Trump news: Judge says ‘plausible’ ex-president incited Jan 6 riot as Mar-a-Lago docs referred to DoJ
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Your support makes all the difference.It has been a difficult week for the former president and his family.
The 15 boxes of White House records stored at former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence contained classified national security information, the National Archives. The Justice Department has been informed as this puts Mr Trump in violation of a number of federal criminal statutes.
Meanwhile, former first lady Melania Trump has attacked the press for covering a Florida investigation into a charity event she hosted. And in Washington, the 6 January committee investigating the Capitol riot is reportedly also considering a subpoena for Ivanka Trump if she doesn’t cooperate with its inquiry.
Meanwhile, in a major turn in the New York authorities’ long-running investigation into Mr Trump’s affairs — a probe he described as “racist” and a “political witch hunt” — a judge on Thursday refused to quash subpoenas and depositions filed against Donald Trump, Donald Trump Jr, and Ivanka Trump in the New York probe into the Trump Organization’s business practices, meaning all three will have to testify.
Further to that, on Friday afternoon, a federal judge has rejected Mr Trump’s bid to toss out conspiracy lawsuits against him for allegedly sparking the Capitol riot, saying the allegations were “plausible”.
As far as Mr Trump, the right-wing media and much of the GOP are concerned, however, the real scandal is a debunked story that Hillary Clinton “spied” on him. In a speech yesterday, Ms Clinton derided the story: “It is one thing to have political disagreements, those are natural and healthy. But it is an entirely different thing altogether to lose a shared sense of truth, facts and reality itself.”
Report: Biden called into Harris Munich meeting
President Joe Biden called into a meeting Vice President Kamala Harris held with members of Congress today in Munich, according to a person in the room.
He reiterated the work the US and its allies have been doing to try to prevent a Russian invasion of Ukraine and further updated them on the situation.
ICYMI: Hillary takes dig at Trump in ‘comeback’ speech
Former US Secretary of State opened her speech at the New York State Democratic by taking a dig at former President Donald Trump, moments after a New York judge ruled that Mr Trump and two of his children must testify in the state attorney general’s investigation into his business practices.
“It’s funny, the more trouble Trump gets into the wilder the charges and conspiracy theories about me seem to get,” Ms Clinton said on Thursday at the Sheraton Times Square hotel in New York City. “So now his accountants have fired him and investigations draw closer to him, and right on cue the noise machine gets turned up doesn’t it?”
Richard Hall reports.
Hillary Clinton opens ‘comeback’ speech with dig at the ‘trouble’ Trump is in
‘It’s funny, the more trouble Trump gets into the wilder the charges and conspiracy theories about me seem to get,’ Ms Clinton said at the New York State Democratic Convention
GOP ask Pelosi to release pre-Capitol riot security footage they claim disproves ‘reconnaissance tours’
The top Republican on the House committee which oversees the US Capitol Police is calling for the release of surveillance video he says disproves Democratic claims that GOP members gave “reconnaissance tours” before the 6 January 2021 attack on the Capitol.
In a Thursday letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Illinois Representative Rodney Davis said Capitol security footage recorded during the “relevant period” — which he claimed to have reviewed — “does not support ... Democrat accusations about so-called ‘reconnaissance’ tours”.
Andrew Feinberg reports from Washington, DC.
GOP demands release of security footage to disprove pre-riot ‘reconnaissance’ claim
Representative Rodney Davis says he has viewed security footage which vindicates Republicans from accusations of having aided pro-Trump rioters
3.7 million children re-enter poverty after Biden child tax credit expired
More than 3.7 million American children re-entered poverty after the expiration of monthly payments through a pandemic-era federal programme that expired at the end of 2021.
The nation’s child poverty rate rose from 12 per cent at the end of 2021 to 17 per cent last month, effectively erasing the gains from an expanded Child Tax Credit programme introduced by President Joe Biden, according to a report from the Center on Poverty and Social Policy at Columbia University.
Alex Woodward reports.
Child poverty surges after Biden’s child tax credit expired
Number of US children in poverty spiked from roughly 8.9 million in December to 12.6 million in January
Breaking - Trump took classified materials to Mar-a-Lago when he left office
The 15 boxes of White House records that were stored at former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence contained items marked as classified national security information, the National Archives and Records Administration said on Friday. The agency said the matter has been referred to the Justice Department.
In a response to a 9 February letter to the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, the National Archives confirmed reports that Trump took government records with him down to Florida after he left office in January 2021.
House lawmakers had opened an investigation and the National Archives has reportedly asked the Justice Department to look into the matter. The Justice Department and the FBI have not yet said what, if anything, they’ll do.
Trump records retrieved from Mar-A-Lago contained classified information
The Archivist of the United States confirmed in a letter to Congress on Friday that records retrieved from Trump’s club Mar-a-Lago contained classified information.
Trump’s political future – and even his freedom – may be threatened by documents found at Mar-a-Lago
Former president may have broken the law by taking 15 boxes of documents to Florida with him – and his own explanation could prove especially damning, writes Andrew Feinberg.
Trump’s freedom could be at risk over documents found at Mar-a-Lago
The presence of ‘classified national security information’ in boxes of documents taken from the former president’s Florida home could put him in serious legal jeopardy, writes Andrew Feinberg
Biden to address nation on Russia Ukraine tensions soon
US President Joe Biden will deliver an update on efforts to deter a further invasion of Ukraine at 4pm eastern time on Friday, the White House has said.
According to an updated version of his daily schedule released by the White House press office, the president is set to speak on “continued efforts to pursue deterrence and diplomacy and Russia’s buildup of military troops on the border of Ukraine”.
Biden to address nation on Russia Ukraine tensions today
US president will speak on ‘continued efforts to pursue deterrence and diplomacy and Russia’s buildup of military troops on the border of Ukraine’
Judge throws out Trump attempt to toss Jan 6 conspiracy lawsuits
A federal judge has rejected an attempt by former president Donald Trump to dismiss civil lawsuits against him brought by multiple parties regarding the January 6 2021 Capitol riot.
“To deny a President immunity from civil damages is no small step. The court well understands the gravity of its decision,” writes Judge Amit Mehta in his decision.
“But the alleged facts of this case are without precedent, and the court believes that its decision is consistent with the purposes behind such immunity,” adds the judge.
The conspiracy lawsuits were filed by lawmakers and two Capitol police officers. Judge Mehta said Mr Trump’s words “plausibly” may have led to the insurrection.
More follows...
Almost all Biden NSA officials in Europe today
Almost the whole of the Biden Administration’s national security team were in Europe today as the Ukraine crisis continues to loom over international affairs.
Judge rejects Trump bid to quash Capitol riot conspiracy lawsuits
Donald Trump does not have absolute immunity from multiple civil lawsuits seeking to hold him accountable for the attacks on the US Capitol, according to a federal judge’s ruling on 18 February.
In his 112-page opinion, US District Judge Amit Mehta said that the president’s rally speech on 6 January, 2021 that preceded the assault “can reasonably be viewed as a collective action.”
His opinion determined that arguments in several lawsuits are “plausible” in their allegations that the former president’s “words at the rally sparked what followed”.
Alex Woodward has more details.
Judge rejects Trump’s effort to quash conspiracy lawsuits
Donald Trump does not have absolute immunity from multiple civil lawsuits seeking to hold him accountable for the attacks on the US Capitol, according to a federal judge’s ruling on 18 February.
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