
Democrats on Federal Election Commission denounce group's decision not to punish Trump over hush money payment to Stormy Daniels
CNN
Two Democrats on the Federal Election Commission are criticizing Republican members after the commission deadlocked and did not take action against former President Donald Trump's campaign related to the $130,000 hush money payment to Stormy Daniels on the eve of the 2016 election.
"Because of Trump's apparent role in orchestrating the transaction, we supported (the commission's Office of the General Counsel) recommendations to find reason to believe that he and the Committee accepted, and the Committee did not report, illegal contributions," Commission Chair Shana Broussard and Commissioner Ellen Weintraub wrote in a statement. Michael Cohen, Trump's former fixer, pleaded guilty in federal court in 2018 for arranging a nondisclosure agreement for which he paid Daniels $130,000, a campaign contribution violation during the 2016 election cycle, since the payment was made in service of the campaign and exceeded the federal limit.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth risked compromising sensitive military information that could have endangered US troops through his use of Signal to discuss attack plans, a Pentagon watchdog said in an unclassified report released Thursday. It also details how Hegseth declined to cooperate with the probe.

Two top House lawmakers emerged divided along party lines after a private briefing with the military official who oversaw September’s attack on an alleged drug vessel that included a so-called double-tap strike that killed surviving crew members, with a top Democrat calling video of the incident that was shared as part of the briefing “one of the most troubling things” he has seen as a lawmaker.











