President Donald Trump on Monday said he wants his former personal lawyer Michael Cohen to serve a "full and complete sentence" over crimes to which he's pleaded guilty. Business Insider reports the president claims to have no connection to Cohen's crimes, although Cohen has said otherwise. Trump tweeted Monday, "'Michael Cohen asks judge for … [Read more...]
Judge Says Federal Government Can’t Restrict Sanctuary Money
The Trump administration recently suffered a blow when U.S. District Court Judge Edgardo Ramos in Manhattan ruled in favor of a petition by New York City and the state of New York (and six other states). Judge Ramos determined the federal Government was not permitted to hold back millions of dollars in grant money from the states and cities … [Read more...]
Trump Says Manafort Pardon Not ‘Off the Table’
According to CNN, President Donald Trump declined in a new interview to rule out the possibility that he could pardon Paul Manafort, his former campaign chairman. In an interview, Trump told the New York Post, that "It was never discussed, but I wouldn't take it off the table. Why would I take it off the table?" The President's comments come … [Read more...]
Court Ruling Could Bring Light to “Dark Money”
The Federal Election Commission will have to re-write a regulation governing disclosure of dark money donors after the Supreme Court refused to stay an order from a federal judge. The Court made its decision in September, ending a brief drama that had been sparked by Chief Justice John Roberts' initial decision to issue a temporary stay of the … [Read more...]
Four States Voting on Marijuana Amendments in Fall 2018
The New York Times reports four more states will vote on recreational or medical marijuana use this upcoming voting day. If the amendments are passed, Michigan, Missouri, North Dakota, and Utah will join 30 other states that have legalized the drug in some form. These four states are all proposing separate legislation that will affect marijuana … [Read more...]
Fyre Festival Fiasco Organizer Gets Prison Sentence
According to Newser, Billy McFarland, the brain behind the Fyre Festival, has learned his fate. A Manhattan federal judge sentenced McFarland to 6 years in prison. The judge called McFarland a "serial fraudster" who has been "dishonest most of his life." The 26-year-old organized 2017's Fyre festival, which was billed as an "unprecedented VIP … [Read more...]
London Forex Traders Set To Go On Trial In U.S.
According to Reuters, London forex traders are scheduled to go on trial in the U.S. Three former London-based traders are expected to go to trial on Wednesday in federal court in Manhattan on charges they conspired to rig prices in the roughly $5 trillion foreign exchange market. Chris Ashton, Rohan Ramchandani and Richard Usher, who worked at … [Read more...]
Cannabis Credit Unions Curb Cash Carrying
A Safer Alternative to Carrying Giant Duffle Bags Full of Cash The visibility that banks provide and the reports they’re required to file are two of the few windows the government has into cannabis business operations, says John Vardaman, a former Justice Department attorney under President Obama, who helped draft guidance for financial crimes due … [Read more...]
Congressional Republicans Look to Limit the President’s Ability to Impose Tariffs
The Republican leadership in Congress has been largely supportive of the President since he took office last year, uniting around issues like conservative tax measures, judicial appointments and the evisceration of Obamacare. But at the beginning of June, it became clear that factions within the GOP would no longer abide certain aspects of Trump’s … [Read more...]
House Republicans Might Be Willing to Pass Dodd-Frank Reform Measures
The Senate and the House have split on issues before. Most famously, last year, Congressional leaders were unable to come to a consensus on health care, despite the fact that Republicans have been saying for years that they want to repeal Obamacare. Now, it appears, they might be willing to put their differences aside in order to pass reforms to … [Read more...]
