Secret McCabe memo in Mueller's hands gives details of Comey's firing: report

Fired FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe wrote a secret memo on circumstances leading up to the firing of his former boss James Comey.
A person familiar with the situation told the Associated Press on Wednesday that the previously unknown document was turned over to special counsel Robert Mueller.
Mueller and his team are investigating whether the Trump campaign coordinated with Russia during the 2016 presidential election and if the president’s decision to fire Comey last May was an attempt to obstruct the investigation.
The memo reportedly recalls a conversation McCabe had with Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein about his preparation for Comey’s firing.
Rosenstein, who’s currently facing calls to resign from members of the U.S. Congress amid his reluctance to comply with U.S. House oversight, played a role in the downfall of Comey as he penned a memo that criticized Comey for his handling of the Hillary Clinton email investigation that the White House used to justify the firing.
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The memo by McCabe reportedly claims Rosenstein suggested to him that he was initially asked to reference the Russia investigation in the memo about Comey. The final memo by the deputy attorney general didn’t mention Russia and instead focused on the Clinton email case.
Rosenstein appointed Mueller just a week after Comey was fired from his role. The job fell to Rosenstein because Attorney General Jeff Sessions had recused himself from the case because of his advisory role in Trump's campaign.
McCabe is known to have kept personal notes on his interactions with Trump, some of which included what Comey told him about his encounters with the president, Fox News reported. He turned over the memos to Mueller.
Trump criticized the documents, saying in March that he never saw McCabe take notes about their conversations, suggesting the memos should be called “fake memos.”
“Spent very little time with Andrew McCabe, but he never took notes when he was with me. I don’t believe he made memos except to help his own agenda, probably at a later date. Same with lying James Comey. Can we call them Fake Memos?” Trump tweeted.
McCabe was fired in March, just days before he would have been eligible for a lifetime pension, amid a report by an inspector general, claiming he misled internal investigators reviewing the bureau’s probe of Clinton’s email server and leaked a self-serving story to the media.
Sessions, who authorized the McCabe firing, said at the time that McCabe “made an unauthorized disclosure to the news media and lacked candor − including under oath − on multiple occasions.”
DOJ IG RELEASES EXPLOSIVE REPORT THAT LED TO FIRING OF EX-FBI DEPUTY DIRECTOR ANDREW MCCABE
Inspector General Michael Horowitz, who also penned the damning report, determined that McCabe authorized the leak yet later told the investigators that he did authorize the disclosure and did not know who was responsible.
“[W]e concluded that McCabe’s decision to confirm the existence of the CF investigation through an anonymously sourced quote, recounting the content of a phone call with a senior department official in a manner designed to advance his personal interests at the expense of department leadership, was clearly not within the public interest exception," the report said.

Prosecutors say former CIA officer Kevin Mallory gave secrets to a Chinese spy in exchange for for $25,000.  (REUTERS)

A former CIA officer betrayed the U.S. by giving a Chinese spy information about human assets and other top-secret information in exchange for $25,000, prosecutors say.
A jury heard opening statements Wednesday in the trial of Kevin Mallory, 60, of Leesburg, Va.
Mallory, a former self-employed consultant, had grown suspicious about a Chinese think tank’s job offer, defense attorney Geremy Kamens said. Mallory had reportedly told CIA about the job offer, but prosecutors viewed that as an attempt to cover his tracks.
Defense lawyers countered that their client is a loyal American who was merely stringing the Chinese along to try to get them to expose details of their own intelligence operation.
Mallory’s plan folded in April 2017 at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport during a flight back from Shanghai when customs agents found $16,500 in unreported cash, prosecutor Jennifer Gellie told jurors. Gellie said that encounter prompted Mallory to reach out to old CIA contacts to concoct a cover story.
Mallory agreed to be questioned in May 2017 about his contacts. Gellie said that that he was caught off guard during that interview when a Samsung phone given to him by the Chinese displayed text conversations between Mallory and the Chinese recruiter. Mallory had expected the phone's secure messaging features would keep the conversation hidden, Gellie said.

Your object is to gain information, and my object is to be paid.

In one text message, Mallory wrote "your object is to gain information, and my object is to be paid."
Agents searched Mallory's home and found two small computer discs containing top-secret documents. Mallory had sent some of those documents to the Chinese recruiter using the Samsung phone, Gellie said.
"Kevin Mallory chose to pass closely held government secrets to a Chinese government agent," Gellie told the jury.
Kamens, though, said Mallory reached out to his old CIA contacts months before he was supposedly spooked by the airport inspection. The CIA contacts testified Wednesday that Mallory had contacted them in February 2017.
The trial is being heard in the Eastern District of Virginia, which is home to the CIA and Pentagon. Still, espionage trials are a rarity, given that both sides have strong incentives to reach plea deals. The government is concerned about exposing secrets, while defendants are worried about potentially stiff sentences.
If convicted, Mallory faces up to life in prison.

Nancy Pelosi MS 13 Cartoons

Trump slams Democrats, 'MS-13-lover' Nancy Pelosi in Nashville campaign rally

President Trump slammed Democratic leaders at a Tennessee rally Tuesday night, labeling former Gov. Phil Bredesen, a Democrat in the running to replace retiring Sen. Bob Corker, as an “absolute total tool of Chuck Schumer and, of course, the MS-13 lover Nancy Pelosi.”
Trump, who defended labeling members of the MS-13 gang as “animals,” hit the House minority leader for taking exception with the classification. “We are all God’s children,” Pelosi argued in response last week.
The president’s fiery comments, in front of a large crowd Tuesday at the Municipal Auditorium in Nashville, were made to boost GOP Senate hopeful Marsha Blackburn.
Trump did not mention the earlier cancellation of Roseanne Barr's television show.
Blackburn, a Republican congresswoman, is vying for her party’s nomination to replace retiring Corker, a Republican. Blackburn and Bredesen are expected to face off in a general election that is considered a toss-up by Fox News.
“They’re more interested in taking care of criminals than they are in taking care of you,” Trump said of Democrats as the crowd booed. The president said Bredesen, whom he claimed he had never even heard of, “donated a lot of money to the campaigns of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.”
"Democrats have opposed every common sense measure to stop this horrendous scurge of crime, to dismantle MS-13 and to end illegal immigration," he continued.
“You have to get out,” to vote, Trump said. “We need Marsha Blackburn to win. And it’s going to be a very special time. Together we are taking back our country. We are returning the power back to our great American patriots.”
"Tennessee needs a senator that’s going to support President Donald Trump and I am going to be there to stand with President Trump to take your Tennessee values to Washington, D.C. to fight with him to get the job done," Blackburn said.
The campaign in Tennessee is among several races crucial to Trump’s plans to maintain control of the Senate, where Republicans have a two-seat majority.
Trump won Tennessee with more than 60 percent of the vote in the 2016 presidential election.
“This November, this is the state were America’s comeback will continue full speed ahead,” the president said.
Primaries are scheduled for Aug. 2.
Earlier in the evening Trump resurrected talk of the construction of a southern border wall, reiterating a campaign promise that Mexico would pay for it.
"I don't want to cause a problem but in the end Mexico is going to pay for the wall," the president said to cheers. "I'm just telling you Mexico is paying for the wall. They make all of this money and they do nothing to stop people coming through Mexico from Honduras and all these countries. They do nothing. They are going to pay for the wall and they are going to enjoy it, okay?"
That claim was met with a swift tweet from Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto.
"President @realDonaldTrump: NO. Mexico will NEVER pay for a wall," he wrote. "Not now, not ever. Sincerely, Mexico (all of us)."
Also at the rally, Trump spoke of pending new health care legislation. Speaking of his "two Alexes" - Labor Secretary Alex Acosta and Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar - Trump said "phenomenal" health care plans would be released in the upcoming weeks.
He did not discuss any additional details on the plan.

California must push against 'blue wall,' son of Rev. Billy Graham says

Evangelist Franklin Graham is on a tour throughout California where he is encouraging Christians to vote and help turn the state red ahead of the upcoming primary election.  (Reuters)

Evangelist Franklin Graham, a son of the late Rev. Billy Graham, warned Californians this week that their state is "in trouble" as it nears next week's primary elections.
Graham -- whose father was a globally known preacher who died Feb. 21 at age 99 -- is on a 10-stop tour in California, urging fellow evangelical Christians to get out and vote in hopes of chipping away at the liberal-majority Golden State's “blue wall.”
During a speech Monday night in Fresno, in the state's Central Valley, the 65-year-old fourth-oldest of Billy Graham's five children underscored the importance of participating in the democratic process.
"Our country is in trouble," Graham told an audience at the Fresno Fairgrounds as part of his Decision America California Tour, according to the Fresno Bee. "Your state's in trouble – you know that. But there are things that we can do. You know God hears prayer."
Graham invoked politics throughout his speech, reminding the crowd that it’s not too late to "turn this state around," while encouraging voters to lend their support to candidates who align with Christian values, the Bee reported.
Of the stops on the California tour, three “are in or bordering critical House districts in the Central Valley," while “others hug the line between red and blue up the state,” the New York Times reported. The tour ends June 5, primary day.
Speaking to fellow evangelicals and top donors in a locker room at the Rose Bowl two weeks ago, Graham urged his supporters to stand up against California’s “Blue Wall,” according to the Times, adding that it’s time for church congregations to get out and vote.
Even if Graham’s message resonates with evangelicals, who make up 20 percent of California’s population, according to the Pew Research Center, political strategists are still skeptical the state will turn red come November.

Facebook co-founder's wife spent $650G on Shaun King's PAC to elect anti-police prosecutors

Shaun King received over $650,000 from Cari Tuna, the wife of a cofounder of Facebook, in a bid to reshape criminal justice system.  (Facebook/Shaun King)

The wife of a Facebook co-founder has contributed the majority of cash to a political action committee led by Black Lives Matter activist Shaun King that targets district attorney races across the U.S. in a bid to reshape the criminal justice system.
Cari Tuna -- wife of Dustin Moskovitz, who co-founded Facebook together with Mark Zuckerberg -- contributed more than $650,000 to the Real Justice PAC in February 2017, the Washington Free Beacon reported.
The PAC also took in $400,000 in contributions in addition to Tuna’s generous donation, making her the top contributor funding most of the group’s activities.

Cari Tuna, the wife of Dustin Moskovitz, who cofounded Facebook together with Mark Zuckerberg,  (Open Philanthropy Project)

King, who has recently come under fire for pushing a debunked story about a state trooper sexually assaulting a woman, said his group is working to elect “reform-minded prosecutors at the county and municipal level who are committed to using the powers of their office to fight structural racism and defend our communities from abuse by state power."
SHAUN KING SLAMMED FOR PUSHING WOMAN’S NOW-DISCREDITED CLAIM TROOPER SEXUALLY ASSAULTED HER
Tuna’s donation appears to be the only contribution she made this election cycle, according to Federal Election Commission data. In previous cycles, she spent millions on a labor union PAC and an environment group.
She also gave money to the Democratic Party group and over $400,000 to the Hillary Victory Fund, Hillary Clinton’s fundraising committee.
Her husband, who left Facebook in 2008, also used his wealth to oppose now-President Donald Trump, spending nearly $30 million to defeat him, according to the Free Beacon.
"We just felt really compelled to, sort of, get off the sidelines and help ensure that the Democrats were able to win the election," Moskovitz said at the time.
The revelation comes after reports that New York billionaire George Soros has funneled so far nearly $3 million into California’s district attorney races, supporting candidates that are in favor of progressive policies, including lower incarceration rates, crackdowns on police misconduct and changes in a bail system that they argue discriminates against the poor.
SOROS SPENDS BIG IN CALIFORNIA’S DA RACES IN BID TO RESHAPE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM
Soros reportedly spent more than $1.5 million on a political action committee to prop up the San Diego County candidacy of Geneviéve Jones-Wright, who pledged to form a police misconduct unit and attacked policies that “criminaliz[e] poverty.”
She openly embraced the support of Soros, saying “I love it!" during a recent fundraiser. "If he didn't take an interest in this campaign, it would be an even more uneven playing field,” she added, according to the Los Angeles Times.
The wealthy liberal donors are spending big on Diana Becton in Contra Costa County. Her challenger, a veteran prosecutor, slammed the support from the wealthy, describing them as “billionaires who apparently think Contra Costa's public safety is for sale.”

Roseanne Barr back on Twitter after 'leaving,' blames 'Ambien tweeting' after ABC cancels hit show

Less than 14 hours after following up a racist tweet by writing, "I apologize. I am now leaving Twitter," Roseanne Barr was back on the social media platform late Tuesday.
In a series of late-night tweets, Barr appeared to blame the prescription sleeping pill Ambien for the racist tweet that led to her show's cancellation Tuesday. She also repeatedly criticized ABC for what she implied is the network's hypocrisy.
"guys I did something unforgiveable so do not defend me," she wrote in one post Tuesday night. "It was 2 in the morning and I was ambien tweeting-it was memorial day too-i went 2 far & do not want it defended-it was egregious Indefensible. I made a mistake I wish I hadn't but...don't defend it please. ty."
ABC canceled Barr's widely popular reboot of "Roseanne," her hit 1988-1997 comedy series, shortly after the star posted a racist tweet about former President Barack Obama's aide Valerie Jarrett.
The rebooted show became an instant hit March 27, when the first episode attracted more than 18 million viewers.
Barr doubled down on appearing to blame Ambien two hours later: "I think Joe Rogan is right about ambien. Not giving excuses for what I did(tweeted) but I've done weird stuff while on ambien-cracked eggs on the wall at 2am etc -."
"Don't feel sorry for me, guys!!" Barr also tweeted, before discouraging people from boycotting ABC. "I just want to apologize to the hundreds of people,and wonderful writers (all liberal) and talented actors who lost their jobs on my show due to my stupid tweet. I will be on Joe Rogan's podcast friday."
Earlier Tuesday evening, Barr also retweeted several posts from a variety of other Twitter users, including some that contained doctored images and incorrect information.
One of the fake images that Barr recirculated depicted Whoopi Goldberg wearing a violently anti-Trump shirt. Barr quickly deleted that retweet.
ABC CANCELS 'ROSEANNE' AFTER RACIST TWEET
Barr also retweeted a fake image of Jarrett's Stanford yearbook quote, in which she purportedly says she wants to make the U.S. a more Islamic country. Barr later retweeted corrections from people who pointed out the photo was fake.
The comedian also posted several retweets that highlighted perceived hypocrisy by Disney, the parent company of ABC and ESPN.
"Not repugnant according to @WaltDisneyCo," read one post that Barr retweeted, referring to angry anti-Trump comments by Keith Olbermann, who recently returned to ESPN.
Barr also highlighted anti-Christian comments by Joy Behar, a co-host of ABC's "The View."
WATCH: MIKE PENCE ASKS BEHAR TO APOLOGIZE TO ALL CHRISTIANS
"Joy Behar mocked Mike Pence’s faith on The View and said that the way he prayed to Jesus was 'mental illness,'" read another post that Barr retweeted. "She didn’t apologize until a month later. ABC was silent. Roseanne‏"
In other posts, Barr retweeted apparent defenses of her racist comment concerning Jarrett's appearance.
"I look like a monkey. Why?" began one of the posts. "My DNA is 96% similar to a monkey's. It makes scientific sense. But due to emotions, double standards & feelings science is cancelled this year. There are 5,000 genders & if you don't agree with me you're a racist xenophobe."

Windy City Cartoons

Virginia Rep. Tom Garrett will not seek re-election: 'I'm an alcoholic'

Virginia Republican Rep. Tom Garrett reportedly announced he will not seek re-election due to a battle with alcoholism.  (AP)

Virginia Republican Rep. Tom Garrett announced Monday he was not seeking re-election because of his ongoing battle with alcoholism.
The announcement comes just three days after Garrett reassured voters he was not abandoning his run for a second term in Congress despite a week of turmoil, including reports he and his wife turned staffers into his own “personal servants.”
“Any person – Republican, Democrat or independent—who has known me for any period of time and has any integrity knows two things: I am a good man and I’m an alcoholic,” Garrett said in a video recorded at the state Capitol in Richmond. “This is the hardest statement that I have ever publicly made by far. It’s also the truth.”
Garrett's tepid fundraising had worried members of his party, but he said his decision not to seek another term was not motivated by fear of losing his seat. Garrett said "sometimes winning means knowing where your priorities should be."
"This isn't an ending for me, or my values of service to my fellow man, it's just a new beginning," Garrett said.
FOLLOW COMPLETE COVERAGE OF THE 2018 MIDTERM ELECTIONS
Republican party of Virginia Chairman John Whitbeck thanked Garrett for his service in a statement released late Monday:
"On behalf of Republicans around Virginia and especially in the Fifth District, we thank Tom Garrett for his service. Substance abuse is a serious issue that reaches even to the halls of Congress. Tom has tremendous courage for bringing his own struggle to light. We wish him and his family all the best.
The Fifth District Committee will begin the process of choosing a replacement nominee immediately. "Congressman Garrett’s decision not to seek re-election makes it even more imperative that we select the right nominee to defeat the anti-Semitic Democrat nominee, Leslie Cockburn."
Garrett, who represents the 5th District of Virginia, now joins the group of nearly 40 other Republicans who are not returning to Congress after the 2018 midterm elections.
Last week, the former Virginia state senator was accused of making Congressional staffers pick up groceries, chauffer his children and clean up after his dog, according to a report in Politico.
A spokesman, Matt Missen, said in a statement to Politico that the allegations were "unfounded".
Garrett was set to face Democratic challenger Leslie Cockburn, who reportedly has raised more money than the Republican incumbent.

8 people killed, 25 wounded in bloody weekend in Chicago

Memorial Day weekend proved even bloodier than last year in Chicago.
At least eight people were killed and 25 others wounded in shootings across the city since midnight Friday, police told WLS. Last year, over the entire weekend of the unofficial start of summer, seven people were killed and 45 others were hurt.
The victims, WLS reported, include China Marie Lyons-Upshaw, who was shot in the chest while playing with a gun; Bobbieana Lyons, 20, a young mother shot and killed on her doorstep while celebrating her 2-year-old’s birthday; and a 31-year-old man shot twice in the chest and once in the head after he got into a fight with another man.
To try and reduce the grim statistics, police had been trying to curb gun violence by employing 1,300 extra officers on patrol with help from state and federal partners.
The crimes come days after President Donald Trump tweeted about how Chicago police are unable to properly do their jobs because of the city’s bureaucracy.
“The killings are at a record pace and tough police work, which Chicago will not allow, would bring things back to order fast ... the killings must stop!” Trump tweeted.
As Fox News previously reported, Trump’s comment came after “Blue Wednesday” in Chicago, during which members of the city’s Fraternal Order of Police showed up at a City Council meeting to address their grievances against Mayor Rahm Emanuel. They claim that Emanuel, who is in the middle of an election as he runs for his third term as mayor, has “turned his back” on them.
During the meeting, members accused Emanuel of not taking their interests into consideration because of, in part, a consent decree with the federal government that’s in the works, The Chicago Tribune reported. The decree will give a federal court oversight over the Chicago Police Department.
Chicago police have argued that the decree is a shroud for even more anti-police policies.
“You are more concerned with consent decrees, settlements, pandering to police-hating groups than negotiating a contract with us,” said Patrick Murray, union vice president, according to the newspaper report. “Our members are starting to believe you have no intention of negotiating a contract with us until after the next election.”