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National

A lawyer with deep ties to conservative groups and conspiracy theorists pushed several extreme ideas to then-President Trump to overturn the results of the 2020 elections, according to a document obtained by the New York Times. 

Why it matters: In the memo, William Olson conceded that his proposed plans could be regarded as tantamount to declaring “martial law” and could be compared with Watergate. 

His plans included tampering with the Justice Department and firing the acting attorney general, according to the Dec. 28 memo titled “Preserving Constitutional Order.”

The document highlights how Trump was turning to extreme, far-right figures outside the White House to pursue options to cling to power, the New York Times writes. Many of his official advisers had told him those options were impossible or unlawful.

Details: The New York Times reports that Trump continued to seek extreme legal advice that went against the recommendations of the DOJ.

According to the memo, Olson suggested that the DOJ would intercede directly with the Supreme Court to reverse Trump's defeat.

He also encouraged Trump to fire or reassign acting attorney general Jeffrey Rosen if he would not use the DOJ to challenge the election in court. Olson acknowledged that doing so would draw negative media coverage.

Background: Olson currently represents conspiracy theorist and MyPillow chief executive Mike Lindell, who was sanctioned over an election suit.

Olson also had ties to Republican super PACs and promoted a conspiracy theory that Kamala Harris is not eligible to be vice president, falsely claiming she is not a natural-born U.S. citizen. 

What they're saying: “Our little band of lawyers is working on a memorandum that explains exactly what you can do,” Olson wrote in his memo to Trump.

“The media will call this martial law ... that is ‘fake news,'" Olson wrote.

Lawyer's plan for Trump to overturn 2020 election included firing acting AG

William Olson conceded that his proposed plans could be regarded as tantamount to declaring “martial law” and could be compared with Watergate.

Donald Trump

Politics & Policy

Russian officials visited an airfield in Iran multiple times in the last few weeks to view weapons-capable drones that could be used in its war against Ukraine, the White House said.

Driving the news: The White House released satellite imagery that indicates Russian officials visited Iran for a showcase of weapons-capable drones, AP reports. 

Russian officials visited Kashan Airfield on June 8 and July 5 to examine the drones, according to the images.

The images show Shahed-191 and Shahed-129 drones being displayed and in flight on the airfield, while a Russian delegation transport plane was on the ground, per AP. 

"This suggests ongoing Russian interest in acquiring Iranian attack-capable UAVs," national security adviser Jake Sullivan said. 

Why it matters: Russia's presence in Iran could help the Biden administration connect the relevance of Russia's war with Ukraine to Arab nations’ concerns about Iran’s nuclear ambitions, AP writes. 

Sullivan argued that Russia’s “deepening an alliance with Iran to kill Ukrainians is something that the whole world should look at.”

The big picture: Sullivan said Monday that the Biden administration believes Iran is planning to deliver Russia "up to several hundred" unmanned aerial vehicles, including weapons-capable drones.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian told his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba that reports of Iran exporting drones to Russia were "baseless," AP reports. 

White House: Russia has visited Iran, seen drones that could be used in Ukraine

Satellite imagery shows Russian officials visiting an Iran airfield to view weapons-capable drones twice in the last few weeks.

Photo: Kobi Wolf/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Russia Middle East

Conflicts, policies and powers are intersecting and shaping the world. Breaking news and analysis of national security, foreign policy and global crises.

World

The Indiana doctor who provided an abortion to a 10-year-old rape victim last month has endured vitriol and threats to her safety and career for her role in the case that drew the White House's attention.

Driving the news: Dr. Caitlin Bernard's lawyer sent a cease-and-desist letter Friday to Indiana's Republican Attorney General Todd Rokita over “false and misleading statements” he made about Bernard on Fox News this week, NBC News reports.  

Why it matters: Bernard’s ordeal underscores the backlash abortion providers can face in the aftermath of the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade, even if they comply with laws in their respective states. 

Catch up fast: Bernard was at the center of an Indianapolis Star story about the child, who could not receive the procedure in Ohio because of its approval of a so-called "fetal heartbeat" law, which limits access to abortion to the first six weeks of pregnancy.

Ohio's law does not include a carveout for rape survivors or victims of child abuse.

State and national Republicans and conservative editorial boards and broadcasters sharply criticized the Star’s reporting and sought to cast doubt on the story's veracity and Bernard's credibility.

This week, an Ohio man, Gerson Fuentes, was arrested and charged with raping the child. Fuentes confessed when police confronted him after a police report was filed about the incident. He is now facing life in prison.   

Rokita said that day he was “gathering evidence” to determine whether Bernard “failed to report” performing the procedure, a requirement under Indiana law. “It’s a crime to not report, to intentionally not report,” he said, per NBC.

After his cable news appearance, Rokita’s office doubled down in a statement that questioned whether Bernard had violated privacy laws by sharing information about the case, NBC reported.

Between the lines: Indiana University Health, Bernard’s employer, said the doctor did not violate any laws and had cooperated with its review of the matter, per NBC.

Bernard’s lawyer, Kathleen DeLaney, told Rokita that his statements had cast her client in a false light, even as evidence had emerged that Bernard had not broken any laws, according to a letter dated Friday. 

"We are especially concerned that, given the controversial political context of the statements, such inflammatory accusations have the potential to incite harassment or violence from the public which could prevent Dr. Bernard, an Indiana licensed physician, from providing care to her patients safely," the letter stated.

Go deeper:  Roe v. Wade summary: Supreme Court strikes down Roe v. Wade

Indiana doctor who treated 10-year-old rape victim facing intense backlash

Her ordeal underscores the backlash abortion providers can face in the aftermath of the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade.

Indiana Republican Attorney General Todd Rokita

Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita. Photo: Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call via Getty Images

Abortion

The gubernatorial campaign of U.S. Rep Lee Zeldin (R-N.Y.) submitted roughly 13,000 invalid signatures in an effort to appear on the ballot as a third-party candidate, New York's Board of Elections determined this week.

Why it matters: Zeldin, an ally of former President Trump, gained national prominence as one of the House Republicans who voted against the certification of the 2020 presidential election results. After pushing conspiracy theories about election fraud, his political opponents say his campaign's actions amount to hypocrisy.

State of play: Zeldin won New York's Republican primary for governor last month, but he was seeking to have his name appear on an additional line of the ballot as a candidate of the Independence Party, the Hill reports. 

Candidates in New York can appear on the ballot more than once if they meet qualifications. For example, Incumbent Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, will appear on the ballot on the Democratic Party and Working Families Party lines, per The Hill. 

To qualify to appear on one of the third-party lines, a candidate must submit the handwritten signatures of 45,000 registered voters. 

Zeldin's campaign submitted roughly 52,000 signatures by the May 31 filing deadline, but the board ruled this week that about 13,000 of them were invalid, the Times-Union reports. That left him about 6,000 short of the threshold. 

New York’s Libertarian Party initiated the challenge to Zeldin’s signatures, saying in a release that 11,000 of them were photocopies, a violation, according to a press release.

What they’re saying: “Let’s not forget: Lee Zeldin was one of the many far-right Republicans who voted to overturn the 2020 presidential election under the guise of election fraud — a dangerous conspiracy theory peddled by Donald Trump and his pawns in Congress,” said Jay Jacobs, chair of the state’s Democratic Party, in a statement, per the Hill. 

“Now, Zeldin submitting 11,000 fake signatures just emphasizes his hypocrisy and proves he is willing to sell New Yorkers another ‘Big Lie’ to benefit his failing campaign," Jacobs told the Hill.

The other side: Katie Vincentz, a spokesman for Zeldin's campaign, said it hadn't reviewed all the signatures submitted to the board, per the Times-Union. 

"In the final few days leading up to the filing deadline, tens of thousands of signatures from all over the state had to be immediately turned into the Board of Elections,” she said. “While the Zeldin for New York campaign is not aware of photocopies, we certainly didn't make any photocopies."

House Republican removed as third-party candidate in N.Y. governor's race

After pushing conspiracy theories about election fraud, Zeldin's political opponents say his campaign submitting thousands of invalid signatures amounts to hypocrisy.

Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-N.Y.) speaks during his election night party at the Coral House on June 28. Photo: Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

2022 elections

Top Senate Republican candidates turned in poor fundraising numbers in key races from Arizona to New Hampshire.  

Why it matters: It's as if big GOP donors either don’t realize a Senate majority is in reach or wrongly think it's a sure thing. And it's clear they don’t like a lot of the Trumpy candidates.

Context: Democratic Senate candidates are posting blockbuster hauls.

Republicans could be surfing a tidal wave of discontent about the country (75% wrong track in Real Clear Politics average) and President Biden (39% approval). 

What's happening: In Arizona, the leading Republican candidate, Blake Masters, raised just $827,000 in the quarter ($1.58 million cash on hand) to $13.6 million ($24.9 million cash on hand) for Sen. Mark Kelly, the Democratic incumbent. 

Another GOP candidate, Jim Lamon, brought in $1.2 million ($1 million of his own).

In Pennsylvania, another underwhelming fundraising tally from a big-time GOP Senate candidate: Dr. Oz raised $1.6 million in the latest fundraising report, and put in $2.2 million of his own money — ending June with $1.1 million cash on hand. Democrat John Fetterman, despite his absence from the trail following a stroke, raised $10 million ($5.5 million on hand).

In New Hampshire, Sen. Maggie Hassan (D) raised $5.07 million, to just $538,000 for her leading GOP challenger, state Senate President Chuck Morse.

Two Senate Republican candidates had strong quarters: Herschel Walker in Georgia ($6.2 million) and Adam Laxalt in Nevada ($2.8 million).

Senate GOP fundraising flop

Top Senate Republican candidates turned in poor fundraising numbers in key races from Arizona to New Hampshire.

Fundraising

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman pushed back on President Biden's criticism over the murder of Jamal Khashoggi by raising the abuse suffered by prisoners of the U.S.-run Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq and the U.S. response to the May killing of Palestinian American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, a Saudi official told Saudi-funded Al-Arabiya.

Why it matters: The murder of Khashoggi, a Washington Post columnist, was the most sensitive issue discussed in Biden's meeting with MBS on Friday.  

U.S. intelligence concluded MBS was responsible for Khashoggi's murder — an allegation Saudi officials deny.

Biden once vowed to make the Gulf kingdom a "pariah," and U.S.-Saudi relations have been strained over a number of issues, including the murder of Khashoggi.

Behind the scenes: In a press conference on Friday, Biden said he opened his meeting with MBS by bringing up Khashoggi's murder. He said he told the crown prince "very straightforwardly" that "for an American president to be silent on the issue of human rights is inconsistent with who we are and who I am."

Asked how MBS responded, Biden told reporters: "He basically said that he was not personally responsible for it. I indicated I thought he was."

Biden's meeting with MBS came not long after the U.S. president first bumped the crown prince — drawing criticism from Democrats and others. 

The other side: The Saudi official confirmed to Al-Arabiya on Saturday that Biden raised the murder of Khashoggi at the start of the meeting. 

According to the Saudi official, the crown prince pushed back on Biden's criticism and said the U.S. made many "mistakes" of its own in Iraq with the Abu Ghraib prison — the detention center that became the center of a torture and abuse scandal during the U.S. occupation.

The Saudi official said MBS then raised the case of Abu Akleh, who was killed while covering an Israeli military raid in the occupied West Bank city of Jenin. "What did the U.S. and other countries in the world do about her?" MBS asked, per the official.

Biden in the West Bank on Friday said the U.S. will continue to "insist on a full and transparent accounting" of Abu Akleh's murder. The U.S. has said it was likely the veteran Al Jazeera journalist was killed by unintentional Israeli fire. 

MBS told Biden that what happened to Khashoggi was "regrettable" and that Saudi Arabia took all the legal steps including an investigation, indictments and conviction, per Al-Arabiya.

The Saudi official added that MBS told Biden the kingdom took steps that will prevent such mistakes from happening again.

MBS told Biden that different countries have different values and if the U.S. only has alliances with countries that share all its values, it will be left only with NATO countries, the Saudi official told Al-Arabiya.

Confronted by Biden on Khashoggi killing, MBS pointed to U.S. "mistakes"

MBS brought up the Abu Ghraib prison and the U.S. response to the killing of Palestinian American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh.

Biden fist bumps Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Photo: Royal Court of Saudi Arabia /Handout/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

President Biden fist bumps Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Photo: Royal Court of Saudi Arabia /Handout/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

Jamal Khashoggi

Federal investigators did not act unlawfully when they seized a phone from an attorney who aided former President Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 election, a U.S. district judge in New Mexico wrote in a new opinion Friday.  

Driving the news: The investigators, who obtained a warrant, confiscated lawyer John Eastman’s phone in June as a part of a criminal inquiry into the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. Eastman's lawsuit sought to stop them from accessing its contents.

DOJ investigators indicated they would seek a second warrant before exploring what is on Eastman’s phone, Judge Robert Brack said in his opinion. 

What they’re saying: "The Court is relying to a considerable extent on the assertion in the warrant that the investigative team will not examine the contents of the phone until it seeks a second warrant,” Brack stated.

Federal investigators must update the court on the matter before the end of July, he added.

Catch up quick: In June, the FBI seized Eastman’s phone, prompting him to file a legal challenge calling the seizure unlawful. 

He asked the court to order the investigators to return his phone and destroy copies of any information they found on it. 

At the time, Eastman's lawyer said FBI agents "forced" him to unlock his phone with his biometric data and used it to access his email accounts.

Background: Eastman pushed a theory that undergirded Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 election: that then-Vice President Mike Pence could single-handedly reject electors.

The Jan. 6 select committee revealed in June that Eastman sought a presidential pardon following the Capitol riot.

Go deeper:  Jan. 6 committee subpoenas Secret Service over deleted texts

Seizure of ex-Trump attorney's phone in Jan. 6 probe lawful: Judge

Federal investigators must update the court on the matter before the end of July, the judge said.

John Eastman speaks at a news conference on April 29, 2021. Photo: Andy Cross/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images

Science

Axios Science

Astronomers search for light that holds answer to how earliest galaxies formed

Features of the first galaxies in the universe are coming into sharper focus.

Axios

Saturday's top stories