Closing summary
Here’s a recap of today’s developments:
A judge in Georgia turned down an attempt by Donald Trump to stop Fulton county district attorney Fani Willis’s investigation into his efforts to overturn the 2020 election result in the state. Over the weekend, Willis said she could announce charges in the case anytime between now and the first day of September.
Trump said he expected he could be indicted “any day now” as part of special counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into the January 6 insurrection. Smith has been looking into Trump’s efforts to remain in office following his 2020 election defeat to Joe Biden. Federal prosecutors have assembled evidence to charge Trump with three crimes, the Guardian has reported.
Carlos De Oliveira, the property manager of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate, made his first court appearance on Monday on charges in the classified documents case against the former president. De Oliveira was added last week to the indictment with Trump and the ex-president’s valet, Walt Nauta, and faces charges including conspiracy to obstruct justice and lying to investigators.
A month out from the first debate of the Republican presidential primary, Donald Trump’s domination of the field increases with each poll. On Monday, the first 2024 survey from the New York Times and Siena College put Trump at 54% support. His closest challenger, Ron DeSantis, was at 17%. No one else – including Mike Pence, Tim Scott and Nikki Haley – was higher than 3%.
House Republicans announced an investigation into the deal reached between Hunter Biden and the justice department that would have seen the president’s son plead guilty to tax charges and enter a diversion agreement to resolve a gun charge.
A former business partner of Hunter Biden told the House oversight committee on Monday that Hunter sought to create an “illusion of access” to his father Joe Biden to impress clients and business associates, but he insisted the then vice-president was never directly involved in any deals, according to Democratic Representative Dan Goldman.
But the Republican chair of the House oversight committee, James Comer, said Archer’s testimony “confirms Joe Biden lied to the American people when he said he had no knowledge about his son’s business dealings and was not involved”. Republican representative Andy Biggs, who attended the interview, told reporters: “I think we should do an impeachment inquiry.”
Joe Biden decided to keep the US Space Command headquarters in Colorado, rather than move it Alabama. The move deals a blow to the economy of a deeply Republican state whose senator Tommy Tuberville has lately been blocking hundreds of military promotions in protest of defense department policies intended to help service members obtain abortions. There is no indication yet that Biden’s decision has anything to do with Tuberville’s blockade.
A Massachusetts district attorney called for a federal investigation into Florida governor Ron DeSantis’s efforts to transport migrants by plane across state lines. In a letter to attorney general Merrick Garland, Cape and Islands district attorney Robert Galibois asked the justice department to investigate a September 2022 incident in which 49 immigrants were transported from Texas to Martha’s Vineyard.
A super PAC backing Democratic presidential candidate Robert F Kennedy Jr raised $6.47m in July, according to a press release from American Values 2024. The press release noted that American Values 2024 has received donations from both Democrats and Republicans, including the Trump mega donor Timothy Mellon, Democratic Party donor Abby Rockefeller, and Gavin de Becker, a security consultant close to Jeff Bezos.
A Massachusetts district attorney called for a federal investigation into Florida governor Ron DeSantis’s efforts to transport migrants by plane across state lines.
In a letter to attorney general Merrick Garland, Cape and Islands district attorney Robert Galibois asked the justice department to investigate a September 2022 incident in which 49 immigrants were transported from Texas to Martha’s Vineyard.
Galibois asked the DoJ to investigate allegations that the migrants were misled into getting on the planes.
Subsequent reporting and public statements also indicate that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and his administration planned, initiated, funded with taxpayer monies, and executed this enterprise.
He added:
My office posits that, due to the interstate transportation of these migrants, this alleged scheme remains available for federal prosecution.
California governor Gavin Newsom has also called on the justice department to probe Florida over the flights.
