talkingpointsmemo--2020-12-09--Trump DOJ Has Been Investigating Hunter Biden Since 2018

Delaware federal prosecutors are probing Hunter Biden ’ s tax affairs , he announced on Wednesday .
In a statement sent out by the Biden-Harris transition , Hunter Biden said that the U.S. Attorney ’ s Office in Delaware told his lawyer on Tuesday that there was a federal investigation into his tax affairs .
“ I take this matter very seriously but I am confident that a professional and objective review of these matters will demonstrate that I handled my affairs legally and appropriately , including with the benefit of professional tax advisors , ” the younger Biden said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said in the release that President-elect Joe Biden was proud of his son , who had survived “ vicious personal attacks of recent months , only to emerge stronger.
” CNN reported that the investigation began in 2018 , before Bill Barr ’ s arrival .
Jeff Sessions served as attorney general until Nov. 7 , when Matt Whitaker took over as acting attorney general .
Federal prosecutors in Delaware are working with the IRS and FBI and are issuing subpoenas in the matter , CNN reported .
The probe halted before the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and has picked up in the weeks since .
The investigation reportedly focuses on the younger Biden ’ s dealings in China , and is examining whether he violated tax or money laundering laws , CNN reported .
Of particular interest to investigators , CNN reported , was a 2.8-carat diamond that Hunter received in 2017 as a gift from Chinese businessman Ye Jianming .
Hunter Biden told the New Yorker that he negotiated with Ye over a $ 40 million investment in a Louisiana LNG project .
The two agreed on a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hunter , an attorney , had purportedly agreed to take on an associate of Ye ’ s as a client .
The Louisiana deal reportedly fell through after federal prosecutors indicted that client over a scheme that allegedly involved bribery on behalf of Ye ’ s firm .
Ye was later arrested by Chinese authorities .
Joe Biden spent much of 2018 preparing to run for President .
At the time , however , it wasn ’ t clear whether the former vice president would take the leap .
Even then , reports @ @ @ @ @ @ @ potential 2020 opponent .
And , towards the end of the year , Biden ’ s preparations became clearer , as he toured the country amid the standard speculation about his electability .
In both cases , the younger Biden appears to have earned money from foreign dealings , though information about both sets of dealings has been in the public domain for years .
The search for information on Hunter that would also impugn his father led Trump and his attorney Rudy Giuliani from Washington to Ukraine , resulting in Trump ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kyiv into manufacturing dirt on Hunter in exchange for military aid .
In October , the New York Post began to publish emails supposedly taken from Hunter ’ s laptop .
That dubious story was facilitated by Giuliani and 2016 Trump campaign chairman Steve Bannon .
Five days before the election , the right-wing Sinclair Broadcast Group reported that there was a still-active federal criminal investigtion of Hunter Biden .
All of this was in service of a long-debunked claim that never made any sense to people involved or present at the time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as vice president to fire a Ukrainian prosecutor in order to protect his son , who was serving on the board of a Ukrainian gas company .
The problem for Trumpworld has been that there was no evidence the prosecutor was investigating anything at all .
Biden , along with a chorus of Ukraine ’ s western backers , demanded the prosecutors ’ resignation largely because he was failing to investigate and prosecute corruption .
But Hunter has been an easy target for GOP opposition researchers .
At Burisma , the Ukrainian gas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 600,000 per year .
Hunter has also been involved in a fund meant to invest in Chinese businesses , in which he reportedly purchased a 10 percent stake .
In both cases , the younger Biden appears to have earned money from foreign dealings , though information about both has been in the public domain for years .
Hunter Biden ’ s personal turmoil has been well documented .
The younger Biden spent part of 2019 in litigation over the paternity of a child that he was eventually found to have fathered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after he returned a rental car in Arizona in 2016 in which an attendant found a crack pipe and ID card for Beau Biden , according to the New Yorker .
The younger Biden entered rehab .
After Hunter emerged from rehab , the Bidens publicly acknowledged that he was in a relationship with the widow of his brother Beau .
In December 2016 , Hunter ’ s longtime wife Kathleen divorced him .
The revelation also comes after various legislative and law enforcement bodies have spent years trying to investigate President Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ case of Congress , House panels have spent nearly two years in litigation over obtaining various elements of the President ’ s financial records .
The New York attorney general may end up arguing for access to Trump ’ s tax returns twice before the Supreme Court .

Delaware federal prosecutors are probing Hunter Biden’s tax affairs, he announced on Wednesday.
In a statement sent out by the Biden-Harris transition, Hunter Biden said that the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Delaware told his lawyer on Tuesday that there was a federal investigation into his tax affairs.
“I take this matter very seriously but I am confident that a professional and objective review of these matters will demonstrate that I handled my affairs legally and appropriately, including with the benefit of professional tax advisors,” the younger Biden said in a statement.
The transition team said in the release that President-elect Joe Biden was proud of his son, who had survived “vicious personal attacks of recent months, only to emerge stronger.”
CNN reported that the investigation began in 2018, before Bill Barr’s arrival. Jeff Sessions served as attorney general until Nov. 7, when Matt Whitaker took over as acting attorney general.
Federal prosecutors in Delaware are working with the IRS and FBI and are issuing subpoenas in the matter, CNN reported. The probe halted before the election, per standard DOJ practice, and has picked up in the weeks since. The investigation reportedly focuses on the younger Biden’s dealings in China, and is examining whether he violated tax or money laundering laws, CNN reported.
Of particular interest to investigators, CNN reported, was a 2.8-carat diamond that Hunter received in 2017 as a gift from Chinese businessman Ye Jianming.
Hunter Biden told the New Yorker that he negotiated with Ye over a $40 million investment in a Louisiana LNG project. The two agreed on a deal.
At the same time, Hunter, an attorney, had purportedly agreed to take on an associate of Ye’s as a client. The Louisiana deal reportedly fell through after federal prosecutors indicted that client over a scheme that allegedly involved bribery on behalf of Ye’s firm. Ye was later arrested by Chinese authorities.
Joe Biden spent much of 2018 preparing to run for President. At the time, however, it wasn’t clear whether the former vice president would take the leap.
Even then, reports suggested that Trump feared Biden as a potential 2020 opponent. And, towards the end of the year, Biden’s preparations became clearer, as he toured the country amid the standard speculation about his electability.
In both cases, the younger Biden appears to have earned money from foreign dealings, though information about both sets of dealings has been in the public domain for years.
The search for information on Hunter that would also impugn his father led Trump and his attorney Rudy Giuliani from Washington to Ukraine, resulting in Trump’s impeachment after he tried to extort Kyiv into manufacturing dirt on Hunter in exchange for military aid.
In October, the New York Post began to publish emails supposedly taken from Hunter’s laptop. That dubious story was facilitated by Giuliani and 2016 Trump campaign chairman Steve Bannon.
Five days before the election, the right-wing Sinclair Broadcast Group reported that there was a still-active federal criminal investigtion of Hunter Biden.
“A justice department official has confirmed to Sinclair Broadcast Group that the FBI opened up a criminal investigation into Hunter Biden and his associates back in 2019, focused on allegations of money-laundering and that the probe remains active,” the article read.
All of this was in service of a long-debunked claim that never made any sense to people involved or present at the time: that Joe Biden abused his authority as vice president to fire a Ukrainian prosecutor in order to protect his son, who was serving on the board of a Ukrainian gas company.
The problem for Trumpworld has been that there was no evidence the prosecutor was investigating anything at all. Biden, along with a chorus of Ukraine’s western backers, demanded the prosecutors’ resignation largely because he was failing to investigate and prosecute corruption.
But Hunter has been an easy target for GOP opposition researchers. At Burisma, the Ukrainian gas company, Hunter received a salary of $600,000 per year.
Hunter has also been involved in a fund meant to invest in Chinese businesses, in which he reportedly purchased a 10 percent stake.
In both cases, the younger Biden appears to have earned money from foreign dealings, though information about both has been in the public domain for years.
Hunter Biden’s personal turmoil has been well documented.
The younger Biden spent part of 2019 in litigation over the paternity of a child that he was eventually found to have fathered with an Arkansas stripper. That came after he returned a rental car in Arizona in 2016 in which an attendant found a crack pipe and ID card for Beau Biden, according to the New Yorker.
The younger Biden entered rehab. After Hunter emerged from rehab, the Bidens publicly acknowledged that he was in a relationship with the widow of his brother Beau. In December 2016, Hunter’s longtime wife Kathleen divorced him.
The revelation also comes after various legislative and law enforcement bodies have spent years trying to investigate President Trump’s tax affairs.
In the case of Congress, House panels have spent nearly two years in litigation over obtaining various elements of the President’s financial records. The New York attorney general may end up arguing for access to Trump’s tax returns twice before the Supreme Court.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-12-09--Ex-DHS Official Warns Of ‘Intimidation Campaign’ Keeping GOPers From Accepting Trump Loss

Chris Krebs , the former Homeland Security official who was fired by the President after debunking election-related myths and conspiracy theories , on Wednesday warned of a “ coordinated effort to intimidate Republicans ” in light of his lawsuit against the Trump campaign and attorney Joe diGenova .
Last week , DiGenova , who is part of Trump ’ s legal team fanning the flames of baseless lawsuits contesting election results , said during a segment on Newsmax ’ s The Howie Carr Show that Krebs “ should be drawn and quartered.
” On Monday , Krebs sued the Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and emotional distress , as well as Newsmax for allegedly aiding and abetting in those efforts .
When asked on MSNBC on Wednesday whether he ’ s considering suing President Trump directly , who has frequently refused to condemn violence against public figures at odds with his baseless assertions , Krebs replied that DiGenova is part of the campaign .
Krebs added that the Trump campaign lawyer ’ s accusations that he is a traitor who deserves to be punished is “ something I ’ m not going to stand for , despite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to me.
” Krebs argued that there is a “ coordinated effort to intimidate Republicans from speaking up and accepting ” the legitimacy of President-elect Joe Biden ’ s election victory .
Krebs pointed to the violent threats that Georgia Gov .
Brian Kemp ( R ) , Lt. Gov .
Geoff Duncan and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger — all of whom are lifelong Republicans , much like Krebs — have faced .
Krebs cited the backlash Arizona Gov .
Doug Ducey ( R ) has faced since certifying the battleground state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ win .
“ There is just an intimidation campaign and I ’ m not going to stand for it , ” Krebs said .
“ This in part can show that others that need to speak up in the future can do so.
” Asked if he has any regrets about being part of the Trump administration , Krebs said he has “ zero regrets ” about serving as the director of CISA .
“ I think we built something enduring that will sustain not just this administration but far into the future @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would do it 1,000 times over , ” Krebs said .
“ I couldn ’ t be more proud of that team in my time there.
” After touting that he “ put country over party ” and would “ do it over again ” despite suffering consequences for it , Krebs wondered aloud why fellow Republicans won ’ t do the same .
“ I suspect based on my experience , in part , they are , you know , they don ’ t want to be put in this position , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ implications and the political suicide , as some say , in speaking up , ” Krebs said .
“ It ’ s time to get past this and this has to stop .
Everyone , Republicans need to stand up for the country .
”

Chris Krebs, the former Homeland Security official who was fired by the President after debunking election-related myths and conspiracy theories, on Wednesday warned of a “coordinated effort to intimidate Republicans” in light of his lawsuit against the Trump campaign and attorney Joe diGenova.
Last week, DiGenova, who is part of Trump’s legal team fanning the flames of baseless lawsuits contesting election results, said during a segment on Newsmax’s The Howie Carr Show that Krebs “should be drawn and quartered.”
On Monday, Krebs sued the Trump campaign and diGenova as he alleged defamation and emotional distress, as well as Newsmax for allegedly aiding and abetting in those efforts.
When asked on MSNBC on Wednesday whether he’s considering suing President Trump directly, who has frequently refused to condemn violence against public figures at odds with his baseless assertions, Krebs replied that DiGenova is part of the campaign. Krebs added that the Trump campaign lawyer’s accusations that he is a traitor who deserves to be punished is “something I’m not going to stand for, despite the consequence or the costs that come to me.”
Krebs argued that there is a “coordinated effort to intimidate Republicans from speaking up and accepting” the legitimacy of President-elect Joe Biden’s election victory.
Krebs pointed to the violent threats that Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R), Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger — all of whom are lifelong Republicans, much like Krebs — have faced. Krebs cited the backlash Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey (R) has faced since certifying the battleground state’s election results handing Biden a win.
“There is just an intimidation campaign and I’m not going to stand for it,” Krebs said. “This in part can show that others that need to speak up in the future can do so.”
Asked if he has any regrets about being part of the Trump administration, Krebs said he has “zero regrets” about serving as the director of CISA.
“I think we built something enduring that will sustain not just this administration but far into the future. We did everything right. I would do it 1,000 times over,” Krebs said. “I couldn’t be more proud of that team in my time there.”
After touting that he “put country over party” and would “do it over again” despite suffering consequences for it, Krebs wondered aloud why fellow Republicans won’t do the same.
“I suspect based on my experience, in part, they are, you know, they don’t want to be put in this position, but there’s also the political implications and the political suicide, as some say, in speaking up,” Krebs said. “It’s time to get past this and this has to stop. Everyone, Republicans need to stand up for the country.”
Watch Krebs’ remarks below:


talkingpointsmemo--2020-12-09--How Sullivan’s Parting Shot On Flynn Showed The Folly Of The DOJ’s Sketchy Reversal

Perhaps , the most remarkable thing about U.S. District Judge Emmet ’ s Sullivan 43-page opinion explaining why he was dismissing Michael Flynn ’ s case was that it ended on such a note in the first place .
For years , it ’ s been speculated that President Trump would pardon Flynn , his former national security advisor who pleaded guilty in 2017 to lying to the FBI about his Russian contacts .
Trump even offered a Flynn pardon over the summer , according to the account of his lawyer Sidney Powell , but she turned down the suggestion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cooperation of Attorney General Bill Barr , launched a norm-busting crusade to use the judicial process to exonerate Flynn .
In the process , they made claims about his prosecution that , at best , were dubious , but , as Sullivan saw them , were likely “ pretextual ” and possibly driven by “ favoritism.
” The Justice Department request in May that Sullivan drop the case was a shocking one , and a capstone to a pattern of Barr intervening in the cases brought against Trump ’ s allies .
How @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a roadmap Powell privately laid out to Barr when she first took on Flynn ’ s case in June 2019 .
“ What they wanted was a decision [ clearing Flynn ] that was labeled a legal decision , ” rather than a presidential pardon , said University of North Carolina School of Law professor Carissa Hessick .
“ DOJ was arguing that they would not be able to prove Flynn ’ s guilt … that ’ s what Judge Sullivan takes great pains to argue isn ’ t a credible position for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s opinion stops short of saying whether that lack of credibility would have led him to reject the May dismissal request .
But regardless , the effort to go that route , rather than just secure a pardon from Trump , came at a considerable cost for those who participated in it .
“ Look how much political capital Barr had to spend of his own and of the DOJ , and how many DOJ lawyers have to have a fight over this Flynn case , ” said Fordham University law professor Jed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the crosshairs , for what ultimately was a total waste , because in the end Trump had to pardon Flynn anyway.
” A ‘ Political ’ Decision To Clear Flynn , Rather Than a Legal One As John Gleeson , the retired judge Sullivan appointed to oppose the Justice Department ’ s May dismissal request , put it in a brief , if the executive branch wanted to treat Flynn differently because he was a friend of the President , the appropriate way to do so was through the President ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Sullivan adopted the view that the pardon left him no choice but to dismiss the case .
“ The Supreme Court ’ s interpretation of the pardon power make clear that President Trump ’ s decision to pardon Mr. Flynn is a political decision , not a legal one , ” Sullivan wrote .
“ Because the law recognizes the President ’ s political power to pardon , the appropriate course is to dismiss this case as moot.
” Noting the “ extraordinary broad ” scope of Trump ’ s pardon for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the case narrowly .
He stated he “ need only consider the pardon insofar as it applies to the offense to which Mr. Flynn twice pled guilty in this case.
” But his emphasis on it being a political decision allowed him to leave unresolved the legal questions put before him in the Justice Department ’ s dismissal motion , according to Kimberly Wehle , a law professor at the University of Baltimore .
“ He ’ s made a point of saying , ‘ Listen , judges are not going to buy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what , pardons are political , so that is a political thing , it ’ s not a legal thing .
So I will treat this as moot , ' ” she said Hints Of What The Judge Thought About The DOJ ’ s Legal Arguments Even while calling those legal questions moot , Sullivan put his thumb on the scale for at least some of them in the 20 or so pages he spent analyzing them .
He pointedly rebuked the Justice Department ’ s arguments about him lacking the authority to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ case dropped .
“ Reading between the lines , I think that one can reasonably speculate that Sullivan would have rejected the DOJ ’ s move to drop the charges and wanted to signal as much without saying it explicitly , ” Shugerman said .
Maybe Sullivan would have concluded that even though Flynn did appear , beyond reasonable doubt , guilty of his crime , it was still within the Department ’ s discretion to walk away from the prosecution .
Even still , Sullivan ’ s opinion highlighted why the DOJ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ case was so damaging to its reputation , To claim that it no longer believed that Flynn ’ s lies were “ material ” to its investigation , the Department used a higher standard for “ materiality ” than it had not employed in any other case , and after it employed the usual lower standard earlier in the Flynn proceeding .
The evidence the DOJ put forward for why it no longer believed Flynn knew he was lying to the FBI was irrelevant to the question , or contradicted by other evidence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also a separate universe , where , instead of concocting obviously bogus rationales to clear Flynn , the Justice Department , when it asked for the case ’ s dismissal , just told Sullivan the simple truth : that the attorney general had made a decision to have it dropped .
“ Who knows what Judge Sullivan would have done , ” Hessick said , as he may have been still troubled by the apparent favoritism .
“ But that was not the case that was before him .
”

Perhaps, the most remarkable thing about U.S. District Judge Emmet’s Sullivan 43-page opinion explaining why he was dismissing Michael Flynn’s case was that it ended on such a note in the first place.
For years, it’s been speculated that President Trump would pardon Flynn, his former national security advisor who pleaded guilty in 2017 to lying to the FBI about his Russian contacts.
Trump even offered a Flynn pardon over the summer, according to the account of his lawyer Sidney Powell, but she turned down the suggestion.
Instead, she, with the cooperation of Attorney General Bill Barr, launched a norm-busting crusade to use the judicial process to exonerate Flynn. In the process, they made claims about his prosecution that, at best, were dubious, but, as Sullivan saw them, were likely “pretextual” and possibly driven by “favoritism.”
The Justice Department request in May that Sullivan drop the case was a shocking one, and a capstone to a pattern of Barr intervening in the cases brought against Trump’s allies. How the Justice Department got there also followed a roadmap Powell privately laid out to Barr when she first took on Flynn’s case in June 2019.
“What they wanted was a decision [clearing Flynn] that was labeled a legal decision,” rather than a presidential pardon, said University of North Carolina School of Law professor Carissa Hessick. “DOJ was arguing that they would not be able to prove Flynn’s guilt … that’s what Judge Sullivan takes great pains to argue isn’t a credible position for them to have taken.”
Sullivan’s opinion stops short of saying whether that lack of credibility would have led him to reject the May dismissal request. But regardless, the effort to go that route, rather than just secure a pardon from Trump, came at a considerable cost for those who participated in it.
“Look how much political capital Barr had to spend of his own and of the DOJ, and how many DOJ lawyers have to have a fight over this Flynn case,” said Fordham University law professor Jed Shugerman. “His intervention put himself in the crosshairs, for what ultimately was a total waste, because in the end Trump had to pardon Flynn anyway.”
A ‘Political’ Decision To Clear Flynn, Rather Than a Legal One
As John Gleeson, the retired judge Sullivan appointed to oppose the Justice Department’s May dismissal request, put it in a brief, if the executive branch wanted to treat Flynn differently because he was a friend of the President, the appropriate way to do so was through the President’s “unreviewable authority to issue a pardon.”
Sullivan adopted the view that the pardon left him no choice but to dismiss the case.
“The Supreme Court’s interpretation of the pardon power make clear that President Trump’s decision to pardon Mr. Flynn is a political decision, not a legal one,” Sullivan wrote. “Because the law recognizes the President’s political power to pardon, the appropriate course is to dismiss this case as moot.”
Noting the “extraordinary broad” scope of Trump’s pardon for Flynn, Sullivan framed its relevance to the case narrowly. He stated he “need only consider the pardon insofar as it applies to the offense to which Mr. Flynn twice pled guilty in this case.”
But his emphasis on it being a political decision allowed him to leave unresolved the legal questions put before him in the Justice Department’s dismissal motion, according to Kimberly Wehle, a law professor at the University of Baltimore.
“He’s made a point of saying, ‘Listen, judges are not going to buy into a politicized process. But guess what, pardons are political, so that is a political thing, it’s not a legal thing. So I will treat this as moot,'” she said
Hints Of What The Judge Thought About The DOJ’s Legal Arguments
Even while calling those legal questions moot, Sullivan put his thumb on the scale for at least some of them in the 20 or so pages he spent analyzing them. He pointedly rebuked the Justice Department’s arguments about him lacking the authority to even probe its reasons for wanting the case dropped.
“Reading between the lines, I think that one can reasonably speculate that Sullivan would have rejected the DOJ’s move to drop the charges and wanted to signal as much without saying it explicitly,” Shugerman said.
Maybe Sullivan would have concluded that even though Flynn did appear, beyond reasonable doubt, guilty of his crime, it was still within the Department’s discretion to walk away from the prosecution.
Even still, Sullivan’s opinion highlighted why the DOJ’s approach to bailing on the case was so damaging to its reputation, To claim that it no longer believed that Flynn’s lies were “material” to its investigation, the Department used a higher standard for “materiality” than it had not employed in any other case, and after it employed the usual lower standard earlier in the Flynn proceeding. The evidence the DOJ put forward for why it no longer believed Flynn knew he was lying to the FBI was irrelevant to the question, or contradicted by other evidence in the case.
There’s also a separate universe, where, instead of concocting obviously bogus rationales to clear Flynn, the Justice Department, when it asked for the case’s dismissal, just told Sullivan the simple truth: that the attorney general had made a decision to have it dropped.
“Who knows what Judge Sullivan would have done,” Hessick said, as he may have been still troubled by the apparent favoritism. “But that was not the case that was before him.”


talkingpointsmemo--2020-12-09--Michigan Attorney General Likens Trump’s Post-Election Gambit To ‘Friday The 13th’ Movie

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel ( D ) on Wednesday said that efforts by President Donald Trump and his allies to overturn election results has been like a horror film that comes back , hauntingly , again and again .
“ This post-election process has been like a ‘ Friday the 13th ’ movie , ” Nessel told MSNBC ’ s Mika Brzezinski during an interview on Wednesday , adding that although the Trump campaign ’ s claims of election fraud have been “ debunked time and time again , ” they just keep coming back in fresh and unsubstantiated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weaken public confidence in the electoral system .
“ No matter how many times you shoot Jason , or you stab Jason , or you electrocute Jason , he keeps coming back at you over and over again , ” Nessel said likening the baseless and equally fruitless efforts by the campaign to swindle the election in court to the blockbuster movie ’ s murderous villain .
“ He won ’ t stay down .
That is what this feels like , but unfortunately it ’ s an incredible waste of state resources @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are ridiculous claims.
” The comments come after Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton ( R ) filed a request on Tuesday calling on the U.S. Supreme Court to review a lawsuit challenging the election results in Michigan and three other battleground states lost by Trump in last month ’ s election , including Georgia , Wisconsin , and Pennsylvania .
Paxton ’ s request urged the justices to discard the will of the people and give the GOP-controlled legislatures the chance to appoint their own electors to the Electoral College instead .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Associated Press detailing a criminal investigation by the FBI into claims that the Texas attorney general abused his office to benefit a wealthy donor .
Nessel speculated that Paxton ’ s efforts to cozy up to Trump are tied to hopes for a presidential pardon amid the investigation , following reports that President Trump had discussed pardons for roughly 20 associates and according to one Axios source , was considering offering up clemency “ like Christmas gifts ” even to those who had not requested them .

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel (D) on Wednesday said that efforts by President Donald Trump and his allies to overturn election results has been like a horror film that comes back, hauntingly, again and again.
“This post-election process has been like a ‘Friday the 13th’ movie,” Nessel told MSNBC’s Mika Brzezinski during an interview on Wednesday, adding that although the Trump campaign’s claims of election fraud have been “debunked time and time again,” they just keep coming back in fresh and unsubstantiated waves that ultimately drain state resources and weaken public confidence in the electoral system.
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said on Wednesday that efforts by Pres. Trump and his allies to invalidate election results "has been like a 'Friday the 13th' movie," adding, "the claims have been debunked time and time again." pic.twitter.com/kIyxeGFDlZ — TPM Livewire (@TPMLiveWire) December 9, 2020
“No matter how many times you shoot Jason, or you stab Jason, or you electrocute Jason, he keeps coming back at you over and over again,” Nessel said likening the baseless and equally fruitless efforts by the campaign to swindle the election in court to the blockbuster movie’s murderous villain. “He won’t stay down. That is what this feels like, but unfortunately it’s an incredible waste of state resources for all of our states. These are ridiculous claims.”
The comments come after Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) filed a request on Tuesday calling on the U.S. Supreme Court to review a lawsuit challenging the election results in Michigan and three other battleground states lost by Trump in last month’s election, including Georgia, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania.
Paxton’s request urged the justices to discard the will of the people and give the GOP-controlled legislatures the chance to appoint their own electors to the Electoral College instead.
The news comes after a recent report from the Associated Press detailing a criminal investigation by the FBI into claims that the Texas attorney general abused his office to benefit a wealthy donor.
Nessel speculated that Paxton’s efforts to cozy up to Trump are tied to hopes for a presidential pardon amid the investigation, following reports that President Trump had discussed pardons for roughly 20 associates and according to one Axios source, was considering offering up clemency “like Christmas gifts” even to those who had not requested them.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-12-09--GA Lt. Guv Implores Republicans To Move On From Trump’s Claims, Vote In Runoff

Georgia Lieutenant Governor Geoff Duncan penned an op-ed that published Tuesday in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution imploring his fellow Republicans to move on from President Donald Trump ’ s election fraud claims and look to the runoff .
“ As one of the leaders of Georgia ’ s Republican party , I ’ m highly concerned with the characterization of our recent presidential election as illegal , rigged , or unfair , ” he wrote , adding that he had “ strongly supported ” the President and was disappointed by the election ’ s result .
“ However , an election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how closely its outcome mirrors one party ’ s preferred result , ” he continued .
Taking the argument a step further than other Republicans in the state , he said that Trump ’ s loss was a teachable moment , showing the party that an outsider can be a “ change agent , ” but that Republican voters prefer someone who brings about those changes without “ diluting conservative policies with demeaning rhetoric.
” He pointed to Republican successes down-ballot as proof that the conservative model is still a winning one .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ our elections to endanger our state ’ s exceedingly bright future , ” he said .
“ Simply put , conservatives can not afford to stay home on election day.
” “ Please vote on January 5 , ” he concluded .
“ Despite what some may say , I have every confidence that our electoral process will remain fair and impartial.
” Duncan has been making the rounds with this argument , doing a recent interview on CNN during which he said that Trump ’ s attacks on Governor Brian Kemp ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Raffensperger “ disgust ” him .
Duncan ’ s pushback — specifically his , along with Kemp ’ s , refusal to call a special session of the Georgia legislature to override the election results — has earned him a couple of angry Trump tweets .
Kemp has refused to give in to Trump ’ s most overt attempts to reverse the state ’ s election results — a recent report detailed Trump ’ s pressuring of Kemp to toss out the results and whip up a slate of Trump-loving electors instead — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He has repeatedly called for a “ signature audit , ” a rallying point for Republicans who don ’ t want to cross Trump , but who don ’ t want Republicans to believe that the system is too rigged to bother voting in .
So far spared from Trump ’ s loathing are incumbent Sens .
Kelly Loeffler ( R-GA ) and David Perdue ( R-GA ) , who have catered to him consistently .
Most recently , the two expressed their support for a nonsensical lawsuit out of Texas , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ join , seeking to overturn the election results in Georgia , Michigan , Pennsylvania and Wisconsin .
Georgia ’ s own attorney general , a Republican , called the lawsuit “ constitutionally , legally and factually wrong.
” It ’ s just the most recent schism between the state ’ s Republicans , who for the past few weeks have split into the camp that blithely echoes Trump ’ s election fraud claims and the contingent that tells the truth .
Duncan has firmly established himself as a part of the latter group @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , I campaigned for him and unfortunately he did not win the state of Georgia , ” Duncan said on CNN .
“ So , yeah , you know , on January 20 , Joe Biden is going to be sworn in as the 46th President .
The Constitution is still in place .
This is still America .
”

Georgia Lieutenant Governor Geoff Duncan penned an op-ed that published Tuesday in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution imploring his fellow Republicans to move on from President Donald Trump’s election fraud claims and look to the runoff.
“As one of the leaders of Georgia’s Republican party, I’m highly concerned with the characterization of our recent presidential election as illegal, rigged, or unfair,” he wrote, adding that he had “strongly supported” the President and was disappointed by the election’s result.
“However, an election’s fairness is not measured by how closely its outcome mirrors one party’s preferred result,” he continued.
Taking the argument a step further than other Republicans in the state, he said that Trump’s loss was a teachable moment, showing the party that an outsider can be a “change agent,” but that Republican voters prefer someone who brings about those changes without “diluting conservative policies with demeaning rhetoric.” He pointed to Republican successes down-ballot as proof that the conservative model is still a winning one.
“We cannot allow misinformation about our elections to endanger our state’s exceedingly bright future,” he said. “Simply put, conservatives cannot afford to stay home on election day.”
“Please vote on January 5,” he concluded. “Despite what some may say, I have every confidence that our electoral process will remain fair and impartial.”
Duncan has been making the rounds with this argument, doing a recent interview on CNN during which he said that Trump’s attacks on Governor Brian Kemp (R) and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger “disgust” him.
Duncan’s pushback — specifically his, along with Kemp’s, refusal to call a special session of the Georgia legislature to override the election results — has earned him a couple of angry Trump tweets.
Georgia Lt. Governor @GeoffDuncanGA is a RINO Never Trumper who got himself elected as LG by falsely claiming to be “pro-Trump”. Too dumb or corrupt to recognize massive evidence of fraud in GA & should be replaced! We need every great Georgian to call him out! #SpecialSession! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 8, 2020
RINOS @BrianKempGA, @GeoffDuncanGA, & Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, will be solely responsible for the potential loss of our two GREAT Senators from Georgia, @sendavidperdue & @KLoeffler. Won’t call a Special Session or check for Signature Verification! People are ANGRY! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 8, 2020
Kemp has refused to give in to Trump’s most overt attempts to reverse the state’s election results — a recent report detailed Trump’s pressuring of Kemp to toss out the results and whip up a slate of Trump-loving electors instead — but he has spread election fraud innuendo. He has repeatedly called for a “signature audit,” a rallying point for Republicans who don’t want to cross Trump, but who don’t want Republicans to believe that the system is too rigged to bother voting in.
So far spared from Trump’s loathing are incumbent Sens. Kelly Loeffler (R-GA) and David Perdue (R-GA), who have catered to him consistently. Most recently, the two expressed their support for a nonsensical lawsuit out of Texas, which Trump has said his campaign will join, seeking to overturn the election results in Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Georgia’s own attorney general, a Republican, called the lawsuit “constitutionally, legally and factually wrong.”
It’s just the most recent schism between the state’s Republicans, who for the past few weeks have split into the camp that blithely echoes Trump’s election fraud claims and the contingent that tells the truth. Duncan has firmly established himself as a part of the latter group.
“I voted for President Trump, I campaigned for him and unfortunately he did not win the state of Georgia,” Duncan said on CNN. “So, yeah, you know, on January 20, Joe Biden is going to be sworn in as the 46th President. The Constitution is still in place. This is still America.”


talkingpointsmemo--2020-12-09--How Did Rudy Get Trump’s Velvet-Rope COVID Treatment?

It may be the dying days of Trump ’ s presidency , but some are getting lifetime benefits .
Rudy Giuliani , currently convalescing in a Georgetown hospital bed from COVID-19 , called into his native WABC radio station on Tuesday for an update on his treatment for the deadly virus .
Rest assured , the wheeler-and-dealer feels fine .
Particularly , Giuliani said , after having received the same cocktail of drugs given to President Trump in October .
“ [ Trump ] ’ s doctor sent me here , he talked me into it , ” Giuliani said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ want to go to the hospital and he said , ‘ don ’ t be stupid , we can get it over with in three days if we send you to the hospital . '
” It comes after President Trump himself in October got the same course that Giuliani says he received : remdesivir , dexmethasone , and , to top it off , the most promising of them all , Regeneron — a newly developed monoclonal antibody treatment that beefs up the body ’ s immune response to the virus .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ yesterday , I felt 100 percent better , ” Giuliani said .
“ It works very quickly .
Wow !
” How did Rudy manage to get these drugs ?
After all , they ’ re in extremely short supply .
Monoclonal antibodies , which medical science generally agrees are the best shot at an effective treatment for the disease , are expensive and rare .
One Florida hospital reported that its phone lines have been “ bombarded ” by people wanting the drug .
What ’ s more , all of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. government .
The government bought 300,000 doses at around $ 1,500 a pop earlier this year .
Those are the only doses being distributed in the United States at the moment , and are available for free per the Department of Health and Human Services .
Okay .
So did Rudy get one via normal allocation from HHS ?
HHS , for its part , tersely says that its providing “ weekly allocations ” of the drug to the states , “ proportionally based on confirmed COVID-19 cases in each state and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But Giuliani , in his interview , seems to attribute his receipt of the lifesaving medicine not to D.C. ’ s public health authority but , rather , to the good graces of Trump ’ s doctor .
“ I think if it wasn ’ t me , I wouldn ’ t have been put in a hospital , ” Giuliani said .
“ Because sometimes when you ’ re a celebrity , they ’ re worried if something happens to you they ’ re gon na examine it more carefully and do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said , when you ’ re a celebrity , they do treat you differently !
But this all raises an obvious question : is President Trump using the medical perks of his office to help out his friends ?
And , to be clear , it ’ s possible that he got it via normal allocation from the D.C. government .
That doesn ’ t explain the presence of Trump ’ s personal doctor in all this , but still .
Giuliani is an old man , and sick — a prime candidate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that doesn ’ t explain the odder story of Chris Christie , stricken with COVID-19 in October after the Rose Garden ceremony for Amy Coney Barrett .
Christie found himself in an ICU in Morristown , New Jersey .
And according to Biocentury , a pharmaceuticals trade publication , his options were limited .
At the time monoclonal antibodies had not yet received emergency FDA approval .
They were still in clinical trials , and , Biocentury wrote , the hospital offered Christie the choice to participate in one for Regeneron .
Reportedly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the possibility that Christie would be given a placebo , and the former New Jersey governor “ was unwilling to accept the chance that he would receive a placebo.
” So , in addition to the much-sought-after remdesivir , Christie received a monoclonal antibody treatment developed by Eli Lilly .
It ’ s not clear how Christie gained access to that drug , or why he thought that it was a sure thing as opposed to the Regeneron placebo .
And , as with Giuliani , it ’ s unclear if Christie ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ intervened here .
But the question is intriguing : 286,000 deaths into the pandemic , is the President using the perks of his office to grant his friends medical help ?

It may be the dying days of Trump’s presidency, but some are getting lifetime benefits.
Rudy Giuliani, currently convalescing in a Georgetown hospital bed from COVID-19, called into his native WABC radio station on Tuesday for an update on his treatment for the deadly virus.
Rest assured, the wheeler-and-dealer feels fine. Particularly, Giuliani said, after having received the same cocktail of drugs given to President Trump in October.
“[Trump]’s doctor sent me here, he talked me into it,” Giuliani said. “I didn’t really want to go to the hospital and he said, ‘don’t be stupid, we can get it over with in three days if we send you to the hospital.'”
It comes after President Trump himself in October got the same course that Giuliani says he received: remdesivir, dexmethasone, and, to top it off, the most promising of them all, Regeneron — a newly developed monoclonal antibody treatment that beefs up the body’s immune response to the virus.
“The minute I took the cocktail yesterday, I felt 100 percent better,” Giuliani said. “It works very quickly. Wow!”
How did Rudy manage to get these drugs?
After all, they’re in extremely short supply. Monoclonal antibodies, which medical science generally agrees are the best shot at an effective treatment for the disease, are expensive and rare. One Florida hospital reported that its phone lines have been “bombarded” by people wanting the drug.
What’s more, all of the doses in circulation currently belong to the U.S. government.
The government bought 300,000 doses at around $1,500 a pop earlier this year. Those are the only doses being distributed in the United States at the moment, and are available for free per the Department of Health and Human Services.
Okay. So did Rudy get one via normal allocation from HHS?
HHS, for its part, tersely says that its providing “weekly allocations” of the drug to the states, “proportionally based on confirmed COVID-19 cases in each state and territory over the previous seven days.”
But Giuliani, in his interview, seems to attribute his receipt of the lifesaving medicine not to D.C.’s public health authority but, rather, to the good graces of Trump’s doctor.
“I think if it wasn’t me, I wouldn’t have been put in a hospital,” Giuliani said. “Because sometimes when you’re a celebrity, they’re worried if something happens to you they’re gonna examine it more carefully and do everything right.”
As Trump himself once said, when you’re a celebrity, they do treat you differently!
But this all raises an obvious question: is President Trump using the medical perks of his office to help out his friends?
Giuliani serves no position of public trust.
And, to be clear, it’s possible that he got it via normal allocation from the D.C. government. That doesn’t explain the presence of Trump’s personal doctor in all this, but still. Giuliani is an old man, and sick — a prime candidate to receive the treatment.
But even that doesn’t explain the odder story of Chris Christie, stricken with COVID-19 in October after the Rose Garden ceremony for Amy Coney Barrett.
Christie found himself in an ICU in Morristown, New Jersey. And according to Biocentury, a pharmaceuticals trade publication, his options were limited.
At the time monoclonal antibodies had not yet received emergency FDA approval. They were still in clinical trials, and, Biocentury wrote, the hospital offered Christie the choice to participate in one for Regeneron.
But, Christie refused.
Reportedly, that was because the trial included the possibility that Christie would be given a placebo, and the former New Jersey governor “was unwilling to accept the chance that he would receive a placebo.”
So, in addition to the much-sought-after remdesivir, Christie received a monoclonal antibody treatment developed by Eli Lilly. It’s not clear how Christie gained access to that drug, or why he thought that it was a sure thing as opposed to the Regeneron placebo.
And, as with Giuliani, it’s unclear if Christie’s buddy in a position of power intervened here.
But the question is intriguing: 286,000 deaths into the pandemic, is the President using the perks of his office to grant his friends medical help?


talkingpointsmemo--2020-12-10--U.S. Will Delay Shipping Half Of Initial COVID Vaccine Supply

Only half of the initial shipment of doses of Pfizer ’ s COVID-19 vaccine will make their way across the country the first week after the vaccine is approved by the Food and Drug Administration , The New York Times reported late Wednesday .
Gen. Gustave Perna , the chief operating officer for Operation Warp Speed , told reporters Wednesday that once approved a half batch of the doses — roughly 2.9 million — will be shipped around the country in the first week .
Another 2.9 million doses will be saved for booster shots to be administered three weeks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anticipated 6.4 million total doses of Pfizer ’ s COVID-19 vaccine will be held in reserve in case they are unexpectedly needed , the Times said .
Perna told reporters that he had decided to set aside the doses intended for the second shot out of caution .
“ Eventually , we will become much more confident in our manufacturing , our distribution process , state handling , et cetera , ” he said , according to the Times .
“ And then the requirement for reserve won ’ t be necessary.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to meet on Thursday to consider whether the Pfizer vaccine , which has already been approved for use in the United Kingdom and Canada , should be authorized for limited use .
The United Kingdom approved the vaccine last week .
The FDA is expected to arrive at a decision within days about the vaccine which was developed with a German company , BioNTech and found to be 95 percent effective in a clinical trial .
Another vaccine developed by Moderna , could also be authorized within weeks , potentially increasing the number @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The news comes after earlier reports about supply constraints after Pfizer was forced to scale back more ambitious estimates due to manufacturing issues .
The pharmaceutical giant has now said it can provide about 25 million doses to the United States before the end of the year , and has a contract to provide 100 million doses in total by March .
The company is in negotiations with the federal government over supplying additional doses next year , although those doss could be delayed until June .
Government officials have said they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will have been given to 20 million people before the end of the year .

Only half of the initial shipment of doses of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine will make their way across the country the first week after the vaccine is approved by the Food and Drug Administration, The New York Times reported late Wednesday.
Gen. Gustave Perna, the chief operating officer for Operation Warp Speed, told reporters Wednesday that once approved a half batch of the doses — roughly 2.9 million — will be shipped around the country in the first week. Another 2.9 million doses will be saved for booster shots to be administered three weeks later. The remaining 500,000 of the anticipated 6.4 million total doses of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine will be held in reserve in case they are unexpectedly needed, the Times said.
Perna told reporters that he had decided to set aside the doses intended for the second shot out of caution.
“Eventually, we will become much more confident in our manufacturing, our distribution process, state handling, et cetera,” he said, according to the Times. “And then the requirement for reserve won’t be necessary.”
An outside panel of experts is set to meet on Thursday to consider whether the Pfizer vaccine, which has already been approved for use in the United Kingdom and Canada, should be authorized for limited use. The United Kingdom approved the vaccine last week. The FDA is expected to arrive at a decision within days about the vaccine which was developed with a German company, BioNTech and found to be 95 percent effective in a clinical trial.
Another vaccine developed by Moderna, could also be authorized within weeks, potentially increasing the number of doses available as vaccination gets underway.
The news comes after earlier reports about supply constraints after Pfizer was forced to scale back more ambitious estimates due to manufacturing issues. The pharmaceutical giant has now said it can provide about 25 million doses to the United States before the end of the year, and has a contract to provide 100 million doses in total by March. The company is in negotiations with the federal government over supplying additional doses next year, although those doss could be delayed until June.
Government officials have said they hope a first dose of the vaccine will have been given to 20 million people before the end of the year.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-12-10--Biden To Have Entire WH East And West Wings Showered With Disinfectant Right After Trump Leaves

President-elect Joe Biden and his transition team are reportedly already making plans to ensure that the White House , which has been plagued with a series of COVID-19 infections thanks to President Donald Trump ’ s disregard for protective measures against the virus , is safe enough for the 78-year-old Biden to move in come January 20 .
According to Politico , Biden ’ s transition team will have the White House fully cleaned by General Services Administration ( GSA ) staffers hours after Trump leaves the building .
A spokesperson for the GSA told Politico that the staffers will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ area of the East and West Wings that people have touched , including furniture and doorknobs .
Nicole Lurie , one of Biden ’ s COVID-19 advisers , told Politico that the operation will be “ the polar opposite of what you ’ re seeing now.
” “ I think the social penalties for non-mask wearing will be great , ” said Lurie .
“ Instead of people being ridiculed for wearing masks , they ’ ll be pressured in the other direction.
” Trump and many current White House officials have persistently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President flatly politicizing the importance of wearing facial coverings that prevent the spread of COVID-19 .
Upon returning the White House after he was hospitalized over the virus , Trump immediately took off his mask in front of the public .

President-elect Joe Biden and his transition team are reportedly already making plans to ensure that the White House, which has been plagued with a series of COVID-19 infections thanks to President Donald Trump’s disregard for protective measures against the virus, is safe enough for the 78-year-old Biden to move in come January 20.
According to Politico, Biden’s transition team will have the White House fully cleaned by General Services Administration (GSA) staffers hours after Trump leaves the building.
A spokesperson for the GSA told Politico that the staffers will “thoroughly clean and disinfect” every area of the East and West Wings that people have touched, including furniture and doorknobs.
A private contractor will also reportedly provide “disinfectant misting services.”
Nicole Lurie, one of Biden’s COVID-19 advisers, told Politico that the operation will be “the polar opposite of what you’re seeing now.”
“I think the social penalties for non-mask wearing will be great,” said Lurie. “Instead of people being ridiculed for wearing masks, they’ll be pressured in the other direction.”
Trump and many current White House officials have persistently refused to wear masks, with the President flatly politicizing the importance of wearing facial coverings that prevent the spread of COVID-19. Upon returning the White House after he was hospitalized over the virus, Trump immediately took off his mask in front of the public. Additionally, the White House has held a host of crowded indoor events.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-12-10--State Dept IG Finds Pompeo’s Wife Bypassed Approval For Most Taxpayer Funded Trips

The State Department inspector general found that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo ’ s wife , Susan , bypassed written approval from the State Department for the majority of the taxpayer funded trips she took within a two-year period .
In its report , the State OIG concluded that Susan Pompeo took eight official trips between April 2018 to April 2020 .
Out of those trips , only two had documentation of written approval .
Four trips were given verbal approval by the under secretary of management , but he did not document his approval .
There is no indication @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Official travel means that the trips are government-funded .
Otherwise , any non-official passengers on those flights must reimburse the government .
“ For family travel that is considered representational , not only does the family member not have to reimburse the government for the flight ( s ) , but he or she also receives significant travel support from the Department at no cost , including provision of a control officer and many hours of support from Department employees , ” the State OIG said .
The State OIG ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ approval for all future travel by family members , but did not suggest any firings or penalties in its report .
“ OIG recommends that in order to ensure that the Department has appropriate documentation for internal control and record keeping purposes , the Office of the Secretary seek and gain written approval for all representational travel , and that the Under Secretary for Management or other authorizing official document in writing the approval for all representational trips by any family members , ” the State Department ’ s inspector general said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ prompted by a whistleblower complaint into Susan Pompeo ’ s trips .
A State OIG investigation into the Pompeos ’ misuse of State Department resources is still ongoing .
The secretary of state has faced backlash in the past year for potential violations of the Hatch Act , which included delivering taped remarks from Jerusalem during this year ’ s Republican National Convention .
Late last year , rumors began swirling that the secretary of state would enter the Kansas Senate race as his trips to his home state have been official visits @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democrats filed a complaint that alleged Pompeo violated the Hatch Act , which prohibits political activities while acting in an official capacity .
Pompeo dismissed the complaint as “ silliness ” from “ left-coast , elitist liberalism ” in an interview with a Kansas-based radio station .

The State Department inspector general found that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s wife, Susan, bypassed written approval from the State Department for the majority of the taxpayer funded trips she took within a two-year period.
In its report, the State OIG concluded that Susan Pompeo took eight official trips between April 2018 to April 2020. Out of those trips, only two had documentation of written approval. Four trips were given verbal approval by the under secretary of management, but he did not document his approval. There is no indication of approval for the remaining two trips.
Official travel means that the trips are government-funded. Otherwise, any non-official passengers on those flights must reimburse the government.
“For family travel that is considered representational, not only does the family member not have to reimburse the government for the flight(s), but he or she also receives significant travel support from the Department at no cost, including provision of a control officer and many hours of support from Department employees,” the State OIG said.
The State OIG’s office recommended that the department seek written approval for all future travel by family members, but did not suggest any firings or penalties in its report.
“OIG recommends that in order to ensure that the Department has appropriate documentation for internal control and record keeping purposes, the Office of the Secretary seek and gain written approval for all representational travel, and that the Under Secretary for Management or other authorizing official document in writing the approval for all representational trips by any family members,” the State Department’s inspector general said.
The State OIG’s report was prompted by a whistleblower complaint into Susan Pompeo’s trips. A State OIG investigation into the Pompeos’ misuse of State Department resources is still ongoing.
The secretary of state has faced backlash in the past year for potential violations of the Hatch Act, which included delivering taped remarks from Jerusalem during this year’s Republican National Convention.
Late last year, rumors began swirling that the secretary of state would enter the Kansas Senate race as his trips to his home state have been official visits paid for by the State Department.
Democrats filed a complaint that alleged Pompeo violated the Hatch Act, which prohibits political activities while acting in an official capacity. Pompeo dismissed the complaint as “silliness” from “left-coast, elitist liberalism” in an interview with a Kansas-based radio station.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-12-10--House Panel Subpoenas Ross For Documents Detailing Census Delays

Another subpoena fight is brewing over the Trump administration ’ s handling of the 2020 census .
On Thursday , the House Oversight Committee announced it was subpoenaing Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross , who oversees the survey , for information about recently-identified snags in the processing of the data .
The “ anomalies , ” as they ’ re known , are routine and in some ways predictable , given the way the pandemic complicated the enumeration .
But fixing them will cause delays in delivering the census data that are likely to make it impossible for President Trump to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Thus , outside census observers are on high alert for any signs that the political appointees at the Census Bureau will force career experts to cut corners to finish the processing sooner , at a cost to the census ’ accuracy .
House Oversight Committee Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney ( D-CA ) is demanding that the Commerce Department hand over various presentations and other documents that career experts have prepared laying out the anomalies and their potential effect on the release timeline .
Her committee obtained a few examples of these documents from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ month .
When she sent a voluntary request for the materials last month , after the anomalies became known , the Commerce Department produced some documents , a Maloney letter to Ross said Thursday .
But many of them were irrelevant , she said , while others were severely redacted .
Since TPM first reported the delays that the processing hiccups were causing , the number of identified anomalies has grown .
But the Trump administration has refused to publicly acknowledge the Bureau ’ s private estimates for how the delays will affect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Documents detailing the more recently discovered anomalies are among those that the Commerce Department is withholding , Maloney ’ s letter said .
She also highlighted the indications from the Government Accountability Office that the Commerce Department was stonewalling the watchdog agency as well .
This is the second time Ross has been subpoenaed by the committee for census-related documents .
His refusal to comply with a subpoena for documents linked to the administration ’ s push to add a census citizenship question prompted the House to hold him and Attorney General Bill @ @ @ @ @ @ @ went to court to secure the documents but that case has yet to be resolved .
Trump ’ s apportionment policy , which seeks to exclude undocumented immigrants from the count used to determine the allotment of House seats each state gets , is also facing several court challenges .
The Supreme Court heard arguments in one such case last month and is expected to deliver a decision in the coming weeks .
Read the subpoena and Maloney ’ s letter to Ross below :

Another subpoena fight is brewing over the Trump administration’s handling of the 2020 census.
On Thursday, the House Oversight Committee announced it was subpoenaing Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, who oversees the survey, for information about recently-identified snags in the processing of the data.
The “anomalies,” as they’re known, are routine and in some ways predictable, given the way the pandemic complicated the enumeration.
But fixing them will cause delays in delivering the census data that are likely to make it impossible for President Trump to implement his anti-immigrant policy for congressional apportionment. Thus, outside census observers are on high alert for any signs that the political appointees at the Census Bureau will force career experts to cut corners to finish the processing sooner, at a cost to the census’ accuracy.
House Oversight Committee Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney (D-CA) is demanding that the Commerce Department hand over various presentations and other documents that career experts have prepared laying out the anomalies and their potential effect on the release timeline. Her committee obtained a few examples of these documents from a source within the Bureau earlier this month.
When she sent a voluntary request for the materials last month, after the anomalies became known, the Commerce Department produced some documents, a Maloney letter to Ross said Thursday. But many of them were irrelevant, she said, while others were severely redacted.
Since TPM first reported the delays that the processing hiccups were causing, the number of identified anomalies has grown. But the Trump administration has refused to publicly acknowledge the Bureau’s private estimates for how the delays will affect the timeline for releasing the data. Documents detailing the more recently discovered anomalies are among those that the Commerce Department is withholding, Maloney’s letter said. She also highlighted the indications from the Government Accountability Office that the Commerce Department was stonewalling the watchdog agency as well.
This is the second time Ross has been subpoenaed by the committee for census-related documents. His refusal to comply with a subpoena for documents linked to the administration’s push to add a census citizenship question prompted the House to hold him and Attorney General Bill Barr in contempt. The House also went to court to secure the documents but that case has yet to be resolved.
Trump’s apportionment policy, which seeks to exclude undocumented immigrants from the count used to determine the allotment of House seats each state gets, is also facing several court challenges. The Supreme Court heard arguments in one such case last month and is expected to deliver a decision in the coming weeks.
Update: In a statement sent to TPM Friday evening, a Commerce Department spokesperson accused the committee of engaging in “political ploys.” The spokesperson said that the Department “continued to cooperate in good faith,” while noting that some 5,500 pages of documents had been handed over pursuant to the committee’s request.
“The Department intends to continue producing responsive documents to the Committee on a rolling basis,” the statement said.
Read the subpoena and Maloney’s letter to Ross below:


talkingpointsmemo--2020-12-10--FDA Advisory Board Endorses Pfizer’s Coronavirus Vaccine

Documents created by Pfizer for the meeting with the Food and Drug Administration advisory panel , as Pfizer seeks approval @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 vaccine , are seen on Thursday , Dec. 10 , 2020 .
The meeting @ @ @ @ @ for the meeting with the Food and Drug Administration advisory panel , as Pfizer seeks @ @ @ @ @ their COVID-19 vaccine , are seen on Thursday , Dec. 10 , 2020 .
The @ @ @ @ @ the Food and Drug Administration represented the next-to-last hurdle before the expected start of the @ @ @ @ @ history .
Depending on how fast the FDA signs off on the panel 's recommendation @ @ @ @ @ days .
( AP Photo/Jon Elswick )

Documents created by Pfizer for the meeting with the Food and Drug Administration advisory panel, as Pfizer seeks approval for emergency use of their COVID-19 vaccine, are seen on Thursday, Dec. 10, 2020. The meeting...
Documents created by Pfizer for the meeting with the Food and Drug Administration advisory panel, as Pfizer seeks approval for emergency use of their COVID-19 vaccine, are seen on Thursday, Dec. 10, 2020. The meeting of outside advisers to the Food and Drug Administration represented the next-to-last hurdle before the expected start of the biggest vaccination campaign in U.S. history. Depending on how fast the FDA signs off on the panel's recommendation, shots could begin within days. (AP Photo/Jon Elswick)
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talkingpointsmemo--2020-12-10--Pennsylvania AG Decries Texas’ Bonkers Election Lawsuit As ‘Seditious Abuse’

Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro on Wednesday decried Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton ’ s lawsuit boosting President Trump ’ s long-shot attempts at overturning election results as “ seditious ” and built on an “ absurd ” foundation .
In a 43-page brief signed by Shapiro and six of his deputies , the battleground state ’ s attorney general argued that Paxton is bringing “ only discredited allegations and conspiracy theories ” in waging his last-ditch effort at Trump winning a second term .
“ The Court should not abide this seditious abuse of the judicial process , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that such abuse must never be replicated , ” Shapiro said .
“ In support of such a request , Texas brings to the Court only discredited allegations and conspiracy theories that have no basis in fact.
” Shapiro added that “ accepting Texas ’ s view would do violence to the Constitution and the Framers ’ vision.
” Shapiro ’ s rebuke was issued as 106 House Republicans signed onto an amicus brief in support of the Texas lawsuit aimed at overturning the election results in the four battleground states — Georgia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that helped hand a win to President-elect Joe Biden .
The other battleground states also offered blistering rebukes of the Texas lawsuit .
Rep. Mike Johnson ( R-LA ) spearheaded the effort to strong-arm his House GOP colleagues into signing the brief .
“ This brief presents [ our ] concern as Members of Congress , shared by untold millions of their constituents , that the unconstitutional irregularities involved in the 2020 presidential election cast doubt upon its outcome and the integrity of the American system of elections , ” the amicus brief @ @ @ @ @ @ @ On Wednesday , the Trump campaign , as well 17 GOP attorneys general , formally indicated their support of Paxton ’ s lawsuit seeking to delay the certification of presidential electors in four battleground states Biden won .
The brief signed by Shapiro on Thursday was issued a day after he jabbed at Sen. Ted Cruz ( R-TX ) for agreeing to go along with Trump ’ s flailing attempts at overturning the election results through the Supreme Court .
“ He has proven himself to be neither a genius in the law @ @ @ @ @ @ @ terms of an EQ .
He is a sad sack , ” Shapiro told CNN , following reports that Cruz had accepted Trump ’ s request to argue Paxton ’ s long shot lawsuit to invalidate Pennsylvania and other swing battleground states ’ votes if it ends up before the Supreme Court .

Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro on Wednesday decried Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s lawsuit boosting President Trump’s long-shot attempts at overturning election results as “seditious” and built on an “absurd” foundation.
In a 43-page brief signed by Shapiro and six of his deputies, the battleground state’s attorney general argued that Paxton is bringing “only discredited allegations and conspiracy theories” in waging his last-ditch effort at Trump winning a second term.
“The Court should not abide this seditious abuse of the judicial process, and should send a clear and unmistakable signal that such abuse must never be replicated,” Shapiro said. “In support of such a request, Texas brings to the Court only discredited allegations and conspiracy theories that have no basis in fact.”
Shapiro added that “accepting Texas’s view would do violence to the Constitution and the Framers’ vision.”
Shapiro’s rebuke was issued as 106 House Republicans signed onto an amicus brief in support of the Texas lawsuit aimed at overturning the election results in the four battleground states — Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin — that helped hand a win to President-elect Joe Biden. The other battleground states also offered blistering rebukes of the Texas lawsuit.
Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA) spearheaded the effort to strong-arm his House GOP colleagues into signing the brief.
“This brief presents [our] concern as Members of Congress, shared by untold millions of their constituents, that the unconstitutional irregularities involved in the 2020 presidential election cast doubt upon its outcome and the integrity of the American system of elections,” the amicus brief signed by 106 GOP lawmakers said.
On Wednesday, the Trump campaign, as well 17 GOP attorneys general, formally indicated their support of Paxton’s lawsuit seeking to delay the certification of presidential electors in four battleground states Biden won.
The brief signed by Shapiro on Thursday was issued a day after he jabbed at Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) for agreeing to go along with Trump’s flailing attempts at overturning the election results through the Supreme Court.
“He has proven himself to be neither a genius in the law or a genius, frankly, in terms of an EQ. He is a sad sack,” Shapiro told CNN, following reports that Cruz had accepted Trump’s request to argue Paxton’s long shot lawsuit to invalidate Pennsylvania and other swing battleground states’ votes if it ends up before the Supreme Court.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-12-10--Jerry Falwell Drops Lawsuit Against Liberty University

Jerry Falwell Jr. dropped his defamation claim against Liberty University on Wednesday , Lynchburg ’ s News & Advance reported .
Falwell had sued Liberty in October , claiming that the university had defamed him by relying on allegations of his involvement with Giancarlo Granda in firing him .
The son of the mega-pastor who founded Liberty University , Falwell Jr. moved to drop the case just days before Liberty was due to reply to his initial claim .
TPM reported in-depth last month on Granda ’ s eight-year relationship with Falwell and his wife , during which , Granda @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had sex with Becki Falwell .
Both Falwells have said that there was an “ affair ” between Granda and Becki Falwell , though Jerry has denied that he was aware of it and has denied that it continued beyond 2014 .
Falwell Jr. played a key role in Trump ’ s ascendance to the presidency in 2016 , endorsing him in the Republican primary at a moment that gave the New York real estate developer support from the GOP ’ s evangelical base .
That came after Trump attorney Michael Cohen destroyed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sequence of events that led many to question whether Falwell ’ s endorsement was a favor to Trump .
The News & Advance reported that a Lynchburg judge granted Falwell ’ s motion to dismiss the case without prejudice , meaning Falwell could refile the claim later .
“ I ’ ve decided to take a time out from my litigation against Liberty University , but I will continue to keep all options on the table for an appropriate resolution to the matter , ” Falwell told the newspaper in a statement .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in August , Falwell Jr. has seen a stunning fall from grace .
The longtime Liberty University president had already taken a leave of absence that month after posting a picture on Instagram of his pants unzipped on a yacht while holding “ black water , ” as Falwell put it , alongside an equally unzipped female .
But Granda ’ s decision to publicly allege – with documents that he says prove his claims – that Falwell watched as he regularly had sex with his wife was a death blow to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Liberty .
Granda later expanded on the allegations to TPM , saying that the liaisons continued into 2018 , and that Michael Cohen had asked about Granda ’ s presence with the Falwells as early as 2012 .

Jerry Falwell Jr. dropped his defamation claim against Liberty University on Wednesday, Lynchburg’s News & Advance reported.
Falwell had sued Liberty in October, claiming that the university had defamed him by relying on allegations of his involvement with Giancarlo Granda in firing him.
The son of the mega-pastor who founded Liberty University, Falwell Jr. moved to drop the case just days before Liberty was due to reply to his initial claim.
TPM reported in-depth last month on Granda’s eight-year relationship with Falwell and his wife, during which, Granda says, Jerry would watch as he had sex with Becki Falwell.
Both Falwells have said that there was an “affair” between Granda and Becki Falwell, though Jerry has denied that he was aware of it and has denied that it continued beyond 2014.
Falwell Jr. played a key role in Trump’s ascendance to the presidency in 2016, endorsing him in the Republican primary at a moment that gave the New York real estate developer support from the GOP’s evangelical base.
That came after Trump attorney Michael Cohen destroyed topless photos of Becki Falwell, a sequence of events that led many to question whether Falwell’s endorsement was a favor to Trump.
The News & Advance reported that a Lynchburg judge granted Falwell’s motion to dismiss the case without prejudice, meaning Falwell could refile the claim later.
“I’ve decided to take a time out from my litigation against Liberty University, but I will continue to keep all options on the table for an appropriate resolution to the matter,” Falwell told the newspaper in a statement.
Since Granda went public with his allegations in August, Falwell Jr. has seen a stunning fall from grace. The longtime Liberty University president had already taken a leave of absence that month after posting a picture on Instagram of his pants unzipped on a yacht while holding “black water,” as Falwell put it, alongside an equally unzipped female.
But Granda’s decision to publicly allege – with documents that he says prove his claims – that Falwell watched as he regularly had sex with his wife was a death blow to the moral majority scion’s career at Liberty.
Granda later expanded on the allegations to TPM, saying that the liaisons continued into 2018, and that Michael Cohen had asked about Granda’s presence with the Falwells as early as 2012.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-12-10--We Still Need An Answer To A Critical Question: Do COVID Vaccines Prevent Transmission?

With two COVID-19 vaccines on track for approval by the end of the year , the country is preparing to inoculate frontline health-care workers and the most vulnerable .
But while the vaccine has been found to confer immunity on those who take it , it ’ s still not clear whether the shot stops transmission .
Researchers are racing for an answer to the question of whether those who are inoculated are also incapable of spreading COVID-19 .
Not all vaccines put a stop to both illness and spread .
Some vaccines for respiratory diseases stimulate the body ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to remain in the respiratory system , facilitating transmission .
Specifically , an antibody that exists in the mucus and saliva can fail to be activated even as blood-borne antibodies effectively prevent disease .
“ With respiratory illness in particular , transmission is dependent on whats in your nose and nasal pharynx , ” Dr. Litjen Tan , chief strategy officer at the Immunization Action Coalition , told TPM .
“ You can be asymptomatic , but you ’ re spitting out virus.
” Because so few people have gotten the injections so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ data to measure how effective the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are at curbing spread .
More information could reveal the extent to which the vaccines prevent spread , and further studies could reveal how soon after receiving the dual shots people become unable to spread the virus .
It ’ s “ not clear whether or not these vaccines actually do prevent transmission , ” Josh Michaud , an epidemiologist at Kaiser Family Foundations , told TPM last week .
“ We know they ’ re effective in preventing disease .
But they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a person who is vaccinated can still transmit.
” The answer to the question of whether the vaccine will prevent only serious illness , or curb both illness and transmission , could shape how the country experiences and responds to the virus in 2021 .
A vaccine that ’ s effective at curbing transmission could bring an earlier end to the virus , while a vaccine that only stops serious illness without preventing spread could result in a situation in which case rates continue to rise even as death rates go down due @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It would be “ unusual ” but not unheard of for a vaccine to allow further spread of the virus against which it protects , said Dr. William Schaffner , an immunologist and professor of preventive medicine at Vanderbilt University .
The meningococcal vaccine , for example , has been found to allow people to continue to carry and spread that disease even while they are immunized .
Moderna said this week that it expected to have results in three weeks regarding how effective its shot is at stopping transmission .
Schaffner @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suggested that Pfizer ’ s vaccine was likely to be at least somewhat effective at limiting spread .
Researchers will likely look at the population effects of early vaccine use , to see if there are any changes in transmission .
Blood tests could also determine , on a small scale , whether people who received the vaccine were subsequently infected with the virus .
The timing over when the pandemic begins to taper off largely depends on how effective the vaccines end up being at limiting transmission .
Tan suggested that between @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would need to be vaccinated or have acquired immunity through exposure to COVID-19 to head off further outbreaks , assuming that the vaccines provide both long-lasting protection to the disease and fully eliminate the potential for spread .
“ Other factors shape that — how long will that immunity last ?
” Tan said .
“ If it ’ s short term , you ’ re gon na have to vaccinate more people.
” But that could then present a thorny problem for public health officials who , Schaffner said , would want @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ enhance ” measures to mitigate the virus as more people get vaccinated .
“ Its going to take a long time to vaccinate a lot of people , and we ’ re going to have to do social distancing , mask wearing , the whole drill , to keep the virus as low as possible , ” Schaffner added .
Gary Slutkin , an epidemiologist who fought pandemics as a WHO official in Africa , echoed Schaffner ’ s remarks .
“ Of even more or at least as much concern is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more transmission because people may drop their guard as the idea of the vaccine is still out there as the magic cure , and so the next few months may be worse , not as a biological but as a psychological and behavioral factor as well , ” Slutkin told TPM in an email .
“ To me this is nearly predictable .
”

With two COVID-19 vaccines on track for approval by the end of the year, the country is preparing to inoculate frontline health-care workers and the most vulnerable.
But while the vaccine has been found to confer immunity on those who take it, it’s still not clear whether the shot stops transmission. Researchers are racing for an answer to the question of whether those who are inoculated are also incapable of spreading COVID-19.
Not all vaccines put a stop to both illness and spread. Some vaccines for respiratory diseases stimulate the body’s immune response but allow the virus to remain in the respiratory system, facilitating transmission.
Specifically, an antibody that exists in the mucus and saliva can fail to be activated even as blood-borne antibodies effectively prevent disease.
“With respiratory illness in particular, transmission is dependent on whats in your nose and nasal pharynx,” Dr. Litjen Tan, chief strategy officer at the Immunization Action Coalition, told TPM. “You can be asymptomatic, but you’re spitting out virus.”
Because so few people have gotten the injections so far, there’s not yet data to measure how effective the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are at curbing spread. More information could reveal the extent to which the vaccines prevent spread, and further studies could reveal how soon after receiving the dual shots people become unable to spread the virus.
It’s “not clear whether or not these vaccines actually do prevent transmission,” Josh Michaud, an epidemiologist at Kaiser Family Foundations, told TPM last week. “We know they’re effective in preventing disease. But they haven’t tested whether or not a person who is vaccinated can still transmit.”
Life in the nose
The answer to the question of whether the vaccine will prevent only serious illness, or curb both illness and transmission, could shape how the country experiences and responds to the virus in 2021.
A vaccine that’s effective at curbing transmission could bring an earlier end to the virus, while a vaccine that only stops serious illness without preventing spread could result in a situation in which case rates continue to rise even as death rates go down due to the most vulnerable getting shots first.
It would be “unusual” but not unheard of for a vaccine to allow further spread of the virus against which it protects, said Dr. William Schaffner, an immunologist and professor of preventive medicine at Vanderbilt University.
The meningococcal vaccine, for example, has been found to allow people to continue to carry and spread that disease even while they are immunized.
Moderna said this week that it expected to have results in three weeks regarding how effective its shot is at stopping transmission. Schaffner said that data released by the FDA suggested that Pfizer’s vaccine was likely to be at least somewhat effective at limiting spread.
Researchers will likely look at the population effects of early vaccine use, to see if there are any changes in transmission. Blood tests could also determine, on a small scale, whether people who received the vaccine were subsequently infected with the virus.
‘Predictable’
The timing over when the pandemic begins to taper off largely depends on how effective the vaccines end up being at limiting transmission.
Tan suggested that between 65 and 75 percent of the population would need to be vaccinated or have acquired immunity through exposure to COVID-19 to head off further outbreaks, assuming that the vaccines provide both long-lasting protection to the disease and fully eliminate the potential for spread.
“Other factors shape that — how long will that immunity last?” Tan said. “If it’s short term, you’re gonna have to vaccinate more people.”
But that could then present a thorny problem for public health officials who, Schaffner said, would want to not only “preserve” but “enhance” measures to mitigate the virus as more people get vaccinated.
“Its going to take a long time to vaccinate a lot of people, and we’re going to have to do social distancing, mask wearing, the whole drill, to keep the virus as low as possible,” Schaffner added.
Gary Slutkin, an epidemiologist who fought pandemics as a WHO official in Africa, echoed Schaffner’s remarks.
“Of even more or at least as much concern is that the whole vaccine idea will cause more transmission because people may drop their guard as the idea of the vaccine is still out there as the magic cure, and so the next few months may be worse, not as a biological but as a psychological and behavioral factor as well,” Slutkin told TPM in an email. “To me this is nearly predictable.”


talkingpointsmemo--2020-12-10--PA AG Swipes At Cruz For Jumping To Help Trump Try To Steal Election: ‘He Is A Sad Sack’

Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro jabbed at Sen. Ted Cruz ( R-TX ) on Wednesday night for agreeing to help President Donald Trump , who has called the senator ’ s wife ugly and accused his father of being involved in the JFK assassination , try to overturn the election results via the Supreme Court .
“ He has proven himself to be neither a genius in the law or a genius , frankly , in terms of an EQ .
He is a sad sack , ” Shapiro told CNN after it was reported that Cruz had accepted Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attorney general ’ s long shot lawsuit ( which is backed by 17 other GOP attorneys general ) to invalidate Pennsylvania and other swing states ’ votes if it ends up in the high court .
“ And I would say to him , and frankly I ’ d say to my 17 colleagues who ’ ve gone along with this circus , I don ’ t know if I need to send you a surgeon to examine your spine or a psychiatrist to examine your head , but something ’ s wrong @ @ @ @ @ @ @ general added .
“ If you continue to follow this President , if you continue to behave in these bizarro ways , if you continue to hold yourself out as a legal expert yet demonstrate day in and day out with your support of this President and his claims , then you don ’ t know anything about the law .
”

Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro jabbed at Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) on Wednesday night for agreeing to help President Donald Trump, who has called the senator’s wife ugly and accused his father of being involved in the JFK assassination, try to overturn the election results via the Supreme Court.
“He has proven himself to be neither a genius in the law or a genius, frankly, in terms of an EQ. He is a sad sack,” Shapiro told CNN after it was reported that Cruz had accepted Trump’s request to argue the Texas attorney general’s long shot lawsuit (which is backed by 17 other GOP attorneys general) to invalidate Pennsylvania and other swing states’ votes if it ends up in the high court.
“And I would say to him, and frankly I’d say to my 17 colleagues who’ve gone along with this circus, I don’t know if I need to send you a surgeon to examine your spine or a psychiatrist to examine your head, but something’s wrong with you,” the Pennsylvania attorney general added. “If you continue to follow this President, if you continue to behave in these bizarro ways, if you continue to hold yourself out as a legal expert yet demonstrate day in and day out with your support of this President and his claims, then you don’t know anything about the law.”
Watch Shapiro below:


talkingpointsmemo--2020-12-10--Trump Loyalist To The End: Barr Plans To Stand By His Man Until End Of Term

Attorney General Bill Barr plans to remain in his post and won ’ t resign early unless President Donald Trump moves to oust him , a Department of Justice official told Bloomberg News in a report published Thursday .
The revelation about Barr ’ s reported intentions to stay put come as Trump has raised doubts about whether or not he still has confidence in the top DOJ official who has typically served as a reliable legal henchman .
When asked by reporters earlier this month whether he still had confidence in Barr after reports that the attorney general had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the Justice Department had “ not seen fraud on a scale ” that would overturn the election , Trump said he would need to revisit the question “ a number of weeks from now.
” At the time he also complained that the attorney general , who he has often called on to do his political bidding , hadn ’ t “ looked very hard ” to find the kind of fraud that his campaign has falsely claimed .
It wouldn ’ t be the first time Trump has decided to dismiss @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to dutifully side with his false claims .
Last month , Trump fired his defense secretary Mark Esper , as well as DHS cybersecurity official Chris Krebs for defying his assertions about widespread election fraud — saying that the Nov. 3 election was secure .
Barr will be expected to resign when President-elect Joe Biden is sworn in on Jan. 20 , the official said — although he ’ s already set into motion a special counsel to continue his investigation into the origins of the FBI ’ s Russia probe , naming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ keep after the investigation after his departure .

Attorney General Bill Barr plans to remain in his post and won’t resign early unless President Donald Trump moves to oust him, a Department of Justice official told Bloomberg News in a report published Thursday.
The revelation about Barr’s reported intentions to stay put come as Trump has raised doubts about whether or not he still has confidence in the top DOJ official who has typically served as a reliable legal henchman.
When asked by reporters earlier this month whether he still had confidence in Barr after reports that the attorney general had told the Associated Press in an interview that the Justice Department had “not seen fraud on a scale” that would overturn the election, Trump said he would need to revisit the question “a number of weeks from now.” At the time he also complained that the attorney general, who he has often called on to do his political bidding, hadn’t “looked very hard” to find the kind of fraud that his campaign has falsely claimed.
It wouldn’t be the first time Trump has decided to dismiss an official within his administration for failing to dutifully side with his false claims. Last month, Trump fired his defense secretary Mark Esper, as well as DHS cybersecurity official Chris Krebs for defying his assertions about widespread election fraud — saying that the Nov. 3 election was secure.
Barr will be expected to resign when President-elect Joe Biden is sworn in on Jan. 20, the official said — although he’s already set into motion a special counsel to continue his investigation into the origins of the FBI’s Russia probe, naming U.S. Attorney John Durham of Connecticut to keep after the investigation after his departure.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-12-10--GOP Rep Emails Colleagues To Pressure Them Into Backing TX AG’s Long-Shot Lawsuit

Rep. Mike Johnson ( R-LA ) reportedly sent a personal email on Wednesday to fellow House Republicans asking them to add their signatures to an amicus brief supporting a long-shot lawsuit led by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton seeking to delay the certification of presidential electors in four battleground states won by President-elect Joe Biden , according to CNN and CBS .
On Wednesday , the Trump campaign , as well 17 red states , formally indicated their support of Paxton ’ s lawsuit , which seeks to reverse Trump ’ s defeat in Pennsylvania , Georgia , Wisconsin and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ email to his fellow House GOP members that day soliciting signatures from them in support of the amicus brief .
“ The simple objective of our brief is to affirm for the court ( and our constituents back home ) our serious concerns with the integrity of our election system , ” Johnson wrote in the email , according to CBS .
“ We are not seeking to independently litigate the particular allegations of fraud in our brief ( this is not our place as amici ) .
We will merely state our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ various allegations and irregularities in the subject states merits careful , timely review by the Supreme Court.
” Johnson claimed that Trump called him Wednesday morning “ to express his great appreciation for our effort ” to file the amicus brief , according to CBS .
“ He said he will be anxiously awaiting the final list to review , ” Johnson wrote , according to CNN and CBS .
Johnson wasn ’ t the only one who got a call from Trump on Wednesday morning amid the sitting president ’ s last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and overturn election results .
Arizona Republican Party chair Kelli Ward on Wednesday gleefully touted that Trump called her up that morning asking her for an “ update ” on her party ’ s efforts to challenge the state ’ s election results .
The presidential call came a day after the state ’ s Supreme Court swatted down her challenge to void President-elect Joe Biden ’ s win .

Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA) reportedly sent a personal email on Wednesday to fellow House Republicans asking them to add their signatures to an amicus brief supporting a long-shot lawsuit led by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton seeking to delay the certification of presidential electors in four battleground states won by President-elect Joe Biden, according to CNN and CBS.
On Wednesday, the Trump campaign, as well 17 red states, formally indicated their support of Paxton’s lawsuit, which seeks to reverse Trump’s defeat in Pennsylvania, Georgia, Wisconsin and Michigan.
Johnson reportedly sent a personal email to his fellow House GOP members that day soliciting signatures from them in support of the amicus brief.
“The simple objective of our brief is to affirm for the court (and our constituents back home) our serious concerns with the integrity of our election system,” Johnson wrote in the email, according to CBS. “We are not seeking to independently litigate the particular allegations of fraud in our brief (this is not our place as amici). We will merely state our belief that the broad scope of the various allegations and irregularities in the subject states merits careful, timely review by the Supreme Court.”
Johnson claimed that Trump called him Wednesday morning “to express his great appreciation for our effort” to file the amicus brief, according to CBS.
“He said he will be anxiously awaiting the final list to review,” Johnson wrote, according to CNN and CBS.
President Trump called me this morning to let me know how much he appreciates the amicus brief we are filing on behalf of Members of Congress. Indeed, "this is the big one!" https://t.co/eV1aoNlpvq — Rep. Mike Johnson (@RepMikeJohnson) December 9, 2020
Johnson wasn’t the only one who got a call from Trump on Wednesday morning amid the sitting president’s last ditch efforts to delegitimize the election process and overturn election results.
Arizona Republican Party chair Kelli Ward on Wednesday gleefully touted that Trump called her up that morning asking her for an “update” on her party’s efforts to challenge the state’s election results. The presidential call came a day after the state’s Supreme Court swatted down her challenge to void President-elect Joe Biden’s win.