James Comey memo reveals Trump complained about Flynn's 'judgment issues'

President Donald Trump told former FBI Director James Comey that he had serious concerns about the judgment of his first national security adviser, Michael Flynn, and Trump's chief of staff asked days later if Flynn's communications were being monitored under a secret surveillance warrant, according to memos maintained by Comey and obtained by The Associated Press.

Trump also told Comey that Russian President Vladimir Putin told him that Russia had "some of the most beautiful hookers in the world" even as he adamantly, and repeatedly, distanced himself from a salacious allegation involving prostitutes in Moscow, the documents state.

The 15 pages of documents contain new details about a series of interactions with Trump that Comey found so unnerving that he documented them in writing.

Apple offered FBI help to unlock Texas shooter's iPhone: Report

Refuting the claims of Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in the aftermath of Texas church shooting, Apple reportedly said it offered to help the investigating agency in opening the attacker's encrypted iPhone.

The Cupertino-based giant said it reached out to the bureau "immediately" to offer assistance in getting into the gunman's iPhone and expedite its response to any legal process, The Verge reported late on Thursday.

The FBI had said that it has been unable to access the encrypted iPhone used by Devin P Kelley, who killed 26 people at a rural Texas church.

"Law enforcement is increasingly not able to get into these phones," Christopher Combs, a special agent at the investigating agency was quoted as saying.

The iPhone Kelley was carrying is said to have crucial information about his activities that led to the shooting.

The FBI and Apple have had strained relations after the December 2015 San Bernardino, California, terror attack when the company had refused the agency's request to help it unlock on the phones of the attacker despite a court order.

In a statement, CEO Tim Cook had said the court order sought and obtained by the FBI would pose a serious threat to data security.
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Tougher gun laws could leave hundreds more dead in Texas shooting: Trump

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday rejected the need for a debate on tougher laws regarding possession of arms and said more restrictions might have left hundreds more dead in the Texas church shooting.

Trump - referring to a Sutherland Springs (Texas) resident who, with his own gun, confronted the attacker -- said if he didn't have the gun and had he not shot at the shooter, the number of victims could have been in the hundreds.

A total of 26 people were killed and some 20 wounded on Sunday during a service at a Baptist church in Sutherland Springs after a man opened fire with a semi-automatic rifle.

"If he didn't have a gun, instead of having 26 dead, you would have had hundreds more dead, so that's the way I feel about it," the US President said here while replying to questions about gun control in the wake of the worst mass shooting in Texas history.

He said the city with the strongest gun laws was Chicago and that it was "a disaster", Efe news reported.

The US President, who is on a state visit to South Korea, held a joint press conference alongside his counterpart Moon Jae-in, where he again defended his stance over arms.

Trump had said a day earlier in Tokyo that the shooting occurred due to a mental health problem at the highest level and not because of arms.

The church suspect was identified as Devin Kelley, a 26-year-old former service member, who was expelled from the Air Force for misconduct and who committed suicide after being shot by a resident, Stephen Willeford.
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Texas mass shooting: 27 dead after firing at church, gunman identified

At least 27 people were killed and nearly two dozen wounded in a Baptist church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, on Sunday when an unidentified gunman opened fire, the local media reported.

Local police told Channel KSAT12 that the shooter was dead but did not specify the cause of death or the exact number of victims inside the First Baptist Church, Efe news reported.

The shooter was later identified as Devin Patrick Kelley, 26, according to two law enforcement officers briefed on the situation, CNN reported.

Sutherland Springs is located 45 km southeast of San Antonio. A heavy police presence, including Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) personnel, was reported at the crime scene after the incident.

Although local police have not released figures on the number of dead, County Commissioner Wilson Albert Gamez Jr told MSNBC that 27 people were dead and at least 24 wounded, the report said.

The church was celebrating Mass at the time of the shootings.

"Our prayers are with all who were harmed by this evil act. Our thanks to law enforcement for their response. More details from DPS soon," Texas Governor Greg Abbott said on Twitter shortly after the incident.
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Will release all John F Kennedy files to end 'conspiracy theories': Trump

US President Donald Trump today said he will release all files associated with the assassination of former president John F Kennedy to end all "conspiracy theories".

Trump said this in a tweet a day after the National Archives, at his direction, released more than 2,800 secret files related to the assassination of Kennedy on November 22, 1963.

At the same time, he agreed to the request from various intelligence and security agencies mainly FBI and CBI, to withhold quite a number of such files, which remains away from the public domain, thus increasingly providing fodder to conspiracy theories.

In his tweet, Trump said after strict consultation with his Chief of Staff, General John Kelly, the CIA and other agencies, "I will be releasing ALL JFK files" other than the names and addresses of any mentioned person who is still living.

"I am doing this for reason of full disclosure, transparency and in order to put any and all conspiracy theories to rest," Trump said, a day after he ordered a large number of JFK files still be under the wraps.

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Donald Trump releases some JFK assassination files, blocks others

President Donald Trump on Thursday ordered the unveiling of 2,800 documents related to the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy but yielded to pressure from the FBI and CIA to block the release of some information to be reviewed further.

Congress had ordered in 1992 that all records relating to the investigation into Kennedy’s death should be open to the public, and set a final deadline of Oct. 26, 2017, for the entire set to be made public.

Trump had confirmed on Saturday that he would allow for the opening of the documents, “subject to the receipt of further information.”

Administration officials told reporters on a conference call that Trump ordered government agencies to study the redactions in withheld documents over the next 180 days to determine whether they needed to remain hidden from the public. After the review, Trump expected such withholdings to be rare.

The White House said remaining records with redactions would be released “on a rolling basis” in the coming weeks.

In a memo to government agency heads, Trump said the American people deserved as much access as possible to the records.

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The Republican's guide to Presidential etiquette

Republicans used to care a lot about how a president comports himself, and whether he acts at all times with the dignity his station demands.

“Is President Obama Disrespecting the Oval Office?” Fox News asked in 2010, with a link to images of Mr. Obama and his aides tossing a football, or eating apples just inches from the Resolute desk.

“Wear a suit coat and tie,” said Andrew Card Jr., President George W. Bush’s former chief of staff, in reaction to pictures of Mr. Obama in shirtsleeves in 2009.

“I do expect him to send the message that people who are going to be in the Oval Office should treat the office with the respect that it has earned over history,” Mr. Card said.

But hey, that was then! In 2017, there’s a whole new bar for tolerable conduct by the commander in chief. Our original guide cataloged several dozen examples. Almost five months later, it’s clear that an update is necessary. This expanded list is meant to ensure that Paul Ryan, Mitch McConnell and other congressional Republicans never forget what they now condone in a president.
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Deloitte hit by cyber attack, says 'very few' clients affected

Global accountancy firm Deloitte said on Monday it had been hit in a cyber attack that had compromised the data of a small number of its clients but gave few details about how its systems had been breached.

Attackers had accessed data from the company's email platform, the company said in a statement, confirming a report by the Guardian newspaper.

Deloitte, one of the "big four" accountants, said it had mobilised a team of cyber-security experts to review its systems and to discover what information had been put at risk.

It said the review had found "only a very few clients" had been affected.

"No disruption has occurred to client businesses, to Deloitte's ability to continue to serve clients, or to consumers," a spokeswoman said in a statement.

The firm, which provides auditing, tax advice and consultancy to multinationals and governments, did not say when the attack occurred or how its defences had been breached.

The Guardian said the firm discovered the hack in March, but the cyber attackers could have had hacked into its systems as long ago as October or November 2016.
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IED caused blast at Minnesota mosque, none arrested yet: FBI

An "improvised explosive device " caused blast at a suburban Minneapolis mosque when worshippers were gathering for morning prayers, according to the FBI.

No one has been arrested yet. Congregants and neighbours expressed relief that there were no injuries, but also reacted with shock and dismay.

According to authorities, no one was hurt in the explosion at the Bloomington Islamic Center, but heavily damaged an imam's officeand sent smoke wafting through the large building.

Windows in the office were shattered, either by the blast or by an object thrown through them.

When police arrived, they found smoke and fire damage to the building, said Bloomington Police Chief Jeff Potts.

Agents from the FBI and the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives soon joined the investigation.

At a news conference Special Agent in Charge Richard Thornton said an "improvised explosive device" caused the blast, but that investigators still must determine "who and why."
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New York Times sues FBI to get notes of James Comey-Donald Trump talks

The New York Times sued the FBI, seeking a court's help in getting the agency to turn over documents created by fired FBI Director James Comey after his conversations with President Donald Trump.

The Manhattan federal court lawsuit was filed a day after CNN sued the Justice Department in Washington, seeking the same information.

Both actions seek documents Comey told the Senate he created earlier this year immediately after meetings and conversations with the president.'

Comey said he typed notes describing the conversations because he was worried Trump "might lie" later about them. He testified that he leaked information about the notes through a friend to the Times to increase pressure for the appointment of a special prosecutor after he concluded Trump's administration "defamed" him and the FBI after his May 9 firing.

Former FBI head Robert Mueller was appointed as special counsel a day after a report stemming from the notes was published.

Comey said the notes contain his recollections that Trump asked for his loyalty when they met for a January dinner and then urged him during a private meeting in the Oval Office two weeks later to drop an investigation into former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn. Trump has disputed both claims, saying flatly that he never asked Comey to drop the Flynn probe.

The Times and CNN both said in their lawsuits that the FBI has not turned over documents and has failed to properly respond to their Freedom of Information Act requests. They asked judges to order the FBI to produce the records.

The Associated Press also filed a FOIA request for the documents but has not received any documents and has not sued.
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Donald Trump appears to confirm he's under probe, slams it as witch hunt

US President Donald Trump appeared to confirm that he was being probed for firing the FBI chief and described it as a "witch hunt", as he asserted that there was no proof of his "collusion with the Russians" even after seven months of investigation.

"I am being investigated for firing the FBI Director (James Comey) by the man who told me to fire the FBI Director! Witch Hunt," Trump said in an early morning tweet.

Trump's apparent confirmation that he is under probe for obstruction of justice by special counsel appointed to probe alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential polls came a day after a Washington Post report pointed to such an investigation.

The probe by special counsel Robert Mueller, a former FBI chief, "marks a major turning point in the nearly year-old FBI investigation, which until recently focused on Russian meddling during the presidential campaign and on whether there was any coordination between the Trump campaign and the Kremlin," The Washington Post had reported.

Trump did not respond to shouted questions from the media as he was leaving the White House lawns to board Marine One for the Joint Andres Air Force Base for his day-long trip to Florida.

"Despite the phony Witch Hunt going on in America, the economic and jobs numbers are great. Regulations way down, jobs and enthusiasm way up!" said the US President in another tweet.

He accused the mainstream American media of allegedly spreading the wrong news.

"The Fake News Media hates when I use what has turned out to be my very powerful Social Media -- over 100 million people! I can go around them," Trump said.

In the past, he has frequently used the term 'Fake News Media' for outlets like The New York Times, The Washington Post and CNN.
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What James Comey's gripping Senate hearing told us about Donald Trump

On the surface, former FBI Director James Comey’s long-awaited Senate Intelligence Committee hearing was underwhelming, failing to turn up a clear smoking gun. A closer analysis of what Comey said, however, portrays a damning picture of the president’s behaviour and, in doing this, undermines several of the arguments used by both the Trump administration and Republicans in Congress. In particular, three main themes stood out.

First, from the outset, and in his answers to senators, Comey highlighted the reality and the gravity of Russia’s interference in the 2016 election. He stated that there should be “no fuzz on [the issue] whatsoever”: the Russians interfered in the electoral process.

“It’s not a close call,” he added, “it’s about as unfake as you can possibly get” – a sure reference to Trump’s suggestion that the allegations regarding his campaign collusion with Russia was “fake news”.

More ominously yet, Comey also stressed that the Russian effort is clearly directed from the Kremlin and is a long-term strategy aimed at undermining future elections and the integrity and credibility of American democracy. This is made even more concerning by Comey’s admission that the president has never shown any interest in Russia’s behaviour and actions, nor in what measures could be taken to prevent future interference.

Second, while being very cautious in his account, Comey made unmistakably clear how poor an opinion he has of the president and the White House. In his opening statement, he accused the White House of lying about the FBI and, in particular, of lying regarding the reasons for Comey’s firing and, by doing so, discrediting the bureau. The administration decided to defame Comey and the FBI, saying that the bureau was in disarray and that it had lost confidence in Comey’s leadership. “Those,” said Comey, “were lies.”
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Enough evidence for case against Trump: Preet Bharara after Comey testimony

Preet Bharara, the former US Attorney who was fired by Donald Trump, has asserted strongly that there is "absolutely evidence" to initiate a lawsuit against the President of the United States.

A naturalised US citizen born in India, Bharara, who was a former US attorney in the southern district of New York, said in a Saturday television interview that "there is absolutely evidence to begin a case" of obstruction of justice against the President, reports Sputnik.

"It's very important to be clear that no one knows right now whether there is a provable case of obstruction," he said, while simultaneously claiming that "there is also no basis to say there is no obstruction".

This was Bharara's first public statement since he was fired by the Trump administration over unclear reasons.

Commenting on the recent testimony of former FBI Director James Comey, who was also fired by Trump, Bharara stated that he agreed with Comey, who also disputes the nature of conversations he had with the President.

"The President seems to have a reputation of saying things that are not true," Bharara said in regard of his "uncomfortable" conversations with Trump.

Terminated by the President after refusing to return a third and last phone call in almost 22 hours, Bharara stated that he still has "no idea why I was fired."

However, he said, "It doesn't bother me... I am living a great life very happily."
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Mr Comey and all the President's lies

Weeks after being described by Donald Trump as a “nut job,” James Comey on Thursday deftly recast his confrontation with the president as a clash between the legal principles at the foundation of American democracy, and a venal, self-interested politician who does not recognize, let alone uphold, them.

In sworn testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee, Mr Comey, the former FBI director, made clear that he had no confidence in the president’s integrity. Why? “The nature of the person,” he said. Confronted with low presidential character for the first time in his career, Comey began writing meticulous notes of every conversation with Trump. “I was honestly concerned that he might lie about the nature of our meeting,” he said.

Comey said he was stunned during one Oval Office meeting by Trump’s request — which he very reasonably understood as an order — to drop the FBI investigation into Michael Flynn. Flynn had been forced to resign as national security adviser the day before, after lying about his contacts with Russia. And Russia, Comey usefully reminded the senators, had gone to unprecedented lengths to disrupt the 2016 presidential election, using “overwhelming” technological firepower.

“This is about America,” Comey kept saying. Russia “tried to shape the way we think, we vote, we act — that is a big deal,” he added. “They’re coming after America. ... They want to undermine our credibility in the face of the world.”

And yet Trump, the beneficiary of Moscow’s meddling, has never appeared even slightly concerned by this Russian attack. He told Comey to stand down and fired him when he refused. “I was fired because of the Russia investigation,” Comey testified. “That is a very big deal.” As he decried Russia’s attempt to “dirty” American democratic institutions,Comey could as well have been talking about Trump’s behavior.

With restrained fury, Comey described President Trump’s remarks last month that the bureau was a mess and that the director had lost the trust of his agents as “lies, plain and simple.”

Confronted later with the sworn testimony of a dignified and affronted lawman, the White House press office, its own credibility in tatters, was left to feebly insist, “The president is not a liar.”

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Trump's requests on Russia probe 'very disturbing': James Comey

Fired FBI director James Comey said on Thursday that US President Donald Trump's requests to stop probing the Russia ties of a former national security advisor as "very disturbing" and accused the White House of defaming him.

He said Trump misguided the American public when he said the FBI was in disarray last month after his firing.

"Those were lies, plain and simple," Comey said in his testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee.

"I don't think it's for me to say whether the conversation I had with the president was an effort to obstruct. I took it as a very disturbing thing, very concerning," he said.
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Trump's requests on Russia probe 'very disturbing': James Comey

Fired FBI director James Comey said on Thursday that US President Donald Trump's requests to stop probing the Russia ties of a former national security advisor as "very disturbing" and accused the White House of defaming him.

He said Trump misguided the American public when he said the FBI was in disarray last month after his firing.

"Those were lies, plain and simple," Comey said in his testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee.

"I don't think it's for me to say whether the conversation I had with the president was an effort to obstruct. I took it as a very disturbing thing, very concerning," he said.
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Donald Trump wishes ex-FBI chief Comey 'luck' ahead of testimony

US President Donald Trump wished his ousted FBI director, James Comey, "luck" ahead of what promises to be a dramatic testimony to Congress on Thursday that could spell more bad news for the White House.

Meeting Republican leaders in the Roosevelt Room, Trump was asked whether he had a message for Comey, whom he summarily dismissed last month in the middle of an investigation into alleged Russian meddling in the US election last year, and the possible collusion of Trump campaign aides.

"I wish him luck" Trump said.

The expelled FBI director will appear on Thursday before the Senate intelligence committee for a hearing sure to be replete with political drama and intrigue.

Comey's testimony will be his first public remarks since he was summarily fired by Trump in early May, and represents a moment of great peril for this already embattled president.

He will face a barrage of questions from lawmakers about the circumstances of his firing, as well as suggestions that Trump tried to get Comey to shelve the investigation.

Most major US television networks plan to carry the event live. Some bars in the US capital are even planning to open early for viewing parties.
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Trump meets two candidates for FBI chief

US President Donald Trump has met two candidates to head the FBI at the White House, presidential spokesman Sean Spicer said.

The two candidates are Chris Wray, who served as an assistant attorney general from 2003-2005, and John Pistole, the former head of the Transportation Security Administration who also served as deputy FBI chief from 2004-2010, Spicer said on Tuesday, Efe news reported.

"The president will be meeting with two additional candidates this afternoon, both Chris Wray and John Pistole," Spicer told reporters at his daily press briefing.

"When the president feels as though he's met with the right candidate he'll let us know," he said.

Currently, Wray is a partner at the law firm of King & Spalding, where he heads a group involved in government investigations.

Meanwhile, Pistole, who left the government in 2014, served at the FBI under Robert Mueller, whom the Justice Department on May 17 named special counsel for the investigation into Russian involvement in the November presidential election and possible coordination between the Kremlin and the Trump campaign to favor the mogul.

Mueller was succeeded at the FBI by James Comey, who was abruptly fired by Trump on May 9, a decision that ignited a political firestorm in Washington.

Finding a new FBI director has become an issue of crucial importance for the White House, which has not clearly explained why, how and when Trump made the decision to fire Comey, who at the time was heading the agency's investigation into the links between the Kremlin and the president.

The favorite so far to take over the FBI had been former Sen. Joe Lieberman, who on May 25 told the White House that he was not interested in the post.

Besides Lieberman, Trump has interviewed three other candidates for FBI chief: Acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe, who took over from Comey, former FBI agent Richard McFeely and Frank Keating, the former Republican governor of Oklahoma.
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US stocks suffered $8.9 bn outflow as Trump stirs trouble in White House

Investors ditched almost $9 billion of US equities as political turmoil in Washington built up in the past week, Bank of America Merrill Lynch figures showed on Friday.

Funds invested in US equities saw outflows of $8.9 billion in the week to Wednesday- their third straight week of outflows -- while those dedicated to European stocks added $1.1 billion, the largest in 39 weeks and the ninth straight week of inflows.

"Washington DC disruption: new risk ... Washington political malaise causes capital flight from US," BAML summarised, referring to White House battles over the struggles over alleged links to Russia and to the removal of the FBI director.

The big winner for the week, meanwhile, were global tech stocks, now enjoying the biggest annualised inflows since the dot-com bubble.

Tech stocks raked in $1 billion in the week to Wednesday in their 11th straight week of inflows, BAML said in its regular 'Flow Show' analysis.

It also noted that the Nasdaq internet index, a modified market capitalisation-weighted index designed to track the largest and most liquid US online firms, was running at an annual rate of 75 per cent gains year to date.

It expressed some concern about this.

"(The) longer it takes the economy and yields to pick-up, greater (the) risk of tech mania," BAML said.

Investors also remained in emerging markets, with equities adding $3.9 billion in a ninth week of gains while developing market debt saw inflows of $1.6 billion in their 16th straight positive week.

"Emerging markets equal year-to-date flow winner and year-to-date return winner as weaker dollar, lower yields overwhelm China credit fears," BAML said in its note.

The data, however, was collected before a broad sell of roiled emerging markets on Thursday following allegations that Brazil's President Michel Temer condoned bribes to silence a key witness in a corruption probe.

Overall, bond funds attracted $9.7 billion of inflows in the week to Wednesday, with around two thirds of that ($6.6 billion) going into investment grade funds, BAML said.
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How Donald Trump could be removed from office under the US Constitution

As Washington becomes increasingly engulfed by the spiralling crises in Donald Trump’s presidency, and even prominent Republicans compare it to the dark days of Watergate, even Republican voices have been asking how Donald Trump might be replaced.

Six decades ago, Dwight Eisenhower’s various illnesses stimulated a serious debate in the Congress over this question, but it was not until the 1963 assassination of his successor John F. Kennedy that Congress approved the 25th Amendment to the US Constitution, which provided a set of procedures for replacing a president in the event of death, removal (permanently or temporarily), resignation, or incapacity.

This plugged a significant constitutional gap. Although Article II, section one of the US Constitution discusses the issue of presidential succession, it did not spell out how a vice-president would assume the presidency if an incumbent died, resigned or was unable to perform the office’s duty. When Kennedy died, the new president, Lyndon Johnson, had known health issues; the next two people in line for the presidency were 71-year-old House speaker, John McCormack, and the 86-year-old Senate president pro tempore, Carl Hayden.

Ultimately ratified by a majority of the states in 1967, the 25th Amendment’s procedures were first invoked in 1973, when Richard Nixon’s vice-president, Spiro Agnew, resigned after pleading no contest to a charge of federal income tax evasion in exchange for the dropping of political corruption charges. The amendment was triggered again less than a year later during the Watergate affair, after the Judiciary Committee of the House of Representatives approved articles of impeachment against Nixon for obstruction of justice, abuse of power, and contempt of Congress.

Nixon resigned, and his new vice-president, Gerald Ford, was sworn in as the 38th president under section one of the amendment; for his new vice-president he nominated Nelson Rockefeller, whom both congressional chambers confirmed by simple majorities. Thus the nation’s two highest offices were filled without a popular vote.
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