Attorney General William Barr suggested that mail-in voting ballots could be manipulated by foreign governments to sow discord in the lead up to the 2020 elections. In a wide-ranging interview with the on Monday, Barr conceded that he had not seen any evidence to support his theory. Election experts promptly countered that foreign counterfeit ballots pose little, if any, threat to U.S. elections. Barr “” the unsubstantiated conspiracy theory in reference to President Donald Trump’s recent against mail-in ballots in Michigan. Trump erroneously said last month that Michigan had...…Attorney General William Barr suggested that mail-in voting ballots could be manipulated by foreign governments to sow discord in the lead up to the 2020 elections. In a wide-ranging interview with the on Monday, Barr conceded that he had not seen any evidence to support his theory. Election experts promptly countered that foreign counterfeit ballots pose little, if any, threat to U.S. elections. Barr “” the unsubstantiated conspiracy theory in reference to President Donald Trump’s recent against mail-in ballots in Michigan. Trump erroneously said last month that Michigan had...WW…

Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology on Wednesday asked a federal judge to stop the Trump administration from enforcing a new policy barring international students from remaining in the U.S. to attend colleges and universities offering only online courses for the fall semester. The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Massachusetts, argues that the measure is defective as an abuse of discretion and a violation of the Administrative Procedure Act (APA). “The order came down without notice—its cruelty surpassed only by its recklessness,” Harvard’s President...…Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology on Wednesday asked a federal judge to stop the Trump administration from enforcing a new policy barring international students from remaining in the U.S. to attend colleges and universities offering only online courses for the fall semester. The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Massachusetts, argues that the measure is defective as an abuse of discretion and a violation of the Administrative Procedure Act (APA). “The order came down without notice—its cruelty surpassed only by its recklessness,” Harvard’s President...WW…

President Donald Trump on Wednesday falsely claimed that Michigan’s secretary of state sent absentee ballots to all of the state’s 7.7 million eligible voters, saying it was done “illegally” (also false), before threatening to withhold congressionally approved federal funds from the state (which would likely be illegal if carried out). The president declaring that expanding absentee voting is a “path” to voter fraud – a conspiracy theory that has been by election law experts. The president’s counterfactual claims and threats led to swift backlash from legal experts, with several...…President Donald Trump on Wednesday falsely claimed that Michigan’s secretary of state sent absentee ballots to all of the state’s 7.7 million eligible voters, saying it was done “illegally” (also false), before threatening to withhold congressionally approved federal funds from the state (which would likely be illegal if carried out). The president declaring that expanding absentee voting is a “path” to voter fraud – a conspiracy theory that has been by election law experts. The president’s counterfactual claims and threats led to swift backlash from legal experts, with several...WW…

DHS Under Secretary for Science William Bryan The senior Department of Homeland Security official invited to speak during Friday’s coronavirus task force press briefing was also the subject of a still-pending whistleblower complaint alleging that he used his previous position at the Department of Energy for his own personal profit. William Bryan, the acting under secretary for the Science and Technology Directorate at the Department of Homeland Security, was thrust into the national spotlight on Thursday after his presentation on the effects of heat on COVID-19 was followed by President...…DHS Under Secretary for Science William Bryan The senior Department of Homeland Security official invited to speak during Friday’s coronavirus task force press briefing was also the subject of a still-pending whistleblower complaint alleging that he used his previous position at the Department of Energy for his own personal profit. William Bryan, the acting under secretary for the Science and Technology Directorate at the Department of Homeland Security, was thrust into the national spotlight on Thursday after his presentation on the effects of heat on COVID-19 was followed by President...WW…

A government watchdog group on Tuesday said that members of the “shadow” coronavirus task force overseen by White House Senior Advisor and Assistant to the President Jared Kushner appear to be operating in violation of several federal laws regarding disclosure requirements and conflict of interest restrictions. In a letter to U.S. Office of Government Ethics Director Emory Rounds, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) implored the office to conduct a review of whether task force members have complied with the disclosure obligations and conflict of interest restrictions...…A government watchdog group on Tuesday said that members of the “shadow” coronavirus task force overseen by White House Senior Advisor and Assistant to the President Jared Kushner appear to be operating in violation of several federal laws regarding disclosure requirements and conflict of interest restrictions. In a letter to U.S. Office of Government Ethics Director Emory Rounds, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) implored the office to conduct a review of whether task force members have complied with the disclosure obligations and conflict of interest restrictions...WW…

Donald Trump Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) on Monday penned a letter to President Donald Trump demanding to know the official reason behind his decision to terminate State Department Inspector General (IG) Steve Linick, saying the president’s declaration that he “no longer” had the “fullest confidence” in the IG was not sufficient. “As you know, Congress created inspectors general to combat waste, fraud, and abuse, and to be independent watchdogs holding federal agencies accountable to the taxpayer. In light of their important and unique role, they report to both the President and Congress....…Donald Trump Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) on Monday penned a letter to President Donald Trump demanding to know the official reason behind his decision to terminate State Department Inspector General (IG) Steve Linick, saying the president’s declaration that he “no longer” had the “fullest confidence” in the IG was not sufficient. “As you know, Congress created inspectors general to combat waste, fraud, and abuse, and to be independent watchdogs holding federal agencies accountable to the taxpayer. In light of their important and unique role, they report to both the President and Congress....WW…

A federal judge in Washington, D.C. on Monday said that President Donald Trump’s public claims that top officials at Department of Justice engaged in a “cover up” cannot be used in court to show he was relying on any actual knowledge or facts gleaned from his position as head of the executive branch. In a brief three-page opinion, U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta – an appointee of then-President Barack Obama – rejected a request to lift further redactions from 391-pages of the Carter Page FISA warrant application, released via a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request. Following the release...…A federal judge in Washington, D.C. on Monday said that President Donald Trump’s public claims that top officials at Department of Justice engaged in a “cover up” cannot be used in court to show he was relying on any actual knowledge or facts gleaned from his position as head of the executive branch. In a brief three-page opinion, U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta – an appointee of then-President Barack Obama – rejected a request to lift further redactions from 391-pages of the Carter Page FISA warrant application, released via a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request. Following the release...WW…

A federal judge in Washington, D.C. has ordered the White House to turn over 20 emails directly relating to President Donald Trump’s decision to withhold congressionally appropriated military aid from Ukraine. The administration has refused to produce the communications thus far, claiming the documents are protected from public release by executive privilege. The order, issued by U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson, stems from a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) filed by the New York Times which sought communications between Michael Duffey, Principal Associate Director for National...…A federal judge in Washington, D.C. has ordered the White House to turn over 20 emails directly relating to President Donald Trump’s decision to withhold congressionally appropriated military aid from Ukraine. The administration has refused to produce the communications thus far, claiming the documents are protected from public release by executive privilege. The order, issued by U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson, stems from a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) filed by the New York Times which sought communications between Michael Duffey, Principal Associate Director for National...WW…

Newly released show several of the federal government’s top scientists were aghast after political appointees from the Trump administration released an unsigned statement criticizing the National Weather Service (NWS) for correcting the President Donald Trump’s that Hurricane Dorian would hit Alabama in 2019. The emails, released for the first time Friday in response to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request filed by BuzzFeed News and reporter Jason Leopold, also revealed a pervasive sense of panic throughout NOAA, as scientists feared the administration would retaliate against...…Newly released show several of the federal government’s top scientists were aghast after political appointees from the Trump administration released an unsigned statement criticizing the National Weather Service (NWS) for correcting the President Donald Trump’s that Hurricane Dorian would hit Alabama in 2019. The emails, released for the first time Friday in response to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request filed by BuzzFeed News and reporter Jason Leopold, also revealed a pervasive sense of panic throughout NOAA, as scientists feared the administration would retaliate against...WW…

A coalition of 20 elite legal scholars on Friday submitted a legal brief imploring the federal judge overseeing the prosecution of retired lieutenant general Michael Flynn to deny the Justice Department’s motion to dismiss the criminal case against the former National Security Advisor. According to the brief, U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan is under no obligation to mechanically grant the DOJ’s controversial motion. There is no valid reason the court should be prevented from imposing a lawful sentence against a defendant who has to committing a federal crime, the lawyers argued. Led...…A coalition of 20 elite legal scholars on Friday submitted a legal brief imploring the federal judge overseeing the prosecution of retired lieutenant general Michael Flynn to deny the Justice Department’s motion to dismiss the criminal case against the former National Security Advisor. According to the brief, U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan is under no obligation to mechanically grant the DOJ’s controversial motion. There is no valid reason the court should be prevented from imposing a lawful sentence against a defendant who has to committing a federal crime, the lawyers argued. Led...WW…