INSIDER
Evidence presented to grand jury in Durham's Russia probe
Read full article: Evidence presented to grand jury in Durham's Russia probeJohn Durham, the federal prosecutor tapped to investigate the origins of the Russia investigation, has been presenting evidence before a grand jury as part of his probe.
NYT editor Bill Hamilton joining publisher Celadon Books
Read full article: NYT editor Bill Hamilton joining publisher Celadon BooksNew York Times editor Bill Hamilton appears in this April 18, 2012 photo. Hamilton is joining Celadon Books as executive editor. Bill Hamilton will begin his new job April 5 and will focus on acquiring books about politics and history. (Earl Wilson/The New York Times via AP)NEW YORK – The Washington editor for The New York Times is joining Celadon Books as executive editor. Bill Hamilton will begin his new job April 5 and focus on acquiring books about politics and history.
Lawyer: Soldier charged in Rockford shooting may have PTSD
Read full article: Lawyer: Soldier charged in Rockford shooting may have PTSDDuke Webb, 37, faces three counts of murder and three counts of first-degree attempted murder for injuring three others in the shooting at Don Carter Lanes, in Rockford, on Saturday evening. According to Army service information, Webb had four deployments to Afghanistan, the most recent once ending in July. His lawyer, Elizabeth Bucko, also told the hearing in a Winnebago County courtroom that Webb appeared to have issues with memory loss. Webb was taken into custody shortly after the shooting and without officers firing a shot, Rockford Police Chief Dan O’Shea said Sunday. At a news conference Monday afternoon, Winnebago County State’s Attorney J. Hanley said that Webb was in the Rockford area visiting family.
Trump: Justice Dept. had 'plenty of time' for Durham probe
Read full article: Trump: Justice Dept. had 'plenty of time' for Durham probeOn Friday, Trump told conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh that Justice Department investigators had “plenty of time to do it. After Limbaugh read Trump an Axios story on the topic, Trump said he'd be disappointed if Barr had relayed that message to lawmakers. Still, much of the uptick in tensions between Trump and Barr centers on the Justice Department's handling of the Durham probe. Even the outlines of the case involving FBI lawyer Kevin Clinesmith, who pleaded guilty in the Durham probe, were already known before he was charged. Trump aides had banked on the Durham probe being finished before 2020 election to lend credibility to Trump’s claims that his own investigative agencies were working against him.
Trump, Barr at odds over slow pace of Durham investigation
Read full article: Trump, Barr at odds over slow pace of Durham investigationWith time running out for pre-election action on the case, Trump is increasingly airing his dissatisfaction in tweets and television appearances. Still, much of the uptick in tensions between Trump and Barr centers on the Justice Department's handling of the Durham probe. A senior administration official said Trump feels like he’s given Barr wide latitude to advance the investigation, including declassifying documents related to Russia. Even the outlines of the case involving FBI lawyer Kevin Clinesmith, who pleaded guilty in the Durham probe, were already known before he was charged. Barr has privately expressed frustration over the president's public pronouncements on the Durham investigation.
AP Explains: Trump slams Russia probe; Dems cry foul
Read full article: AP Explains: Trump slams Russia probe; Dems cry foulRatcliffe, the director of national intelligence, has been working to declassify details about the Russia investigation, which culminated in the 2019 report by former special counsel Robert Mueller. (Gabriella Demczuk/The New York Times via AP, Pool)WASHINGTON – The Russia probe is back in the political spotlight. Moreover, intelligence professionals blasted John Ratcliffe, the director of national intelligence and a Trump loyalist, for going along with the declassification, saying it was a flagrant example of using intelligence for political purposes. Trump remains irritated by the Russia probe because he thinks it de-legitimizes his presidency. Trump detractors dismissed the intelligence as Russian disinformation, although Ratcliffe insisted it was not.
Prosecutor looking into the origins of Russia probe resigns
Read full article: Prosecutor looking into the origins of Russia probe resignsWASHINGTON – A federal prosecutor who was helping lead the investigation into the origins of the Trump-Russia probe has resigned from the Justice Department, a spokesman said. It leaves the investigative team without one of its veteran prosecutors as key decisions presumably await before the probe wraps up. In the year and a half since, he has questioned former law enforcement and intelligence officials — former CIA Director John Brennan among them — about decisions made during the course of the Russia probe. It's also not clear that Durham's work would be permitted to continue if Trump loses in November and Democratic leadership assumes control at the Justice Department. The court ruled that U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan did not have to dismiss the case just because the Justice Department wanted him to.
Senate panel authorizes subpoenas in new Russia probe
Read full article: Senate panel authorizes subpoenas in new Russia probeThe committee rarely moves forward on subpoenas without bipartisan support, and hasnt done so in more than a decade. Democrats have argued that the errors in the surveillance do not invalidate the Russia investigation, which ultimately found that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election but found insufficient evidence to establish a criminal conspiracy with Trumps campaign. The list also includes some current officials who dealt with the investigation, including Attorney General William Barr and FBI Director Christopher Wray. Grahams investigation is one of several diving into the Russia investigation, a subject that has followed Trump throughout his presidency. The Justice Department has its own internal probe separate from the inspector generals investigation, and the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee is also looking at the matter.
Raw feelings abound as Senate turns back to Russia probe
Read full article: Raw feelings abound as Senate turns back to Russia probeWASHINGTON WASHINGTON (AP) Two Republican-led Senate committees have launched election-year investigations into the Justice Departments Russia probe, resurrecting the issue at the urging of President Donald Trump while reigniting the partisan hostility that comes along with it. In a Senate office building next door, the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee approved its own slate of three dozen subpoenas related to the Russia probe over strong Democratic objections. Speaking on the committees investigation, Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, told Johnson that I continue to be concerned that this is politically motivated even as he voted to move ahead. The president has continued to rail against the Russia probe, which he calls a hoax. Among the names on that list is Trumps Democratic opponent, Joe Biden, who was vice president when the Russia probe began.
Inquiry into Russia probe carries political consequences
Read full article: Inquiry into Russia probe carries political consequencesBut that doesn't mean the investigation, led by U.S. Attorney John Durham of Connecticut, doesn't carry its own political consequences. He was named last year by Barr to investigate the origins of the Russia investigation. Durham's investigation is one of multiple inquiries the department has undertaken in connection with the FBI's probe into potential coordination between Russia and the 2016 Trump campaign. In the statement, released through the Justice Department, Durham said he disagreed with the inspector general about the investigation being properly predicated. Trump is likely to seize on any modicum of questionable activity during the FBIs counterintelligence probe, which morphed into special counsel Robert Muellers Russia investigation.
Sen. Graham plans vote to subpoena Russia probe officials
Read full article: Sen. Graham plans vote to subpoena Russia probe officialsThe list also includes some current officials who have dealt with the probe, including Attorney General William Barr and FBI Director Christopher Wray. The June vote would not be to subpoena the officials but to authorize Graham to do so. Aware that the top Democrat, California Sen. Dianne Feinstein, would oppose the move, Graham said he would hold a vote instead. The Russia investigation began within the FBI during the 2016 election and was taken over by special counsel Robert Mueller a year later. Among the names is Trumps Democratic opponent, Joe Biden, who was vice president when the Russia probe began.