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WASHINGTON House Republicans have quietly halted a congressional investigation into whether Donald J. Trump profited improperly from the presidency, declining to enforce a court-supervised settlement agreement that demanded that Mazars USA, his former accounting firm, produce his financial records to Congress.

Representative James R. Comer, Republican of Kentucky and the chairman of the Oversight and Accountability Committee, made clear he had abandoned any investigation into the former presidents financial dealings professing ignorance about the inquiry Democrats opened when they controlled the House and was instead focusing on whether President Biden and members of his family were involved in an influence-peddling scheme.

I honestly didnt even know who or what Mazars was, said Mr. Comer, who was the senior Republican on the oversight panel during the last Congress, while Democrats waged a lengthy legal fight over obtaining documents from the firm.

What exactly are they looking for? Mr. Comer added in a brief statement to The New York Times on Monday. Theyve been investigating Trump for six years. I know exactly what Im investigating: money the Bidens received from China.

He confirmed the end to the inquiry into Mr. Trump after Democrats wrote to Mr. Comer raising concerns about the fact that Mazars, the former presidents longtime accounting firm that cut ties with him last year, had stopped turning over documents related to his financial dealings. The top Democrat on the panel suggested that Mr. Comer had worked with Mr. Trumps lawyers to effectively kill the investigation, an accusation the chairman denied.

It has come to my attention that you may have acted in league with attorneys for former President Donald Trump to block the committee from receiving documents subpoenaed in its investigation of unauthorized, unreported and unlawful payments by foreign governments and others to then-President Trump, Representative Jamie Raskin of Maryland, the top Democrat on the panel, wrote on Sunday evening to Mr. Comer.

Mr. Comer on Monday denied knowledge of any attempt to coordinate with Mr. Trumps lawyers to block the investigation, but he made it clear he did not plan to keep it going. His committee has issued no subpoenas concerning Mr. Trumps finances.

Democrats fought in court for years to get financial documents from Mr. Trumps former accounting firm, and only last year after entering into a court-ordered settlement began receiving the documents and gaining new insights into how foreign governments sought influence using the Trump International Hotel. The company has been delivering the documents to the committee in batches.

In the letter, Mr. Raskin wrote that he had reviewed communications between Patrick Strawbridge, Mr. Trumps counsel, and a lawyer for Mazars in which the Trump lawyer indicated he had been told that House Republicans would no longer insist on additional document production. On Jan. 19, Mr. Strawbridge wrote, I do not know the status of Mazars production, but my understanding is that the committee has no interest in forcing Mazars to complete it and is willing to release it from further obligations under the settlement agreement.

Mr. Raskin wrote that Mr. Strawbridge had confirmed that assertion had been made to him twice by the acting general counsel of the House of Representatives, who at the time was Todd Tatelman.

Mr. Tatelman did not respond to a request for comment, nor did Mr. Strawbridge or lawyers for Mazars.

Democratic staff aides on the committee said they had repeatedly sought written confirmation from Mazars that House Republicans had agreed to release the firm from its obligations under the subpoena and court-supervised settlement agreement. But Mazars said it had not received such a release nor was any filed with the court, which has retained jurisdiction over the matter.

How Times reporters cover politics.We rely on our journalists to be independent observers. So while Times staff members may vote, they are not allowed to endorse or campaign for candidates or political causes. This includes participating in marches or rallies in support of a movement or giving money to, or raising money for, any political candidate or election cause.

Even so, Mazars informed Democratic staff members that, as a result of Mr. Strawbridges assertions, it would cease production after the delivery of a small tranche of documents that it had already identified as responsive to the subpoena, the letter states.

Enforcement of a court-supervised settlement agreement made with one Congress during a subsequent Congress under new leadership remains a legally murky gray area. Subpoenas in cases involving the House expire at the end of each Congress, but Mazars had continued to produce documents even after the House changed hands into Republican control. Still, a judge would be unlikely to enforce the settlement if the parties involved were no longer interested in enforcement, according to lawyers in both parties.

The documents from Mazars have thus far provided new evidence about how foreign governments sought to influence the Trump administration. In November, for instance, documents the committee received from Mazars detailed how officials from six nations spent more than $750,000 at Mr. Trumps hotel in Washington when they were seeking to influence his administration, renting rooms for more than $10,000 per night.

In the face of mounting evidence that foreign governments sought to influence the Trump administration by playing to President Trumps financial interests, you and President Trumps representatives appear to have acted in coordination to bury evidence of such misconduct, Mr. Raskin wrote to Mr. Comer.

At the same time that Mazars has stopped producing documents about Mr. Trumps finances, Mr. Comer has ramped up his investigation into Mr. Biden and his relatives.

Mr. Comer has issued a broad subpoena to obtain bank records of associates of the Biden family, requiring Bank of America to produce all financial records for three private individuals from Jan. 20, 2009, to the present a 14-year period, Mr. Raskin wrote.

He has focused in particular on John R. Walker, an associate of Hunter Biden, the presidents son, whose business dealings are under investigation by the Justice Department. Mr. Walker was involved in a joint venture with CEFC China executives, a now-bankrupt Chinese energy conglomerate.

Mr. Raskin accused Mr. Comer of using a wildly overbroad subpoena to conduct a dragnet of political opposition research on behalf of former President Trump.

Mr. Comer responded that Mr. Raskin was trying to distract from the real issue here, and that is the Biden family money trail from China.

I now possess documents to prove it; Raskin knows it, and Raskin has had a meltdown, Mr. Comer added.

When Congress was in Democratic hands, the House Oversight Committee waged a yearslong battle to obtain Mr. Trumps financial records from Mazars in one of the major legal sagas of the Trump presidency.

Mazars cut ties with the Trump Organization in 2022, saying it could no longer stand by a decade of financial statements it had prepared.

Charlie Savage contributed reporting.

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House Republicans Quietly Halt Inquiry Into Trumps Finances - The New York Times

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin will travel to Texas next month to be the guest of honor at a reception and dinner hosted by a billionaire Republican political donor as speculation grows about the term-limited governors national political ambitions.

On the same April trip, Youngkin will speak at George W. Bush's presidential library, part of an event billed as a "Forum on Leadership: Answering the Call." Such events are often an opportunity for prospective candidates to lay out policy visions before potential donors.

While in Texas, Youngkin will also be hosted by GOP megadonor Robert Rowling, the owner of the Omni hotel chain, and his wife, Terry, according to a copy of the invitation obtained by NBC News. Forbes places Rowlings net worth at $5.5 billion.

This dinner was first reported by The Washington Post.

The Texas trip comes as Youngkin, term-limited by Virginia law, has been building his national profile as he weighs a possible 2024 presidential run. In the 2022 midterms, he campaigned for Republican candidates in key battleground states, including Georgia and Arizona. Last week he participated in a nationally televised town hall on CNN focused on education the signature issue of his 2021 gubernatorial campaign.

In January, Youngkin toldNBC Newshe was overwhelmingly humbled by talk of a presidential campaign, but he remained focused on Virginia. That remains the case, according to a source familiar with Youngkins thinking on the issue, but who also noted that in 2016, the last open GOP primary, candidates announced well into the summer, and that candidates who entered the race early, like Jeb Bush and Scott Walker, quickly faded from contention.

Youngkin has barely registered in early 2024 polling, but his victory in a purple state, and his ability to significantly self-fund a national campaign, may leave him a lane in a potentially crowded GOP field.

The Dallas trip could further introduce Youngkin to Texas fertile GOP fundraising grounds especially with no Texas candidate currently expected to enter the race.

Rowling alone was a prodigious supporter of Republican campaigns in the 2022 midterms giving half a million dollars to the main House GOP super PAC, and a quarter-million to the McConnell-aligned Senate Leadership Fund.

Garrett Haake is an NBC News Capitol Hill Correspondent.

Excerpt from:
Republican Gov. Youngkin heads to Texas as speculation about 2024 grows - NBC News

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WASHINGTON U.S. House Republicans want Vicente Gonzalez gone again.

The Republican conferences campaign arm announced Monday it is adding the South Texas Democrat to its main target list in the 2024 congressional elections, singling him out as a top priority for next year in a sign that they believe his district is still flippable. His inclusion on the list means they intend to pour serious outside cash into a yet-unknown Republican challenger, ending the days when Democrats could run in the region without having to put up much of a fight.

Republicans are in the majority and on offense. We will grow our House majority by building strong campaigns around talented recruits in these districts who can communicate the dangers of Democrats extreme agenda, said National Republican Congressional Committee Chair Richard Hudson in a statement. These House Democrats should be shaking in their boots.

Gonzalez ran in the 34th congressional district last year after redistricting moved his home out of the McAllen-based 15th district, which he previously represented. Both the 34th and 15th districts were among the most competitive races in the state, with influxes of outside cash from both parties flowing into the campaigns. Gonzalez ran against incumbent Republican Rep. Mayra Flores, who had won the seat the summer before in a special election after Rep. Filemon Vela retired early from Congress to become a lobbyist.

Flores victory in the special election came with a massive surge in cash from out of the district, giving Republicans their first-ever seat in the Rio Grande Valley. But national Democrats opted not to match the spending spree and essentially abandoned the district, leaving their candidate Dan Sanchez vastly underfunded. Local Democrats were furious that giving the seat away to the Republicans would create a substantially greater challenge for Gonzalez in the general election, but national Democratic operatives contended it would be more advantageous to keep their powder dry to have more to spend in November.

Gonzalezs victory was not a knockout. In a district that was drawn to be more Democratic and would have voted for President Joe Biden with a margin of over 15 percentage points, Gonzalez won by roughly 8 percentage points.

His campaign in the 34th district ended up being his most expensive and, he admitted at the time, his most challenging. Both campaigns spent over $3 million in the race, and Republicans blasted Gonzalez for a number of verbal gaffes. Gonzalez told Newsweek that he didnt come here through chain migration, I didnt come through asylum or amnesty or whatever in a bid to distinguish himself from Flores, who was the first Mexican-born woman ever elected to Congress.

Flores also had her share of difficulties, including allegations of sexual assault against her district director. She denied knowledge of the alleged assault.

In a statement to The Texas Tribune, Gonzalez credited his election last November to his ability to bring federal dollars back to the district over the six years he's been in office. Flores held her seat for only about seven months, coinciding with a slow legislative period when most members of Congress were focused on campaigning.

In 2022, South Texas voters sent a message: they want someone who delivers," Gonzalez said in his statement. "Since coming to congress, Ive brought over $6 billion to South Texas for VFWs and community centers, drainage and roads, and Title 1 funding for our students. And I intend to keep putting the needs of South Texans first.

The national partys investments in Gonzalezs race also left less money for other candidates, whom the party did not deem viable or established enough to receive steady, robust support. National Democrats essentially let the tap run dry on Michelle Vallejo, a progressive, young Democrat who ran to replace Gonzalez in his old district next door, much to the ire of progressives in the state. President Donald Trump-endorsed Republican Monica De La Cruz ended up winning that race, becoming the first of her party to represent the 15th congressional district.

Flores has since joined the Texas Public Policy Foundation as a senior fellow. In a statement to The Texas Tribune, Flores said she was glad to hear about the NRCC's decision.

"Our region has seen historic shifts towards the Republican Party as more and more Hispanics realize that our conservative policies are all about God, Family, and the American Dream. I am confident this trend will continue and that this district will turn Red soon." When asked if she would run again in the district, Flores said she hasn't yet decided.

Republicans assert their messages of strict border enforcement, abortion restrictions and support for the local oil and gas sector will resonate with culturally conservative Latino voters in the region. South Texas Democrats have historically been among the most moderate in their caucus.

Border security is also top of the list among Republican priorities and attack points against the Biden administration, and the party is eager to have more Texas border Republicans to put at the forefront of their messaging on the issue. Texas contains more of the southern border than any other state.

Disclosure: The Texas Public Policy Foundation has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them here.

We cant wait to welcome you Sept. 21-23 to the 2023 Texas Tribune Festival, our multiday celebration of big, bold ideas about politics, public policy and the days news all taking place just steps away from the Texas Capitol. When tickets go on sale in May, Tribune members will save big. Donate to join or renew today.

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National Republicans say they will spend big to oust Rep. Vicente ... - The Texas Tribune

The video, taken by a rioter who entered the Capitol moments after the breach and released in a case separate from Pezzolas, shows the Proud Boy gazing past the police officer at the evacuating senator, though its unclear if he recognized Grassley. As the camera pans, Pezzola is shown speaking on his phone before turning away from the scene.

That first wave of the mob which also included Jacob Chansley, known as the QAnon Shaman would moments later follow Capitol Police officer Eugene Goodman up a flight of stairs to come within feet of the Senate chamber in a now-famous confrontation.

The footage is the latest example of how close powerful government figures came to a direct brush with the mob of then-President Donald Trumps supporters. Rioters came within 40 feet of then-Vice President Mike Pence during his own evacuation, according to evidence released by the Jan. 6 select committee. And then-Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, accompanied by his own security detail, came within sight of rioter Joshua Pruitt while waiting for an elevator.

The security detail and Senator Schumer reversed course and ran away from the elevator, back down the ramp, away from Pruitt, according to a statement of facts agreed to by prosecutors and Pruitt in connection with his plea deal.

Then-Vice President-elect Kamala Harris had a different kind of close call on Jan. 6: She had been ensconced at Democratic National Committee headquarters near the Capitol when police discovered pipe bombs had been placed outside the DNC and RNC buildings.

Just moments before the timing of the video, Grassley had been presiding over the Senate filling in for Pence, who was evacuated from the floor himself just minutes earlier by Secret Service agents. The Iowan was the Senate president pro tem at the time, putting him in the line of presidential succession.

C-SPAN footage showed Grassley being rapidly ushered off the Senate dais at about 2:15 p.m. and out a nearby door.

Grassley told POLITICO that he couldnt remember many details about the rushed evacuation, noting that he was taken down a back staircase to the first floor of the Capitol where the footage shows he unknowingly had that close brush with rioters and then down another staircase to the basement. Grassleys office declined to comment but did not dispute that the footage appeared to show the 89-year-old senators swift exit from the Senate.

I wasnt aware of any of it, Grassley said of his apparent near-encounter. They just said: Weve got to get you out of here.

The footage also underscores the possibility of more significant revelations about Jan. 6 sitting in the thousands of hours of security camera video that Speaker Kevin McCarthy has indicated he intends to release publicly, after providing early access to Carlson.

And Grassleys evacuation isnt the only snapshot laid bare by recently released footage in Jan. 6 criminal cases. Other film shows the moment the Senate parliamentarians door was breached, leading to rioters ransacking her office. NBC recently revealed that Sen. Jim Rischs (R-Idaho) hideaway was among those trashed by rioters.

In addition, court papers connected to a newly filed criminal case indicate that rioters breached the House Appropriations Committees third-floor space in the building, before Capitol Police officers with their guns drawn subdued them.

There, the officers held rioters under supervision while Members of the House of Representatives were evacuated from the House Gallery, according to the charging documents.

Those new details are in addition to well-known breaches of former Speaker Nancy Pelosis (D-Calif.) office suite, Sen. Jeff Merkleys (D-Ore.) hideaway and the Senate chamber itself.

The video of Grassleys apparent close encounter was released in connection with Chansleys criminal case, after a request by media outlets for videos the government used in his sentencing. Chansley is one of the most widely recognized members of the Jan. 6 mob due to his appearance during the attack he wore a horned Viking helmet and face paint, striding shirtless through the Capitol.

He returned to the spotlight after Carlson aired security footage showing Chansley walking alongside police officers calmly, footage the Justice Department said misleadingly cast his hour-long trip through the Capitol as authorized by police.

The footage of Chansleys entry into the Capitol, just moments after Pezzola set off the breach by smashing the window, appears to have been taken by Jan. 6 defendant Daniel Adams, who closely followed Chansley inside. Adams can be seen on security footage holding up his camera and recording the moment.

Pezzola is currently on trial for seditious conspiracy, along with other Proud Boys leaders.

The video also shows a moment that Chansley himself had highlighted in his own defense: his chastising another member of the mob for attempting to steal items from the Senate refectory. Other recently released footage shows members of the Proud Boys snatching snacks and drinks from the convenience store after they entered the building.

The Justice Department indicated that Carlsons footage showed only a four-minute window of the hour Chansley spent inside the Capitol. That time also included Chansley breaching police lines outside the complex, a standoff with police outside of the Senate chamber and his decision to leave an ominous note for Pence on the Senate dais.

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In the mob's eyeline: A senior Republican's close brush revealed in ... - POLITICO

By Daniel J. Chacn, The Santa Fe New Mexican

Santa Fe County sheriffs deputies investigated a domestic disturbance Sunday morning involving Sen. Cliff Pirtle, a leading Republican from Roswell, whose wife alleged she found him in a rented Santa Fe home with another woman, according to law enforcement documents.

Pirtle, who was largely missing from Mondays Senate floor session, said in a brief interview it was a personal matter.

I would appreciate privacy for my family as we work through this, said Pirtle, who appeared emotionally distraught.

Just after 10 a.m. Sunday, a Santa Fe County sheriffs deputy was dispatched to a home in the 1900 block of Goodrich Plaza Drive in Agua Fra village after receiving a report of a couple yelling outside.

The caller reported two women had driven off in a white Suburban after the incident. The deputy dispatched to the scene saw a vehicle matching the description pull into a gas station at the intersection of Siler Road and Agua Fra Street.

I made contact with the driver later identified as Aysia Marie Pirtle, the report states. I asked Mrs. Pirtle what occurred [and] she indicated to me she caught her husband [Sen.] Cliff Pirtle with another female.

Aysia Pirtle told the deputy she suspected her husband of cheating and drove from Las Vegas, NM where they are renting a home, the report states.

When she arrived at the residence Cliff Pirtle is renting in Santa Fe, Mrs. Pirtle told me she looked inside the bedroom widow and discovered her husband to be lying in bed with another female, the report states.

Pirtles wife started banging on the front door, which the senator opened, leading to a verbal altercation that turned physical, the report states.

Aysia Pirtle told the deputy she shoved Cliff on the shoulder, the report states. Mrs. Pirtle said the verbal altercation de-escalated [and] she left the residence with her kids and mother.

When the deputy approached Aysia Pirtle and her mother at the gas station, he told them the sheriffs office had received a report of people yelling.

Well, it mustve been us, sir, Aysia Pirtles mother told the deputy, according to lapel camera video obtained byThe New Mexican.

It was us, Aysia Pirtle said, choking back tears.

So whats going on today? the deputy asked.

When you find your husband with another woman, what do you think? A state senator. Her husband is a state senator, Aysia Pirtles mother told the deputy, adding they were getting it all out, screaming our guts out, thats it.

At that point in the video, Aysia Pirtle started complaining of chest pain.

The deputy reported Pirtles wife was very emotional and told me she was having a hard time breathing, the report states. Based on her statements I had medics arrive on scene to conduct a medical evaluation.

Another deputy went to the home where the alleged disturbance occurred and spoke with the senator.

Mr. Pirtle [told the deputy] a verbal altercation occurred between his wife and himself, the report states. Mr. Pirtle did not elaborate to the reason on why but confirmed the altercation to be only verbal.

According to lapel camera video, the deputy informed the senator an ambulance was being called for his wife because she was experiencing chest pains.

Shes probably having a panic attack, Cliff Pirtle told the deputy.

Asked if he was doing OK, the senator said, Yeah, Ill be fine.

What happened, if you dont mind me asking? the deputy asked the senator.

Just an argument, he responded.

Not physical or nothing like that? the deputy asked.

Nah, the senator replied.

What were you guys arguing about? the deputy asked.

Personal problems, Cliff Pirtle responded.

While on scene, the deputy did not observe any signs of a physical altercation taking place, the report states.

Based on statements made, I was unable to determine if a battery had occurred, the report states. I explained to Mrs. Pirtle on how to obtain a temporary restraining order (TRO). Mrs. Pirtle agreed, she told me she would be returning to Las Vegas, NM rental home to collect her belongings and head home to Roswell, NM.

The report concludes by stating no further action was taken and a supplemental report would be submitted if any additional information should arise.

Cliff Pirtle, a dairy farmer, represents Chaves, Eddy and Otero counties. He has been in the Legislature since 2013. He is known for his outspoken stance on a number of issues, including gun rights, cannabis legalization and representing rural New Mexicans agricultural interests.

His Twitter profile describes him as a hard working, loving father and husband.

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Deputies respond to domestic dispute involving state Republican ... - New Mexico Political Report