THE THINGS DEMOCRATS ARE SMILING ABOUT …
1) DARREN SAMUELSOHN and JOSH GERSTEIN: “Trump loses appeal to withhold financial records from Democrats”: “President Donald Trump lost a key court decision in his bid to block a subpoena from House Democrats pressing to see his financial records.
“The 2-1 ruling from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit stems from a case where Trump sued to block Democrats from seeing a vast trove of materials as Congress probes Trump over potential conflicts of interest and payments from foreign governments. ‘Contrary to the President’s arguments, the Committee possesses authority under both the House Rules and the Constitution to issue the subpoena,’ Judge David Tatel wrote in an opinion joined by Judge Patricia Millett.” POLITICO … The ruling
— SURE, the president can try to get the Supreme Court to weigh in, but this is welcome news for Democratic committees, which have been trying to get the president’s financial information for some time. DEMOCRATS have also seen positive signs in cases aimed at extracting Mueller grand jury information.
— SPEAKER NANCY PELOSI sent her House Democratic colleagues this letter. The House Dem call is at 4:15 p.m. today — not 4:30 as we said in the AM edition.
2) Former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine MARIE YOVANOVITCH arrived on Capitol Hill around 10:20 this morning. She avoided reporters, and entered into the House’s secure suite of rooms through a back stairway. More from Kyle Cheney, Andrew Desiderio and Quint Forgey
— IF PAST IS PRECEDENT, Yovanovitch will spend hours with the committees. It’s notable that a current member of the government is testifying despite State Department instructions to the contrary — especially one who was ousted from her role as ambassador to Ukraine.
— WE’RE ALREADY HEARING WHAT HAPPENED … NYT’S SHARON LAFRANIERE and NICK FANDOS: “Marie L. Yovanovitch, who was recalled as the American ambassador to Ukraine, testified to impeachment investigators on Friday that a top State Department official told her that President Trump had pushed for her removal for months even though the department believed she had ‘done nothing wrong.’
“In a closed-door deposition that could further fuel calls for Mr. Trump’s impeachment, Ms. Yovanovitch delivered a scathing indictment of his administration’s conduct of foreign policy, warning that private influence and personal gain have usurped diplomats’ judgment, threatening to undermine the nation’s interests and drive talented professionals out of public service. …
“She said that John Sullivan, the deputy secretary of state, told her this spring that she had ‘done nothing wrong and that this was not like other situations where he had recalled ambassadors for cause.’” NYT … The full testimony, courtesy of the NYT
— SPEAKING OF JOHN SULLIVAN, Trump nominated him to be ambassador to Russia this afternoon.
3) U.S. Ambassador to the E.U. GORDON SONDLAND will testify Thursday in closed session. This is another member of the administration coming to Capitol Hill. We have no idea what he is going to say, but he is a political appointee of the president.
Good Friday afternoon. TIMELY INTERVIEW — Gray TV’s “Full Court Press with Greta Van Susteren”: Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Sunday. Full transcript
GENERAL-ELECTION DEBATE NEWS — The Commission on Presidential Debates announced the dates and locations of the fall 2020 debates. Presidential: Sept. 29 at Notre Dame, Oct. 15 at the University of Michigan, Oct. 22 at Belmont. VP: Oct. 7 at the University of Utah.
SYRIA LATEST — “In phone call, Esper urges Turkish defense minister to halt Syria offensive,” by Wes Morgan: “Defense Secretary Mark Esper urged his Turkish counterpart Thursday to halt Turkey’s unfolding cross-border offensive against Syrian Kurdish militias, Pentagon spokesperson Jonathan Hoffman said today. Esper and Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar ‘spoke by phone where they discussed the situation in northeast Syria,’ Hoffman said in a statement.
“‘As part of the call, Secretary Esper strongly encouraged Turkey to discontinue actions in northeastern Syria in order to increase the possibility that the United States, Turkey and our partners could find a common way to deescalate the situation before it becomes irreparable.’ Esper ‘also reiterated his strong concern that, despite U.S. force protection measures, Turkey’s actions could harm U.S. personnel in Syria,’ Hoffman said.” POLITICO
NOT ENDING ALL WARS! — “Trump sending 2,000 more troops to Saudi Arabia,” by Wes Morgan: “Defense Secretary Mark Esper authorized the deployment of two fighter squadrons, two batteries of Patriot missiles, a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense missile system, and an Air Force headquarters unit ‘at the request of U.S. Central Command,’ Pentagon spokesperson Jonathan Hoffman said in a statement. The deployment is meant to ‘assure and enhance the defense of Saudi Arabia,’ Hoffman said, following attacks on the kingdom’s oil infrastructure last month that the U.S. and European allies have blamed on Iran.” POLITICO
BIG MONEY ALERT … NANCY PELOSI’S RAINMAKERS … The Nancy Pelosi Victory Fund — a big-money political fundraising vehicle — got $518,200 from Stewart and Lynda Resnick, billionaires who own the Wonderful Company; $259,100 from Deborah J. Simon; $223,000 from Henry Laufer of Renaissance Technologies; and $213,000 from investor Bernard L. Schwartz.
IMPEACHMENT CLIP PACKET … “Trump predicts senators will quash impeachment. His allies aren’t so sure,” by Darren Samuelsohn and Burgess Everett: “[B]ehind the scenes, Republicans and Trump’s informal circle of advisers are tempering the president’s bravado, expressing concern over whether the president can truly count on a GOP-led Senate to keep him in office. While Senate Republicans relish the president’s judicial appointments and many of his domestic policies, they’ve never fully embraced Trump’s style of politics. And that raises eyebrows in Trump world. …
“Many Republicans have yet to decide how to react. … Some Republican senators are starting to coalesce behind a wrist-slapping strategy with Trump. What Trump did was not right, they say, but neither is impeachment. It’s movement away from Trump, but not in any way that has Senate Republican officials worried about defections.” POLITICO
— “Larry Hogan comes out in support of Trump impeachment inquiry,” by Abbey Marshall
— “How Trump-Country Democrat Rep. Max Rose Got to Impeachment,” by New York’s David Freedlander: “‘I do not want to be here. This is the last thing I want to be doing,’ he said when he at last made his way through the crowd and settled in at a back table at Jody’s. ‘But no one is to blame but the president. The president says he is innocent, so all we are saying is “prove it.” But that is not what they are doing. They are not cooperating, and we need to get to the bottom of it.’ …
“[U]ltimately it’s about winning — especially winning elections in Trump-loving places. Today that means keeping your powder dry for the impeachment inquiry so that more people will trust that it is carried out faithfully.” Chock-full of money quotes: New York
— MICHAEL CALDERONE: “Reporters call out the State Department for ‘lockdown’ on Ukraine”: “State Department reporters are protesting what they see as unprecedented stonewalling of questions surrounding the Ukraine scandal that led to the House impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump, with their correspondents’ association calling on senior officials to break the impasse.” POLITICO
STEPHEN MILLER’S LONG SHADOW — “Trump ending U.S. role as worldwide leader on refugees,” by Ted Hesson: “President Donald Trump is dramatically slashing the number of refugees allowed into the United States to an all-time low, but the real number of refugees set to be admitted into the country could be far lower than the official limit …
“[T]he administration has created a new system of limits for different types of refugees and has effectively stopped recruiting new refugees into the pipeline. Since resettlement usually takes years, the impact could last well beyond the Trump era. … The moves may be popular with Trump’s anti-immigrant base, but critics warn that they endanger the lives of tens of thousands of people.” POLITICO
DISINFORMATION BATTLE — “How Trump is winning the fight on ‘baseless’ ads,” by Cristiano Lima: “Democrats say the dominant online platforms are once again bending or ignoring their own policies against targeted harassment, hate speech and misinformation when it comes to Trump — a decision that will have major implications for the political ads that tens of millions of voters see between now and Election Day. …
“Free speech advocates say the Democrats’ calls for Silicon Valley to play political gatekeeper risk trampling on constitutionally protected political discourse. … The companies have offered similar explanations of their policies, even as they have faced rising pressure to squelch hate, bullying and fake news.” POLITICO
2020 WATCH — “Teamsters kick off endorsement process as 2020 Democrats race for labor support,” by CNN’s Gregory Krieg: “To be eligible for the Teamsters’ official backing, candidates — including Trump — must agree to a three-point pledge assuring their support for labor-friendly trade deals, federal efforts to enhance and protect collective bargaining rights, and legislative action to protect endangered pension funding. Union members can track the process on a new website launched late Thursday. The candidates are also being asked to promise official neutrality should their staffs, as a number have already done, move to unionize.
“The Teamsters also announced plans to hold a candidate forum on December 7 in Iowa. … [President James] Hoffa didn’t specify when a choice would be made this time around, suggesting it might not come until, or after, the Democratic National Convention next summer in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The process, which is meant to more deeply engage candidates and rank-and-file union members, will culminate with Hoffa delivering a recommendation — based in part on a survey of local leaders — to the general executive board.” CNN
— MARIANNE WILLIAMSON chats with Illinois Playbook’s Shia Kapos: Williamson said she is staying in the 2020 presidential race “as long as people come to hear me, as long as people send in money, and as long as I feel I’m having a deep and meaningful conversation with voters.”
ON AGE CONCERNS: “You know, someone being too young to know things is as problematic as someone being too old to remember things.” Full interview
FRIDAY READ — MICHAEL GRUNWALD in Pescadero, Calif.: “Tom Steyer Thinks His Ranch Can Save the Planet”: “Steyer and his quintessentially California wife, the banker/social justice activist Kathryn (Kat) Taylor, are the proud proprietors of TomKat Ranch, a cutting-edge regenerative grazing operation on 1,800 acres of coastal scrub and grassy hills … Steyer is quietly producing beef … He’s also financing exhaustive scientific research on the property, hoping to prove that ranching in harmony with nature, without lethal chemicals to protect grass or corn feedlots to fatten cattle, can pull carbon from the air, hold water on the land, and produce enough delicious meat to disrupt the beef-industrial complex. …
“TomKat’s regenerative approach has provided clear environmental benefits, reducing erosion and enhancing plant diversity at the ranch, and its scientific monitoring program has already been extended throughout the state. But there’s no evidence that it’s sequestering more carbon in the soil to help the climate, much less demonstrating a viable business model for ranchers who aren’t billionaires.” POLITICO Magazine
EYES ON THE SKIES — “Damning Report Faults Boeing and F.A.A. on 737 Max Certification,” by NYT’s David Gelles and Natalie Kitroeff: “Boeing failed to adequately explain to regulators a new automated system that contributed to two crashes of the 737 Max, and the Federal Aviation Administration lacked the capability to effectively analyze much of what Boeing did share about the new plane.
“Those are among the findings in a damning report from a multiagency task force that the F.A.A. convened to scrutinize the Max’s certification process after the second plane crashed in March. The New York Times obtained a draft copy of the report, which is expected to be made public on Friday.” NYT
TV TONIGHT — Bob Costa will sit down with CBS’ Margaret Brennan, NYT’s Carl Hulse, WaPo’s Toluse Olorunnipa and CNN’s Abby Phillip at 8 p.m. on PBS’ “Washington Week.”
SPOTTED at Washingtonian’s “Most Powerful Women” lunch at the Line Hotel on Thursday: Kellyanne Conway, Tammy Haddad, Susan Neely, Carol Melton, Gloria Dittus, Heather Podesta, Terri McClements, Margaret Brennan, Suzanne Clark, Niki Christoff, Susan Goldberg, Anna Blackburne-Rigsby, Michelle Freeman, Cynthia Hogan, Lisa Blatt, Gail MacKinnon, Ilyse Hogue, Angela Alsobrooks, Maria Trabocchi, Michelle Korsmo, Jean Case and Carrie Budoff Brown.
SPOTTED at Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and Kelley Paul’s party for his new book, “The Case Against Socialism” ($28.99 on Amazon), at the National Arts Club in New York on Thursday night: Ken Garschina, Sara Story, Sergio Gor, Bill Hemmer, Sharon Bush, Lee Rizzuto Jr., Andrew Napolitano, Jerry Burke, Rex Elsass, Harris Faulkner, Mark Siegel, Jesse Watters, John Catsimatidis, Andrea Catsimatidis, Alexandra Preate and Rabbi Nate Segal.
