@KlasfeldReports's Threads
BREAKING: The Second Circuit DENIES a request by Turkey's state-run Halkbank for emergency relief in a 2-page summary order.
That means this ruling from December, denying a special proceeding that would postpone arraignment, still stands: courthousenews.com/judge-slams-tu…
That means this ruling from December, denying a special proceeding that would postpone arraignment, still stands: courthousenews.com/judge-slams-tu…
Background: Halkbank has been charged in a record-breaking money laundering scheme involving violations of U.S. sanctions against Iran.
The Second Circuit also denied Halkbank's stay motion.
Next SDNY hearing set for Feb. 25.
Doc: documentcloud.org/documents/6782…
The Second Circuit also denied Halkbank's stay motion.
Next SDNY hearing set for Feb. 25.
Doc: documentcloud.org/documents/6782…
Long story short, Halkbank tried to delay its prosecution for this money laundering scheme through an arcane legal proceeding.
The Second Circuit unceremoniously slapped it down.
The criminal case proceeds--and quickly.
The Second Circuit unceremoniously slapped it down.
The criminal case proceeds--and quickly.
Lots of revisionist history on stop and frisk in last night’s debate, but here was a big one:
There was never a lawsuit to end NYPD stops and frisks. The litigation aimed to reduce rampant, unconstitutional stops and frisks.
Bloomberg opposed those suits until the bitter end.
There was never a lawsuit to end NYPD stops and frisks. The litigation aimed to reduce rampant, unconstitutional stops and frisks.
Bloomberg opposed those suits until the bitter end.
After civil liberties groups like @theCCR filed suit, NYPD stops dropped dramatically around the time of trial. The reduction continued after a federal judge appointed a monitor.
Obama’s DOJ expressed support of court monitoring, but Biden overstated his role.
Obama’s DOJ expressed support of court monitoring, but Biden overstated his role.
@theCCR A point rarely raised when stop and frisk becomes a national issue:
NYPD is still under court monitoring, and the most recent report from December says police are undercounting stops--but they're still decreasing and crime continues to fall.
The report: ccrjustice.org/sites/default/…
NYPD is still under court monitoring, and the most recent report from December says police are undercounting stops--but they're still decreasing and crime continues to fall.
The report: ccrjustice.org/sites/default/…
This is what DHS has been sending New York applicants to Global Entry, according to a friend who forwarded a rejection message.
Did you receive a similar rejection meaage?
Contact me via Signal, WhatsApp, email, or whatever other mode you prefer.
Reach out by DM.
Contact me via Signal, WhatsApp, email, or whatever other mode you prefer.
Reach out by DM.
Note: More specifically, CBP is the DHS subagency sending the emails.
After defeating claims of defrauding investors over the climate crisis, Exxon went to court today to revive a suit against the state AGs who investigated them.
The appellate panel included two Trump appointees and a judge who previously wrote a landmark ruling favoring Chevron.
The appellate panel included two Trump appointees and a judge who previously wrote a landmark ruling favoring Chevron.
Exxon’s suit against the AGs was previously dismissed by a federal judge who said the company ran “roughshod” over the adage that the “best defense is a good offense.”
The Trump appointees appeared receptive to its claims—though uncertain whether the state trial mooted the case.
The Trump appointees appeared receptive to its claims—though uncertain whether the state trial mooted the case.
The judges reserved decision, and so no ruling yet.
More details inside the story.
More details inside the story.
The Second Circuit appeared skeptical this morning about an emergency petition filed by Turkey's state-run Halkbank:
"There is no history in this Circuit of special appearances to challenge personal jurisdiction," Judge Richard Sullivan said.
Background: courthousenews.com/judge-slams-tu…
"There is no history in this Circuit of special appearances to challenge personal jurisdiction," Judge Richard Sullivan said.
Background: courthousenews.com/judge-slams-tu…
The writ of mandamus filed by Halkbank was an arcane maneuver, but in short:
Halkbank's attorneys have fought (and failed) to challenge their prosecution for a record-breaking money laundering scheme without consenting to arraignment.
Halkbank's attorneys have fought (and failed) to challenge their prosecution for a record-breaking money laundering scheme without consenting to arraignment.
After that effort failed in district court, Halkbank attorney's filed an emergency petition. The three-judge panel hearing that today reserved decision, but they peppered the bank's counsel with tough questions.
Senator Brown asks Mnuchin whether the withdrawal of the Treasury nomination for Jessie Liu is "another stop on the president's personal retribution tour."
After Mnuchin said he learned two days ago about the nomination withdrawal, Brown reminded him he's under oath.
After Mnuchin said he learned two days ago about the nomination withdrawal, Brown reminded him he's under oath.
(Deleted and reposted the above tweet, twice, to correct typos and to clarify modifiers. Time for the afternoon coffee.)
"Absent any plausible explanation for his withdrawal of this nomination," Brown says it appears to have been designed to prevent her from answering questions under oath before the banking committee tomorrow about cases like Flynn's and Stone's.
WATCH: Sen. @RonWyden presses Mnuchin on meeting with Erdogan and his son-in-law, both implicated in the Halkbank scandal, in the Oval Office:
"Is it just open season for sanctions violators in your Treasury Department?" Wyden thundered.
c-span.org/video/?c485479…
"Is it just open season for sanctions violators in your Treasury Department?" Wyden thundered.
c-span.org/video/?c485479…
@RonWyden Hours later, when questioning turns back to him, Wyden keeps pushing Mnuchin for answers on Halkbank.
"You said that when President Erdogan asked Trump to go easy on Turkey, President Trump referred Erdogan's request to you."
"You said that when President Erdogan asked Trump to go easy on Turkey, President Trump referred Erdogan's request to you."
"So my question to you is: Did President Trump ask you to intervene and assist with Turkey's sanctions violations?"
Mnuchin: "The reason why the president referred Halkbank to me and to DOJ was there was ongoing issue and the portion of Halkbank fell under my responsibilities."
Mnuchin: "The reason why the president referred Halkbank to me and to DOJ was there was ongoing issue and the portion of Halkbank fell under my responsibilities."
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin is being questioned right now for a Senate Finance hearing on Trump's 2021 fiscal year budget.
Senator @RonWyden asks him about greenlighting GOP inquiries stonewalling Democratic requests, like his one on Halkbank.
courthousenews.com/no-denial-from…
Senator @RonWyden asks him about greenlighting GOP inquiries stonewalling Democratic requests, like his one on Halkbank.
courthousenews.com/no-denial-from…
@RonWyden Wyden: "It sure looks like Erdogan and his son-in-law have been personally implicated in it," referring to the money laundering scandal involving Turkey's state-run Halkbank.
Noting Mnuchin has held seven separate meetings with Erdogan and top Turkish officials, Wyden asks if it's "open season" for accused violators of U.S. sanctions against Iran.
Mnuchin refuses to disclose information about his meetings about Halkbank.
Mnuchin refuses to disclose information about his meetings about Halkbank.
The upshot: The DOJ will have to explain to a federal judge who gagged Roger Stone for threatening her on social media why they want to retroactively lower his sentencing rec right after Trump tweeted about it.
And why an AUSA immediately resigned after.
And why an AUSA immediately resigned after.
It's hard to imagine the DOJ's backflip working out in Roger Stone's favor, unless the actual goal was less giving the dirty trickster a break than it was being seen to be doing so for the president.
To clean up the thread in a final update:
That’s all four AUSAs.
That’s all four AUSAs.
Calling his motive—to stay neutral above political fray—understandable, Senate Intel faulted Obama for not releasing more info about Russian interference in 2016.
In a minority view, Wyden faulted GOP colleagues for obscuring party’s role. @CourthouseNews courthousenews.com/neutrality-war…
In a minority view, Wyden faulted GOP colleagues for obscuring party’s role. @CourthouseNews courthousenews.com/neutrality-war…
Deleted and replaced a prior version of this tweet to correct grammar and more accurately state Senator Wyden’s minority view.
I know all my diligent followers already do so, but this would be a good time for all to read through the story itself—if only because the report itself is worth a read.
Loud applause greeting the opening of the doors for a press conference to begin.
He steps to the podium, his White House counsel Sekulow and Cipollone to his side and a kingly fanfare playing.
He steps to the podium, his White House counsel Sekulow and Cipollone to his side and a kingly fanfare playing.
Fanfare followed by "Hail to the Chief," then extended applause.
Trump: "We've all been through a lot together, and we probably deserve that hand for all of us."
"A tremendous thing was done over the last number of months."
Then he pivots to the "Witch Hunt" rhetoric.
"A tremendous thing was done over the last number of months."
Then he pivots to the "Witch Hunt" rhetoric.
Scene from McConnell presser:
Q: How long is Senator Romney going to be in the doghouse?
McConnell: (laughing) We don't have any doghouses here.
Me: Well, we'll see what happens in Trump's remarks coming up.
Q: How long is Senator Romney going to be in the doghouse?
McConnell: (laughing) We don't have any doghouses here.
Me: Well, we'll see what happens in Trump's remarks coming up.
Q: Will the Republican Party go after the Bidens after this impeachment?
McConnell says he doesn't tell the Committee chairs what to do.
(Lindsey Graham, who chairs Foreign Relations, has said yes.)
McConnell says he doesn't tell the Committee chairs what to do.
(Lindsey Graham, who chairs Foreign Relations, has said yes.)
McConnell has ducked @ManuRaju's question about whether Trump's request for a foreign government to investigate the Bidens multiple times.
He ducked another reporter's followup of those questions again just now.
He ducked another reporter's followup of those questions again just now.
Speaker Pelosi's press conference begins, fashionably late.
"I just got back from the Prayer Breakfast," she explains, before pivoting to the #SOTU "reality show," which she said bore no semblance to reality.
"I just got back from the Prayer Breakfast," she explains, before pivoting to the #SOTU "reality show," which she said bore no semblance to reality.
Pelosi slammed Trump for his claims on protecting pre-existing conditions, when his admin is fighting against ACA (aka, Obamacare) in court right now.
"That misrepresentation is appalling and so completely untrue."
"That misrepresentation is appalling and so completely untrue."
Pelosi: "Appalling also was when he was trying to discredit" the achievements of the Obama economy.
(She passed along a fact-sheet on the subject, touting the halving of unemployment and 76 consecutive months of job growth.)
(She passed along a fact-sheet on the subject, touting the halving of unemployment and 76 consecutive months of job growth.)
This is a good time to review the incisive list of questions that Senator Romney prepared last week.
They are still cutting—and some, like the first, remain unanswered.
They are still cutting—and some, like the first, remain unanswered.
Romney to WH counsel:
"Given that Rudy Giuliani’s May 10, 2019 letter to President Zelensky asserted he was acting with the 'knowledge and consent' of President Trump, what did President Trump specifically task Giuliani to do in Ukraine?"
This refers to a Parnas trove doc.
"Given that Rudy Giuliani’s May 10, 2019 letter to President Zelensky asserted he was acting with the 'knowledge and consent' of President Trump, what did President Trump specifically task Giuliani to do in Ukraine?"
This refers to a Parnas trove doc.
The second question shows how Romney struggled with his vote even back then, asking about a theory he could have used to justify an acquittal.
Stunned Dems boo & groan as Trump says: "We will always protect patients with pre-existing conditions -- that is a guarantee."
His admin is currently in court to eviscerate those protections.
"There are those who want to take away your healthcare," he says.
"You!" Dems shout.
His admin is currently in court to eviscerate those protections.
"There are those who want to take away your healthcare," he says.
"You!" Dems shout.
"Over 130 legislators in this chamber have endorsed legislation that would bankrupt our Nation by providing free taxpayer-funded healthcare to millions of illegal aliens."
This time, the wave of groans on the Dem side takes the form of an "Awwww...."
This time, the wave of groans on the Dem side takes the form of an "Awwww...."
Trump: "My Administration is also taking on the big pharmaceutical companies."
Uproarious laughter on the Dem side at this line.
Uproarious laughter on the Dem side at this line.
@CourthouseNews Like last year, many of the women on the Democratic side are dressed in white, a stark visual contrast from the GOP side of the aisle.
@CourthouseNews Standing ovations as Chief Justice Roberts and the associate justices enter.
"FEC Records Show GOP Haste to Dump Lev Parnas Cash"
My dive through the year-end FEC filings, for @CourthouseNews.
courthousenews.com/fec-records-sh…
My dive through the year-end FEC filings, for @CourthouseNews.
courthousenews.com/fec-records-sh…
@CourthouseNews As noted in the story, Rep. Kevin McCarthy repeatedly said he donated Parnas and Fruman's money "to charity," while ducking multiple reporters' requests for specificity.
Newly released FEC records show his campaign's donations after the men's arrest.
Newly released FEC records show his campaign's donations after the men's arrest.
@CourthouseNews McCarthy's campaign donated to more than a dozen local charities in the last fiscal quarter, following Parnas and Fruman's arrest.
His office did not respond to an email asking, among other things, which were the donations he referred to. docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/forms/…
His office did not respond to an email asking, among other things, which were the donations he referred to. docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/forms/…
Last Wednesday, @SenBlumenthal told me he would “ask the chief justice to immediately intervene and perhaps apply sanctions” if a GOP senator read the alleged name of the whistleblower in session. courthousenews.com/heard-in-the-h…
From that story
Correction: By “in session,” I meant to say on the Senate floor.
End of a long beat. The senator’s exact remarks are quoted above.
End of a long beat. The senator’s exact remarks are quoted above.
New FEC Records:
The day Lev Parnas & Igor Fruman's arrest became public, Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C., returned $5,400 to Fruman.
Wilson also refunded a $2,700 over-limit donation on New Year's Eve to Imaad Zuberi, a Trump inauguration donor prosecuted in NY & CA. @CourthouseNews
The day Lev Parnas & Igor Fruman's arrest became public, Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C., returned $5,400 to Fruman.
Wilson also refunded a $2,700 over-limit donation on New Year's Eve to Imaad Zuberi, a Trump inauguration donor prosecuted in NY & CA. @CourthouseNews
@CourthouseNews More on Zuberi here:
courthousenews.com/trump-inaugura…
Here are the disbursement records in question:
docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/forms/…
courthousenews.com/trump-inaugura…
Here are the disbursement records in question:
docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/forms/…
@CourthouseNews New FEC Records:
Two days after Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman's arrest, Congressman Andy Barr, R-Ky., donated the $2,457.68 that he received from "Furman" (a fake name, per prosecutors) to the charity Voices of Hope.
This matches Barr's public statement. docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/forms/…
Two days after Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman's arrest, Congressman Andy Barr, R-Ky., donated the $2,457.68 that he received from "Furman" (a fake name, per prosecutors) to the charity Voices of Hope.
This matches Barr's public statement. docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/forms/…
Lead impeachment manager, HPSCI Chairman Adam Schiff:
"Senators, we are not enemies but friends. We must not be enemies."
"It is midnight in Washington."
"Senators, we are not enemies but friends. We must not be enemies."
"It is midnight in Washington."
Schiff:
Somewhere in the bowels of Trump's Justice Department, Main Justice acknowledged 24 emails showing the president's thinking on Ukraine.
Schiff points out that admission released the midnight after Senate blocked witnesses.
ICYMI: latimes.com/world-nation/s…
Somewhere in the bowels of Trump's Justice Department, Main Justice acknowledged 24 emails showing the president's thinking on Ukraine.
Schiff points out that admission released the midnight after Senate blocked witnesses.
ICYMI: latimes.com/world-nation/s…
Schiff skewers Dershowitz argument that abuse of power isn't impeachable: "Trump could offer Alaska to the Russians in exchange for support in the next elections."
He adds later: "Of course this would be absurd. More than absurd, it would be dangerous."
He adds later: "Of course this would be absurd. More than absurd, it would be dangerous."
Good morning from Washington.
On the road for my birthday, I’ll be covering closing arguments in the Senate impeachment proceedings. It will be a memorable one.
To riff on Mark Twain’s teaser for his lecture tours, the trouble begins at 11 a.m.
On the road for my birthday, I’ll be covering closing arguments in the Senate impeachment proceedings. It will be a memorable one.
To riff on Mark Twain’s teaser for his lecture tours, the trouble begins at 11 a.m.
Also follow my @CourthouseNews colleagues @MMineiro_CNS, @JackRodgersCNS and @ByTimRyan—@BBuchman_CNS, whom you also should be following, will be back with us soon.
Holding the fort back in New York City, where Lev Parnas, Igor Fruman and company have a pre-trial hearing this afternoon, is my SDNY colleague @jruss_jruss—whom I will be joining back home soon.
NEW FEC RECORDS:
Two days after Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman's arrest, then-Rep. Pete Sessions ("Congressman-1" in the duo's indictment) made two $2,700 charitable donations:
The Waco-based Advocacy Center for Crime Victims & Children and Bryan-based Scotty's House.
Two days after Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman's arrest, then-Rep. Pete Sessions ("Congressman-1" in the duo's indictment) made two $2,700 charitable donations:
The Waco-based Advocacy Center for Crime Victims & Children and Bryan-based Scotty's House.
When talking about these Lev and Igor's money in the past, Sessions claimed: "What about that money? $2,700 x 2. That was given on a credit card to a website. The day one I learned about it, I gave that $2,700 to a charity in Bryan and a charity in Waco." wacotrib.com/opinion/interv…
That would place "day one" at Oct. 11, 2019, but that doesn't wash.
According to George Kent's testimony, Sessions met with Parnas and Fruman on May 9, 2018, the same day Sessions sent a letter to Pompeo smearing Yovanovitch.
Parnas and Fruman donations came on June 25, 2018.
According to George Kent's testimony, Sessions met with Parnas and Fruman on May 9, 2018, the same day Sessions sent a letter to Pompeo smearing Yovanovitch.
Parnas and Fruman donations came on June 25, 2018.
Dear Washingtonians:
I have about a week longer in this town, on and off, perhaps slightly more depending on the news cycle.
If we’ve interacted on here, or IRL, please message me. DMs open.
I have about a week longer in this town, on and off, perhaps slightly more depending on the news cycle.
If we’ve interacted on here, or IRL, please message me. DMs open.
To be clear:
I’ll still be reporting frequently on national news, from New York City, where I live and have covered SDNY for years.
Just nearing the anticipated end of a three-month road assignment and reaching out to the friends I’ve made along the way in DC.
I’ll still be reporting frequently on national news, from New York City, where I live and have covered SDNY for years.
Just nearing the anticipated end of a three-month road assignment and reaching out to the friends I’ve made along the way in DC.
And apologies to West Cost Washingtonians:
I am nowhere near Seattle currently, and yes, they use the same word in DC too.
I am nowhere near Seattle currently, and yes, they use the same word in DC too.
Just got off the phone with my colleague @JRuss_JRuss, who attended today’s hearing in the Lev Parnas case in SDNY.
Igor Fruman, represented by Manafort’s old lawyer Todd Blanche, claimed privileged info was being released.
The judge said it’s #HPSCI’s issue. He won’t intervene
Igor Fruman, represented by Manafort’s old lawyer Todd Blanche, claimed privileged info was being released.
The judge said it’s #HPSCI’s issue. He won’t intervene
It’s up to House Intelligence Committee to protect any potentially attorney-client privileged material, Judge Oetken said, according to my colleague.
And what HPSCI determines is not privileged can be shared.
So the info released by the Committee remains public.
And what HPSCI determines is not privileged can be shared.
So the info released by the Committee remains public.
Look out for @jruss_jruss’s full write-up soon at @CourthouseNews.
Litigation of these issues, while in the weeds, is significant.
Litigation of these issues, while in the weeds, is significant.
