Daily Update | December 13, 2019
Hetali Lodaya // 12/13/19 //
The Judiciary Committee votes on articles of impeachment. The Fourth Circuit hears argument in an important Emoluments Clause case. And OMB issues a memo defending the decision to withhold aid to Ukraine.
REMOVAL FROM OFFICE
Judiciary Committee members raised a number of points of debate regarding whether Republic members had been treated fairly during the impeachment hearings. (The Hill)
After 14 hours of debate, the House Judiciary Committee will complete and approve the articles of impeachment on Friday. (WSJ)
The decision not to reference the Mueller report in the articles of impeachment was strategic, write John Bresnahan, Heather Caygle and Kyle Cheney for Politico.
The charges chosen are the most provable ones,writes Renato Mariotti for Politico.
Sources indicate that Leader McConnell will seek to hold a vote to acquit in the Senate, rather than dismiss the articles of impeachment. (CNN)
TRUMP: INVESTIGATIONS AND LITIGATION
The judges of the Fourth Circuit appear divided over whether to advance Emoluments Clause litigation brought by the D.C. and Maryland attorneys general. (The Hill)
The White House Office of Management and Budget has issued a memo defending its decision to withhold aid from Ukraine. (WaPo)
- The memo is here.
DOJ has released several internal memos that could boost the president’s claims of executive privilege in the face of subpoenas for documents and witnesses. (NYT)
IMMIGRATION
The Pentagon’s internal watchdog will look into the company that was awarded a $400 million dollar contract for border wall construction at the request of a House committee. (LA Times)
CONFLICTS OF INTEREST
A database of conflicts of interest alleged against the president and those in his circle has been updated here.
RUSSIAN INTERFERENCE
The findings of the FBI Inspector General’s report are important not just because of the president, but because of what they tell us about national security, argues Charlie Savage at NYT.
In particular, it raises troubling questions about the role of the FBI in FISA cases, writes Peter Margulius at Lawfare.