In a week dominated by President Trump’s firing of FBI director James Comey, you could be forgiven for missing the imminent departure of another, less prominent federal official.

…The results of the decennial Census—the next will be in 2020—will determine how state and federal political districts are drawn; which Americans are “counted” for representation; and how federal dollars, many of which are allocated on a per capita basis, are spent.

…”It is vital, it is critical, that the public has confidence in the integrity of the process and faith in the results,” said Lowenthal. “Anything that compromises that, compromises the whole mission.”

Prewitt warned that if the agency doesn’t receive the funds or political support it needs, it could force a public crisis. “If you underfund the census, you get an undercount,” he said. “And if you don’t count people, they are politically invisible, in effect.” If the 2020 Census appears to undercount certain populations or demographics in certain cities or states, he said, that could discredit the agency’s perceived competency.

…The public could also lose faith in the legitimacy of the Census results if they are seen to be politicized, Lowenthal said.

…It has happened before. After the 1920 Census, members of Congress refused to accept data showing the increasing urbanization of the country, and voted not to reallocate seats based on that supposedly flawed data.

The Head of the Census Resigned. It Could Be as Serious as James Comey | Time.com

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Sources say the president’s own frustration is at a high point. He is doubting his top advisers, even son-in-law Jared Kushner, who supported firing FBI Director James Comey despite the ongoing Russia investigation.

The White House is also trying to contain fallout from Mr. Trump’s decision to share classified intelligence with top Russian diplomats.

On Wednesday in Moscow, Russian President Vladimir Putin dismissed the scandal as “political schizophrenia.” Putin even said he would share transcripts of the president’s comments with the U.S. Congress, if the White House approved.

White House spokesman Sean Spicer said he was unaware of any Russian recording of the meeting.

Trump defiant, doubting top advisers as White House in turmoil, sources say – CBS News

Yeah, well, this is why you don’t hire your son-in-law to do a job he has no experience for. Man, are they ever incompetent. Is there one thing the Cheeto in Chief criticized HRC that he hasn’t then turned around and donw 1000x worse? What a bozo.

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Turkish security was seen coming out of the Turkish ambassador’s residence in Washington and assaulted the ‘anti’ demonstration protestors Tuesday, two law enforcement sources told CNN.

Turkish security involved in DC protester assault – CNNPolitics.com

A real President would have addressed and condemned this right away. Trump is probably off somewhere sucking the Turkish leader’s dick.

Ex-CIA chief of staff: Michael Flynn told Russia ‘don’t worry about sanctions… we got your back’

oy….

Last night, President Trump spoke with Lester Holt in an interview for NBC News. It’s truly a jaw-dropping conversation for a number of reasons, but there’s one important lie that everyone seems to have missed. Trump said that he didn’t know Michael Flynn in 2015. This simply isn’t true.

…Trump first met with Michael Flynn in August of 2015, just two months after Trump announced he’d be running for president. But you don’t have to take my word for it. We know Trump met with Flynn in August of 2015 because Flynn told us.

Trump Says He Didn’t Know Michael Flynn in 2015, Which Is a Big Fucking Lie

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Two former Obama Administration officials who served in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) criticized David Clarke, the Milwaukee County, Wis. sheriff who on Wednesday said he accepted a role in the government agency.

…Philip McNamara and Juliette Kayyem each served as the assistant secretary for Intergovernmental Affairs at DHS during the Obama administration and railed against their apparent successor on Twitter.

“I’m being replaced @DHSgov by #SheriffClarke. My job was to work with state and local officials. Clarke says he wants to strangle #Democrats,” McNamara said after news broke that Clarke said he accepted the position.

“For those of you I’m just meeting, Clarke is taking my old position under Obama. I am floored. And feel for my career staff,” Kayyem tweeted

Previous Homeland Security officials condemn Sheriff David Clarke taking role | TheHill

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Oy….

Rosenstein, who is overseeing the Russia investigation because Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions recused himself, did not inform either the White House or Sessions about the decision until after he had signed the order appointing Mueller, according to a Justice Department spokesperson who spoke on condition of anonymity.

About half an hour before the order was made public, a Justice Department official informed White House Counsel Don McGahn. Trump spokesman Sean Spicer abruptly left a scheduled meeting with reporters as White House aides huddled to draft a response.

Special counsel named to head Russia investigation; White House caught by surprise – LA Times

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In recent days, Mr. Trump has groused to several friends that he is not looking forward to leaving his new White House cocoon for high-profile, high-pressure meetings with dozens of world leaders in unfamiliar settings.

At one point, he barked at an aide that he thought his first tour abroad should be only about half as long. He will have to abandon his well-known preference for sleeping in his own bed (or in one at the hotels or golf resorts he owns) as he hops between Saudi Arabia, Israel, Belgium, Italy and the Vatican — all places without a Trump-branded property.

…Planning for the foreign trip has proceeded haltingly, with Mr. Trump resisting some of the pageantry that is usually a hallmark of a president’s travels. A visit to Yad Vashem, the Holocaust memorial museum in Jerusalem, was cut short at his request.

…Mr. Trump’s advisers acknowledge that they are concerned about his off-script eruptions, his tendency to be swayed by flattery and the possibility that foreign leaders may present him with situations he does not know how to handle. They worry he will accidentally commit the United States to something unexpected, and they have tried to caution him about various scenarios.

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Sigh….

The president disclosed classified intelligence with the Russian ambassador and foreign minister last week, two US officials confirmed to BuzzFeed News.

Trump Revealed Highly Classified Information To Russians During White House Visit

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The Senate Intelligence Committee ― which is also probing connections between the Trump team and Russian officials ― does not necessarily need to have proof that the tapes exist in order to subpoena them, Bradley Moss, a national security lawyer, told HuffPost. Senate investigators could ask for “any recording devices or backup copies that were referenced in the post made by President Trump on the morning of May 12, with respect to recordings with President Trump and Director Comey,” said Moss.

Senate Intelligence Committee Exploring Ways To Obtain Trump’s Comey ‘Tapes’ | HuffPost

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In an interview with NBC’s Lester Holt, Trump said, “When I decided to [fire Comey], I said to myself, you know, this Russia thing with Trump and Russia is a made-up story, it’s an excuse by the Democrats for having lost an election that they should have won.”

…Trump is acknowledging that the Russia investigation was the key factor in his decision to fire Comey. That’s a clear admission that the president of the United States actively sought to interfere in a criminal inquiry and thus obstruct justice.

…directly and unambiguously contradict his own White House staff, and even his vice president. For two days, Trump’s willing accomplices and professional enablers stood before the American people and lied. They claimed that Trump fired Comey because of a recommendation from the Department of Justice related to his handling of the Hillary Clinton e-mail investigation. 

…Trump has taken to Twitter in order to intimidate a possible witness against him.

Trump admitted he obstructed justice. Now he needs to go – The Boston Globe

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The Strategic Campaign Group was sued for misappropriating campaign funds in 2014.

What We Know About the FBI Raid on a Republican Consultancy Firm

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Trump lawyers: Tax returns show no income from Russia with few exceptions | TheHill

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The bold new strategy grew organically after the GOP House passed Trumpcare last week. 

Democrats Are Shaming Republicans by Holding Town Halls in GOP Districts | New Republic

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