Trump accused of 'rampant illegality' over earnings as president: Live – The Independent

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in
House Democrats investigate accounts from key Trump properties and say findings ‘allow America to glimpse the corruption’ of Republican’s presidency
Find your bookmarks in your Independent Premium section, under my profile
Donald Trump doubles down on anti-immigrant rhetoric after Supreme Court decision
Donald Trump made millions from foreign governments during his presidency, according to a report from Democrats on the House Oversight Committee.
Ranking member Jamie Raskin wrote that the information obtained from the former president’s accountant “allows America to glimpse the rampant illegality and corruption of the Trump presidency”.
House Republicans shut down the investigation when they became the majority.
Nevertheless, from the limited records received, the report documents a total of $7.8m spent at Trump Organization properties, including $5.6m spent by China.
Meanwhile, Mr Trump fears the US Supreme Court could rule against him as he appeals to overturn the Colorado rulingthat he cannot run for elected office again because of his role in the January 6 Capitol riot under the terms of the 14th Amendment to the Constitution, which bars those seen to have “engaged in insurrection”.
Speaking to Fox News, his attorney Alina Habba said the former president is concerned the conservative majority on the court could “shy away from being [seen as] pro-Trump”.
Mr Trump has already appealed against a similar ruling in Maine, calling secretary of state Shenna Bellows’ decision to exclude him “arbitrary” and suggesting it was politically motivated.
Voters in Illinois and Massachusetts have filed legal papers seeking to have former president Donald Trump declared ineligible to run for president under a provision of the US Constitution barring insurrectionists from federal office.
The litigation in both states is being organised by Free Speech for People, a nonprofit that has been supporting various efforts to hold Mr Trump and former members of his legal team accountable for their efforts to overturn the ex-president’s 2020 election defeat.
Andrew Feinberg has more.
Neither of the latest challenges are in states that have voted for a Republican in recent elections
The Justice Department has updated its 6 January 2021 Capitol riot page as we approach the three-year mark of the most serious breach of the Capitol since the War of 1812.
As of Thursday, more than 1,265 defendants have been charged in nearly all 50 states and the District of Columbia, according to the update. 718 of them have pleaded guilty to their charges.
Almost 750 defendants have had their cases adjudicated and have received a sentence for their participation in the riot. Approximately 139 people have been found guilty at contested trials since the insurrection.
The Justice Department also called on the public for continued assistance in identifying people who may have participated in the riot:
“Citizens from around the country have provided invaluable assistance in identifying individuals in connection with the Jan. 6 attack,” the department wrote. “The FBI continues to seek the public’s help in identifying individuals believed to have committed violent acts on Capitol grounds.”
Since we’re talking about January 6, here’s a roundup of everything that has happened in the aftermath of the failed insurrection: from the House select committee’s investigations, hearings and report to Donald Trump’s indictments and removal from the ballot papers of Colorado and Maine under the 14th Amendment.
Republican looks likely to be his party’s presidential nominee again in 2024 but the failed insurrection’s legacy continues to dog his steps three years on
Donald Trump and his co-defendants in a sprawling civil case alleging years of fraud within his real-estate empire should be forced to pay more than $370m and effectively barred from doing business in New York, according to the state’s attorney general.
Several lengthy final briefs submitted to New York County Supreme Court on Friday summarise Attorney General Letitia James’s long-running case and arguments against the former president and his chief associates, who faced a 44-day trial stemming from her blockbuster lawsuit against them.
The filings arrive one week before closing arguments in the case before Judge Arthur Engoron is expected to issue a decision by the end of January.
The judge’s pretrial ruling in the case effectively ordered the dissolution of Mr Trump’s New York-based real estate empire, what the former president has labelled the “corporate death penalty” against him.
Alex Woodward has more.
Letitia James submits final briefs before closing arguments in a case that imperils his business empire
Former president Donald Trump’s lawyer implied that Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh should overturn efforts to keep Mr Trump off the ballot as a favour for the former president supporting him during his confirmation process.
Alina Habba, Mr Trump’s attorney, spoke on Sean Hannity’s Fox News show on Thursday evening to explain how Mr Trump’s legal team formally asked that the Supreme Court overturn a ruling from the Colorado Supreme Court that found him constitutionally ineligible to appear on the ballot this year.
“I think it should be a slam dunk in the Supreme Court,” Ms Habba said. “I have faith in them. You know, people like Kavanaugh, who the president fought for, who the president went through hell to get into place. He’ll step up.”
Mr Trump nominated Mr Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court in 2018 and continued to support him even as he faced accusations during of sexual assault, which Mr Kavanaugh vehemently denied. In addition, Mr Trump attacked Christine Blasey Ford, who accused Mr Kavanaugh of sexual assault when she and Ms Ford were teenagers.
Learn more from Martha McHardy and Eric Garcia
‘You know, people like Kavanaugh, who the president fought for, who the president went through hell to get into place. He’ll step up,’ Trump lawyer argues
On the eve of the third anniversary of the Capitol riot, the anti-extremism watchdog the Western States Center has issued a report in which it argues that the federal and institutional response “has largely failed to safeguard our democracy against future threats”.
The authors of the Center’s January 6 Scorecard write: “The United States is ill-prepared to face the grave threats to our democracy and our institutions.
“Our country stands before an inflection point: will we work toward an inclusive, multiracial democracy, or will we slide further into increasing political violence and authoritarianism?”
You can read the study in its entirety right here.
New York attorney general Letitia James is asking the judge presiding over Donald Trump’s fraud trial to force him and his co-defendants to pay nearly $370m and block him from doing business in the state.
Her office has submitted several lengthy briefs to the court ahead of next week’s closing arguments.
Oh dear, he won’t like that at all. Not one bit.
We’ll bring you more on this as we have it.
Letitia James
In an interview with HuffPost, former DC Metropolitan Police Officer Michael Fanone, who was gravely injured during the Capitol riot on 6 January 2021, said that he believes the 2024 election is the most important of his lifetime.
Asked what he would tell voters, Fanone said: “The future of our democracy is at stake. Ultimately, you, the American voter, will be the last line of defence when it comes to preserving democracy as we know it and ensuring the peaceful transfer of power. And it’s that serious.
“I’ve been of voting age for many, many years, and every year it seems that we’re told by politicians that this election is ‘unlike any other,’” he continued. “But I’m nobody, just some average American, and I’m telling you that this election is like no other.”
Michael Fanone
During the violent insurrection at the US Capitol on January 6, Fanone suffered a heart attack and a traumatic brain injury after being beaten and tasered by pro-Trump rioters. While he says he has come to terms with a lot of what happened that day, he is infuriated by Republican efforts to whitewash the events or lie about what happened.
“Imagine the most traumatic, or a traumatic event in your life, that reaches the level of attention that January 6 garnered,” he told HuffPost.
“I mean, it was an international story. And spending three years trying to convince people that it actually f***ing happened. It’s frustrating. It’s angering. It’s perplexing.”
In less than two weeks, the 2024 presidential election will begin with the Republican Iowa caucus. Former president Donald Trump will likely dominate in the heavily white churchgoing state. Meanwhile, President Joe Biden faces no legitimate challenge in the Democratic primary despite concerns about his age and low approval numbers.
But just as important as who wins the White House will be the makeup of the Senate, which will determine what types of cabinet officials and judicial nominees can be confirmed.
In 2022, Democrats staved off the worst possible outcomes when they held all of their Senate seats and John Fetterman flipped Pennsylvania’s Senate seat for them, giving them a 51-seat majority. Republicans for their part nominated a slew of unelectable candidates, many of whom won their primaries thanks to Mr Trump’s endorsement.
This time is different. Democrats are defending Senate races in eight swing states. Three of them — Montana, West Virginia and Ohio — are in which Mr Trump won twice. Another four —Arizona, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan —are in states that he won in 2016 but lost in 2020. Another is taking place in the perpetual swing state of Nevada. That means that even if Democrats won races in all the states Biden won in 2020 and Republicans won all the states Trump won, Republicans would still control the Senate by three seats.
In 2022, Inside Washington regularly put out lists of the top five Senate races. Given that West Virginia will almost certainly flip, we are changing the format to show you the most important Senate races to watch.
Here are your five races that will determine the balance of the Senate.
Once again, the Senate will be decided by tight margins in states like Nevada, Arizona, Montana and Ohio
Ministers have been warned that Britain faces “massive” security risks if Donald Trump is re-elected president this year.
Three of Britain’s former top US diplomats have urged the government to develop contingency plans in case Trump’s bid to return to the White House is successful.
Two ex-Washington ambassadors and a former diplomatic chief said preparations to help the UK cope if Trump were to end US support for Ukraine and withdraw from Nato must be drawn up in secret to avoid giving him a campaign boost.
Archie Mitchell reports.
Three of Britain’s former top US diplomats have urged the government to develop contingency plans in case Mr Trump’s bid to return to the White House is successful
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Donald Trump
Reuters
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in
Log in
New to The Independent?
Or if you would prefer:
Want an ad-free experience?

source