Afternoon Briefs: AG Barr reportedly declined Trump request on Ukraine statement; Trump ordered to pay $2M
President Donald Trump and U.S. Attorney General William Barr. Photo from Wikimedia Commons.
Barr reportedly refused to announce that Trump broke no laws in Ukraine matter
Officials reportedly told Attorney General William Barr that President Donald Trump wanted him to hold a press conference to declare that the president broke no laws when he asked the Ukrainian president to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden and his son. Barr is said to have turned down the request, though the Justice Department did say the conversation did not violate campaign finance laws. The Washington Post broke the story, which relies on anonymous sources. On Twitter, Trump called the story “a Fake Washington Post con job.” (The Washington Post, the New York Times)
Judge orders Trump to pay $2M for using foundation to promote campaign
A New York judge has ordered President Donald Trump to pay $2 million in damages for using his charitable foundation to further his presidential campaign. Eight charities will receive the money, along with the $1.78 million in assets still held by the Trump Foundation. The payments announced Thursday settle a lawsuit filed by the New York Attorney General’s office. Trump and the foundation have admitted that a January 2016 foundation fundraiser was actually a campaign event, and the Trump campaign controlled the money raised there. Trump also admitted using foundation funds to settle legal obligations. (The Washington Post, the New York Times, New York attorney general press release)
Woman who challenged firing for giving Trump the finger gets elected
A bicyclist who unsuccessfully challenged her firing for flipping off President Donald Trump’s motorcade has won election to the Loudon County Board of Supervisors in Virginia. Juli Briskman, a Democrat, says she didn’t always mention her famous gesture when knocking on doors. She campaigned on a platform of affordable housing, expanded green space, and increased pay for teachers and firefighters. (The Washington Post, the New York Times, BuzzFeed News)
