After setting middle-of-the-night deadlines for filings in the dispute, a three-judge panel of the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday afternoon declined Trump’s request for a stay of Howell’s ruling, ordering attorney Evan Corcoran to provide records to a Washington-based grand jury assigned to the special counsel’s probe.
The appeals court’s full order was not released, so it was not immediately clear whether Corcoran would be required to testify in addition to providing documents. But a summary of the D.C. Circuit’s order indicated that prosecutors had prevailed and that stay requests from the Trump camp were denied.
It’s also unclear whether the panel provided any time for Trump to challenge the decision before the full bench of the appeals court or to seek relief from the Supreme Court.
Howell ruled on Friday that Trump’s attorney-client privilege had to yield to the grand jury’s need for Corcoran’s testimony and records, given evidence that the attorney had been used to advance a crime. Smith’s probe is exploring potential obstruction of justice of the classified-documents investigation, as well as illegal retention of classified information and theft of government records, according to court filings.
The appeals court’s order on Wednesday — from Judges Cornelia Pillard, J. Michelle Childs and Florence Pan — didn’t identify Corcoran or the case at issue but made clear that the government was on the winning side of the case in Howell’s court and in the appeals court’s new ruling.
Pillard is an appointee of President Barack Obama as is Howell, the District Court judge who ruled in the dispute. Childs and Pan are appointees of President Joe Biden.
Spokespeople for Trump, his campaign and Smith did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Wednesday on the appeals court’s decision.
“Prosecutors only attack lawyers when they have no case whatsoever,” Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign said in a statement on Tuesday night that also assailed what it called “illegal” leaks about the closed-door court fight. “These leaks are happening because there is no factual or legal basis or substance to any case against President Trump.”
In an order on Tuesday night, the three-judge appeals panel granted a short-term “administrative” stay and also asked Trump’s attorneys to specify the precise set of documents at issue by midnight and for Smith’s team to respond by 6 a.m. Wednesday to the Trump team’s demand for a longer stay of Howell’s ruling.
Howell’s secret order on Friday required Corcoran to testify about matters he and Trump had claimed were subject to attorney-client privilege. Her order relied on the “crime-fraud exception,” which permits investigators to pursue evidence that would ordinarily be privileged but contains evidence of likely criminal conduct.
As chief judge, Howell supervised all disputes arising from grand jury proceedings happening in Washington. That responsibility passed on Friday to U.S. District Court Judge James Boasberg, who succeeded Howell as chief, but only after Howell issued the potentially momentous privilege ruling in the Trump-related legal fight.
Proceedings related to the classified-documents grand jury, including efforts by prosecutors to compel Corcoran’s testimony, are occurring under seal — typical for nearly all grand jury proceedings.
However, the appeals court’s docket provides bare-bones details about the case, identifying when the lower-court battle began — Feb. 7 — and confirming that it stems from a grand-jury-related ruling Howell issued on Friday.
The grand jury probe of Trump, helmed by Smith, is an outgrowth of a monthslong battle between the National Archives and Trump to obtain hundreds of government records stashed at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida after leaving office. Trump’s aides returned 15 boxes of records in January 2022, including some that bore classification markings. As a result, the Archives brought in the Justice Department to pursue whether Trump had retained additional classified material.
In May 2022, the Justice Department subpoenaed Trump’s office, demanding the production of any other classified materials he might possess at Mar-a-Lago. Justice Department officials traveled in early June to Mar-a-Lago, where they briefly interacted with Trump and picked up a folder of records deemed classified. Trump’s team then certified that they had thoroughly searched the premises and turned over remaining classified documents.
But the department developed evidence suggesting that this wasn’t the case, leading to an Aug. 8, 2022, FBI search of the property, where dozens of additional documents with classification markings were discovered.
Corcoran, who was Trump’s primary point of contact with the Archives and the Justice Department, has faced scrutiny for his involvement in efforts to certify that Trump had returned all potentially classified materials.
The legal maneuvering in Washington comes as Trump’s lawyers are also awaiting a potential indictment of their client in an unrelated case in New York, an investigation by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg into details of a hush money payment made in 2016 to the porn actress Stormy Daniels
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( With inputs from : www.politico.com )
Babar Azam, playing for Peshawar Zalmi in the Pakistan Super League, has made a big record in T20 cricket with his bat. Babar Azam scored 64 off 39 balls with 10 fours in the first eliminator match against Islamabad United on Friday.
The 39-ball 64 was against Islamabad was Babar’s 6th half-century of the season. Babar Azam completed 9000 runs of his T20 career. Babar Azam has become the fastest batsman to score 9000 runs in T20 cricket. He has left behind veteran players like Chris Gayle and Virat Kohli in this matter. Babar Azam completed 9000 T20 runs in 245 innings.
Earlier this record was in the name of Chris Gayle, who completed 9000 T20 runs in 249 innings. Former India captain Virat Kohli continues to be at the third spot in the list having completed 9000 T20I runs in 271 innings.
David Warner of Australia (in 273 innings) and Aaron Finch (in 281 innings) follow the trio of Babar, Gayle and Kohli in the top five
Fastest batsman to reach 9000 T20I runs (in innings)
245 – Babar Azam
249 – Chris Gayle
271 – Virat Kohli
273 – David Warner
281 – Aaron Finch
Babar Azam’s team won
Babar Azam-led Peshawar Zalmi beat Islamabad United by 12 runs in the first eliminator. Peshawar Zalmi batting first scored 183 runs losing 8 wickets in 20 overs. In response, Islamabad United’s team could only manage 171 runs losing 6 wickets in 20 overs.
Peshawar’s win over Islamabad also earned them a spot in the Eliminator 2 where they will face Lahore Qalandars. The winner of the contest will qualify for the final and take on Multan Sultans on Sunday.
Speaking of his team’s win after the match, “The way the fast bowlers executed and came back, it was outstanding. The ball started to reverse after 10 overs. We couldn’t finish well with the bat, we were 20 runs short. There’s always room for improvement. We need to bowl well in the first six overs.”
Babar would hope to keep his and his team’s form intact for a couple of more games as Peshawar Zalmi look to lift the PSL 8 title.
Babar Azam, playing for Peshawar Zalmi in the Pakistan Super League, has made a big record in T20 cricket with his bat. Babar Azam scored 64 off 39 balls with 10 fours in the first eliminator match against Islamabad United on Friday.
The 39-ball 64 was against Islamabad was Babar’s 6th half-century of the season. Babar Azam completed 9000 runs of his T20 career. Babar Azam has become the fastest batsman to score 9000 runs in T20 cricket. He has left behind veteran players like Chris Gayle and Virat Kohli in this matter. Babar Azam completed 9000 T20 runs in 245 innings.
Earlier this record was in the name of Chris Gayle, who completed 9000 T20 runs in 249 innings. Former India captain Virat Kohli continues to be at the third spot in the list having completed 9000 T20I runs in 271 innings.
David Warner of Australia (in 273 innings) and Aaron Finch (in 281 innings) follow the trio of Babar, Gayle and Kohli in the top five
Fastest batsman to reach 9000 T20I runs (in innings)
245 – Babar Azam
249 – Chris Gayle
271 – Virat Kohli
273 – David Warner
281 – Aaron Finch
Babar Azam’s team won
Babar Azam-led Peshawar Zalmi beat Islamabad United by 12 runs in the first eliminator. Peshawar Zalmi batting first scored 183 runs losing 8 wickets in 20 overs. In response, Islamabad United’s team could only manage 171 runs losing 6 wickets in 20 overs.
Peshawar’s win over Islamabad also earned them a spot in the Eliminator 2 where they will face Lahore Qalandars. The winner of the contest will qualify for the final and take on Multan Sultans on Sunday.
Speaking of his team’s win after the match, “The way the fast bowlers executed and came back, it was outstanding. The ball started to reverse after 10 overs. We couldn’t finish well with the bat, we were 20 runs short. There’s always room for improvement. We need to bowl well in the first six overs.”
Babar would hope to keep his and his team’s form intact for a couple of more games as Peshawar Zalmi look to lift the PSL 8 title.
SRINAGAR: The government on Friday constituted Committees at Administrative Department Level and District and Directorate Level for verifying the service records in respect of employees in whose cases initial appointment orders are available, albeit, the promotion orders are not available.
The administrative Departmental level Committee will be headed by Special Secretary/Additional Secretary as Chairman, Director Finance/FA&CAO, and Nodal Officer JKHRMS.
District/Directorate level Committee comprises Deputy Commissioner/Head of the Department Concerned as Chairman while the Director of Finance /FA&CAO/Accounts Officer and an officer not below the rank of Deputy Secretary shall be its members, according to a government order, a copy of which lies with GNS.
The committees have been asked to verify the promotions of the employees following their entries recorded in service books vis-a-vis their promotion orders and another service record available with the Department/ Directorates. “The committees shall furnish report along with its recommendations to the Administrative Department on case to case basis, with explicit reasons, where discrepancy concerning promotions is observed,” the order reads, adding, “Salaries shall be drawn only after the approval of concerned Administrative Secretary, in respect of only those employees whose initial appointment orders are available and promotions are in order.”(GNS)
The attempt to obtain Schmitt’s personnel file comes as House Republicans dig into a broader investigation of military records handling after Reps. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) and Zach Nunn (R-Iowa) revealed the “unauthorized release” of their Air Force records to Due Diligence last year. The firm’s pursuit of documents on GOP candidates from a separate military branch indicates that Due Diligence cast a wider net than previously known.
And Schmitt is pointing a finger directly at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee for the attempt to obtain his personnel data. The House Democratic campaign arm paid Due Diligence just over $110,00 between January 2021 and December 2022, according to Federal Election Commission records.
“It appears that a coordinated campaign to target myself and other Congressional Republicans across the country who serve or have served our nation was for political gain,” Schmitt said in a statement, blaming the DCCC for “the illegal use of my social security number to attempt to gain access to my private military records.”
The Air Force said last month that an internal investigation it launched after POLITICO reported on former GOP candidate Jennifer-Ruth Green’s military records in October — when she was challenging Rep. Frank Mrvan (D-Ind.) in a battleground district — found that the private records of 11 individuals were improperly disclosed to a third party.
Air Force spokesperson Ann Stefanek has said that “virtually all” of the 11 unapproved releases were made to the same third party “who represented himself as a background investigator seeking service records for employment purposes.”
Payton, a former research director for the Democratic group American Bridge, sought Bacon’s personnel information, according to an official letter first reported by POLITICO. It is unclear if Payton was behind all of the 11 Air Force requests, however; Nunn has not publicly disclosed if Payton was the individual who sought his military personnel records, and Green has confirmed only that Due Diligence sought hers.
Due Diligence did not respond to requests for comment. Payton, whom POLITICO attempted to reach at an email address connected to the firm, did not respond to a request for comment. The DCCC did not respond to a request for comment.
In addition to Bacon, Nunn and Green, POLITICO first reported that Sam Peters, who challenged Rep. Steven Horsford (D-Nev.) in November, was notified of the improper release of his Air Force records. Another member of the group of 11 affected by the Air Force’s unapproved disclosures, Kevin Dellicker, fell short in last year’s GOP primary race to challenge Rep. Susan Wild (D-Pa.).
The other six individuals affected by the Air Force records releases are not publicly known. But the House Armed Services and Oversight Committees are jointly investigating the matter, and Armed Services Chair Mike Rogers (R-Ala.) vowed to keep pushing following the revelation about the attempt to access Schmitt’s records.
“I have asked the Secretary of Defense to provide our Committee with information on this reprehensible incident,” Rogers said in a statement. “It’s unacceptable that the Department of Defense continues to delay answering our Committee on the egregious mishandling of military personnel records. I will fight for the answers our service members deserve.”
Payton indicated on the form requesting Schmitt’s records that he sought them for benefits and employment purposes. The form also indicates that Payton had Schmitt’s social security number at the time of his request.
While Payton sent his request to the New York Division of Military and Naval Affairs, Schmitt said in an interview that he’s seeking clarification about whether a separate attempt was made on the federal level or another possible separate channel to obtain National Guard records.
“I am thankful that the New York Army National Guard notified me of the attempt to illegally access my information and worked to protect me. I am working with counsel to continue to review if any additional attempts were made to illegally use my social security number and steal my private records to weaponize against me for political purposes,” Schmitt said.
According to a copy of the military records request Payton filed, he sought to obtain Schmitt’s “releasable/redacted copy of Official Military Personnel Files (OMPF)” in August of last year.
Payton sought the information for the stated purpose of “Benefits,” “Employment,” and “Other,” to which he explained in the line below: “Services, awards, disciplinary history/records relevant to applicant’s qualifications for (potential) position’s duties, pay, and benefits.”
POLITICO was told by the person who gave it Green’s military records last year that they were obtained through a public records request. POLITICO reviewed the request for the records made by a third party, which sought a “publicly releasable/redacted copy of OMPF [Official Military Personnel File] per Freedom of Information Act statutes.” The requester identified the purpose of the request as relating to “benefits,” “employment” and “other.”
POLITICO also reviewed the letter sent in response to the requester. A military employee responded with a password-protected version of the file with limited redactions. After publication, the Air Force said it erred in releasing the records and launched an investigation.
Bacon said last month that Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall informed him that material from the Air Force’s internal investigation into the records releases was turned over to the Justice Department for possible further action. And Schmitt is joining all five GOP Air Force veterans in calling for a DOJ inquiry into whether political opposition research crossed into criminal activity.
“We’re aware of the concerns raised, and the Department of Justice has been communicating with the U.S. Air Force about this matter,” a DOJ spokesperson in a statement Sunday.
The DOJ declined to comment on the status of any potential investigation into the matter.
Meanwhile, Rogers and Oversight Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) asked the Pentagon for the full list of people affected by improper records disclosures and whether any criminal referrals have taken place, setting a deadline of Feb. 27 that came and went, with no response.
Speaker Kevin McCarthy, when asked about the missed deadline, has previously stated that House Republicans will move to subpoenas if the Air Force does not comply with their inquiries and is weighing legislation on the matter. He did not offer further details on what such a bill would look like.
Schmitt, himself, says he is willing to cooperate with the House GOP.
“I have spoken with Congressman Don Bacon and have offered to fully participate” in Rogers and Comer’s inquiry “into these illegal acts,” said Schmitt.
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( With inputs from : www.politico.com )
In her latest six-page ruling, Howell said revealing any of the records publicly would invade grand jury secrecy.
“Responding to petitioners’ request would be infeasible without disclosing grand jury material because, if the government asked to hold the former president in contempt, as petitioners allege, that request would have been part of an effort to secure compliance with the grand jury Subpoena,” wrote Howell, taking care not to confirm any details of the battle. “The requested filings would invariably and consistently touch on ‘matters occurring before the grand jury.’”
Howell noted news reports about prosecutors’ efforts to seek contempt proceedings over allegedly inadequate efforts by Trump lawyers to locate documents with classification markings related to the ongoing probe headed by special counsel Jack Smith.
Last month, Howell denied a similar access request from POLITICO and The New York Times for information about privilege battles relating to prosecutors’ efforts to call former White House aides before a grand jury investigating attempts to interfere with the certification of the 2020 presidential election.
But last month, Howell also opted to unseal several significant filings in a grand jury matter connected to Rep. Scott Perry (R-Pa.), a key ally in Trump’s effort to overturn the 2020 election. Howell said the grand jury materials in that case could be released in part because the court of appeals held public arguments about the matter that revealed details that had previously been public.
Howell, an appointee of President Barack Obama, is set to end her seven-year term as chief judge next week. Grand jury-related matters not resolved by then are expected to be transferred to her successor, U.S. District Court Judge James Boasberg, also an Obama appointee.
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( With inputs from : www.politico.com )
Srinagar, Mar 9 (GNS): While predicting mainly dry weather to continue, the meteorological department here on Thursday said that minimum temperature recorded a fall in Kashmir Valley and rise in Jammu except Banihal.
An official of the meteorological department here told GNS Srinagar recorded a low of 2.9°C against 3.5°C on the previous night and it was 0.4°C below normal for the summer capital.
Qazigund, he said, recorded a low of 1.8°C against 2.4°C on the previous night and it was 0.4°C below normal for the gateway town of Kashmir.
Pahalgam, he said, recorded a low of minus 1.9°C against minus 1.7°C on the previous night and it was 0.5°C below normal for the famous tourist resort in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district.
Kokernag recorded a low of 4.1°C, the same as on the previous night and it was 2.2°C above normal for the place, the officials said.
Gulmarg recorded a low of minus 1.4°C against minus 1.6°C on the previous night and it was 2.1°C above normal for the world famous skiing resort in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, he said.
In Kupwara town, he said, the mercury settled at 0.2°C, the same as on the previous night and it was 1.6°C below normal for the north Kashmir area.
Jammu recorded a low of 15.5°C against 14.6°C on the previous night. It was 1.5°C above normal for J&K’s winter capital, he said.
Banihal, he said, recorded a low of 3.3°C (below normal by 0.8°C), Batote 7.6°C (above normal by 1.7°C), Katra 14.0°C (2.5°C above normal) and Bhadarwah 5.3°C (2.2°C above normal).
Ladakh’s Leh and Kargil, he said, recorded a low of minus 6.2°C and minus 5.6°C respectively.
The MeT department has forecast dry weather to continue till March 12. (GNS)
Srinagar, Mar 6: Amid forecast for mainly dry weather, the minimum temperatures recorded a drop at most places in Jammu and Kashmir on Monday, officials said.
A meteorological department official here told GNS Srinagar recorded a low of 3.5°C against 7.4°C on the previous night and it was above normal by 1.3°C for the summer capital.
Qazigund, he said, recorded a low of 2.0°C against 6.5°C on the previous night and it was 1.1°C above normal for the gateway town of Kashmir.
Pahalgam, he said, recorded a low of minus 2.0°C against 1.2°C on the previous night and it was 0.3°C above normal for the famous tourist resort in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district.
Kokernag recorded a low of 3.1°C against 4.7°C on the previous night and it was 2.2°C above normal for the place, the officials said.
Gulmarg recorded a low of minus 1.6°C against minus 1.8°C on the previous night and it was 2.9°C above normal for the world famous skiing resort in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, he said.
In Kupwara town, he said, the mercury settled at 1.1°C against 3.6°C on the previous night and it was 0.1°C above normal for the north Kashmir area.
Jammu recorded a low of 12.2°C against 13.0°C on the previous night. It was 0.1°C above normal for J&K’s winter capital, he said.
Banihal, he said, recorded a low of 5.8°C (above normal by 2.8°C), Batote 7.2°C (above normal by 1.4°C), Katra 11.6°C (1.1°C above normal) and Bhadarwah 3.6°C (1.5°C above normal).
Ladakh’s Leh and Kargil, the official said, recorded a low of minus 6.6°C and minus 3.6°C respectively. He said mainly dry weather was expected till March 12. (GNS)
Srinagar, Mar 6 (GNS): Amid forecast for mainly dry weather, the minimum temperatures recorded a drop at most places in Jammu and Kashmir on Monday, officials said.
A meteorological department official here told GNS Srinagar recorded a low of 3.5°C against 7.4°C on the previous night and it was above normal by 1.3°C for the summer capital.
Qazigund, he said, recorded a low of 2.0°C against 6.5°C on the previous night and it was 1.1°C above normal for the gateway town of Kashmir.
Pahalgam, he said, recorded a low of minus 2.0°C against 1.2°C on the previous night and it was 0.3°C above normal for the famous tourist resort in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district.
Kokernag recorded a low of 3.1°C against 4.7°C on the previous night and it was 2.2°C above normal for the place, the officials said.
Gulmarg recorded a low of minus 1.6°C against minus 1.8°C on the previous night and it was 2.9°C above normal for the world famous skiing resort in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, he said.
In Kupwara town, he said, the mercury settled at 1.1°C against 3.6°C on the previous night and it was 0.1°C above normal for the north Kashmir area.
Jammu recorded a low of 12.2°C against 13.0°C on the previous night. It was 0.1°C above normal for J&K’s winter capital, he said.
Banihal, he said, recorded a low of 5.8°C (above normal by 2.8°C), Batote 7.2°C (above normal by 1.4°C), Katra 11.6°C (1.1°C above normal) and Bhadarwah 3.6°C (1.5°C above normal).
Ladakh’s Leh and Kargil, the official said, recorded a low of minus 6.6°C and minus 3.6°C respectively. He said mainly dry weather was expected till March 12. (GNS)
