Steve Bannon’s New Lawyer Was Rudy Giuliani’s ‘Backchannel’ to Keep Michael Cohen from Flipping on Trump

Steve Bannon’s New Lawyer Was Rudy Giuliani’s ‘Backchannel’ to Keep Michael Cohen from Flipping on Trump

As Trump’s lame duck session draws to a close, Bannon needs friends in high places. The two counts of his indictment add up to a maximum 40-year sentence for conspiring to commit wire fraud and money laundering. That maximum will not occur, but it’s worth noting the kind of potential legal jeopardy involved in this matter. Bannon’s former attorneys asked to withdraw from the case after Bannon’s rant demanding Dr. Anthony Fauci and FBI Director Christopher Wray’s “heads on pikes” during Trump’s imaginary second term in office.

More Information:

Steve Bannon hires Giuliani’s lawyer to replace attorney who left after threat to Fauci

Prosecutors Want Steve Bannon’s Outgoing Attorneys to Stay Until Replacements Join Criminal Case

Prosecutors Want Steve Bannon’s Outgoing Attorneys to Stay Until Replacements Join Criminal Case

To ensure an orderly transition of representation and to prevent undue delay, the Government respectfully requests that the Court not permit defense counsel to withdraw until new counsel is retained and appears in this case on behalf of the defendant (or the defendant is appointed counsel after demonstrating eligibility by filing the required financial affidavit). In the absence of the appearance (or appointment) of new counsel that will represent the defendant throughout the pending proceedings and can assure the Court that no delay will be occasioned by the transition to new counsel, the Government would object to the withdrawal of counsel.

Congress returns with virus aid, federal funding unresolved

Congress returns with virus aid, federal funding unresolved

Before the election, Trump seemed to be focused on a provision that would send another round of $1,200 payments to most Americans. He hasn’t shown a lot of interest in the topic since, apart from stray tweets. But the chief obstacles now appear to be Pelosi’s demand for state and local government aid and McConnell’s demand for a liability shield for businesses reopening during the pandemic.

At stake is funding for vaccines and testing, reopening schools, various economic “stimulus” ideas like another round of “paycheck protection” subsidies for businesses especially hard hit by the pandemic. Failure to pass a measure now would vault the topic to the top of Biden’s legislative agenda next year.

Border wall: Hundreds of miles funded, 5 new miles built

Border wall: Hundreds of miles funded, 5 new miles built

The federal government has completed 260 miles of replacement and secondary walls, but only 5 new miles of the 30-foot high steel bollard fencing where none existed before, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection data obtained by the Express-News.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has not demonstrated the acquisition capabilities needed to execute the Analyze/Select Phase of the Wall Acquisition Program effectively (PDF)

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BORDER WALL CONSTRUCTION SET TO BEGIN NEAR HISTORIC CEMETERIES IN SOUTH TEXAS

A CEO won $1.7 billion in border wall contracts using the Trump-Fox feedback loop. His last wall project reportedly could collapse.

A CEO won $1.7 billion in border wall contracts using the Trump-Fox feedback loop. His last wall project reportedly could collapse.