Lawmakers eye Whitaker, Ivanka and Saudis for separate scrutiny

Pre-holiday Trump-lash

From the Republican side, there was Sen. Rand Paul characterizing President Donald Trump's latest remarks about the Jamal Khashoggi assassination — and Trump's refusal to impose further sanctions — as promoting "Saudi Arabia first."

After Trump defended the alliance with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Paul (R-Ky.), usually a presidential ally, vowed to push legislation to stop Saudi arms sales. Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) slammed the White House as the kingdom's “public relations firm.”

From the Democratic side, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) demanded that the Justice Department's inspector general investigate communications between acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker and the White House for any improper relay of confidential information.

Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.), the incoming House Oversight Committee chairman, said he's prepared to explore Ivanka Trump's use of private emails for government matters.

The president denied any comparison to the Hillary Clinton email flap.

'Enemy of the State'

"Representatives of Saudi Arabia say that Jamal Khashoggi was an 'enemy of the state' and a member of the Muslim Brotherhood," Trump said in a statement Tuesday, "but my decision is in no way based on that."

Both King Salman and the crown prince "vigorously deny any knowledge of the planning or execution of the murder of Mr. Khashoggi," Trump said.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the nation needs Saudi support in efforts to isolate Iran and added, "It's a mean, nasty world out there."

'Charity' meets 'Justice'

In the three years before he joined the Justice Department, Whitaker received more than $1.2 million while heading a confidentially funded charity that reported having no other employees, The Washington Post reports.

As representative of the Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust, Whitaker made regular media appearances targeting liberals and siding with conservative causes. It is organized as a tax-free nonprofit. Whitaker's earnings represented more than a third of all donations the group received from 2014 to 2017 from funding sources whose identities are protected by law, the Post reported.

While Whitaker-related controversies erupt, The New York Times reports that Trump told the White House counsel last spring he wanted the Justice Department to investigate Clinton and former FBI Director James Comey but was rebuffed with warnings of impeachment.

Terrorism persists

The U.S. special envoy for Afghanistan reportedly has been meeting with Taliban representatives in Qatar, seeking a peace plan — so far without success. Russia, too, has been taking steps to pacify the long-simmering violence there.

But news is bleak from the nation. On Tuesday, a suicide bomber targeted a gathering of Islamic scholars in Kabul, killing at least 50 people. Officials said another 83 were wounded, 20 critically.

What else is happening:

• Criticized for declining to visit U.S. troops in war zones, Trump said he will do so soon.
• Rep. Marcia Fudge (D-Ohio) is abandoning the idea of a run against Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi for House speaker.
• Trump's legal team reports that it submitted answers to written questions from special counsel Robert Mueller — after months of posturing over a personal interview.
• Efforts to halt the flow of migrants to the southern border are faltering despite Trump's recent bombast and troop deployments.
• Trump did the traditional turkey pardon at the White House, spiced by a political joke about a vote count.

By Dan Janison

dan.janison@newsday.comDanJanison

Dan Janison is a member of the Newsday editorial board.