Do Your Job!

Impeachment Front:  There was no public impeachment testimony yesterday but there was some related news.  It turns out that that call between EU Ambassador Gordon Sondland and Trump, the one that took place in a Kiev restaurant over an unsecure cell phone was overheard by at least two US Embassy staffers.  It was probably also overheard by Putin since Russia surveils calls in and out of Ukraine; at least for now Putin isn’t sharing his transcript but he could, in the past Russia has publicly aired recordings of embarrassing foreign dignitary calls. Getting back to the Trump-Sondland café call, the first staffer to report hearing Sondland update Trump on where things stood vis a vis Zelensky’s plans to publicly announce an investigation into the Bidens as well as Sondland saying that Trump cared more about that investigation than Ukraine is David Holmes, a respected mid-career foreign services officer who serves as a political counselor in the Kiev embassy.  Holmes is scheduled to testify in the House SCIF on Friday.  The second embassy officer, Suriya Jayanti, who also overheard the call will probably receive a similar invitation.  Trump, who claims he has no recall of the call will have a hard time disputing what was said absent a sudden burst of recollection, perhaps some extra Adderall will help him focus.  There was also news on the home front, Mark Sandy, the deputy associate director for national security programs  a long term career employee of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is breaking rank with his bosses and colleagues, he has decided to cooperate with the investigation and given the importance of what he knows, he is scheduled to testify in the House SCIF on Saturday. Sandy is expected to provide insight into the process by which the $400 million in military and security aid to Ukraine was held up over the summer. It’s reported that he was among the career staffers who questioned the aid delay, his signature was on at least one of the related documents. The White House has been working hard to keep OMB staffers from testifying so Sandy’s decision to move forward is significant. Though the White House insists that his cooperation is no big deal, it is, a bigly one.  Sondland is still scheduled to testify in public on Wednesday.  He probably should be packing his bags to return to his Oregon hotel empire, but he insists that he’s staying put working away at his EU day job. He is quite a multi-tasker, in addition to mucking around in Ukraine, apparently he’s also worked with Trump’s immigration whisperer Stephen Miller and son-in-law Jared Kushner  on a plan to fast track the immigration of white people and only white people from Europe to the US. As to Miller, pressure is building for him to be fired over his 46 plus racist emails, the ones where he promoted white supremacist literature and ideals, they spread the narrative that immigrants of color were not only dangerous and violent but that they “posed an existential threat to America.” Like Trump would ever fire him or anyone else for any of that.  And because the July 25 Zelensky transcript was so perfect, Trump plans to release the transcript of his earlier call with Zelensky, the one where he simply congratulated the then Ukraine president-elect for winning his election because that call was short and probably was close to perfect.

Hotel for Sale:  If you have any interest in buying a really big hotel in Washington, now is the time.  The sales brochure for Trump International DC, the hotel frequented by Trumpkins and foreign dignitaries eager to curry favor with Trump.  CNN reports that the brochure cites the ability to profit off of foreign governments as one of the hotels best selling points, pointing out that there is ”tremendous upside potential for a new owner to fully capitalize on government related business upon rebranding of the asset.” Apparently the Trump facility has been underperforming other hotels in DC, not because of a lack of foreign dignitaries, or Republican related events, but because revenues aren’t what they should be despite, or perhaps because of above market rates, because a lot of others have no interest in paying up to stay in a Trump owned facility.  Anyway, since the Government Services Administration (GSA) owns the land that the Hotel sits on, any sale will have to be approved by GSA officials, which shouldn’t be much of a problem given who they report to.  As to Trump owned facilities, there’s still no word where the next G 7 summit, or G 8 if Trump invites Vlad P, will be held but don’t worry too much about Trump’s Doral resort.  The Republican National Committee will be holding its winter meeting there so in addition to praying at the altar of Trump, they’ll get to feed his till.  Does make you wonder how desperate the Trump businesses are for cash, maybe they have some big, loans coming due?  It’s not just Trump’s domestic businesses that are in the headlines, according to the NY Times Jared Kushner has a particularly cozy relationship with Turkey President Erdogan’s son-in-law and the son-in-law of an influential Turkish tycoon and Trump partner.  Together the three sons-in-laws have helped boost Trump’s relationship with Erdogan.  For the record before the election Trump bragged about his Istanbul Trump Tower, at that time admitting that owning it probably was a conflict of interest for a president. Of course, now not so much, right?  And you know how much Trump hates windmills, he frequently blames the alternative energy source for causing cancer.  The Trump organization has finally agreed to pay a 225,000 pound legal bill owed to the Scottish government after losing a long court battle against a windfarm near its Aberdeenshire golf course, another one of their unprofitable properties. 

Russia, Russia, Redux:  The Roger Stone jury deliberated for five hours yesterday, asked the judge a few questions about one of the counts against him and then went home for the night.  They are due back for further deliberations this morning.  Stone has been charged with lying to Congress and obstructing the probe into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.  As to that probe, the much awaited report from the FBI’s Inspector General Michael Horowitz that, among others things, is supposedly focusing on whether there were FISA (Foreign Surveillance Intelligence Act) abuses related to the monitoring of Carter Page, the eccentric Trump advisor with lots of Russian ties, is due out shortly.  It had initially been reported that though Horowitz had invited those referenced in the report to read relevant sections he would not be incorporating any of their corrections into the final report, which would have been highly unusual and probably reflected pressure from the White House and/or Attorney General Barr.  Late last night a spokesperson from Horowitz’s office backtracked a bit and said that written feedback would be accepted though it’s still not clear if any of it will be incorporated.  Fox, a number of Republican Senators and the right leaning Washington Examiner insist that the report will be explosive, others are less sure but are wary that it is being unduly influenced by Barr.  In any case there is pressure to release it soon, possibly to divert attention away from the impeachment hearings.  The Horowitz report should not be confused with the US Attorney John Durham report, which is the one commissioned by Barr to look into the whole origins of the Russia investigation.  For that report Barr has been flying around the world, looking for the non-existent DNC server and visiting with foreign officials, encouraging them to dish up dirt on people like Christopher Steele and any US intelligence agents associated with the Russia investigation.    

And sadly there was another school shooting yesterday. In response, Barr and Senator Lindsey Graham blamed the inauguration inquiry for distracting them from proceeding with any gun control legislation. Former President Bill Clinton pointed out that’s no excuse, he got plenty of legislation passed while he was being impeached.  His message to Trump, is that you got hired to do a job, do it.