CTH previously outlined the likely path Democrats will follow when they take control of the key congressional committees starting tomorrow {Go Deep}.  For those who walk through the deep weeds of DC politics, the sequence of 2019 events -based on accepting the historic resistance pattern- is entirely predictable.

Today, Fox News confirms the intention of Jerry Nadler (House Judiciary), Elijah Cummings (House Oversight) and Adam Schiff (HPSCI) as soon as they are sworn into office:

WASHINGTON DC – They’re about to get subpoena power – and they plan to use it.

As Democrats officially take back control of the House when the new Congress is seated Thursday, newly empowered House Committee chairmen are preparing to launch a slew of Trump administration investigations.

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Incoming Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi has selected corrupt former DOJ career embed, Douglas N Letter, as Chief Legal Counsel for the House of Representatives.  Mr. Letter has agreed to come out of retirement to aid the House effort, and structure legal pathway to impeach President Trump.

San Francisco — Speaker-designate Nancy Pelosi announced today that she will appoint Douglas N. Letter to be the new General Counsel of the House of Representatives.
Until February 2018, Letter served as the Director of the Civil Division Appellate Staff at the U.S. Department of Justice, retiring this year after 40 years of distinguished service at the agency. He is now a Senior Litigator at the Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection at the Georgetown University Law Center, where he is also a Visiting Professor of Law. He is a recipient of many prestigious honors, including the Presidential Meritorious Rank Award.

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Earlier today President Trump met with the newly elected governors of various states and introduces them to key cabinet officials who they will be working with during their tenure. At the conclusion of the introductions the President also took a few questions from the media (transcript below).

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[Transcript] Cabinet Room – 2:12 P.M. EST – THE PRESIDENT: Well, thank you very much. We have invited the nation’s — our great nation’s newly elected governors. And some really terrific people. They’re going to do a wonderful job.
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According to DOJ filings: “Tallahassee, Florida City Commissioner Scott Charles Maddox, 50, and Tallahassee political consultant Janice Paige Carter-Smith, 53, both of Tallahassee, have been indicted in a 44-count indictment for conspiring to operate a racketeering enterprise that engaged in acts of bank fraud, extortion, honest services fraud and bribery.”  Both were arrested yesterday.

The issues around the three-year investigation surfaced in the Florida Governors race when Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum was running for governor.  Part of the sting operation discovered Mayor Gillum taking trips with lobbyists and accepting perks from undercover FBI agents.  Outgoing governor Rick Scott has suspended Maddox.

Scott Maddox and Paige Carter-Smith, once power players in Tallahassee’s political scene, shuffled into a federal courtroom on Wednesday, their legs in shackles, to answer charges they shook down city vendors for bribes and pocketed hundreds of thousands of dollars.  – Read More

[DOJ Press Announcement Here] – [Story Via Orlando Sentinel Here]

Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley has always worked earnestly to protect whistleblowers; it is a subject near and dear to his heart.  Against the backdrop of an unexpected raid on the home of an approved and protected whistleblower named Dennis Nathan Cain, Senator Grassley writes to Inspector General Horowitz:

(Document Link)

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The New York Post has an article today, surrounding an interview with President Trump, where the topic of declassifying the evidence behind ‘Spygate’ surfaced.
To say there is a massive schism amid supporters of the President on this issue would be an understatement.

On one hand the declassification would potentially, and finally, outline the scale of the FBI/DOJ politicization and weaponization of intelligence against the President – exposing the entire ‘spygate’ scandal in all its glory.  On the other hand that potential is also seen as political leverage against the schemes of DC and all the characters.
Here’s the quotes that matter:

(New York Post) […]  “If they go down the presidential harassment track, if they want go and harass the president and the administration, I think that would be the best thing that would happen to me. I’m a counter-puncher and I will hit them so hard they’d never been hit like that.”
“I think that would help my campaign. If they want to play tough, I will do it. They will see how devastating those pages are.”

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UPDATE: Republican Cindy Hyde-Smith easily wins: 55-45

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Donald J. Trump holds a campaign style rally at the Tupelo Regional Airport in Tupelo, Mississippi, hoping to help republican Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith in the special election being held tomorrow.  The anticipated start time for President Trump is 6:00pm EST.
The political corruption & internecine GOP political constructs in Mississippi is legendary. This is Haley Barbour territory.  Ms. Hyde-Smith was a life-long democrat who voted for Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton (switched parties 2010). The Mississippi republican machine selected her to replace Thad Cochran; Hyde-Smith took the GOP appointment, and now President Trump campaigns for her.  That’s the Mississippi GOP in a nutshell.
RSBN Livestream Link – PBS Livestream Link – GST Livestream Link – Alternate Link

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Purple-tie-clad representative Trey Gowdy (U-DC) appears on CBS with Margaret Brennan to discuss the congressional request for former FBI Director James Comey to appear for questioning.  Roosterhead proposes possibly video-taping the deposition of Comey at a joint Oversight and Judiciary hearing.  [shiny thing – Comey will not appear]
Here’s the structural issue about the committee request that no-one is discussing – CLICK HERE – In my opinion, that’s a intentional feature not a flaw.
Additionally, Gowdy defends the honor of Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts against criticism of a politicized federal judiciary from President Trump; and outlines the new “investigation” he launched into Ivanka Trump’s email use.

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The Washington Times is reporting on a possible agreement between U.S. and Mexico officials to keep all Central American asylum seekers outside the U.S. during the process to evaluate their asylum claims.
The important backdrop here is the new Mexican President, Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO), taking office on December 1st.  If the reporting is correct, there may be an agreement in the works between President Trump’s administration and AMLO’s team.
Reading between the lines, the mutually beneficial structure of such an agreement is likely based within prior economic (trade) discussions. [CTH sees Jared Kushner’s diplomatic fingerprints at work]  Friends with benefits….

(Via Washington Times) Immigrants seeking asylum in the United States by entering through Mexico could be required to wait south of the border while U.S. courts assess their cases, a member of the incoming Mexican government said in an interview published Saturday.
Andrés Manuel López Obrador, Mexico’s president-elect, plans to implement a policy known as “Remain in Mexico” after taking office next month, his top domestic policy official told The Washington Post.

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