Dec 9, 2019

GOP's House Intel counsel grilled by Democrats over impeachment report

Steve Castor, the counsel representing Republicans from the House Intelligence Committee, faced a tough line of questioning during Monday's hearing over their report's representation of witness testimony in the ongoing impeachment inquiry.

What happened: Barry Berke, the counsel for Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee, peppered Castor with questions about why the GOP report only stated that Jennifer Williams, an aide to Vice President Pence, said that President Trump's July 25 call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was "unusual."

  • Williams also testified that the call was "inappropriate" and struck her as "political in nature," despite the GOP argument that Trump never meant to push for a foreign investigation of a domestic political opponent.
  • "Were you as fair to the American people in describing what Ms. Williams said as you were in describing everything else in your report?" Berke asked.

The big picture: The exchange also featured the parliamentary wrangling by House Judiciary Republicans that has occurred throughout Monday's hearing — with some minority members of the committee arguing that Berke was badgering Castor.

Go deeper: Live updates from today's evidentiary impeachment hearing

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Axios
Updated 21 mins 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
42 mins 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