Merrick Garland appoints special counsel to oversee Trump investigations
Jury deliberations are beginning after the trial of leading members of the Oath Keepers, a far-right self-styled militia, who took part in the January 6 attack on the Capitol. The defendants are charged with offences including seditious conspiracy, the most serious charge yet visited on any of the hundreds of defendants who have been arrested over the riot.
The month-long trial saw some of the defendants weeping on the stand, as well as the release of explicit texts between leader Stewart Rhodes and the group’s erstwhile attorney, Kellye SoRelle. The case revolves in part around the group’s alleged belief that Donald Trump would invoke the Insurrection Act and “call them” to overthrow the Congress if it did not toss out the results of the 2020 election.
Meanwhile, Mr Trump and many Republicans are still furious at Attorney General Merrick Garland’s appointment of an independent special prosecutor to oversee two major investigations involving the former president – one revolving around the January 6 Capitol attack and another around Mr Trump’s hoarding of government documents at Mar-a-Lago.
The appointment of Jack Smith to investigate Mr Trump has sent many in the GOP claiming that Joe Biden and Mr Garland have “politicized” the Justice Department.
Prosecution rests in Trump Organization tax fraud case
Prosecutors in the Trump Organization’s criminal tax fraud trial rested their case on Monday earlier than expected, pinning hopes for convicting Donald Trump’s company largely on the word of two top executives who cut deals before testifying they schemed to avoid taxes on company-paid perks.
Allen Weisselberg, the company’s longtime finance chief, and Jeffrey McConney, a senior vice president and controller, testified for the bulk of the prosecution’s eight-day case, bringing the drama of their own admitted wrongdoing to a trial heavy on numbers, spreadsheets, tax returns and payroll records.
Andrew Naughtie22 November 2022 11:15
Report: Ivanka Trump tried to escape judge’s order to monitor Trump family finances
Former White House aide Ivanka Trump attemped to wriggle her way out of a court order appointing a special monitor to oversee the major transactions of the Trump Organization and individuals with connections to the company, according to The Daily Beast.
John Bowden has the story.
Oliver O’Connell22 November 2022 10:40
Oath Keepers trial a major test for Justice Department
Hundreds of people have been convicted in the Capitol riot attack that left dozens of officers injured, sent lawmakers running for their lives and shook the foundations of American democracy. Now jurors in the case against the Oath Keepers will decide, for the first time, whether the actions of any January 6 defendants amount to seditious conspiracy — a rarely used charge that carries both significant prison time and political weight.
Oliver O’Connell22 November 2022 08:40
Growing list of challengers to Trump’s 2024 White House run — but might history repeat itself?
Memories of the tumultuous 2016 Republican primary hung over the Las Vegas ballroom this weekend during the first major gathering of the party’s potential contenders for the 2024 nomination.
No fewer than 10 White House prospects stepped onto the stage to pitch their plans to fix the nation — and their party. The details varied, but within most speeches was an extraordinary sense of defiance rarely seen since former President Donald Trump seized control of the Republican Party six years ago.
Their central message: Trump can and should be beaten.
But haven’t we seen this before?
Oliver O’Connell22 November 2022 06:40
Despite her defeat, Trump says Kari Lake’s election race ‘not over yet’
Days after Kari Lake’s defeat in the Arizona governor’s race, Donald Trump said that she went through “an incredible election” and claimed that “it’s not over yet”.
Speaking at an event, he claimed that “there were a lot of broken voting machines” and alleged that those were in “largely Republican areas.”
Maroosha Muzaffar reports.
Oliver O’Connell22 November 2022 04:40
Barr: ‘Increasingly likely’ Trump will be indicted on criminal charges
While speaking on PBS, the Republican former attorney general was asked about the legal danger facing the former president in light of a probe into sensitive documents the FBI found hidden at Mar-a-Lago.
“I personally think that they probably have the basis for legitimately indicting the president… I think it’s becoming increasingly more likely,” he said.
The comments came as current AG Merrick Garland installed a special counsel to oversee investigations into Mr Trump.
‘Increasingly likely’ Trump will be indicted on criminal charges, says Bill Barr
It is “increasingly likely” that Donald Trump will be “legitimately” indicted on criminal charges by the Justice Department, Bill Barr has said. While speaking on PBS, the Republican former attorney general was asked about the legal danger facing the former president in light of a probe into sensitive documents the FBI found hidden at Mar-a-Lago. “I personally think that they probably have the basis for legitimately indicting the president… I think it’s becoming increasingly more likely,” he said. The comments came as current AG Merrick Garland installed a special counsel to oversee investigations into Mr Trump. Sign up for our newsletters.
Oliver O’Connell22 November 2022 03:40
A special counsel has been appointed to oversee the Trump probes, but what do they really do?
The appointment of a special counsel to oversee the remainder of two significant investigations related to former President Donald Trump focuses fresh attention on the role such prosecutors have played in modern American history.
EXPLAINER: What are special counsels and what do they do?
The appointment of a special counsel to oversee the remainder of two significant investigations related to former President Donald Trump focuses fresh attention on the role such prosecutors have played in modern American history
Oliver O’Connell22 November 2022 02:40
ICYMI: Elon Musk reinstates Trump on Twitter, ending two-year ban
Donald Trump’s Twitter account has been reinstated by Elon Musk after it was banned for nearly two years.
Mr Musk announced on Saturday evening that he would reinstate the former president’s account after it was banned for inciting violence in the wake of the 6 January insurrection, a move that was previously described as permanent.
Oliver O’Connell22 November 2022 01:40
Trump has been reinstated on Twitter – but will he return to the platform fully?
The former US president has voiced his commitment to his Truth Social platform, writes Chris Stevenson. But for how long will he resist the temptation to return to Twitter?
Oliver O’Connell22 November 2022 00:44
GOP’s lackluster fundraising spurs post-election infighting
Republican leaders in Washington are seeking someone to blame after some late-game fundraising issues and poor overall showings in a number of key races across the country led to Joe Biden having the best midterm performance of a sitting president in decades. Among the targets: Donald Trump, and the head of the Senate GOP’s campaign arm, Rick Scott.
Many of the GOP’s candidates in expensive midterm contests were political newcomers with far-right positions who saw themselves outraised by their Democratic opponents. It’s a symptom of the loyalty-above-all standard that Donald Trump used to select candidates for his endorsement this year.
Read more in The Independent:
John Bowden21 November 2022 22:40
