The Washington Post is reporting that Special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russia’s interference in the 2016 election has now expanded to look into whether President Donald Trump attempted to obstruct justice. What is most notable is not the investigation of obstruction of justice. Rather it is the fact of the leak that is alarming. Former FBI Director James Comey (who followed Mueller at the Bureau and has had a long relationship with Mueller) just admitted to leaking damaging information against Trump. Comey, who was tasked with investigating leakers, became a leaker himself. Now, the Special Counsel’s office is accused by Trump’s counsel of leaking informing damaging to Trump — an office that could be asked to consider unauthorized leaks as part of its investigation. While such leaks could come from witnesses, those witnesses appear in large part high-ranking members of the Trump administration unless they came from a briefing with members of Congress.
Continue reading “Did The Special Counsel’s Office Just Leak Against Trump?”
This is James T. Hodgkinson, 66, who has been identified as the shooter in today’s tragedy. He is from Belleville, Illinois and appears a political activist. He is the owner of JTH Inspections. He has a criminal record, including battery.
There is an interesting article in the Washington Post entitled “
I was in Fox studios in Washington this morning when the news came out of the shooting of House Majority Whip Steve Scalise, Rep. Roger Williams and others at a baseball field in Alexandria. It was a horrific story made all the more surreal by the fact that I used to take my kids to that field when I lived in Alexandria. This is a very peaceful area where families gather regularly near the Del Rey neighborhood. There is still differing accounts of whether the shooter is dead. If he is alive, there are specific federal offenses for this type of act that makes this a federal offense as well as a state offense. Such an assault on a member is deemed attempted assassination under the federal law due to the status of the victim (and likely motivation of the crime).
Below is my column in The Hill Newspaper on the legal analysis surrounding the disclosure by former FBI Director James Comey that he leaked damaging information against President Donald Trump in memos to the press. I have been surprised by the analysis which has been both artificially narrow or outright erroneous on the underlying legal issues. There was an early effort, for example, to judge the lawfulness of Comey’s actions solely on the basis of whether it was a crime. If these memos were government property, a claim for criminal conduct could be made but it would be unlikely under existing precedent. However, that does not mean that Comey’s conduct was either lawful or professional. Neither is true. In the rush to lionize Comey, the media is ignoring the fact that others have been punished for releasing non-public information to the media. Moreover, Comey and the FBI was tasked with finding leakers in the Administration. Yet, after being fired and publicly insulted by Trump, Comey became himself a leaker (despite a readily available and lawful avenue for disclosing the memos in a matter of weeks). I have stated from the outset that criminal charges are unlikely (and in my view unwarranted) as the facts currently stand with regard to this one leak. However, the leak was in my view unlawful and unprofessional. Comey allowed himself to be baited by Trump and proceeded to discard his professional judgment to strike back through a third party. His conduct should not be judged solely on the basis of whether it might land him in jail. Moreover, if the FBI wanted to pursue the violation, it could drag Comey to court and seek various remedies outlined in the agreement that all FBI agents sign as a condition of their employment.
President Donald Trump lashed out at James Comey on the weekend and called him “cowardly.” It was the latest impolitic tweet and it does not appear to be working well for Trump. A 
British Prime Minister Theresa May has 
A Philadelphia reporter, Colleen Campbell, 28, is not only out of job but perhaps a profession after a video of her berating police officers went viral. Campbell is shown below in cuffs after being removed from the Helium Comedy Club on Sunday night. She was asked to leave for disrupting comedian Craig Robinson by her loud whispering. It then went from bad to worse (Warning: the video below contains foul language)
Donald Trump has made his selection for the replacement of former Director James Comey. He notably did not select an FBI career person but did go with a former Assistant Attorney General. He is Christopher Wray.