Impeachment Day 18: Friday Wasn’t Kind to President Donald Trump
What a day! The administration lost three big court cases. Whistles are blowing all over. And our stable genius' latest policy moves have blown up in his face.
A federal appeals court held that Trump’s claims that he is immune to congressional oversight have no basis in law. Now he’ll have to appeal the case to keep the House Oversight Committee from gaining access to many of Trump’s financial records — potentially including his tax forms. However, this is not the type of case the Supreme Court accepts—especially with both the District and Appeals courts in agreement. In addition to this ruling, the Second Circuit is set to rule in the next two weeks on whether Trump’s tax forms will also be handed over to the Manhattan district attorney.
In New York, a federal judge issued a nationwide injunction blocking enforcement of a new policy denying legal residency to immigrants likely to depend on public assistance. People without green cards are already generally not eligible for public assistance; the new rule would have used an opaque process to determine whether they're likely to legally use government benefits in the future.
In a Texas proceeding, Judge David Briones said the president's Feb. 15 proclamation — which called the southern U.S. border a security and humanitarian crisis — was "unlawful," according to a court document filed Friday. Lawyers for the plaintiffs were given 10 days to file proposed parameters specifying the scope of the injunction they’re seeking to levy against the wall.
The Washington Post, citing US officials and other people familiar with the matter, ran a story saying at least four national security officials were so concerned by the Trump administration's efforts to pressure Ukraine for political purposes that they shared their discontent with a White House lawyer both before and after President Donald Trump's July phone call with Ukraine's President.
As rumors about more whistleblowers contacting congress swirled around the nation’s capital, the former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine Maria Yovanovitch testified, despite the White House’s announced refusal to cooperate with the House Democratic inquiry.
https://twitter.com/mkraju/status/1182721706626109440?s=20
In opening remarks, Yovanovitch said her abrupt departure in May came as a direct result of pressure Trump placed on the State Department to remove her.
From the Washington Post:
The account by Marie Yovanovitch depicts a career Foreign Service officer caught in a storm of unsubstantiated allegations pushed by the president’s personal attorney Rudolph W. Giuliani and a cast of former Ukrainian officials who viewed her as a threat to their financial and political interests.
She told lawmakers that she was forced to leave Kiev on “the next plane” this spring and subsequently removed from her post, with the State Department’s No. 2 official telling her that, although she had done nothing wrong, the president had lost confidence in her and the agency had been under significant pressure to remove her since the summer of 2018.
Gordon Sondland, the U.S. ambassador to the European Union implicated in the Ukraine pressure campaign, announced through his lawyers that he will defy State Department instructions against talking to Congress. The State Department will be able to prevent him from producing documents and other physical evidence requested by investigators.
Michael McKinley, a career diplomat and senior adviser to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, has resigned his position. This move comes amid rising dissatisfaction and plummeting morale inside the State Department over what is seen as Pompeo’s failure to support personnel ensnared in the Ukraine controversy.
United States Attorney General William Barr visited media mogul Rupert Murdoch for dinner earlier this week. Today, Fox News only real newsman, Shepard Smith announced his departure from the network. Are these events connected? Shep says no. I’m not so sure. NBC News reporter Jo Ling Kent says the veteran anchor was escorted by security out of the building upon concluding his final broadcast.
https://twitter.com/girlsreallyrule/status/1182752519166054402?s=20
As the world continued to reel following news of the U.S. stand down in Syria, Turkish forces “accidentally” shelled Special Forces in the majority-Kurdish city of Kobani, and a small number of ISIS fighters were reported to have escaped from prison. Over 10,000 captured fighters are in Kurdish camps, and there is a growing fear that war zone chaos will allow them to join the 19,000 ISIS members who’ve gone underground in Eastern Syria.
At the United Nations Security Council, Russia and the United States successfully blocked a joint statement urging Turkey “to cease the unilateral military action.”
On Monday, we can look forward to congressional testimony from Fiona Hill, who was until recently President Donald Trump’s top aide on Russia and Europe. NBC News reports she plans to tell Congress that Rudy Giuliani and E.U. ambassador Gordon Sondland circumvented the National Security Council and the normal White House process to pursue a shadow policy on Ukraine.
Oh, and just to top things off, the President issued a statement claiming to have reached a preliminary deal with the Chinese in trade talks. That statement fell apart in about 20 minutes. The two sides have agreed to have another meeting, and the Chinese are being rewarded by way of Trump holding off on imposing additional sanctions.
So Much Winning!
***
https://twitter.com/joanmccarter/status/1182762973950930944?s=20
***My daily coverage of the impeachment saga will continue through the weekend if there are new developments to report. And I assume there will be.***
Hey folks! Be sure to like/follow Words & Deeds on Facebook. If you’d like to have each post emailed to you, check out the simple subscription form on the right side of the front page.
Email me at WritetoDougPorter@Gmail.com
Lead image credit: Pixabay