Feb 28, 2019

GOP lawmakers ask Justice Dept. to investigate Michael Cohen for perjury

Republican Reps. Jim Jordan, (R-Ohio) and Mark Meadows, (R-N.C.) Photo: Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call

GOP Reps. Jim Jordan and Mark Meadows, two of President Trump’s staunchest supporters, asked the Justice Department Thursday to launch an investigation into the president’s former personal attorney Michael Cohen for perjury, claiming that he made false statements to Congress during his public testimony on Wednesday.

Details: Jordan, Meadows and other Republicans are using the hearing to taint Cohen’s credibility, referring to his previous guilty plea for lying to Congress. In the letter to DOJ, they wrote that Cohen lied when he said he "never defrauded any bank,” denied any foreign government ties and that he didn’t want to work in the White House. In a statement, Cohen's attorney Lanny Davis accused Meadows and Jordan of misusing "the criminal justice system with the aura of pure partisanship."

Go deeper: Recap of Michael Cohen’s explosive public testimony

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Fadel Allassan

DOJ watchdog finds flaws in FBI surveillance process beyond Page application

Carter Page. Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

The Justice Department inspector general found errors in 29 out of 29 randomized FBI applications for acquiring wiretap warrants through the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, or FISA, according to a report released Tuesday.

Why it matters: The broad DOJ audit of the FISA program stems from a damning investigation into the FBI's surveillance of former Trump campaign aide Carter Page, which uncovered "serious performance failures" by some FBI officials during the Russia probe. The IG's final findings come as Congress debates whether to renew the authority it grants to the FISA courts.

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Coronavirus dashboard

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Global: Total confirmed cases as of 3:30 p.m. ET: 838,061 — Total deaths: 41,261 — Total recoveries: 174,115.
U.S.: Leads the world in confirmed cases. Total confirmed cases as of 3:30 p.m. ET: 177,452 — Total deaths: 3,440 — Total recoveries: 6,038.
Public health updates: More than 400 long-term care facilities across the U.S. report patients with coronavirus — Older adults and people with other health conditions are more at risk, new data shows.
Federal government latest: The White House and other institutions are observing several models to better understand and prepare cities for when the coronavirus is expected to peak in the U.S.
In Congress: New York Rep. Max Rose deploys to National Guard to help coronavirus response.
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What should I do? Answers about the virus from Axios experts — What to know about social distancing — Q&A: Minimizing your coronavirus risk.
Other resources: CDC on how to avoid the virus, what to do if you get it.

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Rebecca Falconer, Orion Rummler, Marisa Fernandez

U.S. coronavirus updates: White House studies models projecting virus peak

Data: The Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins; Map: Andrew Witherspoon/Axios

The White House and other institutions are observing several models to better understand and prepare cities for when the coronavirus is expected to peak in the U.S.

The state of play: The coronavirus is expected to peak in the U.S. in two weeks, but many states like Virginia and Maryland will see their individual peaks well after that, according to a model by the University of Washington's Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation.

Go deeperUpdated 2 hours ago - Health