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Imran Awan and his brother Abid worked for several dozen Democratic U.S. Representatives, including several from California, according to a recent investigative report citing congressional staff data. CBS Los Angeles reported on Thursday (original links): Imran Awan was fired Tuesday by Florida Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, the same day he pleaded not guilty to a bank fraud charge in connection with a $165,000 home equity loan, authorities said.His brother Abid Awan, was employed earlier this year by Democratic Reps. Ted Lieu, Tony Cardenas, and nearly 30 more House Democrats as a “shared employee”, according to Legistorm, a website that tracks congressional employment....

President Trump’s fiery response to the events in Charlottesville, Virginia, had a lot of media outlets and Democrats upset. Apparently, this also included Ivanka Trump and White House Senior Adviser Jared Kushner — whose displeasure is regularly leaked to the media. The New York Times’ Glenn Thrush reported this week, via an anonymous source, that Kushner and Ms. Trump had urged the president to denounce the white nationalist protesters “more forcefully.” Thrush reported the news just after Trump had defended his recent statements. “You look at both sides. I think there is blame on both on both sides. I have...

President Trump’s fiery response to the events in Charlottesville, Virginia, had a lot of media outlets and Democrats upset. Apparently, this also included Ivanka Trump and White House Senior Adviser Jared Kushner — whose displeasure is regularly leaked to the media. The New York Times’ Glenn Thrush reported this week, via an anonymous source, that Kushner and Ms. Trump had urged the president to denounce the white nationalist protesters “more forcefully.” Thrush reported the news just after Trump had defended his recent statements. “You look at both sides. I think there is blame on both on both sides. I have...

President Trump has told close associates that he believes Steve Bannon is behind damaging leaks about White House colleagues, putting the chief strategist's job in fresh jeopardy, sources close to the president tell me. Trump has told associates he's fed up with what he sees as self-promotion by Bannon, who did not join the core team this week at the president's golf club in Bedminster, N.J. Bannon's time with Trump has diminished since the new chief of staff, retired Marine Gen. John Kelly, took over and imposed discipline on the circus around the Oval Office. Bannon declined to comment. Why...

Chelsea Clinton says she is donating to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) in the wake of Attorney General Jeff Sessions's announcement on Friday of a government-wide effort to crackdown on leaks. Part of the crackdown involves a Justice Department review of its policies on subpoenaing media organizations that publish leaked sensitive information. The former first daughter quickly weighed in: @ChelseaClinton Just donated to @ACLU

wonder whether this procedure has been considered? We know from The Pentagon Papers case that the US Sup Ct held that a "prior restraint" on the media publishing government papers was illegal under the Constitution. Let us consider the act of "publishing" to be a recognized act. We know that the taking of classified information without approval or beyond the permissible actions is a crime, perhaps under the Espionage Act of 1917, which, I understand, is poorly drafted. We know that one who commits a definable crime can be prosecuted. We further know that one who aids and abets the...

Emails from a reporter for the New York Times to government employees obtained exclusively by Breitbart News demonstrate that the newspaper’s employees are not just on the receiving end of leaks, but are actually soliciting government employees to become leakers. What’s more, the emails demonstrate the Times colluded with the president of government union to encourage and solicit these leaks—something that may become highly problematic for both institutions. The revelation of these emails comes as President Donald Trump and Attorney General Jeff Sessions crack down on leakers. It also comes as EPA administrator Scott Pruitt, the former attorney general of...

On this 200th day of the Trump Administration, the 45th presidency is under assault as few legitimately elected governments in free stable nations have ever been. The weapon of choice is, as Jeff Sessions' Justice Department has very belatedly recognized, the leak. There are three kinds of leak: The first is the palace-intrigue stuff: Spicer loathes Scaramucci, Scaramucci hates Priebus, Priebus despises Bannon, etc. The second is the drip-drip-drip of the "Russia investigation": Robert Mueller has empaneled a grand jury, he's looking into eight-year-old Trump property deals, he's going to flip Mike Flynn and Paul Manafort... The third is the...

Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein would not rule out the possibility that a reporter publishing classified information could be considered a crime. Speaking to “Fox News Sunday,” Rosenstein told host Chris Wallace that “generally speaking, reporters who publish information are not committing a crime, but there might be a circumstance where they do.” “You know, I haven’t seen any of those today, but I wouldn’t rule it out in the event that there were a case where a reporter was purposely violating the law, then they might be a suspect as well, but that’s not our goal here. Our goal...

Yesterday’s WaPo transcripts of Trump’s calls with the leaders of Mexico and Australia may be the best filter yet for separating garden-variety Trump critics from hardcore anti-Trump fanatics. Who thinks it’s a welcome development that the president can’t have a candid phone conversation with a fellow head of state anymore without having to worry that a minute-by-minute account will find its way into the newspapers? Not Democrat Ben Cardin: “I don’t think the transcripts should have been leaked,” Sen. Ben Cardin told CNN’s John Berman Friday on “New Day.” “We’ve had reports on both … the Australian call was well...

Trump adviser says White House 'will see things change very rapidly' under new chief of staff Top White House aide Sebastian Gorka warned White House leakers that President Trump’s new chief of staff John Kelly “is a man you do not toy with” during an interview Saturday on Fox News’ “Fox & Friends Weekend.” Gorka made his comments the day after Attorney General Jeff Sessions delivered a press conference in which he vowed to stomp out the “culture of leaking” that has plagued President Donald Trump and his administration ever since he took office in January. "Yesterday we had the...

The latest news regarding the ongoing Russia investigation is that special counsel Robert Mueller impaneled a grand jury in D.C., affording him the power to subpoena documents, put witnesses under oath, and seek an indictment should there be any evidence of criminal activity. From the beginning, Conservative Review Editor-in-Chief Mark Levin has said that this investigation — which began as a counter-intelligence investigation and has yet to produce evidence of criminal activity — is being used by Democrats to politically damage President Trump and set him up for impeachment, should the DNC take Congress in 2018. “It is a process...

Warning: video at link, probably best to just read. Perpetually offended Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) appeared on The View yesterday and opined on a number of topics (including a possible 2020 Presidential run), but stubbornly refused to admit there could possibly be any negative consequences arising from the steady stream of leaks, including transcripts of phone calls President Trump had with other heads of state. Waters was asked if she was disturbed that confidential conversations with the leaders of Mexico and Australia were leaked. She replied: "Not at all. I am so glad they're telling us what's going on. "I...

In the course of the segment Charles Krauthammer addresses the applicable law in a manner that is extremely misleading. This is what he had to say on the legal issues (my transcription): I thought we adjudicated this in Watergate days. We have an odd system but it is a traditional one where if there is an unauthorized leak of classified information — it’s illegal — the person who goes to jail is the leaker and not the receiver [i.e., the reporter]. We do want to have some protection for the First Amendment simply because we believe that the press needs...

Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Friday announced a government-wide crackdown on leakers, which will include a review of the Justice Department’s policies on subpoenas for media outlets that publish sensitive information.

 At a press conference with Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats, Sessions announced that the Justice Department, FBI and government intelligence agencies will direct more resources into the investigations of government leaks and would prioritize prosecuting those that pass sensitive information along to the press or foreign officials. Sessions said he had empowered his deputy director Rod Rosenstein and incoming FBI director Christopher Wray to oversee the classified leaks...

The US attorney general has said four people have been charged over leaks as the Trump administration launched a crackdown on embarrassing disclosures. Jeff Sessions said the suspects were accused of divulging classified material or concealed contacts with foreign intelligence officers. America's top prosecutor said the administration has tripled the number of active leak probes since January. {..snip..}

Attorney General Jeff Sessions stood in solidarity with President Trump on Friday while discussing the "staggering" number of intelligence leaks released to the American media, adding that the Department of Justice "is open for business" to prosecute those who disclose classified information. He cited statistics to back up that claim, saying that the Justice Department has tripped the number of active investigations regarding the subject. "In the first six months, the Justice Department received as many criminal referrals involving the unauthorized disclosure of information as those received in the previous three years combined," Sessions said during the briefing. Change will...

The Washington Post on Thursday published portions of classified transcripts of combative phone calls President Trump had earlier this year with the leaders of Mexico and Australia.The transcripts portray acrimonious conversations between Trump and Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto and Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, largely on the issues of immigration, border wall funding and refugees. WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 28: President Donald Trump speaks on the phone with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull in the Oval Office of the White House. On Saturday, President Trump is making several phone calls with world leaders from Japan, Germany, Russia, France and...

Ron Hosko, former deputy director of the FBI, said these changes could result in prosecution of members of Congress and Hill staffers. In the past, he said the FBI identified members of Congress who leaked classified information, who the Justice Department then declined to prosecute. Agents were often frustrated by this, Hosko added. Given the attorney general’s announcement, he said, members of Congress and Hill staffers may be more likely to face prosecution.

WASHINGTON, DC — As leaks of classified and otherwise sensitive information pour from all corners of the federal government, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced Friday that he may crack down on the members of the media who report these stories — despite widespread acceptance of the idea that the First Amendment offers broad protections to the press on this front. “We respect the important role that the press plays," Sessions said at a morning press conference. "And we'll give them respect, but it is not unlimited." He did not say specifically what changes he was pursuing, though the department will...