Tag: Attorney General

Barr Is Said to Be Weighing Whether to Leave Before Trump’s Term Ends

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

Barr Is Said to Be Weighing Whether to Leave Before Trump’s Term Ends

When Mr. Barr left the Justice Department in 1993 after serving as attorney general under President George Bush, he became the general counsel of the telecommunications company GTE Corp., which eventually became Verizon. That stint at the company ended with a $10.4 million payout and made him a millionaire many times over, making it unlikely that he will take another full-time job after he leaves the department.

The 9 discarded ballots were tossed because Republicans won their lawsuit requiring them to not be counted

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

The 9 discarded ballots were tossed because Republicans won their lawsuit requiring them to not be counted

“Because these ballots were returned in envelopes similar to absentee ballot requests, elections officials opened them,” The Washington Post reports. “If the ballots weren’t then enclosed in another envelope which shielded the actual vote being cast, they may have been considered ‘naked ballots,’ a term used to describe mail ballots returned without the voter’s intent being protected.

The Trump campaign and the Pennsylvania GOP in a lawsuit argued that “naked ballots” should not be counted. They won that lawsuit. These nine ballots appear to be “naked ballots,” and that appears to be the reason they were thrown out.

Related:

Voting by mail in Pa.? Don’t forget to use the secrecy envelope to avoid ‘electoral chaos,’ official warns

The administration of Gov. Tom Wolf, a Democrat, supported the Democratic Party’s effort in court. But Republicans, including President Donald Trump’s campaign, the state Republican Party and Republican legislative leaders, have argued in court that the law requires mail-in ballots without secrecy envelopes to be invalidated.

Barr Personally Briefed Trump on DOJ Investigation Into 9 Discarded Ballots

It is generally not regular practice for an attorney general to brief a president about a small situation. It is almost unheard of for the DOJ to issue a press release or comment on an investigation in progress, especially to reveal major details about the case.

Appeals court temporarily halts protections for journalists, legal observers in Portland

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

Appeals court temporarily halts protections for journalists, legal observers in Portland

“Given the order’s breadth and lack of clarity, particularly in its non-exclusive indicia of who qualifies as “Journalists” and “Legal Observers,” appellants have also demonstrated that, in the absence of a stay, the order will cause irreparable harm to law enforcement efforts and personnel,” two of the three judges wrote. “This means that journalists could be subjected to the same physical force as that of the individuals participating.”