Congress punts shutdown into new year, when Democrats will retake ...

https://www.washingtonpost.com/.../trump...democrats/.../afbc992a-09cc-11e9-88e3-98...

4 days ago - Trump retreated from public view, hurling insults at Democrats over Twitter, as theHouse and the Senate convened for just minutes before ...

The top Democrats set to make Trump's life miserable in 2019 - The Guardian

01/01/19 01:00 from Trump Investigations from Michael_Novakhov (32 sites)
The top Democrats set to make Trump's life miserable in 2019 The Guardian With Democrats now in the majority in the House, five committee chairs will wield considerable power to investigate the president. "Russian Intelligen...

Donald Trump: Trump Contradicts Himself On Border Wall In Tweets 11 Minutes Apart
Tuesday January 1st, 2019 at 4:05 AM

1. Trump From Michael_Novakhov (198 Sites)

Mexico's paying for it with trade savings. Democrats should fund it with tax dollars. Fickle Trump gives Twitter whiplash.

Donald Trump

Donald Trump | The Guardian: Why Trump’s Middle East peace plan is just a sideshow by Oliver Holmes Jerusalem correspondent
Tuesday January 1st, 2019 at 4:05 AM

1. Trump From Michael_Novakhov (198 Sites)

Palestinian leaders have rejected Washington as a mediator and Israeli politicians openly deride peace efforts

After two years of drum-rolling, Donald Trump’s “ultimate deal” for Israelis and Palestinians is about to enter what its architects claim is the pre-launch phase.

The US president has said the peace plan drawn up by his team – two former personal lawyers and his son-in-law, Jared Kushner – will be ready to unveil by the end of January.

Donald Trump | The Guardian

View: The biggest security threats in 2019 - Economic Times
Tuesday January 1st, 2019 at 4:05 AM

"Trump Putin" - Google News

View: The biggest security threats in 2019 Economic Times

By Peter Apps With an ongoing trade war between the United States and China, Russian military posturing in Eastern Europe at its greatest since the Cold War ...

Where do the investigations related to Trump stand? - ABC News
Tuesday January 1st, 2019 at 4:04 AM

"Trump Investigations" - Google News

Where do the investigations related to Trump stand? ABC News

Get breaking national and world news, broadcast video coverage, and exclusive interviews. Find the top news online at ABC news.

"Russian Intelligence services" - Google News: The top Democrats set to make Trump's life miserable in 2019 - The Guardian
Tuesday January 1st, 2019 at 4:04 AM

1. Trump From Michael_Novakhov (198 Sites)

The top Democrats set to make Trump's life miserable in 2019 The Guardian

With Democrats now in the majority in the House, five committee chairs will wield considerable power to investigate the president.

"Russian Intelligence services" - Google News

The political trends that will define 2019 - CNN
Tuesday January 1st, 2019 at 4:03 AM

"Donald Trump Jr. Wikileaks" - Google News

The political trends that will define 2019 CNN

The New Year is only a few hours old, but the political forces that are likely to shape a turbulent 2019 are already in play.

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"putin won US 2016 election" - Google News: Global events to watch out for in 2019 - Qrius
Tuesday January 1st, 2019 at 4:03 AM

1. Trump From Michael_Novakhov (198 Sites)

Global events to watch out for in 2019 Qrius

Since Narendra Modi became Prime Minister of India in 2014, followed by Donald Trump winning the US Presidency in 2016 and the Brexit vote, the world at ...

"putin won US 2016 election" - Google News

"trump as danger to National Security" - Google News: Trudy Rubin: Mattis rejects a president who betrays allies and bows to adversaries - Winona Daily News
Tuesday January 1st, 2019 at 4:03 AM

1. Trump From Michael_Novakhov (198 Sites)

Trudy Rubin: Mattis rejects a president who betrays allies and bows to adversaries Winona Daily News

James Mattis' resignation letter laid bare the frightening future of national security under President Donald Trump.

"trump as danger to National Security" - Google News

"trump and russia" - Google News: Winston P. Nagan and Samantha R. Manausa: Trump's Syria decision is gift to Russia, Turkey - Gainesville Sun
Tuesday January 1st, 2019 at 4:03 AM

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Winston P. Nagan and Samantha R. Manausa: Trump's Syria decision is gift to Russia, Turkey Gainesville Sun

President Donald Trump's unexpected Twitter announcement that the United States has successfully defeated ISIS, and will therefore be pulling troops from ...

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"trump as danger to National Security" - Google News: His View: Are republicans finally smelling the Trumpster fire? - Moscow-Pullman Daily News
Tuesday January 1st, 2019 at 4:03 AM

1. Trump From Michael_Novakhov (198 Sites)

His View: Are republicans finally smelling the Trumpster fire? Moscow-Pullman Daily News

Did my ears deceive me? Did I actually hear Pat Toomey, a Pennsylvania Republican and one of Trump's infamous abetters, actually warn us that the ...

"trump as danger to National Security" - Google News

The top Democrats set to make Trump's life miserable in 2019 | US news
Tuesday January 1st, 2019 at 3:47 AM

The Guardian

The midterm elections brought an end to a period of one-party rule in Washington. In January, Donald Trump will face a newly empowered House Democratic majority eager to take on his administration.

The incoming Democratic committee chairs have vowed rigorous oversight of Trump, his family and his administration. Armed with committee gavels, they will have the power and resources to pursue investigations, issue subpoenas and compel testimony.

Trump in response has threatened to adopt a “warlike” posture, signaling a tumultuous end to an already-volatile first term.

Here are the men and women most likely to torment the president.

Elijah Cummings

Incoming chair of the House committee on oversight and government reform

As the ranking Democrat on the committee, Cummings has sat through his share of Republican-led investigations into the Obama administration. Now the outspoken 67-year-old will wield one of the most powerful gavels in Washington.

The son of two former sharecroppers who moved from the south, Cummings was born and raised in Baltimore, a city he now represents in Congress. He practiced law and served for 14 years in the Maryland house of delegates before being elected to Congress in 1996.

In January, Cummings will become one of the Democrats’ chief investigators into the Trump administration.

He describes his approach as having “two tracks”. One track will scrutinize the executive branch, including whether Trump has profited from the presidency; a decision to add a citizenship question to the US census; and hush payments made to women with whom Trump allegedly had affairs. A second track will focus on reforms such as overhauling the US postal service and lowering prescription drug prices.

Cummings has been wary of calls to impeach Trump. Rather than issuing subpoenas “like somebody’s handing out candy on Halloween”, the Democrat says he prefers a more judicious approach.
“I’m not looking for retribution,” Cummings told ABC News. “Life is too short.”

Adam Schiff

Incoming chair of the House permanent select committee on intelligence

Schiff is one of Trump’s most combative political opponents.

Mocked by the president as “Liddle Adam Schiff” – a barb that was recently modified to “Little Adam Schitt” – the California Democrat was at the center of the House’s deeply partisan investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election.

Schiff began his career as a prosecutor with the Los Angeles division of the US attorney’s office in 1987. He gained prominence by prosecuting a case against the first FBI agent to be indicted for espionage against the United States. (The agent was convicted of passing classified information to the Soviet Union for money.) He was elected to Congress in 2000 after serving in the California state senate.

Schiff, 58, is a leading attack dog on the Russia investigation and obstruction of justice.

The Democrat has said he will examine whether Russia has financial leverage over the president through its investments in Trump’s business empire, something Trump says would “cross a red line”.

Schiff recently said: “If the president’s business is trying to curry favor with the Kremlin, we can’t ignore that.”

The congressman has also signaled that he will seek more information about whether Trump sought to obstruct the FBI’s investigation into the president’s dealings with Moscow when he fired its director James Comey. He also hasn’t ruled out calling Trump’s son, Donald Trump Jr, to testify in a public hearing.

Jerrold Nadler

Incoming chair of the House judiciary committee

The New York Democrat, universally known as “Jerry”, will chair the House judiciary committee, which has jurisdiction over key policy areas but will be watched closely for its role in any impeachment proceedings.

Nadler’s political career began in 1977 as a New York assemblyman while he was still attending Fordham Law School. He was elected to Congress in 1992, and represents Manhattan’s Upper West Side, Wall Street and parts of Brooklyn.

Long before Trump came to Washington, he and Nadler sparred over a real estate venture proposed by Trump that Nadler forcefully opposed. In his book The America We Deserve, Trump later described Nadler as “one of the most egregious hacks in contemporary politics”.

Known as a steady hand, Nadler had been careful about broaching the topic of impeachment, dismissing such discussions as “premature”. However, in December Nadler said court filings stating that Trump directed Cohen to pay hush money “would be impeachable offenses”.

Nadler, 71, has outlined an expansive list of subjects his committee will scrutinize, including Russian interference in the 2016 election; the policy on separating immigrant families at the southern border; the justice department’s failure to defend the Affordable Care Act; the allegations of sexual misconduct and perjury by the supreme court justice Brett Kavanaugh; a rise in anti semitic and hate crime incidents since Trump’s election, and the appointment of acting US attorney general Matthew Whitaker after the forced resignation of Jeff Sessions.

Maxine Waters

Incoming chair of the House financial services committee

Waters, or “Auntie Maxine” as she is affectionately known by her supporters in the anti-Trump “resistance” movement, is a frequent target of the president.

Insulted by Trump as “crazy” and an “extraordinarily low IQ person”, the 80-year-old Democrat from California has earned her hard-charging reputation by fighting fire with fire. She has called Trump an “immoral, indecent, & inhumane thug” who “loves Putin” and “genuflects for Kim Jong-un”.

The verbal volleys may only get worse as she assumes the top spot on the House financial services committee next year.

Waters has consistently demanded information about Trump’s private bank dealings and possible connections to Russia. As chairwoman, she will have the power to demand answers from Trump’s biggest lender, Deutsche Bank.

She could also increase scrutiny on the nation’s biggest banks and Wall Street. Waters has called for more regulation of banks and could use her power to slow efforts by the Trump administration to roll back regulations on the financial institutions.

Waters was one of the first Democrats in Washington to call for the president’s impeachment.

She will be the first woman to chair the financial services committee.

Richard Neal

Incoming chair of the House ways and means committee

As chairman of the powerful tax-writing committee, the long-serving Massachusetts Democrat is preparing to lead the fight for the release of Trump’s tax returns.

Neal told the Washington Post that he will start by requesting Trump voluntarily release his tax returns.

In the likely event Trump does not acquiesce, Neal, 69, says he will file a legal request with the treasury department to release the returns to a select group of lawmakers on Capitol Hill. Neal expects the effort will ultimately end up in federal court.

Neal will also use his perch to defend social security, Medicare and Medicaid, federal programs that have personal resonance with him. His parents died when he was young, and Neal and his sisters relied on social security survivor benefit checks.

He was elected to Congress in 1988 after serving as a city councilor and mayor of Springfield. He became the ranking Democrat on the committee in 2016.

An outspoken opponent of the Republican tax overhaul, Neal has said he also plans to convene hearings on tax policy as well as healthcare and trade.

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· · · · · ·

Could Trump's Relationship With Deutsche Bank Lead To Money Laundering Charges? Congress May Conduct Parallel Probe To Mueller Investigation
Monday December 31st, 2018 at 10:29 PM

International Business Times

Rep. Adam Schiff of California, the presumed incoming chair of the House Intelligence Committee, is looking into investigating President Donald Trump's business records with Deutsche Bank, recently telling Jeffrey Toobin of the New Yorker that there might be potential money laundering charges.

“We are going to be looking at the issue of possible money laundering by the Trump Organization, and Deutsche Bank is one obvious place to start,” Schiff told Toobin.

The German multinational bank has been the subject of much controversy over the years. Deutsche Bank's headquarters on Nov. 29 were raided by prosecutors in a money laundering investigation in connection with the Panama Papers. The raid came after the bank was fined in January 2017 for $630 million by U.S. and U.K. regulators in connection with a $10 billion Russian money laundering scheme. In 2015, Deutsche Bank pled guilty in the U.S. to wire fraud for its role in the 2012 Libor scandal and paid $2.5 billion in fines.

Troubles that follow Deutsche may also follow Trump, as it has widely been reported that Deutsche was the only bank willing to give Trump loans in the late 1990s — a time when most banks would not lend to Trump after his many failed business ventures. Trump’s financial disclosures show he has as much as $364 million in loans from the bank. The Wall Street Journal in March 2016 reported that Trump and his companies had received at least $2.5 billion in loans from Deutsche Bank and co-lenders since 1998.

Deutsche Bank also has had a relationship with others close to Trump. Special counsel Robert Mueller reportedly subpoenaed Deutsche Bank for information on former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort, who in August was convicted in the Eastern District of Virginia on eight counts related to tax and bank fraud. In December 2017, prosecutors in the U.S. attorney’s office for the Eastern District of New York reportedly subpoenaed Deutsche Bank for records related to the family of Trump's son-in-law and White House adviser Jared Kushner.

Schiff isn't the only lawmaker on Capitol Hill interested in Deutsche Bank. Democratic Sens. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Chris Van Hollen of Maryland issued a statement on Dec. 13 to Republican Sen. Mike Crapo of Idaho, chair of the Senate Banking Committee, to investigate Deutsche Bank's compliance controls.

The statement reads: "Over the past several years, Deutsche Bank has been the subject of numerous enforcement actions in the in the United States and abroad, and just weeks ago the bank's head office and other locations in Frankfurt were raided by 170 police officers and tax investigators as part of a money laundering probe. Given the Committee’s jurisdiction over banking regulatory enforcement, Deutsche Bank’s history of regulatory problems, and the recent allegations of money laundering that resulted in the recent raid conducted by German law enforcement, we request that the Banking Committee undertake an investigation into Deutsche Bank and its compliance with the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) and Anti Money Laundering (AML) regulations."

Rep. Maxine Waters of California, who has been nominated to chair the House Committee on Financial Services, is also expected to investigate Deutsche Bank's ties to Russia.

Deutsche Bank responded that it hasn't been accused of wrongdoing and is cooperating with authorities.

"Deutsche Bank takes its legal obligations seriously and remains committed to cooperating with authorized investigations," said Deutsche Bank spokesman Troy Gravitt in a statement. "Our recent record of cooperating with such investigations has been widely recognized by regulators. We intend to keep working in this spirit."

An International Business Times investigation detailed the potential conflict of interest between the Trump administration and Deutsche Bank after the Trump administration in January waived part of the punishment for Deutsche Bank and four other megabanks, whose affiliates were convicted and fined from the Libor scandal. People walk past a Berlin branch of Deutsche Bank on Feb. 9, 2016. Photo: Sean Gallup/Getty Images

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"Russian Intelligence services and international organized crime" - Google News: PM: I will not resign if indicted; law does not require me to do so - The Times of Israel
Monday December 31st, 2018 at 2:51 PM

1. Trump From Michael_Novakhov (198 Sites)

PM: I will not resign if indicted; law does not require me to do so The Times of Israel

PM says that hearings ahead of the attorney general's decision should not begin before elections if they cannot be finished in time for April 9 vote. -64866sec ...

"Russian Intelligence services and international organized crime" - Google News

"trump anxiety" - Google News: 2018 should be remembered as a rude awakening - The Pasadena Star-News
Monday December 31st, 2018 at 2:50 PM

1. Trump From Michael_Novakhov (198 Sites)

2018 should be remembered as a rude awakening The Pasadena Star-News

If there's one thing most Americans and Californians can agree on, it's that 2018 has been a long year. Like many years past, this one has had its share of ups ...

"trump anxiety" - Google News

Russia arrested a US citizen on spying charges, but the government shutdown makes it hard to get answers on how the Trump administration will respond - INSIDER
Monday December 31st, 2018 at 2:41 PM

"Conspiracy Against US" - Google News

Russia arrested a US citizen on spying charges, but the government shutdown makes it hard to get answers on how the Trump administration will respond INSIDER

A US citizen was arrested in Russia on Friday and charged with espionage, and it's not clear how the Trump administration plans to respond.

The left-wing conspiracy to abuse the power of law
Monday December 31st, 2018 at 11:42 AM

Gary Beatty, Community columnist Published 10:45 a.m. ET Dec. 31, 2018

Gary Beatty(Photo: FLORIDA TODAY files)Buy Photo

The core principle of our legal system is literally carved in stone on the portico of the United States Supreme Court: “Equal Justice Under Law.” Without this rule of law, there can be no individual liberty, and unless laws are applied equally to all a legal system has no legitimate authority.

Federal laws are no longer being equally applied. Even more disturbing is how many citizens and members of the news media (the so-called watchdogs of liberty) condone and defend abandonment of the rule of law if it furthers their political agenda.

Special prosecutor Robert Mueller has wasted millions of taxpayer dollars on a fabricated witch-hunt following a FISA court ordered wiretap. Public exposure of emails between FBI officials reveals those officials colluded to mislead the FISA court to get the wiretap, and did so to overturn the lawful election of President Trump. That is the most egregious abuse of power in our history. The Watergate scandal, which resulted in people going to prison, pales in comparison.

But none of those FBI officials are being prosecuted. Even when some were fired they are widely celebrated as heroes. Many in the news media (who still tout Watergate as their finest hour) attempt to minimize, or simply ignore, this official misconduct.

James Comey, who ran the FBI at the time, declined to charge Hillary Clinton with clear-cut criminal violations of national security laws by using a private email for official communications, and obstructing the investigation of those violations on the laughable grounds that “no reasonable prosecutor would bring a case against her.” Comey, a lawyer, either slept through criminal law 101, or the fix was in for Clinton. He had no authority to decide if a “reasonable prosecutor” would “bring a case” -— and he’s legally wrong.

I was a “reasonable prosecutor” for over 30 years, and the evidence against Clinton that Comey himself publicly laid out overwhelmingly supports a felony guilty verdict, which is the legal standard required to “bring a case.” And that’s not just my opinion. Legal scholars, as well as many former U.S. attorney’s and FBI agents, say there was ample evidence to convict her. So why has Clinton not been prosecuted? Because apparently federal laws no longer apply to some people, and “Equal Justice Under Law” has become merely a platitude.

How have we reached the point where ignoring the rule of law to further a political agenda is acceptable to so many? In a word, socialism. Historically, regimes across the socialist spectrum, from Marxists to National Socialists, can only maintain themselves by abusing government power to their own ends.

Socialism ignores that individual initiative is an inherent human trait. Because socialism accepts this willful ignorance, and can only be sustained by perpetuating that lie; citizens under those regimes must be coerced to sublimate being individually rewarded for that trait in lieu of the regime-approved “greater good” of the masses. Those entranced by the sirens of socialism condone abusing government power to further their political agenda just as infection leads to disease.

Failing public schools, dominated by greedy teacher unions and education “experts" that substitute brainwashing for teaching the principles of individual liberty are the chief cause of this insidious mindset. Beginning in elementary and secondary schools, independent thinking is suppressed in favor of politically correct conformity so students are prepared for colleges, where speech codes are selectively used to eliminate diversity of thought.

Going from the persecution of politically incorrect words, to using the FISA court against political opponents (and shielding others from prosecution) is an inevitable progression. Socialists want everyone to go to free college, instead of trade schools, to complete the progressive indoctrination process.

In 1850, Fredrick Bastiat wrote, “It is easy to conceive that instead of being a check on injustice, [law] becomes its most invincible instrument.” And as the band Steppenwolf observed about the U.S. government in 1969, “There’s a monster on the loose, it’s got our heads into a noose, and just sits there watching”. The noose is now selectively tightened only on some.

The Declaration of Independence proclaims “... whenever any Form of government becomes destructive ... it is the Right of the People to alter or abolish it ...”. Officials of the federal government are destroying our legal system by using the law for partisan political ends. Our founders intended sovereign states, which created the federal government, to be a check against just such a threat to our liberties and gave them the constitutional power prevent it. The states need to act before politically correct socialists destroy what’s left of individual liberty.

Gary Beatty lives in Sharpes and is retired from 30 years as an assistant state attorney in Brevard County. He has a doctorate in law and is certified in criminal trial law by the Florida Bar.

Read or Share this story: <a href="https://www.floridatoday.com/story/opinion/2018/12/31/left-wing-conspiracy-abuse-power-law/2413846002/" rel="nofollow">https://www.floridatoday.com/story/opinion/2018/12/31/left-wing-conspiracy-abuse-power-law/2413846002/</a>

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"Comey" - Google News: FISA wiretap shows left-wing conspiracy to abuse the power of law | Opinion - Florida Today
Monday December 31st, 2018 at 11:42 AM

1. Trump From Michael_Novakhov (198 Sites)

FISA wiretap shows left-wing conspiracy to abuse the power of law | Opinion Florida Today

The core principle of our legal system is literally carved in stone on the portico of the United States Supreme Court: “Equal Justice Under Law.” Without this rule ...

"Comey" - Google News

The 135 times in 2018 that Trump specifically wanted us to know what was airing on Fox News - The Washington Post
Monday December 31st, 2018 at 11:42 AM

"Trump - Russia Investigations" - Google News

The 135 times in 2018 that Trump specifically wanted us to know what was airing on Fox News The Washington Post

That's excluding the scores of times he referred to what was on the network indirectly.

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Congress punts shutdown into new year, when Democrats will retake the House - The Washington Post
Monday December 31st, 2018 at 9:14 AM

House Democrats scoop up lawyers to power Trump investigations
Monday December 31st, 2018 at 9:12 AM

A recent committee job posting reviewed by CNN asked for legislative counsels with a variety of expertise: "criminal law, immigration law, constitutional law, intellectual property law, commercial and administrative law (including antitrust and bankruptcy), or oversight work."

The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee needs lawyers, too, posting jobs for "executive branch investigative counsel."

The advertisements give a window into the Democratic recruiting that's ramped up ahead of the party gaining subpoena power for the first time in eight years when it takes over the House in January.

While Democrats publicly talk up their interest in focusing on legislative priorities like health care and voting rights -- not to mention ending the ongoing partial government shutdown -- they are quietly preparing for what will likely be the largest congressional investigation of a sitting president in recent memory. Party leaders and committee chairs have spent months ironing out potential targets, from President Donald Trump's taxes and business dealings to the conduct of current and former Cabinet members.

To handle all this investigative work, House Democrats are expected to double the number of their staffers. Though they can't officially hire anyone until the new Congress is seated, plans are well underway, with House members saying that candidates -- especially those with specific investigative skills, from money laundering to contracting -- are coming from all directions.

"They're finding us," said Rep. Adam Smith, a Washington state Democrat who will be taking over the House Armed Services Committee, which will have a significant piece of foreign policy oversight. "There are a lot of Democratic refugees out there after the Republicans took over the House, the Senate and the White House."

Rep. Carolyn Maloney, a New York Democrat who's a member of the Oversight Committee, said she ends up forwarding some of the resumes that come to her office to committee staffers in charge of hiring. "They are people with law degrees and experience just wanting to be part of this historic moment," she said.

The hiring efforts started early. One Democratic House committee posted a help-wanted ad on a job board frequented by Capitol Hill staffers the day after the November 6 midterm elections. The post, which did not name the committee, sought "investigative counsel to conduct congressional investigations and advise on policy matters related to oversight of the executive branch."

"Responsibilities include staffing letters and subpoenas, conducting interviews, organizing and staffing hearings and preparing memos, talking points, statements and reports as necessary," the listing stated. "Previous congressional or executive branch experience preferred, but candidates with diverse backgrounds and experiences are encouraged to apply. Candidates must have attention to detail, excellent writing skills, excel under pressure and have a sense of humor."

One person familiar with the Democratic ramp-up in staffing told CNN, "There are a lot of people willing to take pay cuts to come do that work."

"We're being deluged with resumes, really impressive resumes. There will be no shortage of good candidates. The difficulty will be choosing among them," said Rep. Adam Schiff of California, who will lead the House Intelligence Committee next year and will play a key role in investigating Russian election interference.

Schiff has signaled that he also wants to focus on questions about possible money laundering and the Trump Organization. A source familiar with the Intelligence Committee's planning tells CNN that Schiff is looking to hire investigative staff with expertise in financial crimes.

That could overlap with work that Rep. Maxine Waters of California intends to pursue. Waters will lead the Financial Services Committee, and has been pressing for an investigation into potential money laundering, particularly involving Trump's loans with Deutsche Bank.

Coordination

To ensure investigations don't devolve into a confusing mass of overlapping inquiries and turf wars, coordination will be key for likely incoming House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California. Likely Majority Leader Steny Hoyer of Maryland has agreed to meet weekly with committee chairs to discuss priorities, according to a source familiar with the matter. Party leaders have also told incoming committee chairs to work out turf fights in private rather than hashing out who has jurisdiction over what in public.

That won't be easy. Many of the big stories and scandals don't fit neatly into one committee or another, and certain chairmen will have far more authority than others. That's particularly true with Rep. Elijah Cummings of Maryland, the incoming chair of the powerful House Oversight and Government Reform committee, which has sweeping authority over the entire federal government.

In a recent interview with CNN, Cummings

downplayed the potential of any turf fights

. "We're not going to step on each other's toes," he said. "We want to make sure that if there is jurisdiction that we work that out in private and then go to our committees and do what we have to do."

Aides warn that it will likely be months before the public sees the full scope of investigations.

"I think Democrats will be ready, but there is also going to be hundreds of thousands of documents requested and produced. It is going to be a little bit of drinking out of a fire hose in the beginning," one source familiar with planning told CNN.

Pelosi also announced on Friday she plans to appoint Douglas Letter to be the new House general counsel, a nonpartisan role that could nonetheless be pivotal in court battles that may erupt between the House and Trump administration next year.

Letter had a 40-year career at the Justice Department before retiring earlier this year, including as White House associate counsel in the Clinton administration. In September, he wrote an op-ed raising concerns about whether the Trump Justice Department would allow Mueller's final report to become public -- an issue that now could wind up on his desk.

Protecting Mueller

For Democrats emphasizing the need to focus on legislative rather than investigative priorities, there is one move that could arguably do both: passing legislation to protect special counsel Robert Mueller.

According to one Democratic aide, a bill to protect the special counsel from interference is expected to be among the first items Democrats pursue. Such legislation passed the Senate Judiciary Committee earlier this year but was never put to a vote on the floor. That bill will give House Democrats an avenue to pressure the GOP-led Senate to act, too, although Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, has shown no interest in taking up the measure, even after outgoing Republican Sen. Jeff Flake of Arizona launched a blockade on confirming judges over the lack of a floor vote on the measure.

"The Mueller investigation has to be protected, absolutely," said Rep. Pramila Jayapal, a Washington state Democrat. "There's a lot of consensus on our side that will be a key priority."

The Mueller probe provides an interesting test for Democratic chairmen and chairwomen. While it could do some of the work for them by providing new details, it will also tempt many of them to go after what he uncovers.

The sentencing of Michael Cohen, for instance -- in which federal prosecutors said Trump had directed Cohen to commit campaign finance crimes by paying women not to speak about alleged affairs -- makes him a potential witness before multiple committees.

Cummings said on CNN's "State of the Union" earlier this month that he wanted Cohen to testify in January, and that his committee could be the appropriate venue.

"Quite possibly," Cummings told CNN when asked whether his committee would investigate Cohen's crimes. "We're still trying to figure out who's doing what. Because the last thing we want to do is stepping on each other's toes. Somebody's going to get into it."

Cohen has already testified before Schiff's committee, admitting in his November guilty plea that he had lied before the panel about the proposed Trump Tower Moscow project. Schiff might want to haul Cohen back in to explain himself on that matter, though Schiff was already ceding the investigation of payments to women to Cummings the day after the story broke.

Trump's taxes

At the center of Democrats' efforts is the pursuit of Trump's tax returns. While modern presidents have handed over their returns willingly, Democrats are prepared to force the issue, arguing Trump has defied precedent.

Rep. Richard Neal of Massachusetts, the incoming chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, said he

intends to use an arcane IRS code

that allows his committee to ask the Treasury Department for the President's returns.

Neal -- a business-minded Democrat who has earned a reputation as a willing negotiator -- had hoped Trump would be willing to negotiate and turn over his tax returns without a fight. But in recent weeks, comments from Trump's allies have made it clear that asking nicely would be a waste of time. A source close to the process told CNN that Neal was prepared to make a formal request to the Treasury Department in the new Congress. When that would take place was still undecided.

"We're not doing this by a knee jerk," said Rep. Bill Pascrell, a Democrat from New Jersey. "We've got research up the gazoo behind us and the law's on our side."

Depending on what's in them, Trump's tax returns could provide information that would feed investigations by other committees.

"I think there's a lot of information in them that would be of interest to my committee. For example, we'd like to know exactly what our, what has been the sources of income for this President," Cummings said. "He's made all kinds of claims that he doesn't have relationships with Russia. He told us he didn't have any relationships with Russia; we come to find out that's not accurate. So there've been a lot of allegations, but I think the tax returns, where he has to swear that the information is accurate, that would tell us a lot."

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democratic house and trump - Google Search
Monday December 31st, 2018 at 9:07 AM

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Monday December 31st, 2018 at 7:19 AM

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Will Trump be impeached in 2019? I've worked for a Democrat in the ...

Fox News-15 hours ago

After taking at least 40 seats in the midterm election, House Democrats finally have subpoena power and can investigate the president and his ...

With No Votes Scheduled, a Government Shutdown Will Greet the ...
New York Times-Dec 28, 2018

What to expect from the new Democratic House
International-MSNBC-11 hours ago

Congress punts shutdown into new year, when Democrats will retake ...
Opinion-Washington Post-Dec 27, 2018

Democrat-controlled House faces question: what not to investigate?
In-Depth-The Guardian-6 hours ago

Trump unwilling to compromise on deal for border security funding ...
International-CNN-13 hours ago

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Trump Investigations News Review In Brief

Trump Investigations from Michael Novakhov In 250 Brief Posts –

» 1. Trump from Michael_Novakhov (198 sites): "trump as danger to National Security" - Google News: His View: Are republicans finally smelling the Trumpster fire? - Moscow-Pullman Daily News
01/01/19 03:00 from Trump Investigations from Michael_Novakhov (32 sites)
His View: Are republicans finally smelling the Trumpster fire? Moscow-Pullman Daily News Did my ears deceive me? Did I actually hear Pat Toomey, a Pennsylvania Republican and one of Trump's infamous abetters, actually warn u...

» 1. Trump from Michael_Novakhov (198 sites): "trump and russia" - Google News: Winston P. Nagan and Samantha R. Manausa: Trump's Syria decision is gift to Russia, Turkey - Gainesville Sun
01/01/19 02:08 from Trump Investigations from Michael_Novakhov (32 sites)
Winston P. Nagan and Samantha R. Manausa: Trump's Syria decision is gift to Russia, Turkey Gainesville Sun President Donald Trump's unexpected Twitter announcement that the United States has successfully defeated ISIS, and w...

» 1. Trump from Michael_Novakhov (198 sites): Donald Trump: Contradicting Trump, Neighbors Say Obamas Definitely Don’t Have A '10-Foot Wall'
01/01/19 01:25 from Trump Investigations from Michael_Novakhov (32 sites)
Trump “has a very active imagination," one neighbor quipped. Donald Trump 1. Trump from Michael_Novakhov (198 sites)

» 1. Trump from Michael_Novakhov (198 sites): "trump as danger to National Security" - Google News: Trudy Rubin: Mattis rejects a president who betrays allies and bows to adversaries - Winona Daily News
01/01/19 01:15 from Trump Investigations from Michael_Novakhov (32 sites)
Trudy Rubin: Mattis rejects a president who betrays allies and bows to adversaries Winona Daily News James Mattis' resignation letter laid bare the frightening future of national security under President Donald Trump. "trump...

» 1. Trump from Michael_Novakhov (198 sites): "trump authoritarianism" - Google News: Brazil's new far-right leader puts crime in his sights - Pulse Nigeria
01/01/19 01:13 from Trump Investigations from Michael_Novakhov (32 sites)
Brazil's new far-right leader puts crime in his sights Pulse Nigeria Jair Bolsonaro, Brazil's new president, persuaded voters in Latin America's biggest country to elevate him to leader on extreme-right vows to restore secur...

» 1. Trump from Michael_Novakhov (198 sites): "putin won US 2016 election" - Google News: Global events to watch out for in 2019 - Qrius
01/01/19 01:06 from Trump Investigations from Michael_Novakhov (32 sites)
Global events to watch out for in 2019 Qrius Events in 2019 that will determine if progressive politics will be salvaged, or obliterated. "putin won US 2016 election" - Google News 1. Trump from Michael_Novakhov (198 sites)

» "Donald Trump Jr. Wikileaks" - Google News: The political trends that will define 2019 - CNN
01/01/19 01:01 from Trump Investigations from Michael_Novakhov (32 sites)
The political trends that will define 2019 CNN The New Year is only a few hours old, but the political forces that are likely to shape a turbulent 2019 are already in play. "Donald Trump Jr. Wikileaks" - Google News

» 1. Trump from Michael_Novakhov (198 sites): "2016 elections anxiety" - Google News: Times Record News takes look at most impactful stories in Wichita Falls area in 2018 - Times Record News
01/01/19 01:00 from Trump Investigations from Michael_Novakhov (32 sites)
Times Record News takes look at most impactful stories in Wichita Falls area in 2018 Times Record News One thing the Times Record News has noticed in 2018 is that the community has continued to be amazing at rallying around ...

» 1. Trump from Michael_Novakhov (198 sites): "crime and terror" - Google News: Irish gangland wars in 2018: Shootings, arson attacks and murders grip communities in terror - Irish Mirror
01/01/19 01:00 from Trump Investigations from Michael_Novakhov (32 sites)
Irish gangland wars in 2018: Shootings, arson attacks and murders grip communities in terror Irish Mirror The Irish Mirror profiles the major feuds and events that have shaped the underworld's sinister internal squabbles. "c...

» 1. Trump from Michael_Novakhov (198 sites): "Russian Intelligence services" - Google News: The top Democrats set to make Trump's life miserable in 2019 - The Guardian
01/01/19 01:00 from Trump Investigations from Michael_Novakhov (32 sites)
The top Democrats set to make Trump's life miserable in 2019 The Guardian With Democrats now in the majority in the House, five committee chairs will wield considerable power to investigate the president. "Russian Intelligen...

» FBI News Review: Amazon.com: fbi hat: AES FBI Firm Believer in Jesus Christ Christian Black Embroidered Cap Hat
01/01/19 00:58 from Trump Investigations from Michael_Novakhov (32 sites)
from $3.88 Amazon.com: fbi hat FBI News Review

» 1. Trump from Michael_Novakhov (198 sites): "Donald Trump" - Google News: Donald Trump reveals his New Year's resolutions - ABC News
01/01/19 00:43 from Trump Investigations from Michael_Novakhov (32 sites)
Donald Trump reveals his New Year's resolutions ABC News President Donald Trump has a simple set of resolutions for 2019. "Success and prosperity and health for our country," he said. "That's all I want.". "Donald Trump" - G...

» FBI News Review: Crime and Criminology from Michael_Novakhov (8 sites): “political crimes” – Google News: Stage set for general elections: Here’s the political box office – Economic Times
01/01/19 00:24 from Trump Investigations from Michael_Novakhov (32 sites)
Stage set for general elections: Here’s the political box office Economic Times ET looks at some of the issues set to dominate the political box office in the run-up to general elections. “political crimes” – G...

» Trump digital operations from Michael_Novakhov (2 sites): "social media in trump campaign" - Google News: Stop obsessing over Ocasio-Cortez - News from southeastern Connecticut - theday.com
01/01/19 00:17 from Trump Investigations from Michael_Novakhov (32 sites)
Stop obsessing over Ocasio-Cortez - News from southeastern Connecticut theday.com In the end she will be only one of 235 Democrats in the 435-member House. "social media in trump campaign" - Google News Trump digital operati...

» 1. Trump from Michael_Novakhov (198 sites): "trump and putin" - Google News: View: The biggest security threats in 2019 - Economic Times
01/01/19 00:09 from Trump Investigations from Michael_Novakhov (32 sites)
View: The biggest security threats in 2019 Economic Times By Peter Apps With an ongoing trade war between the United States and China, Russian military posturing in Eastern Europe at its greatest since the Cold War ... "trum...

» 1. Trump from Michael_Novakhov (198 sites): Donald Trump | The Guardian: Why Trump’s Middle East peace plan is just a sideshow
01/01/19 00:00 from Trump Investigations from Michael_Novakhov (32 sites)
Palestinian leaders have rejected Washington as a mediator and Israeli politicians openly deride peace efforts After two years of drum-rolling, Donald Trump’s “ultimate deal” for Israelis and Palestinians is about to enter what its archi...

» 1. Trump from Michael_Novakhov (198 sites): Donald Trump: Trump Contradicts Himself On Border Wall In Tweets 11 Minutes Apart
31/12/18 23:57 from Trump Investigations from Michael_Novakhov (32 sites)
Mexico's paying for it with trade savings. Democrats should fund it with tax dollars. Fickle Trump gives Twitter whiplash. Donald Trump 1. Trump from Michael_Novakhov (198 sites)

» 1. Trump from Michael_Novakhov (198 sites): "former FBI agents power influence" - Google News: New Year's Eve 2018 celebrated around the world - AL.com
31/12/18 23:46 from Trump Investigations from Michael_Novakhov (32 sites)
New Year's Eve 2018 celebrated around the world AL.com Fireworks, concerts, spiritual services and political addresses abounded to mark the transition to 2019 as revelers around the globe bid farewell Monday to a ... "former...

» 1. Trump from Michael_Novakhov (198 sites): "Donald Trump" - Google News: Trump on Warren's presidential bid: 'I'd love to run against her' - USA TODAY
31/12/18 23:45 from Trump Investigations from Michael_Novakhov (32 sites)
Trump on Warren's presidential bid: 'I'd love to run against her' USA TODAY WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump would “love to run against” Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who took the first major step toward launching ...

» 1. Trump from Michael_Novakhov (198 sites): Politics: Trump’s winners for the year? Americans. The losers, he says, are Democrats running against him.
31/12/18 23:44 from Trump Investigations from Michael_Novakhov (32 sites)
In an interview, the president predicts prosperity in 2019 and does not mention signs of an economic slowdown Politics 1. Trump from Michael_Novakhov (198 sites)

» 1. Trump from Michael_Novakhov (198 sites): "Donald Trump" - Google News: Donald Trump ends 2018 with a Fox News interview — his 41st since inauguration - CNN
31/12/18 23:28 from Trump Investigations from Michael_Novakhov (32 sites)
Donald Trump ends 2018 with a Fox News interview — his 41st since inauguration CNN President Donald Trump rang in the new year with his friends at Fox News — literally. "Donald Trump" - Google News 1. Trump from Michael_Nova...

» 1. Trump from Michael_Novakhov (198 sites): "Donald Trump" - Google News: Elizabeth Warren vs. Donald Trump: A blow-by-blow history - The News Tribune
31/12/18 23:20 from Trump Investigations from Michael_Novakhov (32 sites)
Elizabeth Warren vs. Donald Trump: A blow-by-blow history The News Tribune The Massachusetts senator is the most prominent Democrat to have announced a run against President Trump in 2020. The two already have a long history...

» 1. Trump from Michael_Novakhov (198 sites): "Russian Intelligence services and organized crime" - Google News: Dave Barry: Can you believe it? - Albuquerque Journal
31/12/18 23:15 from Trump Investigations from Michael_Novakhov (32 sites)
Dave Barry: Can you believe it? Albuquerque Journal We can summarize 2018 in two words: It boofed. We're not 100 percent sure what “boofing” is, despite the fact that this very issue was discussed in a hearing of ... "Russia...

» FBI News Review: Crime and Criminology from Michael_Novakhov (8 sites): “political crimes” – Google News: Brazil to inaugurate far-right firebrand Bolsonaro president – Reuters
31/12/18 23:04 from Trump Investigations from Michael_Novakhov (32 sites)
Brazil to inaugurate far-right firebrand Bolsonaro president Reuters Right-wing nationalist Jair Bolsonaro, who has vowed to crack down on political corruption, violent crime and ignite a moribund economy with deregulation and …...

» "2016 Presidential Election Investigation" - Google News: Team Trump's Blueprint for Fighting Back Against the 'Mueller Report' - The Daily Beast
31/12/18 22:34 from Trump Investigations from Michael_Novakhov (32 sites)
Team Trump's Blueprint for Fighting Back Against the 'Mueller Report' The Daily Beast The special counsel is expected to release a report detailing his findings. There may be a court fight before it sees the light of day. "2...

» 1. Trump from Michael_Novakhov (198 sites): "Trump personality profile" - Google News: ‘Making the court jester the king’: New report shows how Trump went from reality TV businessman to fake president - AlterNet
31/12/18 22:25 from Trump Investigations from Michael_Novakhov (32 sites)
‘Making the court jester the king’: New report shows how Trump went from reality TV businessman to fake president AlterNet Despite the image that won him the presidency, Donald Trump is not a business genius. Many successful...

» 1. Trump from Michael_Novakhov (198 sites): "Russia influence in Eastern Europe" - Google News: Romania takes EU helm amid tensions with Brussels - gulfnews.com
31/12/18 22:21 from Trump Investigations from Michael_Novakhov (32 sites)
Romania takes EU helm amid tensions with Brussels gulfnews.com Brussels is already at loggerheads with the increasingly populist government in Bucharest. "Russia influence in Eastern Europe" - Google News 1. Trump from Micha...

» 1. Trump from Michael_Novakhov (198 sites): "Trump" - Google News: Kim Jong-un, Ready to Meet Trump ‘at Any Time,’ Demands U.S. End Sanctions - The New York Times
31/12/18 22:11 from Trump Investigations from Michael_Novakhov (32 sites)
Kim Jong-un, Ready to Meet Trump ‘at Any Time,’ Demands U.S. End Sanctions The New York Times TOKYO — Kim Jong-un, North Korea's leader, said Tuesday that he was willing to have a second summit meeting with President Trump, ...

» 1. Trump from Michael_Novakhov (198 sites): "Russian Intelligence services" - Google News: The other Khashoggi - POLITICO.eu
31/12/18 22:04 from Trump Investigations from Michael_Novakhov (32 sites)
The other Khashoggi POLITICO.eu A gruesome death in Ukraine provides a warning for those following the murder of the Saudi journalist. "Russian Intelligence services" - Google News 1. Trump from Michael_Novakhov (198 sites)

» 1. Trump from Michael_Novakhov (198 sites): Palmer Report: What was all that back there?
31/12/18 22:00 from Trump Investigations from Michael_Novakhov (32 sites)
Now that we’ve reached the end of 2018, it’s fair to say that it was a year for the ages. And by “ages” I mean the garbage dump. Let’s not mince words here: this was, by any objective measure, a historically terrible year for America, fo...

NEWS-LYNX℠ – THE NEWS & TIMES

Kaiser MAGGA Trump

https://trumpinvestigations.blogspot.com/2019/05/kaiser-magga-trump-comment-to-j-comeys.html

Comment to J. Comey's op-ed in WP

I think that Comey is correct. It looks like Trump is engaged in (possibly deliberate) hostile, anti-English Speaking Alliance (see his recent anti-UK & anti-Australia remarks about the subjects of "Barr Investigation", with the Ukraine thrown in, for the good deceptive measure), PROPAGANDA; with overtly and/or covertly expressed "pro-Axis": pro-Germany and pro-Japan sentiments, and also some pro-Nazi racial hints, from his symbolic perspectives of the USS WASP, and other dubious optics of his Memorial Day 2019 Japan visit. I think humbly, realizing all the seriousness of this statement, that Mr. Trump might be the "unwitting" or "witting" (this has to be determined) agent or asset of the New Abwehr and German Intelligence, which also corresponds, "rhymes well" with his personal, family history and background; and also, of course, with his "special relationship" with the Deutsche Bank. All these assertions and suspicions have to be investigated very thoroughly.

The Russian subversive activity was and is present undoubtedly, as was stated and demonstrated in Mueller Investigations, but it should be viewed and understood in conjunction and in the light of the not so new, and renewed German-Russian Intelligence and Security Partnership Alliance, so to speak.

The main suspects for the roles of masterminds-culprits, in my humble opinion, appear to be the New Abwehr, German Intelligence, and their high agents: Gerhard Schroeder, Ernst Uhrlau, SPD, Putin, and many, many others; visible and invisible, known and unknown.

If we as the Society and Civilization, do not look into this hypothesis and do not investigate and research it properly, we will commit one of the gravest errors.