Oct 10, 2019

McCarthy, DeSantis pledge to return donations from indicted Giuliani associates

DeSantis (L) and McCarthy. Photos: Joe Raedle/Getty Images and Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) have both pledged to return thousands in campaign donations made by 2 foreign-born Trump donors who were arrested this week for allegedly scheming to buy influence with U.S. politicians, Vice News and the Miami Herald report.

By the numbers: DeSantis received $50,000 through an LLC called Global Energy Producers from the donors, Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman, according to the Herald. McCarthy received $2,700 directly from the donors and plans to donate the money to a local charity, per Vice News.

The big picture: Parnas and Fruman helped introduce Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani to Ukrainian officials who promoted unsubstantiated allegations against former Vice President Joe Biden, which are now at the center of an impeachment inquiry into President.

  • The House Foreign Affairs and Intelligence committees subpoenaed Parnas and Fruman on Thursday to turn over key documents about Ukraine by Oct. 16.

Worth noting: The Federal Election Commission currently cannot launch any new investigations into illicit campaign contributions from foreign nationals, because the August resignation of vice chairman Matthew Petersen left the agency without the minimum 4 commissioners necessary to make high-level decisions.

Go deeper: Foreign-born Giuliani associates arrested on campaign finance charges

Go deeper

Axios
Updated 56 mins ago - Politics & Policy

Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Annelise Capossela/Axios

  1. Politics: Trump calls Fauci a "disaster" on campaign call.
  2. Health: Coronavirus hospitalizations are on the rise — 8 states set single-day coronavirus case records last week.
  3. States: California to independently review FDA-approved coronavirus vaccines
  4. Wisconsin judge reimposes capacity limit on indoor venues.
  5. Media: Trump attacks CNN as "dumb b*stards" for continuing to cover pandemic.
  6. Business: Consumer confidence surveys show Americans are getting nervous — How China's economy bounced back from coronavirus.
  7. Sports: We've entered the era of limited fan attendance.
  8. Education: Why education technology can’t save remote learning.
Go deeper (1 min. read)Arrow
Dion Rabouin, author of Markets
1 hour ago - Economy & Business

The 2020 holiday season may just kill Main Street

Illustration: Eniola Odetunde/Axios

Online retail and e-commerce have been chipping away at brick-and-mortar businesses over the years but the combination of the coronavirus pandemic and the 2020 holiday season may prove to be a knockout blow.

State of play: Anxious consumers say financial concerns and health worries will push them to spend less money this year and to do more of their limited spending online.

Go deeper (1 min. read)Arrow
Rebecca Falconer
3 hours ago - Health

California to independently review FDA-approved coronavirus vaccines

California Gov. Gavin Newsom. Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

California will "independently review" all coronavirus vaccines approved by the Food and Drug Administration before allowing their distribution, Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) announced at a news conference Monday.

Why it matters: The move that comes days after NAID director Anthony Fauci said he had "strong confidence" in FDA-approved vaccines could cast further public doubt that the federal government could release a vaccine based on political motives, rather than safety and efficacy.

Go deeper (1 min. read)Arrow