Monday, April 16
á
The Government Accountability Office general
counsel wrote to Congress saying the EPA failed to notify legislators before it
installed a $43,000 soundproof phone booth in Administrator Scott PruittÕs
office in violation of a regulation that requires notification for office
improvements over $5,000. The general counsel also said the EPA violated the
federal Antideficiency Act because it Òobligated appropriated funds in a manner
specifically prohibited by law.Ó .Ó https://wapo.st/2qBoG6h
á
McClatchy reported that President Donald TrumpÕs
businesses have made at least $15 million in revenue from political groups and
federal agencies since 2015. About 90 percent of that was by the campaign
itself. http://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/politics-government/white-house/article208855534.html
á
Trump walked back a Sunday announcement of
further sanctions on Russa made by Nikki Haley, U.S. Ambassador to the United
Nations. Haley had said sanctions would be imposed on Russian companies behind
the equipment used in alleged chemical weapons attack in Syria. Administration
officials said Monday new sanctions were unlikely. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-puts-the-brake-on-new-russian-sanctions-reversing-haleys-announcement/2018/04/16/ac3ad4f8-417f-11e8-8569-26fda6b404c7_story.html?utm_term=.9afd965c9a4c&wpisrc=al_news__alert-world--alert-national&wpmk=1
Tuesday, April 17
á Pennsylvania Rep. Charlie Dent, who had already announced he will not run for re-election, announced he will leave Congress in May. https://www.cnn.com/2018/04/17/politics/charlie-dent-resigning-congress-house/index.html
á CNN reported that Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke has, at least 40 times in public settings including many under oath before Congress, has said he is or was a geologist, despite the fact he has never had a job as a geologist. https://cnn.it/2HLyEtb
á The Daily Beast reported that Rep. Chris Collins (R-NY) has sponsored several bills that would have benefited a drug company in which he is the majority shareholder. Although he denies any conflict of interest, he is already accused by the independent Office of Congressional Ethics of violating House ethics rules and U.S. securities law for his dealings with the drug company. https://thebea.st/2HGt62X
á Barbara Bush, wife of the 41st president and mother of the 43rd, died at the age of 92.
Wednesday, April 18
á
The Washington Post reported that Mike Pompeo,
CIA head and nominee for Secretary of State, made a secret visit to North Korea
over Easter weekend to meet with Kim Jong Un. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/us-china-trade-dispute-looms-over-trump-summit-with-japans-abe/2018/04/17/2c94cb02-424f-11e8-bba2-0976a82b05a2_story.html?utm_term=.e6c1e2bf1ac2&wpisrc=al_news__alert-world--alert-national&wpmk=1
á
White House budget director Mick Mulvaney told a
House Appropriations subpanel he would probe EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt's
spending, especially his procurement of a $43,000 privacy booth. https://www.politico.com/story/2018/04/18/mulvaney-will-investigate-pruitts-spending-532521
á
Trump appointed Camilo Sandoval as VA information
officer, despite accusations in a recent lawsuit that Sandoval sexually
harassed a fellow employee on TrumpÕs campaign team. https://www.politico.com/story/2018/04/18/va-information-officer-camilo-sandova-accusations-491957
Thursday, April 19
á
The Senate narrowly confirmed Jim Bridenstine as
NASA adminisrator in spite of concerns about his lack of a science background. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/senate-confirms-trump-pick-as-nasa-administrator-over-democratic-objections/2018/04/19/58692c6a-43f2-11e8-baaf-8b3c5a3da888_story.html?utm_term=.ce9a64f9effb
á
Former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani said he is
joining TrumpÕs legal team dealing with the ongoing special counsel
investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 campaign. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/ex-new-york-city-mayor-rudy-giuliani-has-joined-the-legal-team-defending-president-donald-trump-in-the-russia-probe/2018/04/19/726eaa8e-4417-11e8-b2dc-b0a403e4720a_story.html?utm_term=.e6b43cea394b
á
The Justice Department released redacted
versions of memos that former FBI director James Comey wrote about his
interactions with Trump. Comey said he wrote the memos because he was troubled
by the conversations and worried that Trump might lie about them. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/19/us/politics/comey-memos-trump-justice-department.html
á
The Washington Post reported that the Consumer
Financial Protection Bureau and the Office of the Controller of the Currency,
have reached a deal in which Wells Fargo bank will be fined about $1 billion
for its misdeeds in its auto and mortgage markets. https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/regulators-planning-to-slap-wells-fargo-with-1-billion-fine/2018/04/19/ec1f58c6-4415-11e8-ad8f-27a8c409298b_story.html?utm_term=.d7bcbfd4c3d7
Friday, April 20
á
North Korea announced it will halt nuclear and
missile tests beginning Saturday and close its nuclear testing site.
á
The Washington Post reported that Attorney
General Jeff Sessions told White House Counsel Donald McGahn that he might
resign in protest if Trump fires his deputy, Rod Rosenstein. https://wapo.st/2F5AsKl
á
The Democratic National Committee filed a
multi-million dollar lawsuit against the Russian government, the Trump campaign
and WikiLeaks alleging that they engaged in a coordinated effort to damage
Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. https://politi.co/2vyKHHL
á
Sen. Chuck Schumer announced a plan to
decriminalize marijuana at the federal level, stating that more than half of
all drug arrests in the U.S. are marijuana arrests. https://www.npr.org/2018/04/20/604136116/on-4-20-chuck-schumer-to-introduce-bill-to-decriminalize-marijuana
Saturday, April 21
á
Former First Lady Barbara Bush was buried after
a funeral in Houston with more than 1,000 guests including four former
presidents and three former First Ladies, plus the current First Lady, Melania
Trump. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2018/04/21/barbara-bush-to-be-honored-by-friends-and-family-at-private-funeral-in-houston/?utm_term=.bb91e649cb3b&wpisrc=al_news__alert-politics--alert-national&wpmk=1
Sunday, April 22
á
Rep. Jim Clyburn, 77, said at his annual fish
fry that if the Democrats cannot take back the House this fall, Òall of us have
got to go,Ó referring to the almost universally older leadership in the party. https://www.politico.com/story/2018/04/21/jim-clyburn-house-leadership-2018-544900
á
The New York Times reported that the Air Force
is working to complete a $110 million drone air base in Niger that will be used
to strike extremists in West and North Africa. https://nyti.ms/2HiD3CM