FBI chief: No evidence of illegal spying on Donald Trump campaign
WASHINGTON (AP) — FBI Director Chris Wray said Tuesday that he does not consider court-approved FBI surveillance to be “spying” and said he has no evidence the FBI illegally monitored President Donald Trump’s campaign during the 2016 election. His comments at a Senate Appropriations subcommittee hearing broke from Attorney General William Barr, who has described as “spying” FBI surveillance during its investigation into potential collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia. Barr has not said such surveillance was necessarily improper, but Trump nonetheless seized on those comments to suggest his campaign was spied on in an illegal and unprecedented act. Asked by Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, Democrat-New Hampshire, if he would say that the FBI is “spying” when it investigates suspected terrorists and mobsters while following “investigative policies and procedures,” Wray replied, “Well, that’s not the term I would use.” He added: “I believe that the FBI is engaged in investigative activity, and part of investigative activity includes surveillance activity of different shapes and sizes. And to me, the key question is making sure that it’s done by the book, consistent with our lawful authorities. That’s the key question. Different people use different colloquial phrases.” Wray declined to discuss in detail the FBI’s investigation into the Trump campaign because of an ongoing Justice Department inspector general probe into the origins of the Russia inquiry. Barr has said he expects the watchdog report to be done in May or June. But asked whether he was aware of evidence that the FBI had illegally spied on the Trump campaign, Wray said, “I don’t think I personally have any evidence of that sort.” Barr is investigating whether there was a proper basis for the FBI to open a counterintelligence investigation into ties between the Trump campaign and Russia. The recently concluded investigation from Special Counsel Robert Mueller did not find a criminal conspiracy between the campaign and the Kremlin to tip the outcome of the 2016 presidential election. “The attorney general is seeking to understand better the circumstances at the department and the FBI relating to how this investigation started, and we’re working to help him get that understanding,” Wray said about the Justice Department’s review. “I think that’s part of his job and part of mine.” Barr didn’t specify what he meant when he said he believed there had been spying on the Trump campaign, though he also said that he did not mean the word in a negative way. At a hearing last week, he described “spying” as a “good English word” encompassing “all forms of covert intelligence operations” and said he wouldn’t back away from using it. The FBI obtained a secret surveillance warrant in 2016 to monitor the communications of former Trump campaign aide Carter Page, whose interactions with Russia had raised law enforcement suspicions even before he joined the campaign. The New York Times reported last week that the FBI used a woman posing as a research assistant to approach ex-Trump campaign adviser George Papadopoulos, who was told by a Maltese professor in the spring of 2016 that Russia had “dirt” on Democrat Hillary Clinton in the form of stolen emails. In his book about his entanglement in the Russia probe, “Deep State Target,” Papadopoulos wrote that the woman, who identified herself as Azra Turk, asked him about his work with the Trump campaign. “She wants to know: Are we working with Russia?” he wrote. He described her question as “creepy” and said he told her he had “nothing to do with Russia.” Papadopoulos later pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about his interactions with the professor, Joseph Mifsud.
Doug Jones becomes first Democrat to announce support for Trump’s AG pick William Barr
U.S. Sen. Doug Jones on Thursday confirmed he will support Donald Trump‘s attorney general nominee, William Barr. Jones is the first Democrat to do so. “I have concluded that Mr. Barr is qualified for the position of Attorney General and his record strongly suggests he will exercise independent judgment and uphold the best interests of the Department of Justice,” Jones explained in a statement. In a series of tweets, Jones explained his decision-making process. “Barr assured me of his commitment to protecting civil rights, including the vigorous enforcement of voting rights protections,” Jones tweeted. Barr, 68, served as attorney general from 1991 to 1993 under the late President George H.W. Bush. The Senate Judiciary Committee narrowly advanced his nomination on Thursday along a party line vote. It now moves to the full Senate for consideration. He is expected to be confirmed. Read all of Jones’ tweets on his decision to support Barr below: “I have spent nearly two months examining Mr. Barr’s record, watching his hearings, and listening to & considering the input of my constituents & leaders in the justice community. I have spoken with Mr. Barr and asked him some tough questions of my own.” I have spent nearly two months examining Mr. Barr’s record, watching his hearings, and listening to & considering the input of my constituents & leaders in the justice community. I have spoken with Mr. Barr and asked him some tough questions of my own. — Doug Jones (@SenDougJones) February 7, 2019 “As a former US Attorney, I believe the most important responsibility of an AG l is to uphold the rule of law & to do so w/a commitment to transparency & independence. We live in deeply divided times, but it is in precisely this environment that these principles are critical.” As a former US Attorney, I believe the most important responsibility of an AG l is to uphold the rule of law & to do so w/a commitment to transparency & independence. We live in deeply divided times, but it is in precisely this environment that these principles are critical. — Doug Jones (@SenDougJones) February 7, 2019 “Some have expressed concerns about Mr. Barr’s views of executive power, which frankly are much more expansive than my own. In his hearing & in my conversation w/him, he reiterated that he believes no one — including the President of the United States — is above the law.” Some have expressed concerns about Mr. Barr’s views of executive power, which frankly are much more expansive than my own. In his hearing & in my conversation w/him, he reiterated that he believes no one — including the President of the United States — is above the law. — Doug Jones (@SenDougJones) February 7, 2019 “Finally, in my conversation w/ Mr. Barr, I stressed how important the DoJ’s civil rights functions are to me & the people of Alabama. Mr. Barr assured me of his commitment to protecting civil rights, including the vigorous enforcement of voting rights protections.” Finally, in my conversation w/ Mr. Barr, I stressed how important the DoJ’s civil rights functions are to me & the people of Alabama. Mr. Barr assured me of his commitment to protecting civil rights, including the vigorous enforcement of voting rights protections. — Doug Jones (@SenDougJones) February 7, 2019 “After thorough consideration, I have concluded that Mr. Barr is qualified for the position & his record strongly suggests he will exercise independent judgment & uphold the best interests of the DoJ. I will vote to confirm Mr. Barr as AG of the United States.” After thorough consideration, I have concluded that Mr. Barr is qualified for the position & his record strongly suggests he will exercise independent judgment & uphold the best interests of the DoJ. I will vote to confirm Mr. Barr as AG of the United States. — Doug Jones (@SenDougJones) February 7, 2019
Senate panel approves William Barr, Donald Trump’s AG pick
The Latest on William Barr’s nomination to be attorney general (all times local): 1 p.m. The Senate Judiciary Committee has approved President Donald Trump’s pick for attorney general. William Barr’s nomination was approved along party lines Thursday. It now heads to the Senate floor, where Barr is expected to be confirmed. Barr, who served as attorney general between 1991 and 1993, would succeed Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who was pushed out by Trump last year. Democrats have largely opposed Barr’s nomination, saying they want a stronger commitment from him to fully release special counsel Robert Mueller’s final report. Barr says he will release as much as he can under the law. Opponents have also cited a memo Barr wrote to the Justice Department before his nomination in which he criticized Mueller’s investigation for the way it was presumably looking into whether Trump had obstructed justice. __ 12:12 a.m. The Senate Judiciary Committee is poised to approve William Barr’s nomination to be attorney general, a vote that is likely to be mostly along party lines as Democrats have questioned how transparent Barr will be once special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation concludes. Once the committee approves the nomination Thursday, it will head to the full Senate, where Barr is expected to be confirmed. That vote could come as soon as next week. Barr would replace Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who was pushed out by Trump last year. Barr previously served as attorney general from 1991 to 1993. Democrats and many Republicans have said Mueller’s final report should be fully released. Barr has said he will be as transparent as possible under Justice Department regulations, but many Democrats are skeptical. Republished with permission from the Associated Press
Democratic senators sue over former AG Jeff Sessions’ acting replacement
Three Senate Democrats filed a lawsuit Monday arguing that Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker‘s appointment is unconstitutional and asking a federal judge to remove him. The suit, filed by Sens. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, Mazie Hirono of Hawaii and Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, argues that Whitaker’s appointment violates the Constitution because he has not been confirmed by the Senate. Whitaker was chief of staff to Attorney General Jeff Sessions and was elevated to the top job after Sessions was ousted by President Donald Trump on Nov. 7. The Constitution’s Appointments Clause requires that the Senate confirm all principal officials before they can serve in their office. The Justice Department released a legal opinion last week that said Whitaker’s appointment would not violate the clause because he is serving in an acting capacity. The opinion concluded that Whitaker, even without Senate confirmation, may serve in an acting capacity because he has been at the department for more than a year at a “sufficiently senior pay level.” “President Trump is denying senators our constitutional obligation and opportunity to do our job: scrutinizing the nomination of our nation’s top law enforcement official,” Blumenthal said in a statement. “The reason is simple: Whitaker would never pass the advice and consent test. In selecting a so-called ‘constitutional nobody’ and thwarting every senator’s constitutional duty, Trump leaves us no choice but to seek recourse through the courts.” The lawsuit comes days after a Washington lawyer challenged Whitaker’s appointment in a pending Supreme Court case dealing with gun rights. The attorney, Thomas Goldstein, asked the high court to find that Whitaker’s appointment is unconstitutional and replace him with Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein. The state of Maryland also made a similar court filing last week in a legal dispute with the Trump administration over the Affordable Care Act. Rosenstein, the second-ranking Justice Department official, has been confirmed by the Senate and had been overseeing special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation. Whitaker is now overseeing the investigation. In a court filing Monday, the special counsel’s office said Whitaker’s appointment has “no effect” on a legal challenge to Mueller’s authority brought by an aide to former Trump confidant Roger Stone, Andrew Miller, who defied a grand jury subpoena last summer and was held in contempt by a judge. The filing came after the court asked the special counsel’s office and Miller’s lawyers to submit papers that address what, if any, effect Whitaker’s appointment would have on the case. The Justice Department issued a statement Monday defending Whitaker’s appointment as “lawful” and said it comports with the Appointments Clause, the Federal Vacancies Reform Act and legal precedent. “There are over 160 instances in American history in which non-Senate confirmed persons performed, on a temporary basis, the duties of a Senate-confirmed position,” Justice Department spokeswoman Kerri Kupec said. “To suggest otherwise is to ignore centuries of practice and precedent.” The Federal Vacancies Reform Act allows an acting official to serve in a vacant position for up to 210 days, though the official may continue serving while a president’s nomination to that position is pending before the Senate. Republished with permission from the Associated Press.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions submits resignation to Donald Trump
Attorney General Jeff Sessions submitted his resignation to President Donald Trump on Wednesday, just one day after the midterm elections. Sessions resigned via a letter hand-delivered to Chief of Staff John Kelly. Sessions said he resigned per the president’s request. “At your request, I am submitting my resignation,” Sessions wrote to the president. Trump’s reaction Following news breaking of Sessions’ resignation, Trump took to Twitter to react. “We are pleased to announce that Matthew G. Whitaker, Chief of Staff to Attorney General Jeff Sessions at the Department of Justice, will become our new Acting Attorney General of the United States. He will serve our Country well…” Trump tweeted. We are pleased to announce that Matthew G. Whitaker, Chief of Staff to Attorney General Jeff Sessions at the Department of Justice, will become our new Acting Attorney General of the United States. He will serve our Country well…. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 7, 2018 “….We thank Attorney General Jeff Sessions for his service, and wish him well! A permanent replacement will be nominated at a later date,” Trump added. ….We thank Attorney General Jeff Sessions for his service, and wish him well! A permanent replacement will be nominated at a later date. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 7, 2018 For months Trump has indicated his disapproval of Sessions. Trump fired several barbs at Sessions in August, telling Fox news channel’s “Fox & Friends” saying Sessions “took the job and then he said, ‘I’m going to recuse myself.” Sessions’ history Sessions, 71, a former US senator and federal prosecutor from Alabama was an early supporter and endorser of Trump, and over the course of the 2016 election became a close and trusted adviser to Trump.
US attorneys general discuss social media privacy concerns
A meeting between top state law enforcement officials and Attorney General Jeff Sessions about how the government can safeguard the privacy of social media users ended Tuesday without a decision on whether to investigate. The gathering at the Justice Department was scheduled to discuss whether tech giants are “stifling the free exchange of ideas” and examine whether they “may be hurting competition.” But California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, a Democrat, says the one-hour meeting mainly focused on consumer protection and data privacy issues. Attorneys general from Alabama, California, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Nebraska, Tennessee, Utah and Washington, D.C., attended. Five other states sent senior deputies. Justice Department officials said the meeting “centered on ways the Department and state governments can most effectively safeguard consumers using online digital platforms.” Although there wasn’t an immediate decision on whether to open an investigation, the attorneys general discussed the nuances and interpretation of privacy and what might constitute a monopoly in the tech sector, Becerra said. “The conversation really zeroed in on privacy,” he said after the meeting. “I think everyone sees the growth of the industry as something that has become of interest to regulators and enforcers. How it might apply, that is still the open question.” The Justice Department said it will review the “insight” shared by the attorneys general and expects conversations on the topic to continue. Republished with permission from the Associated Press.
Donald Trump rips Jeff Sessions: ‘I don’t have an attorney general’
President Donald Trump escalated his attacks on Attorney General Jeff Sessions, saying, “I don’t have an attorney general.” Trump, in a Hill.TV interview released on Wednesday, said that he’s “so sad over Jeff Sessions,” whom he has repeatedly denounced for recusing himself from the Russia investigation. “He was the first senator that endorsed me. And he wanted to be attorney general, and I didn’t see it,” Trump said in the Oval office interview. “And then he went through the nominating process and he did very poorly. I mean, he was mixed up and confused, and people that worked with him for, you know, a long time in the Senate were not nice to him, but he was giving very confusing answers. Answers that should have been easily answered.” The president softened his stance slightly when talking to reporters on the White House lawn hours after the interview’s publication, saying, “I’m disappointed in the attorney general for numerous reasons, but we have an attorney general.” Trump has repeatedly asserted that Sessions, a former U.S. senator from Alabama, did not need to step away from the Russia probe, a move the president believes in part led to the appointment of special counsel Robert Mueller, who is investigating contacts between Trump campaign officials and Russians. Trump, a Republican, suggested that Sessions’ rocky Senate confirmation hearings may have impacted his performance as attorney general. “He gets in and probably because of the experience that he had going through the nominating when somebody asked him the first question about Hillary Clinton or something he said, ‘I recuse myself, I recuse myself,’” Trump said. Department of Justice guidelines recommended the attorney general step away because of his own contacts with foreign government officials during his time with the 2016 Trump campaign. Sessions told Congress that his decision was not due to any wrongdoing. Trump also broadened his attacks beyond the recusal, saying he’s unhappy with Sessions’ performance on several issues. “I’m not happy at the border. I’m not happy with numerous things, not just this,” Trump said in the interview. Trump has repeatedly complained publicly and privately about Sessions, pushing him to curtail the Mueller probe, urging him to investigate Clinton and suggesting he should drop investigations into Republican congressmen until after the November midterm elections. He also said that he does not feel as though Sessions supports him like former attorneys general Eric Holder and Bobby Kennedy backed Presidents Barack Obama and John F. Kennedy, respectively. Trump has repeatedly considered firing Sessions, the nation’s top law enforcement officer, only to be opposed by aides who think a dismissal would upend the Russia investigation, conservatives who applaud Sessions’ hardline stances at the Department of Justice and Republican senators who have said they would not confirm a replacement. But there have been cracks in that blockade of late. South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, who once fought for Sessions, recently said that the president was “entitled to having an attorney general he has faith in” while other Trump allies have suggested that a move could be made after the midterms. Sessions recently punched back against Trump, saying he and his department “will not be improperly influenced by political considerations.” And Sessions has made clear to associates that he has no intention of leaving his job voluntarily despite Trump’s constant criticism. Trump said in the interview that “we’ll see what happens” with Sessions’ future. “We’ll see how it goes with Jeff,” Trump continued. “I’m very disappointed in Jeff. Very disappointed.” Republished with permission from the Associated Press.
Steve Marshall discusses wife’s suicide, struggles
In an emotional appearance, Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall opened up to reporters Wednesday about his wife’s weekend suicide, saying she was a beautiful and gentle person who had a long struggle with depression, anxiety and chronic pain. With his adult daughter and other family members standing behind him during a press conference at a northern Alabama church, Marshall sobbed at times as he described Bridgette Marshall’s life and deeply personal struggles. “It’s tough. It’s tough,” Marshall said as he began, thanking people for an outpouring of support and criticizing what he called an instance of reckless reporting that he said exposed details of her death Sunday. He spoke in his hometown, Albertville, about 165 miles (266 kilometers) north of Montgomery, the state capital. Marshall said he felt compelled to come forward to stop “half-truths” about her death. Family members also hoped sharing her story would help other families and individuals, who have been touched by mental health issues and suicide, to know that they are not alone, he said. “It is our hope today to share our story to also give strength to those families who have endured what we have endured. And maybe for that person who felt like Bridgette did on Sunday morning to know that there is hope and there are people who love them.” Marshall said his wife suffered major depressive disorder and anxiety. “Being married to me probably didn’t help because it caused someone who was anxious to also sometimes be in the public eye and that is not where she wanted to be,” Marshall said. He also said mental illness is “not a sign of weakness, let’s make that clear. Nobody wants to be mentally ill.” He described someone at times uncomfortable with the limelight and the pressure of politics. She feared that her past personal struggles would be exposed. She also had illnesses that caused physical pain, including a digestive disorder that required a feeding tube, and had been plagued with painful migraines since childhood. The migraines led to bouts of opioid dependence after she was prescribed powerful painkillers as a treatment. Despite all that, Marshall said his wife urged him to seek the position of attorney general ahead of his appointment last year and to run in this year’s election. She recently had moved to Tennessee instead of living in Montgomery. Marshall said he believed things were looking up when she came home for the June 5 primary election and her birthday celebration the next day. “We saw happiness in her that we hadn’t seen in a while, and it was good. It was good. And then for whatever reason something changed and we don’t know what,” Marshall said. Marshall described their final phone call. “She said, ‘I’m tired of being tired and I just want to go.’” “I told her how she was loved. As a guy who professionally is supposed to convince people with words to do something, I couldn’t reach her,” Marshall said sobbing. He said he remains haunted by that final conservation and whether she would still be alive if he hadn’t become attorney general. Marshall asked for his daughter’s privacy, saying they needed time to mourn and to remember Bridgette Marshall’s life. He said his wife, who volunteered at a hospice, had touched the lives of countless members of their community, and he read a loving note she had written for him two weeks before her death. “That is the woman I will celebrate … Please allow us to celebrate that life and to no longer have to discuss her death,” Marshall said. Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
A look at the Alabama AG’s race in the wake of the CBS News investigation
In a Tuesday night report, CBS News revealed Republican attorneys general on a retreat hosted by the Republican Attorney General Association (RAGA) in April on Kiawah Island, S.C… with lobbyists representing groups like Koch Industries, Reynolds America, Select Management Resources and the National Rifle Association to name a few. Among those attendance was Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall, a Alabama’s top law enforcement official. To some, that fact means nothing. But to many, lobbyists represent all that is bad in politics. Over the years, lobbyists gotten a bad reputation and have been credited with having created a “culture of corruption” and are associated with words like “manipulation,” “corruption,” and “bribery.” The question for some, like Marshall’s primary runoff opponent — former Alabama Attorney General Troy King — is whether or not lobbyists, at retreats like the one in S.C., are influencing how Marshall runs the AG office. Just last week, King called out Marshall for attending another weekend getaway in N.C. with lobbyists. “He’s at an exclusive golf club in North Carolina… he is standing there with fat cat donors and lobbyists who spent $25,000 to spend the weekend with him. And $5,000 a person to come to a political fundraiser,” King said during a press conference in Montgomery. Marshall fights back But Marshall says he’s done nothing wrong and will not apologize for working with other AGs. “He will not apologize for working with other AG’s around the country,” Marshall’s campaign told CBS 42. The campaign went on to say, “Troy King attended several of these RAGA meetings during his time as attorney general, so these attacks are just dripping in hypocrisy.” Our check of Alabama’s campaign finance reports shows RAGA contributed 435,000 dollars to Marshall’s 2018 campaign for Alabama Attorney General. Political impact? CBS 42 askedAlabama’s leading political columnist Steve Flowers about how RAGA might play into the upcoming runoff. “For those people who are prosecutors to be wined and dined and given very large contributions through a nebulous organization, it looks a little like play for pay. I think Marshall is looking bad with a black eye cause he’s taken a lot of money from those people… and they are really people that he should be investigating.”
Steve Marshall called out for attending lavish retreat with lobbyists
A new CBS News investigation has found lobbyists across the country shelling out the big bucks for access to lavish retreats for state attorney generals. One of the most expensive retreats took place in April at the Kiawah Island Golf Resort in the Lowcountry of South Carolina. In attendance was Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall, a Alabama’s top law enforcement official. There, lobbyists —who work on behalf of companies and entities across the globe — ponied up $125,000 for access to the attorneys general. The lobbyists were more than willing to pay the high price for the chance to rub elbows with some of the AGs with whom they needed to work with on behalf of their clients. Among those groups being represented by lobbyists at the retreat were Koch Industries, Reynolds America, Select Management Resources and the National Rifle Association. According to CBS News, “Selling access to events like this has helped the Republican Attorneys General Association, or RAGA, raise more than $20 million in the last year and a half – twice as much as their Democratic counterparts.’ CBS News reviewed 88 donations over $50,000 or more to RAGA and found 46 of those donors had matters under consideration by a state attorney general or had recently settled. Marshall would not confirm to CBS News that he was in attendance, despite the fact he was listed as one of the nine AGs they identified in attendance at the four-day retreat.
Troy King qualifies for Alabama attorney general race
Thursday, former Alabama Attorney General Troy King officially qualified as a Republican for the office of Alabama attorney general. King returned to his home of Elba, Ala. where he signed his qualifying papers to run for his old office during a ceremony at the National Security Group Conference Center. “Elba is where it all started and it was fitting to go back to the place it all began to kick off my campaign,” King posted on Facebook. King was first appointed attorney general in 2004 by former Gov. Bob Riley, after William Pryor left the office to accept federal judge position with the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals. King later won his own term, but lost a GOP primary race to Luther Strange in 2010. He served in the position from 2004 to 2010. King will face current state AG Steve Marshall, former U.S. Attorney Alice Martin and Birmingham attorney Chess Bedsole in the June 5 GOP primary. The winner of that race will go on to face Democrat, Birmingham attorney Chris Christie, in the Nov. 6 general election. Watch King’s announcement video below:
Alice Martin qualifies for Alabama Attorney General race
Wednesday, during a press conference at the Alabama Republican Party Headquarters in Birmingham Ala. Alice Martin announced her qualification for Attorney General in the June 5 Republican primary. Martin is a conservative Republican with a record of fighting public corruption, white collar and violent crimes at the local, state, and federal levels. She was a member of the team that convicted former House Speaker Mike Hubbard, and successfully advocated for SB301, which combats technology based sex crime. She has spent the last five years serving as the Chief Deputy & Deputy Attorney General in Alabama. There, she’s used her position to fight against the Obama Administration’s federal overreach through the EPA and same sex bathroom mandates. She is an active member of the Alabama Federation of Republican Women, the Federalist Society, and a former member of the Alabama Republican Club Executive Committee where she served as Secretary in 2001. Martin earned her Bachelors degree in Nursing from Vanderbilt University then worked her way though law school at the University of Mississippi. Martin previously served as a municipal judge, a Circuit Court Judge in Florence, Ala. and a U.S. Attorney. She was named a “Top 10 Prosecutor in the U. S.” by Corporate Fraud Reporter. During her time as a U.S. Attorney, Martin prosecuted over 4,600 federal firearms, narcotic, and child pornography crimes, resolved over 8,200 civil cases and established an anti-terrorism task force. She also joined then-Alabama AG Bill Pryor to found the North Alabama Public Corruption Task Force and together they secured 140 federal corruption convictions. Martin and her husband have three adult daughters, live in Florence Ala. with their 10 dogs and are members of the First United Methodist Church.
