Latest news with #impeachment
Yahoo
a day ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump accuses impeachment leader Schiff of ‘mortgage fraud' over Maryland home he keeps while repping California
President Donald Trump called for California Senator Adam Schiff to be prosecuted for what he described as 'mortgage fraud' as he claimed his longtime political foe has broken the law by previously claiming a home in suburban Maryland as his primary residence. Writing on Truth Social Tuesday, the president claimed he'd been given information from the federally-backed mortgage lender Fannie Mae indicating that Schiff, who led the investigation leading to the president's first impeachment trial, 'has engaged in a sustained pattern of possible Mortgage Fraud.' He accused the first-term senator of having falsely claimed a Potomac, Maryland, house he has owned for decades as a 'primary residence' while representing California in Congress, thereby gaining a more favorable interest rate than he otherwise would have been entitled to. 'Adam Schiff said that his primary residence was in MARYLAND to get a cheaper mortgage and rip off America, when he must LIVE in CALIFORNIA because he was a Congressman from CALIFORNIA. I always knew Adam Schiff was a Crook,' Trump said. The Democrat accused Trump of a 'baseless attempt at political retribution' in a post on X Tuesday. 'Since I led his first impeachment, Trump has repeatedly called for me to be arrested for treason,' Schiff said. 'So in a way, I guess this is a bit of a letdown. And this baseless attempt at political retribution won't stop me from holding him accountable. Not by a long shot.' President Donald Trump accused political rival and Democrat Adam Schiff of 'mortgage fraud' for his Maryland home. (Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved) The president added that the alleged 'fraud' ran from a 2009 refinancing of Schiff's Maryland house until he designated it as a second home in 2020. Schiff has represented California in D.C. since 2001 and, for almost all of that time, has kept a home in Maryland, where he has lived with his wife and where his children have attended public schools. He also keeps a condominium in Burbank, California, which is part of his former Los Angeles-area House district. It was once common for House and Senate members to bring their families to Washington before the practice was turned into fodder for campaign attacks by Republicans during the 1994 midterm elections. In recent years, most members have kept their families back home for fear of political fallout, with some going so far as to sleep in their offices to avoid establishing any roots in the nation's capital. Other senators have faced questions over their Capital-area residences. Schiff's predecessor, former senator Laphonza Butler, was forced to re-register to vote in California after she was appointed to the seat following the death of longtime California senator Dianne Feinstein. Butler, a longtime Democratic activist and operative, had longstanding ties to the Golden State but had been registered to vote in the Washington area. Schiff's ownership of the Maryland property was reported on during his Senate campaign by CNN, which at the time reported that the then-House member wasn't likely to face any legal repercussions because the law at issue is ambiguous when it comes to the definition of a primary residence. But Marisol Samayoa, Schiff's spokesperson during the campaign and his current press secretary, told CNN last year that he has claimed both his properties as primary residences for mortgage purposes 'because they are both occupied throughout the year and to distinguish them from a vacation property.' Schiff has been a top political target of Trump's since his first administration and is often on the receiving end of the president's ire (AFP/Getty) Schiff has been a top political target of Trump's since his first administration and is often on the receiving end of the president's ire. Schiff played a prominent role in the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election and served as chair of the House Intelligence Committee in 2019. Trump and Republicans ramped up their attacks on Schiff after special counsel Robert Mueller did not find sufficient evidence of criminal conspiracy. The president hurled numerous insults at Schiff, including 'pencil neck,' 'Schifty Schiff' and 'watermelon head.' The Democrat became the lead prosecutor in 2020 at Trump's first impeachment trial, where Trump was acquitted by the Senate. Schiff also served on the House's January 6 committee.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
After Obama prison video, Trump says another top Democrat is in ‘Big Trouble'
President Donald Trump has continued to call for the arrest of leading Democratic politicians on Truth Social, warning that California Sen. Adam Schiff is in 'Big Trouble' and should be sent to prison. Perhaps seeking to shift the narrative away from the ongoing controversy over his past friendship with the late billionaire pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, Trump reposted an AI video from TikTok of Barack Obama being arrested and jailed on his social media platform on Sunday. He followed that up with, among other things, a clip of Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard accusing Obama of manufacturing evidence to suggest that Russia helped him win the 2016 presidential election and a meme showing members of the 44th president's administration posing for jailhouse mugshots. Then, late on Sunday, the president wrote of Schiff: 'Adam 'Shifty' Schiff is in BIG TROUBLE! He falsified Loan Documents. He once said my son would go to prison on a SCAM that Schiff, along with other Crooked Dems, illegally 'manufactured' in order to stage an actual coup. 'My son did nothing wrong, knew nothing about the fictional story. It was an American Tragedy! Now Shifty should pay the price of prison for a real crime, not one made up by the corrupt accusers!' Trump's gloating post followed up on his accusation last week that Schiff – who, as chair of the House Intelligence Committee, led the first impeachment push against him during his first term and whom the Republican has loathed ever since – engaged in 'mortgage fraud' by dishonestly claiming a home in suburban Maryland was his primary residence. The president claimed to have been given the tip-off by the federally-backed lender Fannie Mae and added with glee: 'I always knew Adam Schiff was a Crook.' The senator retaliated on X by denying any wrongdoing and commented: 'Since I led his first impeachment, Trump has repeatedly called for me to be arrested for treason. So in a way, I guess this is a bit of a letdown. And this baseless attempt at political retribution won't stop me from holding him accountable. Not by a long shot. 'This is just Donald Trump's latest attempt at political retaliation against his perceived enemies. So it is not a surprise, only how weak this false allegation turns out to be. And much as Trump may hope, this smear will not distract from his Epstein files problem.' Schiff's press secretary Marisol Samayoa told CNN last year that her boss has claimed properties in both California and Maryland as his primary residences throughout his political career for mortgage purposes 'because they are both occupied throughout the year and to distinguish them from a vacation property.' Schiff was a California congressman between 2001 and 2024 before he ran to succeed Laphonza Butler as a Golden State senator last year. He has kept a home in the north east for much of that time to serve as his base when Congress is in session, living there with his wife and sending his two children to Maryland public schools. The senator was given a further chance to respond when he appeared on CBS's just-cancelled The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on Thursday and said that Trump's regular threats to his enemies – from law firms and universities to illegal immigrants – are attempts to create a 'climate of fear' and 'frighten people into submission.' Speaking to camera to address the president directly, Schiff continued: 'Donald, p*** off. But, before you do, release the Epstein files.'
Reuters
2 days ago
- Politics
- Reuters
Judge who drew calls for impeachment over DOGE ruling assigned to Maxwell transcript case
NEW YORK, July 21 (Reuters) - A federal judge who faced Republican demands for impeachment after blocking Elon Musk's government review team from accessing sensitive Treasury Department records will consider whether to release grand jury testimony from the criminal case of Jeffrey Epstein's associate Ghislaine Maxwell. U.S. District Judge Paul Engelmayer in Manhattan was assigned to the case on Monday. Maxwell's trial judge, Alison Nathan, is now a federal appellate judge. The assignment came three days after the U.S. government sought to unseal grand jury transcripts related to Epstein, the disgraced financier and sex offender who died by suicide in 2019 in jail after being charged with sex trafficking. In a Friday court filing, the Department of Justice said the criminal cases against Epstein and Maxwell are a matter of public interest, justifying the release of associated grand jury transcripts. Backers of conspiracy theories about Epstein have urged President Donald Trump to release a broad array of investigative files related to Epstein, not just grand jury transcripts. Separately, U.S. District Judge Darrin Gayles in Miami was assigned on Monday to preside over Trump's $10-billion lawsuit accusing The Wall Street Journal of defaming him by claiming he created a lewd birthday greeting for Epstein in 2003. Dow Jones, which publishes the Journal and is part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corp (NWSA.O), opens new tab, said it will defend against the lawsuit, and had "full confidence in the rigor and accuracy of our reporting." News Corp and Murdoch are also defendants. Engelmayer and Gayles were appointed to the bench by Democratic President Barack Obama. U.S. District Judge Richard Berman, an appointee of Democratic President Bill Clinton, will oversee the government's request for transcripts in Epstein's criminal case. Many Trump supporters view the judiciary as an impediment to the Republican president's policy and personal goals. Each case could take several months or longer to resolve, followed by possible appeals. Engelmayer, 64, came under fire and drew Musk's scorn in February after temporarily blocking Musk's Department of Government Efficiency from accessing Treasury systems. Congressman Derrick Van Orden, a Wisconsin Republican, said impeachment was justified because the judge played politics in his decision, "demonstrating clear bias and prejudice against the president and the 74,000,000 Americans who voted for him." Judicial impeachments are rare and normally reserved for serious misconduct, not disapproval of individual rulings. Any unsealed transcripts are likely to be redacted, reflecting privacy or security concerns. Gayles, 58, has been on the federal bench since 2014, after the U.S. Senate approved his nomination by a 98-0 vote. The Wall Street Journal case is at least the second Trump lawsuit he has overseen. Gayles presided in 2023 over Trump's $500-million lawsuit accusing former personal lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen of breaching fiduciary duties by revealing confidences and spreading falsehoods in books, podcasts, and media appearances. Trump voluntarily dismissed that case after six months. The lawyer who filed that case also filed the Journal lawsuit.
The Independent
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
After Obama prison video, Trump says another top Democrat is in ‘Big Trouble'
President Donald Trump has continued to call for the arrest of leading Democratic politicians on Truth Social, warning that California Sen. Adam Schiff is in 'Big Trouble' and should be sent to prison. Perhaps seeking to shift the narrative away from the ongoing controversy over his past friendship with the late billionaire pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, Trump reposted an AI video from TikTok of Barack Obama being arrested and jailed on his social media platform on Sunday. He followed that up with, among other things, a clip of Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard accusing Obama of manufacturing evidence to suggest that Russia helped him win the 2016 presidential election and a meme showing members of the 44th president's administration posing for jailhouse mugshots. Then, late on Sunday, the president wrote of Schiff: 'Adam 'Shifty' Schiff is in BIG TROUBLE! He falsified Loan Documents. He once said my son would go to prison on a SCAM that Schiff, along with other Crooked Dems, illegally 'manufactured' in order to stage an actual coup. 'My son did nothing wrong, knew nothing about the fictional story. It was an American Tragedy! Now Shifty should pay the price of prison for a real crime, not one made up by the corrupt accusers!' Trump's gloating post followed up on his accusation last week that Schiff – who, as chair of the House Intelligence Committee, led the first impeachment push against him during his first term and whom the Republican has loathed ever since – engaged in 'mortgage fraud' by dishonestly claiming a home in suburban Maryland was his primary residence. The president claimed to have been given the tip-off by the federally-backed lender Fannie Mae and added with glee: 'I always knew Adam Schiff was a Crook.' The senator retaliated on X by denying any wrongdoing and commented: 'Since I led his first impeachment, Trump has repeatedly called for me to be arrested for treason. So in a way, I guess this is a bit of a letdown. And this baseless attempt at political retribution won't stop me from holding him accountable. Not by a long shot. 'This is just Donald Trump 's latest attempt at political retaliation against his perceived enemies. So it is not a surprise, only how weak this false allegation turns out to be. And much as Trump may hope, this smear will not distract from his Epstein files problem.' Schiff's press secretary Marisol Samayoa told CNN last year that her boss has claimed properties in both California and Maryland as his primary residences throughout his political career for mortgage purposes 'because they are both occupied throughout the year and to distinguish them from a vacation property.' Schiff was a California congressman between 2001 and 2024 before he ran to succeed Laphonza Butler as a Golden State senator last year. He has kept a home in the north east for much of that time to serve as his base when Congress is in session, living there with his wife and sending his two children to Maryland public schools. The senator was given a further chance to respond when he appeared on CBS's just-cancelled The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on Thursday and said that Trump's regular threats to his enemies – from law firms and universities to illegal immigrants – are attempts to create a 'climate of fear' and 'frighten people into submission.' Speaking to camera to address the president directly, Schiff continued: 'Donald, p*** off. But, before you do, release the Epstein files.'
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Adam Schiff's On-Air Message To Trump Had Colbert's Audience Cheering. Then He Went Further.
Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) pulled no punches Thursday night when talking about Donald Trump's second-term intimidation tactics. Trump has been far more effective at cultivating 'a climate of fear' since returning to the Oval Office than he ever was in his first term, Schiff said on the (soon-to-be-canceled) 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.' Law firms, universities, judges, immigrants, news organizations and even Republicans in Congress are all in Trump's crosshairs, said the lawmaker. Schiff reminded viewers of Trump's attacks on him. 'Ever since I led his first impeachment, he's threatened me with jail, prosecution, called me a traitor, accused me of treason… blah blah blah,' he said. Then Schiff turned directly to the camera with a message for the president. 'Donald, piss off,' he declared, earning thunderous applause from the studio audience. After the cheers died down, Schiff added with a smirk: 'But Donald, before you piss off — would you release the Epstein files?' Watch here: Related... Comedians Pull Off Brazen Epstein Prank Inside Trump Tower Gift Shop Gavin Newsom Exposes A Sketchy Detail In Trump's Epstein Denial Trump White House's 'Golden Age' POV Clip Triggers Massive Cringe Fest Online Seth Meyers Just Pinpointed MAGA's Deepest Dilemma Over The Epstein Files
