Trump news – latest: Trump Organization jury selected as Jan 6 panel plans to interview Secret Service agents

Ex-president to campaign for midterms with incumbents and newcomers whom he has endorsed

Donald Trump interrupted by crowd singing national anthem at rally

A jury has been selected for the upcoming trial of the Trump Organization, which has been indicted for allegedly perpetrating a massive tax fraud scheme. Prosecutors noted the difficulty in choosing a fair jury in Manhattan, where the former president is especially unpopular.

The company, which denies the allegations, has already seen its former CFO Allen Weisselberg plead guilty.

Meanwhile, as Donald Trump’s attorneys take receipt of the January 6 select committee’s subpoena compelling the former president to turn over documents and appear before its members, reports say that the panel is planning to call key Secret Service agents to testify as to what happened in the days leading up to the attack on the US Capitol.

In the course of the summer, it became clear that the service had lost or deleted messages exchanged between staff on the day of the riot and before it despite having been instructed to preserve them. The official explanation of how and why they were wiped has shifted over the last months, but at least some have been recovered.

Key points

• Jury selected in Trump Organization frud trial, despite difficulties in anti-Trump Manhattan
• Capitol riot committee seeking Secret Service testimony
• Jan 6 rioter sentenced for dragging officer Michael Fanone into Capitol riot mob
• Trump attorneys receive Jan 6 committee subpoena
• Trump shares Megyn Kelly rant blasting DeSantis’s 2024 chances

[27 October 2022 22:45 · Oliver O'Connell]

IRS can turn over Trump tax returns to House committee, appeals court rules

CNN reports that the House Ways and Means Committee can now receive former President Donald Trump’s IRS tax returns in one week after a federal appeals court on Thursday declined Mr Trump’s request to stop their release.

The former president could still appeal to the Supreme Court to intervene.

A three-judge panel on the DC Circuit Court of Appeals decided they won’t put the handover of the former president’s tax returns on hold after the full appeals court rejected Mr Trump’s request that they review an earlier decision allowing for the release of the returns.

[27 October 2022 23:30 · Oliver O'Connell]

Trump will be person most worried by DeSantis display of Maga meanness

The Florida governor shows he has bigger political ambitions, writes Andrew Buncombe.

[28 October 2022 00:30 · Oliver O'Connell]

ICYMI: Woodward makes rare barbed attacked on Trump

Longtime Washington Post journalist Bob Woodward, who made his career during coverage of the Watergate scandal, has made critical comments about former President Donald Trump, calling him “an unparallelled danger”.

Gustaf Kilander reports.

[28 October 2022 01:30 · Oliver O'Connell]

Trump pressed Arizona GOP Senate candidate to keep pushing ‘big lie’

A clip from new Tucker Carlson documentary on Arizona GOP Senate candidate Blake Masters’ campaign shows former President Donald Trump urging Mr Masters to more forcefully peddle the myth that the 2020 presidential election was stolen.

Abe Asher has the story.

[28 October 2022 02:30 · Oliver O'Connell]

Cheney predicts Trump would ‘shatter’ GOP into two parties if he wins 2024 nomination

Liz Cheney has a dire outlook for the GOP if Donald Trump were to run for president and win the party’s nomination in 2024.

The conservative Wyoming congresswoman says the divides in her party are too deep to endure another run by the ex-president. Speaking on Meet the Press this past Sunday, she warned that they would be stressed to their breaking points should he do so.

John Bowden reports on Ms Cheney’s remarks.

[28 October 2022 03:30 · Oliver O'Connell]

Trump: Woodward had ‘no right’ to release recordings of their conversations

Donald Trump took to Truth Social on Tuesday lunchtime to complain about veteran journalist Bob Woodward’s recent release of his recorded conversations with the former president.

Here’s what he said:

[28 October 2022 04:30 · Oliver O'Connell]

Trump’s valet becomes target of Mar-a-Lago documents probe

The Department of Justice investigation into whether former president Donald Trump violated laws prohibiting unauthorised retention of national defence information and obstruction of justice has reportedly zeroed in on a US Navy veteran.

The veteran is Walt Nauta, who served as Mr Trump’s White House valet and remained in the ex-president’s employ after the end of his term.

Andrew Feinberg reports.

[28 October 2022 06:15 · Oliver O'Connell]

Former Trump aide Hope Hicks interviewed by Jan 6 panel

The House January 6 committee has interviewed Hope Hicks, a longtime aide to former President Donald Trump, according to a person familiar with the meeting.

Tuesday’s interview came as the investigation is winding down and as the panel has subpoenaed Trump for an interview in the coming weeks. The person requested anonymity to discuss the closed-door meeting.

Read on:

[28 October 2022 08:15 · Oliver O'Connell]

Justice Thomas and DeSantis met day before Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade, emails show

A government accountability group has revealed that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis met with Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas the day before the Supreme Court announced its ruling that overturned Roe v Wade.

The organisation, American Oversight, made a Freedom of Information Act request for Supreme Court emails with the Republican governor and potential 2024 presidential candidate’s office.

Eric Garcia has the story.

[28 October 2022 10:15 · Oliver O'Connell]

Tension in US intel community highlighted by withdrawal of 2020 election study

As US spy agencies ramped up their work to catch foreign meddling in this year’s election, a team of CIA experts studied lessons learned from the contentious 2020 vote.

Unexpectedly, their report sparked controversy within parts of the intelligence community.