BREAKING: POTUS is directing ODNI/DOJ/FBI to declassify: pages of carter page FISA applications, reports and interviews bruce ohr prepared & all FBI repots on page FISA
🚨 TRUMP is *also* directing the DOJ/FBI to "publicly release all text messages relating to the Russia investigation, without redaction, of James Comey, Andrew McCabe, Peter Strzok, Lisa Page, and Bruce Ohr."
PAUL MANAFORT & SPECIAL COUNSEL have reached a plea deal, per a criminal information filed in DC. he's pleading guilty to conspiracy against US and conspiracy to obstruct justice.
manafort is due in DC federal court at 11am, where judge amy berman jackson still has to accept the deal. it's also still unclear if he is going to cooperate with robert mueller's team.
can you imagine being the jurors in manafort's alexandria case? you spend 3 weeks of your life on this only for him to plead guilty less than a month later.
NEW- US district judge tanya chutkan was denied a motion from maria butina's defense to release her from jail pending trial, citing a high risk of flight
the judge also imposed a gag order on both sides, saying comments from butina's lawyer robert driscoll "crossed the line." the judge said they make it even harder to find a jury pool that would ensure a fair trial in DC
the judge also scolded federal prosecutors for last week's misstep, when the DOJ said they were "mistaken" by describing the messages butina sent about sex as being serious in offering sex for employment; judge said she was "dismayed" someone at the DOJ read the messages that way
NEWS: DOJ official says 31 lawmakers have viewed a largely unredacted version of the carter page FISA applications - and devin nunes, who demanded over the weekend that the president declassify pages of it, has not personally viewed it.
DOJ told meadows & jordan that it had fulfilled all docs requests except one that would be done in a week, & another that is ongoing (both from same house judiciary subpoena).
but yet, meadows, jordan & 9 others have filed their impeachment resolution against rod rosenstein.
.@mitchellreports asks DNI dan coats why he issued a statement on interference on monday that contradicted trump: “i was just doing my job … it was important to take that stand.” #aspensecurity
COATS says he wishes TRUMP had made a different statement re: russia.
given "what we had assessed and reassessed and reassessed and carefully gone over still stands...it was important to take that stand on behalf of the IC and on behalf of the american people.” #aspensecurity
“could is not a definitive word here. […] it’s undeniable that the russians are taking a lead on this. they are the ones that are trying to undermine our basic values & divide us” -COATS at #aspensecurity