“It’s already been litigated in the court of public opinion and in the election,” Gidley said in an interview on Fox News when asked if the administration would meet the 5 p.m. deadline. “Once he’s out of audit he’ll think about doing it, but he is not inclined to do so at this time.”
The deadline is the second set by House Ways and Means Chairman Richard Neal, D-Mass., for the IRS to cooperate with his inquiry into Trump’s tax returns.
Part of the stated motivation for Neal’s inquiry is to determine whether the IRS has audited Trump and his businesses, as Trump claims. An IRS rule put in place after a major tax underpayment by former President Richard Nixon mandates that every sitting president be automatically placed under audit.
A law put in place in reaction to a major Cabinet corruption scandal in the 1920s, the Teapot Dome Scandal, grants the heads of the House Ways and Means Committee and Senate Finance Committee the ability to request taxpayer information from the IRS, which is a part of the Treasury Department. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin missed the first deadline set by Neal, April 10, saying that he wanted the IRS to hold off from complying with the request until it consulted with the Justice Department. Trump’s personal legal team made a similar request of the IRS.
In a follow-up letter sent on April 13, Neal told the Treasury secretary that he would view a failure to deliver Trump’s tax information by 5 p.m. Tuesday as a refusal, meaning that Neal would consider Mnuchin in violation of the law. That could set up a lengthy court battle.
Trump could voluntarily release his returns despite being under audit. Public polling has shown a majority of Americans think Trump’s tax returns should be released, though the number who believe it should be a priority is mixed. In a Politico/Morning Consult poll conducted in late March, half of respondents said that forcing Trump to release his tax returns should be a priority for Congress, while only 23 percent of those polled opposed it.
A spokesperson for the Treasury Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Though Mnuchin is considered one of Trump’s closest advisers, it’s not clear whether Gidley spoke for the department in his statement or only for Trump.
“He’s the president and no one cares about ridiculous charges about tax returns and all types of things Democrats are doubling down on today,” argued Gidley.
“MURIENDO POR CRUZAR,” AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE INCREASING NUMBER OF IMMIGRANT DEATHS ALONG THE BORDER, THIS SUNDAY, AUGUST 3 AT 6 P.M./5 C
Carmen Dominicci and Neida Sandoval present the Telemundo and The Weather Channel co-production
Miami – July 31, 2014 –Telemundo presents “Muriendo por Cruzar”, a documentary that investigates why increasing numbers of immigrants are dying while trying to cross the US-Mexican border near the city of Falfurrias, Texas, this Sunday, August 3 at 6PM/5 C. The Telemundo and The Weather Channel co-production, presented by Noticias Telemundo journalists Carmen Dominicci and Neida Sandoval, reveals the obstacles immigrants face once they cross into US territory, including extreme weather conditions, as they try to evade the border patrol. “Muriendo por Cruzar” is part of Noticias Telemundo’s special coverage of the crisis on the border and immigration reform.
“‘Muriendo por Cruzar’” dares to ask questions that reveal the actual conditions undocumented immigrants face as they try to start a new life in the United States,” said Alina Falcón, Telemundo’s Executive Vice President for News and Alternative Programming. “Our collaboration with The Weather Channel was very productive. They have a unique expertise in covering the impact of weather on people’s lives, as we do in covering immigration reform and the border crisis. The result is a compelling documentary that exposes a harrowing reality.”
“Muriendo por Cruzar” is the first co-production by Telemundo and The Weather Channel. Both networks are part of NBCUniversal.
“MURIENDO POR CRUZAR,” AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE INCREASING NUMBER OF IMMIGRANT DEATHS ALONG THE BORDER, THIS SUNDAY, AUGUST 3 AT 6 P.M./5 C
Carmen Dominicci and Neida Sandoval present the Telemundo and The Weather Channel co-production
Miami – July 31, 2014 –Telemundo presents “Muriendo por Cruzar”, a documentary that investigates why increasing numbers of immigrants are dying while trying to cross the US-Mexican border near the city of Falfurrias, Texas, this Sunday, August 3 at 6PM/5 C. The Telemundo and The Weather Channel co-production, presented by Noticias Telemundo journalists Carmen Dominicci and Neida Sandoval, reveals the obstacles immigrants face once they cross into US territory, including extreme weather conditions, as they try to evade the border patrol. “Muriendo por Cruzar” is part of Noticias Telemundo’s special coverage of the crisis on the border and immigration reform.
“‘Muriendo por Cruzar’” dares to ask questions that reveal the actual conditions undocumented immigrants face as they try to start a new life in the United States,” said Alina Falcón, Telemundo’s Executive Vice President for News and Alternative Programming. “Our collaboration with The Weather Channel was very productive. They have a unique expertise in covering the impact of weather on people’s lives, as we do in covering immigration reform and the border crisis. The result is a compelling documentary that exposes a harrowing reality.”
“Muriendo por Cruzar” is the first co-production by Telemundo and The Weather Channel. Both networks are part of NBCUniversal.
U.S. and Chinese trade negotiators meeting in Washington, D.C. last week. Citing progress in the talks, President Trump said he would suspend a planning increase in tariffs on Chinese goods due to take effect on March 1.
Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images
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U.S. and Chinese trade negotiators meeting in Washington, D.C. last week. Citing progress in the talks, President Trump said he would suspend a planning increase in tariffs on Chinese goods due to take effect on March 1.
Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images
President Trump will hold off raising tariffs on hundreds of billions of dollars in Chinese imports, after what he called “very productive” trade talks in Washington this weekend.
Tariffs had been scheduled to jump from 10 to 25 percent next Saturday. But Trump agreed to postpone that increase in hopes of negotiating a more comprehensive trade agreement.
Trump tweeted that the two sides had made “substantial progress” on structural issues, including protection of intellectual property and an end to the forced transfer of U.S. technology. The president hopes to finalize a deal during a face-to-face meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping at Trump’s Florida vacation home.
I am pleased to report that the U.S. has made substantial progress in our trade talks with China on important structural issues including intellectual property protection, technology transfer, agriculture, services, currency, and many other issues. As a result of these very……
“Assuming both sides make additional progress, we will be planning a Summit for President Xi and myself, at Mar-a-Lago, to conclude an agreement,” Trump wrote, celebrating what he called “a very good weekend for U.S. & China!”
Trade talks were initially expected to wrap up Friday but had been extended through the weekend in a sign of positive momentum. Negotiators cautioned, however, that a final deal was still uncertain.
“It’s a little early for Champagne,” Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said Friday.
U.S. businesses will welcome the decision to delay higher tariffs. Even at the existing, 10 percent rate, Trump’s China duties are costing American businesses and consumers upwards of $2 billion per month.
The jewelry designer behind Michelle Obama’s “VOTE” necklace at the 2020 Democratic National Convention says the brand has been inundated with offers thanks to the primetime moment.
Chari Cuthbert, who owns the Los Angeles boutique ByChari, said the brand saw “a significant uptick in sales” in just the hour after the former first lady debuted the $430 gold chain, the Daily Beast reported.
“My finance guy just texted me a bunch of exclamation points, so I assume that’s a good thing,” Cuthbert said. “He said, I’m so happy for you, this is everything you’ve worked for.”
She wasn’t aware that Obama would be wearing the design for the DNC until it appeared on television screens across the nation during her speech, which headlined the first night of the convention.
Cuthbert previously told The Post she designed a VOTE necklace for the 2016 election and was planning on selling one again this time around.
“I was honored when Michelle Obama’s stylist asked for one and am thrilled she is wearing it!” she said in a statement.
El Ejército de Nicaragua informó el martes 10 de febrero que está gestionando la compra de aviones cazas con el fin de combatir el narcotráfico en su espacio aéreo, principalmente sobre el territorio marítimo otorgado por la Corte Internacional de Justicia (CIJ) de La Haya, que definió los límites en el Caribe con Colombia.
El inspector del Ejército nicaragüense, general de brigada Adolfo Zepeda, dijo a periodistas que “para evitar (el) tráfico de aviones del narcotráfico en nuestro espacio aéreo”, han hecho “algunas gestiones para obtener medios cazas interceptores”.
Es “aviación netamente defensiva, no aviones de ataque”, aclaró el jefe militar.
Zepeda brindó esas declaraciones tras ser consultado por las presuntas intenciones de las Fuerzas Armadas de Colombia, de acuerdo con medios colombianos, de reforzar de forma prioritaria sus capacidades aéreas, en respuesta a esas gestiones de Nicaragua en adquirir aviones Mig-29 u otros cazas.
“Nicaragua no constituye amenazas para que ningún país argumente armarse más por una amenaza eventual de Nicaragua”, dijo al respecto el general de brigada nicaragüense.
“Somos un país pacífico, somos respetuosos del ordenamiento internacional. Nuestras diferencias a nivel internacional las llevamos a la Corte Internacional de Justicia, y esos fallos Nicaragua los respeta”, argumentó.
La CIJ de La Haya dirimió el 19 de noviembre de 2012 un litigio marítimo entre Nicaragua y Colombia, y le otorgó al primero los derechos económicos sobre una zona que Colombia calcula en 75.000 kilómetros cuadrados y el país centroamericano en más de 90.000 kilómetros cuadrados.
En el mismo fallo la Corte dejó en manos de Colombia siete cayos del archipiélago de San Andrés, cuyas islas mayores ya se habían concedido a esta nación en 2007, aunque dos de los islotes quedaron enclavados en aguas centroamericanas.
El Ejército de Nicaragua también ha considerado que necesita ocho nuevas patrulleras y ya ha visitado astilleros, entre ellos los de Rusia, un antiguo aliado que durante el primer régimen sandinista (1979-1990) dotó de armamento soviético a las Fuerzas Armadas nicarag enses.
WASHINGTON — American defense firms Lockheed Martin and Raytheon are preparing to make massive adjustments to their production processes as the U.S. tries to pressure Turkey not to follow through with a multibillion-dollar deal to buy a Russian missile system, according to multiple people familiar with the matter.
If Turkey goes through with the Russian deal, Lockheed Martin would have to rework its supply chain on components for the F-35 fighter jet, while also making changes to its production schedule. Yet if Turkey abandons its deal with Russia, Raytheon would reorganize the Patriot missile defense system production schedule to guarantee that Turkey could receive the missile system within a faster time frame.
As it stands, Turkey faces removal from the F-35 program, forfeiture of 100 promised F-35 jets, cancellation of a Patriot missile deal and the imposition of U.S. sanctions as well as potential blowback from NATO if the deal with Russia is completed. Lockheed Martin makes the F-35, while Raytheon produces the Patriot system.
“The ball is very much in their court,” a U.S. defense official familiar with the matter told CNBC. “There is a lot to lose on the line and Turkey should know that these aren’t idle threats.”
Turkey is slated to receive the Russian-made S-400 missile system later this year after brokering a deal reportedly worth $2.5 billion with the Kremlin in 2017.
Turkey has helped finance Lockheed Martin’s F-35 program, America’s most expensive weapons system and the world’s most advanced fighter jet.
For Lockheed Martin, the adjustments include replacing Turkey’s role in manufacturing elements for the F-35’s fuselage and landing gear. Therefore, a new supplier would have to take over making those specific jet components. Additionally, the 100 F-35 jets Turkey hoped to add to its budding arsenal will be shuffled in the company’s intricate production schedule as to ensure the defense giant’s assembly line will hum along without skipping a beat.
On Thursday, the head of the F-35 program at the Pentagon told lawmakers that Turkey’s removal would impact the aircraft production rate and strain the jet’s intricate global supply chain.
“The evaluation of Turkey stopping would be between 50 and 75 airplane impact over a two-year period,” Navy Vice Adm. Mat Winter told members during a House Armed Services subcommittee hearing.
“From a timeline we would see within 45 to 90 days an impact of the slowing down or stopping of those parts to the three production lines,” Winter said, adding that Turkey produces approximately 7 percent of the jet’s parts.
In multiple efforts to deter Turkey from buying the S-400, the U.S. State Department offered in 2013 and 2017 to sell it a Patriot missile system. Ankara passed on Patriot both times because the U.S. declined to provide a transfer of the system’s sensitive missile technology.
The intelligence assessment included satellite imagery of a concrete launch facility as well as bunkers, according to the source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. The new construction fits the pattern for Russia’s S-400 surface-to-air missile system, the source indicated.
The S-400 missile system, equipped with eight launchers and 32 missiles, is capable of targeting and collecting valuable technical intelligence from the F-35. Similarly, the S-400 cannot be operated alongside NATO defense systems.
The Turkey-U.S. military relationship took more anxious turns Monday, when the U.S. halted delivery of two F-35 fighter jets to Ankara and an agreement to sell the Patriot system to Turkey expired.
On Tuesday, Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan said he expected the dispute with Turkey over its planned purchase of Russia’s S-400 system to be resolved.
“I expect we’ll solve the problem so that they have the right defense equipment in terms of Patriots and F-35s,” Shanahan told a small group of reporters at the Pentagon.
Montana’s governor declared a “winter storm emergency” tonight after the state was slammed by more than 3 feet of heavy, wet snow. Governor Steve Bullock declared the emergency as storm watches and warnings were posted across the region.
This early-occurring winter storm blasted the city of Great Falls with more than a foot of snow in September. The snow has covered streets and made driving difficult.
“My recommendation is to stay off the road if you can,” said Sergeant Wade Palen of the Montana Highway Patrol. “The biggest challenges are overnight. The roads will freeze again so they’ll become more ice covered.”
Pedestrians make their way along a snow covered street lined with trees that still have their leaves during a fall snowstorm in Helena, Montana, on Sunday, September 29, 2019.
AP
Closer to the mountains, snow now measured in feet is piled high outside homes. With high winds, trees have been knocked down. At one point, thousands lost power.
“When is the last time you’ve seen a September like this? i have never seen a September snow like this,” said National weather service meteorologist Don Britton.
Britton has lived in Great Falls for more than 40 years. He says this storm is a record breaker.
“That one set back in 1934? That was broken,” he said. “That was a three-day record of over 13 inches of snow. We’ve already had over 14 inches of snow in two days, so that record is pretty much obliterated.”
The snowstorm also hit parts of Idaho.
And in Spokane, Washington, the storm marked the first time the city recorded snow on this date since officials began keeping records in 1881. Forecasters expect the winter weather to continue through the night.
“Hunker down, stay warm, and try to avoid travel,” Britton advised.
The storm is expected to move out of the area by early tomorrow morning. Some schools will be closed Monday, but all of this snow is expected to melt by the end of the week, and everyone here can get back to fall.
Muchos se han preguntado para qué sirve el pequeño aparato parecido a un “control remoto” que sostienen los conductores de noticias cuando están al aire en televisión. Ahora te lo explicamos.
“Teleprompter” es el nombre que recibe el sistema que permite a los periodistas leer las noticias en una patalla, evitando la necesidad de memorizar todos los detalles de cada información -tomando en cuenta que los noticieros duran un cerca de una hora y media-.
Los conductores tienen en una de sus manos el control que dirige la señal a una cámara, la que a su vez proyecta la lectura en un espejo. Así se crea la ilusión al televidente de que el periodista está mirando directamente a la cámara, cuando en realidad está leyendo.
De esta forma, se cumple uno de sus principales objetivos, que es dar la confianza y seguridad a los periodistas al momento de dirigirse al público.
¿Quiénes lo utilizan?
El creador de este aparato es Hubert Schlafy, ingeniero electrónico que en el año 1950 buscaba crear un instrumento que permitiera a los actores enfocarse en su audiencia y recordar sus guiones.
En la actualidad, no sólo los periodistas y programas de televisión utilizan esta herramienta, sino que también ha llegado a los políticos. Lyndon Johnson fue el primer presidente de EE.UU que usó un telepromter. Varios años después lo haría Barack Obama.
El conductor Alfonso Concha nos explica todas las funciones de esta herramienta, fundamental en el periodismo.
A Maryland cyclist suspected of attacking a group of teens as they put up signs calling for justice for George Floyd was arrested Friday, police in Maryland said.
Anthony Brennan III, age 60 of Kensington, Maryland, with three counts of second-degree assault. The assaults occurred on Monday, June 1, 2020.Maryland-National Capital Park Police
Anthony Brennan III, 60, of Kensington, Maryland, was booked on allegations of second-degree assault in the Monday attack, which was videotaped and posted on social media.
One of the victims, described as a male, was pushed down by the suspect, who used his bicycle, the Park Police Montgomery County Division said in a statement. Two other teens, described as females, were also listed as victims of the attack in Bethesda.
The trio was putting up flyers that read, “A MAN WAS LYNCHED BY THE POLICE. WHAT ARE YOU DOING ABOUT IT?”
The video shows the man approaching the teen with his bicycle and the teen can be heard yelling “what?, hey, what the f***?” before he is thrown to the ground and the camera cuts off.
The male teen told NBC News a man “ripped the posters and tape out of our hands before eventually throwing his bike into me and trying to hold me to the ground with it.”
The video shows the man approaching the teen with his bicycle and the teen can be heard yelling “what?, hey, what the f***?” before he is thrown to the ground and the camera cuts off.
The group filed a report with the police and the Park Police Montgomery County Division put out a statement on Twitter urging anyone with information to come forward and help them identify the suspect.
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Umberto Eco era el máximo intelectual italiano.
Umberto Eco era tan famoso por su creación intelectual como por sus lúcidas y polémicas declaraciones mediáticas.
Tras el fallecimiento este viernes a los 84 años del autor de libros como El nombre de la rosa y El péndulo deFoucault, BBC Mundo recopila un decálogo de frases suyas sobre distintos temas.
“Los libros no están hechos para que uno crea en ellos, sino para ser sometidos a investigación. Cuando consideramos un libro, no debemos preguntarnos qué dice, sino qué significa”. El nombre de la rosa.
2. Sobre los padres
“Creo que aquello en lo que nos convertimos depende de lo que nuestros padres nos enseñan en pequeños momentos, cuando no están intentando enseñarnos. Estamos hechos de pequeños fragmentos de sabiduría”. El péndulo de Foucault.
3. Sobre Dios
Image copyright Getty
Image caption
Para Eco, internet permitió “la invasión de los imbéciles”.
“Cuando los hombres dejan de creer en Dios, no quiere decir que creen en nada: creen en todo”.
4. Sobre el amor
“El amor es más sabio que la sabiduría”. El nombre de la rosa.
5. Sobre los héroes
“El verdadero héroe es héroe por error. Sueña con ser un cobarde honesto como todo el mundo”.
6. Sobre los villanos
“Los monstruos existen porque son parte de un plan divino y en las horribles características de esos mismos monstruos se revela el poder del creador”. El nombre de la rosa.
Image copyright Getty
Image caption
Eco no tenía una buena opinión de las redes sociales.
7. Sobre la poesía
“Todos los poetas escriben mala poesía. Los malos poetas la publican, los buenos poetas la queman”.
8. Sobre el periodismo
“No son las noticias las que hacen el periódico, sino el periódico el que hace las noticias y saber juntar cuatro noticias distintas significa proponerle al lector una quinta noticia”. Número cero.
9. Sobre internet
“Las redes sociales le dan el derecho de hablar a legiones de idiotas que antes hablaban sólo en el bar después de un vaso de vino, sin dañar a la comunidad. Entonces eran rápidamente silenciados, pero ahora tienen el mismo derecho a hablar que un Premio Nobel. Es la invasión de los imbéciles”. Eco al diario La Stampa.
10. Sobre la corrupción
“Hoy, cuando afloran los nombres de corruptos o defraudadores y se sabe más, a la gente no le importa nada y solo van a la cárcel los ladrones de pollos albaneses”. Eco a la Agencia Efe.
(CNN)An underwater volcano near Tonga has erupted for the third time in four days, potentially threatening the ability of surveillance flights to assess the damage to the Pacific island nation following Saturday’s massive eruption and tsunami.
Detail of a scarf print from the Beyond Buckskin Boutique. Photo courtesy of shop.beyondbuckskin.com. Download Full Image
Morris said by spearheading innovative partnerships and leveraging resources from ASU, tribes and community organizations, she hopes that Inno-NATIONS will create a “collision community,” causing a ripple effect of economic change in tribal communities.
Both events are free and take place at The Department in downtown Phoenix.
Inno-NATIONS will also launch a three-day pilot cohort with approximately 20 Native American businesses starting in June.
“Beyond Buckskin” features Jessica Metcalfe, a Turtle Mountain Chippewa, Dartmouth graduate and entrepreneur, who grew a small online store into a successful boutique on the Turtle Mountain Indian Reservation in North Dakota.
The store promotes and sells Native American-made couture, streetwear, jewelry, and accessories from more than 40 Native American and First Nations artist, employing tribe members from the Turtle Mountain community.
ASU Now spoke to Metcalfe to discuss her work.
Jessica Metcalfe
Question: We’ve seen Native American fashion emerge and evolve. How did you get into the business?
Answer: I was writing my master’s thesis in 2005 and my advisor at the time had told me about some research she had done, which looked at Native American fashion in the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s. She had wondered if I was interested in picking up where her research left off. I looked into it and found that there were these breadcrumbs, little bits here in there, that something had been going on in the past 60-70 years, but hadn’t been looked at as a collective movement.
Through my doctoral dissertation, what I discovered was that Native American fashion has gone through waves of acknowledgements by the broader public, but what we’re experiencing now is perhaps the biggest wave yet.
You have designers like Patricia Michaels out at New York’s Style Fashion Week and the Native Fashion Now traveling exhibit touring the country, so there’s really a lot of exciting things happening lately. It’s coming from a collective movement. Designers basically grouping together to share costs but also to put together more events to cause a bigger ruckus.
Q: How did you build your online store into a brick-and-mortar business?
A: I first launched a blog in 2009 as an outlet for my dissertation research, and wanted to share it with more people and to also get more stories and experiences. My readers kept asking where could they see and buy these clothes? At that time, there wasn’t an easy way to access functions like a Native American Pow Wow or market in order to do that.
I had established a rapport with designers through my research and writing. They saw what I was doing through the blog and then a question popped into my head. “How would you feel about creating a business together?” There were 11 initial designers who said they needed the space, and I worked with them to sell their goods online. We just now opened our design lab on the Turtle Mountain Indian Reservation. We are creating a system where we can meet demand and maximize a need in Indian Country.
We employ Native Americans from ages 15 to 22. There aren’t a whole lot of opportunities for people that age on the reservation. They either work at the grocery store or the gas station. One of them is interested in film and photography and so they run our photo shoots. Another person is interested in business entrepreneurship, and they get to see how an idea goes from concept to execution.
Q: The subtext is that this isn’t just about fashion but, history, representation and cultural appropriation?
A: Our clothing is just more than just objects. It’s about how the material was gathered, what the colors represent, what stories are being told and how does that tie into our value system. One of the things I often discuss is the Native American headdress. Our leaders wear them as a symbol of their leadership and the dedication to their communities. These stories are a way to share our culture with non-Natives and protect our legacy for future generations.
Q: Why is it important for Native American businesses to branch out into other cultures?
A: Native American people desperately need to diversify their economic opportunities on and off the reservations. Up until recently, people haven’t thought of fashion or art as a viable career path.
A recent study conducted by First Peoples Fund that found a third of all Native American people are practicing or are potential artists. That is a huge resource we already have in Indian Country and we need to tap it and develop it, and push for Natives in various fields to look at themselves as entrepreneurs and launching businesses.
Now, Native American people have an opportunity to make a positive impact in their local communities by reaching people through their art and sharing our culture with the rest of the world.
State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert withdrew her name from consideration for the U.N. ambassador nomination, the department said Saturday.
“I am grateful to President Trump and Secretary [Mike] Pompeo for the trust they placed in me for considering me for the position of U.S. ambassador to the United Nations,” Nauer said in the statement. “However, the past two months have been grueling for my family and therefore it is in the best interest of my family that I withdraw my name from consideration.
She went on to describe her time working in the administration as being “one of the highest honors of my life.”
A State Department source told Fox News that the process, on top of traveling around the world and between Washington D.C., and New York to see family, grew to be too much.
Trump — who picked Nauert to succeed Ambassador Nikki Haley in December — will make an announcement “soon” about a nominee for the position, the State Department said.
Before she worked at the State Department, Nauert worked as an anchor and correspondent at Fox News — including as a breaking news anchor on “Fox & Friends.” Before Fox, she was a reporter at ABC News. She moved to the State Department in April 2017.
Secretary of State Pompeo also addressed the decision in the statement, saying it was one he respected.
“Heather Nauert has performed her duties as a senior member of my team with unequaled excellence,” he said. “I wish Heather nothing but the best in all of her future endeavors and know that she will continue to be a great representative of this nation in whatever role she finds herself.”
When Trump tapped Nauert for the U.N. role last year, he said she was “very talented.” His announcement came roughly two months after Haley, the former governor of South Carolina, abruptly resigned from the position.
Fox News’ Alexandra Pamias, Rich Edson, Adam Shaw and Kaitlyn Schallhorn contributed to this report.
Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., said it would be a serious mistake for President Trump to pardon his former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort.
In court documents filed Friday evening, special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation of possible Russian interference in the 2016 election accused Paul Manafort of lying to them about his contact with senior officials from the Trump administration while under indictment. Trump still speaks highly of Manafort, and has told the New York Post that he wouldn’t take pardoning Manafort “off the table.”
ABC News reporter Martha Raddatz asked Rubio on “This Week” Sunday morning whether he thinks pardoning Manafort would constitute obstruction of justice.
“I think it would be a terrible mistake if he did that. I do. I believe it’d be a terrible mistake,” Rubio replied. “You know, pardons should be used judiciously. They’re used for cases with extraordinary circumstances. And I just haven’t heard that the White House was thinking about doing it. I know he hasn’t ruled it out but I haven’t heard anyone say, We’re thinking about doing it.”
Paul Manafort, former campaign manager for Donald Trump, walks out of the U.S. Courthouse after a bond hearing in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Monday, Nov. 6, 2017. Manafort, 68, an international political consultant, was accused along with his right-hand man, Rick Gates, of lying to U.S. authorities about their work in Ukraine, laundering millions of dollars, and hiding offshore accounts. Both pleaded not guilty on Oct. 30. Photographer: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Paul Manafort, former campaign manager for Donald Trump, right, arrives to the U.S. Courthouse for a bond hearing in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Monday, Nov. 6, 2017. Manafort, 68, an international political consultant, was accused along with his right-hand man, Rick Gates, of lying to U.S. authorities about their work in Ukraine, laundering millions of dollars, and hiding offshore accounts. Both pleaded not guilty on Oct. 30. Photographer: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Paul Manafort, former campaign manager for Donald Trump, right, exits the U.S. Courthouse in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Monday, Oct. 30, 2017. The federal investigation into whether President Trump’s campaign colluded with Russia took a major turn Monday as authorities charged three people a former campaign chief, his business associate and an ex-policy adviser — with crimes including money laundering, lying to the FBI and conspiracy. Photographer: Zach Gibson/Bloomberg via Getty Images
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Rubio suggested that if he were part of Trump’s inner circle, he would advise strongly against pardoning Manafort and will be a critical voice in Congress if it comes to pass. He said a presidential pardon in this situation would undercut the very reason for their existence and could result in contentious wrangling over that presidential power granted by the Constitution.
“I don’t believe that any pardon should be used with relation to these particular cases. Frankly, not only does it not pass the smell test, I think it undermines the reason why we have presidential pardons in the first place,” Rubio said. “And I think, in fact, if something like that were to happen, it could trigger a debate about whether the pardon powers should be amended, given these circumstances.”
Manafort is a longtime Republican political consultant who advised presidential campaigns for Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush and Bob Dole. Manafort pleaded guilty in September to several charges, including making false statements about his work in Ukraine, financial fraud and obstructing justice. As part of his plea deal, he agreed to cooperate with Mueller’s probe into possible collusion, but the allegation that he’s been lying prompted even more speculation that he’s angling for a pardon from Trump.
Ways and Means Chairman Richard Neal demanded that the administration turn over over six years’ worth of President Donald Trump’s tax returns — but Democrats may face a tougher-than-normal situation with taxpayer secrecy rules. | Andrew Harnik/AP Photo
There will be a period, possibly lasting months, when Democrats will have seen the president’s taxes, but they won’t be able to talk about them.
Democrats’ bid to seize President Donald Trump’s tax returns will come with some serious legal risk to themselves.
Lawmakers are concerned that, even if they get the president’s filings, his returns will still be protected by strict confidentiality laws — it is a felony, punishable by up to five years, to improperly disclose private tax information.
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There are ways around the dilemma, and Democrats intend to make at least some information about Trump’s taxes public — that is much of the point of their entire effort. But that probably won’t happen right away. Lawmakers say they will likely take some time to examine his filings behind closed doors before making anything publicly available.
That means there will be a period, possibly lasting months, when Democrats will have finally seen the president’s long-hidden taxes — and they will be inundated with questions about what’s in them — but they won’t be able to talk about them. If they let anything slip, Republicans will surely jump, demanding an investigation by the Justice Department.
“We’re going to have to be circumspect in terms of the way we handle this,” said Rep. John Larson (D-Conn.), a senior member of the House Ways and Means Committee. “That’s the responsibility of every member.”
It’s a risk that’s been barely acknowledged in the battle over Trump’s returns, though it is one reason why Democrats have taken so long to formally request them.
Of course, Democrats have to get the returns first, and they’re a long way from that. Ways and Means Chairman Richard Neal (D-Mass.) demanded this week that the administration turn over six years’ worth of Trump’s individual and business tax returns, giving them a deadline of April 10.
The administration has indicated it plans to fight the demand in court.
“From what I understand, the law is 100 percent on my side,” Trump said Friday.
That Democrats may have to keep Trump’s taxes secret for a time has been largely overlooked in the debate over the returns, probably because of a misconception of how the law Democrats are tapping works.
They are relying on a statute that allows the heads of Congress’s tax committees to examine anyone’s confidential taxes. Advocates of the effort emphasize that the law says the Treasury Secretary “shall” hand over any requested returns.
But that’s just the question of whether the administration must give up the documents — even if Trump’s returns are handed over, they will still be protected by privacy laws. Making them public will be a separate matter.
Experts say lawmakers can do that by essentially having the Ways and Means Committee vote in a closed session to release them.
Though Democrats haven’t worked out exactly how they’ll proceed, there’s likely to be some time between when they receive the returns and when they consider divulging them.
There seems to be a “false presumption” that lawmakers will simply release the returns the moment they get them, said Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas), another Democratic tax writer who has helped lead the push to get the president’s returns.
“There is a need for a thorough review of them to see if there’s anything in them that justifies releasing them and that’s something that could take awhile to do because they are, according to the president, very complex,” he said. “I hope it’s not months, but I don’t think it will be days.”
“Until such time as that review is complete and a vote is taken to forward them to congress and the public, they will be protected.”
Democrats may want to redact certain information from the returns. Trump’s filings could reveal private information about other people he’s in business with who are of little interest to lawmakers, for example.
Tax veterans say the period between when Democrats get Trump’s returns and if and when they release something will be stressful for lawmakers, given the criminal penalties for even inadvertent disclosure. Democrats won’t be able to discuss even basic things about Trump’s returns, like how much he paid in taxes, what he reported earning or if he gave to charity.
“When we’ve had members in these situations before, we frequently have members say, ‘I don’t know if I want you to tell me or not, because I don’t know if I can trust myself not to say anything,’” said Rick Grafmeyer, a former deputy head of the bipartisan Joint Committee on Taxation and expert on taxpayer privacy laws.
Tax writers typically use their power to examine private tax returns to help inform the policymaking process. If they are trying to write legislation outlawing a corporate tax shelter, for example, they might look at an individual company’s tax documents to better understand how the dodge works.
Some say Democrats’ situation will be tougher than what most lawmakers deal with when it comes to taxpayer secrecy rules. Everyone will likely know Democrats have Trump’s returns and lawmakers would be besieged with questions from reporters, constituents and other lawmakers. That’s a lot different than when lawmakers quietly examine an oil company’s tax return.
Also, the Ways and Means Committee is loaded with new members who aren’t steeped in the intricacies of the tax secrecy rules — the closest analogue many say is when lawmakers received classified intelligence briefings.
“I’m sure that there will be briefings about all the ethical issues that surround this,” said Larson.
Many of the details of how exactly Democrats would handle the returns have not been worked out.
Neal could keep Trump’s documents to himself and a few close aides — and not even let other members of his panel see them. He has already said he won’t share the returns with any other committees, including the Judiciary and Oversight panels, which have been conducting their own high-profile investigations of the administration.
That would keep the circle of people who’ve seen Trump’s taxes tight — and the more people who see the returns, the more likely there will be leaks.
But many of his colleagues have been clamoring for the president’s returns for months, and will surely be unhappy to learn they won’t be able to examine them.
Another option: Lawmakers turn the filings over to the JCT and ask its staff of tax experts to analyze Trump’s returns and report back on what they find.
“They’re going to have to think carefully about how they’re going to want to do this,” said Dean Zerbe, a former Senate tax aide. “The penalties are certainly quite real.”
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