talkingpointsmemo--2020-09-05--Facebook’s Political Ad Ban Also Threatens Ability to Spread Accurate Information on How to Vote

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 .
Facebook this week said it would bar political ads in the seven days before the presidential election .
That could prevent dirty tricks or an “ October surprise ” and give watchdogs time to fact-check statements .
But rather than responding with glee , election officials say the move leaves them worried .
Included in the ban are ads purchased by election officials — secretaries of state and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to inform voters about how voting will work .
The move effectively removes a key communication channel just as millions of Americans will begin to navigate a voting process different from any they ’ ve experienced before .
“ Every state ’ s elections office has a very small communications office that is doing everything that they can to get the word out about the election , ” said Gabe Rosenberg , the communications director for Connecticut Secretary of the State Denise Merrill ( who is not related to this reporter ) .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ bit harder , for , as far as I can see , no real gain.
” The rule change was announced Thursday in a Facebook post by the site ’ s CEO , Mark Zuckerberg .
Previously , Facebook ’ s rules for fact-checking certain campaign ads but not others have come under fire .
Taken together , they demonstrate how Facebook has become an integral piece of the American democratic process — but one that is controlled by the decisions of a private corporation , which can set rules in its own @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last few days before an election can be the most stressful and when communication is needed most .
They remind voters to mail back their absentee ballots and when Election Day voting begins and ends .
Many of these ads can still be run under Facebook ’ s new rules , as long as they ’ re set up more than a week before the election .
Amid the coronavirus pandemic , local election offices are scrambling to find new ways for eligible voters to cast their ballots .
Voting methods and locations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the seven-day window included in Facebook ’ s ban .
A few days before Connecticut ’ s primary election on Aug. 11 , Hurricane Isaias struck the state , knocking out power to more than a million people .
That led Connecticut ’ s governor to make a subtle , but crucial , change to the state ’ s election rules on the day before the election .
He instructed elections officials to count mail-in ballots that had been postmarked by election day , instead of only those that had arrived by election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tens of thousands of people and businesses , “ it was really important that we told people that they only needed to postmark their ballots by election day , because the little bit of news they were getting was that the Postal Service was down , ” Rosenberg said .
The Postal Service ’ s sorting hub in Hartford had lost power for a time after the storm .
“ The only way we can notify people of something changing that late in the process is via Facebook and Instagram , ” he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ print news and the power outage making TV out of the question .
The office spent about $ 2,000 on ads in the week before the state ’ s primary , according to Facebook ’ s published data .
There are other scenarios under which election administrators might have an urgent need to communicate changes to voters .
Dozens of cases that could affect voting rules are wending their way through state courts , including ones that govern how mail-in ballots are processed and whether felons are able to vote .
A key @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before Nov. 3 .
Just this week , the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative announced a $ 250 million donation meant , in part , to help expand voting locations , which could result in new polling places opening late in the process .
Facebook ’ s newly announced rules only apply to new ads about “ social issues , elections or politics.
” Ads placed beforehand can continue running .
There is some basis for the timing : The last few days before an election can be rife with tactics meant to avoid scrutiny @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how polling places are changing , the chances mount that potential voters will miss important information .
Facebook said it is trying to help elections officials , not hinder them .
“ We ’ re committed to supporting the important work election administrators do to make voting possible , ” Tom Channick , a Facebook spokesperson , said in a statement .
He cited new Facebook tools for election administrators , including “ Voting Alerts ” and a page on Facebook that offers information on how to vote .
Unlike ads , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , only on Facebook .
They appear on the voting information page , but they wouldn ’ t normally show up in a user ’ s news feed .
And Facebook won ’ t let election administrators use the voting alert tool unless their Facebook pages do not include the name or a photograph of the officeholder .
Connecticut ’ s page , for instance , does include such information , as do the pages of elections officials in many other states .
Facebook told ProPublica that it ’ s sticking to its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ban , but has offered to help administrators change their pages to be able to use Voting Alerts and says it ’ s considering ways to show the alerts more broadly .
Rosenberg says an easy solution would be to exempt election administrators ’ ads from the temporary ban — or to stop counting their ads as political and forcing them to include “ Paid for by ” disclaimers like ads from campaigns .
That ’ s a solution that Facebook has used before .
Facebook exempted news organizations ’ ads that promoted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after pushback that the site was conflating ads for journalism with political propaganda .
Facebook didn ’ t , however , exempt ads from the U.S. Census Bureau that urged people to fill out the census .
Rosenberg says he ’ s pressed Facebook for an answer about why their political ads rules apply to election administrators ’ ads .
He hasn ’ t gotten one .
“ These aren ’ t political ads .
These are the basic civic building blocks of a democracy , ” Rosenberg says .
“ We ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voters have the info that they need in order to participate .
”

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.
Facebook this week said it would bar political ads in the seven days before the presidential election. That could prevent dirty tricks or an “October surprise” and give watchdogs time to fact-check statements. But rather than responding with glee, election officials say the move leaves them worried.
Included in the ban are ads purchased by election officials — secretaries of state and boards of elections — who use Facebook to inform voters about how voting will work. The move effectively removes a key communication channel just as millions of Americans will begin to navigate a voting process different from any they’ve experienced before.
“Every state’s elections office has a very small communications office that is doing everything that they can to get the word out about the election,” said Gabe Rosenberg, the communications director for Connecticut Secretary of the State Denise Merrill (who is not related to this reporter). “This just makes it a little bit harder, for, as far as I can see, no real gain.”
The rule change was announced Thursday in a Facebook post by the site’s CEO, Mark Zuckerberg. Previously, Facebook’s rules for fact-checking certain campaign ads but not others have come under fire. Taken together, they demonstrate how Facebook has become an integral piece of the American democratic process — but one that is controlled by the decisions of a private corporation, which can set rules in its own interest.
For elections administrators, the last few days before an election can be the most stressful and when communication is needed most. They remind voters to mail back their absentee ballots and when Election Day voting begins and ends. Many of these ads can still be run under Facebook’s new rules, as long as they’re set up more than a week before the election.
Amid the coronavirus pandemic, local election offices are scrambling to find new ways for eligible voters to cast their ballots. Voting methods and locations will be changing fast, even within the seven-day window included in Facebook’s ban.
A few days before Connecticut’s primary election on Aug. 11, Hurricane Isaias struck the state, knocking out power to more than a million people. That led Connecticut’s governor to make a subtle, but crucial, change to the state’s election rules on the day before the election. He instructed elections officials to count mail-in ballots that had been postmarked by election day, instead of only those that had arrived by election day.
With power still out to tens of thousands of people and businesses, “it was really important that we told people that they only needed to postmark their ballots by election day, because the little bit of news they were getting was that the Postal Service was down,” Rosenberg said. The Postal Service’s sorting hub in Hartford had lost power for a time after the storm.
“The only way we can notify people of something changing that late in the process is via Facebook and Instagram,” he said, citing the decline of local print news and the power outage making TV out of the question. The office spent about $2,000 on ads in the week before the state’s primary, according to Facebook’s published data.
There are other scenarios under which election administrators might have an urgent need to communicate changes to voters. Dozens of cases that could affect voting rules are wending their way through state courts, including ones that govern how mail-in ballots are processed and whether felons are able to vote. A key decision could easily be made just days before Nov. 3.
Just this week, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative announced a $250 million donation meant, in part, to help expand voting locations, which could result in new polling places opening late in the process.
Facebook’s newly announced rules only apply to new ads about “social issues, elections or politics.” Ads placed beforehand can continue running.
There is some basis for the timing: The last few days before an election can be rife with tactics meant to avoid scrutiny.
Without a key way to communicate how polling places are changing, the chances mount that potential voters will miss important information.
Facebook said it is trying to help elections officials, not hinder them. “We’re committed to supporting the important work election administrators do to make voting possible,” Tom Channick, a Facebook spokesperson, said in a statement. He cited new Facebook tools for election administrators, including “Voting Alerts” and a page on Facebook that offers information on how to vote.
Unlike ads, the alerts don’t appear on Instagram, only on Facebook. They appear on the voting information page, but they wouldn’t normally show up in a user’s news feed. And Facebook won’t let election administrators use the voting alert tool unless their Facebook pages do not include the name or a photograph of the officeholder. Connecticut’s page, for instance, does include such information, as do the pages of elections officials in many other states.
Facebook told ProPublica that it’s sticking to its decision to include election-administration ads in the ban, but has offered to help administrators change their pages to be able to use Voting Alerts and says it’s considering ways to show the alerts more broadly.
Rosenberg says an easy solution would be to exempt election administrators’ ads from the temporary ban — or to stop counting their ads as political and forcing them to include “Paid for by” disclaimers like ads from campaigns.
That’s a solution that Facebook has used before. Facebook exempted news organizations’ ads that promoted news stories from being treated as political after pushback that the site was conflating ads for journalism with political propaganda. Facebook didn’t, however, exempt ads from the U.S. Census Bureau that urged people to fill out the census.
Rosenberg says he’s pressed Facebook for an answer about why their political ads rules apply to election administrators’ ads. He hasn’t gotten one.
“These aren’t political ads. These are the basic civic building blocks of a democracy,” Rosenberg says. “We’re just trying to make sure that voters have the info that they need in order to participate.”


talkingpointsmemo--2020-09-05--REPORT: DHS Indicates White Supremacists Pose Gravest Terror Threat

White supremacists pose the most serious terror threat to the United States , according to a draft report from the Department of Homeland Security .
Three different drafts of the report obtained by Politico characterize the threat from white supremacists as the deadliest domestic terror threat in the United States .
All three documents also report that 2019 was the deadliest year for domestic violent extremists since the Oklahoma City Bombing in 1995 .
The documents indicate that “ lone offenders ” and “ small cells of individuals ” are increasingly joining up with people who share their ideologies and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the United States.
” “ Among these groups , we assess that white supremacist extremists – who increasingly are networking with likeminded persons abroad – will pose the most persistent and lethal threat , ” the report indicates .
Later drafts of the report refer to “ Domestic Violent Extremists ” –– shifting away from the terminology “ white supremacist extremists ” –– as “ the most persistent and lethal threat.
” The threat of these groups in all three reports is ranked above the immediate danger posed by foreign terrorist groups @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to call for Homeland attacks but probably will remain constrained in their ability to direct such plots over the next year , ” the report states .
According to Politico , none of the drafts indicated a threat from Antifa , who President Donald Trump and White House officials have suggested are invading American cities to cause chaos by looting and initiating violent riots .
Two drafts of the report suggest that extremists have tried to exploit the “ social grievances ” that have proliferated protests around the country .
“ Among DVEs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ judge that white supremacist extremists ( WSEs ) will remain the most persistent and lethal threat in the Homeland through 2021 , ” all three versions of the report state .
The two later drafts of the report suggest that “ simple tactics – such as vehicle ramming , small arms , edged weapons , arson , and rudimentary improvised explosive devices – probably will be most common.
” The report also weighed in on foreign threats , indicatinf that in fact Russia will probably be “ the primary covert foreign influence actor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Homeland.
” The news comes as President Trump often appears to defend Russia , even refusing in a press conference on Friday to condemn Russia for the poisoning of opposition leader Aleksei Navalny .
The President seeking to turn attention away from Putin , said that he found it “ interesting ” how often Russia was invoked with regard to foreign relations .
As he redirected , President Trump continued instead to rail against China — painting the East Asian nation as a key threat , even as national security officials have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the US elections .
“ I don ’ t mind you mentioning Russia , but I think probably China , at this point , is a nation that you should be talking about much more so than Russia because the things that China is doing are far worse , if you take a look at what ’ s happening with the world , ” Trump said .
According to Politico , former acting DHS Sec .
Kevin McAleenan led the department to begin producing annual homeland threat assessments .
All three versions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s State of the Homeland Threat Assessment 2020 — were produced in August .
It is unclear when the assessment which has not been released publicly , will be made accessible .

White supremacists pose the most serious terror threat to the United States, according to a draft report from the Department of Homeland Security.
Three different drafts of the report obtained by Politico characterize the threat from white supremacists as the deadliest domestic terror threat in the United States.
All three documents also report that 2019 was the deadliest year for domestic violent extremists since the Oklahoma City Bombing in 1995.
The documents indicate that “lone offenders” and “small cells of individuals” are increasingly joining up with people who share their ideologies and “will pose the primary terrorist threat to the United States.”
“Among these groups, we assess that white supremacist extremists – who increasingly are networking with likeminded persons abroad – will pose the most persistent and lethal threat,” the report indicates.
Later drafts of the report refer to “Domestic Violent Extremists” –– shifting away from the terminology “white supremacist extremists” –– as “the most persistent and lethal threat.”
The threat of these groups in all three reports is ranked above the immediate danger posed by foreign terrorist groups.
“Foreign terrorist organizations will continue to call for Homeland attacks but probably will remain constrained in their ability to direct such plots over the next year,” the report states.
According to Politico, none of the drafts indicated a threat from Antifa, who President Donald Trump and White House officials have suggested are invading American cities to cause chaos by looting and initiating violent riots. Two drafts of the report suggest that extremists have tried to exploit the “social grievances” that have proliferated protests around the country.
“Among DVEs [Domestic Violent Extremists], we judge that white supremacist extremists (WSEs) will remain the most persistent and lethal threat in the Homeland through 2021,” all three versions of the report state.
The two later drafts of the report suggest that “simple tactics – such as vehicle ramming, small arms, edged weapons, arson, and rudimentary improvised explosive devices – probably will be most common.”
The report also weighed in on foreign threats, indicatinf that in fact Russia will probably be “the primary covert foreign influence actor and purveyor of disinformation and misinformation in the Homeland.”
The news comes as President Trump often appears to defend Russia, even refusing in a press conference on Friday to condemn Russia for the poisoning of opposition leader Aleksei Navalny. The President seeking to turn attention away from Putin, said that he found it “interesting” how often Russia was invoked with regard to foreign relations.
As he redirected, President Trump continued instead to rail against China — painting the East Asian nation as a key threat, even as national security officials have indicated grave concerns about continued Russian meddling in the US elections.
“I don’t mind you mentioning Russia, but I think probably China, at this point, is a nation that you should be talking about much more so than Russia because the things that China is doing are far worse, if you take a look at what’s happening with the world,” Trump said.
According to Politico, former acting DHS Sec. Kevin McAleenan led the department to begin producing annual homeland threat assessments. All three versions of the report — entitled DHS’s State of the Homeland Threat Assessment 2020 — were produced in August.
It is unclear when the assessment which has not been released publicly, will be made accessible.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-09-05--Strzok Calls Attacks From Trump ‘Outrageous’ And ‘Cruel’

WASHINGTON ( AP ) — Peter Strzok spent his FBI career hunting Russian and Chinese spies , but after news broke of derogatory text messages he had sent about President Donald Trump , he came to feel like he was the one being hunted .
There were menacing phone calls and messages from strangers , and anxious peeks out window shades before his family would leave the house .
FBI security experts advised him of best practices — walk around your car before entering , watch for unfamiliar vehicles in your neighborhood — more commonly associated with mob targets looking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to outrageous attacks up to and including by the president himself , which are full of lies and mischaracterizations and just crude and cruel , is horrible , ” Strzok told The Associated Press in an interview .
“ There ’ s no way around it.
” A new book by Strzok traces his arc from veteran counterintelligence agent to the man who came to embody Trump ’ s public scorn of FBI and his characterization of its Russia investigation as a “ witch hunt.
” The texts cost Strzok his job and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ among Trump critics , Strzok isn ’ t a hero .
His anti-Trump texts on a government phone to an FBI lawyer gave Trump and his supporters a major opening to undercut the bureau ’ s credibility right as it was conducting one of the most consequential investigations in its history .
Trump ’ s attacks have continued even as two inspector general reports found no evidence Strzok ’ s work in the investigations were tainted by political bias and multiple probes have affirmed the Russia probe ’ s validity .
Strzok expresses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Compromised : Counterintelligence and the Threat of Donald J. Trump , ” due out Tuesday .
“ I deeply regret casually commenting about the things I observed in the headlines and behind the scenes , and I regret how effectively my words were weaponized to harm the Bureau and buttress absurd conspiracy theories about our vital work , ” Strzok writes .
Before becoming a virtual household name , Strzok spent two decades at the FBI toiling in relative anonymity on sensational spy cases .
He helped uncover Russian sleeper agents inside the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and led the investigation into whether Hillary Clinton mishandled classified information .
( She did , he writes , but not in a way meriting prosecution ) .
After the Clinton case concluded in July 2016 , Strzok opened an investigation into whether the campaign of her Republican opponent was coordinating with Russia , conceiving the “ Crossfire Hurricane ” codename he says proved prescient .
In the interview , Strzok said he wanted his book to lend insight into the Clinton probe , Russian election interference and , “ first and foremost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Donald Trump.
” “ To do that , ” he added , “ I wanted to show the reader what happened but also why they should believe me.
” As the investigation progressed , Strzok came to regard the Trump administration ’ s actions regarding Russia as “ highly suspicious ” and the president as compromised by Russia , including because of financial dealings in Moscow about which Strzok says Trump repeatedly lied .
Those concerns deepened after Trump fired James Comey as FBI director and bragged to a Russian diplomat that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The FBI began investigating whether Trump himself was under Russia ’ s sway , finding “ too much smoke ” to not look for fire , Strzok writes .
“ And the closer we got to the Oval Office , the stronger the smell seemed to become , ” he said .
Special counsel Robert Mueller ’ s investigation revealed significant contacts between the Trump campaign and Russia but found insufficient evidence of a criminal conspiracy .
Strzok documents pivotal moments during the investigation , recounting for instance how then-national security adviser Michael @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and another agent about his Russian contacts even though Flynn had not shown customary signs of deceit agents are trained to look for .
Though Trump supporters contend the interview was designed to get Flynn to lie , Strzok says the FBI actually gave him multiple prompts to refresh his memory .
While Attorney General William Barr has said the interview was done without a legitimate purpose , Strzok says it was necessary to better understand the Trump orbit ’ s ties to Russia and Flynn ’ s own “ hidden negotiation with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our elections.
” Flynn later pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI .
Barr ’ s request to dismiss the case is pending .
In another episode , he says then-Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein asked him to remain behind after a meeting and pressed him skeptically about a perjury investigation into Attorney General Jeff Sessions for statements made at his confirmation hearing .
Sessions was never charged .
Rosenstein declined to comment .
Strzok ’ s stint on Mueller ’ s team was short-lived , upended in the summer of 2017 by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anti-Trump text messages he ’ d exchanged during the campaign with an FBI lawyer with whom he had had an extramarital relationship .
He was summoned to meet with Mueller , who in a “ soft voice ” told Strzok he was being removed .
Transferred into the more bureaucratic Human Resources Division , Strzok says Deputy Director David Bowdich reassured him the situation could be worse , including if Trump had gotten hold of the texts .
That ’ s exactly what happened two months later when news broke about the texts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reporters .
By his own count , Strzok says , Trump has attacked him since then more than 100 times in tweets .
The text message leak is part of a lawsuit from Strzok , who also conveys discontent at how his career ended .
After Trump accused Strzok of treason , Strzok appealed to the FBI for a statement condemning the remarks , but got none .
The FBI scrambled to remove his access to categories of classified information so Director Chris Wray could inform lawmakers the next day .
Senior leadership @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Today , Strzok is teaching at Georgetown University and watching from the outside for election interference from Russia , which he warns had information it did not use in 2016 .
“ I can ’ t talk in a lot of detail about that , ” he added , “ but I do think they returned those arrows to their quiver and made them better for this year .
”

WASHINGTON (AP) — Peter Strzok spent his FBI career hunting Russian and Chinese spies, but after news broke of derogatory text messages he had sent about President Donald Trump, he came to feel like he was the one being hunted.
There were menacing phone calls and messages from strangers, and anxious peeks out window shades before his family would leave the house. FBI security experts advised him of best practices — walk around your car before entering, watch for unfamiliar vehicles in your neighborhood — more commonly associated with mob targets looking to elude detection.
“Being subjected to outrageous attacks up to and including by the president himself, which are full of lies and mischaracterizations and just crude and cruel, is horrible,” Strzok told The Associated Press in an interview. “There’s no way around it.”
A new book by Strzok traces his arc from veteran counterintelligence agent to the man who came to embody Trump’s public scorn of FBI and his characterization of its Russia investigation as a “witch hunt.” The texts cost Strzok his job and drew vitriol from Trump. But even among Trump critics, Strzok isn’t a hero. His anti-Trump texts on a government phone to an FBI lawyer gave Trump and his supporters a major opening to undercut the bureau’s credibility right as it was conducting one of the most consequential investigations in its history.
Trump’s attacks have continued even as two inspector general reports found no evidence Strzok’s work in the investigations were tainted by political bias and multiple probes have affirmed the Russia probe’s validity.
Strzok expresses measured regret for the texts in “Compromised: Counterintelligence and the Threat of Donald J. Trump,” due out Tuesday.
“I deeply regret casually commenting about the things I observed in the headlines and behind the scenes, and I regret how effectively my words were weaponized to harm the Bureau and buttress absurd conspiracy theories about our vital work,” Strzok writes.
Before becoming a virtual household name, Strzok spent two decades at the FBI toiling in relative anonymity on sensational spy cases. He helped uncover Russian sleeper agents inside the U.S., worked the Edward Snowden case and led the investigation into whether Hillary Clinton mishandled classified information. (She did, he writes, but not in a way meriting prosecution).
After the Clinton case concluded in July 2016, Strzok opened an investigation into whether the campaign of her Republican opponent was coordinating with Russia, conceiving the “Crossfire Hurricane” codename he says proved prescient.
In the interview, Strzok said he wanted his book to lend insight into the Clinton probe, Russian election interference and, “first and foremost, the counterintelligence threat that I see in Donald Trump.”
“To do that,” he added, “I wanted to show the reader what happened but also why they should believe me.”
As the investigation progressed, Strzok came to regard the Trump administration’s actions regarding Russia as “highly suspicious” and the president as compromised by Russia, including because of financial dealings in Moscow about which Strzok says Trump repeatedly lied.
Those concerns deepened after Trump fired James Comey as FBI director and bragged to a Russian diplomat that “great pressure” was removed. The FBI began investigating whether Trump himself was under Russia’s sway, finding “too much smoke” to not look for fire, Strzok writes.
“And the closer we got to the Oval Office, the stronger the smell seemed to become,” he said.
Special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation revealed significant contacts between the Trump campaign and Russia but found insufficient evidence of a criminal conspiracy.
Strzok documents pivotal moments during the investigation, recounting for instance how then-national security adviser Michael Flynn “baldly lied” to him and another agent about his Russian contacts even though Flynn had not shown customary signs of deceit agents are trained to look for.
Though Trump supporters contend the interview was designed to get Flynn to lie, Strzok says the FBI actually gave him multiple prompts to refresh his memory. While Attorney General William Barr has said the interview was done without a legitimate purpose, Strzok says it was necessary to better understand the Trump orbit’s ties to Russia and Flynn’s own “hidden negotiation with a foreign power that had just attacked our elections.”
Flynn later pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI. Barr’s request to dismiss the case is pending.
In another episode, he says then-Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein asked him to remain behind after a meeting and pressed him skeptically about a perjury investigation into Attorney General Jeff Sessions for statements made at his confirmation hearing. Sessions was never charged. Rosenstein declined to comment.
Strzok’s stint on Mueller’s team was short-lived, upended in the summer of 2017 by the inspector general’s discovery of anti-Trump text messages he’d exchanged during the campaign with an FBI lawyer with whom he had had an extramarital relationship.
He was summoned to meet with Mueller, who in a “soft voice” told Strzok he was being removed.
Transferred into the more bureaucratic Human Resources Division, Strzok says Deputy Director David Bowdich reassured him the situation could be worse, including if Trump had gotten hold of the texts.
That’s exactly what happened two months later when news broke about the texts and the Justice Department disclosed them to reporters. By his own count, Strzok says, Trump has attacked him since then more than 100 times in tweets.
The text message leak is part of a lawsuit from Strzok, who also conveys discontent at how his career ended.
After Trump accused Strzok of treason, Strzok appealed to the FBI for a statement condemning the remarks, but got none. The FBI scrambled to remove his access to categories of classified information so Director Chris Wray could inform lawmakers the next day. Senior leadership overturned a lower-level decision in firing him.
Today, Strzok is teaching at Georgetown University and watching from the outside for election interference from Russia, which he warns had information it did not use in 2016.
“I can’t talk in a lot of detail about that,” he added, “but I do think they returned those arrows to their quiver and made them better for this year.”


talkingpointsmemo--2020-09-06--Trump Admin, Ohio Gov Deny Trump’s ‘Loser’ Remark Amid Silence From Hill GOPers

Trump administration officials and Ohio Gov .
Mike DeWine ( R ) on Sunday came to President Trump ’ s defense amid backlash over his disparaging remarks toward fallen soldiers that were first reported in The Atlantic .
According to a report in The Atlantic published Thursday , Trump skipped a visit to the cemetery in France honoring fallen soldiers in the Battle of Belleau Woods , who he reportedly dismissed as “ losers.
” The President also reportedly called the late Sen. John McCain ( R-AZ ) — who was captured by the Vietnamese , tortured and imprisoned for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fucking loser ” in 2018 .
In a series of tweets on Thursday night , Trump denied that he had mocked McCain and fallen soldiers behind closed doors , and dismissed the report as “ fake news.
” Trump also attacked The Atlantic in a Sunday morning tweet by particularly taking aim at its majority owner , Laurene Powell Jobs .
During an interview on CNN on Sunday , editor-in-chief of The Atlantic Jeffrey Goldberg fired back at the President , saying that the magazine won ’ t hold back on reporting on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not going to be intimidated by the President of the United States , ” Goldberg told CNN .
“ We ’ re going to do our jobs.
” Although Trump administration officials such as Defense Secretary Mark Esper have defended the President following The Atlantic ’ s report , Republicans on Capitol Hill have yet to directly weigh in on the controversy that has ensued .
Thus far , Sen. Lindsey Graham ( R-SC ) praised the President for saying that he will reverse the Pentagon ’ s plan to shutter the military @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that came shortly after The Atlantic ’ s report was published — but has not publicly responded to Trump ’ s reportedly disparaging comments on fallen soldiers .
Here ’ s how Trump administration officials and DeWine came to the President ’ s defense on Sunday : When asked whether he recalls hearing the President say disparaging things about service members during an interview on CNN , Wilkie replied , “ Well , absolutely not.
” “ And I would be offended , too , if I thought it was true , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think anonymous are the same people that brought you fake heart attacks , fake strokes , Russian collusion .
So , I am very proud that this president has led to a renaissance at Veterans Affairs.
” Later in the interview , Wilkie brushed off Trump ’ s reported comments that tore into McCain as “ politics ” and that “ it ’ s the heat of a campaign.
” After Wilkie said that he “ judges a man by his actions , ” he said that he “ absolutely ” considers the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
During an interview on “ Fox News Sunday , Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin insisted that Trump “ supports the military in an unbelievable way , ” citing how he has accompanied the President during his visits to the Arlington National Cemetery , the World War II Memorial and the 9/11 Pentagon Memorial .
“ I think this president has enormous respect for the military and for the generals , ” Mnuchin said on Fox News Sunday .
“ This President respects and supports the U.S. military.
” During an interview on ABC @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been “ extremely respectful ” when speaking about the military .
After ABC News ’ Martha Raddatz pointed out that multiple outlets have confirmed The Atlantic ’ s report — which cites four anonymous sources — DeWine suggested that sources should publicly come forward or else “ it ’ s never going to have the credibility , ” before reiterating that the President has been “ extremely respectful ” regarding his comments on the military .
DeWine also said that he disagrees with Trump ’ s past comments that were critical of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pointing out that the report in The Atlantic came out amid an election season .
“ I mean , you know , we ’ re into the campaign .
You know , a lot of things come out in a campaign , ” DeWine said .
“ And I think sometimes people — when they only come out during a campaign , you know , people are somewhat skeptical about them .
”

Trump administration officials and Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) on Sunday came to President Trump’s defense amid backlash over his disparaging remarks toward fallen soldiers that were first reported in The Atlantic.
According to a report in The Atlantic published Thursday, Trump skipped a visit to the cemetery in France honoring fallen soldiers in the Battle of Belleau Woods, who he reportedly dismissed as “losers.” The President also reportedly called the late Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) — who was captured by the Vietnamese, tortured and imprisoned for more than five years — a “fucking loser” in 2018.
In a series of tweets on Thursday night, Trump denied that he had mocked McCain and fallen soldiers behind closed doors, and dismissed the report as “fake news.”
Trump also attacked The Atlantic in a Sunday morning tweet by particularly taking aim at its majority owner, Laurene Powell Jobs.
Steve Jobs would not be happy that his wife is wasting money he left her on a failing Radical Left Magazine that is run by a con man (Goldberg) and spews FAKE NEWS & HATE. Call her, write her, let her know how you feel!!! https://t.co/wwuoP85bQE — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 6, 2020
During an interview on CNN on Sunday, editor-in-chief of The Atlantic Jeffrey Goldberg fired back at the President, saying that the magazine won’t hold back on reporting on his administration.
“We’re not going to be intimidated by the President of the United States,” Goldberg told CNN. “We’re going to do our jobs.”
Although Trump administration officials such as Defense Secretary Mark Esper have defended the President following The Atlantic’s report, Republicans on Capitol Hill have yet to directly weigh in on the controversy that has ensued. Thus far, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) praised the President for saying that he will reverse the Pentagon’s plan to shutter the military newspaper Stars and Stripes — a decision that came shortly after The Atlantic’s report was published — but has not publicly responded to Trump’s reportedly disparaging comments on fallen soldiers.
Here’s how Trump administration officials and DeWine came to the President’s defense on Sunday:
Veterans Affairs secretary Robert Wilkie
When asked whether he recalls hearing the President say disparaging things about service members during an interview on CNN, Wilkie replied, “Well, absolutely not.”
“And I would be offended, too, if I thought it was true,” Wilkie said. “Again, I think anonymous are the same people that brought you fake heart attacks, fake strokes, Russian collusion. So, I am very proud that this president has led to a renaissance at Veterans Affairs.”
Later in the interview, Wilkie brushed off Trump’s reported comments that tore into McCain as “politics” and that “it’s the heat of a campaign.”
After Wilkie said that he “judges a man by his actions,” he said that he “absolutely” considers the late McCain to be a war hero.
Veterans Affairs secretary Robert Wilkie denies Trump making disparaging comments about fallen soldiers: "Well, absolutely not. And I would be offended, too, if I thought it was true." pic.twitter.com/LHRLf1zlg7 — Talking Points Memo (@TPM) September 6, 2020
Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin
During an interview on “Fox News Sunday, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin insisted that Trump “supports the military in an unbelievable way,” citing how he has accompanied the President during his visits to the Arlington National Cemetery, the World War II Memorial and the 9/11 Pentagon Memorial.
“I think this president has enormous respect for the military and for the generals,” Mnuchin said on Fox News Sunday. “This President respects and supports the U.S. military.”
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R)
During an interview on ABC News, DeWine said that Trump has been “extremely respectful” when speaking about the military.
After ABC News’ Martha Raddatz pointed out that multiple outlets have confirmed The Atlantic’s report — which cites four anonymous sources — DeWine suggested that sources should publicly come forward or else “it’s never going to have the credibility,” before reiterating that the President has been “extremely respectful” regarding his comments on the military.
DeWine also said that he disagrees with Trump’s past comments that were critical of the late McCain, but echoed Wilkie in pointing out that the report in The Atlantic came out amid an election season.
“I mean, you know, we’re into the campaign. You know, a lot of things come out in a campaign,” DeWine said. “And I think sometimes people — when they only come out during a campaign, you know, people are somewhat skeptical about them.”


talkingpointsmemo--2020-09-06--Texas Sheriff: Five Boats Sank In Trump Supporter Boat Parade, But No Fatalities

AUSTIN , Texas ( AP ) — Five boats sank in a Texas lake during a nautical parade in support of President Donald Trump , but no one was injured or killed , officials said Sunday .
Boaters began calling for help “ almost immediately ” after the procession for Trump ’ s reelection got underway on a lake west of Austin on Saturday , according to Kristen Dark of the Travis County Sheriff ’ s Office .
Deputies ultimately responded to 15 distress calls and received three other reports of boats taking on water .
Images of the event @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the wakes of dozens of boats flying American , Texas and “ Trump 2020 ” flags .
Dark said that weather on the roughly 19,000-acre ( 7,690-hectare ) lake was calm , but that the tightly packed boats created large waves in areas .
Deputies have found no evidence of foul play , she said .
The first call for help came at 12:15 p.m. , and later distress calls were for boats taking on water , stalled engines and capsizing , Dark said .
Three of the boats that sank were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two were still at the bottom of the lake , she said .
Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services received no calls for service related to the parade , a spokeswoman said .

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Five boats sank in a Texas lake during a nautical parade in support of President Donald Trump, but no one was injured or killed, officials said Sunday.
Boaters began calling for help “almost immediately” after the procession for Trump’s reelection got underway on a lake west of Austin on Saturday, according to Kristen Dark of the Travis County Sheriff’s Office. Deputies ultimately responded to 15 distress calls and received three other reports of boats taking on water.
Images of the event show the water of Lake Travis choppy with the wakes of dozens of boats flying American, Texas and “Trump 2020” flags.
Dark said that weather on the roughly 19,000-acre (7,690-hectare) lake was calm, but that the tightly packed boats created large waves in areas. Deputies have found no evidence of foul play, she said.
The first call for help came at 12:15 p.m., and later distress calls were for boats taking on water, stalled engines and capsizing, Dark said.
Three of the boats that sank were towed to shore, while the other two were still at the bottom of the lake, she said.
Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services received no calls for service related to the parade, a spokeswoman said.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-09-06--Secretaries Of States Expect Delayed Results In The November Election

State election officials signaled during an interview on MSNBC ’ s “ Meet the Press ” on Sunday that they expect election results in November to face delays as more states expand access to mail-in voting in light of the COVID-19 pandemic .
Election officials in Michigan , Ohio and North Carolina said that their respective states are taking measures to address an anticipated surge of absentee ballots ahead of the November election , despite President Trump ’ s baseless claims that vote-by-mail leads to voter fraud .
Here ’ s how they weighed in : When MSNBC ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election results to come in closer to Thanksgiving — given how the state can ’ t start processing until Election Day and that it took a long time for results to be finalized during primary season — Benson refuted the notion , but conceded that “ we should be prepared for this to be closer to an Election Week , as opposed to an Election Day.
” “ I mean , the bottom line is we are not going to have the full results and a counting of all of our ballots on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Benson said .
“ We ’ ve asked the legislature to make changes to the law to give us more ability to be prepared and count those ballots more efficiently .
They have not acted for reasons that I don ’ t fully , completely understand.
” Benson said that tabulators are being increased in order to more efficiently and securely count ballots .
“ And if it takes a few extra days to ensure we have a full and accurate counting of the results of every race , that ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take , ” Benson said .
“ And we ’ re going to be transparent throughout that whole process to make sure every citizen knows exactly where we are in the counting process and how many more ballots we have to get through.
” After saying his top concern is recruiting poll workers for Election Day and that he ’ s disappointed by the state ’ s legislature for not acting on resources to provide postage-paid absentee ballots to every registered voter who requests one , LaRose said that he is certain that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , despite Sen. Marco Rubio ’ s ( R-FL ) bill that would change the day the electors meet from to Jan. 2 .
However , LaRose acknowledged that the expected increase in absentee voting this year prompted Ohio to make efforts to clearly communicate to voters that Election Night totals aren ’ t final results .
“ We know that over the next ten days , as long as those ballots were legally cast , they can continue to be received at our Board of Elections .
That ’ s our law @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ And so we ’ re making it clear that the numbers that you hear on Election Night are never the final result , and that ’ s going to be even more so the case this year as we rely on more and more absentee balloting.
” LaRose said that Ohio is changing its Election Night reporting on its website by being transparent that “ there still may be tens or hundreds of thousands of outstanding absentee ballots.
” “ We expect those to come back in .
Whether it ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who ’ s serving overseas , or maybe an Ohioan that just procrastinated and waited till the last minute , as long as those ballots are legally cast , they deserve to be counted , ” LaRose said .
“ And so again , Election Night , yeah , we ’ ll give a snapshot of those results .
But the final tabulation is what really matters.
” Karen Brinson Bell , executive director of the North Carolina State Board of Elections Although she ’ s not particularly worried about North Carolina dealing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Brinson Bell acknowledged that the state is “ uniquely positioned ” due to sending out nearly 600,000 absentee-by-mail ballots on Friday .
“ We are ahead of the game in sending out those ballots , ” Brinson Bell said .
“ That ’ s more time for voters to return them.
” Brinson Bell added that North Carolina has had the ability to process absentee-by-mail ballots ahead of Election Day .
“ We also tabulate on Election Day the results from our one-stop early voting , which we think will be about 50 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ll have probably had 30 percent , 40 percent of the ballots cast absentee-by-mail , ” Brinson Bell said .
“ So even by the close of polls on Election Night , we may be reporting as much as 80 % of our voter turnout and how they ’ ve chosen before — at the time that the polls close .
”

State election officials signaled during an interview on MSNBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday that they expect election results in November to come in slower than usual as more states expand access to mail-in voting in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Election officials in Michigan, Ohio and North Carolina said that their respective states are taking measures to address an anticipated surge of absentee ballots ahead of the November election, despite President Trump’s baseless claims that vote-by-mail leads to voter fraud.
Here’s how they weighed in:
Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson
When MSNBC’s Chuck Todd asked whether Michigan should expect election results to come in closer to Thanksgiving — given how the state can’t start processing until Election Day and that it took a long time for results to be finalized during primary season — Benson refuted the notion, but conceded that “we should be prepared for this to be closer to an Election Week, as opposed to an Election Day.”
“I mean, the bottom line is we are not going to have the full results and a counting of all of our ballots on Election Night. We already know that,” Benson said. “We’ve asked the legislature to make changes to the law to give us more ability to be prepared and count those ballots more efficiently. They have not acted for reasons that I don’t fully, completely understand.”
Benson said that tabulators are being increased in order to more efficiently and securely count ballots.
Benson added that she’s “laser-focused on accuracy.”
“And if it takes a few extra days to ensure we have a full and accurate counting of the results of every race, that’s what it’s going to take,” Benson said. “And we’re going to be transparent throughout that whole process to make sure every citizen knows exactly where we are in the counting process and how many more ballots we have to get through.”
Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose
After saying his top concern is recruiting poll workers for Election Day and that he’s disappointed by the state’s legislature for not acting on resources to provide postage-paid absentee ballots to every registered voter who requests one, LaRose said that he is certain that the Electoral College will meet on Dec.14, despite Sen. Marco Rubio’s (R-FL) bill that would change the day the electors meet from to Jan. 2.
However, LaRose acknowledged that the expected increase in absentee voting this year prompted Ohio to make efforts to clearly communicate to voters that Election Night totals aren’t final results.
“We know that over the next ten days, as long as those ballots were legally cast, they can continue to be received at our Board of Elections. That’s our law here in Ohio,” LaRose said. “And so we’re making it clear that the numbers that you hear on Election Night are never the final result, and that’s going to be even more so the case this year as we rely on more and more absentee balloting.”
LaRose said that Ohio is changing its Election Night reporting on its website by being transparent that “there still may be tens or hundreds of thousands of outstanding absentee ballots.”
“We expect those to come back in. Whether it’s one of my former military teammates who’s serving overseas, or maybe an Ohioan that just procrastinated and waited till the last minute, as long as those ballots are legally cast, they deserve to be counted,” LaRose said. “And so again, Election Night, yeah, we’ll give a snapshot of those results. But the final tabulation is what really matters.”
Karen Brinson Bell, executive director of the North Carolina State Board of Elections
Although she’s not particularly worried about North Carolina dealing with a surge in absentee ballots, Brinson Bell acknowledged that the state is “uniquely positioned” due to sending out nearly 600,000 absentee-by-mail ballots on Friday.
“We are ahead of the game in sending out those ballots,” Brinson Bell said. “That’s more time for voters to return them.”
Brinson Bell added that North Carolina has had the ability to process absentee-by-mail ballots ahead of Election Day.
“We also tabulate on Election Day the results from our one-stop early voting, which we think will be about 50 percent of the ballots cast. We’ll have probably had 30 percent, 40 percent of the ballots cast absentee-by-mail,” Brinson Bell said. “So even by the close of polls on Election Night, we may be reporting as much as 80% of our voter turnout and how they’ve chosen before — at the time that the polls close.”


talkingpointsmemo--2020-09-06--Ex-Staffers At DeJoy’s Former Business Say He Reimbursed Them For Donations To GOPers

People who worked for Postmaster General Louis DeJoy ’ s former company were reportedly pressured to make political donations to Republican candidates and were reimbursed with bonus payments for doing so .
The Washington Post reported on Sunday that five people who worked at DeJoy ’ s former business , New Breed Logistics , claimed that either DeJoy or his aides would urge them to write checks and attend fundraisers at his 15,000-square-foot gated mansion adjacent to a Greensboro , North Carolina , country club .
DeJoy — who was known as a prominent GOP fundraiser prior to his appointment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ host fundraising events at his mansion for Republicans running for the White House and Congress , which routinely raised $ 100,000 or more per event .
Two other employees familiar with New Breed ’ s financial and payroll systems told the Post that DeJoy would order bonuses to staffers who made the political contributions that he urged — a move that would be considered unlawful .
Reimbursing employees for political contributions is a violation of North Carolina and federal election laws .
“ Louis was a national fundraiser for the Republican Party .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ gave him the money , and then he reciprocated by giving us big bonuses , ” David Young , DeJoy ’ s longtime director of human resources , told the Post .
“ When we got our bonuses , let ’ s just say they were bigger , they exceeded expectations — and that covered the tax and everything else.
” Another former employee , who spoke on the condition of anonymity , also told the Post that DeJoy ordered additional compensation for employees who had made political contributions and that he would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ individuals .
“ He would ask employees to make contributions at the same time that he would say , ‘ I ’ ll get it back to you down the road , ’ ” the former employee told the Post .
Monty Hagler , a spokesman for DeJoy , denied that the Postmaster General was aware that any of his former employees had felt pressured to make political donations toward Republican candidates , according to the Post .
The Post noted that Hagler did not provide a direct response to allegations that DeJoy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but insisted that the Postmaster General “ believes that he has always followed campaign fundraising laws and regulations.
” Hagler told the Post that DeJoy “ sought and received legal advice ” from a former general counsel for the Federal Election Commission “ to ensure that he , New Breed Logistics and any person affiliated with New Breed fully complied with any and all laws.
” After saying that DeJoy “ believes that all campaign fundraising laws and regulations should be complied with in all respects , ” Hagler told the Post @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ to be active in their communities , schools , churches , civic groups , sporting events and the politics that governs our nation.
” According to the Post , Hagler denied that DeJoy was ever notified by his former employees that they felt pressured into making political contributions and that “ he regrets if any employee felt uncomfortable for any reason.
” North Carolina attorney general Josh Stein issued a statement following the Post ’ s report , which reiterated that it ’ s unlawful to reimburse people for making a political @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an investigation into DeJoy ’ s alleged reimbursements to former employees will be launched .

People who worked for Postmaster General Louis DeJoy’s former company were reportedly pressured to make political donations to Republican candidates and were reimbursed with bonus payments for doing so.
The Washington Post reported on Sunday that five people who worked at DeJoy’s former business, New Breed Logistics, claimed that either DeJoy or his aides would urge them to write checks and attend fundraisers at his 15,000-square-foot gated mansion adjacent to a Greensboro, North Carolina, country club.
DeJoy — who was known as a prominent GOP fundraiser prior to his appointment as Postmaster General in May — would host fundraising events at his mansion for Republicans running for the White House and Congress, which routinely raised $100,000 or more per event.
Two other employees familiar with New Breed’s financial and payroll systems told the Post that DeJoy would order bonuses to staffers who made the political contributions that he urged — a move that would be considered unlawful. Reimbursing employees for political contributions is a violation of North Carolina and federal election laws.
“Louis was a national fundraiser for the Republican Party. He asked employees for money. We gave him the money, and then he reciprocated by giving us big bonuses,” David Young, DeJoy’s longtime director of human resources, told the Post. “When we got our bonuses, let’s just say they were bigger, they exceeded expectations — and that covered the tax and everything else.”
Another former employee, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, also told the Post that DeJoy ordered additional compensation for employees who had made political contributions and that he would instruct managers to give bonuses to specific individuals.
“He would ask employees to make contributions at the same time that he would say, ‘I’ll get it back to you down the road,’ ” the former employee told the Post.
Monty Hagler, a spokesman for DeJoy, denied that the Postmaster General was aware that any of his former employees had felt pressured to make political donations toward Republican candidates, according to the Post.
The Post noted that Hagler did not provide a direct response to allegations that DeJoy would reimburse his employees who made contributions, but insisted that the Postmaster General “believes that he has always followed campaign fundraising laws and regulations.”
Hagler told the Post that DeJoy “sought and received legal advice” from a former general counsel for the Federal Election Commission “to ensure that he, New Breed Logistics and any person affiliated with New Breed fully complied with any and all laws.”
After saying that DeJoy “believes that all campaign fundraising laws and regulations should be complied with in all respects,” Hagler told the Post that he encouraged his employees and relatives “to be active in their communities, schools, churches, civic groups, sporting events and the politics that governs our nation.”
According to the Post, Hagler denied that DeJoy was ever notified by his former employees that they felt pressured into making political contributions and that “he regrets if any employee felt uncomfortable for any reason.”
North Carolina attorney general Josh Stein issued a statement following the Post’s report, which reiterated that it’s unlawful to reimburse people for making a political contributions, but declined to say whether an investigation into DeJoy’s alleged reimbursements to former employees will be launched.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-09-06--VA Secretary Swats Down Report On Trump Calling Fallen Soldiers ‘Losers’

Veterans Affairs secretary Robert Wilkie on Sunday hit back at The Atlantic report that quoted President Trump calling slain soldiers in the Battle of Belleau Woods “ losers , ” but broke from the President ’ s past criticism of the late Sen. John McCain ( R-AZ ) .
According to a report in The Atlantic published Thursday , Trump made disparaging comments about American troops , which included skipping a visit to the cemetery in France honoring fallen soldiers in the Battle of Belleau Woods , who he reportedly dismissed as “ losers.
” The Atlantic also reported that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a “ fucking loser.
” In a series of tweets on Thursday night , Trump denied that he had mocked McCain and fallen soldiers behind closed doors , and dismissed the report as “ fake news.
” When asked whether he ever heard the President say disparaging things about service members during an interview on CNN , Wilkie replied , “ Well , absolutely not.
” “ And I would be offended , too , if I thought it was true , ” Wilkie said.
” Again , I think anonymous are the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attacks , fake strokes , Russian collusion .
So , I am very proud that this president has led to a renaissance at Veterans Affairs.
” Pressed on how multiple outlets corroborated The Atlantic ’ report , Wilkie proceeded to continue defending Trump .
“ Well , nobody is backing down from these anonymous sourcing on it , ” Wilkie said .
“ And some of these sources that you cite are general officers .
I was born in khaki diapers .
I have spent my entire life around the military .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to hide behind stars.
” Wilkie added that he is looking at “ the Donald Trump I know ” who has turned around Veteran Affairs.
” Later in the interview , Wilkie dismissed Trump ’ s reported comments slamming McCain as “ politics ” and that “ it ’ s the heat of a campaign.
” After Wilkie said that he “ judges a man by his actions , ” he was asked whether he considers the late McCain a war hero .

Veterans Affairs secretary Robert Wilkie on Sunday hit back at The Atlantic report that quoted President Trump calling slain soldiers in the Battle of Belleau Woods “losers,” but broke from the President’s past criticism of the late Sen. John McCain (R-AZ).
According to a report in The Atlantic published Thursday, Trump made disparaging comments about American troops, which included skipping a visit to the cemetery in France honoring fallen soldiers in the Battle of Belleau Woods, who he reportedly dismissed as “losers.” The Atlantic also reported that Trump in 2018 called the late McCain a “fucking loser.”
In a series of tweets on Thursday night, Trump denied that he had mocked McCain and fallen soldiers behind closed doors, and dismissed the report as “fake news.”
When asked whether he ever heard the President say disparaging things about service members during an interview on CNN, Wilkie replied, “Well, absolutely not.”
“And I would be offended, too, if I thought it was true,” Wilkie said.” Again, I think anonymous are the same people that brought you fake heart attacks, fake strokes, Russian collusion. So, I am very proud that this president has led to a renaissance at Veterans Affairs.”
Pressed on how multiple outlets corroborated The Atlantic’ report, Wilkie proceeded to continue defending Trump.
“Well, nobody is backing down from these anonymous sourcing on it,” Wilkie said. “And some of these sources that you cite are general officers. I was born in khaki diapers. I have spent my entire life around the military. And I have never known any general officers to hide behind stars.”
Wilkie added that he is looking at “the Donald Trump I know” who has turned around Veteran Affairs.”
Later in the interview, Wilkie dismissed Trump’s reported comments slamming McCain as “politics” and that “it’s the heat of a campaign.”
After Wilkie said that he “judges a man by his actions,” he was asked whether he considers the late McCain a war hero.
“Oh, absolutely,” Wilkie said.
Watch Wilkie’s remarks below:


talkingpointsmemo--2020-09-06--Harris: ‘Theoretically, Of Course’ Russian Interference Poses Threat To Biden Win

Sen. Kamala Harris ( D-CA ) on Sunday expressed that both she and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden are not taking the possibility of Russian interference in the November election lightly .
When asked about the intelligence bulletin released by the Department of Homeland Security on Friday — which warns that Russia is seeking “ to undermine public trust in the electoral process ” by spreading baseless claims that mail-in ballots will lead to voter fraud , echoing President Trump ’ s and Attorney General Bill Barr ’ s unfounded assertions on the matter — Harris told CNN that she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Russia interference costing Biden and her the election .
In mentioning how she is “ clear ” that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election , Harris cited her position on the Senate Intelligence Committee and the panel ’ s detailed reports supporting her assertion before going onto argue that Russia “ will be at the front of the line ” regarding foreign interference in the 2020 election .
Asked whether Russian interference could lead to the Biden-Harris campaign losing in November , Biden ’ s running mate replied “ theoretically , of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to mention voter suppression issues , such as the 2013 Supreme Court decision in Shelby County v. Holder that she said “ gutted ” the Voting Rights Act .
Harris also slammed Trump ’ s efforts to “ convince ” voters to have distrust in the integrity of the election system and “ compromise in their belief that their vote might actually count.
” Harris added that both she and Biden are “ very realistic ” about how “ there will be many obstacles that people are intentionally placing in front of Americans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we will surpass and surmount and get around those obstacles , ” Harris said .

Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) on Sunday expressed that both she and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden are not taking the possibility of Russian interference in the November election lightly.
When asked about the intelligence bulletin released by the Department of Homeland Security on Friday — which warns that Russia is seeking “to undermine public trust in the electoral process” by spreading baseless claims that mail-in ballots will lead to voter fraud, echoing President Trump’s and Attorney General Bill Barr’s unfounded assertions on the matter — Harris told CNN that she doesn’t doubt the possibility of Russia interference costing Biden and her the election.
In mentioning how she is “clear” that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election, Harris cited her position on the Senate Intelligence Committee and the panel’s detailed reports supporting her assertion before going onto argue that Russia “will be at the front of the line” regarding foreign interference in the 2020 election.
Asked whether Russian interference could lead to the Biden-Harris campaign losing in November, Biden’s running mate replied “theoretically, of course, yes.”
Harris went on to mention voter suppression issues, such as the 2013 Supreme Court decision in Shelby County v. Holder that she said “gutted” the Voting Rights Act.
Harris also slammed Trump’s efforts to “convince” voters to have distrust in the integrity of the election system and “compromise in their belief that their vote might actually count.”
Harris added that both she and Biden are “very realistic” about how “there will be many obstacles that people are intentionally placing in front of Americans’ ability to vote.”
“But we will surpass and surmount and get around those obstacles,” Harris said.
Watch Harris’ remarks below:


talkingpointsmemo--2020-09-06--Judge Orders Trump Admin To Temporarily Halt ‘Winding Down’ Census Field Operations

A federal judge in California on Saturday ordered the Trump administration to temporarily halt “ winding down or altering any Census field operations ” after the Trump administration moved to cut Census collection operations from eight to four months .
The temporary restraining order , which applies nationwide , issued by U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh in the Northern District of California blocks Trump administration officials such as Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross from moving forward with plans involving “ winding down or altering any Census field operations.
” The temporary restraining order is in effect until a hearing on September @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are pending in courts nationwide .
In the order , Koh wrote that the harm caused by the Trump administration ’ s Census counting plans would be “ potentially ” irreparable .
Koh wrote that an inaccurate Census count could not be resolved for another decade and would greatly impact the distribution of federal funding and local resources .
The order comes after the Trump administration reduced the Census ’ s enumeration period due to statutory constraints related to the COVID-19 pandemic .
The administration ’ s plan would also stop the Census @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a month before the originally scheduled deadline .
Additionally , the order was issued after challengers led by the National Urban League — which include civil rights groups , local governments as well as the Navajo Nation and the Gila River Indian Community in Arizona — filed an emergency request as part of a federal lawsuit .
The coalition demands that the Census Bureau continue counting through the end of October .
Last month , the Government Accountability Office ( GAO ) warned in a report that a curtailed Census counting period could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Last week , an internal Census Bureau document that a whistleblower provided to the House Oversight Committee warned that the Trump administration ’ s plan to rush the 2020 count will “ reduce accuracy , ” “ negatively ” impact the redistricting data the count produces , and creates “ risk for serious errors not being discovered in the data .
”

A federal judge in California on Saturday ordered the Trump administration to temporarily halt “winding down or altering any Census field operations” after the Trump administration moved to cut Census collection operations from eight to four months.
The temporary restraining order, which applies nationwide, issued by U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh in the Northern District of California blocks Trump administration officials such as Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross from moving forward with plans involving “winding down or altering any Census field operations.”
The temporary restraining order is in effect until a hearing on September 17, amid several other lawsuits that are pending in courts nationwide.
In the order, Koh wrote that the harm caused by the Trump administration’s Census counting plans would be “potentially” irreparable. Koh wrote that an inaccurate Census count could not be resolved for another decade and would greatly impact the distribution of federal funding and local resources.
In a statement issued on Saturday, the Census Bureau said that along with the Commerce Department, it is “obligated to comply with the Court’s Order and are taking immediate steps to do so.”
“The Bureau and the Department are also in the process of preparing additional guidance and will distribute that guidance shortly,” the Census Bureau wrote. “Enumeration will continue.”
The order comes after the Trump administration reduced the Census’s enumeration period due to statutory constraints related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The administration’s plan would also stop the Census Bureau from counting on Sept. 30 — a month before the originally scheduled deadline.
Additionally, the order was issued after challengers led by the National Urban League — which include civil rights groups, local governments as well as the Navajo Nation and the Gila River Indian Community in Arizona — filed an emergency request as part of a federal lawsuit. The coalition demands that the Census Bureau continue counting through the end of October.
Last month, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) warned in a report that a curtailed Census counting period could pose more risks for an inaccurate count.
Last week, an internal Census Bureau document that a whistleblower provided to the House Oversight Committee warned that the Trump administration’s plan to rush the 2020 count will “reduce accuracy,” “negatively” impact the redistricting data the count produces, and creates “risk for serious errors not being discovered in the data.”


talkingpointsmemo--2020-09-07--Trump Says He’s OK With Potential Probe Into DeJoy’s Alleged Campaign Finance Scheme

President Donald Trump said on Monday that he would support a potential investigation into allegations that embattled Postmaster General Louis DeJoy used to push former staff at his old firm to donate to Republican candidates while he was CEO .
During a press briefing at the White House , Trump told reporters that he doesn ’ t “ know too much ” about the scandal but asserted that DeJoy is a “ very respected man.
” “ Sure , ” Trump replied with a shrug when a reporter asked if he would support an investigation into the postmaster general , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ record as a Trump donor and his “ restructuring ” of the U.S .
Postal Service that have delayed operations .
Asked if DeJoy ought to lose his job if it ’ s proven that he was engaging in a campaign finance scheme , the President said yes .
“ Yes , if something can be proven , that he did something wrong , always , ” Trump said before he began complaining about the FBI ’ s investigation probe into his 2016 campaign .
On Sunday , the Washington Post published accounts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Logistics , DeJoy ’ s former company , alleging that DeJoy and his top staffers had asked them to write checks for his massive fundraisers for GOP candidates .
He would later allegedly reimburse them in the form of bonus checks , which is illegal , according to the ex-employees .
Monty Hagler , a spokesman for DeJoy , told the Post that the postmaster general “ believes that he has always followed campaign fundraising laws and regulations .
”

President Donald Trump said on Monday that he would support a potential investigation into allegations that embattled Postmaster General Louis DeJoy used to push former staff at his old firm to donate to Republican candidates while he was CEO.
During a press briefing at the White House, Trump told reporters that he doesn’t “know too much” about the scandal but asserted that DeJoy is a “very respected man.”
“Sure,” Trump replied with a shrug when a reporter asked if he would support an investigation into the postmaster general, who is already under scrutiny over his record as a Trump donor and his “restructuring” of the U.S. Postal Service that have delayed operations.
“Let the investigations go,” Trump added. “But he’s a very respected man.”
Asked if DeJoy ought to lose his job if it’s proven that he was engaging in a campaign finance scheme, the President said yes.
“Yes, if something can be proven, that he did something wrong, always,” Trump said before he began complaining about the FBI’s investigation probe into his 2016 campaign.
On Sunday, the Washington Post published accounts from five former employees at New Breed Logistics, DeJoy’s former company, alleging that DeJoy and his top staffers had asked them to write checks for his massive fundraisers for GOP candidates. He would later allegedly reimburse them in the form of bonus checks, which is illegal, according to the ex-employees.
Monty Hagler, a spokesman for DeJoy, told the Post that the postmaster general “believes that he has always followed campaign fundraising laws and regulations.”
Watch Trump below:


talkingpointsmemo--2020-09-07--Trump Claims ‘VERY High Marks’ For COVID Response As Death Toll Approaches 189k

President Donald Trump patted himself on the back for his widely panned response to the COVID-19 pandemic , which has @ @ @ @ @ nearly 189,000 in the U.S. as of Monday morning .
“ Starting to get VERY @ @ @ @ @ of the Coronavirus ( China Virus ) , especially when compared to other countries and @ @ @ @ @ ” Trump tweeted on Monday .
It is unclear where the “ marks ” are @ @ @ @ @ House did not immediately respond to TPM ’ s request for clarification .
The President @ @ @ @ @ the virus “ are coming , and fast !
” According to Johns Hopkins University @ @ @ @ @ from COVID-19 , and there are 6.28 million cases in the country .
After dragging @ @ @ @ @ looming virus in early 2020 , Trump has shown signs of manipulating the government ’ @ @ @ @ @ boost himself politically , such as attempting to rush the FDA ’ s vaccine approval @ @ @ @ @ finding ways to artificially deflate the number of cases in the U.S .

President Donald Trump patted himself on the back for his widely panned response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has reached a death toll of nearly 189,000 in the U.S. as of Monday morning.
“Starting to get VERY high marks in our handling of the Coronavirus (China Virus), especially when compared to other countries and areas of the world,” Trump tweeted on Monday.
It is unclear where the “marks” are coming from. The White House did not immediately respond to TPM’s request for clarification.
The President also claimed that vaccines for the virus “are coming, and fast!”
According to Johns Hopkins University, 188,979 Americans have died from COVID-19, and there are 6.28 million cases in the country.
After dragging his feet with regards to looming virus in early 2020, Trump has shown signs of manipulating the government’s response to COVID-19 to boost himself politically, such as attempting to rush the FDA’s vaccine approval process despite safety concerns and finding ways to artificially deflate the number of cases in the U.S.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-09-07--Putin Critic Alexei Navalny Out Of Coma And Responsive After Poisoning

BERLIN ( AP ) — Poisoned Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny ’ s condition has improved , allowing doctors to take him out of an induced coma , the German hospital treating him said Monday .
Navalny , a fierce , high-profile critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin , was flown to Germany last month after falling ill on Aug. 20 on a domestic flight in Russia .
German chemical weapons experts say tests show the 44-year-old was poisoned with a Soviet-era nerve agent , prompting the German government last week to demand that Russia investigate the case .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ medically induced coma and is being weaned off mechanical ventilation , ” Berlin ’ s Charite hospital said in a statement .
“ He is responding to verbal stimuli .
It remains too early to gauge the potential long-term effects of his severe poisoning.
” It added that the decision to publicly release details of his condition was made in consultation with Navalny ’ s wife .
Navalny had been in an induced coma in the Berlin hospital since he was flown to Germany on Aug. 22 for treatment .
News of his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Merkel ’ s office indicated that she might be willing to rethink the fate of a controversial German-Russian gas pipeline project — a sign of Berlin ’ s growing frustration over Moscow ’ s stonewalling about the case .
German authorities said last week that tests showed “ proof without doubt ” that Navalny was poisoned with a chemical nerve agent from the Novichok group .
British authorities identified the Soviet-era Novichok as the poison used on former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter in England in 2018 .
Russia has denied @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Navalny and accused Germany failing to provide evidence about the poisoning that it requested in late August .
German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said Sunday that the Russian reaction could determine whether Germany changes its long-standing backing for the Nord Stream 2 pipeline , which brings Russian gas to Germany under the Baltic Sea , bypassing Ukraine .
“ The chancellor also believes that it ’ s wrong to rule anything out , ” Merkel spokesman Steffen Seibert told reporters Monday after being asked about Maas ’ comments .
Previously , Merkel had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ case from the pipeline project , which the U.S. strongly opposes .
In August , three U.S. Republican senators threatened sanctions against the operator of a Baltic Sea port located in Merkel ’ s parliamentary constituency for its role as a staging post for ships involved in building Nord Stream 2 .
Seibert cautioned that it was premature to expect Moscow to respond to the matter within a few days , but made it clear that Berlin wants answers soon .
“ I can ’ t express a clear , time-limited expectation , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about months or the end of the year , ” he said .
German diplomats rejected the Russian suggestion that Berlin was to blame for any delay in investigating the case , noting that Navalny was first treated for suspected poisoning in the Siberian city of Omsk on Aug. 20 .
“ All evidence , witnesses , traces and so forth are in the place where the crime was committed , presumably somewhere in Siberia , ” said German Foreign Ministry spokesman Christofer Burger .
The co-leader of Germany ’ s opposition Green @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the government to take a stronger stance and “ bury ” the pipeline project .
The project “ divides Europe , it is economically nonsensical and oversized , and it is wrong in security policy terms , ” Habeck said .
Completing it “ would mean that Russia can do what it wants .
This signal must not be sent.
” Mikhail Ulyanov , the Russian envoy to international organizations in Vienna , voiced suspicions about the timing of demands to link the pipeline with the Navalny case .
“ Suspicious coincidence of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nord Stream 2 construction , which some states desperately want to be closed .
I am not fond of conspiracy theories but it is obvious that the tragic events with Navalny are very timely and helpful for opponents of NS2 , ” he tweeted .
___ Geir Moulson in Berlin and Vladimir Isachenkov in Moscow contributed to this report .

BERLIN (AP) — Poisoned Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny’s condition has improved, allowing doctors to take him out of an induced coma, the German hospital treating him said Monday.
Navalny, a fierce, high-profile critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin, was flown to Germany last month after falling ill on Aug. 20 on a domestic flight in Russia. German chemical weapons experts say tests show the 44-year-old was poisoned with a Soviet-era nerve agent, prompting the German government last week to demand that Russia investigate the case.
“The patient has been removed from his medically induced coma and is being weaned off mechanical ventilation,” Berlin’s Charite hospital said in a statement. “He is responding to verbal stimuli. It remains too early to gauge the potential long-term effects of his severe poisoning.”
It added that the decision to publicly release details of his condition was made in consultation with Navalny’s wife.
Navalny had been in an induced coma in the Berlin hospital since he was flown to Germany on Aug. 22 for treatment.
News of his gradual recovery came as German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s office indicated that she might be willing to rethink the fate of a controversial German-Russian gas pipeline project — a sign of Berlin’s growing frustration over Moscow’s stonewalling about the case.
German authorities said last week that tests showed “proof without doubt” that Navalny was poisoned with a chemical nerve agent from the Novichok group. British authorities identified the Soviet-era Novichok as the poison used on former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter in England in 2018.
Russia has denied that the Kremlin was involved in poisoning Navalny and accused Germany failing to provide evidence about the poisoning that it requested in late August.
German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said Sunday that the Russian reaction could determine whether Germany changes its long-standing backing for the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which brings Russian gas to Germany under the Baltic Sea, bypassing Ukraine.
“The chancellor also believes that it’s wrong to rule anything out,” Merkel spokesman Steffen Seibert told reporters Monday after being asked about Maas’ comments.
Previously, Merkel had insisted on “decoupling” the Navalny case from the pipeline project, which the U.S. strongly opposes. In August, three U.S. Republican senators threatened sanctions against the operator of a Baltic Sea port located in Merkel’s parliamentary constituency for its role as a staging post for ships involved in building Nord Stream 2.
Seibert cautioned that it was premature to expect Moscow to respond to the matter within a few days, but made it clear that Berlin wants answers soon.
“I can’t express a clear, time-limited expectation, except that we are certainly not talking about months or the end of the year,” he said.
German diplomats rejected the Russian suggestion that Berlin was to blame for any delay in investigating the case, noting that Navalny was first treated for suspected poisoning in the Siberian city of Omsk on Aug. 20.
“All evidence, witnesses, traces and so forth are in the place where the crime was committed, presumably somewhere in Siberia,” said German Foreign Ministry spokesman Christofer Burger.
The co-leader of Germany’s opposition Green party, Robert Habeck, called on the government to take a stronger stance and “bury” the pipeline project.
The project “divides Europe, it is economically nonsensical and oversized, and it is wrong in security policy terms,” Habeck said. Completing it “would mean that Russia can do what it wants. This signal must not be sent.”
Mikhail Ulyanov, the Russian envoy to international organizations in Vienna, voiced suspicions about the timing of demands to link the pipeline with the Navalny case.
“Suspicious coincidence of Navalny case and the final stage of Nord Stream 2 construction, which some states desperately want to be closed. I am not fond of conspiracy theories but it is obvious that the tragic events with Navalny are very timely and helpful for opponents of NS2,” he tweeted.
___
Geir Moulson in Berlin and Vladimir Isachenkov in Moscow contributed to this report.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-09-07--WH Interviewing Potential Esper Replacements In Case Trump Boots Pentagon Chief

President Donald Trump ’ s relationship with Defense Secretary Mark Esper has reportedly unraveled to the point where the White @ @ @ @ @ possible replacements if Trump decides to oust Esper .
NBC News reported on Monday that @ @ @ @ @ have been in talks with Veteran Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie about potentially replacing Esper .
@ @ @ @ @ informally interviewed several other candidates , according to NBC News , but Wilkie has caught @ @ @ @ @ recent weeks as a member of the White House ’ s COVID-19 task force .
@ @ @ @ @ to oust Esper for months amid their clashes over renaming Confederate-named military bases and the @ @ @ @ @ to slash funding for the Pentagon ’ s newspaper for its military staff , Stars @ @ @ @ @ Trump ’ s staffers have warned the President against another firing so close to Election @ @

President Donald Trump’s relationship with Defense Secretary Mark Esper has reportedly unraveled to the point where the White House is actively seeking out possible replacements if Trump decides to oust Esper.
NBC News reported on Monday that Trump and White House officials have been in talks with Veteran Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie about potentially replacing Esper.
The White House has also informally interviewed several other candidates, according to NBC News, but Wilkie has caught Trump’s eye in recent weeks as a member of the White House’s COVID-19 task force.
Trump has reportedly been itching to oust Esper for months amid their clashes over renaming Confederate-named military bases and the Pentagon chief’s move to slash funding for the Pentagon’s newspaper for its military staff, Stars and Stripes.
However, Trump’s staffers have warned the President against another firing so close to Election Day.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-09-08--Dem Oversight Chair Announces Investigation Into DeJoy’s Alleged Straw Donor Scheme

House Oversight Chair Carolyn Maloney ( D-NY ) stated late Monday night that her committee is launching an investigation into Postmaster General Louis DeJoy ’ s alleged straw donor scheme .
Maloney said in a forwarded statement to TPM that her committee will probe allegations that during his tenure as New Breed Logistics ’ s CEO in North Carolina , DeJoy illegally pushed his then-employees to donate to GOP candidates at his fundraisers , then would later reimburse their donations in the form of bonuses .
Former New Breed Logistics employees told the Post and the New York Times about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ If these allegations are true , Mr. DeJoy could face criminal exposure—not only for his actions in North Carolina , but also for lying to our Committee under oath , ” Maloney said in a forwarded statement to TPM , “ We will be investigating this issue , but I believe the Board of Governors must take emergency action to immediately suspend Mr. DeJoy , who they never should have selected in the first place , ” she continued .
Maloney first informed the Post about the investigation late Monday night .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ potentially lying under oath refers to the postmaster general ’ s testimony last month in which he denied rewarding employees for donating to President Donald Trump ’ s campaign .
“ That ’ s an outrageous claim , sir , and I resent it , ” DeJoy told Rep. Jim Cooper ( D-TN ) , who had pressed him on the issue .
“ The answer is no… I ’ m fully aware of legal campaign contributions , and I resent the assertion , sir.
” “ What are you accusing me of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Post and New York Times reported that the alleged scheme stretched to 2014 before DeJoy retired in 2016 and before Trump launched his first presidential campaign .
For his part , Trump has signaled support for a potential investigation into DeJoy regarding the scandal but still vouched for the postmaster general , whom Trump praised as a “ very respected man .
”

House Oversight Chair Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) stated late Monday night that her committee is launching an investigation into Postmaster General Louis DeJoy’s alleged straw donor scheme.
Maloney said in a forwarded statement to TPM that her committee will probe allegations that during his tenure as New Breed Logistics’s CEO in North Carolina, DeJoy illegally pushed his then-employees to donate to GOP candidates at his fundraisers, then would later reimburse their donations in the form of bonuses. Former New Breed Logistics employees told the Post and the New York Times about the alleged scheme over the weekend.
“If these allegations are true, Mr. DeJoy could face criminal exposure—not only for his actions in North Carolina, but also for lying to our Committee under oath,” Maloney said in the statement.
“We will be investigating this issue, but I believe the Board of Governors must take emergency action to immediately suspend Mr. DeJoy, who they never should have selected in the first place,” she continued.
Maloney first informed the Post about the investigation late Monday night.
The chair’s comment about DeJoy potentially lying under oath refers to the postmaster general’s testimony last month in which he denied rewarding employees for donating to President Donald Trump’s campaign.
“That’s an outrageous claim, sir, and I resent it,” DeJoy told Rep. Jim Cooper (D-TN), who had pressed him on the issue. “The answer is no. … I’m fully aware of legal campaign contributions, and I resent the assertion, sir.”
“What are you accusing me of?” the postmaster general added.
The Post and New York Times reported that the alleged scheme stretched to 2014 before DeJoy retired in 2016 and before Trump launched his first presidential campaign.
For his part, Trump has signaled support for a potential investigation into DeJoy regarding the scandal but still vouched for the postmaster general, whom Trump praised as a “very respected man.”