Heading into the holiday this week, it may have been difficult to keep up with all of the Trump #impeachment news. Here’s a thread of “light holiday reading” so you can talk to your family about what’s at stake. 1/
First things first: committees in the House of Representatives continue to uncover what feels like a mountain of evidence proving Trump’s corruption. But let’s not forget that Trump HIMSELF has admitted to the bribery scheme he’s accused of. 2/ bit.ly/2OKpzVm
Trump’s own officials have confirmed the bribery scheme as well. That includes Gordon Sondland, the Ambassador to the European Union, who testified UNDER OATH that Trump tried to bribe Ukraine and pretty much EVERYONE in the White House was in on it. 3/ to.pbs.org/35CMKHY
Yesterday, it was reported that a bunch of subpoenas have been sent to witnesses to seek records and information about Giuliani and his two associates, Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman (who have already been indicted). 4/ on.wsj.com/37vB4IC
Their list of alleged crimes is long -- obstruction of justice, money laundering, conspiracy to defraud the US, lying to the gov., etc. -- and makes it clear that federal investigators are looking into Giuliani’s business dealings. 5/
On Monday, it was reported that the WH tried to cover up the Ukraine scandal. Hundreds of emails show that the Trump administration was furiously trying to find a legit reason for holding up aid to Ukraine -- AFTER they’d already decided to do it. 6/ wapo.st/2OMUwrW
There’s an email exchange from *August* between acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney and WH budget officials -- looking for a legal rationale they could use to explain why the aid was held up back in *July.* 7/
Last week we found out that Devin Nunes is apparently more deeply involved in the Ukraine scandal than previously thought. Lev Parnas helped arrange meetings for Nunes w/ corrupt former Ukrainian officials who wanted to help dig up dirt on the Bidens. 8/ bit.ly/33m6YUD
Now, Parnas is willing to testify that he was working with Nunes to help dig up dirt on the Bidens before the 2020 election. Considering Nunes is the top Republican on the House Intelligence Committee, this is especially problematic. 9/ wapo.st/2scAdfJ
Parnas’ lawyer said that Parnas “reasonably believed Giuliani’s directions reflected the interests and wishes of the president” and that he is “remorseful for involving himself … in the president’s self-interested political plot.” 10/
Do y’all remember David Pecker? He runs the National Enquirer, the publication that helped “catch and kill” negative stories about Trump before the 2016 election, including the one on Stormy Daniels. 11/ cnn.it/2XQBLrO
Now Pecker is working with prosecutors from the New York DA’s office as it investigates the Trump Organization’s handling of hush money payments to benefit Trump’s 2016 campaign. This means he could be a critical witness in the investigation. 12/
Yesterday, Former WH Counsel Don McGahn was ordered to answer questions from congress as they look at possible obstruction of justice by Trump. This is important bc it doesn’t bode well for other admin officials who’ve been defying subpoenas. 13/ bloom.bg/2OLHT0b
Bolton and Mulvaney in particular should be worried as we found out last week in the hearings that they were actively involved in a cover up of the Ukraine bribery scheme. 14/
U.S. District Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson rejected the DOJ’s argument that presidents can broadly restrict testimony by former aides, writing “the primary takeaway from the past 250 years of recorded American history is that presidents are not kings.” 15/
Finally, yesterday the Supreme Court granted a stay on Trump’s tax records, meaning that there’s a temporary hold on releasing his tax returns until both sides can present arguments. This is why the courts matter, folks. 16/ reut.rs/2rrWMNj
