CAFE Insider

In this episode of the CAFE Insider podcast, “Baghdadi Dies & Impeachment Quickens,” co-hosts Preet Bharara and Anne Milgram break down the latest developments:

-- Elusive ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was killed in a U.S. special operations raid in Idlib, Syria

-- District Court Judge Beryl Howell ordered the Justice Department to turn over to the House Judiciary Committee grand jury materials former Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation

-- Key witnesses continue to testify in the impeachment inquiry, including Bill Taylor, the top U.S. diplomat to Ukraine, who confirmed last week that President Trump conditioned military aid to Ukraine on investigations that could help him politically

-- The New York Times report that John Durham’s investigation into the origins of the FBI’s Trump-Russia probe has evolved into a criminal inquiry, raising a range of unanswered questions

-- Rudy Giuliani is reportedly the target of two federal investigations and subject of two pocket dialing mishaps 

We hope you’re enjoying CAFE Insider. Email us at [email protected] with your suggestions and questions for Preet and Anne. 

REFERENCES & SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIALS

STAY TUNED LIVE TOUR IN COLORADO

• Tweet by Moms Demand Action founder Shannon Watts sharing a picture with former Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper backstage before the Stay Tuned live show in Denver, 10/24/19
• President Trump’s remarks at a shale-energy conference in Pittsburgh where he said that “a big beautiful wall” would be built in Colorado, 10/23/19
• Preet’s Tweet commenting on Trump’s Colorado Wall remark

DEATH OF ABU BAKR AL-BAGHDADI  

• “President Trump: ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is dead,” CNN, 10/27/19
• “Bin Laden court case dismissed,” The Washington Post, 6/17/11

IMPEACHMENT UPDATES

Closed-door House proceedings

• Rules of the House of Representatives, 114th Congress (Rule XI: Procedures of Committees and Unfinished Business)
• House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff’s “Dear Colleagues” October 16 letter
• “House Democrats look to take impeachment probe public as soon as mid-November,” The Washington Post, 10/23/19

GOP stormed the SCIF

• “Republicans storm closed-door impeachment hearing as escalating Ukraine scandal threatens Trump,” The Washington Post, 10/23/19
• “Republicans Stormed Into The Impeachment Investigation's Secure Room, And It Was Absolute Madness,” BuzzFeed, 10/23/19
• “GOP ‘Storming’ of Secure Facility for Impeachment Proceedings: An Explainer,” Just Security, 10/23/19
• "National Security Figures to Testify: Impeachment Update,” Bloomberg, 10/23/19

District Court Judge Howell’s ruling

• Memorandum Opinion Granting the Application of the Committee on the Judiciary, U.S. House of Representatives, U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, Judge Beryl Howell, 10/25/19
• “Impeachment Inquiry Is Legal, Judge Rules, Giving Democrats a Victory,” The New York Times, 10/25/19

Unchecked presidential power

• “Trump couldn't be charged for a Fifth Avenue shooting while in office, his lawyer argues,” CNN, 10/23/19 (audio clip of Trump attorney William Consovoy’s exchange with Judge Chin)
• “Second Circuit Court of Appeals: ‘Trump v. Vance’ Oral Argument On Turning Over Trump’s Tax Returns,” RealClear Politics, 10/23/19

Congressional testimonies

• Opening statement of Ambassador Bill Taylor to impeachment investigators, 10/22/19
• “6 Key Revelations of Taylor’s Opening Statement to Impeachment Investigators,” The New York Times, 10/22/19
• E.U. Ambassador Gordon Sondland’s opening statement to Congress, 10/17/19
• Complaint, Kupperman v. House of Representatives of the U.S.A. et al., U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, 10/25/19
• Letter from chairs of the House committees on Intelligence, Foreign Affairs, and Oversight to Charles Kupperman’s attorneys stating that their client remains legally obligated to comply with a subpoena and appear for a deposition on Monday, October 28th, 10/26/19
• “Bolton’s former deputy fails to show up for Hill deposition as he seeks court ruling to resolve dispute over testifying,” The Washington Post, 10/28/19
• “Executive privilege mentioned in case of Giuliani associates,” The Washington Post, 10/23/19

DURHAM’S CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION

• Attorney General’s guidelines on general crime investigations, Justice.gov
• "Justice Dept. Is Said to Open Criminal Inquiry Into Its Own Russia Investigation,” The New York Times, 10/24/19
• “Justice Department watchdog says highly anticipated FISA report is ‘nearing completion’,” CBS News, 10/24/19
• “Barr personally asked foreign officials to aid inquiry into CIA, FBI activities in 2016,” The Washington Post, 9/30/19

RUDY GIULIANI’S MISHAPS

• “Giuliani probe snowballs,” Politico, 10/25/19
• “Is Rudy Giuliani going to jail?,” Politico, 10/24/19
• “Giuliani associates Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman plead not guilty in campaign finance case,” The Washington Post, 10/23/19
• “Rudy Giuliani butt-dials NBC reporter, heard discussing need for cash and trashing Bidens,” NBC News, 10/25/19

In this bonus clip from Stay Tuned, Cameron Douglas discusses his tattoos, defines justice, and poses a question to Preet.

Thank you for being a member of the CAFE Insider community.

In this episode of the CAFE Insider podcast, “Mick Mulvaney's Mess,” co-hosts Preet Bharara and Anne Milgram break down the latest developments:

-- President Trump’s announcement that the U.S. would no longer host next year’s G7 summit at the Trump National Doral Miami resort, after coming under criticism from Democrats and Republicans;

-- Acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney’s walk-back of his quid pro quo Ukraine comments made at a press conference last week; and

-- Depositions of more State Department officials by House Democrats, as evidence mounts about what’s being described as “shadow foreign policy” being carried out by Rudy Giuliani on behalf of the President. 

We hope you’re enjoying CAFE Insider. Email us at [email protected] with your suggestions and questions for Preet and Anne. 

REFERENCES & SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIALS

ROMNEY’S SECRET TWITTER ACCOUNT

• “This Sure Looks Like Mitt Romney’s Secret Twitter Account (Update: It Is),” Slate, 10/20/19
• “The Liberation of Mitt Romney,” The Atlantic, 10/20/19
• “Mitt Romney, ‘Pierre Delecto’ And The Strategy Of Anonymously Criticizing Trump,” NPR, 10/21/19

MULVANEY’S PRESS CONFERENCE

• Acting Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney’s press conference (video and transcript), 10/17/19
• Mick Mulvaney’s interview on Fox News Sunday with Chris Wallace, 10/20/19

Trump Doral & The G7

• “What Is the Emoluments Clause?,” Encyclopedia Britannica
• “Trump was already violating the emoluments clause. Grabbing the G-7 is even worse,” The Washington Post, 10/18/19
• “Trump Has Just the Place for the Next G7 Meeting: His Own Golf Resort,” The New York Times, 8/28/19
• President Trump’s tweet announcing that the G7 in 2020 would no longer be held at the Trump National Doral resort in Florida, 10/19/19
• “How Mark Burnett Resurrected Donald Trump as an Icon of American Success,” The New Yorker, 12/27/18

Quid Pro Quo Admission

• The Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974, Congress.gov
• “Mulvaney Says, Then Denies, That Trump Held Back Ukraine Aid as Quid Pro Quo,” The New York Times, 10/17/19
• Trump’s “perfect call” tweet, 10/1/19
• Letter sent by U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Bob Menendez (D-NJ), and Patrick Leahy (D-VT) to the General Prosecutor of Ukraine in 2018 raising their concerns that the Trump Administration could unduly pressure Ukraine into obstructing the Mueller investigation by withholding funding, 5/4/18

TRUMP’S LETTER TO ERDOGAN

• Tweet by Fox News’ Trish Regan attaching a copy of Trump’s October 9th letter to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan about the crisis in Syria, 10/16/19

ARTICLES OF IMPEACHMENT

• “The House’s contempt powers explained,” Constitution Daily, 5/7/19 
• “So You Want to Impeach the President,” Lawfare, 9/24/19
• “Impeachment probe goes beyond Ukraine to lying and obstruction of justice, House lawyer says,” CNN, 10/8/19
• “‘Bribery’ is right there in the Constitution. Trump could be impeached for that,” The New York Times, 10/20/19
• “Bill Barr’s Witch Hunt,” Just Security, 10/17/19
• “Review of Russia Inquiry Grows as F.B.I. Witnesses Are Questioned,” The New York Times, 10/19/19
• Adam Schiff’s parody of Trump’s July 25 call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at National Intelligence Director Joseph Maguire’s hearing, 9/26/19

CONGRESSIONAL TESTIMONIES

• Tracker of requests or subpoenas for documents and witness testimony, The New York Times 
• Gordon Sondland’s prepared remarks before the House Committees on Foreign Affairs, Intelligence, and Oversight, 10/17/19
• “Gordon Sondland, E.U. Envoy, Testifies Trump Delegated Ukraine Policy to Giuliani,” The New York Times, 10/17/19
• “Senior State Dept. Ukraine Expert Says White House Sidelined Him,” The New York Times, 10/15/19
• “Perry rejects congressional subpoena, insists resignation not related to Ukraine,” ABC News, 10/18/19

“SHADOW DIPLOMACY”

• “Giuliani pursued shadow Ukraine agenda as key foreign policy officials were sidelined,” The Washington Post, 9/24/19
• “Shadow Dancing,” song by Andy Gibb (younger brother of the Bee Gees: Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gill), 1978