Jeff Mordock

Michael Flynn urged Russian ambassador not to escalate fight over sanctions, transcript reveals

Former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn in late 2016 urged Russia's then-ambassador to the United States to avoid escalating its response to sanctions imposed by the Obama administration and asked for a more measured approach, transcripts released late Friday revealed.

May 29, 2020

Virginia man indicted for allegedly obtaining $190k in fraudulent coronavirus relief funds

A Virginia man was indicted Friday on charges that he pilfered roughly $190,000 in coronavirus relief aid by misrepresenting his income, employment and criminal record.

May 29, 2020

AG Barr calls George Floyd video ‘deeply disturbing,’ says DOJ expediting case

Attorney General William P. Barr said Friday the video of a Minneapolis police officer putting his knee on the neck of George Floyd just before he died was "deeply disturbing" and vowed to expedite the Justice Department investigation.

May 29, 2020

Justice Department joins lawsuit against Maine campground’s COVID-19 restrictions

The Justice Department on Friday added its support to a federal lawsuit challenging Maine Gov. Janet Mills' banning out-of-state residents from using state campgrounds during phase one of its reopening plan.

May 29, 2020

Roger Stone says he will report to prison by June 30

Roger Stone said Friday he is due to report to a federal prison by June 30, adding that he will not have to quarantine himself at a special site beforehand.

May 29, 2020

Rep. Val Demings to law enforcement: ‘What in the hell are you doing?’

Rep. Val Demings, a former police chief, called for a nationwide review of law enforcement hiring practices in a blunt op-ed in The Washington Post published Friday.

May 29, 2020

Justice Department says George Floyd death investigation is ‘a top priority’

The Justice Department said its investigation into the death of a Minneapolis man at the hands of police, setting off three nights of rioting in the city, is a "top priority."

May 29, 2020

House votes to convene conference committee to reach FISA deal

The House on Thursday approved convening conference committee negotiations with the Senate in hopes of reaching a deal on a controversial bill that would reauthorize government surveillance powers. Democrats blamed Mr. Trump for blowing up the bipartisan support for the measure. "The Republicans abandoned this bipartisan project for one reason and one reason only -- the president tweeted on a whim and told them to oppose this bill," complained Rep. Jerry Nadler, New York Democrat, on the House floor.

May 28, 2020

Democrats withdraw FISA bill amid Trump veto threat

Speaker Nancy Pelosi was forced to yank from the House floor a Democrat-backed bill to reauthorize government spy powers Thursday, blaming Republicans for the failure to ram through a measure that she had vowed to pass "one way or another."

May 28, 2020

Steny Hoyer: House vote on FISA will happen Thursday

The House will vote Thursday to reauthorize controversial government surveillance powers, the office of Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer said in a statement.

May 28, 2020

House adjourns without FISA reauthorization vote

The House late Wednesday adjourned without a debate or vote on a FISA extension bill that increasingly looked to be in trouble after a threat from President Trump to veto.

May 27, 2020

House votes to reauthorize FISA provisions through proxy system

The House voted Wednesday on reauthorizing expired government surveillance tools, ignoring pleas from Republicans to hold off and a threat from President Trump to veto the bill.

May 27, 2020

Donald Trump threatens to veto House FISA bill

President Trump on Wednesday vowed to veto legislation extending three Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act provisions, saying the law was abused to monitor members of his 2016 campaign.

May 27, 2020

Nancy Pelosi to move forward with controversial FISA bill

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Wednesday she plans to move forward with a scheduled vote to renew controversial surveillance tools used by the intelligence community.

May 27, 2020

Rod Rosenstein to testify before Senate panel on origins of Russia probe

Former Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein confirmed Wednesday that he will testify before a Senate committee investigating the origins of the Russia probe.

May 27, 2020

House Republican leaders urge Democrats to pull FISA bill

Top House Republicans on Wednesday urged Democrats to pull the controversial Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act bill, saying their challenge to the new proxy voting rules could ultimately invalidate it.

May 27, 2020

Donald Trump urges House Republicans to vote against FISA renewal

President Trump late Tuesday urged House Republicans to vote against the reauthorization of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, saying Congress should not support it until a full investigation into how it was used to monitor members of his campaign is completed.

May 27, 2020

Cook County president blocks measure to give first responders access to COVID-19 patient addresses

The top official in the county surrounding Chicago blocked a resolution Tuesday that would have provided first responders with addresses of COVID-19 patients, saying the information would lead to increased discrimination against black and Latino communities.

May 26, 2020

Justice Department says Nevada’s social distancing orders for churches are unconstitutional

The Justice Department warned the state of Nevada that restricting religious services to 10 people or less while some secular businesses reopened without such limitations runs afoul of the Constitution.

May 26, 2020

Emmet Sullivan, federal judge in Michael Flynn case, hires high-powered lawyer Beth Wilkinson

The federal judge overseeing former national security adviser Michael Flynn's criminal case has hired an attorney to represent him as an appeals court reviews his decision not to immediately grant the Justice Department's request to dismiss the case.

May 24, 2020