A lot of things happened. Here are some of the things. This is TPM’s Morning Memo.
Trump Was Warned
President Trump was warned by his lawyer Evan Corcoran that he could not retain classified documents at Mar-a-Lago after they were subpoenaed last year by a DC federal grand jury, the Guardian reports.
The report is based on roughly 50 pages of contemporaneous notes kept by Corcoran and described to the Guardian. Special Counsel Jack Smith has the notes as well as grand jury testimony from Corcoran after the prosecution team succeeded in piercing attorney-client privilege. A federal court ruled there was sufficient evidence to believe that Corcoran’s legal counsel was used in furtherance of a crime.
Corcoran himself searched a storage room at Mar-a-Lago and returned some but – as an FBI search would later reveal – not all of the classified documents retained by Trump:
The federal investigation led by special counsel Jack Smith has recently focused on why the subpoena was not compiled with, notably whether Trump arranged for boxes of classified documents to be moved out of the storage room so he could illegally retain them.
The notes also apparently contain Corcoran’s impressions of Trump:
In addition to his exchange with Trump, Corcoran described Trump’s facial expressions and reactions whenever they discussed the subpoena. The unusually detailed nature of his notes is said to have irritated Trump, who only learned about them after the notes themselves were subpoenaed.
Stay tuned.
The Sound Of A Bus Rolling Over Boris Epshteyn
Outgoing Trump attorney Timothy Parlatore let loose on Boris Epshteyn over the weekend as he explained his decision to leave the Trump legal team:
- “There is one individual who works for him, Boris Epshteyn, who had really done everything he could to try to block us, to prevent us from doing what we could to defend the president.”
- “In my opinion, he was not very honest with us or the client on certain things.”
A New Mystery Jan. 6 Argument
A sealed argument before the DC Court of Appeals on Friday appears to be connected to Special Counsel Jack Smith’s probes, Politico reports:
Ari Holtzblatt, an attorney with the high-powered firm WilmerHale — who has most recently represented Twitter, Google and Meta — argued against Justice Department trial attorney James Pearce, according to filings lodged with the federal D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals. Holtzblatt has most frequently represented Twitter in recent months, including in a Supreme Court case in February that resulted in a significant victory for the social media company earlier this week. Pearce is among the DOJ prosecutors working closely with special counsel Jack Smith’s team.
The exact nature of the proceeding remains unknown publicly.
Trump Accuses Jack Smith Of Treason
In a late-night rant Friday, the former president went to town on Special Counsel Jack Smith:
TRUMP Hating Special Prosecutor Jack Smith, whose family and friends are Big Time Haters also, will be working overtime on this treasonous quest. They are scoundrels and cheats. THIS IS ALL ABOUT ELECTION INTERFERENCE.
Durham’s Epic Fail, Part 385
After getting his ass handed to him by two juries and one judge, in his report, Durham nevertheless repeated the allegations against Michael Sussmann and Igor Danchenko on which they have been acquitted. While in one discussion of his prosecutorial decisions, Durham described these as “allegations,” in his executive summary and elsewhere, he stated, as fact, that both men had made false or fabricated statements. Worse still, in his efforts to sustain his false statements allegations, Durham himself makes claims that were rebutted or undermined by the trial records.
Worth Watching
DC police intel chief has been indicted for allegedly tipping off former Proud Boys chairman Enrique Tarrio. He pleaded not guilty.
Rudy, Rudy, Rudy
A federal judge has ordered Rudy Giuliani to provide financial documents proving he can’t afford to hire anyone to conduct searches for relevant information in the lawsuit against him by two Georgia election workers.
C. Boyden Gray, 1943-2023
If you still need evidence that Donald Trump is not an anomaly but an organic result of Republicanism since Reagan, read this obituary of former Bush I White House Counsel C. Boyden Gray.
Important
NPR: Federal inquiry details abuses of power by Trump’s CEO over Voice of America
White House Weighs In On TPM’s Gosar Exposé
Responding to the TPM report showing links between neo-Nazi Nick Fuentes and the staff of Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ), White House deputy press secretary Andrew Bates sent us a statement:
President Biden is adamant that we deny hate any safe harbor. No elected leader should ever tolerate these disgusting and pathetic views. Bigotry, white supremacy, antisemitism, and violence are obscene and un-American.
More here.
Gosar Waxes Nostalgic For Hoover-Era FBI
Biden And McCarthy To Meet One-On-One Today
The debt ceiling hostage-taking is reaching its critical phase.
2024 Ephemera
- Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA): “I don’t think Trump can win a general election.”
- Politico: Key Republican recruits hesitate to jump in if Trump is the nominee
What Could Possibly Go Wrong?
George Santos names George Santos as the treasurer for the George Santos’ campaign.
Pomp And Wretched Circumstance
A transgender student skipped her public high school commencement ceremony in Mississippi after a federal judge declined to intervene to block the school from making her wear “boy’s clothes” under her gown.
Good Read
TPM’s Josh Kovensky is back from a personal trip to Kyiv.
Right-Wing Media Hoaxed
How Fox News’ Laura Ingraham walked back her report on the supposed removal of homeless vets from a hotel in New York state to make room for migrants that turned out to be a complete fabrication:
Like Morning Memo? Let us know!
