let’s make a deal.'”
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Rep. Adam Schiff, the Democratic chairman of the House intelligence committee, said the “disturbing” threats cut to the heart of the right to vote.
“We cannot allow voter intimidation or interference efforts, either foreign or domestic, to silence voters’ voices and take away that right,” they said in a statement.
Asked about the emails during an online forum earlier Wednesday, Pennsylvania Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar said she lacked specific information. “I am aware that they were sent to voters in multiple swing states and we are working closely with the attorney general on these types of things and others,” she said.
While state-backed Russian hackers are known to have infiltrated U.S. election infrastructure in 2016, there is no evidence that Iran has ever done so, and it was not clear how officials were able to identify Iran so quickly.
The operation represented something of a departure in cyber-ops for Iran, which sought for the first time on record to undermine voter confidence. Iran’s previous operations have been mostly propaganda and espionage.
A top cyberthreat analyst, John Hultquist of FireEye, said the striking development marked “a fundamental shift in our understanding of Iran’s willingness to interfere in the democratic process. While many of their operations have been focused on promoting propaganda in pursuit of Iran’s interests, this incident is clearly aimed at undermining voter confidence.”
The voter intimidation operation apparently used email addresses obtained from state voter registration lists, which include party affiliation and home addresses and can include email addresses and phone numbers. Those addresses were then used in an apparently widespread targeted spamming operation. The senders claimed they would know which candidate the recipient was voting for in the Nov. 3 election, for which early voting is ongoing.
Federal officials have long warned about the possibility of this type of operation, as such registration lists are not difficult to obtain.
“These emails are meant to intimidate and undermine American voters’ confidence in our elections,” Christopher Krebs, the top election security official at the Department of Homeland Security, tweeted Tuesday night after reports of the emails first surfaced.
___
Bajak reported from Boston. Associated Press writers Christina A. Cassidy in Atlanta; Michael Balsamo, Colleen Long and Zeke Miller in Washington; Amir Vahdat in Tehran, Iran; and Jon Gambrell in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, contributed.
___
AP’s Advance Voting guide brings you the facts about voting early, by mail or absentee from each state: https://interactives.ap.org/advance-voting-2020/.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-10-22--Report: Ratcliffe Trying To Pull Off Another Pre-Debate Russia Doc Dump

Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe again tried to declassify documents that cast doubt on Russia ’ s 2016 attempt to help President Donald Trump win the election just hours before a 2020 presidential debate , according to Reuters .
Senator Mark Warner ( D-VA ) , ranking member of the Senate Intelligence Committee , has not seen which documents Ratcliffe is seeking , spokesperson Rachel Cohen told TPM .
But , she said , the DNI appears to be focused on “ a variety of highly classified raw intelligence designed to cast doubts on the findings of the 2017 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were unanimously reaffirmed by the Senate Intelligence Committee in its five-part report .
Ratcliffe pulled a similar stunt before the first presidential debate , releasing unvetted Russian disinformation about Hillary Clinton ’ s campaign without contextualizing or disavowing it .
The Russian chatter , which Ratcliffe publicized in a letter to Senate Judiciary Chairman Lindsey Graham ( R-SC ) , was that the Clinton campaign had plans to taint the Trump campaign by tying it to the DNC server hack .
The Senate Intelligence Committee , helmed by Republicans , had come across @ @ @ @ @ @ @ investigation , but disregarded it as baseless .
This time , according to Reuters , Ratcliffe has , reportedly , so far been stymied by officials at the CIA and NSA who say that the information would “ damage national security assets and jeopardize sources and methods.
” Unbowed , Ratcliffe continued to push to get the information declassified by Thursday .
According to Reuters , the information was requested by Rep. Devin Nunes ( R-CA ) , a staunch Trump ally and former House Intelligence Committee chair who blithely ignored evidence of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spending the committee ’ s time and resources investigating made-up scandals to help Trump .
Reuters reported that the document Ratcliffe is trying to unveil as two or three years old and “ originated in Congress by Republicans who support Trump ’ s assertion that Russians did not intervene to help him defeat Clinton.
” After Ratcliffe ’ s September pre-debate document dump , MAGA world eagerly tossed the nugget into a melting pot of hard-to-follow conspiracy theories being lapped up before the debate .
Two others that gained some traction online involved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden wearing an earpiece , and being fed the debate questions in advance .
Trump and co. are similarly trying to soften the ground before Thursday ’ s event .
He ’ s been preemptively attacking the moderator , NBC ’ s Kristen Welker , amid false attacks that she has donated to Democrats .
He ’ s also been avidly promoting a story about Hunter Biden published in the New York Post that ’ s so questionable , even Fox News passed on it .

Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe again tried to declassify documents that cast doubt on Russia’s 2016 attempt to help President Donald Trump win the election just hours before a 2020 presidential debate, according to Reuters.
Senator Mark Warner (D-VA), ranking member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, has not seen which documents Ratcliffe is seeking, spokesperson Rachel Cohen told TPM.
But, she said, the DNI appears to be focused on “a variety of highly classified raw intelligence designed to cast doubts on the findings of the 2017 ICA.” Cohen added that those findings were unanimously reaffirmed by the Senate Intelligence Committee in its five-part report.
Ratcliffe pulled a similar stunt before the first presidential debate, releasing unvetted Russian disinformation about Hillary Clinton’s campaign without contextualizing or disavowing it. The Russian chatter, which Ratcliffe publicized in a letter to Senate Judiciary Chairman Lindsey Graham (R-SC), was that the Clinton campaign had plans to taint the Trump campaign by tying it to the DNC server hack. The Senate Intelligence Committee, helmed by Republicans, had come across that information early on in its own investigation, but disregarded it as baseless.
This time, according to Reuters, Ratcliffe has, reportedly, so far been stymied by officials at the CIA and NSA who say that the information would “damage national security assets and jeopardize sources and methods.”
Unbowed, Ratcliffe continued to push to get the information declassified by Thursday. According to Reuters, the information was requested by Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA), a staunch Trump ally and former House Intelligence Committee chair who blithely ignored evidence of Russia’s malfeasance in favor of spending the committee’s time and resources investigating made-up scandals to help Trump.
Ratcliffe and others had been pushing to have the intelligence declassified by Thursday night, one of the officials said. If successful, that would allow its release around the time that Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden square off in their final debate. — Jonathan Landay (@JonathanLanday) October 22, 2020
Reuters reported that the document Ratcliffe is trying to unveil as two or three years old and “originated in Congress by Republicans who support Trump’s assertion that Russians did not intervene to help him defeat Clinton.”
After Ratcliffe’s September pre-debate document dump, MAGA world eagerly tossed the nugget into a melting pot of hard-to-follow conspiracy theories being lapped up before the debate. Two others that gained some traction online involved a fabrications about former Vice President Joe Biden wearing an earpiece, and being fed the debate questions in advance.
Trump and co. are similarly trying to soften the ground before Thursday’s event. He’s been preemptively attacking the moderator, NBC’s Kristen Welker, amid false attacks that she has donated to Democrats. He’s also been avidly promoting a story about Hunter Biden published in the New York Post that’s so questionable, even Fox News passed on it.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-10-22--NYT: Trump Campaign Is Video-Surveilling Philadelphia Ballot Drop Boxes

The Trump campaign is conducting video surveillance of Philadelphia voters turning in mail-in ballots at drop boxes , according to a New York Times report .
Then the campaign is using that footage to make accusations of impropriety when a voter turns in two or three ballots , according to the new report .
The revelation earned a warning from Pennsylvania ’ s attorney general that suggested the tactic could amount to illegal voter intimidation .
“ Pennsylvania law permits poll watchers to carry out very discrete and specific duties — videotaping voters at drop boxes is not one of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Shapiro said in a statement to the Times .
“ Our entire system of voting is built on your ballot being private and your choice to vote being a personal one .
Depending on the circumstance , the act of photographing or recording a voter casting a ballot could be voter intimidation — which is illegal.
” Ballot drop boxes have been a flash point in the Trump campaign ’ s efforts to push back on measures that make mail-in voting easier amidst the COVID-19 pandemic .
The campaign sued in federal court @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — which was shot down by a Trump-appointed federal judge this month — hinted that the campaign intended to monitor drop box locations if it couldn ’ t block their use entirely .
The extent of the surveillance efforts became better known , it appears from the New York Times report , when the campaign complained to city officials about instances in which voters had submitted two or three ballots at the drop boxes , instead of just one .
The complaint included images from the footage , the New York Times said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ city provide the campaign with information about the voters , as well as footage from the city ’ s own municipal cameras .
It also demanded that the city assign staff to monitor the drop boxes .
“ We believe these to be just the tip of the iceberg , ” Linda Kerns , a lawyer representing the Trump campaign , wrote in the Oct. 16 letter .
“ Without reasonable checks , this behavior continues unabated and with impunity.
” Pennsylvania allows for voters to have their mail-in ballots submitted by other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the Philadelphia board of elections made this point in his response to the campaign , according to the Times .
“ The Board can not agree with your conclusion on the basis of the information you provided .
Nor can the Board , in exercising its duties , assume that an individual is violating the Election Code when that person can act as an agent for a voter who required assistance , ” lawyer Benjamin Field said in the Oct. 19 response .
Nevertheless , the campaign ’ s complaint was passed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said , though it was not a formal referral .
Already the Trump campaign has seized on minor administrative errors or voter discrepancies to sensationally allege the election is at risk for massive fraud .
For instance , when a handful of military ballots were inadvertently discarded in Luzerne County , Pennsylvania — an incident made public by a bizarre Justice Department press release — campaign representatives touted it as proof that Democrats were trying to steal the election .
In a statement , Trump campaign spokesperson Thea McDonald said it was “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drop box—especially when news outlets do the same—is voter intimidation.
” “ President Trump fought and won to protect voters and make sure ballot harvesting remained illegal in Pennsylvania , ” she said .
“ It is the height of hypocrisy that Democrats and the mainstream media first claim there is zero evidence of illegal voting , then cry foul when Republicans transparently provide evidence.
” Update : This story has been updated with a statement from the Trump campaign .

The Trump campaign is conducting video surveillance of Philadelphia voters turning in mail-in ballots at drop boxes, according to a New York Times report. Then the campaign is using that footage to make accusations of impropriety when a voter turns in two or three ballots, according to the new report.
The revelation earned a warning from Pennsylvania’s attorney general that suggested the tactic could amount to illegal voter intimidation.
“Pennsylvania law permits poll watchers to carry out very discrete and specific duties — videotaping voters at drop boxes is not one of them,” Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro said in a statement to the Times. “Our entire system of voting is built on your ballot being private and your choice to vote being a personal one. Depending on the circumstance, the act of photographing or recording a voter casting a ballot could be voter intimidation — which is illegal.”
Ballot drop boxes have been a flash point in the Trump campaign’s efforts to push back on measures that make mail-in voting easier amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. The campaign sued in federal court to block their use. The lawsuit — which was shot down by a Trump-appointed federal judge this month — hinted that the campaign intended to monitor drop box locations if it couldn’t block their use entirely.
The extent of the surveillance efforts became better known, it appears from the New York Times report, when the campaign complained to city officials about instances in which voters had submitted two or three ballots at the drop boxes, instead of just one.
The complaint included images from the footage, the New York Times said, along with a request that the city provide the campaign with information about the voters, as well as footage from the city’s own municipal cameras. It also demanded that the city assign staff to monitor the drop boxes.
“We believe these to be just the tip of the iceberg,” Linda Kerns, a lawyer representing the Trump campaign, wrote in the Oct. 16 letter. “Without reasonable checks, this behavior continues unabated and with impunity.”
Pennsylvania allows for voters to have their mail-in ballots submitted by other people in certain circumstances.
A lawyer for the Philadelphia board of elections made this point in his response to the campaign, according to the Times.
“The Board cannot agree with your conclusion on the basis of the information you provided. Nor can the Board, in exercising its duties, assume that an individual is violating the Election Code when that person can act as an agent for a voter who required assistance,” lawyer Benjamin Field said in the Oct. 19 response. Nevertheless, the campaign’s complaint was passed along to local prosecutors, the Times said, though it was not a formal referral.
Already the Trump campaign has seized on minor administrative errors or voter discrepancies to sensationally allege the election is at risk for massive fraud. For instance, when a handful of military ballots were inadvertently discarded in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania — an incident made public by a bizarre Justice Department press release — campaign representatives touted it as proof that Democrats were trying to steal the election.
In a statement, Trump campaign spokesperson Thea McDonald said it was “categorically absurd to say that filming a drop box—especially when news outlets do the same—is voter intimidation.”
“President Trump fought and won to protect voters and make sure ballot harvesting remained illegal in Pennsylvania,” she said. “It is the height of hypocrisy that Democrats and the mainstream media first claim there is zero evidence of illegal voting, then cry foul when Republicans transparently provide evidence.”
Update: This story has been updated with a statement from the Trump campaign.