Daily Update | January 9, 2019
Zak Lutz // 1/9/19 //
After first appearing to miss a filing deadline, Paul Manafort’s legal team announced it had filed under seal without prior notice. Manafort openly disputed that he lied to investigators. Then, by error, the sealed filings leaked, showing that Manafort has been accused of sharing polling data with Russian intelligence. A bipartisan group of lawmakers will introduce a bill to protect Robert Mueller this week. President Trump tweeted that reporting about the Syria withdrawal plan was inaccurate--and that the plans have not changed--amid ongoing confusion. After some delay by the Trump Administration, airlines will have to report statistics regarding how often they break wheelchairs and similar aids. In the past month, the Trump Administration has continued to promote programs benefiting the Trump and Kushner families. The Supreme Court announced it would also close on January 18, when the judiciary cannot sustain operations during the government shutdown.
TRUMP INVESTIGATIONS & LITIGATION
After first appearing to miss a filing deadline, Paul Manafort’s legal team announced it had filed under seal without prior notice. Manafort openly disputed that he lied to investigators. Then, by error, the sealed filings leaked, showing that Manafort has been accused of sharing polling data with Russian intelligence (Hill, Hill, Hill, LAT, NYT, Politico, WaPo).
The Supreme Court received a request that documents regarding the mysterious grand jury subpoena be filed under seal (Bloomberg, Hill, SCOTUSBlog); the Court then declined to intervene (Hill, LAT, NYT, SCOTUS, WaPo) and the D.C. Circuit upheld a contempt citation (Lawfare).
The Russian lawyer at the noted Trump Tower meeting has been charged in a different money laundering case (WaPo).
The President is subject to criminal laws, argue Daniel Hemel and Eric Posner in Lawfare.
A bipartisan group of lawmakers will introduce a bill to protect Robert Mueller this week (Hill).
IMMIGRATION
President Trump and administration officials have repeated and emphasized their claims about a crisis on America’s southern border (NYT).
- Commentators have continued to discuss and argue about the legality of President Trump declaring a national emergency and then building a southern border wall (Bloomberg, Dorf on Law, Just Security, Just Security, LAT, Lawfare, NYT, WaPo, WSJ).
President Trump has exaggerated any “crisis” at the border, reports Michael Barbaro and others in The New York Times.
- Other news agencies have also claimed or argued that the Trump Administration has exaggerated any crisis (CNN, Just Security, NYT).
- President Trump has planned a short address to the nation about the border, and the national networks will carry the speech (NYT, NYT).
CIVIL RIGHTS
After some delay by the Trump Administration, airlines will have to report statistics regarding how often they break wheelchairs and similar aids (DisabilityScoop).
JUSTICE & SAFETY
President Trump tweeted that reporting about the Syria withdrawal plan was inaccurate--and that the plans have not changed--amid ongoing confusion (AP, Hill, NBC, Politico, WaPo, WaPo, US Central Command).
The shutdown will further drain morale in the civil service and, through potential loss of human capital, make America less safe, argues Darren E. Tromblay at Just Security.
CONFLICTS OF INTEREST
In the past month, the Trump Administration has continued to promote programs benefiting the Trump and Kushner families (Global Anticorruption Blog).
REGULATION
Weirdly, the EPA published a new regulation that doesn’t do anything--it just disagrees with a prior regulation, writes Eli Savit in Take Care.
The FDA warned that sensory jewelry--such as teething necklaces and devices for people with special needs--are dangerous and should not be used (DisabilityScoop).
The CFPB issued a regulation that could lead to more public disclosure of home mortgages (Consumer Finance Monitor).
CHECKS & BALANCES
The Supreme Court announced it would also close on January 18, when the judiciary cannot sustain operations during the government shutdown (Hill).
RUSSIAN INTERFERENCE
A U.S. District Judge harshly criticized an American lawyer defending a Russian company for questioning Robert Mueller’s and the judge’s impartiality (WaPo).
Tags:
Immigration Conflicts Checks & Balances Regulation Civil Rights Justice & Safety Russian Interference