EFTA00160986.pdf

FBI PUBLIC AFFAIRS - DIRECTOR'S AM NEWS BRIEFING MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2019 5:00 AM EDT House Judiciary Seeks To Have Sessions Testify In Impeachment Probe. The Washington Post (9/13, Bade, Hamburger, 14.2M) reports Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee have been "negotiating for Jeff Sessions's testimony in their impeachment investigation of President Trump, an appearance they hope could bolster their inquiry given the former attorney general's rocky relationship with Trump." The Post adds Congressional aides have "reached out to Charles J. Cooper, an attorney for Sessions, during the summer, according to officials familiar with the discussions who spoke on the condition of anonymity to freely describe private talks," although Cooper "told committee staff that Sessions — whom Trump never forgave for recusing himself from overseeing the special counsel probe — would need a subpoena to testify." In an editorial, the Wall Street Journal (9/13, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) says since previous impeachment efforts have failed, House Judiciary Chairman Jerrold Nadler is arguing that President Trump is enriching himself while being in office, a move to persuade liberal voters that House Democrats are in fact serious about impeaching Trump. The Journal says if Nadler were serious about impeachment, he would demand the vote to endorse his actions on the House floor. The Washington Examiner (9/13, Chaitin, 448K) reports Rep. Doug Collins, the top Republican on the House Judiciary Committee, "revealed in a letter Thursday that Horowitz notified Attorney General William Barr of the completion of his investigation earlier in the day." The Daily Caller (9/13, 716K) reports Rep. Doug Collins (R-GA), the top Republican on the House Judiciary Committee, "immediately called on Chairman Jerry Nadler to call Horowitz and FBI Director Christopher Wray to testify before the panel once the report is released." Collins wrote to Nadler, "We must act swiftly to address concerns outlined in the Inspector General's report." DOJ Rejects House Judiciary's Request For Grand Jury Material From Mueller Probe. The Washington Times (9/13, Mordock, 492K) reports the Justice Department on Friday 'pushed back hard against the House Democrats' quest to gain the secret grand jury material underlying former special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation." In a court filing, the Justice Department said the House Judiciary Committee's request is "vague [and) overbroad" and has "come nowhere dose to demonstrating a particularized need" for the material. Fox News (9/13, Phillips, 27.59M) reports the committee "had filed a petition in federal court for lawmakers to obtain the grand jury material to determine whether to recommend articles of impeachment against Trump for his knowledge of any potential 'criminal acts' by him or his associates related to conspiring with Russia." The Washington Times (9/13, Mordock, 492K) reports the Justice Department "said the House Judiciary Committee has 'come nowhere dose to demonstrating a particularized need' for the material, accusing Democrats of a 'vague, overbroad' fishing expedition." Justice Department attorneys wrote in a Washington, DC, federal court filing. "The committee's failure to provide a tailored request accompanied by a concrete explanation for why this material is necessary is particularly striking given the extensive investigations Congress has already conducted into Russian interference." DOJ IG Completes Draft Of Report Into FBI Surveillance Of Page. The Wall Street Journal (9/13, Tau, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) reports that Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz has notified several congressional committees that he has completed a draft of his investigation into the origins of the FBI's surveillance into former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page. CNN (9/13, Herb, 83.16M) reports Inspector General Michael Horowitz "sent a letter to four congressional committees on Friday notifying them that he had begun `finalizing our report by providing a draft of our factual findings to the Department and the FBI for classification determination and marking." The Hill (9/13, Chalfant, Beavers, 2.98M) reports Horowitz wrote, "The team has reviewed over one million records and conducted over 100 interviews, including several witnesses who only recently agreed to be interviewed. We have now begun the process of finalizing our report by providing a draft of our factual findings to the Department and the FBI for classification determination and marking." Fox News (9/13, Pappas, 27.59M) reports Barr has received "the draft report from Horowitz and will begin the process of reviewing it, according to a source familiar with the situation." The inspector general "said his team has 'reviewed over one million records and conducted over 100 interviews, including several of witnesses who only recently agreed to be interviewed.'" The Washington Times (9/13, Mordock, 492K) reports Rep. Doug Collins (R-GA), the ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee, on Friday "demanded hearings on a now-completed investigation by the Justice Department's inspector general concerning alleged surveillance abuses by the department and the FBI." The Times adds Collins also "said it is imperative that the Judiciary Committee calls Mr. Horowitz and FBI Director Christopher Wray to testify." ABC News (9/13, 2.97M) reports several Republicans "critical of former special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation have said, without providing evidence, that they expect the investigation will reveal evidence of criminality at the upper echelons of the FBI and Obama Justice Department." EFTA00160986 The Washington Examiner (9114, Chaitin, 448K) reports Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham "warned the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court that it needs to 'take corrective action' after being 'misled' by the Justice Department and FBI through their use of British ex-spy Christopher Steele's unverified dossier." During a radio interview with Sean Hannity on Friday, after it was announced that DOJ Inspector General Michael Horowitz had submitted to Attorney General William Barr a draft of his report on abuse of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, Graham "said his own 'deep dive' investigation would include holding the FISA court accountable for its role in allowing the electronic surveillance of onetime Trump campaign adviser Carter Page in 2016 and 2017." The Washington Examiner (9/13, Chaitin, 448K) reports Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) "said there are up to six instances in which 'the system' was warned that British ex-spy Christopher Steele was unreliable when it came to his research about President Trump." During a radio interview with Sean Hannity on Friday, Graham "said there are other examples he can't talk about yet." The Washington Examiner (9/15, Chaitin, 448K) reports Trey Gowdy grappled with Fox News host Sean Hannity "about whether the Justice Department inspector general's investigation into alleged government surveillance abuses will result in indictments: Gowdy, a former congressman and federal prosecutor who is now a Fox News contributor, "has been tamping down expectations for the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act application report, the first draft of which was submitted to Attorney General William Barr for a classification review on Friday: In an interview Friday, Hannity "prompted Gowdy to react to his belief that the FBI was involved in 'premeditated fraud' by knowingly misleading the FISA Court in using British ex-spy Christopher Steele's unverified dossier to obtain warrants to surveil onetime Trump campaign adviser Carter Page in late 2016 to 2017. McCarthy Promises "Accountability" Over Alleged FBI FISA Abuse. Fox News (9/15, Blitzer, 27.59M) reports on its website that House Minority Leader McCarthy -promised that guilty parties will be held accountable after Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz releases his report on the FBI's alleged abuse of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) in the Russia investigation, and predicted that former bureau leaders James Comey and Andrew McCabe will face criminal charges after what he described as an attempted 'coup' to take down President Trump." Appearing on Fox News' Sunday Morning Futures (9/15, 1.22M), McCarthy said, "There were people at the highest levels from the government that were causing this problem. We came the closest ever to this country having a coup. And now we need accountability." President Trump tweeted Sunday evening, "'We cannot have what happened to this President happen again.' Joe DiGenova. 'It is time for Justice to come barreling in' @LouDobbs Can you imagine that with everything going on in this World, the Witch Hunt, though on a respirator, is still whimpering along. A disgrace!" Flynn Attorneys File Motions Over Exculpatory Evidence. The Washington limes (9/15, Scarborough, 492K) reports attorneys for former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn have "filed court motions to try to unearth documents on how the FBI pursued not just the former general but the Trump cast." They hope to prove that then-Special Counsel Robert Mueller "didn't abide by U.S. District Judge Emmet G. Sullivan's 'Brady' order in February 2018," which "mandates that prosecutors turn over exculpatory evidence to the defense: Nadler: While Impeachment Inquiry A "Made-Up Term," Conceptually It Is "What We Are Doing." The Hill (9/14, Campisi, 2.98M) reports House Judiciary Chairman Jerrold Nadler during an appearance on CNN on Friday "defended Democrats' impeachment efforts against President Trump, despite mixed messages from lawmakers describing what his panel is doing on the issue." Nadler said, "It is not necessarily called an impeachment inquiry. That's a made-up term without legal significance. It is, however, what we are doing: He continued, We have been very clear for the last several months in filings with the court, in public statements, in official statements in the committee that we are conducting an investigation with the purpose, among other things, of determining whether to report articles of impeachment to the entire House." Graham: US Officials Issued Warnings About Steele's Credibility. The Daily Caller (9/14, Ross, 716K) reports Senate Judiciary Chairman Lindsey Graham "said Friday that US officials received as many as six warnings that dossier author Christopher Steele was an unreliable source of information regarding President Donald Trump: In a radio interview with Sean Hannity, Graham said, "There's four events that I'm aware of, five actually, where the system was informed that Christopher Steele was an unreliable informant when it came to Trump." Graham added, "Some of them I can't tell you yet until we get this stuff declassified. But I think it's going to be five; it may be six." Justice Department Releases Part Of Mueller's Conflict-Of-Interest Waiver. Politico (9/14, Gerstein, 4.29M) reports the Justice Department on Friday released a memo to "pro-transparency organization* Property of the People that offers "more insight into how it addressed potential conflicts of interest when former FBI Director Robert Mueller was appointed special counsel for the Trump-Russia investigation two years ago, but officials are continuing to keep secret key parts of their EFTA00160987 internal ethics analysis." According to Politico, the document "shows that a top Justice Department ethics official concluded that Mueller's sterling reputation and lengthy history of federal service meant it was unlikely any reasonable person would doubt his independence." Politico adds that while Cynthia Shaw, the Director of the DOJ's Departmental Ethics Office, "suggested such doubts were exceedingly unlikely," her assessment "arguably turned out to be an ill-founded prediction since President Donald Trump, some of his attorneys and many of his allies made sustained efforts to paint Mueller as a hack carrying out a vendetta against Trump on behalf of Democrats' Holder: Trump Can Be Prosecuted By Next Administration. The Washington Times (9/14, Blake, 492K) reports former Attorney General Eric Holder Jr. in an interview with CNN that aired Saturday insisted President Trump "risks being prosecuted once his administration comes to an end." Holder said, "Well, I don't think there's any question about that." He added, "We already have an indictment in the Southern District of New York where Michael Cohen (was charged) relative to the payoffs, Michael Cohen's already in jail with regard to his role there: According to Holder, "It would seem to me that the next attorney general, the next president is going to have to make a determination' McCabe Lawyer Seeks Information On Reports That Grand Jury Recommended No Prosecution. The Washington Post (9/13, 14.2M) reports that attorneys for former acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe have "asked federal prosecutors in the District whether a grand jury had rejected their bid to indict' McCabe "on charges of lying to investigators, pointing to media inquiries and news accounts detailing a series of unusual events in the case: According to the Post, in emails Thursday to U.S. Attorney Jessie Liu...McCabe lawyer Michael Bromwich said his team had received media inquiries about grand jurors declining to bring the case, and pointed to published reports describing how even after the Justice Department approved prosecutors to seek charges, no indictment was returned." The Washington Post (9/13, Zapotosky, Hsu, 14.2M) reports that, in emails Thursday to U.S Attorney Jessie Liu and other prosecutors in her office, McCabe lawyer Michael Bromwich said his team had received media inquiries about grand jurors declining to bring the case, and pointed to published reports describing how even after the Justice Department approved prosecutors' seeking charges, no indictment was returned." On CBS This Morning (9/13, 2.69M), Anthony Mason reported President Trump "has repeatedly criticized McCabe, and McCabe's lawyers say any prosecution would be politically motivated: The New York Times (9/13, Sullivan, Goldman, 18.61M) says McCabe's lawyers "denied that he intentionally lied during an internal inquiry and have said that he is being singled out, noting that similar cases were typically handled administratively, not through criminal prosecution' The Times adds that McCabe's lawyers "argued that prosecutors should set aside the investigation if the grand jury voted against an indictment." Reuters (9/13, Sullivan) reports that the Justice Department "has been investigating McCabe...for more than 1-1/2 years over allegations he misled internal investigators about his decision to share internal communications with a reporter at the height of the 2016 presidential election." The Hill (9/13, Beavers, 2.98M) reports McCabe lawyer Michael Bromwich 'Wrote a Thursday email to US Attorney for the District of Columbia Jessie Liu 'citing coverage of the case from The New York Times and The Washington Post and questioning whether a grand jury had declined to vote on an indictment.- Bromwich wrote, referring to a procedure to dismiss charges, We have no independent knowledge of whether the reporting is accurate but for present purposes we assume that the grand jury may have voted a no true bill. The only fair and just result is for you to accept the grand jury's decision and end these proceedings." The Wall Street Journal (9/13, Viswanatha, Tau, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) similarly says McCabe could escape prosecution in an article headlined "Andrew McCabe Hasn't Been Indicted, A Sign That Case May Be In Jeopardy." McCarthy: Why It's Unlikely The McCabe Grand Jury Voted Against Indictment In his column on Fox News (9/14, 27.59M), Andrew McCarthy writes, "Mind you, neither the Times nor the Post claims to have been told by any grand jurors that they declined to indict McCabe; nor do they report hearing from any knowledgeable government official that a no true bill was voted. Nevertheless, McCabe's legal team is demanding that the Justice Department disclose whether an indictment was declined and refrain from seeking an indictment in the future." He concludes, "This gambit, of course, floats the narrative that the case against McCabe must be crumbling — the media reports spur the Bromwich letter, which spur more media reports, rinse and repeat. But even allowing for the erosion of standards, this is thin gruel for both news reporting and legal claims." Opinion: It Is A Big Deal If McCabe Grand Jury Refused To Indict. In his column in the Washington Post (9/14, 14.2M), Randall Eliason writes, But if they did vote not to indict — returning what is called a 'no true bill' — it would be a remarkable development, and a remarkable rebuke to prosecutors.' He concludes, "Using criminal prosecution as a political weapon is the stuff of totalitarian regimes. If the Justice Department develops that kind of reputation, the damage may be irreversible. If there was a no true bill, that should be the end of the case." EFTA00160988 Book Excerpt: Crossfire Hurricane: Inside Donald Trump's War On The FBI. CNN (9/15, Campbell, 83.16M) provides an excerpt from CNN law enforcement analyst Josh Campbell' new book, Crossfire Hurricane: Inside Donald Trump's War on the FBI. "It was January 6, 2017, two weeks before Donald J. Trump would take the oath of office and assume the role of commander in chief, responsible for protecting the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic. Comey had flown to New York to join his counterparts in the national security community to brief the president-elect and his transition team on their findings on actions the Kremlin had taken to interfere in the 2016 US presidential election." Former U Of Alabama Student Pleads Guilty To Concealing Terrorism Financing. The AP (9/13) reports that 'a woman accused of trying to help al-Qaeda has pleaded guilty in Alabama to a charge of concealing terrorism financing." Federal prosecutors 'say Alaa Mohd Abusaad entered the plea Friday during a hearing in federal court in Tuscaloosa.' According to the AP, authorities arrested Abusaad last year after she "communicated over messaging programs with a person she didn't know was an undercover FBI employee." The Crestview (FL) News Bulletin (9/14, 16K) reports, "A one-time University of Alabama student accused of trying to help al-Qaeda has pleaded guilty in Tuscaloosa to a charge of concealing terrorism financing." According to the News Bulletin, "Federal prosecutors say Alaa Mohd Abusaad entered the plea Friday during a hearing in federal court in Tuscaloosa." Authorities arrested Abusaad last year, and "court documents show Abusaad communicated over messaging programs with a person she didn't know was an undercover FBI employee." Prosecutors said "she gave instructions on how to send money to the mujahedeen and included the comment: 'You can't have war without weapons. You can't prepare a soldier without equipment."' Authorities "say she also put the FBI in touch with someone who could get money to al-Qaeda." The Birmingham (AL) News (9/14, Robinson, 894K) reports that Abusaad "entered her guilty plea in federal court in Tuscaloosa on Friday, according to a joint announcement by Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers, Northern District of Alabama U.S. Attorney Jay Town and Birmingham's FBI Special Agent in Charge Johnnie Sharp Jr. 'National security continues to be my office's highest priority,' Town said. 'I would like to extend my personal gratitude to the FBI for its continued diligence and proactive work on this case and to the National Security Division's Counterterrorism Section for their continued commitment to our shared mission. The enemies of freedom come in many forms, but there is but one destination for those captured offending our laws in support of terror: a United States penitentiary.'" DC Man Disavows His White-Nationalist Views At Court Hearing Ahead Of Release. The Washington Post (9/13, Marimow, 14.2M) reports Jeffrey Raphiel Clark Jr., 31, "will be released from jail after being locked up since his arrest in November at his Bloomingdale neighborhood home, where investigators found fliers from a neo-Nazi organization, boxes of ammunition and a Nazi flag," but at a court hearing on Friday, the DC man 'who expressed hatred for minorities and glorified violence on social media disavowed what he called his 'disturbing online presence' and pledged to 'stay away from the darkest corners of social media' as he was sentenced...to 10 months' time served on a gun charge." According to the Post, 'His arrest came after family members reported concerns about Clark's behavior following the mass shooting at Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh in October and the suicide of Clark's younger brother." The FBI 'turned up Clark's name among social media followers of the man since charged with hate crimes in the synagogue attack." The AP (9/13, Kunzelman) reports that US District Judge Timothy Kelly "ordered the immediate release of Clark, "whose relatives reported concerns about his behavior and far-right extremist rhetoric after last year's Pittsburgh synagogue massacre." Judge Kelly sentenced Clark 'to the 10 months he already has served in jail since his arrest by the FBI on gun charges.' Judge Kelly 'also ordered three years of supervised release for Clark, who told the judge that prison has changed his woridview for the better. 'What I've realized is that my words do, in fact, have consequences,"' Clark said. The FBI "said Clark is a self-described white nationalist who followed Pittsburgh synagogue shooting suspect Robert Bowers on the Gab social media platform and referred to him as a 'hero' in a post after the October shooting." New Jersey Mayor Was Asked Whether He Met Terrorists Upon Return From Turkey. USA Today (9/13, Adely, 10.31M) reports from Prospect Park, New Jersey, "Muslim Americans say they've been singled out, detained and interrogated at airports — and elected officials are no exception' Mohamed Khairullah, -the longtime mayor of Prospect Park, said he was held for three hours at JFK International Airport in New York last month, questioned about whether he knew any terrorists and forced to hand over his phone: USA Today adds, 'Some people have been stopped because their names are on a federal watchlist of 'known and suspected terrorists,'" and "dozens of Americans have sued over the watchlist, saying their names were wrongly added and they had no meaningful way to challenge it. Last week, a federal judge in Virginia ruled that the watchlist is unconstitutional." EFTA00160989 FBI Alert Cites Mass Shooting Threat At Hawaii Capitol. The Honolulu Star-Advertiser (9/14, Dayton, 691K) reports, 'The FBI has issued an alert in connection with a post on social media inviting people to a 'mass shooting in the Hawaii state capitol' this weekend: The Star-Advertiser adds, The threat was posted Friday at the bottom of video of Gov. David Ige's press conference in which the governor urged both sides in the dispute over the Thirty Meter Telescope to halt all threats and hate speech in the dispute over the months-long protests on Mauna Kea: The FBI bulletin "cites a brief Facebook post on Friday that announced: 'Mass shooting in the hawaii state Capitol this weekend who's coming?- The FBI alert "identified George Sopi, 29, as the apparent author of the threat," and "it adds that 'Sopi has made other recent social media posts about violence towards Hawaii Governor Ige and other mass shootings."' WSJournal Al: Justice Department Investigating Sex Abuse Within US Olympic Organizations. In a front-page article, the Wall Street Journal (9/13, Al, O'Brien, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) in an exclusive reports sources say that the Justice Department is conducting several separate criminal investigations into sexual abuse and financial misconduct within US Olympic organizations. The AP (9/13, Pells) reports, "Federal investigators are looking into the way the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee and national governing bodies of Olympic sports handled sex-abuse allegations, people with knowledge of the investigations told The Associated Press on Friday." The investigations tome in the aftermath of the Larry Nassar sex-abuse cases that led to massive turnover at USA Gymnastics and the USOPC." The AP adds, "One of the people familiar with the investigations told the AP the Justice Department is looking into how the FBI handled reports about Nassar's abuse that it received from Steve Penny, who was CEO of USA Gymnastics when he delivered the information. He later resigned under pressure." The Washington Post (9/13, Hobson, 14.2M) reports, "Separately, the attorneys general in California and Indiana also have opened investigations into Olympic sports organizations that do business in those states, according to documents reviewed by The Washington Post and people with knowledge of the probes: Federal prosecutors in Washington DC "have traveled to Indiana multiple times this year to interview people with knowledge of several Olympic sports organizations based there, including USA Gymnastics and USA Track and Field, according to people familiar with the discussions; and "investigators with the IRS have participated in these interviews, according to these people, along with officials from the Indiana Attorney General's Office." USA Today (9/13, Armour, 10.31M) reports, "Prosecutors in the Justice Department's public integrity unit also are looking at how the FBI responded to reports of abuse by" Nassar, as "more than 350 girls and young women, including Olympic champions Simone Biles, Aly Raisman and Gabby Douglas, have said Nassar abused them, often under the guise of medical treatment.' The Hill (9/13, Frazin, 2.98M) and the Orange County (CA) Register (9/13, Reid, 546K) also report. Missouri AG Refers 12 Catholic Clergy For Prosecution For Sex Abuse. The New York Times (9/13, Dias, 18.61M) reports Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt (R) "will refer a dozen men who previously served as Roman Catholic clergy for potential criminal prosecution, his office announced on Friday after a yearlong statewide investigation into clergy sexual abuse. The investigation found that 163 priests or clergy members were accused of sexual abuse or misconduct against minors." Harvard Investigating Donations From Epstein. The Washington Post (9/13, Svrluga, 14.2M) reports that the "results of an investigation" made public on Thursday by Harvard University President Lawrence Bacow indicates that his institution "accepted about S9 million in donations from financier Jeffrey Epstein between 1998 and 2007." In a letter to the university, Bacow said, per the Post, that Harvard "rejected a donation offered by Epstein after 2008, the year when Epstein was convicted on sex charges." The Post adds that the school has been probing "the extent and nature of gifts from Epstein and will redirect some of the money that has not been spent to organizations helping victims of trafficking and sexual assault, Bacow said." Huffman Sentenced To Two Weeks In Prison For Involvement In College Admissions Scandal. In a front-page story, The Washington Post (9/13, Al, Weintraub, Renstrom, Anderson, 14.2M) reports actress Felicity Huffman "was sentenced Friday to two weeks in jail for paying $15,000 in a conspiracy to inflate the SAT score of her older daughter — a punishment that sets a benchmark for what other accused parents could face in the college admissions bribery scandal' She "had pleaded guilty in May to one count of conspiring to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud," and "was the first to be sentenced among 15 wealthy parents who have admitted guilt in the scam known as Varsity Blues: In addition, Huffman was additionally sentenced "to a year of supervised release, 250 hours of community service and a $30,000 fine." According to the New York Times (9/13, Taylor, 18.61M), "The judge's decision to impose a prison sentence on Ms. Huffman, whom prosecutors saw as one of the least culpable parents, made it more likely that any parents convicted in the case will face at least some prison time, even if the period is brief and largely symbolic." Huffman "addressed Judge Indira Talwani on EFTA00160990 Friday. She read from notes and frequently choking up as she said how deeply she regretted taking part in the cheating scheme." In a statement which a spokesman put out following the hearing, Huffman said, "I accept the court's decision today without reservation. I have always been prepared to accept whatever punishment Judge Talwani imposed. I broke the law. I have admitted that and I pleaded guilty to this crime. There are no excuses or justifications for my actions. Period." CNN (9/13, Morales, Andone, 83.16M) reports, "Huffman — the first of more than 30 parents charged in the scheme to be sentenced — was accused of paying $15,000 to the scam's mastermind to boost her daughters SAT scores." Huffman tad pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud: Her attorneys "asked for no jail time, one year of probation, 250 hours of community service and a $20,000 fine." Prosecutors "had suggested Huffman spend one month in prison and pay a $20,000 fine." The Los Angeles Times (9/13, Ormseth, 4.64M) reports, "Felicity Huffman took to her lifestyle blog in 2015 to write about parenting. 'From one angle,' she said, 'motherhood can be viewed as one long journey of overcoming obstacles. I salute mothers everywhere who overcome obstacles with grace, courage and tenacity."' The blog "portrayed Huffman as prone to parenting mistakes but willing to own them, a warts-and-all account of what she called 'the wilderness of mothering,' but peppered too with sermons on the importance of letting your children make mistakes and the virtues of hard work," but prosecutors "have taken aim at the blog ahead of Huffman's scheduled sentencing, saying 'brazen hypocrisy' factored into their request that she serve a month in prison." ABC World News Tonight (9/13, lead story, 3:02, Muir, 5.92M), the CBS Evening News (9/13, lead story, 1:54, O'Donnell, 3.35M), and NBC Nightly News (9/13, lead story, 3:04, Holt, 5.46M) allied with coverage of her sentencing while NBC Nightly News (9/13, story 2, 0:55, Holt, 5.46M) senior legal correspondent Cynthia McFadden considered the implications of Huffman's sentence in a follow up segment. The Wall Street Journal (9/13, Korn, Levitz, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) provides similar coverage, as do BuzzFeed News (9/14), the Daily Beast (9/13, Messer, 1.39M), and Variety (9/13, Maddaus, 898K). Critics Feel Huffman's Punishment For Involvement In College Admissions Scandal Is About Privilege. NBC Nightly News (9/14, story 6, 2:30, Diaz-Balart, 3.27M) reported on "the intense reaction to Felicity Huffman's sentencing. The actress must report to prison in the next six weeks to serve 14 days for her role in the college admissions scandal. For some, this case has always been about privilege. Now, many critics think the punishment is as well: Correspondent Blayne Alexander said that "for many, the case is reigniting the debate over whether there really is equal justice for all. Prosecutors pointed to the Ohio case of Kelly Williams Bolar, a single African-American mother who registered her children for a suburban school district using her father's address, rather than the dangerous neighborhood where she lived: After being arrested in 2009, Bolar was at first "sentenced to five years in prison. Later, reduced to ten days and three years probation." FBI Corruption Probe Involves UAW President, Former President. The Detroit Free Press (9/13, Lawrence, Baldas, 1.52M) reports, 'The man who leads the union representing autoworkers at Ford, General Motors and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles is 'UAW Official A' in the latest complaint filed in the corruption probe into union activities." The Free Press adds, "A source with knowledge of the case told the USA TODAY Network's Detroit Free Press that United Auto Workers President Gary Jones was one of the unnamed union officials in the criminal complaint charging UAW Region 5 Director Vance Pearson with wrongdoing' Dennis Williams, Jones' predecessor, "is 'UAW Official B,' the source said." Pearson, 'who succeeded Jones as head of a 17-state region stretching from Missouri to California, was arrested Thursday in Missouri and faces six charges ranging from embezzlement of union money to money laundering." Federal agents "seized $30,000 from UAW Official A's home during nationwide raids last month of union-affiliated individuals, according to the Pearson complaint." Reuters (9/13, Carey, Klayman) reports the United Auto Workers on Friday "agreed to temporary contract extensions with Ford Motor Co and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV...as it grappled with a federal corruption probe that has implicated its president." However, "a Saturday midnight deadline for the UAW to agree on a new four-year labor contract with General Motors Co currently remains in place." According to Reuters, UAW President Gary Jones and his predecessor, Dennis Williams, 'were two of the unnamed officials singled out in a federal criminal complaint released Thursday detailing alleged corruption and embezzlement by union leaders." The AP (9/13, Krisher) reports that "it's possible that the four-year GM contract also could be extended or a deal could be reached, but it's more likely that 49,200 UAW members could walk out of GM plants as early as Sunday because union and company demands are so far apart." New Jersey Doctor Pleads Guilty In Medicare Fraud Scam. The Asbury Park (NJ) Press (9/13, Schubert, 387K) reports that a Toms River, New Jersey doctor "has pleaded guilty in what the U.S. Department of Justice called one of the largest health care fraud cases investigated by the FBI, ripping off taxpayers by defrauding Medicare, authorities said." Joseph DeCorso, EFTA00160991 62, "pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud in federal court, according to a news release: and "his sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 8, 2020, before U.S. District Judge Peter G. Sheridan." The Press adds, By pleading guilty, authorities said, DeCorso admitted that he 'worked for two purported telemedicine companies for which he wrote medically unnecessary orders for orthotic braces for Medicare beneficiaries between July 2017 and March 2019." DeCorso "was one of 24 defendants charged in the case." Former Flying J President Seeks New Trial, Judge. The Knoxville (TN) News Sentinel (9/13, Satterfield, 307K) reports, 'Former Pilot Flying J President Mark Hazelwood wants a new trial — and a new judge." The News Sentinel adds, "In a rare request, Hazelwood is asking the 6th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals to boot U.S. District Judge Curtis Collier from his case if the former president of the truck stop giant wins his appeal. 'The district judge expressed strong views about Hazelwood that he could not reasonably be expected to put out of his mind,' attorney Shon Hopson wrote on Hazelwood's behalf. 'To preserve the appearance of justice, a new judge should be assigned on remand.' Hazelwood "and three subordinates were convicted in February 2018 after a monthslong trial in Collier's court on charges they — along with at least 16 other former Pilot Flying J sales executives and staffers — conspired to boost Pilot Flying J's market share and profits, as well as their own cut of those profits, by luring trucking companies to do business with the truck stop giant with discounts they never intended to fully pay on diesel fuel." DC Metro IG To Investigate Councilman's Ethics Probe At Congress' Request. The Washington Post (9/13, McCartney, 14.2M) reports, "Metro's inspector general will investigate the agency's ethics probe of former board chairman Jack Evans at the request of the House Oversight Committee, officials said Friday." According to the Post, "The inquiry is expected to look at evidence that Evans and former Metro board member Corbett A. Price sought to impede the investigation of Evans in the spring by the Metro board's ethics committee." The Post adds, "The probe by Metro Inspector General Geoffrey Cherrington adds yet another investigation to ones already underway into Evans," and it appears to ensure that Price's conduct also will get a closer look: Evans is under scrutiny from the U.S. attorney's office and a law firm retained by the D.C. Council, on which Evans is a longtime Democratic member representing Ward 2," and "the probes focus in part on whether he used official positions to help his personal legal and consulting business." US Charges Two Florida Residents With Laundering Nearly $1 Million Stolen In Online Scams. The Miami Herald (9/13, Smalls, 1.09M) reports, 'Two Miami residents face federal money-laundering charges for their alleged involvement in a scam that stole nearly $1 million, the U.S. Department of Justice said: Yamel Tamayo, 36, and Yumeydi Govantes, 39, "are accused of recruiting numerous people who laundered more than $950,000 generated from schemes generally referred to as business email compromise schemes, because they trick businesses and individuals into wiring money to criminals." Tamayo and Govantes "were among 281 people arrested worldwide on various charges stemming from Operation reWired, a four-month investigation that involved multiple local and foreign agencies. 'Cooperation is the backbone to effective law enforcement; without it, we aren't as strong or as agile as we need to be,' FBI director Christopher Wray said in a statement. 'Through Operation reWired, we're sending a clear message to the criminals who orchestrate these (business email compromise) schemes: We'll keep coming after you, no matter where you are."' WSJournal Analysis: US Increasingly Targeting North Korean Hacking. The Wall Street Journal (9/15, Talley, Volz, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) reports that new US sanctions against North Korean are increasingly targeting hackers and revelations about North Korean malware show Pyongyang's cyber operations could rival its weapons program, US and industry officials say. On Friday, it notes, the Treasury Department blacklisted three hacking groups allegedly run by North Korea's primary intelligence service that they said were responsible for operations across 10 countries, stealing hundreds of millions of dollars. Chicago Brokerage Fined $1.5 Million For Cyber Attack Lapses. Reuters (9/13, Barlyn) reports, "The U.S. Commodities Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) said on Friday that a Chicago-based futures brokerage will pay a total of $1.5 million for letting cyber criminals breath the firm's email systems and withdraw S1 million from a customer's account." Phillip Capital Inc "neither admitted nor denied the CFTC's findings or conclusions, the CFTC said in a settlement with the firm." Reuters adds, "The case, which stems from a February 2018 phishing attack, illustrates the vulnerability of financial services firms to cyber attacks and how lapses in following procedures for responding to a cyber attack can spur trouble with regulators." PCI "violated U.S. regulations by, among other things, failing to disclose the breath to customers, the CFTC said." Administration Officials Dismiss Report Claiming Slow Efforts To Combat Human Trafficking. The Daily Caller (9/14, Athey, 716K) reports that Administration officials are "pushing back on a recent Axios report that daims their EFTA00160992 efforts to combat human trafficking have slowed down over the past couple of years." Citing State Department data that "shows fewer investigations and prosecutions of human traffickers," Axios reported last week, "Efforts to combat human trafficking slow under Trump." A senior Administration official told the Daily Caller, The fight against human trafficking is one of the top priorities of the Department of Justice and the entire Trump Administration. ... We remain steadfast in our commitment to eradicating these degrading forms of exploitation from our society targeting the most vulnerable among us." NYTimes Analysis Profiles Kavanaugh, Fellow Yale Student Who Alleged Misconduct. In a "News Analysis; the New York Times (9/14, Pogrebin, Kelly, 18.61M) profiles Deborah Ramirez, who attended Yale beginning 1983 and "grew up in a split-level ranch house in working-dass Shelton, Conn., perhaps best known for producing the VViffle ball, and didn't drink before college." The Times also profiles Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, who was a freshman at Yale the same year Ramirez was, and who 'fit the more traditional Yale mold: The Times highlights an incident during Ramirez's freshman year, in which "Kavanaugh pulled down his pants and thrust his penis at her, prompting her to swat it away and inadvertently touch Kavanaugh has denied her claims. Ramirez, whose claims were not entirely investigated, "received a deluge of letters, emails and texts from strangers containing" supportive messages. Trump Defends Kavanaugh After NYTimes Report. Media reports describe President Trump as angrily defending Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh in a series of tweets Sunday after a New York Times article discussed allegations of sexual misconduct against the Justice while he was at Yale. In the tweets, Trump argued that Democrats and the media are talking about impeaching Kavanaugh in a bid to 'scare him into turning Liberal: and that he should "start suing people for libel." Early Sunday, Trump tweeted "Now the Radical Left Democrats and their Partner, the LameStream Media, are after Brett Kavanaugh again, talking loudly of their favorite word, impeachment. He is an innocent man who has been treated HORRIBLY. Such lies about him. They want to scare him into turning Liberal!" Later in the morning, he tweeted, "Brett Kavanaugh should start suing people for libel, or the Justice Department should come to his rescue. The lies being told about him are unbelievable. False Accusations without recrimination. When does it stop? They are trying to influence his opinions. Can't let that happen!" Sunday afternoon, Trump tweeted "Can't let Brett Kavanaugh give Radical Left Democrat (Liberal Plus) Opinions based on threats of Impeaching him over made up stories (sound familiar?), false allegations, and lies. This is the game they play. Fake and Corrupt News is working overtime! #ProtectKavanaugh" On NBC Nightly News (9115, story 3, 2:50, Snow, 3.89M), Kelly O'Donnell said Trump "delivered a fierce defense [of Kavanaugh] on Twitter," while the Daily Caller (9/15, Daley, 716K) says Trump "accused Democrats and members of the press of waging an influence campaign against" Kavanaugh, and Joel Pollak writes at Breitbart (9/15, 673K) that Trump claimed the purpose of the new allegation against Kavanaugh is "to scare him into turning Liberal." Beth Baumann writes at Townhall (9/15, 177K) that Trump "slam[med] the mainstream media for dragging Kavanaugh through the mud." The Los Angeles Times (9/15, King, 4.64M) reports that Trump "vigorously defended" Kavanaugh in a series of "angry ripostes: which Bloomberg (9/15, Krasny, Niquette, 4.73M) says followed a report from the New York Times on "lewd behavior attributed to Kavanaugh while at Yale." Reuters (9/15, Chiacu) says the Times 'disclosed new information about sexual misconduct allegations against' Kavanaugh. The Times report prompted "some Democratic presidential candidates" to call for "Kavanaugh's impeachment, saying he lied under oath." Reuters adds that while Trump said "the Justice Department should come to [Kavanaugh's] rescue," it was "unclear what action the Republican president was advocating the Justice Department take." The Washington Examiner (9/15, Lovell, 448K) says one allegation, from a former classmate who says "that he saw Kavanaugh expose himself and place his genitals against a woman without her consent at Yale: had "previously not been released to the public but was made known to the FBI during Kavanaugh's Supreme Court confirmation hearing last fall, according to the Times, which also said the incident was not investigated by the FBI." The Washington Times (9/15, Munoz, 492K) reports that the Times article, which was "about Deborah Ramirez, who accused Justice Kavanaugh of thrusting a penis in her face at a party during their time at Yale," found that "none of the 25 witnesses Ms. Ramirez' legal team named for the FBI were interviewed. Also, one of her lawyers claimed the agents they spoke to told them they were limited by the Republican held Senate Judiciary committee on what they could investigate." The Hill (9/15, Balluck, 2.98M) reports that Kavanaugh "has denied all of the allegations he has faced, calling them politically motivated, and he declined to answer questions about the new allegations to the Times on Saturday." The CBS Weekend News (9/15, story 2, 0:27, Quijano, 2.35M) briefly reported on the accusations against Kavanaugh and the President's response. Senate Majority Leader McConnell also rose to Kavanaugh's defense in the wake of the Times report. The Washington Examiner (9/15, Rosas, 448K) reports that McConnell "issued two tweets on Sunday defending' Kavanaugh. McConnell tweeted, "The far left's willingness to seize on completely uncorroborated and unsubstantiated allegations during last years confirmation process was a dark and embarrassing chapter for the Senate: In a subsequent tweet, he wrote, "Fortunately a majority of EFTA00160993 Senators and the American people rallied behind timeless principles such as due process and the presumption of innocence. I look forward to many years of service to come from Justice Kavanaugh' On NBC Nightly News (9/15, story 3, 2:50, Snow, 3.89M), O'Donnell said that "implicit" in McConnell's tweet is "that he expects there will be no impeachment of the Justice." Politico (9/15, Cohen, 4.29M) reports that the Times report "sparked new debate among senators who had served on the Senate Judiciary Committee last year." On ABC's This Week (9/15, 1.96M), Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) "attacked the newspaper for its report and questioned its motives." Cruz said, 'They apparently spent 10 months with undercover reporters trying to track down every person that went to school with Justice Kavanaugh 30 years ago. You know, ifs an amazing level of reporting trying to just really dig up any dirt they can on the guy. ... I bet you the next Democratic debate, they'll all be saying impeach Kavanaugh, impeach Trump. There's nobody they don't want to impeach. And at some point, they just have to let the anger go and recognize that the democratic process actually moves on." The New York Times (9/15, Garcia, 18.61M) reports that while Republican leaders condemned the reporting as irresponsible and defended" Kavanaugh, "several Democratic presidential candidates" called for his impeachment. The AP (9/15) reports Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) tweeted that Kavanaugh "lied to the U.S. Senate and most importantly to the American people" and "must be impeached." Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) tweeted "Confirmation is not exoneration, and these newest revelations are disturbing. Like the man who appointed him, Kavanaugh should be impeached." Ex-Rep. Beto O'Rourke (D-TX) wrote in a tweet, "We know he lied under oath. He should be impeached." USA Today (9/15, Wu, 10.31M) reports that former HUD Secretary Julian Castro also "called for Kavanaugh's impeachment." The Wall Street Journal (9/15, Lucey, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) reports that Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) said in a tweet that he supports "any appropriate constitutional mechanism to hold him accountable." The Washington Post (9/15, Wax-Thibodeaux, 14.2M) reports that Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) told ABC's This Week (9/15, 1.96M) "that she still opposes Kavanaugh's confirmation" and that There was a lack of a thorough FBI investigation" into the allegations against him. Klobuchar said, *My concern here is that the process was a sham. I don't think you can look at impeachment hearings without getting the documents. The House would have to get the documents. And the attorney general is shielding documents." Daily Caller: NYTimes Report Omitted "Exculpatory Evidence." The Daily Caller (9/15, Hasson, 716K) reports that the Times story "left out exculpatory evidence." The report, from Times reporters Robin Pogrebin and Kate Kelly, who wrote the story "drawing from their new book, 'The Education of Brett Kavanaugh: An Investigation,'" left out "a crucial fact that was included in the book: The alleged victim reportedly has no recollection of the incident in question." In the book, they wrote that the woman "refused to discuss the incident' with the authors, and "several of her friends said she does not recall it." Susan Ferrechio of the Washington Examiner said on Fox News' MediaBuzz (9/15, 536K) that Kavanaugh "is a public figure...so I don't know about suing for libel" as the President has suggested. But 'The President makes a good point in that the New York Times or at least through this book is trying to again frame Kavanaugh as someone who was a drunken sexual offender in college. And from what we can tell from the book so far, it is not backed up, even in the book." WPost Analysis: It Is "Exceedingly Unlikely" Kavanaugh Would Be Removed In Impeachment Proceedings. A Washington Post (9/15, Paul, 14.2M) analysis outlines he impeachment process and says that even if the House votes to impeach Kavanaugh, his removal is "exceedingly unlikely" given that it would require a two-thirds majority of the Senate. Similarly, ABC's Kyra Phillips was asked in the lead story for ABC World News Tonight (9/15, lead story, 3:47, Llamas, 4.49M) if there is "any indication the House Judiciary Committee will open an investigation?" Phillips said, "Ifs possible. Sources say ifs not likely, though. Democrats in Congress are saying their options are limited, and removing Kavanaugh from the bench would require the Republican-controlled Senate to go along." Justice Department To Award Team Who Worked On Kavanaugh's Nomination. The New York Times (9/13, Benner, 18.61M) reported that the Justice Department 'will present the Attorney General's Award for Distinguished Service" to the team of "lawyers who worked on the highly contentious Supreme Court nomination process of Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh." Attorney General William Barr will present the award next month "to those who worked 'to support the nomination' of the judge, according to an email reviewed by The New York Times." The "team being awarded includes prosecutors and lawyers from the department's tax division, the environment and natural resources division, the civil appellate section and several United States attorneys offices." EFTA00160994 Copyright 2019 by Bulletin Intelligence LLC Reproduction or redistribution without permission prohibited. Content is drawn horn thousands of newspapers. national magazines, national and local television programs. radio broadcasts, social media platforms and additional forms of open-source data. Sources for Bulletin Intelligence audience-size estinates include Scarborough. GE MRI, comScore, Nielsen. and the Audit Bureau of Ciculation. Data from and access to third party soda] media platforms, including but not limited to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and others, is subject to the respective platform's terms of use. Services that include Factiva content are governed by Fadiva's terms of use. Services including embedded Tweets are also subject to Twitter for Websftes information and privacy colicies. The FBI Directors Morning Briefing is published five days a week by Bulletin Intelligence, which creates custom briefings for government and corporate leaders. We can be found on the Web at BuletinIntelligence.00m. or caled at Please direct comments and concerns to EFTA00160995