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Special Counsel underscores ‘scope and gravity’ of Trump charges
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Special Counsel Jack Smith emphasized the “scope and gravity” of the federal charges unveiled against former President Trump on Friday while calling for the legal process to play out.
Speaking after 37 counts against Trump were unsealed earlier in the afternoon, Smith said his office will “seek a speedy trial … consistent with the public interest and the rights of the accused.”
“We have one set of laws in this country, and they apply to everyone,” Smith said, while emphasizing that “the defendants in this case must be presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.”
Trump is accused of storing classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago home after leaving office, with the indictment also alleging attempts to block the government from recovering material. Specifically, the indictment states:
“The classified documents Trump stored in his boxes included information regarding defense and weapons capabilities of both the United States and foreign countries; United States nuclear programs; potential vulnerabilities of the United States and its allies to military attack; and plans for possible retaliation in response to a foreign attack.”
The Hill’s Rebecca Beitsch and Brett Samuels summarized the indictment’s additional allegations related to the high-level material, including that Trump “improperly shared it with those without clearances and the extent he sought to block any efforts to retrieve them.”
Trump made several posts to Truth Social in response to the indictment, including saying, “Nobody said I wasn’t allowed to look at the personal records that I brought with me from the White House. There’s nothing wrong with that.” Trump also asserted: “There was no crime, except for what the DOJ and FBI have been doing against me for years.” See more of his comments here. More coverage from The Hill: |
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Welcome to Evening Report! I’m Amee LaTour, catching you up from the afternoon and what’s coming tomorrow. Not on the list? Subscribe here. |
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Former Donald Trump spokesperson Raj Shah has left Fox Corp., where he served as senior vice president. Shah departed in May, according to a statement from the company.
Deputy Transportation Secretary Polly Trottenberg will serve as interim head of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), President Biden announced Friday. Biden’s most recent nominee for the permanent role, Phil Washington, withdrew his nomination in March.
Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) is appealing a ruling from Tuesday that ordered the names of those who cosigned the $500,000 bond in his criminal case to be unsealed.
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© Adam Glanzman/Bloomberg via Getty Images |
Former President Trump has some decisions to make about his legal team in the coming days as two of his lawyers, Jim Trusty and John Rowley, announced Friday they’re resigning from the case.
“Now that the case has been filed in Miami, this is a logical moment for us to step aside and let others carry the cases through to completion,” the lawyers said in a joint statement, referring to both the Mar-a-Lago documents case and the federal investigation into efforts to overturn the 2020 election. Special Counsel Jack Smith is overseeing both investigations.
WHAT’S NEXT: - Trump said he’ll be announcing additional lawyers in the coming days.
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The former president is scheduled to appear in court in Miami on Tuesday at 3 p.m. ET.
From The Hill’s Brett Samuels: “At Tuesday’s hearing, a judge will likely lay out any travel restrictions or other parameters that Trump must abide by, and the judge may set a schedule for the case moving forward.”
Trump told Fox News on Thursday he plans to plead not guilty. |
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US announces additional $2.1 billion for Ukraine
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The Defense Department on Friday announced an additional $2.1 billion in security aid to Ukraine on the heels of the country launching its counteroffensive.
The Hill’s Brad Dress noted that, with this most recent package, the U.S. has provided Ukraine with more than $39.7 billion in security assistance since the Russian invasion in February 2022. Read more here. |
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McCarthy aims to mend GOP divides by Monday
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The House is scheduled to reconvene Monday after leadership cancelled three days of votes this week. -
Proceedings stalled when 11 Republicans joined Democrats to defeat a rule on Tuesday, preventing four bills from advancing to the floor.
- The GOP detractors are rebelling over House Speaker
Kevin McCarthy‘s (R-Calif.) compromise with Democrats on last week’s debt limit deal.
“A number of House Republicans left Washington on Thursday warning the sides remain so far apart that it might require weeks — maybe longer — to get the House back to working order,” The Hill’s Emily Brooks, Mike Lillis and Mychael Schnell reported. Read the full report here |
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🦅 Biden to rally with union members in Philadelphia
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President Biden will attend a rally with union members in Philadelphia, Pa. on June 17, the White House announced Friday.
This comes after the Laborers’ International Union of North America endorsed Biden earlier this week.
Some labor groups, such as the United Auto Workers, are holding off on an endorsement for now, The Hill’s Brett Samuels noted. |
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🗳 GOP Rep. Gallagher won’t run for Senate in Wisconsin
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Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.) announced he won’t run for the Senate seat in Wisconsin up for election in 2024.
“Republicans had been pushing for Gallagher to jump in the race against the three-term Democratic senator [Tammy Baldwin], and his decision leaves the field wide open,” The Hill’s Julia Shapero wrote. “No Republican has officially jumped into the race in the battleground state.” Read more here
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🐻 Bear spotted, captured in DC
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The Metropolitan Police Department reported a large black bear hanging out in trees in the 1300 block of Franklin St. NE on Friday morning. Local agencies tranquilized and captured the bear.
According to Nexstar affiliate DC News Now, neighborhood residents named the visitor Franklin. Check out videos here. |
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“OPEC just gave Biden an opening to start a new US energy boom” — Robert Henneke, executive director and general counsel at the Texas Public Policy Foundation. (Read here) “Social Security’s back in the GOP’s crosshairs: Here’s an alternative to cuts” — Sarah Anderson, who directs the Global Economy Project and co-edits Inequality.org at the Institute for Policy Studies. (Read here) |
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515 days until the presidential election. |
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Saturday: The White House Pride celebration, delayed from Thursday due to air quality in D.C., is scheduled to take place.
Monday, 4 p.m.: The House Rules Committee will consider several measures and hold rule mark-ups for four bills stalled in the House. |
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There a story you think should be getting more attention? Something people should be talking about? Drop me a line: ALaTour@digital-staging.thehill.com |
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