January 1, Trump’s Executive Privilege Stress Test

This Day in History | 1939

Franklyn Delano Roosevelt signs a bill officially establishing Thanksgiving as the forth Thursday in November. 

Good morning Middle Americans, 

A ruling by a federal court judge yesterday could seriously challenge the establishment of executive privilege.  Yesterday, a federal court judge ruled that former White House counsel Don McGhan must show up and testify before the House. The White House is vowing to appeal.  If that appeal is tossed, other close Trump allies could also have to show up and testify.

Also today, Bill Cosby has given his first interview from behind prison bars. And he seems to have no remorse for the women he’s been convicted of sexual assault. And finally we have new evidence from the Wall Street Journal about the case mounting against Rudy Giuliani. 

Read all about it!

– Fraser Dixon 

Judge Rules Ex-White House Counsel McGahn Must Testify

(Politico) – Don McGahn must testify to Congress about his time as the White House’s top lawyer, a federal judge ruled Monday — a decision that will put pressure on other reluctant Trump administration witnesses to testify about President Donald Trump’s actions.

In an opinion that could reshape the balance of power between Congress and the executive branch, U.S. District Court Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson said that McGahn, who spent 30 hours talking to former special counsel Robert Mueller’s team, can’t hide behind Trump’s claim that he is “absolutely immune” from speaking to the House Judiciary Committee.

Bill Cosby Vows No Remorse, Expects to Serve 10 Years

(ABC News) – Bill Cosby says he’s prepared to serve his 10-year maximum sentence for sexual assault rather than show remorse for a crime the comedian says he didn’t commit.

Cosby is serving three to 10 years in a state prison near Philadelphia after a jury last year convicted him of sexually assaulting a Temple University employee in 2004. The 82-year-old says the Pennsylvania parole board is “not going to hear me say that I have remorse.” He thinks it’s therefore unlikely he’ll be released early.

Read more about Bill Cosby’s time in prison here

Feds Subpoena Giuliani’s Business Records

(Wall Street Journal) – Subpoenas issued to people with ties to President Trump’s personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, indicate a broad federal investigation into possible money laundering, obstruction of justice and campaign-finance violations and show that prosecutors are probing Mr. Giuliani’s consulting businesses and other sources of income, according to people familiar with the matter.

In recent weeks, prosecutors have sent subpoenas and other requests to potential witnesses seeking records and information related to Mr. Giuliani and two of his associates, according to the people. The investigation, led by the Manhattan U.S. attorney’s office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, has already led to campaign-finance charges against the associates, Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman.

Read more about the developments in this investigation here