Daily Update | May 24, 2019
Rachel Thompson // 5/24/19 //
President Trump issued a memorandum granting Attorney General Barr sweeping authority in his audit of the Russian interference investigation. A court date has been set by the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals to hear the mounting subpoena case over access to the President’s financial records. The Justice Department has argued that Congress lacks the ability to sue Trump over appropriating military funds for constructing his border wall.
TRUMP: INVESTIGATIONS AND LITIGATION
President Trump issued a memorandum granting Attorney General Barr sweeping authority in his audit of the Russian interference investigation (WSJ, WaPo, NYT).
- The text of the memorandum is available here.
Curbing the enthusiasm for possible testimony from Special Counsel Robert Mueller regarding the findings of his now eponymous report, Bob Bauer at Lawfare weighs the pros-and-cons legally, politically, and ethically.
A court date has been set by the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals to hear the mounting subpoena case over access to the President’s financial records, reports Jacqueline Thomsen at The Hill.
IMMIGRATION
Despite being called the best attempt yet at serious immigration reform, the latest plan drafted in large part by Presidential Advisor and son-in-law Jared Kushner is still missing some key components, argues Alex Nowrasteh at Cato at Liberty.
CHECKS & BALANCES
The Justice Department has argued that Congress lacks the ability to sue Trump over appropriating military funds for constructing his border wall, writes Jacqueline Thomsen at The Hill.
The tumultuous week at the White House, as tensions surrounding possible impeachment mount both in Congress and in the West Wing, is synthesized by Burgess Everett, John Bresnahan, and Nancy Cook at Politico.
CONFLICTS OF INTEREST
Following the release of the President’s Public Financial Disclosure form last week, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington summarizes some of the most interesting takeaways.
- In particular, CREW’s analysis estimates that spending by political groups in 2018 accounted for more than 3% of the Trump International Hotel’s annual revenue.
RULE OF LAW
With President Trump’s two SCOTUS appointees on the bench, analysis of the Justices’ voting patterns can lead to insights and potentially more accurate predictions of decisions for pending cases, posits Adam Feldman at SCOTUSblog.
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Immigration Rule of Law Conflicts Checks & Balances