Ex-Kasich adviser backs out of $350G Russia lobbying gig, vows 'laser focus' against Trump in 2020

A former campaign adviser for John Kasich said Thursday that he’s backing out of a $350,000 contract to lobby against sanctions on behalf of a Russian state-owned nuclear energy company, vowing instead to put a "laser focus" on helping prevent President Trump's re-election.
John Weaver, who was the top strategist on the 2016 presidential campaign of Kasich, the Republican former governor of Ohio who has frequently been at odds with President Trump, announced his decision on Twitter after drawing heat for accepting the lobbying gig.
FORMER KASICH ADVISER TAKES $350G JOB LOBBYING FOR RUSSIA, REGISTERS AS FOREIGN AGENT: REPORT
“My attorney has contacted Tenam this morning & informed them I must reject this agreement. No funds were transferred, no actions taken," Weaver said, referring to the Russian company. "Now, I've got to get back to the barricades. Apologies for the momentary distraction.”
Weaver had signed a contract last month to lobby Congress and the Trump administration on behalf of Tenam Corp., a subsidiary of the Rosatom, the Russian state-owned nuclear energy company, for at least six months and registered as a foreign agent, Politico reported.
When news of the contract broke Wednesday, Weaver received heavy backlash from social media users who pointed out he had spent most of his career criticizing the Kremlin, most recently for its interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.
Weaver initially defended his new gig in a lengthy series of tweets late Wednesday, claiming he took the job working for Russia because he feared Trump’s “go-it-alone” policies would jeopardize U.S. national security interests, the U.S. economy and the world market.
He announced a change of heart the following day, pledging to not let money distract him from his sole mission: ensuring Trump is not elected to a second term.
“While I fear the dangers of nuclear proliferation & know a stable uranium market is important to the USA's national & economic security -- & experts urged this -- my laser focus is on 2020 & playing any role -- major or minor -- in ensuring Trump serves only 1 term,” Weaver wrote Thursday.
“To allow anything to distract from that is a mistake. And I can recognize a mistake when I make it,” he said.
Kasich, Weaver's former boss, has said he would give consideration to opposing Trump in Republican primaries in 2020, but has not declared a candidacy for president.

Rush Limbaugh: Anti-Trump conspirators beginning to 'rat' each other out

The growing feud between former FBI director James Comey and former CIA director John Brennan is just another example of anti-Trump conspirators positioning themselves to 'rat' each other out, according to conservative radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh.
"So now they’re starting to point fingers at each other, and it’s gonna be a perfect time for leverage to be used for them to start ratting each other out," Limbaugh said Thursday on his radio show.
The launch of a formal inquiry into the origins of the Russia investigation led by John Durham has triggered a new round of behind-the-scenes finger-pointing among Obama administration officials.
A key dispute concerns whether Comey or Brennan, or possibly both, pushed the unverified Steele dossier containing claims about President Trump and his relationship to Russia. The dossier’s more sensational claims were never substantiated by Special Counsel Robert Mueller's team.
"This is what I meant yesterday when I said that the rats are beginning to scurry around. This is a textbook example of CYA (cover your a--), and in it, we have the former counsel — the lawyer for the FBI, James Baker — telling Michael Isikoff yesterday that senior FBI officials were worried Comey telling Trump about the golden shower story in the dossier might be construed as an attempt to blackmail Trump. In other words, we’re now hearing that FBI higher-ups were worried about what Comey was doing," Limbaugh told his audience.
Former FBI general counsel James Baker said this week on a podcast, hosted by Isikoff, that he and other officials were "quite worried" that Comey appeared to be blackmailing then President-elect Trump during a 2017 meeting regarding salacious allegations found in the Steele dossier.
Baker said he and others were so concerned about Comey briefing Trump that "analogies" were made to J. Edgar Hoover, the former FBI director who famously abused his power to blackmail individuals.
Limbaugh accused Baker and anti-Trump forces of leaking the dossier to the press.
"Mr. Baker, come on. The press had it because you gave it to them! The press had it because John McCain made sure they had it. The press had it because everybody in the Washington establishment wanted this dossier to be publicly consumed. You knew that it was unverified. You knew that it had not been corroborated, but you wanted it out there. McCain helped a bunch of people get this dossier out there," Limbaugh proclaimed.
"You say you’re worried about about the J. Edgar Hoover comparisons? The press had the dossier because it had been leaked!"
Fox News' Alex Pappas and Joseph A. Wulfsohn contributed to this report.

AG Bill Barr tells Fox News public must know if officials 'put their thumb on the scale' in Russia probe

In an exclusive interview with Fox News, Attorney General William Barr explained that he is trying to get to the bottom of whether or not “government officials abused their power and put their thumb on the scale” during the early stages of the Russia probe.
"I’ve been trying to get answers to the questions and I've found that a lot of the answers have been inadequate and some of the explanations I've gotten don't hang together, in a sense I have more questions today than when I first started," Barr told Fox News' Bill Hemmer in an interview set to air Friday on "America's Newsroom."
"What doesn't hang together?" Hemmer asked.
"Some of the explanations of what occurred," Barr said.
"Why does that matter?" asked Hemmer.
"People have to find out what the government was doing during that period. If we're worried about foreign influence, for the very same reason we should be worried about whether government officials abuse their power and put their thumb on the scale," Barr responded.
Barr added, "I'm not saying that happened but it's something we have to look at."
Hemmer conducted the interview with Barr in El Salvador, where he will address the crisis on the U.S.-Mexico border, MS-13, drug trafficking and human trafficking with officials.
On Monday, multiple outlets reported that Barr had appointed U.S. Attorney John Durham to examine the origins of the Russia investigation
A person familiar with the process told Fox News Tuesday that Durham has been working on his review “for weeks,” to probe "all intelligence collection activities" related to the Trump campaign during the 2016 presidential election.
The Russia investigation and Special Counsel Robert Mueller's report continue to be debated by Republicans and Democrats since its release last month.
Democrats have accused Barr of acting as the president's "personal attorney" while Republicans accuse Democrats of vilifying the attorney general in order to harm President Trump.
Fox News' Brooke Singman contributed to this report.

AOC Cartoons

AOC blames Twitter, readers after called out for tweets about Alabama pro-life law

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez blamed Twitter's character limitations -- and the reading skills of her critics -- after getting called out for spreading misinformation about the newly signed abortion ban in Alabama.
The New York Democrat used the social media platform to criticize the law, which was signed by the governor on Wednesday and outlaws nearly all abortions in the state. The same law also makes performing an abortion a felony, punishable by up to 99 years or life in prison unless the mother’s health is at risk, with no exceptions for women impregnated by rape or incest.
“Alabama lawmakers are making all abortions a felony punishable w jail time, including women victimized by rape+incest,” Ocasio-Cortez wrote in a tweet.
“Of course, no added punishments for rapists. It’s going to [Governor Kay Ivey’s] desk. She will decide the future of women’s rights in Alabama.”
The tweet was immediately called out by conservative commentators, who pointed out that the law specifically targets the abortion providers and is designed to not punish women.
“This is a lie,” tweeted the Daily Wire’s Michel Knowles, citing a portion of the law that specifically addresses the issue.
“Section 5. No woman upon whom an abortion is performed or attempted to be performed shall be criminally or civilly liable. Furthermore, no physician confirming the serious health risk to the child's mother shall be criminally or civilly liable for those actions,” read the bill’s text.
“Everything about this tweet by @AOC is false,” wrote Caleb Hull. “Women who receive abortions in Alabama do NOT face jail time under the new Heartbeat bill. It is doctors who face prison if they illegally perform abortions and are convicted of a felony, not the pregnant women.”
Ocasio-Cortez didn’t admit her error and instead went on to blame the social media platform for having limited space.
“It’s a felony punishable by jail, [including] cases of women pregnant by rape or incest. Twitter is 280 [characters] - read the context clues in grammar of the tweet,” she tweeted.
“But good to know you’re here to promote criminalizing medical providers aiding victims of rape and incest! good job.”
She also challenged those who claimed women wouldn't face felony charges, implying that they overlooked that women medical staffers could face charges for providing abortion services.
The Alabama abortion ban ignited a debate across the country, with critics arguing that it’s going too far while more conservative people say the law rightfully targets abortion providers.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) vowed to sue the law was first approved in the state Senate on Tuesday and reiterated the plan to sue on Wednesday.
A similar pro-life law has been enacted in Georgia, with Gov. Brian Kemp signing the “heartbeat” bill into law that prohibits abortions in the state after a heartbeat is detected, as early as six weeks into a pregnancy. The law allows exceptions in the case of rape, incest, or if the life of the mother is in danger.

AOC impersonator strikes again, showing off 'electric car' while poking fun at Green New Deal

The eight-year-old impersonator of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-NY, is back with a new video.
Ava Martinez poked fun at the freshman congresswoman’s Green New Deal, also showing off her brand new pink "electric car" in the short clip.
"Like, hello America, AOC here again, but this time from Washington, D.C., which is named after our country's first president, George Washington D.C. Like, did you know that?" impersonator Ava Martinez began.
"I came up with my plan after we were watching, like, the most important documentary on climate change. It’s called 'Ice Age 2: The Meltdown,'" the mini AOC told her fans. "That’s not me saying it, that’s science! My Green New Deal will cost, like, 93 trillion dollars. Do you know how much that is? Me neither. Because it’s totally worth it. If sea levels keep rising, we won’t be able to drive to Hawaii anymore!"
The young actress then showed off what she referred to was her  "electric car" she bought as well as for her boyfriend, Riley Roberts.
"I just got this electric car. It’s eco-friendly. Everyone has to drive one under my deal. And that’s why I bought one for my boyfriend, too, Riley, using campaign donations. Well, you bought it for him. Did you know that?" she said.
After ordering her boyfriend not to speak, she told her viewers, "I do the same thing to [House Speaker Nancy] Pelosi and [Senate Minority Leader Chuck] Schumer."
Martinez made her big debut as the freshman congresswoman last month mocking her signature policy agenda, the Green New Deal, which she said she chose "green" because she's "still learning" her colors.
“Like, in July, the climate was 96 degrees and in February the climate was 36 degrees. OMG, like that’s a huge change in the climate in”—the mini-AOC looks down to count her fingers—“only four months!”
Social media users praised the impression as “pure gold,” with some suggesting Martinez would make a “much better Congresswoman.”
Martinez’s stepdad, Salvatore Schachter, told the New York Post that the 8-year-old’s resemblance to Ocasio-Cortez was noted amongst family members and thought that doing a video would be fun.
“I thought it would gain attention, because she’s adorable, but not like this,” he said of its over 1 million combined views across two tweets.

Graham defends advice to Trump Jr. over subpoena: 'The last thing you want is 535 special counsels'

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., told Fox News' "Hannity" on Wednesday that he would be "reluctant" to have Donald Trump Jr. appear before the Senate Intelligence Committee after the panel subpoenaed President Trump's eldest son.
"What you see happening is congressional committees are now beginning to take the place of prosecutors, and that's dangerous for us all," Graham told host Sean Hannity.
Graham, the Senate Judiciary chairman, was criticized earlier this week when he said: "[I]f I were Donald Trump Jr.'s lawyer I would tell him, 'You don't need to go back into this environment anymore, you've been there for hours and hours and hours. And nothing being alleged here changes the outcome of the Mueller investigation."
"Let me tell you why I weighed in on this," Graham said Wednesday. "[Special Counsel Robert] Mueller, I thought, was the final word on all things criminal."
"The last thing you want, Sean, is 535 special counsels," added Graham, referring to the 435 members of the House and 100 senators.
Graham noted that Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr, R-N.C. - who issued the subpoena and was hit with swift backlash among his own party's ranks - is a "good friend," a "wonderful fellow" and an accomplished head of the panel.
"[Burr] is going to issue a good report," Graham said of the committee's own investigation into links between the Trump campaign and Russian officials.
However, Graham pointed out that Burr had asked Trump Jr. to come "back in an environment where two of the people on the intel committee in the Senate are running for president of the United States."
Sens. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., and Michael Bennet, D-Colo., have announced 2020 Democratic presidential bids.
"They want to impeach Barr. They want him to resign," Graham said of a number of the Democrats. "They want me to resign. And, they think [Supreme Court Justice] Brett Kavanaugh was Bill Cosby in high school ... These people are going nuts."

Ex-FBI lawyer: Officials were 'quite worried' Comey appeared to be blackmailing Trump with dossier

Former FBI general counsel James Baker said this week that he and other officials were "quite worried" that former FBI Director James Comey appeared to be blackmailing then President-elect Trump during a 2017 meeting regarding salacious allegations found in the Steele dossier.
On the latest episode of the Yahoo News podcast "Skullduggery" published Tuesday, Baker said he and others were so concerned about Comey briefing Trump on January 6, 2017 on Russia's interference in the election as well as the controversial dossier that "analogies" were made to J. Edgar Hoover, the former FBI director who famously abused his power to blackmail individuals.
"We were quite worried about the Hoover analogies, and we were determined not to have such a disaster happen on our watch,” Baker said, hoping to convey to the incoming president that they did not want to continue the "legacy" of Hoover's blackmailing.
Baker did not recall the moment he first heard about the Steele dossier but remembered the bureau taking it "seriously" and said that they were "obligated to deal with it" and determine whether or not anything about it was true, but insisted they didn't accept it "as gospel." He did, however, believe Trump had to be briefed on the dossier because it was "about to be disclosed to the press."
The former top FBI lawyer explained why he clashed with Comey over whether to tell Trump that he wasn't the subject of the Russia investigation. According to Baker, he argued that the then President-elect's activities "fell into the category" of being a subject and he didn't think it was "accurate" to say otherwise. By contrast, Comey repeatedly told Trump that the president was not under investigation before his dismissal in May 2017.
Nonetheless, Baker said he supported any investigation that is looking into the origins of the Russia probe.
“I welcome scrutiny,” Baker said. “I plan to fully cooperate with the department to help them figure out what happened. Because I believe what happened was lawful, at least based on every piece of information that I have.”