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On Friday, the Trump administration overturned a ban on sales of silencers to private overseas buyers.

Records we obtained show the White House adviser who championed the move was invited to meet with gun lobbyists just after the Parkland shooting.

nytimes.com/2020/07/13/us/…
After a stint at OMB, Michael Williams was named deputy assistant to the president in April 2019. Prior to joining the Trump campaign in 2016, Williams worked for the NRA and the American Suppressor Association, where his brother is the president.
The American Suppressor Association lobbies against regulations on silencers, and Williams worked as the organization’s top lawyer for two years before making his way to the Trump campaign.
Today, the Times reported on records we obtained through FOIA that show Williams was invited to participate in calls with a number of gun lobbyists soon after the February 2018 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla.
americanoversight.org/administration…
The calls, which took place on Feb. 27, March 2, and March 8, include a number of industry organizations, such as NSSF, Vista Outdoor, gun manufacturer Sig Sauer, and various lobbying firms.

documentcloud.org/documents/6935…
An agenda for the March 8 call mentions various states (including Florida) and the “Fix NICS” bill (NICS refers to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System).

documentcloud.org/documents/6935…
The rule change is yet another indication of the sway that industry lobbyists have on President Trump’s decisions.

“It is exceedingly difficult to square this rule change with America’s national interest,” said our executive director @AREvers.
“Ensuring the United States can operate as a middleman for gun manufacturers to get silencers into the hands of foreign armed groups is the kind of action that can only be explained by the extraordinary level of access and control special interests have in this administration.”
We’ve been examining the influence of the gun industry and other lobbying groups across the administration. Track all of our investigations into influence and access here.

americanoversight.org/areas_of_inves…
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American Oversight
@weareoversight
There are so many stories about corruption in the Trump administration, it’s easy for it to become normalized.

But Trump’s commutation of Roger Stone’s sentence is unbelievably corrupt.

Let’s take a step back and review exactly how unparalleled this is.
After working in politics for nearly 50 years, Stone served as an informal adviser and media surrogate for President Trump’s first campaign. He left in August 2015. Trump claimed he fired Stone although Stone said he quit.
As Wikileaks released emails of Hilary Clinton’s campaign manager John Podesta that had been stolen by Russian intelligence, Stone publicly and privately said he had inside knowledge of the leaks.
Read 20 tweets
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American Oversight
@weareoversight
Today, the Supreme Court ruled Trump isn’t above the law. “Temporary presidential immunity” isn’t legitimate and Trump’s financial records can be subpoenaed.

SCOTUS also ruled that Congressional subpoenas of Trump’s financial records could be enforceable.

BUT:
The decisions validate Trump’s delay tactics.

In cases related to House Dems’ investigations, SCOTUS ruled that lower courts did not adequately consider the separation of powers issues involved. It’ll go back to the lower courts for a balancing test.

americanoversight.org/supreme-court-…
In Vance, related to the Manhattan prosecutor subpoenaing Trump’s financial records, the case will also go back to the lower courts where Trump can raise more arguments.

Trump’s financial records are unlikely to be released before the November election.
Read 10 tweets
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American Oversight
@weareoversight
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker is testifying before the House Homeland Security Committee about the government’s Covid-19 response.

Emails we obtained reveal a heated exchange in which the Trump administration complained about tweets from Pritzker criticizing its Covid-19 efforts.
On March 14, the White House Director of Intergovernmental Affairs Douglas Hoelscher emailed Pritzker’s chief of staff, Anne Caprara, to complain about Pritzker’s tweets criticizing the federal government’s travel restrictions for causing O’Hare Airport delays.
In his tweets, Pritzker asserted that the delays created crowds and increased the risk of Covid spread.

Hoelscher's email included links to several of Pritzerk's tweets.

americanoversight.org/document/publi…
Read 15 tweets

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