May 1, 2019 - Politics & Policy

"It's over!": Graham says he will not bring Mueller before Senate Judiciary

Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images

Minutes after the conclusion of Attorney General Bill Barr's testimony, Senate Judiciary Chairman Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said that he has no plans to bring special counsel Robert Mueller before the committee. "It's over," he told reporters.

Why it matters: Many questions remain about why Mueller opted not to make a decision on whether Trump obstructed justice, despite laying out extensive evidence. Senators are also interested in finding out more about why Mueller wrote a letter to Barr expressing dissatisfaction about the way his report had been characterized in the wake of Barr's March 24 summary of "principal conclusions."

  • Barr said he will allow Mueller to testify and opted not to answer several of the senators' questions because he did not want to characterize Mueller's thought process. Barr also told Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) that he does not know whether the investigation looked into Trump's tax returns or the Trump Organization's financial records, but that she can ask Mueller himself when he testifies.

What to watch: House Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler said Wednesday that the Justice Department has agreed to allow Mueller to testify before his panel some time in May, but that they have not yet nailed down a specific date.

Go deeper: Highlights from Barr's testimony

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Axios
Updated 1 hour ago - Politics & Policy

Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

  1. Global: Total confirmed cases as of 7 p.m. ET: 12,859,834 — Total deaths: 567,123 — Total recoveries — 7,062,085 — Map.
  2. U.S.: Total confirmed cases as of 7 p.m. ET: 3,297,501— Total deaths: 135,155 — Total recoveries: 1,006,326 — Total tested: 40,282,176 — Map.
  3. States: Florida smashes single-day record for new coronavirus cases with over 15,000 — NYC reports zero coronavirus deaths for first time since pandemic hit.
  4. Public health: Ex-FDA chief projects "apex" of South's coronavirus curve in 2-3 weeks — Coronavirus testing czar: Lockdowns in hotspots "should be on the table"
  5. Education: Betsy DeVos says schools that don't reopen shouldn't get federal funds — Pelosi accuses Trump of "messing with the health of our children."
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Jonathan Swan
1 hour ago - Politics & Policy

Scoop: How the White House is trying to trap leakers

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

President Trump's chief of staff, Mark Meadows, has told several White House staffers he's fed specific nuggets of information to suspected leakers to see if they pass them on to reporters — a trap that would confirm his suspicions. "Meadows told me he was doing that," said one former White House official. "I don't know if it ever worked."

Why it matters: This hunt for leakers has put some White House staffers on edge, with multiple officials telling Axios that Meadows has been unusually vocal about his tactics. So far, he's caught only one person, for a minor leak.

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Jacob Knutson
4 hours ago - Politics & Policy

11 GOP congressional nominees support QAnon conspiracy

Lauren Boebert posing in her restaurant in Rifle, Colorado, on April 24. Photo: Emily Kask/AFP

At least 11 Republican congressional nominees have publicly supported or defended the QAnon conspiracy theory movement or some of its tenets — and more aligned with the movement may still find a way onto ballots this year.

Why it matters: Their progress shows how a fringe online forum built on unsubstantiated claims and flagged as a threat by the FBI is seeking a foothold in the U.S. political mainstream.

Go deeper (3 min. read)Arrow