Dec 13, 2018

WSJ: Prosecutors are investigating the Trump inauguration

Trump's inauguration. Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Federal prosecutors are investigating President Trump's 2017 inaugural committee to determine whether it misspent some of the recorded $107 million in donations it received, the Wall Street Journal reports.

Why it matters: The probe, being conducted by the Manhattan U.S. attorney's office, presents another threat for Trump and members of his 2016 campaign. If funds were improperly spent or if money was given in exchange for a political favor, the committee could be in violation of federal laws.

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Zachary Basu

20 mins ago - Politics & Policy

Barr claims "no correlation" between removing protesters and Trump's church photo op

Attorney General Bill Barr said at a press conference Thursday that there was "no correlation" between his decision to order police to forcibly remove protesters from Lafayette Park and President Trump's subsequent visit to St. John's Episcopal Church earlier this week.

Driving the news: Barr was asked to respond to comments from Defense Secretary Mark Esper, who said Tuesday that he "did not know a photo op was happening" and that he does everything he can to "try and stay out of situations that may appear political."

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Rebecca Falconer, Orion Rummler

Updated 2 hours ago - Politics & Policy

Updates: Cities move to end curfews for George Floyd protests

Text reading "Demilitarize the police" is projected on an army vehicle during a protest over the death of George Floyd in Washington, D.C.. early on Thursday. Photo: Yasin Ozturk/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

Several cities are ending curfews after the protests over the death of George Floyd and other police-related killings of black people led to fewer arrests and less violence Wednesday night.

The latest: Los Angeles and Washington D.C. are the latest to end nightly curfews. Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan tweeted Wednesday night that "peaceful protests can continue without a curfew, while San Francisco Mayor London Breed tweeted that the city's curfew would end at 5 a.m. Thursday.

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Fadel Allassan

2 hours ago - Politics & Policy

Murkowski calls Mattis' Trump criticism "true and honest and necessary and overdue"

Sen. Lisa Murkowski. Photo: Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images

Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) said Thursday that she agreed with former Defense Secretary James Mattis' criticism of President Trump, calling it "true and honest and necessary and overdue."

Why it matters: Murkowski, who has signaled her discomfort with the president in the past, also said that she's "struggling" with her support for him in November — a rare full-on rebuke of Trump from a Senate Republican.

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