Hilary Robin Rosenthal  //  4/11/19  //  Daily Update

Attorney General William Barr said he plans to publicly release a redacted version of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s report “within a week.” President Donald Trump denies rumors that his administration is hoping to resume the separation of parents and children at the US-Mexico border. President Trump has faced more joint challenges from states in his first two years in office than either Barack Obama or George W. Bush did in their eight years in office. The Department of Homeland Security and Federal Bureau of Investigation have officially confirmed that the Russian hacking efforts in advance of the 2016 election went well beyond the 21 states confirmed in previous reports. The Manhattan U.S. attorney’s office has reported that it has gathered more evidence of hush payments to two women who alleged affairs with Donald Trump for its ongoing criminal investigation. 

TRUMP: INVESTIGATIONS AND LITIGATION

In his appearance before the House Judiciary Committee, Attorney General William Barr said he plans to publicly release a redacted version of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s report “within a week,” write Morgan Chalfant And Olivia Beavers at The Hill.

• Barr admitted that he does think spying occurred and said he will review the genesis of the FBI counterintelligence investigation into the Trump campaign (NBC).

The Department of Homeland Security and Federal Bureau of Investigation have officially confirmed that the Russian hacking efforts in advance of the 2016 election went well beyond the 21 states confirmed in previous reports (ARS Technica).

The Manhattan U.S. attorney’s office has reported that it has gathered more evidence of hush payments to two women who alleged affairs with Donald Trump for its ongoing criminal investigation (Newsweek).

• Manhattan federal prosecutors interviewed former President Trump aide Hope Hicks and security chief Keith Schiller as part of their campaign finance investigation (WSJ).

IMMIGRATION

President Donald Trump denies rumors that his administration is hoping to resume the separation of parents and children at the US-Mexico border, Betsy Klein reports at CNN.

• But, as John Burnett and Mara Liasson write at NPR, the Trump administration is considering a variation of the policy now that Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen has resigned.

The White House said in a statement that it plans to appeal a U.S. District Court judge’s ruling blocking the administration policy to send asylum seekers to Mexico while they await a decision on their legal right to stay in the U.S. (BBC).

CIVIL RIGHTS 

Attorney General Bill Barr testified before the Senate Appropriations Committee on the Department of Justice fiscal 2020 budget request (Lawfare). 

The Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing to consider the nomination of Jeffrey A. Rosen to be the next deputy attorney general, reports Lev Sugarman at Lawfare.

The House of Representatives approved a bill that would reverse the Trump-era net neutrality rules, though the Bill may be blocked by the Senate or vetoed by President Trump (The Hill).

President Trump signed an executive order that rolls back regulations to the oil and gas industry, Steven Romo covers at ABC.

DEMOCRACY 

President Trump has faced more joint challenges from states in his first two years in office than either Barack Obama or George W. Bush did in their eight years in office, according to political science professor Paul Nolette (USA Today).

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