“After a year spent carefully cultivating two princes from the Arabian Peninsula, Elliott Broidy, a top fundraiser for President Donald Trump, thought he was finally close to nailing more than $1 billion in business…. The cache of emails reveals a previously unreported meeting with the president and provides the most detailed account yet of the work of two Washington insiders who have been entangled in the turmoil surrounding the two criminal investigations closest to Trump.” More …
Corruption
Guide for Digging Through Trump’s Financial Disclosures
Tips and tricks for finding noteworthy items buried in Trump’s latest 92-page disclosure. More …
‘Trump’s son should be concerned’: FBI obtained wiretaps of Putin ally who met with Trump Jr.
“The FBI has obtained secret wiretaps collected by Spanish police of conversations involving Alexander Torshin, a deputy governor of Russia’s Central Bank who has forged close ties with U.S. lawmakers and the National Rifle Association, that led to a meeting with Donald Trump Jr. during the gun lobby’s annual convention in Louisville, Ky., in May 2016, a top Spanish prosecutor said.” More …
Trump helps sanctioned Chinese phone maker after China delivers a big loan to a Trump project
“Trump stands to gain from an Indonesian project that got a $500 million loan right before he flip-flopped on ZTE.” More …
Is China Straight-Up Bribing Donald Trump?
“The president suddenly softens on a sanctioned Chinese business after Beijing bankrolls a Trump Organization project.” More …
Trump Jr.’s team pressed for unified story on Trump Tower meeting
“Attorneys for Donald Trump Jr. sought to coordinate public statements for attendees of a June 2016 meeting between a Kremlin-connected lawyer and top Trump campaign aides after news broke of the controversial sit-down, according to transcripts released Wednesday by the Senate Judiciary Committee.” More ….
Trump’s Lawyer Pitched Himself as a Fixer to Novartis and Got Paid $1.2 million
“The curious relationship between one of the world’s biggest drug makers and President Trump’s personal lawyer began early last year when Michael Cohen, a longtime fixer for the president, reached out to Novartis’s then-chief executive officer Joe Jimenez, promising help gaining access to Trump and influential officials in the new administration, according to an employee inside Novartis familiar with the matter.” More …
AT&T Gave Trump’s Lawyer $600,000 to Help Get Its Merger Approved (and Its Taxes Cut)
“AT&T’s $600,000 contract with Cohen stipulated that he would provide ‘advice’ on the telecom company’s proposed merger with Time Warner, which was awaiting the Trump administration’s approval.” More …
EPA vs. Dept of Interior
“As Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt faces a seemingly endless stream of scandal, his team is scrambling to divert the spotlight to Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke.” More …
Hobby Lobby Purchased Thousands of Ancient Artifacts Smuggled Out of Iraq
“The Hobby Lobby Bible-thumpers have dealt with some interesting characters in their side business.” More …