EFTA00150682.pdf

From: To Subject: FBI Public Affairs News Briefing Monday, July 13, 2020 Date: Mon, 13 Jul 2020 10:27:51 +0000 Importanc Normal e: Mobile version and searchable archives available at fbi.bulletinintelligence.com. ; I BI News Briefing TO: THE DIRECTOR AND SENIOR STAFF DATE: MONDAY, JULY 13, 2020 6:30 AM EDT TODAY'S TABLE OF CONTENTS LEADING THE NEWS • Trump Commutes Stone's Sentence. PROTESTS • Trump Hails Barr On Launch Of Operation Legend. • Trump Says Defund The Police Movement Is A "Fad." • More Than 150 Minneapolis Officers Filing Disability Claims Following Floyd Protests. • Trump: "Automatic" 10 Years In Prison For Those Attempting To Topple Monuments. • Trump: States Must Request Federal Intervention In Response To Protests. • FEMA Denies Minnesota Request For Aid To Rebuild After Protests. • NYTimes Profiles Smith, Administration's "De Facto Spokesman On Criminal Justice." • Waters: Trump, Supporters Believe It Is Their Right To Ensure Blacks Don't Have Power. • House Democrats Seek To Freeze Capitol Police Budget. • NYTimes: Camden Could Serve Example To Other Police Departments. • Fifteen Shot In New York City In 15-Hour Time Period. • Two Shot Dead Sunday In Washington, DC. • Law-Enforcement Executes Search Warrant On Couple Who Brandished Firearms As Protesters Went By. • Judge Approves Petition To Recall Seattle Mayor. • Pennsylvania Police Received More Than $6M Of Military Surplus Since 2018. • Economics Journals Faulted For Neglecting Studies On Race. • Target, MN Blocked Ads From News Mentioning Protests. • DC Football Team Expected To Announce Name Change On Monday. • USC Closes John Wayne Exhibit. • Low Turnout At Kenyan Protest Against Police Brutality. • Utah Governor Proclaims State Of Emergency After Protests Over Police Shooting. COUNTER-TERRORISM • Pennsylvania Man Arrested With 30 Improvised Bombs, Detonators. • Ohio Man Changes Plea In Explosives Case. COUNTER-INTELLIGENCE EFTA00150682 • Appeals Court Stays Decision Ordering Judge To Dismiss Michael Flynn Case. • Trump Demands Extradition Of Steele Over Russia Dossier • Jordan Hopes For Durham Investigation Results This Summer. • Op-Ed: Samantha Power's Unmasking Efforts Must Be Exposed. • Source Says Japan May Still Build Aegis Ashore Despite Reports Of Cancellation. CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS • FBI Continues To Probe Death Of Fort Hood Soldier • Maxwell's Lawyers Request She Be Released. • Arrest Made In Search For Missing Pennsylvania Teen. • FBI Probing Alleged Racially-Charged Indiana Beating As Possible Hate Crime. • Phoenix Police Identify Two Officers Involved In Fatal Shooting. • Two Plead Guilty To Plotting To Blow Up Competing Pharmacy In Nebraska. • Mississippi Nurse Sentenced In Compounding Pharmacy Scheme. • Eleventh Circuit Affirms Most Of Alabama Doctors' "Pill Mill" Convictions. • US Charges Four Georgia Men With Gun, Drug Violations. • Drug Probe Leads To 48 Arrests In Georgia. • Charges Filed Against Five Alleged Members Of Cocaine Trafficking Organization. • Human Remains Found In California. • FBI Investigating Illinois Bank Robbery. • Five Connecticut Men Charged In Connection To 2018 Murder. • West Virginia Man Pleads Guilty To Attempted Child Sex Trafficking. • Former North Carolina Sheriff's Deputy Charged With Obstruction. • Washington, DC Police Arrest Two Men Over Killing Of 11-Year-Old On Fourth Of July, Two Suspects Remain At Large. • Continuing Coverage: FBI Searching For Arson Suspect In California. • FBI Investigating Racist Letter Sent To North Carolina Family. • Continuing Coverage: FBI Searching For Missing Colorado Woman. • Continuing Coverage: FBI Identifies Remains Recovered In Massachusetts. • Continuing Coverage: New York Police Searching For Couple Connected To Racist Attack. • FBI Arrests New Mexico Man In Connection To Bank Robbery. • Philadelphia Men Charged With Mugging. • Continuing Coverage: Bail Denied For Illinois Man Charged With Murder • Ohio Teenager Sentenced To Probation Over Social Media Posts. • Oklahoma Man Pleads Guilty To Arms Smuggling. • West Virginia Men Sentenced Over Drug Trafficking. • Washington State Woman Charged With Murder Of 5-year-Old. • Connecticut State Police Announce Recovery Of Stolen Police Rifle. • Alabama Resident Arrested On Drug Charges. FINANCIAL CRIME & CORPORATE SCANDALS • Cohen Adviser Disputes Account Of Why He Was Sent Back To Prison. • US Charges Florida Man With Bilking Medicare, SBA Loan Program For Coronavirus Victims. • Federal Prosecutors Subpoena San Francisco Public Utilities Commission In Widening Corruption Probe. • Campaign Finance Cover Clouds Toledo, Ohio Bribery Accusations. • California Couple To Plead Guilty On College Admissions Scandal-Related Charges. • Alabama Mayor, Spouse Indicted On Federal Conspiracy Charges. • Louisiana Councilman, Attorney Plead Not Guilty To Fraud. • North Carolina Man Sentenced For Running Ponzi Scheme. EFTA00150683 • Millions In PPP Aid Given To Traffic Camera Companies Linked To Corruption Scandals. • Georgia Heathcare Executive Pleads Guilty To Sabotaging Shipments. • Georgia Woman Pleads Guilty To Fraud Conspiracy. • US Charges Former Louisiana Bank CEO With Fraud. CYBER DIVISION • In Interview, Trump Confirms He Authorized Covert Cyberattack On Russia In 2018. • Russian Hacker Accused Of Targeting American Companies Found Guilty In Federal Court. • Amazon Says Email Telling Employees To Remove TikTok App Was Sent In Error. • Administration Expected To Take Action Against TikTok. • The UK Preparing Decision On Huawei's Role In 5G Network, Reviewing Potential Implications. • DHS' CISA Updates Goals To Shore Up Critical Network Vulnerabilities. • Hacking Attacks On Hospitals For Patient Data Increase During Coronavirus Pandemic. • Cyber Command Measures Success By The Outcomes. • US Secret Service Forms Cyber Fraud Task Force. • North Korea's Hackers Stole $2B Through Cyber Bank Heists. LAW ENFORCEMENT SERVICES • First Federal Execution In 17 Years Set To Take Place Monday. • Dispute Between DC, Congress Could Arise Over Looming Vote To Decriminalize Some Hallucinogenic Substances. • Two Texas Police Officers Killed During Domestic Violence Call. • McEnany Lauds Administration's Counternarcotics Operations Following Trump's Visit To US Southern Command. • California Could Release Up To 8,000 Inmates Ahead Of Schedule To Combat COVID-19. INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS • Judge Denies Bail To Men Accused Of Helping Ghosn Flee Japan. OTHER FBI NEWS • Judge Swears In DuCharme As US Attorney As Donoghue Takes Post In Deputy AG's Office. OTHER WASHINGTON NEWS • Multiple States Report Record Single-Day COVID Case Counts. • Trump Says Case Count Rising "Because We Do So Much Testing." • Trump Expects Coronavirus Vaccine "Before The End Of The Year." • Trump Says He Is "Flexible" About GOP Convention. • Adams Urges Americans To Wear Facemasks. • Networks Highlight "Emerging Divide" Between White House And Fauci. • LATimes Examines California's "Failed" COVID Testing Effort. • Michigan Sheriff Will Not Enforce Whitmer Facemask Order. • Pittsburgh Region Sees Coronavirus Case Surge After Early Hope. • WPost Criticizes Hogan's Safety Plans For November Election. • Trump Says 450 Miles Of Border Wall Will Be Built By Year's End. • Trump Says Privately Built Border Wall Was Done To Make Him "Look Bad." • Politico Analysis: Trump's "QAnon-Baiting" Has Gone Into Overdrive. • Axios Report: Meadows Has Set Traps To Identify Suspected Leakers. • WSJournal Analysis: In Current Term, Roberts Showed He Is An Institutionalist. • At Least 21 Injured In Explosion On US Naval Ship. • Pompeo Says He Will Not Testify Unless Senate Democrats Drop Resistance To State Dept. Nominees. • White House Picks Tully To Fill Russia Post On NSC, Sources Say. EFTA00150684 • Former White House Aide Tied To Bannon Gets USAID Post. • Cox Reportedly Stepping Down As White House Liaison. • IG Says Shelby Improperly Awarded $5M VA Contract To Friends. INTERNATIONAL NEWS • WHO Says Global Coronavirus Cases Exceeds 228,000. • WHO Reports Record Daily Rise In Number Of Coronavirus Cases Globally. • Public Health Experts Fear "Vaccine Nationalism" Threatens Global Effort. • Mexico Set To Surpass Italy's Coronavirus Death Toll. • Top Bollywood Star Tests Positive As Cases Climb In India. • Iran Blames Chain Of Errors For Ukrainian Plane Downing. • Trump Again Says Russia Bounty Story Is A "Democrat Hoax." • As Leaders Talk Peace, Taliban Commanders Continue To Fight. • Trump Signals Openness To Another Summit With Kim. • Chinese Professor Jailed For Xi Criticism Released From Detention. • Polish Election Too Close To Call. • Sudan Moves To Ease Islamist Policies. • Pope "Deeply Pained" By Turkey's Move On Hagia Sophia. THE BIG PICTURE • Headlines From Today's Front Pages. WASHINGTON'S SCHEDULE • Today's Events In Washington. LEADING THE NEWS Trump Commutes Stone's Sentence. To deeply unfavorable coverage, President Trump late Friday night commuted the sentence of Roger Stone. Typical of the tone of the reporting, a front-page New York Times (7/10, Baker, Haberman, Lafraniere, 18.61M) article says that the President "commuted the sentence of his longtime friend Roger J. Stone Jr. on seven felony crimes on Friday, using the power of his office to spare a former campaign adviser days before Mr. Stone was to report to a federal prison to serve a 40-month term." The Times adds that the White House in a statement "punctuated by the sort of inflammatory language and angry grievances characteristic of the president's Twitter feed...denounced the 'overzealous prosecutors' who convicted Mr. Stone on 'process-based charges' stemming from the 'witch hunts' and 'Russia hoax' investigation," but "did not assert that Mr. Stone was innocent of the false statements and obstruction counts." The Times also describes the commutation as "the latest action by the Trump administration upending the justice system to help the president's convicted friends." Similarly, the Washington Post (7/10, Al, Hsu, Weiner, Olorunnipa, 14.2M) reports on its front page that Trump used "the extensive powers of the presidency to protect a felon and political ally while also lashing out against a years-long probe into Russia's interference in the 2016 U.S. election." The Post adds that even though Trump's "most stalwart supporters" celebrated his move to commute the sentence, Republican lawmakers had a "muted response," and Stone's "history as a self-described 'dirty trickster' indicated that the president's decision to interfere with the nation's justice system could be fraught with political risk." The Post also contrasts Trump's embrace of "law and order" with using the "unique presidential authority to undermine the unanimous finding by a jury that Stone broke the law multiple times by lying to Congress and obstructing justice." According to the AP (7/10, Colvin, Tucker), Stone's commutation "marks another extraordinary intervention by Trump in the nation's justice system and underscores anew his EFTA00150685 willingness to flout the norms and standards that have governed presidential conduct for decades. As Trump stares down a coronavirus pandemic that has worsened his chances for reelection, he has been more willing than ever to test the limits of his power." Echoing this sentiment, Reuters (7/10, Lynch, Holland, Beech) says the action "marked the Republican president's most assertive intervention to protect an associate in a criminal case and his latest use of executive clemency to benefit an ally." Reuters adds Democrats "condemned Trump's action as an assault on the rule of law." House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff said, "With this commutation, Trump makes clear that there are two systems of justice in America: one for his criminal friends, and one for everyone else." Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA), the ranking member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said, "The United States was founded on the rule of law. It seems our president has nothing but contempt for it." On ABC World News TonightVi (7/10, story 9, 1:59, Muir, 6.62M), Chief Justice Correspondent Pierre Thomas said that prosecutors "proved [Stone] obstructed a congressional probe into possible connections between Russia, Wikileaks, and the 2016 Trump campaign." Thomas also reported prosecutors "recommended that Stone be sentenced to seven to nine years in prison," but after Trump "cried foul," Attorney General Barr "overrul[ed] his own team, saying the sentencing recommendation was too harsh." Thomas added Stone "was ultimately sentenced to three years and four months behind bars," which Barr described as "an appropriate prosecution and I thought the sentence was fair." On ABC's Good Morning America Vi (7/10, 3.18M), Jon Karl described Trump as "at odds" with Barr over a commutation. However, Margaret Brennan reported on the CBS Evening NewsVI (7/10, story 6, 0:35, Brennan, 3.95M) that Trump "has always said his long-time friend Roger Stone was framed on charges linked to the Russia investigation," and The Hill (7/10, Samuels, Chalfant, 2.98M) says Trump "has regularly railed against the prosecutors involved in the case, singled out the Obama-appointed federal judge overseeing the trial for criticism and complained that the conservative provocateur was the victim of a `ridiculous' process." In addition, Politico (7/10, Forgey, 4.29M) reports Trump had "pledged last month that the provocative Republican consultant would serve no time behind bars." The Washington Times (7/10, Boyer, 492K) reports White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany said, "Roger Stone is a victim of the Russia Hoax that the Left and its allies in the media perpetuated for years in an attempt to undermine the Trump presidency." McEnany added, "There was never any collusion between the Trump campaign, or the Trump administration, with Russia." She asserted, "These charges were the product of recklessness borne of frustration and malice." The President on Saturday issued a series of tweets defending his commutation of the 40- month prison sentence of Roger Stone, expressing his support for former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn, and calling for the prosecution of Russia dossier author Christopher Steele. However, coverage of the President's remarks were overshadowed by former Special Counsel Robert Mueller's op-ed in the Washington Post asserting that Stone "remains a convicted felon, and rightly so," as well as criticism from lawmakers on both side of the aisle. Trump tweeted, "Roger Stone was targeted by an illegal Witch Hunt that never should have taken place. It is the other side that are criminals, including Biden and Obama, who spied on my campaign - AND GOT CAUGHT!" Several hours later, he promoted the opening monologue of Fox News' "Watters' World" and subsequently pinned the segment on his Twitter feed. He also tweeted. "2016? HERE WE GO AGAIN!" In addition, the President tweeted, "New documents just released reveal General Flynn was telling the truth, and the FBI knew it! @OANN." He also tweeted, "This man should be extradited, tried, and thrown into jail. A sick lier who was paid by Crooked Hillary & the DNC!" The President retweeted John Solomon, founder of Just the News, who said, "Credibility shredded? British court identifies at least five inaccurate or unproven allegations in just one of the many memos that made up Christopher Steele's anti- Trump dossier I Just The News." EFTA00150686  He added, "John, among others, should have gotten a Pulitzer for exposing Russia, Russia, Russia as Fake News. He was right. The journalists' who got them were all WRONG. Take back the Pulitzers, which have become a JOKE!" The President also tweeted, "Bring back Steele!!!" The President retweeted Fox News political analyst Gregg Jarrett, who said, "British High Court Rules Steele Pay Damages For Violating Data Privacy Law' In Dossier." The Hill (7/11, Byrnes, 2.98M) says Trump "defended his decision to commute the prison sentence for his longtime associate and political confidant Roger Stone, claiming Stone was the victim of a `Witch Hunt." Mueller: Stone "Remains A Convicted Felon, And Rightly So." Bloomberg (7/11, Haubert, Krasny, 4.73M) reports that former Special Counsel Robert Mueller in a "rare public comments" on Saturday "defended the investigation into Russian election interference and said Roger Stone `remains a convicted felon, and rightly so.' Bloomberg also reports Mueller in the Washington Post (7/11, Mueller, 14.2M) op-ed "wrote that the work of the special counsel's office - including its report, indictments and convictions - should speak for itself." To the AP (7/11, Tucker), Mueller "sharply defended his investigation into ties between Russia and Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign," in what was "Mueller's first public statement on his investigation since his congressional appearance last July." The AP adds that the op-ed "represented his firmest defense of the two-year probe whose results have come under attack and even been partially undone by the Trump administration, including the president's extraordinary move Friday evening to grant clemency to Stone just days before he was due to report to prison." Similarly, USA Today (7/11, Johnson, 10.31M) reports Mueller "defend[ed] the prosecution of Roger Stone and the larger investigation into Russia interference in the 2016 election, saying that the flamboyant political operative was `prosecuted and convicted because he committed federal crimes.' He added, "Stone became a central figure in our investigation for two key reasons: He communicated in 2016 with individuals known to us to be Russian intelligence officers, and he claimed advance knowledge of WikiLeaks' release of emails stolen by those Russian intelligence officers." Mueller continued that his investigation "identified numerous links between the Russian government and Trump campaign personnel - Stone among them," even though "we did not establish that members of the Trump campaign conspired with the Russian government in its activities." However, he said the investigation "did establish that the Russian government perceived it would benefit from a Trump presidency and worked to secure that outcome," and also "established that the campaign expected it would benefit electorally from information stolen and released through Russian efforts." According to Politico (7/11, Muller, 4.29M), the op-ed "was uncharacteristic for the former special counsel, who rarely spoke about the investigation publicly and whose office was known in Washington to be leak-proof. Saturday marked the first time Mueller made public statements about the Russia investigation since his congressional testimony in July 2019." Tom Llamas reported on ABC World News TonightVi (7/12, story 10, 2:47, Llamas, 4.69M) that Trump "is being sharply criticized for commuting the sentence of his long-time adviser Roger Stone. Among those speaking out: Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who prosecuted the case." ABC's Rachel Scott: "In his first public statement in nearly a year, Robert Mueller insisted] Roger Stone was no victim," writing in the Washington Post over the weekend, "Stone was prosecuted and convicted because he committed federal crimes. He remains a convicted felon, and rightly so." Scott: "The President commut[ed] the 40-month sentence of his long- time ally and adviser, against the advice of some aides fearing the move would be seen as an abuse of power." NBC Nightly NewsVi (7/12, story 4, 0:31, Snow, 4.22M) briefly quoted from the Mueller op-ed, and on the CBS Weekend NewsVi (7/12, story 4, 0:38, Yuccas, 2.32M), Nikole Killion said Trump is "facing fallout over his decision to commute the sentence." Graham Will Call Mueller To Testify Before Senate Judiciary Committee. USA Today (7/12, Phillips, 10.31M) reports Senate Judiciary Chairman Lindsey Graham "said Sunday he will grant a request from Democrats to call Robert Mueller to testify before his committee, EFTA00150687 after the former Russia special counsel penned an op-ed pushing back" against Trump's decision to commute the sentence. The New York Times (7/12, Edmondson, 18.61M) says Graham's announcement is "part of an election-year bid by Senate Republicans to discredit the inquiry, came after Mr. Mueller broke a nearly yearlong silence" with the Post op-ed. Graham tweeted, "Apparently Mr. Mueller is willing - and also capable - of defending the Mueller investigation through an oped in the Washington Post. Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee have previously requested Mr. Mueller appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee to testify about his investigation. That request will be granted." The Washington Post (7/12, Sonmez, 14.2M) reports Graham spokeswoman Taylor Reidy "said a formal invitation to Mueller is in the works but did not provide details on the timing of any potential testimony. There are only about three dozen legislative days remaining for the Senate before the November election." The Justice Department "declined to comment on Graham's statement," and a spokesperson for Judiciary ranking member Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) "did not immediately respond to a request for comment." The Washington Examiner (7/12, Dunleavy, 448K) reports, "Graham has listed 53 prominent figures connected to the Russia investigation who now may face subpoenas, though the list does not include former President Barack Obama despite Trump's urging." The Washington Times (7/12, Sherfinski, 492K) also covers Graham's announcement. Grenell Among "Right-Wing Figures" Expressing Doubt Mueller Wrote Op-Ed. The Washington Examiner (7/12, Chaitin, 448K) reports, "Republicans and other right-wing figures amplified the claim that former special counsel Robert Mueller did not write an opinion piece Saturday defending his Russia investigation." Ex-Acting DNI Richard Grenell "reacted to a user late Saturday who said, 'Mueller didn't write this op-ed.' He replied, `Everyone who saw him testify knows this is true." Others expressing doubt include Lee Smith, "a conservative investigative journalist who wrote The Plot Against the President." Barr, Meadows Reportedly Urged Trump Not To Grant Stone Clemency. On NBC Nightly NewsVi (7/11, Lead, 2:52, Diaz Balart, 3.95M), Kelly O'Donnell reported that although the President wore a mask "for the first time publicly, visiting service members at a military hospital," the mask was "no cover for the controversial lifeline the President gave his friend, political adviser and convicted felon Roger Stone." O'Donnell added that some White House officials "are outraged though not surprised by the decision. Concerned in part about how it plays politically. Senior officials tell NBC News the Justice Department played no role and that Attorney General William Barr personally counseled the President against clemency for Stone." The Hill (7/11, Moreno, 2.98M) reports sources also told NBC that White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows "recommended against the move over concerns of political blowback." On ABC World News TonightVi (7/11, Story 3, 2:59, Llamas, 4.18M), Rachel Scott said Barr this week "told our Pierre Thomas [that] Stone's 40-month sentence was fair." Barr: "He was prosecuted while I was attorney general. I think the prosecution was righteous." Pelosi: Commuting Of Sentence Was "Staggering Corruption." On CNN's State Of The UnionVi (7/12, 1.11M), House Speaker Pelosi said of the President's action, "It's staggering corruption, but I think it's important for people to also know that it's a threat to our national security. The whole impeachment process was about our national security. The Supreme Court was to find out about the Russian connection. And we will continue to pursue that." Pelosi To Propose Legislation To Limit Presidential Pardon Power. Bloomberg (7/11, Wasson, 4.73M) reports Pelosi on Saturday "said that in the wake of President Donald Trump's commutation of Roger Stone's criminal sentence, she plans to support a bill limiting the ability of presidents to take such actions." In a statement, Pelosi said Trump's commutation of "Stone, who could directly implicate him in criminal misconduct, is an act of staggering corruption." She added, "Congress will take action to prevent this type of brazen wrongdoing. Legislation is needed to ensure that no president can pardon or commute the sentence of an individual who is engaged in a cover-up campaign to shield that President from criminal prosecution." EFTA00150688  However, The Hill (7/11, Johnson, 2.98M) states that such legislation "has no chance of passing while the Republicans control the Senate. It's also not entirely clear if Congress has the constitutional authority to limit the president's pardon power. Under the Constitution, the president is able to execute a pardon except in cases of impeachment." Politico (7/10, Gerstein, Cheney, Swan, 4.29M) reports House Judiciary Chairman Jerrold Nadler and House Oversight Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney "said they intended to immediately seek a briefing from the White House counsel about the circumstances of Stone's commutation." Fox News (7/10, Givas, 27.59M) reports Bill Russo, a spokesman for Joe Biden, said Trump "has once again abused his power, releasing this commutation on a Friday night, hoping to yet again avoid scrutiny as he lays waste to the norms and the values that make our country a shining beacon to the rest of the world." Schiff: "Anyone Who Cares About The Rule Of Law"Is "Nauseated." House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff, on ABC's This WeekA (7/12, 2.54M), said, "I think anyone who cares about the rule of law in this country is nauseated by the fact that the President has commuted the sentence of someone who willfully lied to Congress, obstructed the investigation. It shouldn't matter if you're a Democrat or Republican. This should be offensive to you if you care about the rule of law." The Washington Times (7/12, Sherfinski, 492K) and Politico (7/12, Oprysko, 4.29M) cover Schiff's remarks. Romney, Toomey Join Democrats In Denouncing Stone Clemency, Graham And Rep. Jordan Back President's Move. On the CBS Weekend NewsVi (7/11, Story 3, 1:19, Yuccas, 2.21M), Nikole Killion reported Democrats from Joe Biden to House Speaker Pelosi "accused the President of abuse of power. So did some Republicans." Bloomberg (7/11, Wasson, 4.73M) reports Sens. Mitt Romney (R-UT) and Pat Toomey (R- PA) "became the first major Republican elected officials to criticize...Trump's decision to commute" Stone's sentence. Romney tweeted, "Unprecedented, historic corruption: an American president commutes the sentence of a person convicted by a jury of lying to shield that very president." According to Bloomberg, Romney's tweet "quickly trended on the social media site, and shortly after 4 p.m. had been `liked' over 422,000 times and retweeted over 127,000 times." Bloomberg adds Toomey "took a more measured approach, calling it the commutation a `mistake' in an emailed statement, and arguing that the decision should have been left to the court system." The Hill (7/11, Moreno, 2.98M) reports Toomey said the President "clearly has the legal and constitutional authority to grant clemency for federal crimes," but added "this authority should be used judiciously and very rarely by any president." Toomey also asserted, "While I understand the frustration with the badly flawed Russia-collusion investigation, in my view, commuting Roger Stone's sentence is a mistake." He continued that Stone was "duly convicted of lying to Congress, witness tampering, and obstructing a congressional investigation conducted by a Republican-led committee." However, The Hill (7/11, Byrnes, 2.98M) reports Republicans "largely refrained from criticizing the commutation, instead pointing blame at the prosecutors who brought the charges against Stone in their investigation into Russian election interference." Similarly, Politico (7/11, Desiderio, 4.29M) reports Republican lawmakers were "mostly silent about the commutation, which came just after a federal appeals court panel rejected Stone's last-ditch bid to delay the start of his 40-month prison sentence set to begin next week." Politico adds Senate Judiciary Chairman Lindsey Graham (R-SC) "was supportive of the sentence commutation in part because `this was a non-violent, first-time offense' for Stone." Meanwhile, the Washington Times (7/11, Blake, 492K) says some Republicans "openly cheered." The Times reports Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) also "expressed support for commuting Stone's sentence." Hogan Criticizes Trump's Decision. Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R), on NBC's Meet The PressVi (7/12, 1.58M), said, "No question that's the appearance [of a double standard] and it's a problem. Roger Stone is convicted of seven felonies and the President does have the right by law to take the action he took. That doesn't mean he should have, and we've got a guy who EFTA00150689 is convicted of seven felonies a couple of months before the election. For the President to take this action it will certainly hurt politically." Media Analyses Criticize Trump For Commuting Stone Sentence. In a more than 2,100-word front-page analysis, the Washington Post (7/11, Al, Reinhard, Helderman, Hsu, Dawsey, 14.2M) says the President's commutation of Stone's sentence "over the objections of some aides and without the involvement of his administration's pardon office" has "allowed an old friend to jump to the front of the slowest and longest line of federal inmates seeking mercy in decades" and is "is emblematic of the very few people to receive clemency from Trump, with most being political allies who appealed directly to the White House instead of following Justice Department protocol." However, the Post adds Stone also "stands out as the first whose conviction grew from an investigation that also examined the president's conduct." In an analysis, Washington Post (7/11, 14.2M) senior political reporter Aaron Blake says that while Trump "has attempted to make law and order his calling card in the 2020 election," he "just commuted the sentence of a political ally, Roger Stone, who was recently convicted of seven crimes, including ones aimed at shielding the president himself." According to Blake, "The first thing that jumps out at you about Trump's pardons and commutations is the inordinate number of them which have gone to people with either personal or political ties to Trump (or both): Joe Arpaio, Dinesh D'Souza, Conrad Black, Bernard Kerik, Rod Blagojevich, Michael Milken, Paul Pogue, David Safavian, Eddie DeBartolo Jr. and now Stone. It's hardly unheard-of for a president to pardon allies - see Marc Rich et al. - but Trump has taken it to another level." New York Times (7/11, Al, 18.61M) Chief White House Correspondent Peter Baker asserts In a front-page analysis that Trump "has said he learned lessons from President Richard M. Nixon's fall from grace, but in using the power of his office to keep his friend and adviser Roger J. Stone Jr. out of prison he has now crossed a line that even Mr. Nixon in the depths of Watergate dared not cross." According to Baker, "Trump indulged his own sense of grievance over precedent to reward an ally who kept silent." Meanwhile, New York Times (7/11, 18.61M) investigative reporter Sharon Lafraniere and Washington investigative correspondent Mark Mazzetti also contend that Trump's action "was extraordinary because federal prosecutors had suspected that Mr. Stone could shed light on whether Mr. Trump had lied to them under oath or illegally obstructed justice. Even Mr. Stone suggested a possible quid pro quo, telling a journalist hours before the announcement that he hoped for clemency because Mr. Trump knew he had resisted intense pressure from prosecutors to cooperate." Stone Says He Wouldn't "Live Long"In Prison. Meanwhile, Stone told the Wall Street Journal (7/10, Al, Tau, Subscription Publication, 7.57M), "I know Donald Trump is a believer in fairness." Stone continued, "I could tell from his tweets and his public comments. He said he was following the case closely and he clearly knew I did not get a fair trial. The fundamental problem is if I'm sent to a prison with Covid-19, I won't live long enough to see my appeal." USA Today (7/10, Fritze, Johnson, Phillips, 10.31M) reports Grant Smith, an attorney for Stone, "said his client was 'incredibly honored' that Trump used 'his awesome and unique power under the Constitution of the United States for this act of mercy." Breitbart (7/10, 673K) reports John Cardillo, a political commentator and former NYPD officer, "shared a photo of himself posing with Stone, tweeting: 'Roger is feeling and looking better than he has in months, and wants you all to know how much he appreciates all the love and support." Appeals Court Denied Stone's Request To Delay Prison Sentence. Bloomberg (7/10, Larson, 4.73M) reports the US Court of Appeals in Washington on Friday "denied an emergency request from Republican operative Roger Stone for a delay to the start of his 40- month prison term for lying to Congress during the Russia probe, saying he hadn't proved that he was in particular danger of catching the coronavirus behind bars." The ruling had meant that if Trump had not commuted the sentence when he did, Stone would have had "to surrender to a federal correctional facility in rural Georgia next week." The Hill (7/10, Neidig, 2.98M) reports EFTA00150690 the ruling "came just an hour before President Trump stepped in to commute his longtime ally's sentence." Stone Presses On With Appeal Of Conviction. Bloomberg (7/11, Larson, 4.73M) says that the commutation "spares the Republican operative from spending more than three years at a federal lockup in rural Georgia, but his legal journey is far from over," as Stone's conviction "is still intact." According to Bloomberg, a pardon "would have required Stone to abandon the appeal he filed in April after U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson in Washington denied his request for a new trial." Bloomberg reports Stone "has said he's eager to clear his name and overturn a conviction he says is the result of a politically biased judge and jury - claims frequently echoed by Trump." On Saturday, Stone told Bloomberg, "A pardon includes acceptance of guilt and ends the appeals process. The commutation allows me to go forward with the appeals." WSJoumal: Barr Was Right About Prosecution; Flynn Deserves Pardon. In an editorial, the Wall Street Journal (7/12, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) says Attorney General Barr was right in calling Stone's prosecution "righteous" and "appropriate," and expresses hope that the outcry over the President's action will not prevent him from pardoning ex-National Security Adviser Michael Flynn, who the Journal says deserves it. More Commentary. In an editorial, the Washington Post (7/10, 14.2M) denounces Trump's move to commute Stone's sentence. The Post adds while Trump "may have had the power to help his longtime friend," it "does not make it any less a perversion of justice - indeed, it is one of the most nauseating instances of corrupt government favoritism the United States has ever seen." The Post concludes the US "is supposed to be a place in which laws apply equally to all. And while it never has - and never will - live up to that ideal in full, no modern president before Mr. Trump has so clearly renounced it." In a Washington Post (7/10, 14.2M) op-ed, NBC News analyst Howard Fineman asserted, "No one can make up Roger Stone. No one should want to. He has a certain roguish appeal to chroniclers of American politics, high and low. There is in his story a faint pathos: a youth suffused with some understandable resentments; an encyclopedic knowledge of what used to be the Republican Party; a sense that he could have done positive things with the talents he had — or as New Stone might say, with the talents God gave him. But mostly he made his way and name for decades by not just defeating, but destroying and humiliating, other people for money - all in the name of dismantling a supposedly corrupt Establishment of better educated and, by and large, more decent and principled people than he could claim to be." In his Washington Post (7/11, 14.2M) column, Max Boot declares that with this commutation of "Stone's well-deserved prison sentence and so many other vile acts," Trump "has disgraced the nation's highest office as no previous occupant has come close to doing." According to Boot, "What makes Trump the worst president ever is not simply that he is colossally incompetent. It is that he is also thoroughly corrupt. It is hard to think of a single major decision he has made for the good of the country, rather than for his own advantage. Trump has so egregiously abused the power of the presidency that he makes Warren Harding and Richard Nixon look like choirboys." In her Washington Post (7/11, 14.2M) column, Ruth Marcus concurs, "It is hard to imagine a more corrupt use of the clemency power than...Trump's commutation of the sentence of convicted felon Roger Stone." According to Marcus, "Stone epitomizes the danger the Framers had in mind when they debated the pardon power." She concludes, "Systematically self-serving. That is the essence of the Trump presidency. Even this far into it, we have to summon the outrage to say so." In his Washington Post (7/11, 14.2M) column, Colbert I. King asserts that Stone "is the first of Trump's three felonious friends to escape a full measure of justice," and he again predicts Trump will "hit a trifecta with his felon allies." King contends that since Stone and "convicted felon" Paul Manafort "have been spared from life behind bars, it's all but certain that convicted felon Michael Flynn will go footloose and fancy-free." He concludes, "None of this EFTA00150691 should come as a surprise. What does the rule of law and the system of justice mean to Donald Trump, who thinks his presidency is uncheckable? Trump must be taught otherwise on Election Day." PROTESTS Trump Hails Barr On Launch Of Operation Legend. President Trump on Saturday tweeted, "Congratulations to A.G. Barr. Law & Order!" He retweeted John Solomon, founder of Just the News, who said, "Breaking: AG Barr launches Operation Legend, federal crackdown on violent crime in U.S. cities I Just The News." Law-Enforcement In Major Cities Dealing With Rise In Crime Amid Calls To Cut Police Funding. The Wall Street Journal (7/11, Wernau, Barrett, Subscription Publication, 7.57M) reports police officials in a number of major US cities are dealing with a marked increase in violent crime in the midst of a debate surrounding the police's role, increasing fiscal difficulties, and demands to cut police-department budgets. DC Has Four Fatal Shootings In Span Of Hours. The Washington Post (7/11, Hermann, 14.2M) reports there were four deadly shootings in a span of hours in Washington, DC in Friday in what was among "the worst spasms of violence in a year already experiencing an increasing number of homicides." Police say the killings appear to be unrelated, and the Post adds the shootings increased the amount of individuals "slain in the District this year" to 98, "a 21 percent increase from the same period in 2019, a year that saw a decade-high number of homicides." With regard to Friday's shootings, DC Police Chief Peter Newsham on Saturday said, "We had a very violent night." Meanwhile, the Washington Post (7/10, Duggan, Hermann, 14.2M) reports, "An 11-year- old boy shot during a Fourth of July 'stop the violence' cookout in Southeast Washington was killed by a stray bullet when members of a street gang unleashed a fusillade of gunfire at perceived enemies in the neighborhood where the barbecue was held, according to a police affidavit made public Friday." Davon McNeal "was hit by a bullet that entered the front of his head and exited through the back, police said." The Post adds that according to the affidavit, "the suspects, two of whom have been arrested, apparently were chasing people they thought were members of a rival crew on foot, and shooting at them, when Davon was wounded in front of the Frederick Douglass Community Center, in the Cedar Gardens area of Anacostia." The Washington Post (7/10, 14.2M) editorializes on the subject of children being shot in Washington, DC, urging "some real action in combating the gun violence that has long persisted in the city's poorest neighborhoods. As of July 10, there have been 94 homicides in the District in 2020, an 18 percent increase compared to the same time last year." The Post says "there clearly are no easy answers" but calls for "the city to start treating this problem like the public emergency it is." Police Officers Fatally Shot In Texas Border City. The AP (7/11) reports two police officers on Saturday were fatally shot in the South Texas border city of McAllen "after reportedly responding to a disturbance call, authorities said." The officers were shot on McAllen's south side and taken "to an area hospital, said Lt. Christopher Olivarez, spokesman for the Texas Department of Public Safety." The AP adds, "A suspect in the shooting was also shot, though that person's condition was not immediately available." To the [McAllen] Monitor, McAllen Police Chief Victor Rodriguez said, "We have lost two brave public servants who sought only to keep peace in our City." In Defiance Of Sheriff's Department, Los Angeles Coroner Releases Report On Fatal Police Shooting. ABC World News TonightVi (7/11, Story 4, 1:50, Llamas, 4.18M) reported on "a deadly police shooting facing scrutiny in Los Angeles county." According to correspondent Zohreen Shah, "protesters demanding answers about the death of 18-year-old Andres Guardado at the hands of a Los Angeles sheriff's deputy. Overnight the Los Angeles EFTA00150692 coroner defying the sheriff's department, releasing a report matching the Guardado family's independent autopsy, confirming that he was fatally shot in the back five times." Regarding the report, the coroner said that "the public demands and has a right to see." However, the sheriff's department said the disclosure of autopsy could jeopardize the probe. Virginia Sheriffs' Deputy Falsely Claimed To Have Been Assaulted. Under the headline "Virginia Sheriff's Deputy Fabricated Assault, Officials Say," the Washington Post (7/11, Weil, 14.2M) reports, "A deputy sheriff in Fauquier County falsely claimed he had been attacked Friday on a road near Warrenton, according to the Fauquier County Sheriff's Office." A pedestrian discovered the deputy "face down at the intersection of Old Waterloo Road and Wilson Road, according to the sheriff's office. He said he had been assaulted shortly after 7 p.m. by occupants of a passing vehicle." Officials on Saturday said a probe concluded that the allegation was false. The deputy, Jake Preston Dooley, "was charged with falsely summoning law enforcement and obstruction of justice, according to the sheriff's office." Prince George's County Police: Deadly Chase May Not Have Been Authorized. The Washington Post (7/11, Boorstein, 14.2M) reports Prince George's County police on Saturday announced that a preliminary probe indicated that a fatal car chase in which police were involved might not have been authorized. The Post adds, "Officials are investigating the Thursday chase and crash, which killed a mother and son, said Officer Antonia Washington, a police spokeswoman. Police announced Friday that five officers involved in the chase have been suspended." Washington told the Post, "At this point we can say, preliminarily, that the pursuit itself was unauthorized. But we are still collecting information." Protesters Assemble In Detroit After Police Fatally Shoot Man Who Video Shows Shot First. The Washington Post (7/10, Ruble, Guarino, 14.2M) reports a shooting in Detroit on Friday incited protests, "with hundreds of demonstrators gathering in an area near where police officers fatally shot a 20-year-old man during a daylight arrest on a neighborhood sidewalk." According to the Post, "Protest signs and megaphones dotted the group of people who came from other parts of the city, as residents faced off against officers, at times allegedly throwing rocks and bottles at police. Officers in riot gear arrived around 5 p.m., and bystanders said they fired tear gas canisters into the crowd to disperse the demonstrators." Detroit Police Chief James Craig indicated that no less than 8 arrests were made. Demonstrators called for information regarding "the shooting, and police responded almost immediately, releasing video clips from dashboard cameras." The Post adds, "Police identified the man as Hakim Littleton, whom the videos show firing a pistol at police at close range before officers return fire." On NBC Nightly NewsVi (7/11, Story 6, 1:31, Diaz Balart, 3.95M), correspondent Kathy Park reported in the "dash and body cam footage," police gang squad members are shown "arresting Darnl Sylvester, wanted on a federal drug warrant. While he complies authorities say Littleton standing nearby appears to pull out a weapon." Trump Says Defund The Police Movement Is A "Fad." Politico (7/10, Oprysko, 4.29M) reports that "during an unrelated event at U.S. Southern Command in Florida" on Friday, President Trump "asserted that calls to defund the police would eventually die off, writing off the movement for wide scale police reform as a 'fad." The President said, "We will never, ever defund our police. OK? That I can tell you. We are not defunding police." He continued, "What's going on here, admiral, when you hear 'defund the police,' you are probably saying it's a foreign language, right?" Trump added, "So, just a terrible thing, but I assume this is going to be a fad. We'll call it a fad." Trump Threatens Federal Government Will Intervene If Law And Order Not Restored. The President on Friday tweeted, "Get it done or the Federal Government will come in and get it done for you!" He retweeted "Newsmax insider" Cory Mills, who said, "We must bring back law and order and stop the senseless murders in some of America's largest cities." Trump Campaign Ad Implies Biden Presidency Will Result In More Violence. The AP (7/10, Fram) reports a new 30-second ad from the President's reelection campaign portrays EFTA00150693 "apocalyptic images of blazing buildings and window-smashing protesters" before ending "with 'You won't be safe in Joe Biden's America' emblazoned across a flickering hellscape. It blames a push by progressive activists to defund the police as 'violent crime has exploded." To the AP, the President and other Republicans are "trying to play offense, ominously," as they "insinuate that the rare looting and violence that marred largely peaceful social justice protests are spreading and foretell a wave of mayhem that they claim Democrats would abet with anti-police policies." The AP adds Democrats "call the GOP drive an obvious diversion from issues they say voters care most about: the coronavirus pandemic that Trump has failed to control, the economic shutdown, recession-level unemployment, racial justice and health care." Meanwhile, Washington Post (7/10, Bump, 14.2M) correspondent Philip Bump says that while Trump's ad warns of a violent Biden presidency, "all of those stark images...were captured around the country in late May. Meaning that while they're used to argue that America won't be safe under Biden, they actually depict instability under Trump." Bump concludes, "Trump's position is that crime in the United States is rising, which is a function of Joe Biden's allies and which, under Joe Biden, could rise to the levels seen under Trump - and that Trump could fix this very easily if he were asked to, or if he wanted to, which he might soon. Or more succinctly: it's not his fault but it could get worse and through his omnipotence he could fix it, but he hasn't." NYTimes Analysis: Trump's Vows To Fight Crime Are Unpopular With Some Suburbanites. Under the headline, "Trump Is Selling White Grievance. The Suburbs Aren't Buying It," the New York Times (7/10, Glueck, 18.61M) says, "From North Carolina to Pennsylvania to Arizona, interviews this week with more than two dozen suburb