Michael S. Schmidt
@nytmike

reporter @nytimes book: “Donald Trump v the United States” amazon.com/Donald-Trump-Unit…

 Washington D.C.
Joined November 2008
NEW: Trump just sued The New York Times for $15 billion over stories written by me, @peterbakernyt @russbuettner @susannecraig. The suit has no merit. It's just "an attempt to stifle and discourage independent reporting. The New York Times will not be deterred by intimidation tactics. We will continue to pursue the facts without fear or favor and stand up for journalists’ First Amendment right to ask questions on behalf of the American people." nytimes.com/2025/09/16/busin…

Trump Sues The New York Times for Articles Questioning His Success

The lawsuit, filed by the president in federal court in Florida, claims The Times defamed him and sought to undermine his campaign in the 2024 election.

nytimes.com
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Text from my mom: "WTF who wrote that Op-Ed? You can tell me."
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NEW: For the first time, the story of the 17 year old girl who testified that she had sex with Matt Gaetz for money. She was living in and out of a homeless shelter. She was working at McDonald's. She had just finished her junior year in high school. And she wanted extra money to try to save up to pay for braces to fix her teeth. nytimes.com/2025/11/13/us/po…

In Matt Gaetz Scandal, Circumstances Left Teen Vulnerable to Exploitation

A 17-year-old with a homeless parent wanted money for braces and ended up having sex for money with powerful men. She wants the public to have a fuller understanding of how she was victimized.

nytimes.com
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BREAKING: In response to Barr's memo, the top DOJ official overseeing voter fraud investigations quit. w/@ktbenner nytimes.com/2020/11/09/us/po…

Barr Hands Prosecutors the Authority to Investigate Voter Fraud Claims (Published 2020)

The attorney general said that he had authorized “instances” of investigative steps but that inquiries should not be based on specious claims.

nytimes.com
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EXCLUSIVE: The White House chief of staff at the time, John Kelly, wrote a contemporaneous internal memo about how he had been “ordered” by the president to give Jared Kushner the top-secret clearance. w/@maggieNYT @adamgoldmanNYT @anniekarni nytimes.com/2019/02/28/us/po…

Trump Ordered Officials to Give Jared Kushner a Security Clearance (Published 2019)

The president overruled concerns from intelligence officials and the top White House lawyer about giving his son-in-law access to sensitive information.

nytimes.com
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"The writer of the story, Maggie Haberman, a Hillary flunky, knows nothing about me and is not given access."
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Trump wanted to fulfill campaign promise to "Lock Her Up." Tried 3xs to pressure Sessions into prosecuting Clinton. Episodes are unique because they show Trump going on offensive to target a rival. No president since Nixon is known to have attempted this. nytimes.com/2019/04/24/us/po…

Mueller Report Reveals Trump’s Fixation on Targeting Hillary Clinton (Published 2019)

The president repeatedly sought to have Attorney General Jeff Sessions reopen the investigation into Mrs. Clinton’s use of a private email server.

nytimes.com
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"who I don’t speak to and have nothing to do with.."
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EXCLUSIVE: White House lawyers warned the president in a memo that he could be impeached if he tried to get the Justice Department to investigate his rivals. w/@maggieNYT nytimes.com/2018/11/20/us/po…

Trump Wanted to Order Justice Dept. to Prosecute Comey and Clinton (Published 2018)

The encounter was one of the most blatant examples yet of how President Trump views the typically independent Justice Department as a tool to be wielded against his political enemies.

nytimes.com
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EXCLUSIVE: Bolton book contains new, earlier, allegation of Trump's involvement in pressure campaign. Trump asked Bolton to call Zelensky to ensure he would meet w/Giuliani. Cipollone and Mulvaney were in room. w/@maggieNYT nytimes.com/2020/01/31/us/po…

Trump Told Bolton to Help His Ukraine Pressure Campaign, Book Says (Published 2020)

The president asked his national security adviser last spring in front of other senior advisers to pave the way for a meeting between Rudolph Giuliani and Ukraine’s new leader.

nytimes.com
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Buried in our story: Trump said to Comey that he should consider putting reporters in prison nytimes.com/2017/05/16/us/po…

Comey Memo Says Trump Asked Him to End Flynn Investigation (Published 2017)

“I hope you can let this go,” the president told the F.B.I. director in an Oval Office meeting in February, according to a memo James B. Comey wrote.

nytimes.com
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EXCLUSIVE: For the past 105 years, the team was called the Indians. That will be no more as Cleveland has decided to change its name. Announcement from team could come as early as this week. w/@DavidWaldstein nytimes.com/2020/12/13/sport…

Cleveland’s Baseball Team Will Drop Its Indians Team Name (Published 2020)

The decision comes amid a wider push for sports teams to stop using Native American names and imagery as team names and mascots.

nytimes.com
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EXCLUSIVE: Bolton's book draft says Trump told him in August that he wanted to continue freezing aid to Ukraine until they helped with investigations into rivals. w/@maggieNYT nytimes.com/2020/01/26/us/po…

Trump Tied Ukraine Aid to Inquiries He Sought, Bolton Book Says (Published 2020)

Drafts of the book outline the potential testimony of the former national security adviser if he were called as a witness in the president’s impeachment trial.

nytimes.com
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Book says nothing about mini-strokes.
Donald J. Trump
@realDonaldTrump
1 Sep 2020
It never ends! Now they are trying to say that your favorite President, me, went to Walter Reed Medical Center, having suffered a series of mini-strokes. Never happened to THIS candidate - FAKE NEWS. Perhaps they are referring to another candidate from another Party!
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Post reports lawyer Cleta Mitchell was on call and is part of Trump's efforts to overturn the election. Nearly all lawyers who come from high end firms have refused to be involved. Unlike Giuliani, Powell, others, Mitchell is a partner at upper tier law firm @FoleyandLardner.
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NEW: Giuliani wants to be paid $20,000 a day for his representation of Trump to overturn the election results, raising concerns among Trump allies that Giuliani is encouraging Trump on spurious legal fights so he can make money off of them. w/@maggieNYT nytimes.com/2020/11/17/us/po…

Giuliani Is Said to Seek $20,000 a Day Payment for Trump Legal Work (Published 2020)

Last week, the president put the former New York mayor in charge of the court challenges to his loss in the election. Since then they have suffered nothing but setbacks.

nytimes.com
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NEWS: Trump told Comey to stand down on Flynn investigation, 1st evidence Trump tried to influence Russia inquiry nytimes.com/2017/05/16/us/po…

Comey Memo Says Trump Asked Him to End Flynn Investigation (Published 2017)

“I hope you can let this go,” the president told the F.B.I. director in an Oval Office meeting in February, according to a memo James B. Comey wrote.

nytimes.com
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EXCLUSIVE: From my new book .. DOJ in '17 secretly curtailed FBI counterintel investigation of Trump financial/personal ties to Russia. DOJ concealed this from FBI at time, leaving FBI w/ impression Mueller would do it. But Mueller ultimately didn't. nytimes.com/2020/08/30/us/po…

Justice Dept. Never Fully Examined Trump’s Ties to Russia, Ex-Officials Say (Published 2020)

The former deputy attorney general maneuvered to keep investigators from completing an inquiry into whether the president’s personal and financial links to Russia posed a national security threat.

nytimes.com
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EXCLUSIVE: Trump’s actions so alarmed FBI after Comey firing that it began investigating if he was working for Russia @adamgoldmanNYT @npfandos nytimes.com/2019/01/11/us/po…

F.B.I. Opened Inquiry Into Whether Trump Was Secretly Working on Behalf of Russia (Published 2019)

The investigation, whose fate is unclear, led counterintelligence investigators to consider an explosive question: whether the president’s actions constituted a possible threat to national security.

nytimes.com
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Working on this made me realize how little impact Mueller, his team and the report had on Trump. Day after Mueller testified, Trump picked up the phone and asked foreign leader to investigate his rival, essentially continuing same type of behavior that’s laid out in the report.
Michael Barbaro
@mikiebarb
23 Sep 2019
On today's Daily: Trump's stunning phone call to the president of Ukraine, in which he seemed to seek an investigation into his Democratic rival, Joe Biden. @nytmike on whether Ukraine will be the Russia of 2020: nytimes.com/2019/09/23/podca…
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NEW: As recently as last year, Biden told aides Trump was threat to democracy and should be prosecuted. Biden never expressed frustrations directly to Garland but Biden has privately said AG needs to act more like prosecutor and less like ponderous judge nytimes.com/2022/04/02/us/po…

Garland Faces Growing Pressure as Jan. 6 Investigation Widens (Published 2022)

The inquiry is a test for President Biden and Attorney General Merrick B. Garland, who both came into office promising to restore the Justice Department’s independence.

nytimes.com
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EXCLUSIVE: Matt Gaetz, Trump's close ally, is being investigated by DOJ over whether he had a sexual relationship w/17-year-old girl and paid for her to travel with him. Investigation was opened in the final months of Trump admin under Barr. w/@ktbenner nytimes.com/2021/03/30/us/po…

Matt Gaetz Is Said to Face Justice Dept. Inquiry Over Sex With an Underage Girl (Published 2021)

An inquiry into the Florida congressman was opened in the final months of the Trump administration, people briefed on it said.

nytimes.com
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EXCLUSIVE: Trump has suggested to aides he wants to pardon himself in the final days of his presidency, a move that would mark one of the most extraordinary and untested uses of presidential power in American history. w/@maggieNYT nytimes.com/2021/01/07/us/po…

Trump Is Said to Have Discussed Pardoning Himself (Published 2021)

The discussions occurred in recent weeks, and it was not clear whether he has brought it up since he incited supporters to march on the Capitol, where some stormed the site.

nytimes.com
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NEW: The video showed the president as a mass shooter executing members of the media and his political opponents in a church. It was played at a pro Trump conference at the Trump resort in Miami last week. w/@maggieNYT nytimes.com/2019/10/13/us/po…

Macabre Video of Fake Trump Shooting Media and Critics Is Shown at His Resort (Published 2019)

The video was shown at a conference attended by Donald Trump Jr. and Sarah Huckabee Sanders. They said they did not see it.

nytimes.com
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1st thought: Barr cleared Trump on obstruction despite the fact that the president -- whose intent was central question of the investigation -- never had to answer one question under oath about why he took the actions he had related to the investigation.
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In one of his 1st moves in office, Va.'s new Republican AG reached down into the state's university system and fired the top lawyer at UVA -- a lawyer who went on leave from the school last year to be the top investigator on the Jan. 6 committee nytimes.com/2022/01/23/us/po…

Top Jan. 6 Investigator Fired From Post at the University of Virginia (Published 2022)

Democrats in Virginia denounced the action as a partisan move aimed at helping former President Donald J. Trump undercut the investigation of the Capitol riot.

nytimes.com
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NEW: In a major escalation in the fight between Trump and Perkins Coie, the firm has retained Williams & Connolly -- which has some of the most aggressive and fiercest litigators in the country -- to represent it. There were deep concerns in the legal community that no one was going to be willing to come forward to represent Perkins Coie against Trump. w/@kenvogel nytimes.com/2025/03/10/us/po…

Firm Targeted by Trump Over Clinton Campaign Work Hires Top Litigators (Published 2025)

President Trump stripped Perkins Coie of access to federal buildings and personnel, citing its work for Hillary Clinton’s 2016 campaign. The firm hired Williams & Connolly, which is skilled in...

nytimes.com
543
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Barr and his DOJ are rebuked by federal judge for misleading courts, Congress and public on Mueller report and how Barr made decision not to charge Trump with obstruction. nytimes.com/2021/05/04/us/po…

Judge Says Barr Misled on How His Justice Dept. Viewed Trump’s Actions (Published 2021)

Judge Amy Berman Jackson said in a ruling that the misleading statements were similar to others that William P. Barr, the former attorney general, had made about the Mueller investigation.

nytimes.com
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NEW: Two weeks before Trump released the Ukraine aid, White House lawyers briefed him on whistle-blower’s complaint — a key detail about what Trump knew when he made a critical decision at the heart of impeachment investigation. @maggieNYT @julianbarnes nytimes.com/2019/11/26/us/po…

Trump Knew of Whistle-Blower Complaint When He Released Aid to Ukraine (Published 2019)

White House lawyers briefed President Trump in late August about the complaint, people familiar with the matter said.

nytimes.com
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One of the main reasons for a special counsel is to remove political influence from an investigation. In this case, the special counsel refused to come to a determination on obstruction and then the two top DOJ political appointees made the call.
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NEW: Trump officials acknowledge that the letter the administration sent to Harvard -- that set off a tectonic battle between one of the most prestigious universities in the country and a U.S. president -- was sent by mistake. The letter has had massive consequences. The White House is standing by it. Here's how that all went down. w/@MichaelCBender nytimes.com/2025/04/18/busin…

Trump Officials Blame Mistake for Setting Off Confrontation With Harvard (Published 2025)

An official on the administration’s antisemitism task force told the university that a letter of demands had been sent without authorization.

nytimes.com
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SCOOP: Mueller investigating $150,000 donation Ukrainian steel titan made to Trump's foundation in 2015 for 20 min video talk Trump gave to conference in Kiev. Michael Cohen arranged the payment. Trump was running for R nom at the time. w/@maggieNYT nytimes.com/2018/04/09/us/po…

Mueller Investigating Ukrainian’s $150,000 Payment for a Trump Appearance (Published 2018)

The payment was made as a donation to the Trump Foundation in exchange for a 20-minute talk Mr. Trump gave in the early months of his campaign.

nytimes.com
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NEW: Ten months into Trump's 2nd term we can make two conclusions. 1. The containers/guardrails in his 1st term were indeed containing him as much as we thought. 2. The warnings those containers -- like John Kelly -- made before the election about what Trump would do if he didn't have guardrails have proved to be true. nytimes.com/2025/10/15/us/po…

When the Trump Guardrails Fall

The president’s second term is telling us a lot about the constraints that he faced during his first administration.

nytimes.com
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Fact check: The White House pressured Sessions to make Whitaker his chief of staff.
Donald J. Trump
@realDonaldTrump
10 Nov 2018
Matthew G. Whitaker is a highly respected former U.S. Attorney from Iowa. He was chosen by Jeff Sessions to be his Chief of Staff. I did not know Mr. Whitaker. Likewise, as Chief, I did not know Mr. Whitaker except primarily as he traveled with A.G. Sessions. No social contact...
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EXCLUSIVE: Trump allies -- like a former campaign staffer and even his former personal lawyer, John Dowd -- have sold their access to Trump, taking $$$ from wealthy felons to lobby Trump and White House aides, like Jared Kushner, for pardons. w/@kenvogel nytimes.com/2021/01/17/us/po…

Prospect of Pardons in Final Days Fuels Market to Buy Access to Trump (Published 2021)

The president’s allies have collected tens of thousands of dollars — and potentially much more — from people seeking pardons.

nytimes.com
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NEW: The horrific and terrifying story of how police tried to "HOLD THE LINE" on the Capitol steps as they did hand to hand combat w/Trump supporters. It's based on new police radio traffic synchronized w/footage from the scene. w/@robinnyc7 @heytherehaIey nytimes.com/video/us/1000000…

Video: ‘We’ve Lost the Line!’: Radio Traffic Reveals Police Under Siege at Capitol

The Times obtained District of Columbia police radio communications and synchronized them with footage from the scene to show in real time how officers tried and failed to stop the attack on the U.S....

nytimes.com
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EXCLUSIVE: Mueller's Investigation reveals details of how Trump had WH counsel lobby Sessions not to recuse; how a WH lawyer tried to mislead the president about whether he could fire Comey; Preibus notes corroborate some of Comey's claims. nytimes.com/2018/01/04/us/po…

Obstruction Inquiry Shows Trump’s Struggle to Keep Grip on Russia Investigation (Published 2018)

The special counsel’s investigation has uncovered several episodes involving the president that raise questions about whether he obstructed justice.

nytimes.com
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EXCLUSIVE: This is the clearest indication to date that Flynn is cooperating with Mueller. w/@mattapuzzo @maggieNYT nytimes.com/2017/11/23/us/po…

A Split From Trump Indicates That Flynn Is Moving to Cooperate With Mueller (Published 2017)

Lawyers for Michael T. Flynn, President Trump’s former national security adviser, are said to have terminated an information-sharing agreement with the president’s legal team.

nytimes.com
470
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SCOOP: Sessions is key witness in obstruction investigation of Trump. Trump asked Sessions last year to reverse decision to recuse himself from Russia investigation. w/@juliehdavis nytimes.com/2018/05/29/us/po…

Trump Asked Sessions to Retain Control of Russia Inquiry After His Recusal (Published 2018)

The attorney general is a key witness in the investigation into whether Mr. Trump tried to obstruct the Russia inquiry itself.

nytimes.com
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SCOOP: FBI has secret recording Michael Cohen made of conversation he had with Trump two months before the election in which they discussed payments to Playboy model Karen McDougal. w/@maggieNYT @mattapuzzo nytimes.com/2018/07/20/us/po…

Michael Cohen Secretly Taped Trump Discussing Payment to Playboy Model (Published 2018)

The F.B.I. seized the recording in a raid. Its existence recording highlights the potential legal and political danger that Mr. Cohen represents to the president.

nytimes.com
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EXCLUSIVE: Trump told McGahn to fire Mueller in June. McGahn threatened to resign and Trump backed down. w/@maggieNYT nytimes.com/2018/01/25/us/po…

Trump Ordered Mueller Fired, but Backed Off When White House Counsel Threatened to Quit (Published...

The president ordered the firing last June as he first learned that the special counsel might be investigating whether he had obstructed justice.

nytimes.com
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NEW: Trump has discussed firing the inspector general for the intelligence community, Michael Atkinson. The president believes Atkinson was disloyal when he deemed the whistleblower's complaint credible and reported it to Congress. #déjàvu? w/@maggieNYT nytimes.com/2019/11/12/us/po…

Trump Has Considered Firing Intelligence Community Inspector General (Published 2019)

The president blames Michael Atkinson, whom he appointed, for finding the anonymous whistle-blower’s complaint on his interactions with Ukraine to be credible.

nytimes.com
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EXCLUSIVE: Bolton privately told Barr last year that he had concerns Trump was effectively granting personal favors to the autocrats of Turkey and China. Barr said he was concerned Trump created appearance he had undue influence on inquiries w/@maggieNYT nytimes.com/2020/01/27/us/po…

Bolton Was Concerned That Trump Did Favors for Autocratic Leaders, Book Says (Published 2020)

The former national security adviser shared his unease with the attorney general, who cited his own worries about the president’s conversations with the leaders of Turkey and China.

nytimes.com
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SCOOP: Mueller has subpoenaed Steve Bannon to testify before a grand jury as part of the ongoing Russia investigation. First person in Trump's inner circle known to have received a grand jury subpoena. nytimes.com/2018/01/16/us/po…

Bannon Is Subpoenaed in Mueller’s Russia Investigation (Published 2018)

The move marks the first time the special counsel is known to have used a grand jury subpoena to seek information from a member of President Trump’s inner circle.

nytimes.com
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NEW: “We need to take away children,” AG Sessions told prosecutors, according to a draft DOJ IG report. That statement contradicts Sessions’ previous claim that “we never really intended” to separate children. w/@shearm @ktbenner nytimes.com/2020/10/06/us/po…

‘We Need to Take Away Children,’ No Matter How Young, Justice Dept. Officials Said (Published 2020)

Top department officials were “a driving force” behind President Trump’s child separation policy, a draft investigation report said.

nytimes.com
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NEW: The National Archives and Records Administration discovered what it believed was classified information in documents Donald J. Trump had taken with him from the White House as he left office. w/@reidepstein nytimes.com/2022/02/09/us/po…

Archives Found Possible Classified Material in Boxes Returned by Trump (Published 2022)

The National Archives consulted with the Justice Department about the discovery after the former president sent back documents that he had improperly taken from the White House when he left office.

nytimes.com
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NEW: In 2019 Japan gifted Sec State Mike Pompeo a $5,800 bottle of whiskey. Now, State says it has no idea where it went and is investigating its whereabouts. It's against law to take gift from foreigner over $390. Pompeo says he knows nothing about bottle nytimes.com/2021/08/04/us/po…

$5,800 Whiskey Bottle, a Gift From Japan to Pompeo, Is Missing, U.S. Says (Published 2021)

The State Department is investigating what happened to it.

nytimes.com
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NEW: IRS says for ‘17 it randomly picked 5,000 taxpayers out of 153 million who filed for a highly invasive audit IRS says for ‘19 it randomly picked 8,000 out of 154 mil for same audit Among those picked: former FBI dir Jim Comey and his dep. Andy McCabe nytimes.com/2022/07/06/us/po…

Comey and McCabe, Who Infuriated Trump, Both Faced Intensive I.R.S. Audits (Published 2022)

The former F.B.I. director and his deputy, both of whom former President Donald J. Trump wanted prosecuted, were selected for a rare audit program that the tax agency says is random.

nytimes.com
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NEW: A second intelligence official with more direct information about President Trump and Ukraine is said be considering whether to file a whistle-blower complaint. w/ @adamgoldmanNYT nytimes.com/2019/10/04/us/po…

2nd Official Is Weighing Whether to Blow the Whistle on Trump’s Ukraine Dealings (Published 2019)

The official, a member of the intelligence community, was interviewed by the inspector general to corroborate the original whistle-blower’s account.

nytimes.com
712
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NEW: Emails we've obtained show how Bannon considered Stone a conduit to Wikileaks .. how closely Breitbart was tied to the campaign .. and how Stone asked Bannon to have Rebecca Mercer send money for his efforts to undermine Clinton. nytimes.com/2018/11/01/us/po…

Read the Emails: The Trump Campaign and Roger Stone (Published 2018)

Newly revealed messages show how the political operative Roger J. Stone Jr. sold himself to Trump campaign advisers as a potential conduit to WikiLeaks, which published thousands of emails in 2016...

nytimes.com
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NEW: FBI executed search warrants at locations tied to people who worked w/Project Veritas as part of SDNY investigation into how a diary stolen from Biden's daughter Ashley was publicly disclosed days before ’20 election. She was burglarized in ‘20. nytimes.com/2021/11/05/us/po…

People Tied to Project Veritas Scrutinized in Theft of Diary From Biden’s Daughter (Published 2021)

The F.B.I. carried out search warrants in New York as part of a Justice Department investigation into how pages from Ashley Biden’s journal came to be published by a right wing website.

nytimes.com
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NEW: Some of Mueller’s investigators see their report as more damaging for President Trump than attorney general Barr initially made it out to be. @npfandos @MarkMazzettiNYT nytimes.com/2019/04/03/us/po…

Some on Mueller’s Team Say Report Was More Damaging Than Barr Revealed (Published 2019)

Members of the special counsel’s team have told associates that their findings are more troubling for President Trump than the attorney general indicated.

nytimes.com
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Updated version of story w/@maggieNYT confirms CNN reporting on how Trump repeatedly pressed DOJ officials — including acting AG Whitaker when he was Sessions chief of staff —on status of Clinton investigations.
Michael S. Schmidt
@nytmike
20 Nov 2018
EXCLUSIVE: White House lawyers warned the president in a memo that he could be impeached if he tried to get the Justice Department to investigate his rivals. w/@maggieNYT nytimes.com/2018/11/20/us/po…
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Dad sees Mom’s text. Calls me, says of Op-Ed: “Didn’t we already know all of this?”
Michael S. Schmidt
@nytmike
5 Sep 2018
Text from my mom: "WTF who wrote that Op-Ed? You can tell me."
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The minuscule chances of the two highest-ranking F.B.I. officials — who made some of the most politically consequential law enforcement decisions in a generation — being randomly subjected to a detailed scrub of their taxes presents extraordinary questions nytimes.com/2022/07/06/us/po…

Comey and McCabe, Who Infuriated Trump, Both Faced Intensive I.R.S. Audits (Published 2022)

The former F.B.I. director and his deputy, both of whom former President Donald J. Trump wanted prosecuted, were selected for a rare audit program that the tax agency says is random.

nytimes.com
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Mueller's team has a great cooperator in the White House: Trump's top lawyer, Don McGahn. Trump and McGahn have a complicated, mutually beneficial but ultimately terrible relationship -- so bad McGahn calls Trump "King Kong" behind his back. w/@maggieNYT nytimes.com/2018/08/18/us/po…

White House Counsel, Don McGahn, Has Cooperated Extensively in Mueller Inquiry (Published 2018)

The White House counsel, Donald F. McGahn II, was a witness to key episodes being scrutinized in the case. His cooperation with investigators is unusual.

nytimes.com
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Comey learned of firing as he addressed FBI employees in LA. TV screens in background flashed news of firing. Letter was then given to FBI.
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Nunes, who spent much of Monday's Comey hearing criticizing leaks, just came out and discussed wiretaps, which are .. you know, classified.
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Number of times these words were mentioned at the debate last night: Mueller 0 Special Counsel 0 Impeach/Impeachment 0 Obstruction of Justice 0
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For context on the issue of investigating rivals: we have reported that in April 2018 White House counsel Don McGahn wrote a memo to Trump warning him that if he asked law enforcement to investigate his rivals, he could face a range of consequences, including impeachment.
Maggie Haberman
@maggieNYT
25 Sep 2019
The president asked Ukraine to “do us a favor” and look into claims it was really Ukraine that did the 2016 email hacks, as Giuliani has claimed, and then asked them to get with Barr to probe the Bidens. nytimes.com/2019/09/25/us/po…
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NEW: A dark joke has begun circulating among lawyers following the many legal travails of former President Donald J. Trump: MAGA actually stands for “making attorneys get attorneys.” w/@lukebroadwater nytimes.com/2022/09/10/us/tr…

For Trump’s Lawyers, Legal Exposure Comes With the Job (Published 2022)

The many lawyers who have helped the former president avoid removal from office and indictment have drawn legal problems of their own.

nytimes.com
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Trump asked Comey 2xs in Jan. dinner at White House to pledge loyalty. Comey refused. Here's how meal went down. nytimes.com/2017/05/11/us/po…

In a Private Dinner, Trump Demanded Loyalty. Comey Demurred. (Published 2017)

James B. Comey’s associates say he now believes his unwillingness to pledge personal loyalty led President Trump to fire him as the F.B.I. director.

nytimes.com
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NEW: Pompeo knew about Sondland and Volker's efforts to get the Ukrainians to put out a statement that they hoped would appease Trump. Pompeo also OKed a plan to have Zelensky make commitment to Trump in person to unlock logjam between the two countries. nytimes.com/2019/11/20/us/po…

Sondland Kept Pompeo Informed on Ukraine Pressure Campaign (Published 2019)

The diplomat at the center of the impeachment inquiry looped in the secretary of state at key moments as American officials pushed for investigations sought by President Trump.

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WH and DOJ had been working on firing Comey since at least last week. Sessions had been working to come up with reasons.
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Cleta Mitchell has resigned from @FoleyandLardner. The firm said in a statement: "Cleta Mitchell has informed firm management of her decision to resign from Foley & Lardner effective immediately."
Michael S. Schmidt
@nytmike
5 Jan 2021
w/⁦@kenvogel⁩ nytimes.com/2021/01/04/us/po…
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NEW: Joel Greenberg, a onetime county tax collector, has been cooperating with federal investigators since last year and has disclosed that he and Matt Gaetz had encounters with women who were given cash or gifts in exchange for sex. w/@ktbenner nytimes.com/2021/04/13/us/po…

Indicted Gaetz Associate Is Said to Be Cooperating With Justice Dept. (Published 2021)

Joel Greenberg, a former elected official in Florida, has been talking to federal investigators since last year about the conduct of Representative Matt Gaetz and others.

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EXCLUSIVE: Mueller has learned about Trump's attempts to speak with two key witnesses. This shows how the president is disregarding his lawyers' advice to not do anything that could appear to be obstructing the Russia investigation. nytimes.com/2018/03/07/us/po… … w/@maggieNYT

Trump Asked Key Witnesses About Matters They Discussed With Special Counsel (Published 2018)

Experts say the conversations most likely do not constitute witness tampering, but they show how the president has ignored advice to avoid the appearance of interfering.

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Today I interviewed @realDonaldTrump for a half hour at his golf club in West Palm Beach, Fla. Here’s what he said: Trump Says Russia Inquiry Makes U.S. ‘Look Very Bad’nytimes.com/2017/12/28/us/po…

Trump Says Russia Inquiry Makes U.S. ‘Look Very Bad’ (Published 2017)

The president said in an interview on Thursday that the special counsel will treat him fairly, contradicting a campaign by some Republicans to discredit the investigation.

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On impeachment eve one of Washington's leading conservative constitutional lawyers -- who reps McCarthy/House Rs and who has advised Ted Cruz -- breaks with his allies/clients, saying Republican argument former impeached presidents can't be tried is bunk. nytimes.com/2021/02/07/us/po…

Breaking With G.O.P., Top Conservative Lawyer Says Trump Can Stand Trial (Published 2021)

Charles J. Cooper, a stalwart of the conservative legal establishment, said that Republicans were wrong to assert that it is unconstitutional for a former president to be tried for impeachable...

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NEW: Trump raised with acting AG Whitaker the idea of getting the U.S. attorney in New York to "unrecuse" himself from Cohen investigations. nytimes.com/2019/02/19/us/po… w/@MarkMazzettiNYT @maggieNYT @npfandos

Intimidation, Pressure and Humiliation: Inside Trump’s Two-Year War on the Investigations Encircl...

President Trump’s efforts have exposed him to accusations of obstruction of justice as Robert S. Mueller III, the special counsel, finishes his work.

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EXCLUSIVE: We have obtained a list of four dozen questions Mueller wants to ask Trump. Among them: What does Trump know about pardon offers to Flynn? What discussions did Trump have in June 2017 about firing Mueller? nytimes.com/2018/04/30/us/po…

Mueller Has Dozens of Inquiries for Trump in Broad Quest on Russia Ties and Obstruction (Published...

The questions provide the most detailed look yet at the special counsel investigation and show an effort to learn about the president’s thinking.

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NEW: Ashley Biden's diary was passed around at a Trump fundraiser in early Sept. '20 at the home of a Trump donor who ultimately helped steer it to Project Veritas. The donor was nominated by Trump to an executive branch post in Dec. '20. w/@adamgoldmanNYT nytimes.com/2022/03/20/us/po…

Ashley Biden’s Diary Was Shown at Trump Fund-Raiser. Weeks Later, Project Veritas Called Her....

The right-wing group’s deceptive call to the president’s daughter a month before Election Day is among the new details that show how the organization worked to expose personal information about the...

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NEW: DOJ secretly subpoenaed Apple for personal info of Trump's then WH counsel Don McGahn and his wife in Feb '18. DOJ barred Apple from telling them at time but 3 years later in May '21 Apple told them. It's unclear what investigation it was related to. nytimes.com/2021/06/13/us/po…

Apple Is Said to Have Turned Over Data on Trump’s White House Counsel in 2018 (Published 2021)

The company notified Donald F. McGahn II last month that it had been subpoenaed for his account information three years ago.

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NEW: Early this morning, Trump admin advised Gordon Sondland, top diplomat enmeshed in Ukraine scandal, NOT to testify at his scheduled House deposition today. Move will likely fuel Dems calls to also impeach on obstruction. w/@npfandos nytimes.com/2019/10/08/us/po…

White House Declares War on Impeachment Inquiry, Claiming Effort to Undo Trump’s Election (Publis...

President Trump’s lawyer denounced the House investigation as an illegitimate exercise, and declared that the executive branch would not participate.

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Got this message this morning from @coachVMarino the offensive coordinator for the Brown University football team. Gives us a sense of where things stand in our politics and how folks view the media.
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EXCLUSIVE: After Trump asked Comey to end investigation, Comey told Sessions: Don’t Leave Me Alone With Trump nytimes.com/2017/06/06/us/po…

Comey Told Sessions: Don’t Leave Me Alone With Trump (Published 2017)

The F.B.I. director did not tell the attorney general why a meeting the day before with President Trump, in which the president sought to end an investigation, had unnerved him.

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EXCLUSIVE: Manuscript of Bolton book says that he told AG Barr last year he was concerned that Trump was effectively granting personal favors to the autocratic leaders of Turkey and China. Barr expressed similar concerns. w/@maggieNYT nytimes.com/2020/01/27/us/po…

Bolton Was Concerned That Trump Did Favors for Autocratic Leaders, Book Says (Published 2020)

The former national security adviser shared his unease with the attorney general, who cited his own worries about the president’s conversations with the leaders of Turkey and China.

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At least twice in the past month, White House officials have sought to get former White House counsel, Don McGahn, to say he didn't believe Trump obstructed justice. So far, McGahn has refused to do so. nytimes.com/2019/05/10/us/po…

White House Asked McGahn to Declare Trump Never Obstructed Justice (Published 2019)

Two requests by presidential advisers show how far the White House has gone to try to push back on accusations that the president obstructed justice.

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SCOOP: FBI agents sought all records related to “Access Hollywood” tape when they raided office of Trump's lawyer Michael Cohen. Agents wanted evidence of whether Cohen suppressed damaging info on Trump during campaign. w/@maggieNYT and @mattapuzzo nytimes.com/2018/04/11/us/po…

Raid on Trump’s Lawyer Sought Records on ‘Access Hollywood’ Tape (Published 2018)

The warrant also sought evidence of whether the lawyer, Michael D. Cohen, tried to suppress damaging information on the president before the election.

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No joke: Comey (6'8) tried to blend in with CURTAINS in Blue Room at WH ceremony so Trump wouldn't notice him. nytimes.com/2017/05/18/us/po…

Comey, Unsettled by Trump, Is Said to Have Wanted Him Kept at a Distance (Published 2017)

The former F.B.I. director described being dismayed by the president’s attempts to build a personal relationship with him amid the Russia investigation.

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NEW: Trump expressed so much interest in using active duty troops in response to the protests after the killing of George Floyd that White House aides drafted a proclamation for him to sign to invoke the Insurrection Act. w/@maggieNYT nytimes.com/2021/06/25/us/po…

Trump Aides Prepared Insurrection Act Order During Debate Over Protests (Published 2021)

President Donald Trump never invoked the act, but fresh details underscore the intensity of his interest last June in using active-duty military to curb unrest.

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SCOOP: Attorney general Jeff Sessions was interviewed by Mueller's investigators last week as part of investigation into obstruction and Russian meddling. 1st member of cabinet known to have been interviewed by Mueller. nytimes.com/2018/01/23/us/po…

Sessions Is Questioned as Russia Inquiry Focuses on Obstruction (Published 2018)

The attorney general, as well as James B. Comey, the former F.B.I. director, were questioned in the inquiry into Russia’s election interference and whether President Trump obstructed justice.

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EXCLUSIVE: Trump aides and associates communicated with Russian Intel operatives in year before the election nytimes.com/2017/02/14/us/po…

Trump Campaign Aides Had Repeated Contacts With Russian Intelligence (Published 2017)

The contacts in the year before the election were revealed by intercepted communications, according to four current and former senior American officials.

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EXCLUSIVE: Rosenstein discussed invoking the 25th Amendment to oust Trump in the days after Comey was fired in May 2017. Rosenstein also discussed wearing a wire to secretly record his conversations with Trump. nytimes.com/2018/09/21/us/po… w/@adamgoldmanNYT

Rod Rosenstein Suggested Secretly Recording Trump and Discussed 25th Amendment (Published 2018)

In the turbulent days after the firing of James B. Comey, the deputy attorney general appeared conflicted about his role and wanted to expose administration dysfunction, people around him said.

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NEW: FBI interview of Mark Judge will include questions about BOTH Swetnick and Blasey allegations. nyti.ms/2Olmw7I

Details of F.B.I.’s Kavanaugh Inquiry Show Its Restricted Range (Published 2018)

The F.B.I. will interview four witnesses about accusations of sexual assault against President Trump’s Supreme Court nominee as part of a background check.

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From our story: “The event .. was set up by Doug Schoen, a veteran political consultant and pollster who works with Mr. Pinchuk .. Mr. Schoen, a frequent Fox News guest, has known Mr. Trump for years and contacted him personally to set it up at the end of August 2015”
Donald J. Trump
@realDonaldTrump
11 Apr 2018
The Failing New York Times wrote another phony story. It was political pundit Doug Schoen, not a Ukrainian businessman, who asked me to do a short speech by phone (Skype), hosted by Doug, in Ukraine. I was very positive about Ukraine-another negative to the Fake Russia C story!
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Yet another schmear campaign.
🌻 Emily Brandwin 🌻@CIAspygirl
9 Nov 2020
Lox Him Up!
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BREAKING: Matt Gaetz's confidant, Joel Greenberg, admits to many crimes in plea(+80 pgs). He doesn't name Gaetz. Greenberg says he and "other adult men" engaged in "commercial sex acts" w/minor. Greenberg says he witnessed the other men having sex w/minor. nytimes.com/2021/05/14/us/po…

Former Gaetz Confidant Agrees to Plead Guilty and Cooperate (Published 2021)

Joel Greenberg, a former local tax collector, admitted to sex trafficking a minor and agreed to help in prosecutions of others.

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NEW .. The squeeze is on: DOJ believes low level aide initially misled them about moving boxes and now is using specter of criminal charges to force aide to cooperate ..Kash Patel took 5 before grand jury - DOJ now trying to have judge compel his testimony nytimes.com/2022/10/24/us/po…

Prosecutors Pressure Trump Aides to Testify in Documents Case (Published 2022)

The Justice Department’s effort to win the witnesses’ cooperation shows how the investigation stemming from the classified materials found at Mar-a-Lago is entering a new phase.

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British and Dutch provided US w/ intel showing Trump associates met w/ Russian govt officials in European cities nytimes.com/2017/03/01/us/po…
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BREAKING .. The two individuals who stole Ashley Biden's diary and sold it to Project Veritas have plead guilty. One of them has agreed to cooperate with SDNY's ongoing investigation into Project Veritas. 1st cut w/@adamgoldmanNYT : nytimes.com/2022/08/25/us/po…

Florida Pair Pleads Guilty in Theft of Biden’s Daughter’s Diary (Published 2022)

Aimee Harris and Robert Kurlander admitted to participating in a conspiracy in which Ashley Biden’s diary ended up in the hands of the conservative group Project Veritas near the end of the 2020...

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NEW: Jan 6 committee leaders have passed important threshold, concluding they have enough evidence to send criminal referral to Garland/DOJ on Trump for at least 2 federal crimes. BUT … panel is now divided about whether sending referral is smart move. nytimes.com/2022/04/10/us/po…

Jan. 6 Panel Has Evidence for Criminal Referral of Trump, but Splits on Sending (Published 2022)

Despite concluding that it has enough evidence, the committee is concerned that making a referral to the Justice Department would backfire by politicizing the investigation into the Capitol riot.

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NEW and BREAKING: Federal prosecutors have obtained the confidential cooperation of a Mar-a-Lago employee and subpoenaed records pertaining to Trump’s dealings with Saudi backed LIV Golf nytimes.com/2023/05/04/us/po…

Justice Dept. Intensifying Efforts to Determine if Trump Hid Documents (Published 2023)

Prosecutors investigating the former president’s handling of classified material have issued a wave of new subpoenas and obtained the confidential cooperation of a witness who worked at Mar-a-Lago.

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NEW: When Jan 6 committee started its goal was to compile authoritative account of what occurred. But as investigators went through evidence they began considering whether the inquiry could yield something potentially more consequential: criminal referrals nytimes.com/2021/12/20/us/po…
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SCOOP: McCabe feared that Rosenstein helped provide Trump with cover story for Comey firing. Wrote his own memo about it and later gave it to Mueller. w/@adamgoldmanNYT @mattapuzzo nytimes.com/2018/05/30/us/po…

F.B.I. Official Wrote Secret Memo Fearing Trump Got a Cover Story for Comey Firing (Published 2018)

Andrew McCabe documented a meeting that left him concerned that the deputy attorney general may have helped President Trump create a cover story to justify the dismissal.

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NEW: Republican senators tried to stop Friday firing of EU ambassador Gordon Sondland. w/@peterbakernyt nytimes.com/2020/02/08/us/po…

Republican Senators Tried to Stop Trump From Firing Impeachment Witness (Published 2020)

A handful of senators reached out to the White House to warn the president not to dismiss Gordon D. Sondland, the ambassador to the European Union who testified in the House hearings. But Mr. Trump...

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NEW: In the final weeks of the Trump administration, Matt Gaetz, who is under federal investigation for sex trafficking a minor, sought blanket pardons from the Trump White House for himself and congressional allies. w/@maggieNYT @npfandos nytimes.com/2021/04/06/us/po…

Matt Gaetz, Loyal for Years to Trump, Is Said to Have Sought a Blanket Pardon (Published 2021)

The congressman was at the time under investigation over whether he violated sex trafficking laws, though it was unclear what he knew of the inquiry.

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BREAKING: Adam Schiff and House Intel Committee aides -- and the aides' family members, including a minor -- had their data from Apple subpoenaed by DOJ in 2017 and 2018. nytimes.com/2021/06/10/us/po…

Hunting Leaks, Trump Officials Focused on Democrats in Congress (Published 2021)

The Justice Department seized records from Apple for metadata of House Intelligence Committee members, their aides and family members.

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EXCLUSIVE: Mueller has letter Trump wanted to send Comey that WH counsel blocked Trump from sending. w/@maggieNYT nytimes.com/2017/09/01/us/po…

Mueller Has Early Draft of Trump Letter Giving Reasons for Firing Comey (Published 2017)

The special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, has a copy of a letter President Trump wanted to send to James B. Comey explaining the rationale for firing him. The White House counsel blocked the...

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NEW: The exchange of gifts between the Trump White House and foreign governments was a mess. Among many issues: Saudis gave Trump WH white tiger and cheetah furs that @USFWS Office of Law Enforcement has now discovered were fakes that had been dyed. nytimes.com/2021/10/11/us/po…

White Tiger and Cheetah Furs: A Mess of Trump Gift Exchanges (Published 2021)

Gift exchanges between U.S. and foreign leaders, a highly regulated process, devolved into sometimes risible shambles during the Trump administration.

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