Trump v. FBI/ Mueller/ House Republicans Prepare Contempt Action Against FBI, DOJ

The chairman of the House Intelligence Committee is threatening to hold the Justice Department and FBI in contempt of Congress for withholding details about why a top FBI investigator was removed from Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian interference in the presidential campaign. 

“I have instructed House Intelligence Committee staff to begin drawing up a contempt of Congress resolution for DOJ Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and FBI Director Christopher Wray,” California Rep. Devin Nunes, the Republican chair of the committee, said in a statement on Saturday night. 

Rep. Nunes set a Monday deadline for the DOJ and FBI to comply with the committee’s list of demands, which includes requests for interviews with Rosenstein, Wray, and deputy FBI director Andrew McCabe as well as documents related to the anti-Trump dossier written by former British spy Christopher Steele.

Committee Republicans have tried in vain for months to force the DOJ and FBI to provide details of the Russia investigation, including how much it relied on the uncorroborated dossier to form the basis of its probe. 

The final straw for Nunes appears to be the bombshell revelation that FBI counterintelligence official Peter Strzok was kicked off of Mueller’s team over the summerafter it was discovered that he exchanged anti-Trump text messages with his mistress, an FBI lawyer named Lisa Page who also worked on Mueller’s team. 

Strzok now works in the FBI’s human resources department.

ABC NEWS Faces Backlash Over Bad Reporting

President Trump on Sunday morning lashed out at ABC News, two days after an erroneous report by investigative journalist Brian Ross involving the president. 

Ross had incorrectly reported Friday that during the 2016 presidential campaign, Trump had directed Michael Flynn to make contact with Russian officials before the election. 

Later that night, Ross read a “clarification” on “ABC World News Tonight,” saying Trump had actually asked Flynn to make contact with Russia after the election, when he was president-elect. 

It wasn’t until late Saturday afternoon that ABC issued a full correction and characterized Ross’s mistake as a “serious error.” The network also suspended Ross for four weeks without pay, effective immediately. 

On Twitter Saturday night, Trump initially offered his “congratulations” to ABC News for “suspending Ross for his horrendously inaccurate and dishonest report on the Russia, Russia, Russia Witch Hunt.” 

Many Trump supporters, including the president’s adult children, accused Ross of propagating “fake news” and linked his report to the Dow Jones industrial average dropping 350 points. 

On Sunday, the president took aim at the network itself, calling for those affected by the stock market tumble to “consider hiring a lawyer and suing ABC for the damages this bad reporting has caused.”

Rep. Todd Rokita Unveils Legislation to Jail Local Politicians for Obstructing American Immigration Law

A Republican congressman introduced a bill Monday that threatens huge fines and prison time for elected officials accused of sheltering illegal immigrant criminals from deportation, in the wake of the not-guilty verdict in the Kate Steinle murder trial.  

Indiana Rep. Todd Rokita’s bill is one of the most aggressive pieces of legislation to date aimed at sanctuary city policies, going beyond the Justice Department’s threat to cut off grants to those jurisdictions.  

His “Stopping Lawless Actions of Politicians (SLAP) Act” would hold state and local lawmakers criminally responsible for refusing to comply with federal immigration enforcement efforts. 

The Republican’s bill subjects violators to a $1 million fine and up to five years in prison if they are convicted. 

Rokita also supported “Kate’s Law” – legislation that would boost penalties for illegal immigrants who were previously deported and that was named after Steinle. 

Reconciliation of Tax Bills

Republicans are trying today to urgently reconcile the tax overhaul bills they passed in the House and Senate, entering a delicate period where they have to retain the support of their party’s conservative and moderate members. 

Party leaders insist that there are no show stopping differences between their two bills, each of which features a decrease in the corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 20 percent. 

Lawmakers are expecting an intense period of work starting Monday as lobbyists descend on the conference committee that will negotiate differences between the two pieces of legislation. Of particular concern will be changes made hours before the Senate passed its final legislation early Saturday morning, when the Senate changed its bill to preserve a provision of the current tax code that sets an alternative minimum tax floor for very wealthy individuals. That provision would be eliminated in the House bill, and scrapping the alternative minimum tax has long been a priority for GOP tax writers. 

Discussions are expected to continue throughout the week and could conclude as early as next week with the drafting of a so-called “conference report” that constitutes the final legislation. That bill must pass each chamber before Trump can sign it into law. 

Republicans insist they will pass a final version of the tax legislation for President Trump to sign before Christmas, and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) projected confidence on Sunday.

Trump: 'We Need' Roy Moore to Win in Alabama

President Trump is removing any lingering doubts that he fully backs embattled Republican Roy Moore's campaign. 

Trump tweeted, “Democrats refusal to give even one vote for massive Tax Cuts is why we need Republican Roy Moore to win in Alabama. We need his vote on stopping crime, illegal immigration, Border Wall, Military, Pro Life, V.A., Judges 2nd Amendment and more. No to Jones, a Pelosi/Schumer Puppet!” The president has also lambasted Democrat Doug Jones, Moore's opponent. 

If Jones defeats Moore next week, Republicans' Senate majority would narrow to just 51-49. Majority Leader McConnell had previously called on Moore to drop out, saying, "I believe the women." Over the weekend, McConnell said simply that it's up to the voters of Alabama.

Poll: Washington Post-Schar School poll

Support for Democrat Doug Jones among likely voters stands at 50 percent vs. Moore’s 47 percent, a margin of only three points that sets up a nail-biter for the Dec. 12 special election.

Poll: CBS News/YouGov

A poll over the weekend from CBS News/YouGov had Moore leading by six points, and showed the vast majority of GOP voters in Alabama believe the allegations against Moore are false. In the poll, Moore had 49% support and Jones had 43% support.

Germany offers money for migrants who go back home

Germany wants to support rejected asylum-seekers who voluntarily move back to their home countries with a one-time payment of 3,000 euros ($3,570). 

The Interior Ministry says those who qualify can apply by a Feb. 28 deadline and they would get the money once they return home. 

The Federal Ministry of the Interior announced the new program called “Your Country, Your Future, Now!” on Saturday. 

Up to now, asylum seekers in Germany received €1200 if they requested a voluntary return before their trial is completed. If the application has already been rejected, they are allocated €800. 

The Bild am Sonntag newspaper reported Sunday that 8,639 migrants participated in the returnee program between February and October, even though there are about 115,000 rejected asylum-seekers in Germany —many of whom can't be deported for humanitarian reasons.

Mail Time!

• "My husband I are truly disgusted with the whole horrible situation in California regarding Kate Steinle. We cannot think of enough adjectives to describe the despicable nature of sanctuary cities and the politicians that adopt and support these dangerous and reprehensible policies. What can be done?"
• The only thing that can be done is that you get behind SLAP and the other laws, Kate's Law, and you tell... but you're in New York, you're in Brooklyn. So, no matter what you do, your elected politicians here in this state, they don't care. New York is very similar to California. 

• "I pray for the Steinle family. They have suffered and lost more than anyone should bear. I also pray for my state of California. Some day we once again can be a great state. My family's been in California for seven generations and what we see today is not the state of our forefathers."
• No question. I mean, I've been going to California since 1970 and I love it out there. It's a beautiful state, gorgeous state. So many different areas and different things to see. It's just fabulous. But it is changed dramatically. Dramatically. I wouldn't want to live there. 

• "New Premium Member. I asked for my membership for my birthday, received it. Love the website and the podcast. I am 20-years-old and hope you will always do this. I plan on never unsubscribing."
• Jacob, right on, man. We're glad you're with us. We like the younger people. Spread the word.

Word of the Day: Odious