Lawyers for President Donald Trump's former campaign chief Paul Manafort urged a judge on Friday to impose a sentence "substantially below" the potential 19 to 24 years in prison he is facing for tax crimes and bank fraud.

Manafort, 69, is to be sentenced on March 7 by Judge TS&nbsp;Ellis of the Eastern District of Virginia after being convicted of five counts of filing false income tax returns, two counts of bank fraud and one count of failing to report a foreign bank account.

Manafort's attorneys, in a filing with the judge, said the sentencing guidelines -- which call for a prison term of 235 to 293 months -- are "clearly disproportionate to the offence conduct for which Mr Manafort was convicted."

"Mr Manafort acknowledges that he received a fair trial before this Court, he accepts the jury's verdict, and is truly remorseful for his conduct," they said.

His attorneys suggested a "sentence substantially below the range," arguing that Manafort is a first-time offender and is in poor health after spending the past nine months in prison.

Manafort is one of seven former Trump associates and senior aides who have been charged by Special Counsel Robert Mueller's team, which is believed to be nearing the end of its investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election and possible collusion with the Trump campaign.

Mueller's office said in their own sentencing memo that Manafort was a "bold" criminal who "repeatedly and brazenly" broke the law but did not recommend a specific sentence.

Mueller's office said that Manafort violated the law for years and his sentence "must take into account the gravity of this conduct," to deter both Manafort and anyone else who would commit similar crimes.

"His criminal actions were bold," Mueller's office said, and included attempting to tamper with witnesses and lying to the FBI, government agencies and even his own lawyers.

Manafort's attorneys took issue with that characterization.

"The Special Counsel's attempt to vilify Mr Manafort as a lifelong and irredeemable felon is beyond the pale and grossly overstates the facts before this Court," they said.

"The cases that Special Counsel have brought against Mr Manafort have devastated him personally, professionally and financially," they said.

The charges against Manafort were not connected to his role in the Trump campaign but were for work he did for Russian-backed political parties in Ukraine between 2004 and 2014.

Manafort was also charged in Washington with money laundering, witness tampering and other offences and faces separate sentencing in that case.

Trump has repeatedly denied any collusion with Moscow and denounced the probe by Mueller, a former FBI director, as a "political witch hunt."

Lawyers for President Donald Trump's former campaign chief Paul Manafort urged a judge on Friday to impose a sentence "substantially below" the potential 19 to 24 years in prison he is facing for tax crimes and bank fraud.

Lawyers for President Donald Trump's former campaign chief Paul Manafort urged a judge on Friday to impose a sentence "substantially below" the potential 19 to 24 years in prison he is facing for tax crimes and bank fraud. Manafort, 69, is to be sentenced on March 7 by Judge TS Ellis of the Eastern District of Virginia after being convicted of five counts of filing false income tax returns, two counts of bank fraud and one count of failing to report a foreign bank account. Manafort's attorneys, in a filing with the judge, said the sentencing guidelines -- which call for a prison term of 235 to 293 months -- are "clearly disproportionate to the offence conduct for which Mr Manafort was convicted." "Mr Manafort acknowledges that he received a fair trial before this Court, he accepts the jury's verdict, and is truly remorseful for his conduct," they said. His attorneys suggested a "sentence substantially below the range," arguing that Manafort is a first-time offender and is in poor health after spending the past nine months in prison. Manafort is one of seven former Trump associates and senior aides who have been charged by Special Counsel Robert Mueller's team, which is believed to be nearing the end of its investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election and possible collusion with the Trump campaign. Mueller's office said in their own sentencing memo that Manafort was a "bold" criminal who "repeatedly and brazenly" broke the law but did not recommend a specific sentence. Mueller's office said that Manafort violated the law for years and his sentence "must take into account the gravity of this conduct," to deter both Manafort and anyone else who would commit similar crimes. "His criminal actions were bold," Mueller's office said, and included attempting to tamper with witnesses and lying to the FBI, government agencies and even his own lawyers. Manafort's attorneys took issue with that characterization. "The Special Counsel's attempt to vilify Mr Manafort as a lifelong and irredeemable felon is beyond the pale and grossly overstates the facts before this Court," they said. "The cases that Special Counsel have brought against Mr Manafort have devastated him personally, professionally and financially," they said. The charges against Manafort were not connected to his role in the Trump campaign but were for work he did for Russian-backed political parties in Ukraine between 2004 and 2014. Manafort was also charged in Washington with money laundering, witness tampering and other offences and faces separate sentencing in that case. Trump has repeatedly denied any collusion with Moscow and denounced the probe by Mueller, a former FBI director, as a "political witch hunt."

Lawyers for former Trump campaign chief Paul Manafort, argue for leniency

The US deputy attorney general discussed how many cabinet members would support removing US President Donald Trump from office in 2017, the FBI's former acting director said in an interview airing Sunday.

Andrew McCabe said invoking the 25th Amendment of the US Constitution was raised by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein after Trump fired FBI director James Comey on May 9, 2017.

"Rod raised the issue and discussed it with me in the context of thinking about how many other cabinet officials might support such an effort," McCabe told CBS's "60 Minutes" news show.

A clip of that part of the interview was run early Sunday on CBS's "Face the Nation" show, the first time McCabe's actual comments on the explosive subject have been aired.

Rosenstein has dismissed reports that he discussed removing Trump from office -- and even pondered wearing a wire to secretly record his conversations with the president -- as a "joke," if indeed he made the comments.&nbsp;

In the interview, McCabe was asked whether Rosenstein seemed intent on "getting rid of the president of the United States one way or another."

"I can't confirm that," he said. "But what I can say is the deputy attorney general was definitely very concerned about the president, about his capacity and about his intent at that point in time."

The president abruptly fired Comey amid tensions over the FBI's investigation into possible links between Trump's 2016 campaign and a covert Russian effort to sway the US election in his favour.

Comey has said that Trump had been pressuring him to publicly declare that he was not a subject of the investigation.

The firing set off alarm bells at the FBI, and McCabe told CBS he scrambled to ensure that the Russia probe was on "absolutely solid ground" so it could not easily be shelved.

He told CBS he did not remember how the 25th Amendment came up in the discussion with Rosenstein.

"It was just another kind of topic that he jumped to in the midst of a wide-ranging conversation," he said.

The 25th Amendment sets out a process for the replacement of the president in the event of death, removal, resignation or incapacitation.

McCabe himself was fired in March 2018 for "lack of candor" in an internal investigation into the FBI's handling of a 2016 probe into Trump's Democratic rival Hillary Clinton. 
&nbsp;

The US deputy attorney general discussed how many cabinet members would support removing US President Donald Trump from office in 2017, the FBI's former acting director said in an interview airing Sunday.

The US deputy attorney general discussed how many cabinet members would support removing US President Donald Trump from office in 2017, the FBI's former acting director said in an interview airing Sunday. Andrew McCabe said invoking the 25th Amendment of the US Constitution was raised by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein after Trump fired FBI director James Comey on May 9, 2017. "Rod raised the issue and discussed it with me in the context of thinking about how many other cabinet officials might support such an effort," McCabe told CBS's "60 Minutes" news show. A clip of that part of the interview was run early Sunday on CBS's "Face the Nation" show, the first time McCabe's actual comments on the explosive subject have been aired. Rosenstein has dismissed reports that he discussed removing Trump from office -- and even pondered wearing a wire to secretly record his conversations with the president -- as a "joke," if indeed he made the comments. In the interview, McCabe was asked whether Rosenstein seemed intent on "getting rid of the president of the United States one way or another." "I can't confirm that," he said. "But what I can say is the deputy attorney general was definitely very concerned about the president, about his capacity and about his intent at that point in time." The president abruptly fired Comey amid tensions over the FBI's investigation into possible links between Trump's 2016 campaign and a covert Russian effort to sway the US election in his favour. Comey has said that Trump had been pressuring him to publicly declare that he was not a subject of the investigation. The firing set off alarm bells at the FBI, and McCabe told CBS he scrambled to ensure that the Russia probe was on "absolutely solid ground" so it could not easily be shelved. He told CBS he did not remember how the 25th Amendment came up in the discussion with Rosenstein. "It was just another kind of topic that he jumped to in the midst of a wide-ranging conversation," he said. The 25th Amendment sets out a process for the replacement of the president in the event of death, removal, resignation or incapacitation. McCabe himself was fired in March 2018 for "lack of candor" in an internal investigation into the FBI's handling of a 2016 probe into Trump's Democratic rival Hillary Clinton.

Top US official discussed Trump removal in 2017: Ex-FBI chief

The US Justice Department charged a former Air Force intelligence official Wednesday with spying for Iran, saying she exposed a fellow US agent and helped the Revolutionary Guard target her former colleagues for cyber attacks.&nbsp;

US officials said Monica Witt, who worked for years in US Air Force counterintelligence, had an "ideological" turn against her country and defected in 2013, turning over information on US intelligence operations against Tehran.

"It is a sad day for America when one of its citizens betrays our country," said Assistant Attorney General John Demers, announcing the indictment.

"This case underscores the dangers to our intelligence professionals and the lengths our adversaries will go to identify them, expose them, target them, and, in a few rare cases, ultimately turn them against the nation they swore to protect," he said.

The US also indicted four Iranians working for the Revolutionary Guard who, using information Witt provided them, targeted her former colleagues in US intelligence with malware and other hacking tools in hopes of accessing their computer networks.

The Justice Department has issued arrest warrants for Witt and the four Iranians, who all remain at large.&nbsp;

Witt served in the US Air Force from 1997 to 2008, becoming a special agent in the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, its counterintelligence unit.

After leaving the Air Force, she worked as a defence and intelligence contractor, but by 2012 her politics had begun to turn.

That year she travelled to Iran to attend an anti-America conference sponsored by the Revolutionary Guard-related New Horizon Organization.

She returned to Iran the next year and began disclosing classified information to Iranian officials, including on her former colleagues in the US intelligence community.

She revealed to the Iranians a "highly classified intelligence collection program" as well as the true identity of a US intelligence officer, Demers said.

According to an undated FBI missing persons declaration regarding Witt, she had not been in contact with anyone since 2013.

The announcement, which also included sanctions on the New Horizon Organization, organization officials, and a company tied to the hacking effort, came on the opening day of a US-led international conference in Warsaw, Poland aimed at boosting pressure on Tehran.

The US Justice Department charged a former Air Force intelligence official Wednesday with spying for Iran, saying she exposed a fellow US agent and helped the Revolutionary Guard target her former colleagues for cyber attacks.

The US Justice Department charged a former Air Force intelligence official Wednesday with spying for Iran, saying she exposed a fellow US agent and helped the Revolutionary Guard target her former colleagues for cyber attacks. US officials said Monica Witt, who worked for years in US Air Force counterintelligence, had an "ideological" turn against her country and defected in 2013, turning over information on US intelligence operations against Tehran. "It is a sad day for America when one of its citizens betrays our country," said Assistant Attorney General John Demers, announcing the indictment. "This case underscores the dangers to our intelligence professionals and the lengths our adversaries will go to identify them, expose them, target them, and, in a few rare cases, ultimately turn them against the nation they swore to protect," he said. The US also indicted four Iranians working for the Revolutionary Guard who, using information Witt provided them, targeted her former colleagues in US intelligence with malware and other hacking tools in hopes of accessing their computer networks. The Justice Department has issued arrest warrants for Witt and the four Iranians, who all remain at large. Witt served in the US Air Force from 1997 to 2008, becoming a special agent in the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, its counterintelligence unit. After leaving the Air Force, she worked as a defence and intelligence contractor, but by 2012 her politics had begun to turn. That year she travelled to Iran to attend an anti-America conference sponsored by the Revolutionary Guard-related New Horizon Organization. She returned to Iran the next year and began disclosing classified information to Iranian officials, including on her former colleagues in the US intelligence community. She revealed to the Iranians a "highly classified intelligence collection program" as well as the true identity of a US intelligence officer, Demers said. According to an undated FBI missing persons declaration regarding Witt, she had not been in contact with anyone since 2013. The announcement, which also included sanctions on the New Horizon Organization, organization officials, and a company tied to the hacking effort, came on the opening day of a US-led international conference in Warsaw, Poland aimed at boosting pressure on Tehran.

US charges former Air Force intel agent with spying for Iran

A Sikh man has been brutally assaulted in an alleged hate crime by a white man who pulled his beard, kicked and punched him in the face at a store in the US, the latest such incident in the country.

Harwinder Singh Dodd, who was working at a convenience store in the US State of Oregon, was racially targeted on Monday by a 24-year-old Andrew Ramsey.

Ramsey targeted Dodd because of his perception of the employee's religion, FOX 12 TV news reported, citing a court document.&nbsp;

Ramsey wanted rolling papers for cigarettes but did not have an ID and the clerk would not sell them to him, Justin Brecht, a legislative policy adviser in the Oregon State Capitol and a former combat Marine, was quoted as saying by the report.

When Dodd asked Ramsey to leave, he attacked him by pulling his beard, punching him in the face, pulling him to the ground and kicking him, Brecht said, adding that they held Ramsey down until officers got there, the report said.

"He was bleeding, he had gotten punched quite a bit in the face, and kicked on the ground and thrown to the ground very brutally. It was very serious." 
Ramsey has been charged with a hate crime, assault, police said, adding that he threw his shoe at Dodd and tried to steal his head covering.&nbsp;

He was also charged with assault in the fourth degree, disorderly conduct, and criminal trespass.

Hate crimes increased by 40 per cent in Oregon from 2016 to 2017, according to the FBI.

In August 2018, in about a week, two Sikh men were brutally assaulted in the US State of California that raised concerns over increasing incidents of hate crimes in the country.

Last year, the South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT) published a report documenting a 45 per cent increase in hate violence and rhetoric against Indians, Sikhs, and South Asian Americans from the year prior.

Harwinder Singh Dodd, who was working at a convenience store in the US State of Oregon, was racially targeted on Monday by a 24-year-old Andrew Ramsey.

A Sikh man has been brutally assaulted in an alleged hate crime by a white man who pulled his beard, kicked and punched him in the face at a store in the US, the latest such incident in the country. Harwinder Singh Dodd, who was working at a convenience store in the US State of Oregon, was racially targeted on Monday by a 24-year-old Andrew Ramsey. Ramsey targeted Dodd because of his perception of the employee's religion, FOX 12 TV news reported, citing a court document. Ramsey wanted rolling papers for cigarettes but did not have an ID and the clerk would not sell them to him, Justin Brecht, a legislative policy adviser in the Oregon State Capitol and a former combat Marine, was quoted as saying by the report. When Dodd asked Ramsey to leave, he attacked him by pulling his beard, punching him in the face, pulling him to the ground and kicking him, Brecht said, adding that they held Ramsey down until officers got there, the report said. "He was bleeding, he had gotten punched quite a bit in the face, and kicked on the ground and thrown to the ground very brutally. It was very serious." Ramsey has been charged with a hate crime, assault, police said, adding that he threw his shoe at Dodd and tried to steal his head covering. He was also charged with assault in the fourth degree, disorderly conduct, and criminal trespass. Hate crimes increased by 40 per cent in Oregon from 2016 to 2017, according to the FBI. In August 2018, in about a week, two Sikh men were brutally assaulted in the US State of California that raised concerns over increasing incidents of hate crimes in the country. Last year, the South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT) published a report documenting a 45 per cent increase in hate violence and rhetoric against Indians, Sikhs, and South Asian Americans from the year prior.

Sikh man attacked in hate crime in US

President Donald Trump blasted the FBI Saturday, insisting it acted "for no reason &amp; with no proof" when <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/fbi-opened-probe-into-whether-trump-working-for-russians-report-189750">it opened an investigation into whether he was acting on Russia's behalf</a> after he fired the agency's director, James Comey, in May 2017.

The New York Times reported that the FBI launched the previously undisclosed counterintelligence investigation to determine whether Trump posed a national security threat, at the same time that it opened a criminal probe into possible obstruction of justice by the president.

The FBI investigation was subsequently folded into the broader probe by Special Counsel Robert Mueller into Russia's meddling in the 2016 election and possible collaboration by the Trump campaign.

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-us-share-strategic-interests-fundamental-democratic-values-trump-to-indian-high-commissioner-189855">Trump says India &amp; US share 'strategic interests', 'fundamental democratic values'</a>

No evidence has publicly emerged that Trump was secretly in contact with or took direction from Russian officials, the Times said.

Trump reacts 
"Wow, just learned in the Failing New York Times that the corrupt former leaders of the FBI, almost all fired or forced to leave the agency for some very bad reasons, opened up an investigation on me, for no reason &amp; with no proof, after I fired Lyin' James Comey, a total sleaze!" Trump tweeted.

According to Trump, "the FBI was in complete turmoil ... because of Comey's poor leadership" and the way he handled the investigation into Hillary Clinton's use of a private server to send some government emails.

"My firing of James Comey was a great day for America," Trump claimed, describing the former FBI director as "a Crooked Cop who is being totally protected by his best friend, Bob Mueller."

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
I have been FAR tougher on Russia than Obama, Bush or Clinton. Maybe tougher than any other President. At the same time, &amp; as I have often said, getting along with Russia is a good thing, not a bad thing. I fully expect that someday we will have good relations with Russia again!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1084074865496334336?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 12, 2019</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

The Times said that the FBI had been suspicious of Trump's ties to Russia during the 2016 campaign.

But it held off on opening an investigation until the president sacked Comey, who refused to pledge allegiance to Trump and roll back the nascent Russia investigation.

A 'witch hunt'? 
Trump has repeatedly criticized the Mueller investigation as a "witch hunt" and views it as an attempt to besmirch the legitimacy of his presidency.

His press secretary, Sarah Sanders, said in a statement Saturday that the latest charges are "absurd," adding, "James Comey was fired because he's a disgraced partisan hack... (and) President Trump has actually been tough on Russia."&nbsp;

Mueller, meanwhile, has issued dozens of indictments and steadily chalked up convictions of some of the president's close associates -- including his former national security advisor, his former personal lawyer, and his ex-campaign chief.

The ex-national security advisor, Michael Flynn, pleaded guilty to lying to investigators about his Moscow ties.

The lawyer, Michael Cohen, has been sentenced to three years in prison for multiple crimes, including felony violations of campaign finance laws that prosecutors allege were carried out under Trump's direction.

And Trump's former presidential campaign chair, Paul Manafort, has been convicted in one case brought by Mueller and pleaded guilty in another, over financial crimes related to his work in Ukraine before the 2016 campaign, and for witness tampering.

Cell phone records show that Cohen was near Prague during the summer of 2016, supporting claims that he met there with Russian officials during the presidential election campaign, McClatchy news service has reported.

Cohen, who will testify in Congress on February 7, insists that he has never been to Prague, but added in a tweet: "#Mueller knows everything!"

Manafort, meanwhile, has admitted to sharing polling data with a Russian during the 2016 presidential race, according to a court filing inadvertently made public by his lawyers. CNN reported that the intended recipients were two pro-Russia Ukrainian oligarchs.

Manafort has denied lying to investigators about his dealings with the Russian, Konstantin Kilimnik, a political consultant with alleged intelligence ties, claiming he merely forgot details during the hectic campaign.

The specifics of the Mueller allegations were not previously known publicly, having been blacked out in a heavily redacted December 7 filing by the prosecutor's team.

But in Manafort's response, the electronic formatting for the redaction could easily be bypassed, revealing exactly what he was accused of lying about.

Mueller's grand jury investigation, meanwhile, has been extended by a judge beyond its original 18-month mandate.

President Donald Trump blasted the FBI Saturday, insisting it acted "for no reason & with no proof" when it opened an investigation into whether he was acting on Russia's behalf after he fired the agency's director, James Comey, in May 2017.

President Donald Trump blasted the FBI Saturday, insisting it acted "for no reason & with no proof" when it opened an investigation into whether he was acting on Russia's behalf after he fired the agency's director, James Comey, in May 2017. The New York Times reported that the FBI launched the previously undisclosed counterintelligence investigation to determine whether Trump posed a national security threat, at the same time that it opened a criminal probe into possible obstruction of justice by the president. The FBI investigation was subsequently folded into the broader probe by Special Counsel Robert Mueller into Russia's meddling in the 2016 election and possible collaboration by the Trump campaign. Also read: Trump says India & US share 'strategic interests', 'fundamental democratic values' No evidence has publicly emerged that Trump was secretly in contact with or took direction from Russian officials, the Times said. Trump reacts "Wow, just learned in the Failing New York Times that the corrupt former leaders of the FBI, almost all fired or forced to leave the agency for some very bad reasons, opened up an investigation on me, for no reason & with no proof, after I fired Lyin' James Comey, a total sleaze!" Trump tweeted. According to Trump, "the FBI was in complete turmoil ... because of Comey's poor leadership" and the way he handled the investigation into Hillary Clinton's use of a private server to send some government emails. "My firing of James Comey was a great day for America," Trump claimed, describing the former FBI director as "a Crooked Cop who is being totally protected by his best friend, Bob Mueller." I have been FAR tougher on Russia than Obama, Bush or Clinton. Maybe tougher than any other President. At the same time, & as I have often said, getting along with Russia is a good thing, not a bad thing. I fully expect that someday we will have good relations with Russia again! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 12, 2019 × The Times said that the FBI had been suspicious of Trump's ties to Russia during the 2016 campaign. But it held off on opening an investigation until the president sacked Comey, who refused to pledge allegiance to Trump and roll back the nascent Russia investigation. A 'witch hunt'? Trump has repeatedly criticized the Mueller investigation as a "witch hunt" and views it as an attempt to besmirch the legitimacy of his presidency. His press secretary, Sarah Sanders, said in a statement Saturday that the latest charges are "absurd," adding, "James Comey was fired because he's a disgraced partisan hack... (and) President Trump has actually been tough on Russia." Mueller, meanwhile, has issued dozens of indictments and steadily chalked up convictions of some of the president's close associates -- including his former national security advisor, his former personal lawyer, and his ex-campaign chief. The ex-national security advisor, Michael Flynn, pleaded guilty to lying to investigators about his Moscow ties. The lawyer, Michael Cohen, has been sentenced to three years in prison for multiple crimes, including felony violations of campaign finance laws that prosecutors allege were carried out under Trump's direction. And Trump's former presidential campaign chair, Paul Manafort, has been convicted in one case brought by Mueller and pleaded guilty in another, over financial crimes related to his work in Ukraine before the 2016 campaign, and for witness tampering. Cell phone records show that Cohen was near Prague during the summer of 2016, supporting claims that he met there with Russian officials during the presidential election campaign, McClatchy news service has reported. Cohen, who will testify in Congress on February 7, insists that he has never been to Prague, but added in a tweet: "#Mueller knows everything!" Manafort, meanwhile, has admitted to sharing polling data with a Russian during the 2016 presidential race, according to a court filing inadvertently made public by his lawyers. CNN reported that the intended recipients were two pro-Russia Ukrainian oligarchs. Manafort has denied lying to investigators about his dealings with the Russian, Konstantin Kilimnik, a political consultant with alleged intelligence ties, claiming he merely forgot details during the hectic campaign. The specifics of the Mueller allegations were not previously known publicly, having been blacked out in a heavily redacted December 7 filing by the prosecutor's team. But in Manafort's response, the electronic formatting for the redaction could easily be bypassed, revealing exactly what he was accused of lying about. Mueller's grand jury investigation, meanwhile, has been extended by a judge beyond its original 18-month mandate.

Was Trump working for Russia? US President blasts FBI for opening probe

Federal law enforcement agencies that keep Americans safe are starting to feel the strain of the US&nbsp;government shutdown, in its 21st day, with agents working for no pay and investigations delayed, law enforcement officials said.

Training events have been cancelled and travel cut back, with President Donald Trump and Congress unable to end the partial shutdown affecting a quarter of the government in a funding standoff over Trump's proposed US-Mexico border wall.

"We still have a responsibility for going after those who might be using this time to flood the streets" with drugs, a US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) field agent told Reuters, asking not to be identified by name.

"For us, it's even a more important time to try to target as much as we can. We still have a safety obligation to the public ... with the limited resources," the agent said.

Most employees at federal law enforcement agencies - from the FBI and DEA to Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Transportation Security Administration - have kept working since Trump's demands on the wall triggered the shutdown on December 22.

"Non-essential" personnel across the government have been staying home on furlough, while "essential" personnel, which includes many in law enforcement, have been working for no pay.

On Friday, many of roughly 800,000 shutdown-affected federal workers will miss their first paychecks. The shutdown began after Trump insisted that $5.7 billion for his wall be made a part of any legislation to restore funding for many agencies that expired for unrelated reasons, a demand Democrats oppose.

As much as 85 per cent of the Justice Department's employees are working, as are nearly 90 per cent of the Department of Homeland Security's employees, said department spokesmen.

"It really wears on our members," said Nathan Catura, the national president of the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, which represents some 27,000 federal agents.

"You feel like a pawn in this big political windstorm. You feel like you're not worth anything," he said.

In a memo to US Secret Service agents that was seen by Reuters, service Director RD "Tex" Alles urged employees to "keep an eye out for warning signs of trouble."

He wrote, "A quick internet search will validate that financial stress is often the precursor to greater issues, including depression, anxiety and worse."

While the lack of a paycheck is stressing out some agents, the shutdown has had a limited operational impact so far, several law enforcement officials said.

Drug seizures are still occurring. Corrections officers are still reporting to work each day and air passengers are not yet facing overly long security lines in airports.

But funding that law enforcement agencies draw on for investigations and some other operations is starting to dwindle.

Interviews with witnesses in some DEA investigations have been postponed. Furloughs of some FBI analysts has forced agents to pick up the slack by doing their own background checks - a process that may slow them down, officials told Reuters.

That means FBI agents doing anti-terrorism or white-collar crime investigations must pull together criminal records and other background materials on their own, without the help of analysts who specialize in such work, Catura said.

“That slows everything down,” he said.

FBI headquarters "is doing all they can" to ensure major investigations continue, said Tom O'Connor, president of the FBI Agents Association. The group on Thursday sent a petition to the White House and Congress urging them to end the shutdown.

“FBI operations need funding. We’re beginning to raise concerns regarding field operations. Support operations are understaffed,” O'Connor said.

Federal prison workers are also growing frustrated. Prior to the government shutdown, the Bureau of Prisons had to deal with a hiring freeze, followed by 6,000 job cuts.

"The great majority of our federal law enforcement officers work in middle America," said Eric Young, national president for the Council of Prison Locals for the American Federation of Government Employees union.

"They are very conservative, and they were supportive of Trump. Some still are, but the great majority of them have been totally disenchanted with what they have seen from this administration," Young said.

Federal law enforcement agencies that keep Americans safe are starting to feel the strain of the US government shutdown, in its 21st day, with agents working for no pay and investigations delayed, law enforcement officials said.

Federal law enforcement agencies that keep Americans safe are starting to feel the strain of the US government shutdown, in its 21st day, with agents working for no pay and investigations delayed, law enforcement officials said. Training events have been cancelled and travel cut back, with President Donald Trump and Congress unable to end the partial shutdown affecting a quarter of the government in a funding standoff over Trump's proposed US-Mexico border wall. "We still have a responsibility for going after those who might be using this time to flood the streets" with drugs, a US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) field agent told Reuters, asking not to be identified by name. "For us, it's even a more important time to try to target as much as we can. We still have a safety obligation to the public ... with the limited resources," the agent said. Most employees at federal law enforcement agencies - from the FBI and DEA to Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Transportation Security Administration - have kept working since Trump's demands on the wall triggered the shutdown on December 22. "Non-essential" personnel across the government have been staying home on furlough, while "essential" personnel, which includes many in law enforcement, have been working for no pay. On Friday, many of roughly 800,000 shutdown-affected federal workers will miss their first paychecks. The shutdown began after Trump insisted that $5.7 billion for his wall be made a part of any legislation to restore funding for many agencies that expired for unrelated reasons, a demand Democrats oppose. As much as 85 per cent of the Justice Department's employees are working, as are nearly 90 per cent of the Department of Homeland Security's employees, said department spokesmen. "It really wears on our members," said Nathan Catura, the national president of the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, which represents some 27,000 federal agents. "You feel like a pawn in this big political windstorm. You feel like you're not worth anything," he said. In a memo to US Secret Service agents that was seen by Reuters, service Director RD "Tex" Alles urged employees to "keep an eye out for warning signs of trouble." He wrote, "A quick internet search will validate that financial stress is often the precursor to greater issues, including depression, anxiety and worse." While the lack of a paycheck is stressing out some agents, the shutdown has had a limited operational impact so far, several law enforcement officials said. Drug seizures are still occurring. Corrections officers are still reporting to work each day and air passengers are not yet facing overly long security lines in airports. But funding that law enforcement agencies draw on for investigations and some other operations is starting to dwindle. Interviews with witnesses in some DEA investigations have been postponed. Furloughs of some FBI analysts has forced agents to pick up the slack by doing their own background checks - a process that may slow them down, officials told Reuters. That means FBI agents doing anti-terrorism or white-collar crime investigations must pull together criminal records and other background materials on their own, without the help of analysts who specialize in such work, Catura said. “That slows everything down,” he said. FBI headquarters "is doing all they can" to ensure major investigations continue, said Tom O'Connor, president of the FBI Agents Association. The group on Thursday sent a petition to the White House and Congress urging them to end the shutdown. “FBI operations need funding. We’re beginning to raise concerns regarding field operations. Support operations are understaffed,” O'Connor said. Federal prison workers are also growing frustrated. Prior to the government shutdown, the Bureau of Prisons had to deal with a hiring freeze, followed by 6,000 job cuts. "The great majority of our federal law enforcement officers work in middle America," said Eric Young, national president for the Council of Prison Locals for the American Federation of Government Employees union. "They are very conservative, and they were supportive of Trump. Some still are, but the great majority of them have been totally disenchanted with what they have seen from this administration," Young said.

Law enforcement agencies squeezed by US government shutdown

President Donald Trump on Sunday called his <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-knew-hush-money-payments-were-wrong-ex-lawyer-cohen-184068">former personal lawyer</a>&nbsp;Michael Cohen - who was sentenced to three years in prison after cooperating with prosecutors in several investigations, including the so-called "Russia probe" - a "rat" on Twitter.

"Remember, Michael Cohen only became a 'Rat' after the FBI did something which was absolutely unthinkable &amp; unheard of until the witch hunt was illegally started," tweeted Trump.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Remember, Michael Cohen only became a “Rat” after the FBI did something which was absolutely unthinkable &amp; unheard of until the Witch Hunt was illegally started. They BROKE INTO AN ATTORNEY’S OFFICE! Why didn’t they break into the DNC to get the Server, or Crooked’s office?
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1074313153679450113?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 16, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The term "rat" is traditionally used in organised crime to refer to a "turncoat" or "informer" who has confessed to authorities and given law enforcement authorities inside information about the organisation.

Trump went on to say in the same Twitter post: "They BROKE INTO AN ATTORNEY'S OFFICE! Why didn't they break into the DNC to get the Server, or Crooked's office?"

The initials DNC refers to the Democratic National Committee and "Crooked" is one of Trump's favorite expressions for former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, whom he defeated in the 2016 election and whose use of a private email server to send certain official emails while she was secretary of state - deemed by the FBI to have been reckless but not harmful to national security - he continually mentions.

Cohen, who at one time had publicly said that he would "take a bullet" for Trump, was sentenced this past week to three years in prison for assorted crimes, including violating campaign finance laws in deeds which he testified under oath that the president directed him to undertake.

Cohen was sentenced by a New York court for, among other things, paying hush money to two women who claimed to have had sexual encounters with Trump, but he was also handed prison time for matters linked to the Russia probe, including his involvement in a project to build a "Trump Tower" in Moscow.

The president reacted this past week to the accusations against his former personal lawyer, tweeting "I never directed Michael Cohen to break the law. He was a lawyer and he is supposed to know the law."

Since May 2017, Special Counsel Robert Mueller has been heading an investigation - independent of government - into possible links between members of Trump's election campaign and the Kremlin, which US intelligence agencies accuse of interfering in the 2016 elections, but he has also been examining potential obstruction of justice by Trump himself.

President Donald Trump on Sunday called his former personal lawyer Michael Cohen - who was sentenced to three years in prison after cooperating with prosecutors in several investigations, including the so-called "Russia probe" - a "rat" on Twitter.

President Donald Trump on Sunday called his former personal lawyer Michael Cohen - who was sentenced to three years in prison after cooperating with prosecutors in several investigations, including the so-called "Russia probe" - a "rat" on Twitter. "Remember, Michael Cohen only became a 'Rat' after the FBI did something which was absolutely unthinkable & unheard of until the witch hunt was illegally started," tweeted Trump. Remember, Michael Cohen only became a “Rat” after the FBI did something which was absolutely unthinkable & unheard of until the Witch Hunt was illegally started. They BROKE INTO AN ATTORNEY’S OFFICE! Why didn’t they break into the DNC to get the Server, or Crooked’s office? — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 16, 2018 × The term "rat" is traditionally used in organised crime to refer to a "turncoat" or "informer" who has confessed to authorities and given law enforcement authorities inside information about the organisation. Trump went on to say in the same Twitter post: "They BROKE INTO AN ATTORNEY'S OFFICE! Why didn't they break into the DNC to get the Server, or Crooked's office?" The initials DNC refers to the Democratic National Committee and "Crooked" is one of Trump's favorite expressions for former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, whom he defeated in the 2016 election and whose use of a private email server to send certain official emails while she was secretary of state - deemed by the FBI to have been reckless but not harmful to national security - he continually mentions. Cohen, who at one time had publicly said that he would "take a bullet" for Trump, was sentenced this past week to three years in prison for assorted crimes, including violating campaign finance laws in deeds which he testified under oath that the president directed him to undertake. Cohen was sentenced by a New York court for, among other things, paying hush money to two women who claimed to have had sexual encounters with Trump, but he was also handed prison time for matters linked to the Russia probe, including his involvement in a project to build a "Trump Tower" in Moscow. The president reacted this past week to the accusations against his former personal lawyer, tweeting "I never directed Michael Cohen to break the law. He was a lawyer and he is supposed to know the law." Since May 2017, Special Counsel Robert Mueller has been heading an investigation - independent of government - into possible links between members of Trump's election campaign and the Kremlin, which US intelligence agencies accuse of interfering in the 2016 elections, but he has also been examining potential obstruction of justice by Trump himself.

President Trump calls ex-attorney Cohen a 'rat'

A former head of the US&nbsp;Olympic Committee made "materially false statements" to a US Senate subcommittee investigating sexual abuse in gymnastics, the panel said on Friday, and it said it would refer the matter to the FBI.

In a joint statement, Republican Senator Jerry Moran, chairman of the Senate subcommittee on commerce, and Senator Richard Blumenthal, its Democratic ranking member, said they made the referral detailing potential violations of the law against Olympic Committee CEO Scott Blackmun.

Blackmun did not respond to a request for comment.

The move comes after a report released on Monday said the United States Olympics Committee (USOC) failed to protect athletes from the threat of sexual abuse, with some executives taking no actions following allegations of sexual abuse against Larry Nassar, a team doctor for USA Gymnastics.

Nassar was sentenced to up to 300 years in prison in two different trials last winter after more than 350 women testified about abuse at his hands. The witnesses included Olympic champions Aly Raisman and Jordyn Wieber.

"It appears Mr. Blackmun has made false claims and misled our subcommittee – harming the investigation and our ability to develop policy," Moran and Blumenthal said in the statement.

"Survivors of abuse have had to wait longer for the truth and longer for systemic changes to help prevent others from similar injury."

In a June 5 statement to the subcommittee, which oversees the USOC, Blackmun wrote that when he heard of allegations against Nassar through a July 2015 phone call from then-USA Gymnastics CEO Steve Penny, he spoke to the USOC’s "SafeSport staff," the statement said. SafeSport oversees abuse claims in Olympic sports.

But the Monday report by law firm Ropes &amp; Gray found that after hearing about the allegations against Nassar, Blackmun did not inform anyone else at the USOC of the allegations.

The report said dozens of girls and young women were abused during the yearlong period between the allegations surfacing in mid-2015 and September 2016 when the Nassar story broke. Nassar was arrested two months later.

A former head of the US Olympic Committee made "materially false statements" to a US Senate subcommittee investigating sexual abuse in gymnastics, the panel said on Friday, and it said it would refer the matter to the FBI.

A former head of the US Olympic Committee made "materially false statements" to a US Senate subcommittee investigating sexual abuse in gymnastics, the panel said on Friday, and it said it would refer the matter to the FBI. In a joint statement, Republican Senator Jerry Moran, chairman of the Senate subcommittee on commerce, and Senator Richard Blumenthal, its Democratic ranking member, said they made the referral detailing potential violations of the law against Olympic Committee CEO Scott Blackmun. Blackmun did not respond to a request for comment. The move comes after a report released on Monday said the United States Olympics Committee (USOC) failed to protect athletes from the threat of sexual abuse, with some executives taking no actions following allegations of sexual abuse against Larry Nassar, a team doctor for USA Gymnastics. Nassar was sentenced to up to 300 years in prison in two different trials last winter after more than 350 women testified about abuse at his hands. The witnesses included Olympic champions Aly Raisman and Jordyn Wieber. "It appears Mr. Blackmun has made false claims and misled our subcommittee – harming the investigation and our ability to develop policy," Moran and Blumenthal said in the statement. "Survivors of abuse have had to wait longer for the truth and longer for systemic changes to help prevent others from similar injury." In a June 5 statement to the subcommittee, which oversees the USOC, Blackmun wrote that when he heard of allegations against Nassar through a July 2015 phone call from then-USA Gymnastics CEO Steve Penny, he spoke to the USOC’s "SafeSport staff," the statement said. SafeSport oversees abuse claims in Olympic sports. But the Monday report by law firm Ropes & Gray found that after hearing about the allegations against Nassar, Blackmun did not inform anyone else at the USOC of the allegations. The report said dozens of girls and young women were abused during the yearlong period between the allegations surfacing in mid-2015 and September 2016 when the Nassar story broke. Nassar was arrested two months later.

US Senate panel asks FBI to probe US Olympic chief over Nassar scandal

An Indian IT professional was sentenced to nine years of imprisonment on Thursday on charges of a "brazen sexual assault" against a fellow female passenger inside a commercial airplane early this year.

Prabhu Ramamoorthy, 35, who came to the US on a H-1B visa in 2015, will be deported after he serves his sentence, a federal court in Detroit said as it sentenced the Indian national to nine years of imprisonment.

Judge Terrence Berge hoped it would be grave enough to deter others from committing similar crimes. Federal prosecutors had sought 11 years of imprisonment for Ramamoorthy.

"Everyone has the right to be secure and safe when they travel on airplanes. We will not tolerate the behaviour of anyone, who takes advantage of victims who are in a vulnerable position. We appreciate the victim in this case for her courage to speak out," US Attorney Matthew Schneider said after the sentencing was announced.

Ramamoorthy was convicted in August after a five-day trial that was conducted before United States District Judge Terrence Berg. The jury deliberated approximately three-and-a-half hours before returning the guilty verdict.

According to the evidence presented at the trial, on January 3, Ramamoorthy had engaged in a sexual act with a female, while she was sleeping on a flight from Las Vegas to Detroit. Ramamoorthy was seated along with his wife, when he sexually assaulted his co-passenger.

During the trial, the government admitted evidence demonstrating that Ramamoorthy had digitally penetrated the woman sleeping next to him during the overnight flight. The sexual assault woke her up, she found her pants unbuttoned and unzipped, and sought help from the flight attendants.

The sentence was proof that the safety and security of all aircraft passengers was a priority for the FBI, said Timothy R Slater, Special Agent in Charge, Detroit Division of the FBI.

In recent years, a number of Indian nationals have been arrested or charged with sexual assaults inside a plane. The FBI says airplane sexual assault is a serious offence that is on the rise. FBI statistics indicate that investigations of mid-air sexual assaults increased by 66 per cent from 2014 to 2017.

That was in part due to increasingly "cramped, confined spaces; alcohol and drugs; fewer flight attendants; and dark cabins on night flights" -- factors that "likely embolden offenders" -- the FBI said in a recent report.

The cramped style of airplane seating can exacerbate trauma for victims. According to mental health professionals, victims who are violated in confined spaces feel even more helpless, vulnerable and powerless. Victims may also feel intimidated by the person sitting next to them since the seating arrangement means that the perpetrator is effectively blocking the victim from getting up, according to the FBI.

According to court papers, Ramamoorthy is from Tamil Nadu, where he grew up. His parents are farmers. He came to the US in July, 2015 after his graduation to work as an IT professional.

During his trial, Ramamoorthy presented himself to the court as a confused man stranded in America without English language skills despite his sophisticated technological job, federal prosecutors alleged. "His lack of empathy and remorse should not go unnoticed by this court," they argued, seeking nearly 11 years of imprisonment for him.

An Indian IT professional was sentenced to nine years of imprisonment on Thursday on charges of a "brazen sexual assault" against a fellow female passenger inside a commercial airplane early this year.

An Indian IT professional was sentenced to nine years of imprisonment on Thursday on charges of a "brazen sexual assault" against a fellow female passenger inside a commercial airplane early this year. Prabhu Ramamoorthy, 35, who came to the US on a H-1B visa in 2015, will be deported after he serves his sentence, a federal court in Detroit said as it sentenced the Indian national to nine years of imprisonment. Judge Terrence Berge hoped it would be grave enough to deter others from committing similar crimes. Federal prosecutors had sought 11 years of imprisonment for Ramamoorthy. "Everyone has the right to be secure and safe when they travel on airplanes. We will not tolerate the behaviour of anyone, who takes advantage of victims who are in a vulnerable position. We appreciate the victim in this case for her courage to speak out," US Attorney Matthew Schneider said after the sentencing was announced. Ramamoorthy was convicted in August after a five-day trial that was conducted before United States District Judge Terrence Berg. The jury deliberated approximately three-and-a-half hours before returning the guilty verdict. According to the evidence presented at the trial, on January 3, Ramamoorthy had engaged in a sexual act with a female, while she was sleeping on a flight from Las Vegas to Detroit. Ramamoorthy was seated along with his wife, when he sexually assaulted his co-passenger. During the trial, the government admitted evidence demonstrating that Ramamoorthy had digitally penetrated the woman sleeping next to him during the overnight flight. The sexual assault woke her up, she found her pants unbuttoned and unzipped, and sought help from the flight attendants. The sentence was proof that the safety and security of all aircraft passengers was a priority for the FBI, said Timothy R Slater, Special Agent in Charge, Detroit Division of the FBI. In recent years, a number of Indian nationals have been arrested or charged with sexual assaults inside a plane. The FBI says airplane sexual assault is a serious offence that is on the rise. FBI statistics indicate that investigations of mid-air sexual assaults increased by 66 per cent from 2014 to 2017. That was in part due to increasingly "cramped, confined spaces; alcohol and drugs; fewer flight attendants; and dark cabins on night flights" -- factors that "likely embolden offenders" -- the FBI said in a recent report. The cramped style of airplane seating can exacerbate trauma for victims. According to mental health professionals, victims who are violated in confined spaces feel even more helpless, vulnerable and powerless. Victims may also feel intimidated by the person sitting next to them since the seating arrangement means that the perpetrator is effectively blocking the victim from getting up, according to the FBI. According to court papers, Ramamoorthy is from Tamil Nadu, where he grew up. His parents are farmers. He came to the US in July, 2015 after his graduation to work as an IT professional. During his trial, Ramamoorthy presented himself to the court as a confused man stranded in America without English language skills despite his sophisticated technological job, federal prosecutors alleged. "His lack of empathy and remorse should not go unnoticed by this court," they argued, seeking nearly 11 years of imprisonment for him.

US-based Indian techie sentenced to nine years for sexual assault inside plane

The FBI launched investigations of four Americans in July 2016 into whether they helped Russia's alleged efforts to interfere in the 2016 US presidential election, former FBI Director James Comey said in remarks released on Saturday.&nbsp;

Comey also appeared to suggest the investigations were looking into ties between Russia and US President Donald Trump`s election campaign. 
He did not identify the people being investigated but said Trump was not among them.

"We opened investigations on four Americans to see if there was any connection between those four Americans and the Russian interference effort," Comey said, according to a transcript of the closed-door hearing held on Friday by the US House Judiciary Committee and the House Oversight Committee.&nbsp;

Trump fired Comey in May 2017 after taking office in January of that year. Shortly after Comey`s dismissal, the Department of Justice named a special counsel to investigate alleged Russian interference in the 2016 election and whether Trump`s campaign colluded with Moscow.&nbsp;

Russia has denied any interference. Trump denies there was any collusion and on Saturday renewed his call to end the special counsel`s investigation, calling it a "witch hunt."&nbsp;

In the hearing on Friday, Republican Congressman John Ratcliffe asked Comey whether the FBI had "any evidence" of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia when agents briefed Trump as a candidate in 2016 about foreign intelligence threats.&nbsp;

Comey said the probes into the four Americans began in late July but that he was not sure when agents briefed Trump.

"If it was after July 29th, then the answer would be, yes, we had some reason to suspect that there were Americans who might have assisted the Russians," Comey said, according to the transcript. He said the four Americans "had some connection to Mr. Trump."

The 235-page transcript also covers Comey`s responses to questions about FBI interactions with a former British spy who compiled a dossier of allegations of collusion between Trump`s campaign and Russia.&nbsp;

Most of the hearing on Friday covered lawmaker questions about Republican-led investigations into former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton`s use of a private email server while she was in office. Clinton was the Democratic candidate in the 2016 presidential election.&nbsp;

The Republican-led inquiries have been lambasted by Democrats, who will take over the House of Representatives in January, as a partisan effort to undermine Special Counsel Robert Mueller`s investigation into Russian interference.

The FBI launched investigations of four Americans in July 2016 into whether they helped Russia's alleged efforts to interfere in the 2016 US presidential election, former FBI Director James Comey said in remarks released on Saturday.

The FBI launched investigations of four Americans in July 2016 into whether they helped Russia's alleged efforts to interfere in the 2016 US presidential election, former FBI Director James Comey said in remarks released on Saturday. Comey also appeared to suggest the investigations were looking into ties between Russia and US President Donald Trump`s election campaign. He did not identify the people being investigated but said Trump was not among them. "We opened investigations on four Americans to see if there was any connection between those four Americans and the Russian interference effort," Comey said, according to a transcript of the closed-door hearing held on Friday by the US House Judiciary Committee and the House Oversight Committee. Trump fired Comey in May 2017 after taking office in January of that year. Shortly after Comey`s dismissal, the Department of Justice named a special counsel to investigate alleged Russian interference in the 2016 election and whether Trump`s campaign colluded with Moscow. Russia has denied any interference. Trump denies there was any collusion and on Saturday renewed his call to end the special counsel`s investigation, calling it a "witch hunt." In the hearing on Friday, Republican Congressman John Ratcliffe asked Comey whether the FBI had "any evidence" of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia when agents briefed Trump as a candidate in 2016 about foreign intelligence threats. Comey said the probes into the four Americans began in late July but that he was not sure when agents briefed Trump. "If it was after July 29th, then the answer would be, yes, we had some reason to suspect that there were Americans who might have assisted the Russians," Comey said, according to the transcript. He said the four Americans "had some connection to Mr. Trump." The 235-page transcript also covers Comey`s responses to questions about FBI interactions with a former British spy who compiled a dossier of allegations of collusion between Trump`s campaign and Russia. Most of the hearing on Friday covered lawmaker questions about Republican-led investigations into former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton`s use of a private email server while she was in office. Clinton was the Democratic candidate in the 2016 presidential election. The Republican-led inquiries have been lambasted by Democrats, who will take over the House of Representatives in January, as a partisan effort to undermine Special Counsel Robert Mueller`s investigation into Russian interference.

FBI investigated four Americans on Russia collusion suspicions: FBI Director James Comey

Former FBI director James Comey testified before US lawmakers for the first time in over a year Friday, with much of the discussions centering on Hillary Clinton's email use.

The closed-door grilling came amid mounting intrigue over Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election and possible contacts between Donald Trump's presidential campaign and Moscow.

Comey had pleaded for a public hearing after he was subpoenaed by the outgoing Congress in November, but House Republicans including some of Trump's allies insisted on a private session before the judiciary and oversight committees.

Comey was questioned as part of a Republican-led House inquiry into possible Russian interference, and Clinton, who lost to Trump in 2016, featured prominently.

"Hillary Clinton's emails, for heaven's sake," Comey said after testifying for six hours. "I'm not sure we need to do this at all."

Clinton had set up a private email server before becoming secretary of state in 2009.&nbsp;

Republicans seized on the revelation years later, saying she broke department protocol by using a private email account while a government official in order to hide sensitive correspondence.

The issue became a flashpoint of the 2016 race.

Republicans exited Friday's session complaining that Comey lawyers shut down certain avenues of questioning.

Comey disputed that but gave a rationale for why he would not publicly discuss some elements.

"The FBI, for understandable reasons, doesn't want me talking about the details of the investigation that is still ongoing, and began when I was FBI director," he said.

In May 2017 Trump abruptly sacked Comey, who was the senior official leading a criminal investigation into possible collusion with Moscow.&nbsp;

Three months earlier the president met privately with Comey and urged him to end the investigation into former national security advisor Michael Flynn, a move that many Democrats interpreted as obstruction of justice.

Trump has repeatedly blasted Mueller's probe as a "witch hunt," and on Friday unleashed a Twitter tirade against Mueller, Comey and other current and former officials tied to the Russia probe.

"Robert Mueller and Leakin' Lyin' James Comey are Best Friends, just one of many Mueller Conflicts of Interest," Trump tweeted.

Comey said a testimony transcript will be published 24 hours after his interview. Republicans want him to return for further testimony in two weeks, a final effort to advance their probe.

House control shifts to Democrats in January, and incoming Judiciary Committee chairman Jerrold Nadler said he would shut down the probe into FBI behaviour because it was merely an effort to "cast aspersion on the real investigation, which is Mueller."

Former FBI director James Comey testified before US lawmakers for the first time in over a year Friday, with much of the discussions centering on Hillary Clinton's email use.

Former FBI director James Comey testified before US lawmakers for the first time in over a year Friday, with much of the discussions centering on Hillary Clinton's email use. The closed-door grilling came amid mounting intrigue over Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election and possible contacts between Donald Trump's presidential campaign and Moscow. Comey had pleaded for a public hearing after he was subpoenaed by the outgoing Congress in November, but House Republicans including some of Trump's allies insisted on a private session before the judiciary and oversight committees. Comey was questioned as part of a Republican-led House inquiry into possible Russian interference, and Clinton, who lost to Trump in 2016, featured prominently. "Hillary Clinton's emails, for heaven's sake," Comey said after testifying for six hours. "I'm not sure we need to do this at all." Clinton had set up a private email server before becoming secretary of state in 2009. Republicans seized on the revelation years later, saying she broke department protocol by using a private email account while a government official in order to hide sensitive correspondence. The issue became a flashpoint of the 2016 race. Republicans exited Friday's session complaining that Comey lawyers shut down certain avenues of questioning. Comey disputed that but gave a rationale for why he would not publicly discuss some elements. "The FBI, for understandable reasons, doesn't want me talking about the details of the investigation that is still ongoing, and began when I was FBI director," he said. In May 2017 Trump abruptly sacked Comey, who was the senior official leading a criminal investigation into possible collusion with Moscow. Three months earlier the president met privately with Comey and urged him to end the investigation into former national security advisor Michael Flynn, a move that many Democrats interpreted as obstruction of justice. Trump has repeatedly blasted Mueller's probe as a "witch hunt," and on Friday unleashed a Twitter tirade against Mueller, Comey and other current and former officials tied to the Russia probe. "Robert Mueller and Leakin' Lyin' James Comey are Best Friends, just one of many Mueller Conflicts of Interest," Trump tweeted. Comey said a testimony transcript will be published 24 hours after his interview. Republicans want him to return for further testimony in two weeks, a final effort to advance their probe. House control shifts to Democrats in January, and incoming Judiciary Committee chairman Jerrold Nadler said he would shut down the probe into FBI behaviour because it was merely an effort to "cast aspersion on the real investigation, which is Mueller."

Ex-FBI director Comey grilled again in US Congress with discussions centering on Clinton's email

A 78-year-old inmate sentenced to life behind bars for the murders of three women in the United States, recently confessed to 90 homicides between 1970 and 2005, the FBI said.

If confirmed, this number of murders would make Samuel Little one of the most prolific serial killers in US history.

Little was arrested in September 2012 at a homeless shelter in Kentucky and extradited to California, where he was wanted for drug crimes.

Once in Los Angeles, authorities linked his DNA to that found in the murders of three women between 1987 and 1989. In all three cases, the victims were beaten, strangled and then their bodies dumped in an alley, a dumpster and a garage.

Little was sentenced to three terms of life imprisonment for those three crimes, but police wanted to share his DNA and details of his modus operandi with the FBI so that a deeper investigation could be undertaken.

What the FBI found was an "alarming pattern and compelling links to many more murders," mostly "marginalised and vulnerable women who were often involved in prostitution and addicted to drugs."

"Their bodies sometimes went unidentified and their deaths uninvestigated," the FBI statement added.

A lead on a case then took the FBI to Texas: "We found a case out of Odessa, Texas, that sounded very much like him, and we could place him passing through the area around the same time," said ViCAP Crime Analyst Christina Palazzolo in the statement.

Accompanied by the Texas Rangers, the FBI decided to question Little last spring in a California prison, where he agreed to cooperate in exchange for a prison transfer.

"He went through city and state and gave Ranger Holland the number of people he killed in each place. Jackson, Mississippi - one; Cincinnati, Ohio - one; Phoenix, Arizona - three; Las Vegas, Nevada - one," Palazzolo explained.

Little remembered his victims and the murders with great detail and he was even able to draw the faces of some of his victims.

In total, Little confessed to 90 murders over a 35-year period, with the killings being committed all over the country. Of those 90, 34 have already been confirmed.

A 78-year-old inmate sentenced to life behind bars for the murders of three women in the United States, recently confessed to 90 homicides between 1970 and 2005, the FBI said.

A 78-year-old inmate sentenced to life behind bars for the murders of three women in the United States, recently confessed to 90 homicides between 1970 and 2005, the FBI said. If confirmed, this number of murders would make Samuel Little one of the most prolific serial killers in US history. Little was arrested in September 2012 at a homeless shelter in Kentucky and extradited to California, where he was wanted for drug crimes. Once in Los Angeles, authorities linked his DNA to that found in the murders of three women between 1987 and 1989. In all three cases, the victims were beaten, strangled and then their bodies dumped in an alley, a dumpster and a garage. Little was sentenced to three terms of life imprisonment for those three crimes, but police wanted to share his DNA and details of his modus operandi with the FBI so that a deeper investigation could be undertaken. What the FBI found was an "alarming pattern and compelling links to many more murders," mostly "marginalised and vulnerable women who were often involved in prostitution and addicted to drugs." "Their bodies sometimes went unidentified and their deaths uninvestigated," the FBI statement added. A lead on a case then took the FBI to Texas: "We found a case out of Odessa, Texas, that sounded very much like him, and we could place him passing through the area around the same time," said ViCAP Crime Analyst Christina Palazzolo in the statement. Accompanied by the Texas Rangers, the FBI decided to question Little last spring in a California prison, where he agreed to cooperate in exchange for a prison transfer. "He went through city and state and gave Ranger Holland the number of people he killed in each place. Jackson, Mississippi - one; Cincinnati, Ohio - one; Phoenix, Arizona - three; Las Vegas, Nevada - one," Palazzolo explained. Little remembered his victims and the murders with great detail and he was even able to draw the faces of some of his victims. In total, Little confessed to 90 murders over a 35-year period, with the killings being committed all over the country. Of those 90, 34 have already been confirmed.

Convict confesses to killing 90 women, could be 'most prolific serial killer' in US history

Donald Trump's <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/ex-trump-aide-paul-manafort-is-first-to-go-on-trial-in-russia-probe-155733">former campaign chairman Paul Manafort</a> lied to the special counsel investigating Russia's interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, breaching his plea agreement, according to a court filing on Monday.

Manafort said in the same filing he disagreed with Special Counsel Robert Mueller's assertion that he lied to investigators.

Both the special counsel and Manafort's attorneys agreed there was no reason to delay his sentencing and asked the court to set a date for that.

Mueller, who is also probing possible collusion between Moscow and the Trump campaign, said in the filing that after signing a plea agreement: "Manafort committed federal crimes by lying to the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Special Counsel’s Office on a variety of subject matters."

Mueller said in the filing that those lies breached Manafort's plea agreement.

Manafort's attorneys said in the same filing submitted to U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson in Washington that Manafort had met with the government on several occasions and provided information "in an effort to live up to his cooperation obligations."

They said Manafort disagreed with the characterization that he had breached the agreement.

The breakdown in the plea deal raises the prospect that Manafort is seeking to protect others who worked on Trump's campaign and to curry favour with the president, said former federal prosecutor David Weinstein.

"It seems to me he’s angling for the pardon," he said.

Manafort, a longtime Republican political consultant who made tens of millions of dollars working for pro-Kremlin politicians in Ukraine, ran the Trump campaign as it took off in mid-2016.

He attended a meeting at Trump Tower in June 2016 with a group of Russians offering damaging information on Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton, who lost in an upset to Trump in the presidential vote that November.

Russia denies U.S. allegations it hacked Democratic Party emails and ran a disinformation campaign, largely on social media. Trump denies any campaign collusion and calls the investigation a political witch hunt.

Manafort had started cooperating with Mueller's prosecutors in September this year after pleading guilty to conspiracy against the United States - a charge that including a range of conduct from money laundering to unregistered lobbying, and to attempting to tamper with witnesses.

The deal required him to cooperate completely with the government, including testifying before any grand juries or at any trials. In return, Mueller promised to argue for leniency at sentencing.

The agreement pertains to one of two cases against Manafort. He was convicted by a jury in August on tax and bank fraud charges in the other case in Virginia.

Rudy Giuliani, who represents Trump in the Russia investigation, told Reuters in October that he had periodically spoken with Manafort's lawyer, Kevin Downing, and that he believed Manafort had not provided any information to prosecutors that was damaging to the president.

Donald Trump's former campaign chairman Paul Manafort lied to the special counsel investigating Russia's interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, breaching his plea agreement, according to a court filing on Monday.

Donald Trump's former campaign chairman Paul Manafort lied to the special counsel investigating Russia's interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, breaching his plea agreement, according to a court filing on Monday. Manafort said in the same filing he disagreed with Special Counsel Robert Mueller's assertion that he lied to investigators. Both the special counsel and Manafort's attorneys agreed there was no reason to delay his sentencing and asked the court to set a date for that. Mueller, who is also probing possible collusion between Moscow and the Trump campaign, said in the filing that after signing a plea agreement: "Manafort committed federal crimes by lying to the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Special Counsel’s Office on a variety of subject matters." Mueller said in the filing that those lies breached Manafort's plea agreement. Manafort's attorneys said in the same filing submitted to U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson in Washington that Manafort had met with the government on several occasions and provided information "in an effort to live up to his cooperation obligations." They said Manafort disagreed with the characterization that he had breached the agreement. The breakdown in the plea deal raises the prospect that Manafort is seeking to protect others who worked on Trump's campaign and to curry favour with the president, said former federal prosecutor David Weinstein. "It seems to me he’s angling for the pardon," he said. Manafort, a longtime Republican political consultant who made tens of millions of dollars working for pro-Kremlin politicians in Ukraine, ran the Trump campaign as it took off in mid-2016. He attended a meeting at Trump Tower in June 2016 with a group of Russians offering damaging information on Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton, who lost in an upset to Trump in the presidential vote that November. Russia denies U.S. allegations it hacked Democratic Party emails and ran a disinformation campaign, largely on social media. Trump denies any campaign collusion and calls the investigation a political witch hunt. Manafort had started cooperating with Mueller's prosecutors in September this year after pleading guilty to conspiracy against the United States - a charge that including a range of conduct from money laundering to unregistered lobbying, and to attempting to tamper with witnesses. The deal required him to cooperate completely with the government, including testifying before any grand juries or at any trials. In return, Mueller promised to argue for leniency at sentencing. The agreement pertains to one of two cases against Manafort. He was convicted by a jury in August on tax and bank fraud charges in the other case in Virginia. Rudy Giuliani, who represents Trump in the Russia investigation, told Reuters in October that he had periodically spoken with Manafort's lawyer, Kevin Downing, and that he believed Manafort had not provided any information to prosecutors that was damaging to the president.

Ex-Trump campaign chairman Manafort lied to FBI: Mueller

Hate crimes surged 17 per cent in the United States in Donald Trump's first year as president, the Federal Bureau of Investigation said in a new report Tuesday.

The FBI said that 7,175 hate crimes were reported during 2017, compared to 6,121 in 2016.

Hate crimes of all types -- based on race, religion, gender and sexual orientation -- were higher.

African-Americans were the leading target of crimes based on race, and Jews were the most-targeted group by religion, according to the FBI.

The total number of hate crimes was the highest since 2008.

The FBI did not explain the increase, which came amid a perceived general rise in social and political tensions across the country marked by the election of the divisive Trump.

But it did note that more law enforcement jurisdictions were reporting hate crimes than previous years.&nbsp;

The report came after the country was shocked in recent weeks by two mass shootings, including one in which 11 Jewish worshippers were killed in a Pittsburgh synagogue by an anti-Semitic gunman, and a series of pipe bombs sent to foes of Donald Trump by a Florida supporter of the president. None of the bombs exploded.

"This report is a call to action -- and we will heed that call," said Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker in a statement.

"The Department of Justice's top priority is to reduce violent crime in America, and hate crimes are violent crimes.... I am particularly troubled by the increase in anti-Semitic hate crimes," he said.

Hate crimes surged 17 per cent in the United States in Donald Trump's first year as president, the Federal Bureau of Investigation said in a new report Tuesday. The FBI said that 7,175 hate crimes were reported during 2017, compared to 6,121 in 2016.

Hate crimes surged 17 per cent in the United States in Donald Trump's first year as president, the Federal Bureau of Investigation said in a new report Tuesday. The FBI said that 7,175 hate crimes were reported during 2017, compared to 6,121 in 2016. Hate crimes of all types -- based on race, religion, gender and sexual orientation -- were higher. African-Americans were the leading target of crimes based on race, and Jews were the most-targeted group by religion, according to the FBI. The total number of hate crimes was the highest since 2008. The FBI did not explain the increase, which came amid a perceived general rise in social and political tensions across the country marked by the election of the divisive Trump. But it did note that more law enforcement jurisdictions were reporting hate crimes than previous years. The report came after the country was shocked in recent weeks by two mass shootings, including one in which 11 Jewish worshippers were killed in a Pittsburgh synagogue by an anti-Semitic gunman, and a series of pipe bombs sent to foes of Donald Trump by a Florida supporter of the president. None of the bombs exploded. "This report is a call to action -- and we will heed that call," said Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker in a statement. "The Department of Justice's top priority is to reduce violent crime in America, and hate crimes are violent crimes.... I am particularly troubled by the increase in anti-Semitic hate crimes," he said.

US hate crimes surged in Trump's first year: FBI

Facebook Inc blocked about 115 user accounts after US&nbsp;authorities tipped it off to suspicious behavior that may be linked to a foreign entity, the company said in a blog post on Monday, hours before US&nbsp;voters head to the polls.

The social network said it needed to do further analysis to decide if the accounts are linked to Russia's Internet Research Agency or another group. The US&nbsp;has accused the Russian government body of meddling in US&nbsp;politics with social media posts meant to spread misinformation and sow discord.

Eighty-five of the removed accounts were posting in English on Facebook's Instagram service, and 30 more were on Facebook and associated with pages in French and Russian, the post said.

Some accounts "were focused on celebrities" and others on "political debate," it added.

The tip came from the Federal Bureau of Investigation on Sunday night, Nathaniel Gleicher, Facebook's head of cybersecurity policy, wrote in the post.

The company announced its actions earlier in its investigation than typical "given that we are only one day away from important elections in the US," he added.

This year's contest has been portrayed as crucial by both Republicans and Democrats because both chambers of Congress, and the accompanying ability to pass or reject President Donald Trump's agenda, are up for grabs.

"Americans should be aware that foreign actors, and Russia in particular, continue to try to influence public sentiment and voter perceptions through actions intended to sow discord," including through social media, federal authorities said in a statement on Monday.

Social media companies say they are now more vigilant against foreign and other potential election interference after finding themselves unprepared to tackle such activity in the US&nbsp;presidential election two years ago.

Facebook Inc blocked about 115 user accounts after US authorities tipped it off to suspicious behavior that may be linked to a foreign entity, the company said in a blog post on Monday, hours before US voters head to the polls.

Facebook Inc blocked about 115 user accounts after US authorities tipped it off to suspicious behavior that may be linked to a foreign entity, the company said in a blog post on Monday, hours before US voters head to the polls. The social network said it needed to do further analysis to decide if the accounts are linked to Russia's Internet Research Agency or another group. The US has accused the Russian government body of meddling in US politics with social media posts meant to spread misinformation and sow discord. Eighty-five of the removed accounts were posting in English on Facebook's Instagram service, and 30 more were on Facebook and associated with pages in French and Russian, the post said. Some accounts "were focused on celebrities" and others on "political debate," it added. The tip came from the Federal Bureau of Investigation on Sunday night, Nathaniel Gleicher, Facebook's head of cybersecurity policy, wrote in the post. The company announced its actions earlier in its investigation than typical "given that we are only one day away from important elections in the US," he added. This year's contest has been portrayed as crucial by both Republicans and Democrats because both chambers of Congress, and the accompanying ability to pass or reject President Donald Trump's agenda, are up for grabs. "Americans should be aware that foreign actors, and Russia in particular, continue to try to influence public sentiment and voter perceptions through actions intended to sow discord," including through social media, federal authorities said in a statement on Monday. Social media companies say they are now more vigilant against foreign and other potential election interference after finding themselves unprepared to tackle such activity in the US presidential election two years ago.

Facebook blocks 115 accounts after FBI tip on eve of US election

The 56-year-old Florida man accused of mailing 15 pipe bomb packages to high-profile critics of President Donald Trump will appear at a pretrial detention hearing in Miami on Friday morning.

Cesar Sayoc, a former male stripper, pizza delivery driver and DJ who lived in a white van festooned with right-wing political images supporting Trump and lambasting his critics, will appear before a federal magistrate.

Sayoc faces five charges and a maximum penalty of 48 years in prison for bombs sent to targets including former President Barack Obama, ex-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, other prominent political figures and CNN.

Prosecutors said more charges were likely.

Investigators said they had evidence that Sayoc began planning his attacks in July.

If presiding US Magistrate Edwin Torres agrees with prosecutors from the Southern District of New York, Sayoc will not be allowed bail on Friday and after the hearing would be transferred to New York to face charges.

The pipe bomb story dominated US news for much of last week, ending when federal agents arrested Sayoc in the parking lot of an auto parts store in a Fort Lauderdale suburb.

The hearing comes during the closing days of highly charged political campaigns across the country leading up to Nov. 6 U.S. midterm elections. The result will determine the balance of power in Congress, currently controlled by Trump's Republican Party.

Sayoc was arrested days after the first of the pipe bombs inside padded manila envelopes was discovered in the mailbox of billionaire and Democratic donor George Soros north of New York City.

No one has been injured, but investigators with the FBI have said that at least some of the pipe bombs could have caused great harm. All of the bombs were sent through the US&nbsp;Postal Service.

"The evidence of the defendant's terror campaign is still being collected but is already overwhelming," wrote Geoffrey Berman, US Attorney for the Southern District of New York, in a letter to Torres dated Tuesday.

The 56-year-old Florida man accused of mailing 15 pipe bomb packages to high-profile critics of President Donald Trump will appear at a pretrial detention hearing in Miami on Friday morning.

The 56-year-old Florida man accused of mailing 15 pipe bomb packages to high-profile critics of President Donald Trump will appear at a pretrial detention hearing in Miami on Friday morning. Cesar Sayoc, a former male stripper, pizza delivery driver and DJ who lived in a white van festooned with right-wing political images supporting Trump and lambasting his critics, will appear before a federal magistrate. Sayoc faces five charges and a maximum penalty of 48 years in prison for bombs sent to targets including former President Barack Obama, ex-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, other prominent political figures and CNN. Prosecutors said more charges were likely. Investigators said they had evidence that Sayoc began planning his attacks in July. If presiding US Magistrate Edwin Torres agrees with prosecutors from the Southern District of New York, Sayoc will not be allowed bail on Friday and after the hearing would be transferred to New York to face charges. The pipe bomb story dominated US news for much of last week, ending when federal agents arrested Sayoc in the parking lot of an auto parts store in a Fort Lauderdale suburb. The hearing comes during the closing days of highly charged political campaigns across the country leading up to Nov. 6 U.S. midterm elections. The result will determine the balance of power in Congress, currently controlled by Trump's Republican Party. Sayoc was arrested days after the first of the pipe bombs inside padded manila envelopes was discovered in the mailbox of billionaire and Democratic donor George Soros north of New York City. No one has been injured, but investigators with the FBI have said that at least some of the pipe bombs could have caused great harm. All of the bombs were sent through the US Postal Service. "The evidence of the defendant's terror campaign is still being collected but is already overwhelming," wrote Geoffrey Berman, US Attorney for the Southern District of New York, in a letter to Torres dated Tuesday.

US mail bomb suspect faces pretrial hearing in Miami court

James "Whitey" Bulger, who lived a double life as one of Boston's most notorious mobsters and as a secret FBI informant before going on the run for 16 years, was killed at a federal prison in West Virginia, sources said on Tuesday.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation was looking into Bulger's death and a prison employee briefed on the matter said it was being investigated as a homicide. A U.S. Bureau of Prisons statement had earlier confirmed Bulger had died and said the FBI was investigating.

Bulger, who was 89, had been transferred a day earlier to the high-security prison in a wheelchair, the prison employee said.

Two men were seen on surveillance footage entering his cell, the prison employee said.

Bulger's body was discovered wrapped in a sheet, the employee said, and the notorious gangster had been beaten so badly that blood had come out of his ears.

Federal officials did not give a cause of death, but the Bureau of Prisons said no other inmates or staff were injured.

The prisons bureau had said in its statement that Bulger's body was found on Tuesday. The prison employee said it was discovered when he did not appear for breakfast, indicating he was killed early morning or overnight.

Henry Brennan, a defence lawyer for Bulger, said in an email he could not confirm or deny the reports.

Bulger was convicted in August 2013 of 11 murders, among other charges and sentenced to two consecutive life terms plus five years.

Prison had been something Bulger had gone to great lengths to avoid - killing potential witnesses, cultivating corrupt lawmen and living as a fugitive for 16 years. It all ended when a tip from a former Icelandic beauty queen led to his capture in June 2011 in Santa Monica, California, where he was living with a long-time girlfriend.

Bulger and his Winter Hill gang had operated for more than two decades in the insular Irish-dominated South Boston neighbourhood, engaging in loan sharking, gambling, extortion, drug dealing and murder. They did so with the tacit approval of an FBI agent who looked the other way when it came to Bulger's crimes so that he would supply information on other gangsters.

Bulger, portrayed by Johnny Depp in the 2015 film "Black Mass," was feared for his short temper and brutality. Prosecutors said he strangled two women with his hands and tortured a man for hours before shooting him in the head with a machine gun.

"We took what we wanted," Kevin Weeks, a former Bulger lieutenant who would eventually testify against him, wrote in "Brutal," his memoir. "We made millions through extortion and loansharking and protection. And if someone ratted us out, we killed him. We were not nice guys."

Bulger was born Sept. 3, 1929, and grew up in South Boston. He was called "Whitey" because of his light blond hair but was said to detest the nickname and preferred being called Jimmy. As a teenager he joined a gang known as The Shamrocks, compiled an arrest record for assault and armed robbery and ended up in a juvenile reformatory.

Bulger was a bank robber early in his criminal career, which landed him in prisons such as the infamous Alcatraz, located on an island in San Francisco Bay.

Upon his release in 1965, he eventually fell in with the Irish mob in South Boston and worked his way through the ranks as a bookie and loanshark. He survived a gang war between two Irish mobs and was a leading figure in Boston's underworld by the early 1970s.

His career was boosted by his relationship with rogue FBI agent John J. Connolly, who Bulger had known since they were boys. Connolly was supposed to be in charge of getting information out of him and Bulger did provide information that helped the FBI go after his main rival, New England's Italian Mafia, as well as local criminals.

In return, Connolly let Bulger know about working investigations while Bulger and close associate Steve "The Rifleman" Flemmi carried on with impunity. After he retired from the FBI, Connolly tipped off Bulger about a coming indictment, sending the mobster on the run in 1995.

Connolly was convicted in 2008 of racketeering, taking bribes and second-degree murder for his role in the slaying of an accountant who Bulger and Flemmi feared would testify against them.

'A BAD, BAD, BAD GUY'

Bulger's former associates turned on him while he was at large and their information led to a 2000 indictment that originally charged him with 19 murders.

"The guy is a sociopathic killer," Tom Foley, who worked on Bulger cases for the Massachusetts State Police, told CNN. "He loved that type of life. He's one of the hardest and cruellest individuals that operated in the Boston area. He's a bad, bad, bad guy."

When Bulger fled, he first took Teresa Stanley, his girlfriend of 30 years, with him. After a few weeks at large, however, Stanley wanted to go home so Bulger dropped her off in the Boston area. He picked up another of his girlfriends, Catherine Greig, and disappeared again.

Bulger spent his final years of freedom in No. 303 of the Princess Eugenia apartment complex in Santa Monica with Greig.

One of their neighbours, Anna Bjornsdottir, a former U.S. television actress and Miss Iceland of 1974, earned a $2 million reward for turning in Bulger. She was watching a television news report about the Bulger manhunt when she recognised the man she knew by the name Charlie Gasko and notified the FBI.

At first he denied his identity but eventually told authorities, "You know who I am. I'm Whitey Bulger." More than $800,000 in cash and a cache of weapons was found hidden in the walls of his apartment.

Greig was sentenced to eight years in prison and fined $150,000 for helping Bulger evade capture. She is scheduled for release in September 2020.

Bulger's two-month trial for murder, extortion and drug dealing in 2013 was sometimes raucous. A parade of former associates testified against him, giving brutal details about how Bulger would kill enemies and then take a nap.

Sometimes Bulger sat silently at the defendant's table and at other times he engaged in profane shouting matches with witnesses such as Flemmi.

Bulger, who denied ever being an FBI informant, refused to testify on the grounds that the trial was a sham.

The U.S. Justice Department paid more than $20 million in damages to families of people killed by Bulger on the grounds that he was operating under government supervision while killing.

While Bulger was robbing banks and killing people, his younger brother Billy was acquiring political notoriety and power.

Billy served in the Massachusetts legislature for 35 years, including several years as president of the state Senate, after which he was president of the University of Massachusetts. He was forced to resign the latter job in 2003 after it was learned that eight years earlier he had spoken by phone with his brother, who at the time was a federal fugitive, and did not report it to authorities.

James "Whitey" Bulger, who lived a double life as one of Boston's most notorious mobsters and as a secret FBI informant before going on the run for 16 years, was killed at a federal prison in West Virginia, sources said on Tuesday.

James "Whitey" Bulger, who lived a double life as one of Boston's most notorious mobsters and as a secret FBI informant before going on the run for 16 years, was killed at a federal prison in West Virginia, sources said on Tuesday. The Federal Bureau of Investigation was looking into Bulger's death and a prison employee briefed on the matter said it was being investigated as a homicide. A U.S. Bureau of Prisons statement had earlier confirmed Bulger had died and said the FBI was investigating. Bulger, who was 89, had been transferred a day earlier to the high-security prison in a wheelchair, the prison employee said. Two men were seen on surveillance footage entering his cell, the prison employee said. Bulger's body was discovered wrapped in a sheet, the employee said, and the notorious gangster had been beaten so badly that blood had come out of his ears. Federal officials did not give a cause of death, but the Bureau of Prisons said no other inmates or staff were injured. The prisons bureau had said in its statement that Bulger's body was found on Tuesday. The prison employee said it was discovered when he did not appear for breakfast, indicating he was killed early morning or overnight. Henry Brennan, a defence lawyer for Bulger, said in an email he could not confirm or deny the reports. Bulger was convicted in August 2013 of 11 murders, among other charges and sentenced to two consecutive life terms plus five years. Prison had been something Bulger had gone to great lengths to avoid - killing potential witnesses, cultivating corrupt lawmen and living as a fugitive for 16 years. It all ended when a tip from a former Icelandic beauty queen led to his capture in June 2011 in Santa Monica, California, where he was living with a long-time girlfriend. Bulger and his Winter Hill gang had operated for more than two decades in the insular Irish-dominated South Boston neighbourhood, engaging in loan sharking, gambling, extortion, drug dealing and murder. They did so with the tacit approval of an FBI agent who looked the other way when it came to Bulger's crimes so that he would supply information on other gangsters. Bulger, portrayed by Johnny Depp in the 2015 film "Black Mass," was feared for his short temper and brutality. Prosecutors said he strangled two women with his hands and tortured a man for hours before shooting him in the head with a machine gun. "We took what we wanted," Kevin Weeks, a former Bulger lieutenant who would eventually testify against him, wrote in "Brutal," his memoir. "We made millions through extortion and loansharking and protection. And if someone ratted us out, we killed him. We were not nice guys." Bulger was born Sept. 3, 1929, and grew up in South Boston. He was called "Whitey" because of his light blond hair but was said to detest the nickname and preferred being called Jimmy. As a teenager he joined a gang known as The Shamrocks, compiled an arrest record for assault and armed robbery and ended up in a juvenile reformatory. Bulger was a bank robber early in his criminal career, which landed him in prisons such as the infamous Alcatraz, located on an island in San Francisco Bay. Upon his release in 1965, he eventually fell in with the Irish mob in South Boston and worked his way through the ranks as a bookie and loanshark. He survived a gang war between two Irish mobs and was a leading figure in Boston's underworld by the early 1970s. His career was boosted by his relationship with rogue FBI agent John J. Connolly, who Bulger had known since they were boys. Connolly was supposed to be in charge of getting information out of him and Bulger did provide information that helped the FBI go after his main rival, New England's Italian Mafia, as well as local criminals. In return, Connolly let Bulger know about working investigations while Bulger and close associate Steve "The Rifleman" Flemmi carried on with impunity. After he retired from the FBI, Connolly tipped off Bulger about a coming indictment, sending the mobster on the run in 1995. Connolly was convicted in 2008 of racketeering, taking bribes and second-degree murder for his role in the slaying of an accountant who Bulger and Flemmi feared would testify against them. 'A BAD, BAD, BAD GUY' Bulger's former associates turned on him while he was at large and their information led to a 2000 indictment that originally charged him with 19 murders. "The guy is a sociopathic killer," Tom Foley, who worked on Bulger cases for the Massachusetts State Police, told CNN. "He loved that type of life. He's one of the hardest and cruellest individuals that operated in the Boston area. He's a bad, bad, bad guy." When Bulger fled, he first took Teresa Stanley, his girlfriend of 30 years, with him. After a few weeks at large, however, Stanley wanted to go home so Bulger dropped her off in the Boston area. He picked up another of his girlfriends, Catherine Greig, and disappeared again. Bulger spent his final years of freedom in No. 303 of the Princess Eugenia apartment complex in Santa Monica with Greig. One of their neighbours, Anna Bjornsdottir, a former U.S. television actress and Miss Iceland of 1974, earned a $2 million reward for turning in Bulger. She was watching a television news report about the Bulger manhunt when she recognised the man she knew by the name Charlie Gasko and notified the FBI. At first he denied his identity but eventually told authorities, "You know who I am. I'm Whitey Bulger." More than $800,000 in cash and a cache of weapons was found hidden in the walls of his apartment. Greig was sentenced to eight years in prison and fined $150,000 for helping Bulger evade capture. She is scheduled for release in September 2020. Bulger's two-month trial for murder, extortion and drug dealing in 2013 was sometimes raucous. A parade of former associates testified against him, giving brutal details about how Bulger would kill enemies and then take a nap. Sometimes Bulger sat silently at the defendant's table and at other times he engaged in profane shouting matches with witnesses such as Flemmi. Bulger, who denied ever being an FBI informant, refused to testify on the grounds that the trial was a sham. The U.S. Justice Department paid more than $20 million in damages to families of people killed by Bulger on the grounds that he was operating under government supervision while killing. While Bulger was robbing banks and killing people, his younger brother Billy was acquiring political notoriety and power. Billy served in the Massachusetts legislature for 35 years, including several years as president of the state Senate, after which he was president of the University of Massachusetts. He was forced to resign the latter job in 2003 after it was learned that eight years earlier he had spoken by phone with his brother, who at the time was a federal fugitive, and did not report it to authorities.

Boston gangster James 'Whitey' Bulger killed in prison

CNN president Jeff Zucker<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/new-york-police-investigate-suspicious-package-found-at-de-niros-restaurant-report-173407"> said today that another suspicious</a> package was found and intercepted at the Atlanta office in the US today.

"All mail at all CNN domestic bureaus being screened," Zucker said, adding that all mails were being screened at an off-site facility since last Wednesday so it wouldn't have come to the CNN centre directly.

The Time Warner Center in New York, where CNN's New York headquarters is located, was evacuated last Wednesday after a suspicious package was found.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Another suspicious package addressed to CNN has been intercepted. This time in Atlanta. All mail is being screened off site. Note from Jeff: <a href="https://t.co/I6TXSkoluQ">pic.twitter.com/I6TXSkoluQ</a>
— CNN Communications (@CNNPR) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNPR/status/1056913518367260674?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 29, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Meanwhile, Cesar Sayoc, 56, who was arrested last Friday on suspicion of mailing home-made bombs to prominent Democrats including ex-president Obama and Hillary Clinton was due to appear in court on Monday.

US authorities had seized a vehicle belonging to Sayoc which was reportedly plastered with pro-Trump stickers. However, FBI had warned that other packages may still be in transit.

Sayoc was charged with five felony counts, including interstate transportation and illegal mailing of explosives, threatening a former president, making threatening interstate communications and assaulting federal officers.

If convicted, Sayoc could be sentenced up to 48 years in prison.

The fourteenth package was found on Friday at a post office outside San Francisco addressed to another wealthy contributor to the Democratic Party and liberal causes, Tom Steyer, another package had turned up at near billionaire Democratic donor George Soros home in Katonah, New York.

Sayoc who openly broadcast his views on social media had several arrests against his name for domestic violence, theft and once reportedly threatened to blow up a company.

On Friday, packages turned up at US Senator Democrat Cory Booker of New Jersey, ex-US director of national intelligence James Clapper and US Senator Democrat Kamala Harris of California.

CNN president Jeff Zucker said today that another suspicious package was found and intercepted at the Atlanta office in the US today. "All mail at all CNN domestic bureaus being screened," Zucker said, adding that all mails were being screened at an off-site facility since last Wednesday so it wouldn't have come to the CNN centre directly.

CNN president Jeff Zucker said today that another suspicious package was found and intercepted at the Atlanta office in the US today. "All mail at all CNN domestic bureaus being screened," Zucker said, adding that all mails were being screened at an off-site facility since last Wednesday so it wouldn't have come to the CNN centre directly. The Time Warner Center in New York, where CNN's New York headquarters is located, was evacuated last Wednesday after a suspicious package was found. Another suspicious package addressed to CNN has been intercepted. This time in Atlanta. All mail is being screened off site. Note from Jeff: pic.twitter.com/I6TXSkoluQ — CNN Communications (@CNNPR) October 29, 2018 × Meanwhile, Cesar Sayoc, 56, who was arrested last Friday on suspicion of mailing home-made bombs to prominent Democrats including ex-president Obama and Hillary Clinton was due to appear in court on Monday. US authorities had seized a vehicle belonging to Sayoc which was reportedly plastered with pro-Trump stickers. However, FBI had warned that other packages may still be in transit. Sayoc was charged with five felony counts, including interstate transportation and illegal mailing of explosives, threatening a former president, making threatening interstate communications and assaulting federal officers. If convicted, Sayoc could be sentenced up to 48 years in prison. The fourteenth package was found on Friday at a post office outside San Francisco addressed to another wealthy contributor to the Democratic Party and liberal causes, Tom Steyer, another package had turned up at near billionaire Democratic donor George Soros home in Katonah, New York. Sayoc who openly broadcast his views on social media had several arrests against his name for domestic violence, theft and once reportedly threatened to blow up a company. On Friday, packages turned up at US Senator Democrat Cory Booker of New Jersey, ex-US director of national intelligence James Clapper and US Senator Democrat Kamala Harris of California.

Another suspicious package found at CNN's Atlanta office

US President Donald Trump on Friday praised the "incredible job" of law enforcement after a suspect was detained in Florida in connection with 12 suspicious packages and pipe bombs sent to Democratic figures.

"These terrorizing acts are despicable and have no place in our country," Trump said from the White House. "I've instructed authorities to spare no resource or expense in finding those responsible and bringing them to swift and certain justice."

"We must never allow political violence to take root in America," Trump added. "We must show the world that we are united together in peace, love and harmony as fellow American citizens."

US President Donald Trump on Friday praised the "incredible job" of law enforcement after a suspect was detained in Florida in connection with 12 suspicious packages and pipe bombs sent to Democratic figures.

US President Donald Trump on Friday praised the "incredible job" of law enforcement after a suspect was detained in Florida in connection with 12 suspicious packages and pipe bombs sent to Democratic figures. "These terrorizing acts are despicable and have no place in our country," Trump said from the White House. "I've instructed authorities to spare no resource or expense in finding those responsible and bringing them to swift and certain justice." "We must never allow political violence to take root in America," Trump added. "We must show the world that we are united together in peace, love and harmony as fellow American citizens."

Trump hails 'incredible job' by law enforcement over bomb alerts

Authorities found two more suspicious packages on Friday addressed to US&nbsp;Senator Cory Booker and James Clapper, the former US&nbsp;director of national intelligence, amid a manhunt for the person who sent bombs to prominent Democrats and critics of US&nbsp;President Donald Trump.

The 11th package was found at a mail sorting facility in Florida and was addressed to Booker, the Democratic senator from New Jersey, the FBI said on Twitter. A 12th package was addressed to James Clapper, the former director of national intelligence, and sent to CNN, the cable network reported.

Meanwhile, a local police bomb squad and canine units joined federal investigators on Thursday to examine a sprawling US&nbsp;mail distribution center at Opa-Locka, northwest of Miami, Miami-Dade County police said.

US&nbsp;Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen said that Florida appeared to be the starting point for at least some of the bomb shipments.

"Some of the packages went through the mail. They originated, some of them, from Florida," she said during an interview with Fox News Channel on Thursday. "I am confident that this person or people will be brought to justice."

Authorities called the parcel bombs an act of terrorism. They were sent less than two weeks before national elections that could alter the balance of power in Washington.

No one has claimed responsibility for the bombs, and the public was asked to report any tips.

All the people targeted were frequently maligned by right-wing critics. They included Democratic Party donor George Soros, former President Barack Obama, former Vice President Joe Biden, and former Secretary of State and presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation has said that at least five of the packages bore a return address from the Florida office of US&nbsp;Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz, a former chair of the Democratic National Committee.

Authorities believe the packages, which were intercepted before reaching their intended recipients, all went through the US&nbsp;Postal Service at some point, a source said. None detonated and no one has been hurt.

The devices were thought to have been fashioned from bomb-making designs widely available on the internet, a federal law enforcement source told Reuters.

Still, investigators are treating the devices as "live" explosives, not a hoax, said James O'Neill, the New York City police commissioner. Two of the parcels surfaced there.

"It does remain possible that further packages have been or could be mailed," William Sweeney, assistant director of the FBI, told a news conference in New York.

Investigators have declined to say whether the devices were built to be functional. Bomb experts and security analysts say that based on their rudimentary construction it appeared they were more likely designed to sow fear rather than to kill.

The parcels each consisted of a manila envelope with a bubble-wrap interior containing "potentially destructive devices," the FBI said. Each was affixed with a computer-printed address label and six US&nbsp;"Forever" postage stamps, the agency said.

Others who received the bombs were former Attorney General Eric Holder, former CIA director John Brennan, US&nbsp;Representative Maxine Waters of California, and actor Robert De Nero. Two packages were sent both to Waters and Biden.

Brennan's package was sent in care of the New York bureau of CNN, where he has appeared as an on-air analyst.

The episode sparked an outcry from Trump's critics, who charged that his inflammatory rhetoric against Democrats and the press has created a climate for politically motivated violence.

After first calling for "unity" and civil discourse on Wednesday, Trump lashed out again Thursday at the "hateful" media. His supporters accused Democrats of unfairly suggesting the president was to blame for the bomb scare.

"Funny how lowly rated CNN, and others, can criticize me at will, even blaming me for the current spate of Bombs and ridiculously comparing this to September 11th and the Oklahoma City bombing, yet when I criticize them they go wild and scream, “it’s just not Presidential!” Trump said on Twitter at about 3:15 a.m. EST (0715 GMT) on Friday.

Authorities found two more suspicious packages on Friday addressed to US Senator Cory Booker and James Clapper, the former US director of national intelligence, amid a manhunt for the person who sent bombs to prominent Democrats and critics of US President Donald Trump.

Authorities found two more suspicious packages on Friday addressed to US Senator Cory Booker and James Clapper, the former US director of national intelligence, amid a manhunt for the person who sent bombs to prominent Democrats and critics of US President Donald Trump. The 11th package was found at a mail sorting facility in Florida and was addressed to Booker, the Democratic senator from New Jersey, the FBI said on Twitter. A 12th package was addressed to James Clapper, the former director of national intelligence, and sent to CNN, the cable network reported. Meanwhile, a local police bomb squad and canine units joined federal investigators on Thursday to examine a sprawling US mail distribution center at Opa-Locka, northwest of Miami, Miami-Dade County police said. US Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen said that Florida appeared to be the starting point for at least some of the bomb shipments. "Some of the packages went through the mail. They originated, some of them, from Florida," she said during an interview with Fox News Channel on Thursday. "I am confident that this person or people will be brought to justice." Authorities called the parcel bombs an act of terrorism. They were sent less than two weeks before national elections that could alter the balance of power in Washington. No one has claimed responsibility for the bombs, and the public was asked to report any tips. All the people targeted were frequently maligned by right-wing critics. They included Democratic Party donor George Soros, former President Barack Obama, former Vice President Joe Biden, and former Secretary of State and presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. The Federal Bureau of Investigation has said that at least five of the packages bore a return address from the Florida office of US Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz, a former chair of the Democratic National Committee. Authorities believe the packages, which were intercepted before reaching their intended recipients, all went through the US Postal Service at some point, a source said. None detonated and no one has been hurt. The devices were thought to have been fashioned from bomb-making designs widely available on the internet, a federal law enforcement source told Reuters. Still, investigators are treating the devices as "live" explosives, not a hoax, said James O'Neill, the New York City police commissioner. Two of the parcels surfaced there. "It does remain possible that further packages have been or could be mailed," William Sweeney, assistant director of the FBI, told a news conference in New York. Investigators have declined to say whether the devices were built to be functional. Bomb experts and security analysts say that based on their rudimentary construction it appeared they were more likely designed to sow fear rather than to kill. The parcels each consisted of a manila envelope with a bubble-wrap interior containing "potentially destructive devices," the FBI said. Each was affixed with a computer-printed address label and six US "Forever" postage stamps, the agency said. Others who received the bombs were former Attorney General Eric Holder, former CIA director John Brennan, US Representative Maxine Waters of California, and actor Robert De Nero. Two packages were sent both to Waters and Biden. Brennan's package was sent in care of the New York bureau of CNN, where he has appeared as an on-air analyst. The episode sparked an outcry from Trump's critics, who charged that his inflammatory rhetoric against Democrats and the press has created a climate for politically motivated violence. After first calling for "unity" and civil discourse on Wednesday, Trump lashed out again Thursday at the "hateful" media. His supporters accused Democrats of unfairly suggesting the president was to blame for the bomb scare. "Funny how lowly rated CNN, and others, can criticize me at will, even blaming me for the current spate of Bombs and ridiculously comparing this to September 11th and the Oklahoma City bombing, yet when I criticize them they go wild and scream, “it’s just not Presidential!” Trump said on Twitter at about 3:15 a.m. EST (0715 GMT) on Friday.

Police find packages sent to ex-US intel chief Clapper, US Senator Booker

America's Federal Bureau of Investigation(FBI) confirmed today that California Democratic Representative Maxine Waters also received a suspicious package after several Democratic leaders including Hillary Clinton, ex-US president Barack Obama, Eric Holder, the attorney general under Obama and ex-CBI director John Brennan.

The CNN bureau in New York also received a package addressed to Brennan leading the New York police to evacuate the Time Warner building in Manhattan.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
In addition to the five packages referenced in our earlier statement, we have now confirmed two additional packages, both addressed to Rep. Maxine Waters, that are similar in appearance.
— FBI (@FBI) <a href="https://twitter.com/FBI/status/1055268474954625024?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 25, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The FBI said all packages contained "potentially destructive devices". The FBI said it will commit full resources towards the investigation to "identify and arrest" whoever was responsible for sending the packages.

The suspicious parcels were intercepted before it reached the intended recipients.

The packages were all similar in appearance and contained potentially destructive devices, the investigating agency said.

"The packages were mailed in manila envelopes with bubble wrap interior. The packages were affixed with computer-printed address labels and six Forever stamps," the FBI declared.

"All packages had a return address of Debbie Wasserman," it added.

"The package addressed to former Attorney General Holder did not reach its intended destination, but was rerouted to the return address in Florida," the US investigating agency informed.

"It is possible that additional packages were mailed to other locations," the FBI cautioned.&nbsp;

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If you have info that could assist the FBI's investigation of suspicious packages, call 1-800-CALLFBI (225-5324) or go online to <a href="https://t.co/iL7sD5efWD">https://t.co/iL7sD5efWD</a>. If you observe suspicious activity that requires an immediate response, call 911 or contact local law enforcement immediately.
— FBI (@FBI) <a href="https://twitter.com/FBI/status/1055247618840903680?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 25, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Meanwhile, President Trump told a political rally in Wisconsin that his government would conduct "an aggressive investigation."&nbsp;

"Any acts or threats of political violence are an attack on our democracy itself," Trump said, adding, "We want all sides to come together in peace and harmony."

The US president added that the media had a responsibility "to stop the endless hostility and constant negative and oftentimes false attacks and stories."

The first package, which turned up on Monday, was addressed to billionaire financier George Soros, a Democratic Party donor.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tamL6y9DBws" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe>

America's Federal Bureau of Investigation(FBI) confirmed today that California Democratic Representative Maxine Waters also received a suspicious package after several Democratic leaders including Hillary Clinton, ex-US president Barack Obama, Eric Holder, the attorney general under Obama and ex-CBI director John Brennan.

America's Federal Bureau of Investigation(FBI) confirmed today that California Democratic Representative Maxine Waters also received a suspicious package after several Democratic leaders including Hillary Clinton, ex-US president Barack Obama, Eric Holder, the attorney general under Obama and ex-CBI director John Brennan. The CNN bureau in New York also received a package addressed to Brennan leading the New York police to evacuate the Time Warner building in Manhattan. In addition to the five packages referenced in our earlier statement, we have now confirmed two additional packages, both addressed to Rep. Maxine Waters, that are similar in appearance. — FBI (@FBI) October 25, 2018 × The FBI said all packages contained "potentially destructive devices". The FBI said it will commit full resources towards the investigation to "identify and arrest" whoever was responsible for sending the packages. The suspicious parcels were intercepted before it reached the intended recipients. The packages were all similar in appearance and contained potentially destructive devices, the investigating agency said. "The packages were mailed in manila envelopes with bubble wrap interior. The packages were affixed with computer-printed address labels and six Forever stamps," the FBI declared. "All packages had a return address of Debbie Wasserman," it added. "The package addressed to former Attorney General Holder did not reach its intended destination, but was rerouted to the return address in Florida," the US investigating agency informed. "It is possible that additional packages were mailed to other locations," the FBI cautioned. If you have info that could assist the FBI's investigation of suspicious packages, call 1-800-CALLFBI (225-5324) or go online to https://t.co/iL7sD5efWD. If you observe suspicious activity that requires an immediate response, call 911 or contact local law enforcement immediately. — FBI (@FBI) October 25, 2018 × Meanwhile, President Trump told a political rally in Wisconsin that his government would conduct "an aggressive investigation." "Any acts or threats of political violence are an attack on our democracy itself," Trump said, adding, "We want all sides to come together in peace and harmony." The US president added that the media had a responsibility "to stop the endless hostility and constant negative and oftentimes false attacks and stories." The first package, which turned up on Monday, was addressed to billionaire financier George Soros, a Democratic Party donor.

Suspicious package also sent to California Democratic Representative Maxine Waters, confirms FBI

The FBI's report on sexual misconduct allegations against US Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh neared completion late on Wednesday as the battle over his selection by President Donald Trump approached a new turning point.

The Senate was expected to receive the report either late on Wednesday or early on Thursday and senators were to be granted access to review it during the day on Thursday, a person briefed on the situation said.

While the report`s conclusions were as yet unknown, there was already a partisan battle over it as Trump and the Senate Republican leadership battled to corral enough support for a majority vote for Kavanaugh in the days ahead. Democrats were in near unanimity against Kavanaugh, a conservative federal appeals court judge.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said on the Senate floor on Wednesday that "we will not be intimidated" by opponents who have tried to derail Kavanaugh`s nomination.

"It`s time to put this sickening display behind us," the Republican said. "The Senate will vote on this nomination this week."

Several people with information related to allegations against Kavanaugh told Reuters they had not heard from the FBI, suggesting its report may be narrower than was desired by some of the lawmakers who demanded it just days ago.

Christine Blasey Ford, a college professor from California who accused Kavanaugh of assaulting her in 1982 when they were high school students, has not been contacted by the FBI, her attorneys said.

As Senate Republican leaders marched toward a final vote on Kavanaugh`s nomination, perhaps over the weekend, the three Republicans who could be key to whether Kavanaugh is confirmed - Senators Jeff Flake, Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski -criticised Trump for his remarks about Ford at a political rally in Mississippi on Tuesday.

Ford, who testified last week at an extraordinary Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, said she could not remember the precise date or location of the alleged assault or how she got home later, but offered a detailed account of the incident. She said a drunken Kavanaugh pinned her down, tried to remove her clothing and covered her mouth when she screamed.

Imitating Ford's testimony, Trump, who was himself accused during the 2016 presidential race of sexual misconduct with numerous women, said: "What neighborhood was it in? I don't know. Where's the house? I don't know. Upstairs, downstairs, where was it? I don't know. But I had one beer. That's the only thing I remember."

"And a man's life is in tatters," Trump added.

Flake told NBC's "Today" show that "there`s no time and no place for remarks like that, that discuss something this sensitive at a political rally ... It`s kind of appalling."

Collins told reporters: "The president`s comments were just plain wrong." She did not respond when asked if his comments would affect her vote on Kavanaugh's confirmation.

Asked whether Trump`s comments would affect her vote, Murkowski told reporters: "I am taking everything into account. The president`s comments yesterday mocking Dr. Ford were wholly inappropriate and, in my view, unacceptable."

A day after the hearing, Trump had called Ford "a very credible witness" who provided "very compelling" testimony.

Kavanaugh has denied Ford`s accusation as well as allegations by two other women, all dating from the 1980s, while accusing Democrats of a political "hit."

'Clearly a Reason'

Flake was instrumental last Friday in getting Trump to order an FBI investigation into the allegations against Kavanaugh, nominated by Trump for a lifetime job on the top US court.

Trump limited the investigation to no more than a week.

Senator Dick Durbin, the No. 2 Senate Democrat, complained in an interview with Reuters that the White House had not responded to requests for documents detailing its instructions to the FBI about the scope of its investigation of Kavanaugh.

“There`s clearly a reason for that and I assume the administration doesn`t want members of Congress and the public to see it,” Durbin said.

It was not immediately clear whether the FBI report, which will be made available to senators, would be released to the public.

Trump`s fellow Republicans control the Senate by a 51-49 margin. If all the Democrats oppose Kavanaugh, Trump cannot afford to lose the support of more than one Republican for his nominee, with Vice President Mike Pence casting a tiebreaking vote. No Republicans have said they will vote against Kavanaugh.

Opposition among Americans to Kavanaugh has increased since last week`s hearing, Reuters/Ipsos polling data showed on Wednesday.&nbsp;

In the latest seven-day average in a survey of 4,057 US adults, 41 per cent of respondents opposed Kavanaugh, 33 per cent supported him and 26 per cent said they did not know. Opposition to Kavanaugh grew 4 percentage points after the hearing, apparently driven by people who previously were undecided.

In a Twitter post on Wednesday, Trump did not back away from his rally comments, instead of attacking Kavanaugh's Democratic critics. Trump said when he goes to political rallies, which are organised by Republicans, he sees that voters are angry at the "vicious and despicable" way Democrats are treating his nominee.

At a White House briefing, Trump's spokeswoman Sarah Sanders defended his remarks in Mississippi and said he was not concerned the comments may have jeopardized the votes of key senators. "The president was stating the facts" about the gaps in Ford`s recollection of the alleged incident, Sanders said.

The FBI's report on sexual misconduct allegations against US Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh neared completion late on Wednesday as the battle over his selection by President Donald Trump approached a new turning point.

The FBI's report on sexual misconduct allegations against US Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh neared completion late on Wednesday as the battle over his selection by President Donald Trump approached a new turning point. The Senate was expected to receive the report either late on Wednesday or early on Thursday and senators were to be granted access to review it during the day on Thursday, a person briefed on the situation said. While the report`s conclusions were as yet unknown, there was already a partisan battle over it as Trump and the Senate Republican leadership battled to corral enough support for a majority vote for Kavanaugh in the days ahead. Democrats were in near unanimity against Kavanaugh, a conservative federal appeals court judge. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said on the Senate floor on Wednesday that "we will not be intimidated" by opponents who have tried to derail Kavanaugh`s nomination. "It`s time to put this sickening display behind us," the Republican said. "The Senate will vote on this nomination this week." Several people with information related to allegations against Kavanaugh told Reuters they had not heard from the FBI, suggesting its report may be narrower than was desired by some of the lawmakers who demanded it just days ago. Christine Blasey Ford, a college professor from California who accused Kavanaugh of assaulting her in 1982 when they were high school students, has not been contacted by the FBI, her attorneys said. As Senate Republican leaders marched toward a final vote on Kavanaugh`s nomination, perhaps over the weekend, the three Republicans who could be key to whether Kavanaugh is confirmed - Senators Jeff Flake, Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski -criticised Trump for his remarks about Ford at a political rally in Mississippi on Tuesday. Ford, who testified last week at an extraordinary Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, said she could not remember the precise date or location of the alleged assault or how she got home later, but offered a detailed account of the incident. She said a drunken Kavanaugh pinned her down, tried to remove her clothing and covered her mouth when she screamed. Imitating Ford's testimony, Trump, who was himself accused during the 2016 presidential race of sexual misconduct with numerous women, said: "What neighborhood was it in? I don't know. Where's the house? I don't know. Upstairs, downstairs, where was it? I don't know. But I had one beer. That's the only thing I remember." "And a man's life is in tatters," Trump added. Flake told NBC's "Today" show that "there`s no time and no place for remarks like that, that discuss something this sensitive at a political rally ... It`s kind of appalling." Collins told reporters: "The president`s comments were just plain wrong." She did not respond when asked if his comments would affect her vote on Kavanaugh's confirmation. Asked whether Trump`s comments would affect her vote, Murkowski told reporters: "I am taking everything into account. The president`s comments yesterday mocking Dr. Ford were wholly inappropriate and, in my view, unacceptable." A day after the hearing, Trump had called Ford "a very credible witness" who provided "very compelling" testimony. Kavanaugh has denied Ford`s accusation as well as allegations by two other women, all dating from the 1980s, while accusing Democrats of a political "hit." 'Clearly a Reason' Flake was instrumental last Friday in getting Trump to order an FBI investigation into the allegations against Kavanaugh, nominated by Trump for a lifetime job on the top US court. Trump limited the investigation to no more than a week. Senator Dick Durbin, the No. 2 Senate Democrat, complained in an interview with Reuters that the White House had not responded to requests for documents detailing its instructions to the FBI about the scope of its investigation of Kavanaugh. “There`s clearly a reason for that and I assume the administration doesn`t want members of Congress and the public to see it,” Durbin said. It was not immediately clear whether the FBI report, which will be made available to senators, would be released to the public. Trump`s fellow Republicans control the Senate by a 51-49 margin. If all the Democrats oppose Kavanaugh, Trump cannot afford to lose the support of more than one Republican for his nominee, with Vice President Mike Pence casting a tiebreaking vote. No Republicans have said they will vote against Kavanaugh. Opposition among Americans to Kavanaugh has increased since last week`s hearing, Reuters/Ipsos polling data showed on Wednesday. In the latest seven-day average in a survey of 4,057 US adults, 41 per cent of respondents opposed Kavanaugh, 33 per cent supported him and 26 per cent said they did not know. Opposition to Kavanaugh grew 4 percentage points after the hearing, apparently driven by people who previously were undecided. In a Twitter post on Wednesday, Trump did not back away from his rally comments, instead of attacking Kavanaugh's Democratic critics. Trump said when he goes to political rallies, which are organised by Republicans, he sees that voters are angry at the "vicious and despicable" way Democrats are treating his nominee. At a White House briefing, Trump's spokeswoman Sarah Sanders defended his remarks in Mississippi and said he was not concerned the comments may have jeopardized the votes of key senators. "The president was stating the facts" about the gaps in Ford`s recollection of the alleged incident, Sanders said.

FBI report on Kavanaugh nears completion: Sources

US President Donald Trump said Tuesday the reaction to decades-old allegations of sexual assault against his Supreme Court pick Brett Kavanaugh makes it "a very scary time" for young men in the United States.

His remarks came as he responded to questions about allegations against the conservative jurist by three women who say Kavanaugh drunkenly sexually abused or harassed them when they were students in the 1980s.

"It's a very scary time for young men in America, where you can be guilty of something that you may not be guilty of," Trump told reporters on the South Lawn of the White House.

Trump said Kavanaugh -- who denies the allegations and is adamant he did not drink to the point of blacking out, despite enjoying beer in his younger years -- has been treated unfairly.

"My whole life, I've heard you're innocent until proven guilty. But now you're guilty until proven innocent," Trump said.

The FBI is conducting a Senate-requested probe into the sexual misconduct allegations against Kavanaugh, whom Trump described as "a great judge" who "has been very brutally treated."

Trump was more prudent however when asked about the outcome of the upcoming Senate vote on whether to approve Kavanaugh for the highest US court.

That "is going to depend on what comes back from the FBI," Trump said. "The FBI is working very hard and let's see what happens."

In an extraordinary Senate hearing on Thursday, Kavanaugh said the confirmation process had become a "national disgrace," adding that the accusations had "destroyed my family and my good name."

Senators, including Republican Jeff Flake, struck a deal the following day that gives the FBI one week to conduct an investigation and deliver a report. 
&nbsp;

US President Donald Trump said Tuesday the reaction to decades-old allegations of sexual assault against his Supreme Court pick Brett Kavanaugh makes it "a very scary time" for young men in the United States.

US President Donald Trump said Tuesday the reaction to decades-old allegations of sexual assault against his Supreme Court pick Brett Kavanaugh makes it "a very scary time" for young men in the United States. His remarks came as he responded to questions about allegations against the conservative jurist by three women who say Kavanaugh drunkenly sexually abused or harassed them when they were students in the 1980s. "It's a very scary time for young men in America, where you can be guilty of something that you may not be guilty of," Trump told reporters on the South Lawn of the White House. Trump said Kavanaugh -- who denies the allegations and is adamant he did not drink to the point of blacking out, despite enjoying beer in his younger years -- has been treated unfairly. "My whole life, I've heard you're innocent until proven guilty. But now you're guilty until proven innocent," Trump said. The FBI is conducting a Senate-requested probe into the sexual misconduct allegations against Kavanaugh, whom Trump described as "a great judge" who "has been very brutally treated." Trump was more prudent however when asked about the outcome of the upcoming Senate vote on whether to approve Kavanaugh for the highest US court. That "is going to depend on what comes back from the FBI," Trump said. "The FBI is working very hard and let's see what happens." In an extraordinary Senate hearing on Thursday, Kavanaugh said the confirmation process had become a "national disgrace," adding that the accusations had "destroyed my family and my good name." Senators, including Republican Jeff Flake, struck a deal the following day that gives the FBI one week to conduct an investigation and deliver a report.

'Very scary time' for young American men, says Trump

A one-time classmate of President Donald Trump's Supreme Court nominee said Monday that Brett Kavanaugh was a habitual heavy drinker, challenging the judge's Senate testimony to the contrary. &nbsp;

The comments came days after the FBI opened a Senate-requested probe into allegations by three women that a drunken Kavanaugh sexually abused them or engaged in sexual misconduct while they were students in the 1980s.

"I can unequivocally say that in denying the possibility that he ever blacked out from drinking and in downplaying the degree and frequency of his drinking, Brett has not told the truth," Chad Ludington told reporters.

The North Carolina State University professor, who said he had contacted the FBI with his information, indicated in a statement Sunday that Kavanaugh was "belligerent and aggressive" when he drank.

Earlier, Trump had defended his pick but admitted that the appeals court judge has had a <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-says-kavanaugh-had-bit-difficulty-alcohol-168862">"bit of difficulty" with alcohol</a>.

In a White House press conference, the US president sought to excuse excessive drinking by teenagers, while going beyond Kavanaugh's own testimony on his past use of alcohol to the Senate Judiciary Committee last week.

"I was surprised at how vocal he was about the fact that he likes beer," the president said.

"He's had a little bit of difficulty. He talked about things that happened when he drank. This is not a man that said... he was perfect with respect to alcohol."

He also questioned why investigators needed to examine the 53-year-old Kavanaugh's high school record.

"I think it's very unfair to bring up things like this," Trump said.

"I graduated from high school and while I did not drink, I saw a lot of people drinking," he said.

"They drink beer and go crazy and they were in high school... Does that mean that they can't do something they want to do in their life?" &nbsp;

He returned to the theme during a campaign rally in Tennessee, where he accused opposition Democrats of being motivated by politics.&nbsp;

"They have been blind in a blind rage ever since they lost the 2016. They have gone loco," he told supporters.

'I like beer'

In Thursday's extraordinary hearing, Kavanaugh vehemently denied the sexual abuse allegations, and also aggressively challenged suggestions he had a drinking problem at the time.

"I drank beer with my friends. Sometimes I had too many beers," he told the panel. &nbsp;

"Yes, we drank beer. I liked beer. I still like beer," he said.

"If every American who drinks beer or every American who drank beer in high school is suddenly presumed guilty of sexual assault, it will be an ugly, new place in this country."

The New York Times also reported that Kavanaugh was questioned but not charged by police after a 1985 bar fight in New Haven, Connecticut where he was accused of throwing ice on a fellow patron.&nbsp;

A witness said that a friend of Kavanaugh's then threw a glass that hit the same patron in the ear, causing bleeding.

US media meanwhile reported that the FBI had begun their interview of Mark Judge, Kavanaugh's former best friend and a key figure in the misconduct allegations leveled by Christine Blasey Ford.

Judge's interview started but "has not been completed," his attorney said in a statement quoted by Fox News.

In last week's hearing, Blasey Ford said Judge witnessed Kavanaugh's alleged assault and jumped on top of them as it happened, sending all three tumbling and allowing her to escape.

Clock ticking&nbsp;

Trump meanwhile said the White House would not restrict the new FBI probe, requested by senators before they take a final vote on Kavanaugh.

"I think the FBI should do what they have to do to get to the answer," Trump said.

"I want it to be comprehensive... With that being said, I would like to go quickly," he added.

"We don't want to go on a witch hunt, do we?"

Senators, including Republican Jeff Flake, struck a deal Friday that gives the FBI one week to conduct its investigation and deliver its report.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said the Senate, made up of 51 Republicans and 49 Democrats, will be "voting this week" on advancing the Kavanaugh nomination, setting up a possible final confirmation vote this weekend or early next week.

"The time for endless delay and obstruction has come to a close," McConnell said.

Last week, Flake expressed eagerness to see Kavanaugh confirmed but said he wanted a "better process" for assessing the allegations. Flake said over the weekend that he would vote for Kavanaugh unless the FBI finds something in its investigation.

A one-time classmate of President Donald Trump's Supreme Court nominee said Monday that Brett Kavanaugh was a habitual heavy drinker, challenging the judge's Senate testimony to the contrary.

A one-time classmate of President Donald Trump's Supreme Court nominee said Monday that Brett Kavanaugh was a habitual heavy drinker, challenging the judge's Senate testimony to the contrary. The comments came days after the FBI opened a Senate-requested probe into allegations by three women that a drunken Kavanaugh sexually abused them or engaged in sexual misconduct while they were students in the 1980s. "I can unequivocally say that in denying the possibility that he ever blacked out from drinking and in downplaying the degree and frequency of his drinking, Brett has not told the truth," Chad Ludington told reporters. The North Carolina State University professor, who said he had contacted the FBI with his information, indicated in a statement Sunday that Kavanaugh was "belligerent and aggressive" when he drank. Earlier, Trump had defended his pick but admitted that the appeals court judge has had a "bit of difficulty" with alcohol. In a White House press conference, the US president sought to excuse excessive drinking by teenagers, while going beyond Kavanaugh's own testimony on his past use of alcohol to the Senate Judiciary Committee last week. "I was surprised at how vocal he was about the fact that he likes beer," the president said. "He's had a little bit of difficulty. He talked about things that happened when he drank. This is not a man that said... he was perfect with respect to alcohol." He also questioned why investigators needed to examine the 53-year-old Kavanaugh's high school record. "I think it's very unfair to bring up things like this," Trump said. "I graduated from high school and while I did not drink, I saw a lot of people drinking," he said. "They drink beer and go crazy and they were in high school... Does that mean that they can't do something they want to do in their life?" He returned to the theme during a campaign rally in Tennessee, where he accused opposition Democrats of being motivated by politics. "They have been blind in a blind rage ever since they lost the 2016. They have gone loco," he told supporters. 'I like beer' In Thursday's extraordinary hearing, Kavanaugh vehemently denied the sexual abuse allegations, and also aggressively challenged suggestions he had a drinking problem at the time. "I drank beer with my friends. Sometimes I had too many beers," he told the panel. "Yes, we drank beer. I liked beer. I still like beer," he said. "If every American who drinks beer or every American who drank beer in high school is suddenly presumed guilty of sexual assault, it will be an ugly, new place in this country." The New York Times also reported that Kavanaugh was questioned but not charged by police after a 1985 bar fight in New Haven, Connecticut where he was accused of throwing ice on a fellow patron. A witness said that a friend of Kavanaugh's then threw a glass that hit the same patron in the ear, causing bleeding. US media meanwhile reported that the FBI had begun their interview of Mark Judge, Kavanaugh's former best friend and a key figure in the misconduct allegations leveled by Christine Blasey Ford. Judge's interview started but "has not been completed," his attorney said in a statement quoted by Fox News. In last week's hearing, Blasey Ford said Judge witnessed Kavanaugh's alleged assault and jumped on top of them as it happened, sending all three tumbling and allowing her to escape. Clock ticking Trump meanwhile said the White House would not restrict the new FBI probe, requested by senators before they take a final vote on Kavanaugh. "I think the FBI should do what they have to do to get to the answer," Trump said. "I want it to be comprehensive... With that being said, I would like to go quickly," he added. "We don't want to go on a witch hunt, do we?" Senators, including Republican Jeff Flake, struck a deal Friday that gives the FBI one week to conduct its investigation and deliver its report. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said the Senate, made up of 51 Republicans and 49 Democrats, will be "voting this week" on advancing the Kavanaugh nomination, setting up a possible final confirmation vote this weekend or early next week. "The time for endless delay and obstruction has come to a close," McConnell said. Last week, Flake expressed eagerness to see Kavanaugh confirmed but said he wanted a "better process" for assessing the allegations. Flake said over the weekend that he would vote for Kavanaugh unless the FBI finds something in its investigation.

Kavanaugh lied about his drinking habits, claims former classmate of Trump's court nominee

The FBI is free to investigate any sexual misconduct allegations against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh that it deems credible, two White House spokeswomen said on Sunday, rebuffing reports that the administration has tried to limit the probe.

"The White House is not micromanaging this process," White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said in an interview with "Fox News Sunday."

"The Senate is dictating the terms," she said. "The FBI, this is what they do. And we're out of the way and letting them do exactly that."

However, White House adviser Kellyanne Conway added, "It's not meant to be a fishing expedition."

Trump bowed to pressure from moderate Senate Republicans and ordered an<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-orders-fbi-probe-kavanaugh-senate-delays-final-vote-168336"> FBI investigation</a> after Christine Blasey Ford, a California university professor, detailed her claims at a Senate hearing on Thursday that Kavanaugh tried to rape her in 1982 when the two were high school teenagers.

Kavanaugh has denied Ford's accusation, as well as those of two other women that emerged afterward.

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/lawmakers-rage-us-court-nominee-kavanaugh-faces-first-vote-168318">Lawmakers rage as US supreme court nominee Brett Kavanaugh faces </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/lawmakers-rage-us-court-nominee-kavanaugh-faces-first-vote-168318">first</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/lawmakers-rage-us-court-nominee-kavanaugh-faces-first-vote-168318"> vote</a>

In a stunning reversal on Friday, the Senate Judiciary Committee asked the Trump administration to order the FBI to investigate the misconduct allegations - but only after the panel sent Kavanaugh's nomination to the full Senate for a final vote.

The move followed <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/i-swear-god-assault-charges-against-me-are-not-true-kavanaugh-us-senate-judiciary-committee">emotional testimony from Ford and Kavanaugh</a> at a committee hearing on Thursday that further roiled emotions and outrage surrounding the nomination for a lifetime appointment to the high court.

Senate Republicans, who hold a narrow 51-49 majority, were forced by dissent within their ranks to slow down the confirmation process.

As a result, the Supreme Court will begin a new term on Monday with the court ideologically deadlocked with four conservatives and four liberals.

Republicans, who are trying to retain control of the US&nbsp;Congress in November elections, seek to balance their desire to have a conservative judge on the Supreme Court with sensitivity in how they handle the sexual misconduct allegations amid the reverberations of the #MeToo movement.

Media outlets including NBC News, the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday that the White House was controlling the investigation, giving the FBI a list of witnesses and limiting its parameters.

Trump said the NBC report was incorrect. "Actually, I want them to interview whoever they deem appropriate, at their discretion. Please correct your reporting!" he wrote on Twitter.

The FBI and a spokesman for the Senate Judiciary Committee did not immediately return requests for comment about the Times report.

Four witnesses

The New York Times said the FBI planned to question four witnesses about three sexual assault allegations against Kavanaugh.

The FBI will question Deborah Ramirez, who said Kavanaugh exposed himself to her at a party when both were students at Yale University.

The others include Mark Judge, a friend of Kavanaugh who Ford said witnessed the assault and Leland Keyser and P.J. Smyth, who she said were at the gathering.

Michael Avenatti, the lawyer for a third Kavanaugh accuser, Julie Swetnick, said Sunday his client has not been contacted by the FBI. The Times and the Journal reported that investigators did not intend to question Swetnick.

The White House asked the FBI to share its findings after the four initial interviews, then Trump and his advisers will decide whether the accusations should be investigated further, the New York Times reported, citing people familiar with the matter.

A senior administration official told the Times that Don McGahn was leading the White House effort to help direct the scope of the background check.

Senate Democrats expressed concern about the reports of White House control of the FBI probe, including Judiciary Committee member Amy Klobuchar, who said she believed the FBI should interview Swetnick.

"The White House should not be allowed to micromanage a FBI investigation," Klobuchar said on CNN. "I just want this conducted in a fair way.

Sanders said she was "not aware" whether McGahn had given the FBI directions on who to interview or what to investigate. White House adviser Kellyanne Conway also said she had not discussed the matter with McGahn.

Conway told CNN's "State of the Union" that she was only aware of the parameters the Senate set on the probe. The Senate Judiciary Committee on Friday said the FBI's supplemental background investigation "would be limited to current credible allegations" and must be completed in a week.

"The White House is not getting involved in the FBI investigation in that way," she added. "They should be looking at anything they think is credible within this limited scope."

The FBI is free to investigate any sexual misconduct allegations against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh that it deems credible, two White House spokeswomen said on Sunday, rebuffing reports that the administration has tried to limit the probe.

The FBI is free to investigate any sexual misconduct allegations against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh that it deems credible, two White House spokeswomen said on Sunday, rebuffing reports that the administration has tried to limit the probe. "The White House is not micromanaging this process," White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said in an interview with "Fox News Sunday." "The Senate is dictating the terms," she said. "The FBI, this is what they do. And we're out of the way and letting them do exactly that." However, White House adviser Kellyanne Conway added, "It's not meant to be a fishing expedition." Trump bowed to pressure from moderate Senate Republicans and ordered an FBI investigation after Christine Blasey Ford, a California university professor, detailed her claims at a Senate hearing on Thursday that Kavanaugh tried to rape her in 1982 when the two were high school teenagers. Kavanaugh has denied Ford's accusation, as well as those of two other women that emerged afterward. Also read: Lawmakers rage as US supreme court nominee Brett Kavanaugh faces first vote In a stunning reversal on Friday, the Senate Judiciary Committee asked the Trump administration to order the FBI to investigate the misconduct allegations - but only after the panel sent Kavanaugh's nomination to the full Senate for a final vote. The move followed emotional testimony from Ford and Kavanaugh at a committee hearing on Thursday that further roiled emotions and outrage surrounding the nomination for a lifetime appointment to the high court. Senate Republicans, who hold a narrow 51-49 majority, were forced by dissent within their ranks to slow down the confirmation process. As a result, the Supreme Court will begin a new term on Monday with the court ideologically deadlocked with four conservatives and four liberals. Republicans, who are trying to retain control of the US Congress in November elections, seek to balance their desire to have a conservative judge on the Supreme Court with sensitivity in how they handle the sexual misconduct allegations amid the reverberations of the #MeToo movement. Media outlets including NBC News, the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday that the White House was controlling the investigation, giving the FBI a list of witnesses and limiting its parameters. Trump said the NBC report was incorrect. "Actually, I want them to interview whoever they deem appropriate, at their discretion. Please correct your reporting!" he wrote on Twitter. The FBI and a spokesman for the Senate Judiciary Committee did not immediately return requests for comment about the Times report. Four witnesses The New York Times said the FBI planned to question four witnesses about three sexual assault allegations against Kavanaugh. The FBI will question Deborah Ramirez, who said Kavanaugh exposed himself to her at a party when both were students at Yale University. The others include Mark Judge, a friend of Kavanaugh who Ford said witnessed the assault and Leland Keyser and P.J. Smyth, who she said were at the gathering. Michael Avenatti, the lawyer for a third Kavanaugh accuser, Julie Swetnick, said Sunday his client has not been contacted by the FBI. The Times and the Journal reported that investigators did not intend to question Swetnick. The White House asked the FBI to share its findings after the four initial interviews, then Trump and his advisers will decide whether the accusations should be investigated further, the New York Times reported, citing people familiar with the matter. A senior administration official told the Times that Don McGahn was leading the White House effort to help direct the scope of the background check. Senate Democrats expressed concern about the reports of White House control of the FBI probe, including Judiciary Committee member Amy Klobuchar, who said she believed the FBI should interview Swetnick. "The White House should not be allowed to micromanage a FBI investigation," Klobuchar said on CNN. "I just want this conducted in a fair way. Sanders said she was "not aware" whether McGahn had given the FBI directions on who to interview or what to investigate. White House adviser Kellyanne Conway also said she had not discussed the matter with McGahn. Conway told CNN's "State of the Union" that she was only aware of the parameters the Senate set on the probe. The Senate Judiciary Committee on Friday said the FBI's supplemental background investigation "would be limited to current credible allegations" and must be completed in a week. "The White House is not getting involved in the FBI investigation in that way," she added. "They should be looking at anything they think is credible within this limited scope."

White House says not 'micromanaging' FBI probe of Kavanaugh

US President Donald Trump ordered a new FBI investigation into sexual assault allegations against his Supreme Court pick Friday, as the Senate delayed a vote on Brett Kavanaugh's nomination to make way for the probe.

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Just started, tonight, our 7th FBI investigation of Judge Brett Kavanaugh. He will someday be recognized as a truly great Justice of The United States Supreme Court!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1045832351211835392?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 29, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/lawmakers-rage-us-court-nominee-kavanaugh-faces-first-vote-168318">Lawmakers rage as US supreme court nominee Brett Kavanaugh faces first</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/lawmakers-rage-us-court-nominee-kavanaugh-faces-first-vote-168318"> vote</a>

After a dramatic day-long hearing at which a university professor accused Kavanaugh of pinning her down and assaulting her at a party in the 1980s, the Senate Judiciary Committee earlier Friday approved his nomination in a preliminary vote along party lines.

But committee chair Chuck Grassley then bowed to intense pressure from inside and outside Congress and announced he was asking Trump to order the new background review that "must be completed no later than one week from today." Trump, who repeatedly blasted Democratic opposition to Kavanaugh as a political "con-job," agreed.

"I've ordered the FBI to conduct a supplemental investigation to update Judge Kavanaugh's file. As the Senate has requested, this update must be limited in scope and completed in less than one week," the president said in a statement.

Trump's order and the decision to put off a final vote came after a key Republican senator, Jeff Flake, threatened to break ranks with his party because of the clouds hanging over Kavanaugh's head.

At least three women have now accused the 53-year-old conservative judge of sexual misconduct while drunk, as a high school and later a university student.

Democrats have repeatedly demanded those charges be assessed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation to determine if he is suitable for the lifetime high court appointment.

Flake's stunning 11th-hour move played out on national television amid heated partisan debate and raucous protests in the halls of the Capital, where one woman cornered the Arizona senator in an elevator demanding he oppose Kavanaugh, citing her own experience with sexual assault.

"This country's being ripped apart," said Flake. "And we have to ensure that we do due diligence here." His move earned the endorsement of another Republican seen as wavering on the nomination, Lisa Murkowski.

With the Republicans holding a narrow 51-49 majority in the Senate, that placed pressure on Trump to order the FBI probe.

Republicans see Kavanaugh as pivotal to their gaining control of the nine-member Supreme Court bench. Trump nominated him to replace Anthony Kennedy, who for years was a swing vote between four conservative and four liberal justices.

US President Donald Trump ordered a new FBI investigation into sexual assault allegations against his Supreme Court pick Friday, as the Senate delayed a vote on Brett Kavanaugh's nomination to make way for the probe.

US President Donald Trump ordered a new FBI investigation into sexual assault allegations against his Supreme Court pick Friday, as the Senate delayed a vote on Brett Kavanaugh's nomination to make way for the probe. Just started, tonight, our 7th FBI investigation of Judge Brett Kavanaugh. He will someday be recognized as a truly great Justice of The United States Supreme Court! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 29, 2018 × Lawmakers rage as US supreme court nominee Brett Kavanaugh faces first vote After a dramatic day-long hearing at which a university professor accused Kavanaugh of pinning her down and assaulting her at a party in the 1980s, the Senate Judiciary Committee earlier Friday approved his nomination in a preliminary vote along party lines. But committee chair Chuck Grassley then bowed to intense pressure from inside and outside Congress and announced he was asking Trump to order the new background review that "must be completed no later than one week from today." Trump, who repeatedly blasted Democratic opposition to Kavanaugh as a political "con-job," agreed. "I've ordered the FBI to conduct a supplemental investigation to update Judge Kavanaugh's file. As the Senate has requested, this update must be limited in scope and completed in less than one week," the president said in a statement. Trump's order and the decision to put off a final vote came after a key Republican senator, Jeff Flake, threatened to break ranks with his party because of the clouds hanging over Kavanaugh's head. At least three women have now accused the 53-year-old conservative judge of sexual misconduct while drunk, as a high school and later a university student. Democrats have repeatedly demanded those charges be assessed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation to determine if he is suitable for the lifetime high court appointment. Flake's stunning 11th-hour move played out on national television amid heated partisan debate and raucous protests in the halls of the Capital, where one woman cornered the Arizona senator in an elevator demanding he oppose Kavanaugh, citing her own experience with sexual assault. "This country's being ripped apart," said Flake. "And we have to ensure that we do due diligence here." His move earned the endorsement of another Republican seen as wavering on the nomination, Lisa Murkowski. With the Republicans holding a narrow 51-49 majority in the Senate, that placed pressure on Trump to order the FBI probe. Republicans see Kavanaugh as pivotal to their gaining control of the nine-member Supreme Court bench. Trump nominated him to replace Anthony Kennedy, who for years was a swing vote between four conservative and four liberal justices.

Trump orders FBI probe of Kavanaugh as Senate delays final vote

US&nbspPresident Donald Trump's lead attorney said that if the special counsel investigating Russia's alleged meddling in the 2016 US&nbspelection were to subpoena the president, it would set off a legal battle, according to an ABC News report on Saturday.

Rudy Giuliani, the former New York City mayor who became Trump's lead lawyer in April, said the two sides would go to court if US&nbspSpecial Counsel Robert Mueller attempts to subpoena the president.

"If Mueller tries to subpoena us, we're going to court," Giuliani told ABC News.

In addition to fighting a subpoena, Giuliani told ABC that Trump's legal strategy as detailed in a January letter to Mueller and published by the New York Times on Saturday still stands.

Trump's lawyers had argued in the January letter that the president could not have obstructed the probe given the powers granted to him by the US&nbspConstitution, the Times report said.

In the letter penned by Trump lawyers John Dowd and Jay Sekulow, it was argued that president has the power to "order the termination of an investigation by the Justice Department or FBI at any time and for any reason."

In the letter to Mueller, Trump's lawyers had contended that the Constitution gives the president the power to "terminate the inquiry, or even exercise his power to pardon," and that meant he could not illegally obstruct the investigation, the Times reported.

The 20-page letter was a response to repeated requests by Mueller's office asking to interview Trump. Negotiations between Trump's lawyers and the special counsel on a possible interview have continued ever since.

As part of his investigation, Mueller is looking into the possibility the Trump campaign colluded with Moscow and that Trump subsequently tried to obstruct the probe.

Russia has denied any interference and Trump has repeatedly said there was no collusion or obstruction of justice.

Giuliani did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Mueller's office declined to comment, while the White House and the two attorneys who wrote the letter - Sekulow and Dowd - did not reply to requests for comment. Dowd left the president's legal team in March.

Giuliani said last month that he wanted any interview of Trump to be limited in scope and length, suggesting it to be only 2-1/2 hours and not under oath.

If the president does not consent to an interview with the special counsel and Mueller does subpoena him, the interpretation by Trump's lawyers of broad executive powers would likely be tested in court if they decided to fight the subpoena.

In arguing that Trump has the power to end an investigation or pardon people, his lawyers left open the possibility that they were referring only to a probe into his former national security adviser, Michael Flynn, and not necessarily an investigation of the president, the Times said.

In an earlier tweet, Trump took what appeared to be a pre-emptive swipe at the Times report shortly before it ran that questioned whether Mueller's office or the Justice Department leaked letters from his lawyers.

"When will this very expensive Witch Hunt Hoax ever end?" Trump tweeted earlier on Saturday.

Rudy Giuliani, the former New York City mayor who became Trump's lead lawyer in April, said the two sides would go to court if US Special Counsel Robert Mueller attempts to subpoena the president

US&nbspPresident Donald Trump's lead attorney said that if the special counsel investigating Russia's alleged meddling in the 2016 US&nbspelection were to subpoena the president, it would set off a legal battle, according to an ABC News report on Saturday. Rudy Giuliani, the former New York City mayor who became Trump's lead lawyer in April, said the two sides would go to court if US&nbspSpecial Counsel Robert Mueller attempts to subpoena the president. "If Mueller tries to subpoena us, we're going to court," Giuliani told ABC News. In addition to fighting a subpoena, Giuliani told ABC that Trump's legal strategy as detailed in a January letter to Mueller and published by the New York Times on Saturday still stands. Trump's lawyers had argued in the January letter that the president could not have obstructed the probe given the powers granted to him by the US&nbspConstitution, the Times report said. In the letter penned by Trump lawyers John Dowd and Jay Sekulow, it was argued that president has the power to "order the termination of an investigation by the Justice Department or FBI at any time and for any reason." In the letter to Mueller, Trump's lawyers had contended that the Constitution gives the president the power to "terminate the inquiry, or even exercise his power to pardon," and that meant he could not illegally obstruct the investigation, the Times reported. The 20-page letter was a response to repeated requests by Mueller's office asking to interview Trump. Negotiations between Trump's lawyers and the special counsel on a possible interview have continued ever since. As part of his investigation, Mueller is looking into the possibility the Trump campaign colluded with Moscow and that Trump subsequently tried to obstruct the probe. Russia has denied any interference and Trump has repeatedly said there was no collusion or obstruction of justice. Giuliani did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Mueller's office declined to comment, while the White House and the two attorneys who wrote the letter - Sekulow and Dowd - did not reply to requests for comment. Dowd left the president's legal team in March. Giuliani said last month that he wanted any interview of Trump to be limited in scope and length, suggesting it to be only 2-1/2 hours and not under oath. If the president does not consent to an interview with the special counsel and Mueller does subpoena him, the interpretation by Trump's lawyers of broad executive powers would likely be tested in court if they decided to fight the subpoena. In arguing that Trump has the power to end an investigation or pardon people, his lawyers left open the possibility that they were referring only to a probe into his former national security adviser, Michael Flynn, and not necessarily an investigation of the president, the Times said. In an earlier tweet, Trump took what appeared to be a pre-emptive swipe at the Times report shortly before it ran that questioned whether Mueller's office or the Justice Department leaked letters from his lawyers. "When will this very expensive Witch Hunt Hoax ever end?" Trump tweeted earlier on Saturday.

Trump's lawyer says will fight Russia probe subpoena: Report

U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday escalated his attacks on the Justice Department, suggesting that the FBI may have planted or recruited an informant in his 2016 presidential campaign.

Trump stopped short of accusing the FBI of spying on his campaign, instead citing unnamed reports that at least one FBI representative was "implanted" for political purposes into his campaign.

"If true - all time biggest political scandal!" Trump said in a tweet.

Former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, now one of Trump's personal attorneys, almost immediately undercut Trump's speculation about an informant. "I don't know for sure, nor does the president, if there really was one," he told CNN.

"For a long time we've been told there was some kind of infiltration," Giuliani said. "At one time, the president thought it was a wiretap."

Neither Trump nor Giuliani provided any evidence of government infiltration into Trump's presidential campaign.

With Special Counsel Robert Mueller investigating possible collusion between Trump's election campaign team and Russia, Trump and some of his allies have alleged that elements inside the Justice Department are seeking to undermine his administration.

Trump has denied any collusion with Russia and repeatedly called Mueller's investigation a "witch hunt." Russia has denied meddling in the U.S. presidential election.

Glenn Simpson, who heads a consulting firm in Washington and hired former British spy Christopher Steele to investigate Trump's dealings with Russia prior to the campaign, testified last August to the Senate Judiciary Committee that some of what he collected was "human source intelligence."

Simpson, however, did not tell the committee anything that could substantiate suggestions that U.S. authorities might have inserted an informant into the Trump campaign.

The FBI declined to comment on Friday.

CNN reported that U.S. officials said, "The confidential intelligence source was not planted inside the campaign to provide information to investigators."

Nevertheless, some Republicans are demanding classified documents related to the alleged informant. The Justice Department has refused to provide them.

The top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, Mark Warner, warned members of Congress against publicly outing FBI sources.

"It would be at best irresponsible, and at worst potentially illegal, for members of Congress to use their positions to learn the identity of an FBI source for the purpose of undermining the ongoing investigation into Russian interference in our election," Warner said in a statement.

FBI Director Christopher Wray, a Trump appointee, on Wednesday cited the need to protect people who cooperate with law enforcement or intelligence officials.Trump's allies also charge that Mueller has exceeded the bounds of his authority by investigating the financial dealings of former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort.

Mueller so far remains undeterred by attempts to discredit the investigation or distract attention from it, according to one source familiar with the probe.

His office has negotiated a plea agreement with Manafort's former son-in-law, Jeffrey Yohai, that requires him to cooperate with other probes, Reuters reported on Thursday.

Trump stopped short of accusing the FBI of spying on his campaign, instead citing unnamed reports that at least one FBI representative was 'implanted' for political purposes into his campaign

U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday escalated his attacks on the Justice Department, suggesting that the FBI may have planted or recruited an informant in his 2016 presidential campaign. Trump stopped short of accusing the FBI of spying on his campaign, instead citing unnamed reports that at least one FBI representative was "implanted" for political purposes into his campaign. "If true - all time biggest political scandal!" Trump said in a tweet. Former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, now one of Trump's personal attorneys, almost immediately undercut Trump's speculation about an informant. "I don't know for sure, nor does the president, if there really was one," he told CNN. "For a long time we've been told there was some kind of infiltration," Giuliani said. "At one time, the president thought it was a wiretap." Neither Trump nor Giuliani provided any evidence of government infiltration into Trump's presidential campaign. With Special Counsel Robert Mueller investigating possible collusion between Trump's election campaign team and Russia, Trump and some of his allies have alleged that elements inside the Justice Department are seeking to undermine his administration. Trump has denied any collusion with Russia and repeatedly called Mueller's investigation a "witch hunt." Russia has denied meddling in the U.S. presidential election. Glenn Simpson, who heads a consulting firm in Washington and hired former British spy Christopher Steele to investigate Trump's dealings with Russia prior to the campaign, testified last August to the Senate Judiciary Committee that some of what he collected was "human source intelligence." Simpson, however, did not tell the committee anything that could substantiate suggestions that U.S. authorities might have inserted an informant into the Trump campaign. The FBI declined to comment on Friday. CNN reported that U.S. officials said, "The confidential intelligence source was not planted inside the campaign to provide information to investigators." Nevertheless, some Republicans are demanding classified documents related to the alleged informant. The Justice Department has refused to provide them. The top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, Mark Warner, warned members of Congress against publicly outing FBI sources. "It would be at best irresponsible, and at worst potentially illegal, for members of Congress to use their positions to learn the identity of an FBI source for the purpose of undermining the ongoing investigation into Russian interference in our election," Warner said in a statement. FBI Director Christopher Wray, a Trump appointee, on Wednesday cited the need to protect people who cooperate with law enforcement or intelligence officials.Trump's allies also charge that Mueller has exceeded the bounds of his authority by investigating the financial dealings of former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort. Mueller so far remains undeterred by attempts to discredit the investigation or distract attention from it, according to one source familiar with the probe. His office has negotiated a plea agreement with Manafort's former son-in-law, Jeffrey Yohai, that requires him to cooperate with other probes, Reuters reported on Thursday.

Trump suggests FBI may have infiltrated his campaign

The Department of Justice and the FBI have started investigating the data mining firm Cambridge Analytica which had announced its shut down last month due to the Facebook scandal.&nbsp;

As per reports, the investigation is in the primary stages and no details have yet been given out about the firm's involvement in the 2016 presidential elections.&nbsp;

Prosecutors have sought to question former Cambridge Analytica employees and banks that handled its business, the newspaper said, citing an American official and others familiar with the inquiry,&nbsp;

The investigation is also looking into the company’s financial history, in particular, its relationship to certain banks, and how it may have used the data it gathered from Facebook and other online sources, reports say.&nbsp;

Cambridge Analytical announced its shut down amid reports of providing ad targeting expertise for Trump's campaign based on data it got from Cambridge psychology professor Aleksandr Kogan, who gathered the data on as many as 87 million Facebook users using a quiz app.&nbsp;

Kogan thereafter sold the data - violating Facebook's terms and services.&nbsp;

Cambridge Analytica said earlier this month it was shutting down after losing clients and facing mounting legal fees.&nbsp;

Cambridge Analytica was created around 2013, initially with a focus on US&nbsp;elections, with $15 million in backing from billionaire Republican donor Robert Mercer and a name chosen by future Trump White House adviser Steve Bannon, the New York Times has reported. Bannon left the White House on August 2017. 
&nbsp;

As per reports, the investigation is in the primary stages and no details have yet been given out about the firm's involvement in the 2016 presidential elections

The Department of Justice and the FBI have started investigating the data mining firm Cambridge Analytica which had announced its shut down last month due to the Facebook scandal. As per reports, the investigation is in the primary stages and no details have yet been given out about the firm's involvement in the 2016 presidential elections. Prosecutors have sought to question former Cambridge Analytica employees and banks that handled its business, the newspaper said, citing an American official and others familiar with the inquiry, The investigation is also looking into the company’s financial history, in particular, its relationship to certain banks, and how it may have used the data it gathered from Facebook and other online sources, reports say. Cambridge Analytical announced its shut down amid reports of providing ad targeting expertise for Trump's campaign based on data it got from Cambridge psychology professor Aleksandr Kogan, who gathered the data on as many as 87 million Facebook users using a quiz app. Kogan thereafter sold the data - violating Facebook's terms and services. Cambridge Analytica said earlier this month it was shutting down after losing clients and facing mounting legal fees. Cambridge Analytica was created around 2013, initially with a focus on US elections, with $15 million in backing from billionaire Republican donor Robert Mercer and a name chosen by future Trump White House adviser Steve Bannon, the New York Times has reported. Bannon left the White House on August 2017.

US Department of Justice, FBI begin investigating Cambridge Analytica following its shutdown

United States President Donald Trump has branded the lawsuit filed by the Democratic Party a "good news" and has sought the documents held by the "Pakistani mystery man", DNC Server, Debbie Wasserman Schultz Servers and Clinton emails to counter it.

"This can be good news in that we will now counter for the DNC Server that they refused to give to the FBI, the Wendy Wasserman Schultz Servers and Documents held by the Pakistani mystery man and Clinton Emails," President Trump, a Republican, said in a tweet.

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Just heard the Campaign was sued by the Obstructionist Democrats. This can be good news in that we will now counter for the DNC Server that they refused to give to the FBI, the Debbie Wasserman Schultz Servers and Documents held by the Pakistani mystery man and Clinton Emails.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/987470932989050881?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 20, 2018</a></blockquote>
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President Trump's Pakistani mystery man is Imran Awan, who along with his brother Abid Awan, and five other family members and associates, is at the heart of the brewing IT Scandal which has put Congressional Data at risk.

Awan, a former IT aide to Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, who investigators concluded, made "unauthorized access" to House servers.

They worked as shared IT employees for 44 House Democrats and had access to the House members' sensitive data, including emails, calendars, constituents' data, and personal files, despite having little to no IT experience, according to the local media reports.

Awan's father Haji Ashraf Awan was giving data to Pakistan, alleged the father's ex-business partner, adding that Imran bragged he had the power to "change the U.S. president," the New York based Epoch Times reports.

Imran began working for the House of Representatives in 2004. The Epoch Times reports that most members of his immediate family are also working as IT aides to Democrats in the House of Representatives.

According to the report, inspector general, Michael Ptasienski, testified this month that "system administrators hold the 'keys to the kingdom' meaning they can create accounts, grant access, view, download, update, or delete almost any electronic information within an office. Because of this high-level access, a rogue system administrator could inflict considerable damage."

The president's tweet came hours after the DNC filed a multimillion-dollar lawsuit against the Russian government, the Trump Campaign and the anti-secrecy website WikiLeaks.

That lawsuit alleges that the defendants conspired to disrupt the 2016 presidential election and undermine Hillary Clinton's Campaign by hacking the DNC's servers and disseminating stolen information.&nbsp

United States President Donald Trump has branded the lawsuit filed by the Democratic Party a 'good news' and has sought the documents held by the 'Pakistani mystery man', DNC Server, Debbie Wasserman Schultz Servers and Clinton emails to counter it

United States President Donald Trump has branded the lawsuit filed by the Democratic Party a "good news" and has sought the documents held by the "Pakistani mystery man", DNC Server, Debbie Wasserman Schultz Servers and Clinton emails to counter it. "This can be good news in that we will now counter for the DNC Server that they refused to give to the FBI, the Wendy Wasserman Schultz Servers and Documents held by the Pakistani mystery man and Clinton Emails," President Trump, a Republican, said in a tweet. Just heard the Campaign was sued by the Obstructionist Democrats. This can be good news in that we will now counter for the DNC Server that they refused to give to the FBI, the Debbie Wasserman Schultz Servers and Documents held by the Pakistani mystery man and Clinton Emails. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 20, 2018 × President Trump's Pakistani mystery man is Imran Awan, who along with his brother Abid Awan, and five other family members and associates, is at the heart of the brewing IT Scandal which has put Congressional Data at risk. Awan, a former IT aide to Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, who investigators concluded, made "unauthorized access" to House servers. They worked as shared IT employees for 44 House Democrats and had access to the House members' sensitive data, including emails, calendars, constituents' data, and personal files, despite having little to no IT experience, according to the local media reports. Awan's father Haji Ashraf Awan was giving data to Pakistan, alleged the father's ex-business partner, adding that Imran bragged he had the power to "change the U.S. president," the New York based Epoch Times reports. Imran began working for the House of Representatives in 2004. The Epoch Times reports that most members of his immediate family are also working as IT aides to Democrats in the House of Representatives. According to the report, inspector general, Michael Ptasienski, testified this month that "system administrators hold the 'keys to the kingdom' meaning they can create accounts, grant access, view, download, update, or delete almost any electronic information within an office. Because of this high-level access, a rogue system administrator could inflict considerable damage." The president's tweet came hours after the DNC filed a multimillion-dollar lawsuit against the Russian government, the Trump Campaign and the anti-secrecy website WikiLeaks. That lawsuit alleges that the defendants conspired to disrupt the 2016 presidential election and undermine Hillary Clinton's Campaign by hacking the DNC's servers and disseminating stolen information.

Trump seeks 'documents held' by Pakistani man to counter Democrats' lawsuit

US&nbspPresident Donald Trump's longtime personal lawyer whose offices and home were raided last week will ask a judge to limit federal prosecutors'&nbspability to review seized documents at a hearing which adult film star Stormy Daniels is expected to attend.

Michael Cohen, who prosecutors revealed last week is under criminal investigation, has asked the court to give his own lawyers the first look at the seized materials so they can identify documents that are protected by attorney-client privilege.&nbsp

Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, plans to attend Monday's hearing, her lawyer Michael Avenatti, said on Sunday. She is engaged in a legal battle with Cohen over a $130,000 agreement for her to keep quiet about a 2006 sexual encounter she says she had with Trump.

In a court filing Sunday night, lawyers for Trump asked to be allowed to review documents that in any way relate to the president.&nbsp

Lawyers for Cohen appeared without their client at a hearing Friday before US&nbspDistrict Judge Kimba Wood in Manhattan federal court. The judge ordered that Cohen himself be present Monday so that he could answer questions about his clients.

In a court filing Monday morning, Cohen's lawyers argued that Cohen should not be required to turn over the names. They said that Cohen had at least 10 clients in 2017 and 2018, and that he did "traditional legal tasks" for three of them, including

Trump, Republican fundraiser Elliott Broidy and a third who asked not to be named.

Cohen arranged a $1.6-million payment to secure the silence of a former Playboy model who said she became pregnant by Broidy, a person familiar with the matter said Friday.

Cohen did not respond to a request for comment.&nbsp

Last week's raids came after a "months-long" investigation of possible crimes related largely to Cohen`s business dealings, rather than his work as a lawyer, prosecutors said in a court filing on Friday.

A source familiar with the raids said last week that the information FBI agents were seeking included information about payments to Daniels.&nbsp

The raids were based partly on a referral by the Office of Special Counsel, Robert Mueller who is investigating possible collusion between Trump's 2016 presidential campaign and Russia, according to court filings.

Trump has called Mueller's probe a "witch hunt" and denied any collusion.

Todd Harrison, a lawyer for Cohen, said at Friday`s hearing that "thousands" of documents seized were likely privileged, and that many related to clients other than Trump.

Prosecutors have asked that the seized documents be reviewed for attorney-client privilege by a "filter team" of lawyers within their own office, who would be walled off from the main prosecution team. The use of filter teams is standard in federal criminal investigations.

Wood ordered Cohen`s lawyers to be ready with a list of Cohen`s clients on Monday to support their argument.

Wood is also expected to hear from a lawyer representing Trump. Joanna Hendon appeared for the president at Friday`s hearing, telling Wood that Trump had "an acute interest" in the handling of the seized materials. She argued in Sunday`s court filing that a Chinese wall in the prosecutor`s office was not enough in the "highly politicized, even fevered, atmosphere" around the probe.

Avenatti, Daniels'&nbsplawyer, said at Friday`s hearing that he had "every reason to believe" that some documents seized from Cohen related to his client. Cohen has acknowledged paying Daniels $130,000 in 2016.&nbsp

Michael Cohen, who prosecutors revealed last week is under criminal investigation, has asked the court to give his own lawyers the first look at the seized materials so they can identify documents that are protected by attorney-client privilege

US&nbspPresident Donald Trump's longtime personal lawyer whose offices and home were raided last week will ask a judge to limit federal prosecutors'&nbspability to review seized documents at a hearing which adult film star Stormy Daniels is expected to attend. Michael Cohen, who prosecutors revealed last week is under criminal investigation, has asked the court to give his own lawyers the first look at the seized materials so they can identify documents that are protected by attorney-client privilege. Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, plans to attend Monday's hearing, her lawyer Michael Avenatti, said on Sunday. She is engaged in a legal battle with Cohen over a $130,000 agreement for her to keep quiet about a 2006 sexual encounter she says she had with Trump. In a court filing Sunday night, lawyers for Trump asked to be allowed to review documents that in any way relate to the president. Lawyers for Cohen appeared without their client at a hearing Friday before US&nbspDistrict Judge Kimba Wood in Manhattan federal court. The judge ordered that Cohen himself be present Monday so that he could answer questions about his clients. In a court filing Monday morning, Cohen's lawyers argued that Cohen should not be required to turn over the names. They said that Cohen had at least 10 clients in 2017 and 2018, and that he did "traditional legal tasks" for three of them, including Trump, Republican fundraiser Elliott Broidy and a third who asked not to be named. Cohen arranged a $1.6-million payment to secure the silence of a former Playboy model who said she became pregnant by Broidy, a person familiar with the matter said Friday. Cohen did not respond to a request for comment. Last week's raids came after a "months-long" investigation of possible crimes related largely to Cohen`s business dealings, rather than his work as a lawyer, prosecutors said in a court filing on Friday. A source familiar with the raids said last week that the information FBI agents were seeking included information about payments to Daniels. The raids were based partly on a referral by the Office of Special Counsel, Robert Mueller who is investigating possible collusion between Trump's 2016 presidential campaign and Russia, according to court filings. Trump has called Mueller's probe a "witch hunt" and denied any collusion. Todd Harrison, a lawyer for Cohen, said at Friday`s hearing that "thousands" of documents seized were likely privileged, and that many related to clients other than Trump. Prosecutors have asked that the seized documents be reviewed for attorney-client privilege by a "filter team" of lawyers within their own office, who would be walled off from the main prosecution team. The use of filter teams is standard in federal criminal investigations. Wood ordered Cohen`s lawyers to be ready with a list of Cohen`s clients on Monday to support their argument. Wood is also expected to hear from a lawyer representing Trump. Joanna Hendon appeared for the president at Friday`s hearing, telling Wood that Trump had "an acute interest" in the handling of the seized materials. She argued in Sunday`s court filing that a Chinese wall in the prosecutor`s office was not enough in the "highly politicized, even fevered, atmosphere" around the probe. Avenatti, Daniels'&nbsplawyer, said at Friday`s hearing that he had "every reason to believe" that some documents seized from Cohen related to his client. Cohen has acknowledged paying Daniels $130,000 in 2016.

Trump lawyer Cohen expected at court hearing, Stormy Daniels to attend

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