The Federal Bureau of Investigation: Just the Facts – May 12, 2017: “The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has more than 36,000 employees and describes itself as an “intelligence-driven, threat-focused national security organization.”It is a part of the Department of Justice and the Director of the FBI reports to the U.S. Attorney General and the… Continue Reading
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Category Archives: Congress
Did Congress read the Mueller report?
Washington Post – More than a quarter of these key lawmakers won’t say. “Rep. Justin Amash broke ranks with fellow Republicans when he said special counsel Robert S. Mueller III’s report shows that President Trump took actions that “meet the threshold for impeachment,” arguing that the stark partisan divide over the findings was because “few… Continue Reading
Legislative Purpose and Adviser Immunity in Congressional Investigations
CRS – Legislative Purpose and Adviser Immunity in Congressional Investigations May 24, 2019: “The Trump Administration has recently questioned the legal validity of numerous investigative demands made by House committees. These objections have been based on various grounds, but two specific arguments will be addressed in this Sidebar. First, the President and other Administration officials… Continue Reading
PBS Frontline – Supreme Revenge
Season 37: Episode 14 – “Inside the no-holds-barred war for control of the Supreme Court. From Brett Kavanaugh to Robert Bork, an investigation of how a 30-year-old grievance transformed the court and turned confirmations into bitter, partisan conflicts.” See also Law.com [subscription req’d] – New Documentary Examines Supreme Court Confirmations From Bork to Kavanaugh. “The… Continue Reading
Where Democrats And Republicans Live In Your City
FiveThirtyEight – Republicans and Democrats tend not to live side-by-side, even when they live in the same city. “We’ve heard it over and over: Democratic candidates win cities. Researchers have tracked the way Democrats have dominated in cities since the ’90s. Politicians bring up America’s deep-blue cities constantly, including in stump speeches and in every… Continue Reading
Digital Strategy for the Library of Congress
“The Library of Congress’s mission is to engage, inspire, and inform the Congress and the American people with a universal and enduring source of knowledge and creativity. To accomplish that mission, the Library is adopting a digital-forward strategy that harnesses technology to bridge geographical divides, expand our reach, and enhance our services. This document describes… Continue Reading
House Intel Committee releases transcripts of Michael Cohen’s 2 day closed-door testimony
Cohen’s February 2019 testimony can be found here. Cohen’s March 2019 testimony can be found here. [May 20, 2019], the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence voted to release Michael Cohen’s testimony and related exhibits to the public by a vote of 12 – 7. Afterwards, Chairman Adam Schiff (D-CA) made the following statement: “With… Continue Reading
US District Judge in DC rules Congress may subpoena records from Trump accounting firm
BuzzFeedNews: ” A federal judge in Washington, DC, on Monday rejected President Donald Trump’s efforts to block a subpoena issued by House Democrats to his longtime accounting firm. US District Judge Amit Mehta wrote in a 41-page opinion that the House Oversight Committee had presented “facially valid legislative purposes” in subpoenaing Mazars LLP for financial… Continue Reading
What happened to the MSPB?
U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board Congressional Budget Justification FY 2020: “Over the last year, the U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB or Board) has worked to improve the effectiveness and long-term impact of its missions function in response to the Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) memorandum M-17-22, “Comprehensive Plan for Reforming the Federal Government… Continue Reading
The Limits of Executive Privilege
POGO – “In light of the House Judiciary Committee’s important hearing today on executive privilege and Congressional oversight, we have excerpted portions of When Congress Comes Calling, The Constitution Project at the Project On Government Oversight’s study on legislative inquiry. The author of When Congress Comes Calling, Morton Rosenberg, served for over 35 years at… Continue Reading
Office of Government Ethics releases Trump’s 2018 financial disclosure
Axios – The Office of Government Ethics has released President Trump’s 2018 financial disclosure form, shedding light into how much money he made in the second full year of his presidency. [the full text document is embedded in this article] “Quick take: Income at Trump’s D.C. golf club was up $500,000 to about $13.3 million,… Continue Reading
10 Ways for Congress to Respond to the Mueller Report
POGO – “Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s report on the Russian government’s efforts to interfere in the 2016 presidential election has been public for nearly three weeks. Since then, Members of Congress on both sides of the political aisle have debated the report’s findings, and there are many disturbing issues raised in it that Congress could… Continue Reading
