Rep. John Conyers Cartoons

RNC to support Roy Moore in Senate race after cutting fundraising ties weeks ago

The Republican National Committee is once again supporting embattled Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore after President Donald Trump formally endorsed him Monday, a senior RNC official told Fox News Monday.

Despite losing the backing of many top Republicans, Moore was praised by Trump who said that Republicans would need his vote “on stopping crime, illegal immigration, Border Wall, Military, Pro Life, V.A., Judges 2nd Amendment and more.”

Democrats refusal to give even one vote for massive Tax Cuts is why we need Republican Roy Moore to win in Alabama. We need his vote on stopping crime, illegal immigration, Border Wall, Military, Pro Life, V.A., Judges 2nd Amendment and more. No to Jones, a Pelosi/Schumer Puppet!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 4, 2017

Moore later tweeted his thanks saying he’s looking “forward to fighting alongside the President to #MAGA.”
The White House also announced that Trump had spoken by phone with Moore to formally endorse his candidacy.
White House spokesman Raj Shah said Monday that the two had "a positive call."

"Go get 'em, Roy!" - President Trump

Just got off the phone with President Trump who offered his full support and said he needs a fighter to help him in the US Senate.

I look forward to fighting alongside the President to #MAGA!

— Judge Roy Moore (@MooreSenate) December 4, 2017

The RNC’s reversal was first reported by Breitbart News.
The RNC announced three weeks ago that it was severed its fundraising ties to Moore following allegations that he'd molested two teenagers when he was in his 30s.
Former governor of Massachusetts and former Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney took to Twitter on Monday to express his disapproval.

Roy Moore in the US Senate would be a stain on the GOP and on the nation. Leigh Corfman and other victims are courageous heroes. No vote, no majority is worth losing our honor, our integrity.

— Mitt Romney (@MittRomney) December 4, 2017

Either @MittRomney has lost his courage or he doesn’t care about truth anymore. Sad day!

America’s reawakening was led by @realDonaldTrump, not you Mitt.#DefeatTheElite #DrainTheSwamp

— Judge Roy Moore (@MooreSenate) December 4, 2017

Moore fired back with a tweet of his own, saying Romney “doesn’t care about the truth anymore.”

Conyers of accused of sexual misconduct at a church amid looming announcement

Another woman has come forward accusing Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., of putting his hand up her skirt and rubbing her thighs in the front row of a church.

The latest allegation hit the congressman just hours before he is set to make announcement on a Detroit radio station Tuesday.

Elisa Grubbs made the allegation in an affidavit publicized late Monday by attorney Lisa Bloom. Grubbs worked for Conyers for more than a decade and is the cousin of another accuser, Marion Brown, who reached a confidential settlement with the Michigan politician over sexual misconduct allegations.
"Rep. Conyers slid his hand up my skirt and rubbed my thighs while I was sitting next to him in the front row of a church," Grubbs said in the affidavit. "I was startled and sprang to my feet and exclaimed, 'He just ran his hand up my thigh!' Other staffers witnessed the event."
Conyers is set to speak on Tuesday on a Detroit radio show and expected address the allegations and his political future. Reed said the congressman’s health will be the deciding factor whether he will step aside from his House seat he held since 1964. Conyers was hospitalized last week after complaining about feeling light-headed.
As well as touching inappropriately in a church, Grubbs claims she witnessed Conyers touching and stroking the legs and buttocks of her cousin and other female staffers on “multiple occasions,” adding that such harassment “was a regular part of life while working in the office of Rep. Conyers."
In another instance of sexual harassment, Conyers allegedly came out of the bathroom naked knowing Grubbs was in his home.
The Democrat’s attorney dismissed Grubbs’ accusations, telling the Detroit Free Press that they are “another instance of tomfoolery from the mouth of Harvey Weinstein's attorney." Bloom previously represented disgraced Hollywood producer Weinstein, who is accused of sexual misconduct by multiple women.
There are growing calls for Conyers to step down amid the allegations. House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, who previously called the congressman “an icon” who worked to protect women, changed her tune last week and urged him to resign.
“I pray for Congressman Conyers, however, Congressman Conyers should resign,” Pelosi said last Thursday. “He has served our Congress and shaped consequential legislation – zero tolerance means consequences for everyone – no matter the great legacy.”
Some local community leaders in Detroit rallied on Monday in support of the accused congressman, saying he remains innocent until proven guilty.

FBI agent fired from Russia probe oversaw Flynn interviews, softened Comey language on Clinton email actions

Tucker's Thoughts: FBI agent Peter Strzok was heavily involved in 2 politicized cases -the Clinton email investigation, Russian collusion probe and oversaw interviews with Mike Flynn. Yet he sent controversial anti-Trump texts. #Tucker

The FBI agent who was removed from Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into possible ties between the Trump campaign and Russia — because he sent anti-Trump messages to a colleague — oversaw the bureau’s interviews with ousted National Security Advisor Michael Flynn, Fox News confirmed on Monday.

Peter Strzok, a former deputy to the assistant director for counterintelligence at the FBI, also was confirmed to have changed former FBI Director James Comey’s early draft language about Hillary Clinton’s actions regarding her private email server from “grossly negligent” to “extremely careless.”

The language being edited was important because classified material that’s been mishandled for “gross negligence” calls for criminal consequences, analysts point out.
MUELLER AIDE FIRED FOR ANTI-TRUMP TEXTS NOW FACING REVIEW FOR ROLE IN CLINTON EMAIL PROBE
Flynn pleaded guilty Friday to lying to the FBI about reaching out to Russian officials. Prosecutors said Flynn in December 2016 asked Russia's ambassador to the U.S., Sergei Kislyak, not to escalate the situation after the outgoing Obama administration imposed sanctions on Russia in retaliation for suspected election interference.
Flynn left the White House in February after acknowledging that he had given an incomplete account to Vice President Mike Pence about his contacts regarding Russia.
The wording change came to light last month after newly reported memos to Congress showed that a May 2016 draft of Comey’s statement closing out the email investigation accused the former secretary of state of being “grossly negligent.” A June 2016 draft stated Clinton had been “extremely careless.”
The modified language was final when Comey announced in July 2016 that Clinton wouldn’t face any charges in the email investigation.
Strzok is being reviewed by the Justice Department’s Office of Inspector General for the role he played in the Clinton email investigation.
A source close to the matter told Fox News that the probe, which will examine Strzok's roles in a number of other politically sensitive cases, should be completed by "very early next year."

Mueller reportedly subpoenas Deutsche Bank in Russia probe

Robert Mueller, the special counsel investigating alleged Russian election meddling, reportedly subpoenaed Deutsche Bank several weeks ago, calling on the German bank to submit data pertaining to its client relationship with President Trump.

Bloomberg, citing an unnamed source, reported that Mueller is seeking information on the giant lender and its relationship with Trump and his family. Trump reportedly owes the bank $300 million.

Democrats have said Trump's relationship with the bank is crucial in the Russia investigation. The Washington Post reported in August that Democrats have pushed for an investigation into the bank’s internal review of the loans to see if there is any link with Russia.

Democrats have said Trump's relationship with the bank is crucial in the Russia investigation.  (Reuters)

The bank, Trump’s primary lender, also approved a $285 million refinancing loan for Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner’s company a month before the election, The Post reported.
Trump, who spoke to reporters Monday as he left the White House to head to Utah, unleashed a string of tweets over the weekend in which he criticized the FBI and raised questions about the federal investigation.
In one of his messages, Trump again denied that he directed the former FBI director James Comey to stop investigating his former national secuirty adviser Michael Flynn.
Trump questioned the direction of the federal law enforcement agency and wrote that after Comey, whom Trump fired in May, the FBI’s reputation is “in Tatters — worst in History!” He vowed to “bring it back to greatness.” The president also retweeted a post saying new FBI Director Chris Wray “needs to clean house.”
Trump seized on reports that a veteran FBI counterintelligence agent was removed from Mueller’s team last summer after the discovery of an exchange of text messages that were viewed as potentially anti-Trump. The agent, Peter Strzok, had also worked on the investigation of Clinton’s use of a private email server.
Peter Carr, a spokesman for Mueller, said Mueller removed Strzok from the team “immediately upon learning of the allegations.” He would not elaborate on the nature of the accusations.
Trump tweeted Sunday: “Tainted (no, very dishonest?) FBI ‘agent’s role in Clinton probe under review.’ Led Clinton Email probe.” In a separate tweet, he wrote: “Report: ‘ANTI-TRUMP FBI AGENT LED CLINTON EMAIL PROBE’ Now it all starts to make sense!”