Per my teammate @GrahamKates - Trump’s lawyers file argument in court in $460+ million New York civil judgment, saying obtaining a bond of nearly half a billion dollars has proven to be "a practical impossibility”
Trump lawyers argue “The amount of the judgment, with interest, exceeds $464 million, and very few bonding companies will consider a bond of anything approaching that magnitude. The remaining handful will not accept hard assets such as real estate as collateral…”
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I’m in the chamber for tonight’s State of the Union for @CBSNews — to share what you might not be able to see on TV
For starters, 80 minutes before Pres Biden arrives, former Rep. George Santos is sitting in a seat on center aisle
Santos fraud trial is set for late this year
Santos is all smiles. Talking with Rep Matt Gaetz
FYI… Earlier this month, a judge set the sentencing for Santos’s co-defendant (former campaign treasurer Nancy Marks) for November
Rep Al Green (D-TX) is seated near the center aisle
Green underwent emergency surgery earlier this year and rushed out of the hospital in scrubs, with no shoes, to cast decisive vote to block 1st impeachment attempt against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas
NOW: GOP-led House Subcommitte on Weaponization of Fed. Govt begins hearing on "Big government' surveillance of "private financial data"
Minutes into hearing, topic pivots to Jan 6
Michael Fanone is a witness called by Democrats. Fanone says he'll rebut Jan 6 false claims
The top Democrat on panel, Del. S. Plaskett (D-Virgin Islands) lauds officer Fanone... and says GOP "is still seeking shelter from the truth"... "they want to protect not just themselves, but their political careers.. their jobs.. they're hiding behind lies"
Del. Plaskett lauds the nearly "1,000 convictions" of Jan 6 defendants by career prosecutors.. "not by political hacks"
"Americans saw the evidence...." She says prosecutors have held "violent individuals accountable for their horrendous deeds"
Per multiple sources, House Judiciary Committee's GOP-led "subcommittee on weaponization of the federal government" stages hearing Thursday into the federal probe of January 6th
Officer Michael Fanone is expected to be a "rebuttal witness" against any claims Jan 6 was peaceful
Per House GOP: this hearing will focus on “how big government has colluded with big banks to surveil Americans’ private financial data….”
Not about Jan 6
Officer Michael Fanone says he was called to be part of hearing to talk about Jan 6.
Per multiple sources, Fanone is expected to attend as witness
GOP pushed back on categorizing this as a probe about Jan 6
THIS MORNING: Feds to seek 27-months prison in jan 6 case of Clifford Mackrell
They'll argue "Mackrell successfully struck and yanked at an officer’s gas mask. Mackrell also assaulted (officer) & grabbed at his face"
Feds included these messages in sentencing memo to court ==>
Retired Capitol Police Sgt Aguilino Gonell makes argument at sentencing of Jan 6 defendant Cliff Mackrell:
“Officers like me risked our lives… and stopped people” from attacking elected officials
Sgt Gonell (more) to Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly about Jan 6 defendant: “You’ll hear that he was a political prisoner or a hostage. If so, who were we? Were the police ‘Hostage takers?”
NEXT HOUR: Sentencing in Capitol riot case of Michael Foy. Justice Dept seeks approx. 8-years prison. Their argument to court includes images of Foy trying to "stab at police with his long gnarled stick" and "throwing a sharpened metal pole"
Asst US Attorney has run thru a series of arguments seeking 97-months prison for Michael Foy in Jan 6 case.. saying:
“Foy was amongst the most violent actors”… in “anti-democratic violence” .. comparing it to “medieval siege”
Prosecutor has shown a series of videos of Foy swinging and chopping a hockey stick at police during attack near the tunnel. He argues it “was an explosion of violence at police” in the tunnel, in which Foy participated
NOW: Outside White House meeting, Sen Chuck Schumer (D-NY) says he, Pres. Biden, VP Harris, Sen. McConnell (R-KY) and Dem Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) all leaned on Speaker Johnson to pass Ukraine aid
Five-on-one lobbying. And meeting was intense per Democratic leaders
Sen Schumer says the meeting on Ukraine was one of the most intense he’s ever been part of… As they push House Speaker Mike Johnson to allow a vote on Ukraine aid.
(Members of both parties believe aid would easily be approved, if a vote is allowed.)
Speaker Johnson departs White House to speak to reporters, but without Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell at his side, as would be customary