talkingpointsmemo--2020-06-18--Many Atlanta Cops Call Out After Prosecutor Brings Charges In Brooks Killing

ATLANTA ( AP ) — Atlanta ’ s police department reassured residents Thursday that it can still protect the city even though officers are calling out in larger numbers than normal , a day after prosecutors charged a member of the force with murder for shooting a man in the back .
Prosecutors brought felony murder and other charges against the white officer who shot Rayshard Brooks , saying that Brooks was not a deadly threat and that the officer kicked the wounded black man and offered no medical treatment for over two minutes as he lay dying on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with aggravated assault .
Hours later , the Atlanta Police Department tweeted late Wednesday that it had more officers calling out than normal but that it had “ enough resources to maintain operations & remain able to respond to incidents.
” “ The Atlanta Police Department is able to respond effectively to 911 calls .
Please don ’ t hesitate to call if you have an emergency , ” the department tweeted Thursday .
Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms , who has issued orders calling for reforms in policing , also insisted that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ despite the callouts and said that many of the department ’ s partner agencies had been notified in case they needed to call in others .
“ If we have officers that don ’ t want bad officers weeded out of the force then that ’ s another conversation we need to have , ” Bottoms said on CNN .
The decision to prosecute the officers came less than five days after the killing rocked a city — and a nation — already roiled by the death of George Floyd under a police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last month .
Floyd ’ s death set off nationwide protests that have urged an extensive rethink of policing and an examination of racism in the United States .
Brooks ’ funeral is set for Tuesday at Atlanta ’ s historic Ebenezer Baptist Church , which was Martin Luther King Jr. ’ s congregation , the Rev .
Raphael Warnock announced .
Tyler Perry , the actor and filmmaker , has offered financial help for the services , officials said in announcing the funeral .
Police were called to a Wendy ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blocking the drive-thru lane .
An officer found Brooks asleep behind the wheel , and a breath test showed he was intoxicated .
Police body-camera video showed Brooks and officers having a long , relatively calm conversation before things rapidly turned violent when officers tried to handcuff him .
Officer Garrett Rolfe shot Brooks after the 27-year-old black man grabbed a Taser and ran , firing it at the officer , Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard said .
But when the officer fired his gun , Brooks was too far ahead of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ danger , and it had already been fired twice , so it was empty and no longer a threat , Howard said .
“ I got him !
” Howard quoted Rolfe as saying .
“ Mr .
Brooks on the night of this incident was calm , he was cordial and really displayed a cooperative nature , ” Howard said .
A lawyer for two witnesses said Thursday that the shooting could have been avoided and that officers need to be held accountable .
“ As the video shows , this could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ run away , giving him another day , but instead a family has lost a father , a loved one , a friend , ” attorney Shean Williams said at a Thursday news conference .
“ This community has lost a man.
” Williams ’ client Michael Perkins , who was a passenger in a car that arrived in the drive-thru lane just minutes before the shooting , said that when he heard officers telling Brooks to stop resisting he predicted that Brooks would end up getting shot .
“ It ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to happen because that ’ s what ’ s been happening lately , ” he said Thursday during a news conference at his lawyer ’ s office in downtown Atlanta .
“ These cops have been killing people.
” Prosecutors also announced charges of aggravated assault and violation of his oath against a second officer , Devin Brosnan , who the district attorney said stood on Brooks ’ shoulder as he struggled for his life .
Rolfe ’ s lawyers said he feared for his and others ’ safety and was justified in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hearing a sound “ like a gunshot and saw a flash in front of him , ” apparently from the Taser .
“ Mr .
Brooks violently attacked two officers and disarmed one of them .
When Mr. Brooks turned and pointed an object at Officer Rolfe , any officer would have reasonably believed that he intended to disarm , disable or seriously injure him , ” the lawyers said in a statement .
The felony murder charge against Rolfe , 27 , carries life in prison or the death penalty , if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was also charged with 10 other offenses punishable by decades behind bars .
The district attorney said Brosnan , 26 , is cooperating with prosecutors and will testify .
But one of his attorneys , Amanda Clark Palmer , denied that and said Brosnan was not pleading guilty to anything .
Clark Palmer said the charges were baseless and that Brosnan stood on Brooks ’ hand , not his shoulder , for just seconds to make sure he did not have a weapon .
Brosnan turned himself in Thursday , his lawyer said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as he later left .
The district attorney said he and Rolfe had until 6 p.m. to surrender .
He said he would request $ 50,000 bond for Brosnan and no bail for Rolfe .
A lawyer for Brooks ’ widow cautioned that the charges were no reason to rejoice .
“ We shouldn ’ t have to celebrate as African Americans when we get a piece of justice like today .
We shouldn ’ t have to celebrate and parade when an officer is held accountable , ” attorney L. Chris Stewart @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Miller , said it was painful to hear the new details of what happened to her husband in his final minutes .
“ I felt everything that he felt , just by hearing what he went through , and it hurt .
It hurt really bad , ” she said .
Brooks ’ killing Friday night sparked new demonstrations in Georgia ’ s capital against police brutality after occasionally turbulent protests over Floyd ’ s death had largely died down .
Atlanta Police Chief Erika Shields resigned less than 24 hours after Brooks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ restaurant was burned .
Rolfe was fired , while Brosnan was placed on desk duty .
The news of the charges came as Republicans on Capitol Hill unveiled a package of police reform measures and as states pushed forward with getting rid of Confederate monuments and other racially offensive symbols .
A new poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research says more Americans today than five years ago believe police brutality is a very serious problem that too often goes undisciplined and unequally targets black Americans .
In the Minneapolis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who put his knee on Floyd ’ s neck for several minutes , has been charged with murder .
Three other officers have been charged with aiding and abetting .
All four were fired .
Associated Press writers Sudhin Thanawala and Jeff Martin in Atlanta ; Matt Ott in New York ; Lisa Mascaro and Jim Mustian in Washington ; and Russ Bynum in Savannah , Ga. , contributed to this report .

ATLANTA (AP) — Atlanta’s police department reassured residents Thursday that it can still protect the city even though officers are calling out in larger numbers than normal, a day after prosecutors charged a member of the force with murder for shooting a man in the back.
Prosecutors brought felony murder and other charges against the white officer who shot Rayshard Brooks, saying that Brooks was not a deadly threat and that the officer kicked the wounded black man and offered no medical treatment for over two minutes as he lay dying on the ground. Another officer is being charged with aggravated assault.
Hours later, the Atlanta Police Department tweeted late Wednesday that it had more officers calling out than normal but that it had “enough resources to maintain operations & remain able to respond to incidents.”
“The Atlanta Police Department is able to respond effectively to 911 calls. Please don’t hesitate to call if you have an emergency,” the department tweeted Thursday.
Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, who has issued orders calling for reforms in policing, also insisted that the department would be able to operate effectively despite the callouts and said that many of the department’s partner agencies had been notified in case they needed to call in others.
“If we have officers that don’t want bad officers weeded out of the force then that’s another conversation we need to have,” Bottoms said on CNN.
The decision to prosecute the officers came less than five days after the killing rocked a city — and a nation — already roiled by the death of George Floyd under a police officer’s knee in Minneapolis late last month. Floyd’s death set off nationwide protests that have urged an extensive rethink of policing and an examination of racism in the United States.
Brooks’ funeral is set for Tuesday at Atlanta’s historic Ebenezer Baptist Church, which was Martin Luther King Jr.’s congregation, the Rev. Raphael Warnock announced. Tyler Perry, the actor and filmmaker, has offered financial help for the services, officials said in announcing the funeral.
Police were called to a Wendy’s last week over complaints of a car blocking the drive-thru lane. An officer found Brooks asleep behind the wheel, and a breath test showed he was intoxicated. Police body-camera video showed Brooks and officers having a long, relatively calm conversation before things rapidly turned violent when officers tried to handcuff him.
Officer Garrett Rolfe shot Brooks after the 27-year-old black man grabbed a Taser and ran, firing it at the officer, Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard said. But when the officer fired his gun, Brooks was too far ahead of him for the Taser to be a danger, and it had already been fired twice, so it was empty and no longer a threat, Howard said.
“I got him!” Howard quoted Rolfe as saying.
“Mr. Brooks on the night of this incident was calm, he was cordial and really displayed a cooperative nature,” Howard said.
A lawyer for two witnesses said Thursday that the shooting could have been avoided and that officers need to be held accountable.
“As the video shows, this could have been avoided by just letting him run away, giving him another day, but instead a family has lost a father, a loved one, a friend,” attorney Shean Williams said at a Thursday news conference. “This community has lost a man.”
Williams’ client Michael Perkins, who was a passenger in a car that arrived in the drive-thru lane just minutes before the shooting, said that when he heard officers telling Brooks to stop resisting he predicted that Brooks would end up getting shot.
“It’s just what I felt like was going to happen because that’s what’s been happening lately,” he said Thursday during a news conference at his lawyer’s office in downtown Atlanta. “These cops have been killing people.”
Prosecutors also announced charges of aggravated assault and violation of his oath against a second officer, Devin Brosnan, who the district attorney said stood on Brooks’ shoulder as he struggled for his life.
Rolfe’s lawyers said he feared for his and others’ safety and was justified in shooting Brooks. Rolfe opened fire after hearing a sound “like a gunshot and saw a flash in front of him,” apparently from the Taser.
“Mr. Brooks violently attacked two officers and disarmed one of them. When Mr. Brooks turned and pointed an object at Officer Rolfe, any officer would have reasonably believed that he intended to disarm, disable or seriously injure him,” the lawyers said in a statement.
The felony murder charge against Rolfe, 27, carries life in prison or the death penalty, if prosecutors decide to seek it. He was also charged with 10 other offenses punishable by decades behind bars.
The district attorney said Brosnan, 26, is cooperating with prosecutors and will testify. But one of his attorneys, Amanda Clark Palmer, denied that and said Brosnan was not pleading guilty to anything.
Clark Palmer said the charges were baseless and that Brosnan stood on Brooks’ hand, not his shoulder, for just seconds to make sure he did not have a weapon.
Brosnan turned himself in Thursday, his lawyer said. He did not speak to reporters as he later left. The district attorney said he and Rolfe had until 6 p.m. to surrender. He said he would request $50,000 bond for Brosnan and no bail for Rolfe.
A lawyer for Brooks’ widow cautioned that the charges were no reason to rejoice.
“We shouldn’t have to celebrate as African Americans when we get a piece of justice like today. We shouldn’t have to celebrate and parade when an officer is held accountable,” attorney L. Chris Stewart said.
Brooks’ widow, Tomika Miller, said it was painful to hear the new details of what happened to her husband in his final minutes.
“I felt everything that he felt, just by hearing what he went through, and it hurt. It hurt really bad,” she said.
Brooks’ killing Friday night sparked new demonstrations in Georgia’s capital against police brutality after occasionally turbulent protests over Floyd’s death had largely died down. Atlanta Police Chief Erika Shields resigned less than 24 hours after Brooks died, and the Wendy’s restaurant was burned. Rolfe was fired, while Brosnan was placed on desk duty.
The news of the charges came as Republicans on Capitol Hill unveiled a package of police reform measures and as states pushed forward with getting rid of Confederate monuments and other racially offensive symbols.
A new poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research says more Americans today than five years ago believe police brutality is a very serious problem that too often goes undisciplined and unequally targets black Americans.
In the Minneapolis case, Derek Chauvin, the officer who put his knee on Floyd’s neck for several minutes, has been charged with murder. Three other officers have been charged with aiding and abetting. All four were fired.
___
Associated Press writers Sudhin Thanawala and Jeff Martin in Atlanta; Matt Ott in New York; Lisa Mascaro and Jim Mustian in Washington; and Russ Bynum in Savannah, Ga., contributed to this report.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-06-18--Fed, State Grand Juries Slam Nevada ‘Boogalooers’ With Explosives, Terrorism Charges

Stephen “ Kiwi ” Parshall was upset that the previous night ’ s protests in Las Vegas had not turned violent , authorities say .
So on May 30 , he huddled with his associates in a parking lot , ahead of another demonstration , and started tearing a rag into strips .
He was assembling Molotov cocktails , the feds allege .
But one of his friends was a confidential FBI source , who ’ d been watching for months as Parshall and two others made plans for violence against the government .
A SWAT team descended , arresting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ago .
And on Wednesday , the government hit back hard : Parshall , along with two of his alleged brothers in arms , now face dual grand jury indictments — state and federal — for allegedly seeking to start a violent uprising against the government , using the Black Lives Matter protests as cover .
Parshall , Andrew Lynam and William Loomis face a federal indictment alleging a conspiracy to damage and destroy by fire and explosive , as well as possession of unregistered explosives .
The state grand jury levied further @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The trio are currently in federal custody .
Reached by phone Thursday , Parshall ’ s attorney Robert M. Draskovich said his client looked forward to exonerating himself in court .
“ The majority of this case is based upon a narrative provided to the government by a cooperating witness , ” he said .
“ Cooperating witnesses , by their very nature and circumstances , are unreliable sources .
There ’ s very little FBI involvement in this case.
” Though Draskovich said Parshall denies involvement with any kind of right-wing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ men , all with military backgrounds , are part of the “ boogaloo ” movement , which agitates for armed conflict with the government .
The term , boogaloo , grew from a sarcastic internet meme about a second Civil War to actual violence : Two California men who authorities say are boogalooers currently face federal charges for the alleged murder of a Federal Protective Services officer in Oakland ; one of them is also accused of the ambush killing of a sheriff ’ s deputy a week later .
The movement ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ boogaloo ” is inevitable , said Howard Graves , a senior research analyst at the Southern Poverty Law Center .
Rather , Graves said , “ they actually think it ’ s desirable , and they want to bring about conditions that would create civil strife , in which they can get into a gun fight with federal law enforcement.
” The George Floyd protests , Graves said , were “ nothing more than a theater ” for a potential shoot-out .
The Nevada arrests , a day after the Oakland killing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ movement to destabilize the U.S. government .
In the criminal complaint filed earlier this month , an FBI agent laid out the details : A confidential source for the bureau met Lynam and Parshall , who were members of a “ Boogaloo ” Facebook group , at an early April rally to “ reopen ” Nevada from COVID-19 restrictions .
From there , the source kept tabs on the men as they allegedly planned attacks on government buildings and critical infrastructure .
It ’ s a timeline of starts at stops : In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ complicated “ test run ” attack on a U.S. Forest Service ranger station , but the attack never happened .
Then in May , he and Parshall allegedly contemplated setting off fireworks , smoke bombs and noisemakers at “ reopen ” protests in order to cause chaos and seed a confrontation between protesters and police — but they hesitated and didn ’ t carry out the plan .
Finally , later in the month , Parshall , Loomis and the FBI ’ s source allegedly scouted a power substation in Las Vegas for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and an accelerant , the plan allegedly went , they ’ d firebomb the power converted in the substation and plunge Las Vegas into darkness and rioting .
But the ongoing protests over Floyd ’ s killing offered another option .
After allegedly expressing frustration that a May 29 protest didn ’ t devolve into violence , authorities say Parshall told the FBI source that he had materials for Molotov cocktails .
The following night , per the complaint , the source watched him rip rags into strips and discuss the mechanics of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them against police .
Then , the SWAT team swept in and arrested the men .
A quick scan of the trio ’ s vehicles and subsequent searches turned up an inventory : Rifles , shotguns , ammunition , fireworks , gasoline , hairspray glass jars and body armor , according to the complaint against the men .
As with other “ boogaloo ” arrestees in recent weeks , the trio in Nevada appeared intent in sowing chaos .
According to the complaint , Lynam and Parshall said in May that they wanted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s “ Green Book.
” The Green Book is a training manual of sorts for armed struggle against an occupying government .
They also allegedly talked about using fireworks , smoke bombs and noisemakers at protests in order to “ cause panic to the police and public , in hopes that it causes others to take some type of action , ” and to encourage “ some type of confrontation between police and the protesters.
” Graves , the SPLC analyst , said the number of “ boogaloo ” adherents is small @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t matter to them that they are part of a minority of people.
” “ It ’ s not a plurality of Americans that hold these views , ” he added , “ but they believe that there are enough of them that they can sort of get the ball rolling , and once that ’ s moving downhill , it ’ ll pick up too much inertia to stop.
” The accusations against the men echoed an alleged Facebook message from Steven Carrillo , the man charged in California with killing the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Use their anger to fuel our fire , ” he said of protesters .
“ Think outside the box .
We have mobs of angry people to use to our advantage .
”

Stephen “Kiwi” Parshall was upset that the previous night’s protests in Las Vegas had not turned violent, authorities say. So on May 30, he huddled with his associates in a parking lot, ahead of another demonstration, and started tearing a rag into strips. He was assembling Molotov cocktails, the feds allege.
But one of his friends was a confidential FBI source, who’d been watching for months as Parshall and two others made plans for violence against the government. A SWAT team descended, arresting the men.
That was three weeks ago. And on Wednesday, the government hit back hard: Parshall, along with two of his alleged brothers in arms, now face dual grand jury indictments — state and federal — for allegedly seeking to start a violent uprising against the government, using the Black Lives Matter protests as cover.
Parshall, Andrew Lynam and William Loomis face a federal indictment alleging a conspiracy to damage and destroy by fire and explosive, as well as possession of unregistered explosives. The state grand jury levied further terrorism and explosives charges against the men. The trio are currently in federal custody.
Reached by phone Thursday, Parshall’s attorney Robert M. Draskovich said his client looked forward to exonerating himself in court.
“The majority of this case is based upon a narrative provided to the government by a cooperating witness,” he said. “Cooperating witnesses, by their very nature and circumstances, are unreliable sources. There’s very little FBI involvement in this case.”
Though Draskovich said Parshall denies involvement with any kind of right-wing extremist group, authorities say the three men, all with military backgrounds, are part of the “boogaloo” movement, which agitates for armed conflict with the government.
The term, boogaloo, grew from a sarcastic internet meme about a second Civil War to actual violence: Two California men who authorities say are boogalooers currently face federal charges for the alleged murder of a Federal Protective Services officer in Oakland; one of them is also accused of the ambush killing of a sheriff’s deputy a week later.
The movement’s adherents don’t think a “boogaloo” is inevitable, said Howard Graves, a senior research analyst at the Southern Poverty Law Center.
Rather, Graves said, “they actually think it’s desirable, and they want to bring about conditions that would create civil strife, in which they can get into a gun fight with federal law enforcement.”
The George Floyd protests, Graves said, were “nothing more than a theater” for a potential shoot-out.
The Nevada arrests, a day after the Oakland killing, offers a window inside the viral movement to destabilize the U.S. government.
In the criminal complaint filed earlier this month, an FBI agent laid out the details: A confidential source for the bureau met Lynam and Parshall, who were members of a “Boogaloo” Facebook group, at an early April rally to “reopen” Nevada from COVID-19 restrictions.
From there, the source kept tabs on the men as they allegedly planned attacks on government buildings and critical infrastructure.
It’s a timeline of starts and stops: In late April, Lynam allegedly proposed a complicated “test run” attack on a U.S. Forest Service ranger station, but the attack never happened. Then in May, he and Parshall allegedly contemplated setting off fireworks, smoke bombs and noisemakers at “reopen” protests in order to cause chaos and seed a confrontation between protesters and police — but they hesitated and didn’t carry out the plan.
Finally, later in the month, Parshall, Loomis and the FBI’s source allegedly scouted a power substation in Las Vegas for an attack. With fireworks, gasoline and an accelerant, the plan allegedly went, they’d firebomb the power converter in the substation and plunge Las Vegas into darkness and rioting.
But the ongoing protests over Floyd’s killing offered another option.
After allegedly expressing frustration that a May 29 protest didn’t devolve into violence, authorities say Parshall told the FBI source that he had materials for Molotov cocktails. The following night, per the complaint, the source watched him rip rags into strips and discuss the mechanics of molotov cocktails. Lynam allegedly discussed using them against police.
Then, the SWAT team swept in and arrested the men.
A quick scan of the trio’s vehicles and subsequent searches turned up an inventory: Rifles, shotguns, ammunition, fireworks, gasoline, hairspray glass jars and body armor, according to the complaint against the men.
As with other “boogaloo” arrestees in recent weeks, the trio in Nevada appeared intent in sowing chaos.
According to the complaint, Lynam and Parshall said in May that they wanted to loosely follow the Irish Republican Army’s “Green Book.” The Green Book is a training manual of sorts for armed struggle against an occupying government.
They also allegedly talked about using fireworks, smoke bombs and noisemakers at protests in order to “cause panic to the police and public, in hopes that it causes others to take some type of action,” and to encourage “some type of confrontation between police and the protesters.”
Graves, the SPLC analyst, said the number of “boogaloo” adherents is small, but “it almost doesn’t matter to them that they are part of a minority of people.”
“It’s not a plurality of Americans that hold these views,” he added, “but they believe that there are enough of them that they can sort of get the ball rolling, and once that’s moving downhill, it’ll pick up too much inertia to stop.”
The accusations against the men echoed an alleged Facebook message from Steven Carrillo, the man charged in California with killing the federal and state law enforcement officers: “Use their anger to fuel our fire,” he said of protesters. “Think outside the box. We have mobs of angry people to use to our advantage.”


talkingpointsmemo--2020-06-18--Conservatives Slam Roberts After Ruling To Uphold DACA Protections

Chief Justice John Roberts is facing backlash from conservatives following the Supreme Court ’ s landmark ruling on Thursday rejecting President Trump ’ s efforts to end DACA .
On Thursday morning , Roberts joined the court ’ s liberals in issuing a 5-4 ruling that rebuked Trump by rejecting his administration ’ s efforts to end legal protections for 650,000 young undocumented immigrants .
The President did not take the Supreme Court ’ s latest ruling lightly .
Shortly after the order was issued , Trump ripped into the DACA decision as well as the court ’ s ruling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ LGBTQ individuals , tweeting that both rulings are “ shotgun blasts ” to people who are “ proud to call themselves Republicans or Conservatives.
” Several prominent conservatives soon hopped on the bandwagon by taking particular aim at Roberts .
Both the chief justice and Trump appointee Neil Gorsuch have faced backlash from conservatives following the landmark ruling for LGBTQ rights earlier this week , which included justices Samuel Alito and Brett Kavanaugh issuing scathing dissents .
Cotton — a rising star in the Republican Party , especially following the uproar over his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the New York Times earlier this month — reacted to the Supreme Court ’ s decision on DACA by mockingly suggesting that Roberts resign and travel to Iowa to get elected , according to CNN ’ s Manu Raju .
Jordan tweeted that Roberts “ does it again ” following the court ’ s decision on DACA , warning that gun rights could be gutted next .
On Thursday afternoon , Sen. Ted Cruz ( R-TX ) took to the Senate floor to accuse Roberts of “ playing games.
” “ Judging @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
“ It ’ s not supposed to be a game , but sadly over recent years more and more , Chief Justice Roberts has been playing games with the court to achieve the policy outcomes he desires.
” Severino ripped into Roberts in a series of tweets arguing that “ this is a bad case of deja vu.
” Although he didn ’ t specifically call out Roberts , Sasse said in a statement that “ this is what happens when you don ’ t have a functioning Congress.
” “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so the Court again steps in and declares itself America ’ s Super-Legislature , ” Sasse said .
“ It ’ s bad news for civic health that the Court regularly flexes legislative muscle it doesn ’ t have under our Constitution.
” The Senate Judiciary Committee member added that although he believes that immigrant children who came to the U.S. years ago “ shouldn ’ t live in fear of deportation , ” he argued that the solution “ should be done via legislation.
” “ We need a law that gives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ immigration policy — and legislation comes from Congress , not the Court , ” Sasse said .
Cuccinelli also did not directly blast Roberts , but shared a sarcastic criticism in a Thursday afternoon tweet .

Chief Justice John Roberts is facing backlash from conservatives following the Supreme Court’s landmark ruling on Thursday rejecting President Trump’s efforts to end DACA.
On Thursday morning, Roberts joined the court’s liberals in issuing a 5-4 ruling that rebuked Trump by rejecting his administration’s efforts to end legal protections for 650,000 young undocumented immigrants.
The President did not take the Supreme Court’s latest ruling lightly. Shortly after the order was issued, Trump ripped into the DACA decision as well as the court’s ruling earlier this week upholding workplace protections for LGBTQ individuals, tweeting that both rulings are “shotgun blasts” to people who are “proud to call themselves Republicans or Conservatives.”
Several prominent conservatives soon hopped on the bandwagon by taking particular aim at Roberts. Both the chief justice and Trump appointee Neil Gorsuch have faced backlash from conservatives following the landmark ruling for LGBTQ rights earlier this week, which included justices Samuel Alito and Brett Kavanaugh issuing scathing dissents.
Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR)
Cotton — a rising star in the Republican Party, especially following the uproar over his “Send In the Troops” op-ed in the New York Times earlier this month — reacted to the Supreme Court’s decision on DACA by mockingly suggesting that Roberts resign and travel to Iowa to get elected, according to CNN’s Manu Raju.
More GOP outrage at Roberts over DACA. Tom Cotton: “If the Chief Justice believes his political judgment is so exquisite, I invite him to resign, travel to Iowa, and get elected. I suspect voters will find his strange views no more compelling than do the principled justices” — Manu Raju (@mkraju) June 18, 2020
Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH)
Jordan tweeted that Roberts “does it again” following the court’s decision on DACA, warning that gun rights could be gutted next.
Chief Justice Roberts does it again. First, Obamacare. Now, DACA. What’s next? Our second amendment gun rights? — Rep. Jim Jordan (@Jim_Jordan) June 18, 2020
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX)
On Thursday afternoon, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) took to the Senate floor to accuse Roberts of “playing games.”
“Judging is not a game,” Cruz said. “It’s not supposed to be a game, but sadly over recent years more and more, Chief Justice Roberts has been playing games with the court to achieve the policy outcomes he desires.”
.@SenTedCruz: "Today's decision from the U.S. Supreme Court…is disgraceful. Judging is not a game. It's not supposed to be a game, but sadly over recent years more and more Chief Justice Roberts has been playing games with the Court to achieve the policy outcomes he desires." pic.twitter.com/SXojMAF9vU — CSPAN (@cspan) June 18, 2020
Carrie Severino, president of the conservative activist PAC Judicial Crisis Network
Severino ripped into Roberts in a series of tweets arguing that “this is a bad case of deja vu.”
This is nothing more than a double standard. It should have been straightforward that the Trump administration had the discretion to take executive action to undo executive action that was unlawful from the start. (2/x) — Carrie Severino (@JCNSeverino) June 18, 2020
This is a bad case of déjà vu from the Court's decision in the census case a year ago. Chief Justice Roberts once again has failed to stand up for the institutional interests of the Court by allowing it to be weaponized for partisan ends. (4x) — Carrie Severino (@JCNSeverino) June 18, 2020
Sen. Ben Sasse (R-NE)
Although he didn’t specifically call out Roberts, Sasse said in a statement that “this is what happens when you don’t have a functioning Congress.”
“We’re not doing our work so the Court again steps in and declares itself America’s Super-Legislature,” Sasse said. “It’s bad news for civic health that the Court regularly flexes legislative muscle it doesn’t have under our Constitution.”
The Senate Judiciary Committee member added that although he believes that immigrant children who came to the U.S. years ago “shouldn’t live in fear of deportation,” he argued that the solution “should be done via legislation.”
“We need a law that gives us both border security and common sense immigration policy — and legislation comes from Congress, not the Court,” Sasse said.
Acting Deputy Homeland Security Ken Cuccinelli
Cuccinelli also did not directly blast Roberts, but shared a sarcastic criticism in a Thursday afternoon tweet.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-06-18--You’re Welcome, Black America: Trump Claims He Made Juneteenth ‘Very Famous’

President Donald Trump congratulated himself for the controversy over his now-cancelled plans to hold a campaign rally in Tulsa , Oklahoma on Juneteenth , a holiday marking the end of slavery .
“ I did something good : I made Juneteenth very famous , ” Trump said in an interview with the Wall Street Journal published Thursday .
“ It ’ s actually an important event , an important time .
But nobody had ever heard of it , ” he continued , saying that the people he had personally spoken to were unfamiliar with Juneteenth and that it was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the holiday to him .
Not only is it patently false that people were unaware of Juneteenth up until now , Trump ’ s White House has been issuing statements on the holiday in his name since the beginning of his presidency — a fact that took the President by surprise when an aide pointed it out during the interview .
“ Oh really ?
We put out a statement ?
The Trump White House put out a statement ?
” he asked .
“ Ok , ok. Good.
” Trump ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stop there : When asked if his invocation of the infamously racist phrase “ When the looting starts , the shooting starts ” with regards to the anti-police brutality protests was meant to be a threat or a fact , Trump said it was “ a combination of both.
” Additionally , the President , who vehemently opposes stripping the names of Confederate soldiers from Army bases because it would “ bring people apart , ” admitted he has not reached out to any black supporters to discuss the issue .
Trump also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reason his entourage of supporters at his infamous photo-op in front of St. John ’ s Church was made up of entirely of white people was because there weren ’ t any black supporters at the White House .

President Donald Trump congratulated himself for the controversy over his now-cancelled plans to hold a campaign rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma on Juneteenth, a holiday marking the end of slavery.
“I did something good: I made Juneteenth very famous,” Trump said in an interview with the Wall Street Journal published Thursday.
“It’s actually an important event, an important time. But nobody had ever heard of it,” he continued, saying that the people he had personally spoken to were unfamiliar with Juneteenth and that it was a black Secret Service agent who explained the holiday to him.
Not only is it patently false that people were unaware of Juneteenth up until now, Trump’s White House has been issuing statements on the holiday in his name since the beginning of his presidency — a fact that took the President by surprise when an aide pointed it out during the interview.
“Oh really? We put out a statement? The Trump White House put out a statement?” he asked. “Ok, ok. Good.”
Trump’s eyebrow-raising comments about race didn’t stop there: When asked if his invocation of the infamously racist phrase “When the looting starts, the shooting starts” with regards to the anti-police brutality protests was meant to be a threat or a fact, Trump said it was “a combination of both.”
Additionally, the President, who vehemently opposes stripping the names of Confederate soldiers from Army bases because it would “bring people apart,” admitted he has not reached out to any black supporters to discuss the issue.
Trump also told the Wall Street Journal that the reason his entourage of supporters at his infamous photo-op in front of St. John’s Church was made up of entirely of white people was because there weren’t any black supporters at the White House.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-06-19--Masks Have Somehow Become Yet Another Fake Political Debate

If you heard a loud “ woosh ” ing noise around lunchtime Friday , it might have been the sound of AMC executives flicking their phones in unison , reading through angry tweets and emails about their failed attempt to escape the news cycle .
With 450 locations set to reopen on July 15 , AMC president and CEO Adam Aron said in an interview Thursday that audiences wouldn ’ t be required to mask up to slow the spread of COVID-19 — because “ we did not want to be drawn into a political controversy.
” By attempting to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ course , Aron had stepped right into one .
Anger ensued .
Less than 24 hours after the interview was published , he announced Friday that the theater chain would require masks after all .
The quick change of heart , AMC said , reflected “ our commitment to the safety and health of our guests.
” But why would health and safety be controversial in the first place ?
A good question !
Aron had fallen into a trap that the American right has laid over and over : “ Politicize ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before long , risk-averse businesses , “ both-sides ” reporters , and casual news consumers will avoid it like , well , the plague .
While health officials initially downplayed masks ’ importance , the science has been clear for a while : They prevent COVID-19 ’ s spread , especially from virus-carriers who don ’ t show symptoms .
But as scientists were making that clear , the right was working from a familiar playbook .
“ They ’ ll say this whole mask thing is settled science , just like they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ News ’ Laura Ingraham said in late April , unintentionally making a good point .
The climate change comparison is apt .
Anti-maskers spewing germs at the grocery store are , in a way , following in the footsteps of those who turned their trucks into “ coal rollers ” to show their contempt for the Obama administration ’ s pollution regulations .
The black smoke they emitted , as Vocativ put it at the time , was “ pollution porn for dudes with pick-up trucks.
” “ Settled science ” be damned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ change , monologues like Ingraham ’ s shifted the ball ever-so-slightly to the right : The epidemiologists may say they know what they ’ re doing , the message went , but not everyone agrees !
A day before Ingraham ’ s rant , Vice President Mike Pence had toured the Mayo Clinic without a mask — “ coal rolling ” a plasma donor , as it were .
( He later said he should have masked up . )
Within a couple days of the episode , the “ debate ” was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Wearing a mask is for smug liberals .
Refusing to is for reckless Republicans.
” NPR followed in a similar vein at the end of the month : “ The Battle Between The Masked And The Masked-Nots Unveils Political Rifts , ” read their story .
This marks a victory : Once the mask “ debate ” gained traction beyond Laura Ingraham Fox News bubble , it was hard to stop .
Within six weeks of that monologue , the world ’ s most popular podcast host , Joe Rogan , had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bill Burr , Rogan said it was “ creepy ” that the Los Angeles mayor had the power to require masks of the city ’ s populace .
And beyond that , Rogan opined , “ masks are for bitches.
” He ’ s hardly alone .
As Gallup noted in mid-April , Trump refused to wear a mask despite his own administration ’ s recommendations — “ which his political base may have taken as an indication that they didn ’ t need to do so either.
” The surgeon general , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his early calls to reserve medical-grade ones for health workers , has tried to heal the divide .
But in an attempt at spreading the word recently , he recalled yet another bogus “ debate.
” Sure , Adams wrote in a tweet Sunday , some people feel that the masks millions of their countrymen wear to battle COVID-19 “ infringe on their freedom.
” But , he said , “ Like vaccines , the more who participate , the greater the impact.
” And just like vaccines , a small but vocal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on COVID-19 .
Anti-vaccine activist Ginger Taylor is one of them .
“ Slavery is freedom , got it , ” she responded .

If you heard a loud “woosh”ing noise around lunchtime Friday, it might have been the sound of AMC executives flicking their phones in unison, reading through angry tweets and emails about their failed attempt to escape the news cycle.
With 450 locations set to reopen on July 15, AMC president and CEO Adam Aron said in an interview Thursday that audiences wouldn’t be required to mask up to slow the spread of COVID-19 — because “we did not want to be drawn into a political controversy.”
By attempting to avoid “political controversy,” of course, Aron had stepped right into one. Anger ensued. Less than 24 hours after the interview was published, he announced Friday that the theater chain would require masks after all.
The quick change of heart, AMC said, reflected “our commitment to the safety and health of our guests.”
But why would health and safety be controversial in the first place? A good question!
Aron had fallen into a trap that the American right has laid over and over: “Politicize” something you don’t like and before long, risk-averse businesses, “both-sides” reporters, and casual news consumers will avoid it like, well, the plague.
While health officials initially downplayed masks’ importance, the science has been clear for a while: They prevent COVID-19’s spread, especially from virus-carriers who don’t show symptoms.
But as scientists were making that clear, the right was working from a familiar playbook.
“They’ll say this whole mask thing is settled science, just like they do with climate change,” Fox News’ Laura Ingraham said in late April, unintentionally making a good point.
The climate change comparison is apt. Anti-maskers spewing germs at the grocery store are, in a way, following in the footsteps of those who turned their trucks into “coal rollers” to show their contempt for the Obama administration’s pollution regulations. The black smoke they emitted, as Vocativ put it at the time, was “pollution porn for dudes with pick-up trucks.” “Settled science” be damned.
And, just as with climate change, monologues like Ingraham’s shifted the ball ever-so-slightly to the right: The epidemiologists may say they know what they’re doing, the message went, but not everyone agrees!
A day before Ingraham’s rant, Vice President Mike Pence had toured the Mayo Clinic without a mask — “coal rolling” a plasma donor, as it were. (He later said he should have masked up.)
Within a couple days of the episode, the “debate” was solidified in a both-sides-y Politico profile, “Wearing a mask is for smug liberals. Refusing to is for reckless Republicans.”
(In its 17th paragraph, the article noted that, in crowded settings, “a mask reduces the ability of an asymptomatic infected person to spread the virus.”)
NPR followed in a similar vein at the end of the month: “The Battle Between The Masked And The Masked-Nots Unveils Political Rifts,” read their story.
This marks a victory: Once the mask “debate” gained traction beyond Laura Ingraham Fox News bubble, it was hard to stop.
Within six weeks of that monologue, the world’s most popular podcast host, Joe Rogan, had heard the news. Interviewing the comedian Bill Burr, Rogan said it was “creepy” that the Los Angeles mayor had the power to require masks of the city’s populace. And beyond that, Rogan opined, “masks are for bitches.”
He’s hardly alone. As Gallup noted in mid-April, Trump refused to wear a mask despite his own administration’s recommendations — “which his political base may have taken as an indication that they didn’t need to do so either.”
The surgeon general, now a vocal proponent of masks despite his early calls to reserve medical-grade ones for health workers, has tried to heal the divide.
But in an attempt at spreading the word recently, he recalled yet another bogus “debate.”
Sure, Adams wrote in a tweet Sunday, some people feel that the masks millions of their countrymen wear to battle COVID-19 “infringe on their freedom.” But, he said, “Like vaccines, the more who participate, the greater the impact.”
And just like vaccines, a small but vocal minority has no interest in expert opinion on COVID-19.
Anti-vaccine activist Ginger Taylor is one of them. “Slavery is freedom, got it,” she responded.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-06-19--ICYMI: Your TPM News Roundup

ICYMI: Your TPM News Roundup

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Start your day with TPM.
Trump’s Long-Shot Effort To Block Bolton’s Book
Supreme Court Shows Its Independence
Where The Pandemic Is Still Raging
Arizona has emerged as a major coronavirus hot spot, as TPM’s Josh Kovensky has reported. The state set records on Monday in a number of markers that point to the severity of the outbreak: New COVID cases, hospitalizations, ventilators in use and ICU beds occupied.
In Texas, another state seeing a surge in COVID cases, Gov. Greg Abbott condoned local efforts to get around a state ban on localities requiring masks.
For TPM subscribers, here’s a look at why hospital staffing and capacity have become a recurring issue in the fight against the coronavirus.
Is this feature useful? Let us know.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-06-19--Tulsa Mayor Rescinds Curfew Order Ahead Of Trump Rally

Tulsa Mayor G.T .
Bynum ( R ) rescinded a curfew that he had issued on Thursday to prevent unrest around President Trump ’ s rally scheduled in the city ’ s downtown area on Saturday .
“ Last night , I enacted a curfew at the request of Tulsa Police Chief Wendell Franklin , following consultation with the United States Secret Service based on intelligence they had received , ” Bynum said in a statement .
“ Today , we were told the curfew is no longer necessary so I am rescinding it.
” The imposed curfew had been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and 6 a.m. Thursday through Sunday in areas around the BOK Center , where the rally is set to take place .
Bynum initially cited in an executive order concerns about “ destructive and violent behavior ” — not related to MAGA enthusiasts — that had accompanied some protests around the country in recent weeks following the death of George Floyd .
Bynum noted in the order that he had received information from the Tulsa Police Department and other agencies that warranted the precautionary measure .
The curfew , however , while initially @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who sought to undermine the event , was also seen at least by Trump as an impediment to rally-goers — many of whom police said would not be exempt from potential arrest for camping in a perimeter around the 19,000-seat event space under city curfew .
President Trump took to Twitter on Friday to celebrate the news :

Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum (R) rescinded a curfew that he had issued on Thursday to prevent unrest around President Trump’s rally scheduled in the city’s downtown area on Saturday.
“Last night, I enacted a curfew at the request of Tulsa Police Chief Wendell Franklin, following consultation with the United States Secret Service based on intelligence they had received,” Bynum said in a statement. “Today, we were told the curfew is no longer necessary so I am rescinding it.”
The imposed curfew had been scheduled to be enforced between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. Thursday through Sunday in areas around the BOK Center, where the rally is set to take place.
Bynum initially cited in an executive order concerns about “destructive and violent behavior” — not related to MAGA enthusiasts — that had accompanied some protests around the country in recent weeks following the death of George Floyd. Bynum noted in the order that he had received information from the Tulsa Police Department and other agencies that warranted the precautionary measure.
The curfew, however, while initially ordered to thwart potential agitators and people who sought to undermine the event, was also seen at least by Trump as an impediment to rally-goers — many of whom police said would not be exempt from potential arrest for camping in a perimeter around the 19,000-seat event space under city curfew.
President Trump took to Twitter on Friday to celebrate the news:


talkingpointsmemo--2020-06-19--Three Takeaways From The Hearing On DOJ’s Longshot Bid To Block Bolton’s Book

After a two-hour hearing Friday in a case with major First Amendment implications , the Justice Department looked likely to lose the battle over its emergency motion to block the release of John Bolton ’ s book .
Bolton published the book , which goes on sale Tuesday , without getting a formal authorization from the government confirming it was free of classified information .
That was a violation of the non-disclosure agreements Bolton sign when becoming national security advisor , the government alleged in a breach-of-contract lawsuit filed on Tuesday .
Bolton has countered that the government slow-walked its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Bolton has some big problems ahead of him in the separate dispute over whether the government can at least recoup his earnings , but the matter before U.S. District Judge Lamberth on Friday was the extraordinary emergency request the DOJ filed Wednesday .
Seeking prior restraint ( the legal term for preemptively blocking speech ) , the government wants an order blocking not just Bolton but also his publisher and third party booksellers from distributing the book .
Here ’ s a look at how the hearing went .
There Was No @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Actually Block Book ’ s Release From the judge ’ s first notable comment of the hearing , it was clear that looming large were the logistical impossibilities of how he ’ d go about stopping the release of a book that had already been widely distributed .
“ The horse , as we used to say in Texas , seems to be out of the barn , ” Lamberth said , asking Deputy Assistant Attorney General David Morrell what he should do about the books that had been already sent across the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ideas , suggesting that Bolton could get the audiobook version pulled from the Internet .
Ultimately it was up to Bolton to figure out how to stop the publication , Morrell argued , because it was he who let the “ horse out of the barn.
” Bolton ’ s lawyer Charles Cooper — who has a flair for colorful language in the courtroom — seized on the obvious shortcomings in the DOJ ’ s prior restraint arguments .
He said that both Bolton and the judge were “ utterly powerless ” to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ What the purpose of this proceeding really is is not truly judicial .
It ’ s theater .
It ’ s to use your courtroom as a stage and to enlist you as a player , ” Cooper said .
Bolton ’ s Lawyer Set The Stage For The Breach-Of-Contract Dispute Looming In The Background Perhaps because he realized he wasn ’ t going to need spend much time convincing the judge that the DOJ ’ s emergency request wasn ’ t workable , Cooper focused his arguments on the Bolton defense @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his NDAs in the first place .
This meant several minutes spent parsing the specific language in the contracts , and whether it meant Bolton was actually required to receive a formal written okay from the government before publish the book .
( He received an informal green light from the career official initially handling the review , but then a political appointee intervened and now claims that there are still classified materials in the book ) .
The judge seemed , especially at first , unimpressed with Bolton ’ s arguments on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that process , he can ’ t just walk away , and he didn ’ t tell the government he was walking away , ” Lamberth said .
The defense Bolton offered will be further litigated as the underlying lawsuit unfolds .
But right now , it still looks like the DOJ has a very good shot at recouping his earnings , even if its arguments for the emergency request fell way short .
There Was A Lot Of Focus On Michael Ellis ’ Intervention The role played by Michael Ellis — the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ review — came up repeatedly in the hearing .
Bolton claims that Ellis got involved in the review because the book would be embarrassing for the President .
Lamberth asked the Justice Department early on if any of the classified information the government is now pointing to was classified after April 27 , which is when the career classification expert finished her review .
The Justice Department said that was “ partially correct.
” However , of the six specific examples the government had provided the court in non-public filings , three were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was classified as a result of Ellis review , and it would take additional research to determine when the other two examples were classified .
Cooper , nonetheless , harped on Ellis ’ apparent lack of experience in the prepublication process , while noting that he only gained in early March his Original Classification Authority ( which gives him the power to deem things classified ) .
“ Not only was it quite fresh at the time he began this process , it seems unlikely in the extreme that he ’ s undertaken @ @ @ @ @ @ @ period of time , ” Cooper said .
He also brought up that Ellis had not undergone his OCA training until the day after he completed his review of the Bolton manuscript .
The government urged the judge not to follow Cooper down the “ rabbit hole ” of whether the timing of Ellis ’ mattered .
In a bad sign for Bolton , the judge suggested that he found to be credible some of the other government officials — namely NSA Director Paul Nakasone and NCSC Director Bill Evanina — who filed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a four-star general , and “ Four Star stars in the military are not shy about standing up to this particular President , ” the judge said .
Lamberth then brought up Evanina ’ s background in the D.C. FBI field office , prompting a digression on whether that office would have done a better job handling the Russia probe than FBI headquarters .
“ He comes with a lot of credibility with me , ” Lamberth said .

After a two-hour hearing Friday in a case with major First Amendment implications, the Justice Department looked likely to lose the battle over its emergency motion to block the release of John Bolton’s book.
Bolton published the book, which goes on sale Tuesday, without getting a formal authorization from the government confirming it was free of classified information. That was a violation of the non-disclosure agreements Bolton sign when becoming national security advisor, the government alleged in a breach-of-contract lawsuit filed on Tuesday. Bolton has countered that the government slow-walked its review of his manuscript for political purposes.
Bolton has some big problems ahead of him in the separate dispute over whether the government can at least recoup his earnings, but the matter before U.S. District Judge Lamberth on Friday was the extraordinary emergency request the DOJ filed Wednesday. Seeking prior restraint (the legal term for preemptively blocking speech), the government wants an order blocking not just Bolton but also his publisher and third party booksellers from distributing the book.
Here’s a look at how the hearing went.
There Was No Real Argument For How The Judge Could Actually Block Book’s Release
From the judge’s first notable comment of the hearing, it was clear that looming large were the logistical impossibilities of how he’d go about stopping the release of a book that had already been widely distributed.
“The horse, as we used to say in Texas, seems to be out of the barn,” Lamberth said, asking Deputy Assistant Attorney General David Morrell what he should do about the books that had been already sent across the country.
Morrell threw out some outlandish ideas, suggesting that Bolton could get the audiobook version pulled from the Internet.
Ultimately it was up to Bolton to figure out how to stop the publication, Morrell argued, because it was he who let the “horse out of the barn.”
Bolton’s lawyer Charles Cooper — who has a flair for colorful language in the courtroom — seized on the obvious shortcomings in the DOJ’s prior restraint arguments. He said that both Bolton and the judge were “utterly powerless” to stop the book from coming out.
“What the purpose of this proceeding really is is not truly judicial. It’s theater. It’s to use your courtroom as a stage and to enlist you as a player,” Cooper said.
Bolton’s Lawyer Set The Stage For The Breach-Of-Contract Dispute Looming In The Background
Perhaps because he realized he wasn’t going to need spend much time convincing the judge that the DOJ’s emergency request wasn’t workable, Cooper focused his arguments on the Bolton defense that he didn’t even violate his NDAs in the first place.
This meant several minutes spent parsing the specific language in the contracts, and whether it meant Bolton was actually required to receive a formal written okay from the government before publish the book. (He received an informal green light from the career official initially handling the review, but then a political appointee intervened and now claims that there are still classified materials in the book).
The judge seemed, especially at first, unimpressed with Bolton’s arguments on this point.
“Once he invoked that process, he can’t just walk away, and he didn’t tell the government he was walking away,” Lamberth said.
The defense Bolton offered will be further litigated as the underlying lawsuit unfolds. But right now, it still looks like the DOJ has a very good shot at recouping his earnings, even if its arguments for the emergency request fell way short.
There Was A Lot Of Focus On Michael Ellis’ Intervention
The role played by Michael Ellis — the political appointee who intervened in the prepublication review — came up repeatedly in the hearing. Bolton claims that Ellis got involved in the review because the book would be embarrassing for the President.
Lamberth asked the Justice Department early on if any of the classified information the government is now pointing to was classified after April 27, which is when the career classification expert finished her review.
The Justice Department said that was “partially correct.” However, of the six specific examples the government had provided the court in non-public filings, three were classified before Ellis’ review, one was classified as a result of Ellis review, and it would take additional research to determine when the other two examples were classified.
Cooper, nonetheless, harped on Ellis’ apparent lack of experience in the prepublication process, while noting that he only gained in early March his Original Classification Authority (which gives him the power to deem things classified).
“Not only was it quite fresh at the time he began this process, it seems unlikely in the extreme that he’s undertaken a prepublication review before in that short period of time,” Cooper said.
He also brought up that Ellis had not undergone his OCA training until the day after he completed his review of the Bolton manuscript.
The government urged the judge not to follow Cooper down the “rabbit hole” of whether the timing of Ellis’ mattered.
In a bad sign for Bolton, the judge suggested that he found to be credible some of the other government officials — namely NSA Director Paul Nakasone and NCSC Director Bill Evanina — who filed declarations backing Ellis’ claims.
Nakaone is a four-star general, and “Four Star stars in the military are not shy about standing up to this particular President,” the judge said.
Lamberth then brought up Evanina’s background in the D.C. FBI field office, prompting a digression on whether that office would have done a better job handling the Russia probe than FBI headquarters.
“He comes with a lot of credibility with me,” Lamberth said.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-06-19--Conservative Activists Accidentally Publish Audio Mocking Abbott For Using Wheelchair

The conservative advocacy group Empower Texans accidentally published audio of two of their members mocking Texas Gov .
Greg Abbott ( R ) , who is paralyzed below the waist and uses a wheelchair .
Ironically , this is the same group that weaponized a recording once before — in June of 2019 , Empower Texans president Michael Quinn Sullivan clandestinely recorded the Texas House Speaker , and ultimately forced him to drop his reelection bid .
This time , the recording of the comments was seemingly accidentally distributed with the podcast the group puts out , called Texas Scorecard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the local Quorum Report , captures Cary Cheshire , vice president of Texans for Fiscal Responsibility , which is under the Empower Texans umbrella , and Tony McDonald , general counsel for Empower Texans , discussing their dislike of Abbott .
“ I said Abbott ‘ wheeled himself out there , ’ ” Cheshire said after the two finished recording a segment for the podcast .
“ And then within seconds , you demanded that he ‘ stand firm , ’ ” Cheshire added .
Abbott was hit by a falling tree @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when he was 26 .
It struck his back and he was immediately paralyzed from the waist down .
They later discuss Abbott ’ s squishiness on mandating mask usage , letting profanities fly freely .
“ I hate him .
I truly hate him , ” McDonald says at one point .
“ It reveals a lot about an organization ’ s character and morals that uses profanity to mock a person in a wheelchair , and this audio is disgusting and hate-filled , ” Wittman said in a statement .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ else this group may be saying about people behind their backs when they think they aren ’ t being recorded.
” Lt. Gov .
Dan Patrick called the two conservative activists “ persona non grata ” in his book , along with anyone who doesn ’ t condemn the comments .
“ The hateful Empower Texans attack mocking Governor Abbott is outrageous , vulgar and completely unacceptable , ” he added in a tweet .
Sullivan released a statement addressing the episode on Twitter , saying he was “ heartbroken ” by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from all public activities with the organization immediately , and additional internal actions will be taken , ” he wrote of Cheshire and McDonald .
“ Whether it was a private call or not is unimportant ; it is wrong and unacceptable .
I have already sent a personal apology to Gov .
Abbott.
” This time around , Empower Texans has been hoisted by its own petard .
Last summer , Sullivan recorded the state House speaker , Dennis Bonnen , making disparaging comments about both Democrats and his fellow Republicans .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a list of Republicans to attack in the primaries with his well-funded super PAC in exchange for long-desired press credentials for his pseudo-news site .
Bonnen , still in his first term as speaker , decided not to seek reelection at all as a result of the scandal .
Rep. Dustin Burrows ( R ) , then chair of the Republican caucus who also attended the meeting , resigned from his leadership position .
Listen to Cheshire and McDonald ’ s conversation here :

The conservative advocacy group Empower Texans accidentally published audio of two of their members mocking Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R), who is paralyzed below the waist and uses a wheelchair.
Ironically, this is the same group that weaponized a recording once before — in June of 2019, Empower Texans president Michael Quinn Sullivan clandestinely recorded the Texas House Speaker, and ultimately forced him to drop his reelection bid.
This time, the recording of the comments was seemingly accidentally distributed with the podcast the group puts out, called Texas Scorecard Radio.
The audio, first spotted by the local Quorum Report, captures Cary Cheshire, vice president of Texans for Fiscal Responsibility, which is under the Empower Texans umbrella, and Tony McDonald, general counsel for Empower Texans, discussing their dislike of Abbott.
“I said Abbott ‘wheeled himself out there,’” Cheshire said after the two finished recording a segment for the podcast.
“I’m okay with it,” McDonald interjects, laughing.
“And then within seconds, you demanded that he ‘stand firm,’” Cheshire added.
Abbott was hit by a falling tree while jogging in Houston in 1984, when he was 26. It struck his back and he was immediately paralyzed from the waist down.
They later discuss Abbott’s squishiness on mandating mask usage, letting profanities fly freely.
“I hate him. I truly hate him,” McDonald says at one point.
Abbott’s communications director John Wittman called the audio “disgusting.”
“It reveals a lot about an organization’s character and morals that uses profanity to mock a person in a wheelchair, and this audio is disgusting and hate-filled,” Wittman said in a statement. “It is sad to think about what else this group may be saying about people behind their backs when they think they aren’t being recorded.”
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick called the two conservative activists “persona non grata” in his book, along with anyone who doesn’t condemn the comments.
“The hateful Empower Texans attack mocking Governor Abbott is outrageous, vulgar and completely unacceptable,” he added in a tweet.
Sullivan released a statement addressing the episode on Twitter, saying he was “heartbroken” by the comments.
“Both have been suspended from all public activities with the organization immediately, and additional internal actions will be taken,” he wrote of Cheshire and McDonald. “Whether it was a private call or not is unimportant; it is wrong and unacceptable. I have already sent a personal apology to Gov. Abbott.”
This time around, Empower Texans has been hoisted by its own petard.
Last summer, Sullivan recorded the state House speaker, Dennis Bonnen, making disparaging comments about both Democrats and his fellow Republicans.
The recording also captured Sullivan being given a list of Republicans to attack in the primaries with his well-funded super PAC in exchange for long-desired press credentials for his pseudo-news site.
Bonnen, still in his first term as speaker, decided not to seek reelection at all as a result of the scandal. Rep. Dustin Burrows (R), then chair of the Republican caucus who also attended the meeting, resigned from his leadership position.
Listen to Cheshire and McDonald’s conversation here:


talkingpointsmemo--2020-06-19--Navy Captain Who Rang COVID Alarm Reportedly Won’t Get Command Back

The Navy captain who was removed from his post after ringing alarm bells about a COVID-19 outbreak on board his ship will not get his job back , according to several reports on the conclusions of an investigation .
Capt .
Brett Crozier became a hero for some after an alarming letter he wrote , which warned higher-ups about the spread of COVID-19 on the U.S.S .
Roosevelt , was leaked to the San Francisco Chronicle .
Multiple outlets reported Friday that the Navy had concluded Crozier shouldn ’ t get his job back as the Roosevelt ’ s commander @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recommended the opposite — that Crozier be reinstated — in late April .
In the wake of Crozier ’ s letter leaking publicly , in March , most of the Roosevelt ’ s sailors were allowed to disembark in Guam .
But for all his trouble , Crozier was removed from command .
A convoluted process followed : Then-acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly complained that Crozier could have simply “ walked down the hall ” rather than write a letter about his concerns .
But soon , Modly himself was moved to resign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Crozier “ too naïve or too stupid ” to command the ship .
Then , video showed sailors on the Roosevelt giving Crozier a standing ovation as he left his command .
A few days later , Defense Secretary Mark Esper said that he would be open to reinstating Crozier atop the Roosevelt , subject to the findings of an investigation .
In late April , that almost came to pass : Rumors swirled that Crozier ’ s command would be reinstated .
But an expected press conference announcing the news failed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Navy secretary , James McPherson , said he had more “ unanswered questions ” that could only be resolved with “ a deeper review.
” So it went .
On Friday , that deeper review appears to have ended without any good news for Crozier .
The investigation also reportedly affected Crozier ’ s superior , the commander of Carrier Strike Group 9 , Read Adm. Stuart Baker .
According to Politico and The New York Times , Baker will have a promotion put on hold as a result of the investigation .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Crozier disagreed about how to deal with the outbreak : While Crozier wanted to evacuate and quarantine the crew , Baker said less drastic measures could address the virus and leave the ship operational .

The Navy captain who was removed from his post after ringing alarm bells about a COVID-19 outbreak on board his ship will not get his job back, according to several reports on the conclusions of an investigation.
Capt. Brett Crozier became a hero for some after an alarming letter he wrote, which warned higher-ups about the spread of COVID-19 on the U.S.S. Roosevelt, was leaked to the San Francisco Chronicle.
Multiple outlets reported Friday that the Navy had concluded Crozier shouldn’t get his job back as the Roosevelt’s commander. This despite reports that the Navy recommended the opposite — that Crozier be reinstated — in late April.
In the wake of Crozier’s letter leaking publicly, in March, most of the Roosevelt’s sailors were allowed to disembark in Guam. But for all his trouble, Crozier was removed from command.
A convoluted process followed: Then-acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly complained that Crozier could have simply “walked down the hall” rather than write a letter about his concerns. But soon, Modly himself was moved to resign — after audio surfaced of him calling Crozier “too naïve or too stupid” to command the ship.
Then, video showed sailors on the Roosevelt giving Crozier a standing ovation as he left his command. A few days later, Defense Secretary Mark Esper said that he would be open to reinstating Crozier atop the Roosevelt, subject to the findings of an investigation.
In late April, that almost came to pass: Rumors swirled that Crozier’s command would be reinstated. But an expected press conference announcing the news failed to materialize.
Instead, the new acting Navy secretary, James McPherson, said he had more “unanswered questions” that could only be resolved with “a deeper review.”
So it went. On Friday, that deeper review appears to have ended without any good news for Crozier.
The investigation also reportedly affected Crozier’s superior, the commander of Carrier Strike Group 9, Read Adm. Stuart Baker.
According to Politico and The New York Times, Baker will have a promotion put on hold as a result of the investigation.
The Times reported in April that Baker and Crozier disagreed about how to deal with the outbreak: While Crozier wanted to evacuate and quarantine the crew, Baker said less drastic measures could address the virus and leave the ship operational.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-06-19--WH: Trump Hires Aides He Later Dumps On Because He Wants ‘Team Of Rivals’

Asked why President Trump keeps hiring officials he later fires , insults and demeans , White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said Friday that Trump simply strives to build a “ team of rivals ” in the mold of Abraham Lincoln .
“ He likes the model of having a team of rivals , ” McEnany told reporters at a press briefing , comparing the style of debate in Trump ’ s White House to the model of Lincoln ’ s administration .
The press secretary ’ s comments came as reporters questioned Trump ’ s tendency to dismiss the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by former officials who had the opportunity to observe and work closely with him .
“ The president makes hiring decisions based on the fact that he likes to have countervailing viewpoints , ” McEnany said .
“ Why hire rivals that are ‘ dumb as a rock , overrated , way over their heads , wacko , and incompetent ’ ?
” NBC reporter Peter Alexander asked .
“ Sometimes those rivals prove those labels to be true , and that ’ s particularly true in the case of John Bolton , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ turned , ” McEnany said .
McEnany ’ s seething remarks condemning ex- National Security Adviser John Bolton are in line with those made earlier by Trump and other members of his inner circle , who have launched repeated attacks on Bolton after the former official described the president in unflattering terms .
Bolton referred to the president as both self-serving and unfit for the job in media appearances ahead of the release of his tell-all book that the the White House says contains classified information .

Asked why President Trump keeps hiring officials he later fires, insults and demeans, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said Friday that Trump simply strives to build a “team of rivals” in the mold of Abraham Lincoln.
.@PeterAlexander: "Why does the president keep hiring people who are dumb as a rock, overrated, way over their heads, whacko and incompetent?"@PressSec: "…he likes the model of having a Team of Rivals, like with what we saw in President Lincoln's administration." pic.twitter.com/BPKXqKukWY — CSPAN (@cspan) June 19, 2020
“He likes the model of having a team of rivals,” McEnany told reporters at a press briefing, comparing the style of debate in Trump’s White House to the model of Lincoln’s administration.
The press secretary’s comments came as reporters questioned Trump’s tendency to dismiss the merits of any criticism leveled against him by former officials who had the opportunity to observe and work closely with him.
“The president makes hiring decisions based on the fact that he likes to have countervailing viewpoints,” McEnany said.
“Why hire rivals that are ‘dumb as a rock, overrated, way over their heads, wacko, and incompetent’?” NBC reporter Peter Alexander asked.
“Sometimes those rivals prove those labels to be true, and that’s particularly true in the case of John Bolton, who repeatedly praised the president and then turned,” McEnany said.
McEnany’s seething remarks condemning ex- National Security Adviser John Bolton are in line with those made earlier by Trump and other members of his inner circle, who have launched repeated attacks on Bolton after the former official described the president in unflattering terms. Bolton referred to the president as both self-serving and unfit for the job in media appearances ahead of the release of his tell-all book that the the White House says contains classified information.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-06-19--After Public Outcry, AMC Movie Theaters Will Require That Guests Wear Masks After All

Hundreds of AMC movie theaters planning on opening in mid-July will require audiences to wear masks after all .
While @ @ @ @ @ said the company “ did not want to be drawn into a political controversy ” @ @ @ @ @ turned out to be quite a political answer in itself , earning widespread criticism including @ @ @ @ @ Joe Biden .
So , less than a day after the CEO ’ s comments @ @ @ @ @ with Variety , the company changed course .
“ This announcement prompted an intense and @ @ @ @ @ , and it is clear from this response that we did not go far enough @ @ @ @ @ , ” the company said in a statement to Yahoo News .
So it ’ @ @ @ @ @ that guests nationwide wear masks “ as they enter and enjoy movies at our theatres.
@ @ @ @ @ which AMC moved to revise our mask policies is a reflection of our commitment to @ @ @ @ @ our guests , ” the company added .

Hundreds of AMC movie theaters planning on opening in mid-July will require audiences to wear masks after all.
While AMC CEO Adam Aron initially said the company “did not want to be drawn into a political controversy” by requiring masks, that turned out to be quite a political answer in itself, earning widespread criticism including from a top adviser to Joe Biden.
So, less than a day after the CEO’s comments were published in an interview with Variety, the company changed course.
“This announcement prompted an intense and immediate outcry from our customers, and it is clear from this response that we did not go far enough on the usage of masks,” the company said in a statement to Yahoo News.
So it’s changing course, requiring that guests nationwide wear masks “as they enter and enjoy movies at our theatres.”
“The speed with which AMC moved to revise our mask policies is a reflection of our commitment to the safety and health of our guests,” the company added.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-06-19--Trump Threatens Protesters Who Plan To Show Up At His Tulsa Rally

President Donald Trump issued a vague threat on Friday to those who plan to protest at his campaign rally Saturday in Tulsa , Oklahoma .
“ Any protesters , anarchists , agitators , looters or lowlifes who are going to Oklahoma please understand , you will not be treated like you have been in New York , Seattle , or Minneapolis , ” Trump tweeted .
“ It will be a much different scene !
” Trump ’ s threat is a stunning escalation of his hostility toward demonstrators who have been protesting against him and police brutality for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s infamous “ when the looting starts , the shooting starts ” tweet , which Twitter stamped with a warning label for “ glorifying violence , ” did not specifically mention protesters .
The upcoming rally has raised safety concerns with regards to not only COVID-19 , but also potentially violent clashes between anti-Trump protesters , pro-Trump counter-protesters and the police .
Two-hundred-fifty Oklahoma Army National Guard soldiers with pepper spray and batons will be deployed at the rally .
Tulsa Mayor G.T .
Bynum has set a 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arena until Sunday .

President Donald Trump issued a vague threat on Friday to those who plan to protest at his campaign rally Saturday in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
“Any protesters, anarchists, agitators, looters or lowlifes who are going to Oklahoma please understand, you will not be treated like you have been in New York, Seattle, or Minneapolis,” Trump tweeted. “It will be a much different scene!”
Trump’s threat is a stunning escalation of his hostility toward demonstrators who have been protesting against him and police brutality for the past several weeks. The President’s infamous “when the looting starts, the shooting starts” tweet, which Twitter stamped with a warning label for “glorifying violence,” did not specifically mention protesters.
The upcoming rally has raised safety concerns with regards to not only COVID-19, but also potentially violent clashes between anti-Trump protesters, pro-Trump counter-protesters and the police.
Two-hundred-fifty Oklahoma Army National Guard soldiers with pepper spray and batons will be deployed at the rally.
Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum has set a 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew for the area surrounding the rally arena until Sunday.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-06-19--IN Councilman Apologizes After Bemoaning That ‘Uneducated’ Protesters ‘Unfortunately Breed’

Larry Brown , an Allen County , Indiana councilman , has apologized after he called Black Lives Matter protesters “ uneducated ” and bemoaned that they “ breed ” and vote .
“ My comments in regards to protesters breeding was wrong , and totally out of line , ” Brown told local CBS affiliate WANE .
“ For that I apologize.
” He added , though , that angry constituents seemed unaware that the County Council enjoys only fiscal responsibility , and has no legislative or executive authority .
He made the offensive comment at a Thursday meeting , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ frustration with emails from constituents threatening to vote council members out of office .
Allen County is in the northeast part of the state , very close to both the Ohio and Michigan borders .
It includes the city of Fort Wayne , the second largest in the state .
It has recently been the site of frequent protests , as nationwide anger over the police killing of George Floyd boils over .
“ I personally think there ’ s an underlying motivation beyond what we ’ re seeing , but that ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the meeting .
“ I guess my concern is that somehow we , our ranks don ’ t get infiltrated , and there ’ s an effort to separate us — we do a really good job of putting aside race , religion and politics and all that.
” The Allen County Council is made up of six Republicans and one Democrat .
The Democrat , also president of the local NAACP chapter , Shiela Curry-Campbell , agreed that she liked when the council acted together , but that it ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and support these young people.
” Brown said that he “ absolutely will not participate ” in the protests .
Curry-Campbell cut across him , saying that she will and has .
He said that there ’ s a “ fine line ” between a peaceful and violent protest , and that stopping traffic is illegal .
Councilman Ken Fries , also the former county sheriff , interjected with a comparison of the protesters to his children , saying that when his children break something or do something wrong , they get “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ community has been getting a spanking for a long time , ” Curry-Campbell retorted , saying that though the protesters may not be using their anger “ in the best way , ” “ these kids are out there for a reason .
They are angry.
” “ They are angry about the criminal justice system and the disparity , ” Curry-Campbell said .
Brown tried to pull the increasingly heated conversation back to his point .
“ We ’ re all being threatened with votes , ” he said .
“ As @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on local government , they do vote .
And , unfortunately , they also breed .
But um , they do vote , and they ’ re gon na be an uneducated voter.
” Council President Joel Benz jumped in , saying that the meeting was “ not the format to address that ” and the meeting was quickly adjourned .
Benz , who did not respond to TPM ’ s request for comment , later told WANE that the backlash from Brown ’ s comments was “ unprecedented.
” “ We ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ society has changed pretty significantly in the last few months , ” Benz said .
“ People are attuned to what ’ s going on and people are paying attention , and people are really tense and on edge.
” Kevin Knuth , a lifelong Fort Wayne resident and former Allen County Democratic Party chairman , told TPM that he ’ s never seen anything like the current political activism .
“ This type of protesting is not common here at all .
Politically speaking , we are an incredibly red area , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the George Floyd case has struck a nerve across our country .
”

Larry Brown, an Allen County, Indiana councilman, has apologized after he called Black Lives Matter protesters “uneducated” and bemoaned that they “breed” and vote.
“My comments in regards to protesters breeding was wrong, and totally out of line,” Brown told local CBS affiliate WANE. “For that I apologize.” He added, though, that angry constituents seemed unaware that the County Council enjoys only fiscal responsibility, and has no legislative or executive authority.
He made the offensive comment at a Thursday meeting, which was filmed, while expressing his frustration with emails from constituents threatening to vote council members out of office.
Allen County is in the northeast part of the state, very close to both the Ohio and Michigan borders. It includes the city of Fort Wayne, the second largest in the state. It has recently been the site of frequent protests, as nationwide anger over the police killing of George Floyd boils over.
“I personally think there’s an underlying motivation beyond what we’re seeing, but that’s my opinion,” Brown said at the meeting. “I guess my concern is that somehow we, our ranks don’t get infiltrated, and there’s an effort to separate us — we do a really good job of putting aside race, religion and politics and all that.”
The Allen County Council is made up of six Republicans and one Democrat. The Democrat, also president of the local NAACP chapter, Shiela Curry-Campbell, agreed that she liked when the council acted together, but that it’s imperative that they “go out there and support these young people.”
Brown said that he “absolutely will not participate” in the protests. Curry-Campbell cut across him, saying that she will and has. He said that there’s a “fine line” between a peaceful and violent protest, and that stopping traffic is illegal.
Councilman Ken Fries, also the former county sheriff, interjected with a comparison of the protesters to his children, saying that when his children break something or do something wrong, they get “a spanking.”
“The African American community has been getting a spanking for a long time,” Curry-Campbell retorted, saying that though the protesters may not be using their anger “in the best way,” “these kids are out there for a reason. They are angry.”
“At what?” Fries asked incredulously.
“They are angry about the criminal justice system and the disparity,” Curry-Campbell said.
Brown tried to pull the increasingly heated conversation back to his point.
“We’re all being threatened with votes,” he said. “As uneducated as they are, obviously, on local government, they do vote. And, unfortunately, they also breed. But um, they do vote, and they’re gonna be an uneducated voter.”
Council President Joel Benz jumped in, saying that the meeting was “not the format to address that” and the meeting was quickly adjourned.
Benz, who did not respond to TPM’s request for comment, later told WANE that the backlash from Brown’s comments was “unprecedented.”
“We’ve always had public record but our society has changed pretty significantly in the last few months,” Benz said. “People are attuned to what’s going on and people are paying attention, and people are really tense and on edge.”
Kevin Knuth, a lifelong Fort Wayne resident and former Allen County Democratic Party chairman, told TPM that he’s never seen anything like the current political activism.
“This type of protesting is not common here at all. Politically speaking, we are an incredibly red area,” he said. “Obviously, the George Floyd case has struck a nerve across our country.”


talkingpointsmemo--2020-06-20--Berman Refuses To Step Down After Barr Moves To Oust Him, ‘Investigations Will Move Forward’

U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Geoff Berman refused to step down on Friday night after Attorney General Bill Barr issued a press release announcing that he had resigned .
“ Our investigations will move forward without delay or interruption , ” Berman said in the press release , where he denied Barr ’ s statement .
Barr had issued a statement claiming that Berman had resigned on Friday night .
But Berman , in a release of his own , said that “ I have not resigned , and have no intention of resigning , my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the Judges of the United States District Court of the Southern District of New York.
” “ I will step down when a presidentially appointed nominee is confirmed by the Senate , ” Berman added .
Barr said in his statement , released late Friday evening , that he “ appreciate [ d ] ” Berman ’ s “ service to the Department of Justice and our nation , and I wish him well in the future.
” House Judiciary Committee chair Rep. Jerry Nadler ( D-NY ) invited Berman to testify @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Wednesday featuring DOJ whistleblowers .
Berman has led the office through investigations into close associates of Trump ’ s , including Rudy Giuliani and the President ’ s former personal attorney , Michael Cohen .
He also has brought charges against Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman , two GOP fundraisers with connections to Ukraine who Trump and Giuliani deputized as part of a bid to have the former Soviet republic manufacture dirt on Joe Biden .
TPM reported in November that Berman was offered dirt on Biden in October 2018 by Bud @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Eastern District of Arkansas who was representing a Ukrainian client .
Berman ’ s office never brought any charges related to the information .
CNN reported on Friday that Berman was asked to resign , but refused after being offered separate positions at DOJ .
Barr said in his statement – now disputed – that New Jersey U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito will fill in for Berman until Clayton ’ s confirmation by the Senate .
Former Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara , an Obama appointee who Trump fired , expressed shock at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Berman was “ fired ” while questioning Berman ’ s departure .
The White House sent out a notice on Friday night saying that President Trump intends to nominate Clayton to the position .
The SEC did not immediately return a request for comment .
Clayton has chaired the SEC since May 2017 .
But the longtime securities and financial regulation attorney has never worked as a criminal prosecutor , a lacuna that is sure to raise eyebrows .
The move comes after months of politicization of the Justice Department , in which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ body moved for a lighter sentence for a friend of President Trump ’ s , moved to drop charges against an associate of the President ’ s who had already pleaded guilty , and , most recently , sued to block the publication of a book embarrassing to President Trump .
The choice of the U.S. Attorney for New Jersey to immediately replace Berman instead of his deputy is also extremely unusual .
Typically , when a U.S. Attorney departs , the deputy U.S. Attorney in the district is the replacement .
This @ @ @ @ @

U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Geoff Berman refused to step down on Friday night after Attorney General Bill Barr issued a press release announcing that he had resigned.
“Our investigations will move forward without delay or interruption,” Berman said in the press release, where he denied Barr’s statement.
Barr had issued a statement claiming that Berman had resigned on Friday night.
But Berman, in a release of his own, said that “I have not resigned, and have no intention of resigning, my position, to which I was appointed by the Judges of the United States District Court of the Southern District of New York.”
“I will step down when a presidentially appointed nominee is confirmed by the Senate,” Berman added.
Barr said in his statement, released late Friday evening, that he “appreciate[d]” Berman’s “service to the Department of Justice and our nation, and I wish him well in the future.”
House Judiciary Committee chair Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY) invited Berman to testify before Congress at a previously scheduled hearing on Wednesday featuring DOJ whistleblowers.
America is right to expect the worst of Bill Barr, who has repeatedly interfered in criminal investigations on Trump’s behalf. We have a hearing on this topic on Wednesday. We welcome Mr. Berman’s testimony and will invite him to testify. https://t.co/SpVYzLhANR — Rep. Nadler (@RepJerryNadler) June 20, 2020
Berman has led the office through investigations into close associates of Trump’s, including Rudy Giuliani and the President’s former personal attorney, Michael Cohen.
He also has brought charges against Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman, two GOP fundraisers with connections to Ukraine who Trump and Giuliani deputized as part of a bid to have the former Soviet republic manufacture dirt on Joe Biden.
TPM reported in November that Berman was offered dirt on Biden in October 2018 by Bud Cummins, a former U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas who was representing a Ukrainian client. Berman’s office never brought any charges related to the information.
CNN reported on Friday that Berman was asked to resign, but refused after being offered separate positions at DOJ.
Barr said in his statement – now disputed – that New Jersey U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito will fill in for Berman until Clayton’s confirmation by the Senate.
Former Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara, an Obama appointee who Trump fired, expressed shock at the development on Twitter, saying that Berman was “fired” while questioning Berman’s departure.
Let me be stronger here. Berman “stepping down” is bullshit. He was fired. https://t.co/mqd9VcYd00 — Preet Bharara (@PreetBharara) June 20, 2020
Why does a president get rid of his own hand-picked US Attorney in SDNY on a Friday night, less than 5 months before the election? — Preet Bharara (@PreetBharara) June 20, 2020
The White House sent out a notice on Friday night saying that President Trump intends to nominate Clayton to the position.
The SEC did not immediately return a request for comment.
Clayton has chaired the SEC since May 2017. But the longtime securities and financial regulation attorney has never worked as a criminal prosecutor, a lacuna that is sure to raise eyebrows.
The move comes after months of politicization of the Justice Department, in which the country’s premier law enforcement body moved for a lighter sentence for a friend of President Trump’s, moved to drop charges against an associate of the President’s who had already pleaded guilty, and, most recently, sued to block the publication of a book embarrassing to President Trump.
The choice of the U.S. Attorney for New Jersey to immediately replace Berman instead of his deputy is also extremely unusual. Typically, when a U.S. Attorney departs, the deputy U.S. Attorney in the district is the replacement.
This post has been updated.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-06-20--Trump Rally Attendee Wearing ‘I Can’t Breathe’ Shirt Removed And Arrested At Campaign’s Request

A woman wearing a shirt that said “ I can ’ t breath , ” a popular slogan among anti-police brutality protesters , was removed from President Donald Trump ’ s rally in Tulsa , Oklahoma and subsequently arrested on Saturday despite having a ticket to the event and behaving nonviolently .
MSNBC ’ s footage of the incident shows Sheila Buck , the arrestee , sitting on the ground outside the arena after the Trump campaign had her removed by the Tulsa police .
Officers are seen asking Buck to leave the premises before arresting her after she refuses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ escort Buck to a patrol car , she tells reporters that her shirt was the reason for her removal and arrest .
“ This morning at 11:30 AM Tulsa Police were requested by Trump Campaign Staff to remove an individual from the secure area of the rally , ” the Tulsa Police Department said in a statement .
The TPD reported that officers had spoken to Buck “ for several minutes trying to convince her to leave on her own accord ” and then took her into custody after she “ continued to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to confirm that Buck did indeed have a ticket , stating that she “ had passed through the metal detector area to the most secure area of the event accessible only to ticket holders.
” However , whether or not she had a ticket “ is not a contributing factor for the Tulsa Police in making the arrest , ” according to the department .
The Trump campaign did not respond to TPM ’ s questions asking why Buck had been removed .
On Friday , Trump warned via Twitter that “ any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or lowlifes who are going to Oklahoma ” will “ will not be treated like you have been in New York , Seattle , or Minneapolis.
” “ It will be a much different scene !
” he tweeted .

A woman wearing a shirt that said “I can’t breathe,” a popular slogan among anti-police brutality protesters, was removed from President Donald Trump’s rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma and subsequently arrested on Saturday despite having a ticket to the event and behaving nonviolently.
MSNBC’s footage of the incident shows Sheila Buck, the arrestee, sitting on the ground outside the arena after the Trump campaign had her removed by the Tulsa police. Officers are seen asking Buck to leave the premises before arresting her after she refuses to do so.
As the officers escort Buck to a patrol car, she tells reporters that her shirt was the reason for her removal and arrest.
"Somebody has to do this." A peaceful protester is arrested outside the location President Trump's rally will be held in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on Saturday. pic.twitter.com/Nj23OgyOvX — MSNBC (@MSNBC) June 20, 2020
“This morning at 11:30 AM Tulsa Police were requested by Trump Campaign Staff to remove an individual from the secure area of the rally,” the Tulsa Police Department said in a statement.
The TPD reported that officers had spoken to Buck “for several minutes trying to convince her to leave on her own accord” and then took her into custody after she “continued to refuse to cooperate.”
The report seemed to confirm that Buck did indeed have a ticket, stating that she “had passed through the metal detector area to the most secure area of the event accessible only to ticket holders.”
However, whether or not she had a ticket “is not a contributing factor for the Tulsa Police in making the arrest,” according to the department.
The Trump campaign did not respond to TPM’s questions asking why Buck had been removed.
On Friday, Trump warned via Twitter that “any protesters, anarchists, agitators, looters or lowlifes who are going to Oklahoma” will “will not be treated like you have been in New York, Seattle, or Minneapolis.”
“It will be a much different scene!” he tweeted.