Judges seeking appointments to the federal bench, wealthy Republicans hoping for ambassadorships and criminals who wanted pardons were among the big spenders at Donald Trump’s Washington, D.

After days of no direct talks between Joe Biden and congressional leaders, many lawmakers have been grappling with a potential crisis that could reach beyond the results of the presidential election.

Democrats have introduced legislation that would prohibit U.S. officials from accepting money, payments or gifts from foreign governments without congressional consent.

The House impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden is winding down as Republicans have yet to find hard evidence of presidential wrongdoing.

Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis is refusing to condemn Elon Musk’s post endorsing an antisemitic conspiracy theory.

House Republicans repeatedly used the word “brand” at their opening impeachment inquiry as a shorthand to allege that Hunter Biden was selling access to his family’s power and connections when he pursued lucrative business dealings.

House Republicans have spent more than six hours making their case for pursuing an impeachment inquiry against President Joe Biden.

The ranking Democrat on the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Reform is asking the Republican chair in charge to refer former Washington Commanders owner Dan Snyder to the Department of Justice for lying under oath.

House Democrats are demanding the release of a transcript from a new FBI witness, saying it contradicts Republicans’ claims in the vast congressional inquiry into President Joe Biden’s son, Hunter.

The Republican chairman of the House Oversight Committee has called off a vote that would move forward with holding FBI Director Christopher Wray in contempt of Congress.

The House Oversight chairman says he plans to move forward with holding FBI Director Christopher Wray in contempt of Congress.

The FBI has offered to show top lawmakers next week a bureau document that purports to relate to President Joe Biden and his family following weeks of demands by congressional Republicans and a contempt threat against Director Christopher Wray.

Maryland Rep. David Trone says he will run for the U.S. Senate seat that will be open with the retirement of Sen. Ben Cardin.

Republicans have opened a new inquiry with a brazen attempt to portray the federal government as weaponized against Americans.

The Republican-held House has launched the first salvo in what could be a long-running feud with the District of Columbia over self-government in the nation’s capital.

House Republicans have begun their promised aggressive oversight of the Biden administration.

Rep. James Comer has a balancing act ahead of him as the new chairman of the powerful House Oversight and Accountability Committee.

Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin says he has a type of lymphoma that is a “serious but curable form of cancer” and he is beginning several months of treatment.

It took less than a day for the Jan. 6 report to go from public unveiling to the bestseller list on Amazon.

The House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack has referred Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy and three other GOP lawmakers to undergo an ethics investigation for their refusal to comply with congressional subpoenas.

The House committee investigating the Capitol riot is set to make its final case to the American people about the unprecedented effort by Donald Trump to overturn the presidential election that he lost in 2020 and why the Justice Department should pursue criminal charges in connection to that effort.

Joe Biden wasn't the first choice of progressives for the White House in 2020.

A Capitol Police Sergeant born in the Dominican Republic says that it is a pity that an immigrant like him denounces the assault carried out by thousands of supporters of former President Donald Trump on Jan. 6 2021 while politicians and others born in the United States remain silent.

A new research report says the conservative TV channel Newsmax is presenting viewers with an “alternate universe” of how the deadly siege at the U.S. Capitol unfolded on Jan. 6, 2021.

At its seventh hearing, the House Jan. 6 panel on Tuesday showed further evidence that President Donald Trump was told, repeatedly, that his claims of election fraud were false — but that he continued to push them anyway.

Morning 4 is a quick roundup of stories we think you should know about to start your day.

In a heated, “unhinged” dispute, Donald Trump fought objections from his White House lawyers to a plan, eventually discarded, to seize states' voting machines, the House Jan. 6 committee has revealed.

New footage of former President Donald Trump and his inner circle taken both before and after Jan. 6, 2021, is now in the possession of the House committee investigating the deadly attack on the Capitol.

ABC took home the crown as television's top-rated network last week behind two games of the NBA Finals series between the Golden State Warriors and Boston Celtics.

Donald Trump was told over and over again: There was no voting fraud that could have tipped the 2020 presidential election.

The Jan. 6 congressional hearings are being held with the help of a big-time television producer, and dramatic revelations have been promised.

The House has voted to hold former Trump advisers Peter Navarro and Dan Scavino in contempt of Congress over their monthslong refusal to comply with subpoenas from the committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.

The House Oversight Committee is demanding the Justice Department provide answers about whether Biden administration officials plan to procure the drug used in federal executions despite an ongoing moratorium on capital punishment.

U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland is working on a memoir in which he will reflect on the Jan. 6 siege of the Capitol and the tragedy he suffered a week earlier when his 25-year-old son Tommy killed himself.

In its new report, the Michigan ACLU accuses the Michigan Branch of Customs and Border Protection of “blatant racial profiling” and making people of Latino or Hispanic descent a “primary suspect.”

Some local Republican Party officials in Wyoming have announced that they will no longer recognize Liz Cheney as a party member because of her vote to impeach Donald Trump.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is acting swiftly to launch a new investigation of the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.

It may not be definitive — majority Democrats might try overriding an opinion they don't like. The House plans to vote Friday on its version of the relief bill, which includes the minimum wage increase. She listens to all the evidence,” Sanders, the independent Vermont senator and chief sponsor of the minimum wage proposal, said in a recent interview. AdIf MacDonough decides the minimum wage hike should remain in the bill, it would likely survive because GOP opponents would need an unachievable 60 votes to remove it. But they might choose the rarely utilized, hardball tactic of having the presiding officer, presumably Harris, ignore her and announce that the minimum wage language meets the test to stay in the overall legislation.

Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., walks on Capitol Hill after the Senate acquitted former President Donald Trump in his second impeachment trial in the Senate at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Saturday, Feb. 13, 2021. Trump was accused of inciting the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, and the acquittal gives him a historic second victory in the court of impeachment. Investigations into the riot were already planned, with Senate hearings scheduled later this month in the Senate Rules Committee. We needed more senators with spines.”AdMcConnell told Republican senators shortly before the vote that he would vote to acquit Trump. Beutler's statement late Friday that Trump rebuffed a plea from House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy to call off the rioters was ultimately entered into the trial record.

LANSING, Mich. – Enough senators have cast “not guilty” votes Saturday to acquit Donald Trump of inciting the deadly Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Protest moves inside Michigan Capitol. Lots of Michigan State Police and House sergeants at arms blocking door. pic.twitter.com/4FNQpimP4W — Rod Meloni (@RodMeloni) April 30, 2020“The Michigan State House was effectively a state-level dress rehearsal for the seizure of the U.S. Capitol,” said Rep. Jamie Raskin. Livonia Sen. Dayna Polehanki’s photo of armed men in the Michigan State Senate Gallery is now official record of American history.

___HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP'S SECOND SENATE IMPEACHMENT TRIAL:The Senate met in a rare weekend session to wrap up Donald Trump’s second impeachment trial. He joked: “We’re going to Disney World!”AdThe vote on Trump’s impeachment was 57-43, with seven Republicans joining all Democrats to vote for Trump’s conviction. 3:55Seven Republicans have voted to convict former President Donald Trump at his Senate impeachment trial. The proceedings in former President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial have come to an abrupt halt, with senators seemingly confused about the next steps. AdClosing arguments are expected Saturday in the impeachment trial against former President Donald Trump.

In this image from video, a video from Donald Trump is shown to senators as House impeachment manager Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., speaks during the second impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump in the Senate at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2021. To get a conviction Democrats would need a minimum of 17 Republicans to vote with them. With an impeachment vote expected Saturday afternoon a report detailing a phone call with former president Donald Trump and a top Republican about the Capitol rioters has emerged. There is new information about a phone call involving Trump during the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol. AdSources tell CNN the call turned into a shouting match with Trump saying the rioters cared more about the election than McCarthy did.

In this image from video, House impeachment manager Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., speaks about the motion to call witnesses during the second impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump in the Senate at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Saturday, Feb. 13, 2021. Coming amid the searing COVID-19 crisis, the Biden White House is trying to rush pandemic relief through Congress. Most of them ultimately voted to acquit, doubting whether Trump was fully responsible or if impeachment is the appropriate response. Within a week Biden was inaugurated, Trump was gone and Pelosi sent the article of impeachment to the Senate days later, launching the proceedings. At the same time, this year's trial carried similar warnings from the prosecutors that Trump must be held accountable because he has shown repeatedly he has no bounds.

Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., walks on Capitol Hill in Washington, Friday, Feb. 12, 2021, after the fourth day of the second impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump. AdGoodman has been in the chamber for much of the impeachment trial, in which House Democrats are charging that former President Donald Trump incited the Jan. 6 insurrection. Senators are submitting written questions to the prosecution and the defense in the impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump. But he's made a comeback as one of Donald Trump's lawyers at the former president's impeachment trial. AdHe's getting a chance to make a different impression when he begins to present Trump’s defense on Friday.

In this image from video, a video from Donald Trump is shown to senators as House impeachment manager Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., speaks during the second impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump in the Senate at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2021. (Senate Television via AP)Watch live coverage of former President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial as the Senate considers whether he can be held responsible for the Capitol riots. According to court documents, the FBI received a tip that Mels was at the Capitol during the attack. After searching the man’s phone, the FBI found several photos from inside the Capitol, including a selfie of Mels. Mels said he was led inside the Capitol by a friend that day.

More than three weeks removed from the White House, Donald Trump's voice is again permeating the nation's capital — but not on his terms. AdStill, he argued that if Trump had access to Twitter, he would likely dig himself deeper into trouble. But Trump was quickly snapped out of that disengagement Tuesday as he watched the trial's opening arguments unfold. Trump's team and allies have assured him that he has more than enough Republican votes to acquit him of the Democrats’ charge that he incited the insurrection on Jan. 6. Trump is not expected to make any changes to his team, though David Schoen is expected to take the central role.

From left, David Schoen, Bruce Castor and Michael van der Veen, lawyers for former President Donald Trump, arrive at the Capitol on the third day of the second impeachment trial of Trump in the Senate, Thursday, Feb. 11, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)WASHINGTON – The Latest on former President Donald Trump's second Senate impeachment trial (all times local):4:30 p.m.House Democrats prosecuting President Donald Trump’s impeachment have wrapped up their opening arguments. Read more:— Trial highlights: Harrowing footage, focus on Trump’s words— ‘Distressing and emotional’: Senators relive horror of riotAd— Did someone say impeachment? ___2 p.m.Lawyers for former president Donald Trump are planning to begin and wrap up their defense in his impeachment trial in less than a day, using far fewer than their allotted argument hours. The rules for the trial gave both sides two days for arguments, lasting up to eight hours each day.

Since losing the November election to President Joe Biden, Trump has been hemorrhaging attorneys. Trump's impeachment lawyers started off their defense by misspelling the words “United States” in their brief. Navarro told The Associated Press that he “warned the president that his legal team was going to fail him." Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana said Trump’s team did a “terrible job." AdBut after impeachment, Trump's legal needs will likely accelerate, with the investigations in New York, Georgia and possibly Washington, D.C., where prosecutors will have the power of subpoena.

(Senate Television via AP)WASHINGTON – The Latest on former President Donald Trump's second Senate impeachment trial (all times local):8:20 p.m.House Democrats have wrapped up their first full day of arguments at the historic second impeachment trial of Donald Trump. The impeachment trial is set to resume at noon Thursday. Lisa Murkowski and Mitt Romney say they are deeply disturbed by the evidence shown by Democrats against former President Donald Trump at his second impeachment trial. Prosecutors at Trump’s impeachment trial on Wednesday played security footage from inside the Capitol on Jan. 6. ___2:20 p.m.Democrats are arguing that former President Donald Trump “built” the mob that attacked the Capitol.

In this image from video, House impeachment manager Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., speaks during the second impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump in the Senate at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2021. (Senate Television via AP)Opening arguments will begin Wednesday in Donald Trump’s impeachment trial after an emotional first day that wrenched senators and the nation back to the deadly Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Watch live coverage starting at 11 a.m. Wednesday right here -- the Senate convenes at noon. Their arguments were meandering at times, leaving Trump fuming over his lawyers’ performance and allies questioning the defense strategy. Trump is the first president to face impeachment trial after leaving office and the first to be twice impeached.

In this image from video, a security video shows Vice President Mike Pence being evacuated as rioters breach the Capitol, as House impeachment manager Del. Stacey Plaskett, D-Virgin Islands, speaks during the second impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump in the Senate at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2021. Ad“On Jan. 6, President Trump left everyone in this Capitol for dead,” said Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, a prosecutor. “Greatly disturbing.”Trump is the first president to face an impeachment trial after leaving office and the first to be twice impeached. Trump's second impeachment trial is expected to diverge from the lengthy, complicated affair of a year ago.

In this image from video, House impeachment manager Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., pauses as he speaks during the second impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump in the Senate at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2021. But it was recalling what she said to him next, after he assured her nothing like that would happen again, that made Maryland Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin break down. “She said, ’Dad, I don’t want to come back to the Capitol,'” Raskin said softly, squeezing his nose and shaking his head to clear away tears. Trump is the first president to face an impeachment trial after leaving office and the first to be twice impeached. “And then there was a sound I will never forget, the sound of pounding on the door like a battering ram.

While the Democrats have appealed to the senators’ emotions, Trump’s lawyers have tried to tap into raw partisan anger. REPUBLICANS TO WATCHSix Republican senators voted with Democrats on Tuesday not to dismiss the trial on constitutional grounds. AdCassidy was the only one who did not side with Democrats in a similar vote two weeks ago. He said after the vote Tuesday that he thought Democrats had a better argument and that Trump’s team had done a “terrible” job. He said he will watch the additional arguments as an impartial juror and then decide whether to convict.

In this image from video, House impeachment manager Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., pauses as he speaks during the second impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump in the Senate at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2021. But it was recalling what she said to him next, after he assured her nothing like that would happen again, that made Maryland Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin break down. “She said, ’Dad, I don’t want to come back to the Capitol,'” Raskin said softly, squeezing his nose and shaking his head to clear away tears. Trump is the first president to face an impeachment trial after leaving office and the first to be twice impeached. “And then there was a sound I will never forget, the sound of pounding on the door like a battering ram.

(Senate Television via AP)WASHINGTON – The Latest on former President Donald Trump's second Senate impeachment trial (all times local):6:35 p.m.Senate Republicans had sharp criticism for former President Donald Trump’s lawyers after the opening of his second impeachment trial. Many said they didn’t understand Trump’s lawyers’ arguments as they sought to persuade the Senate to dismiss the trial on constitutional grounds. ___4:20 p.m.One of the lawyers heading former President Donald Trump’s defense at his second impeachment trial is conceding that Trump lost the election to Joe Biden, a fact that Trump himself has refused to acknowledge. Ad___1:40 p.m.President Joe Biden is planning to largely ignore the impeachment trial of his predecessor and plans to focus on the nation’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Opening arguments from the House Democrats start Wednesday, and Trump’s lawyers are expected to mount their defense starting on Friday.

In this image from video, David Schoen, an attorney for former President Donald Trump, speaks during the second impeachment trial of Trump in the Senate at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2021. Even Trump’s backers in the Senate winced, several saying his lawyers were not helpful to his case. On the vote, six Republicans joined with Democrats pursue the trial, just one more than on a similar vote last week. Trump's second impeachment trial is expected to diverge from the lengthy, complicated affair of a year ago. This time, Trump's “stop the steal” rally rhetoric and the storming of the Capitol played out for the world to see.

Plaskett couldnt cast a vote last month when the House impeached former President Donald Trump. The non-voting delegate from the Virgin Islands is among the impeachment managers selected by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to argue the case that Trump incited a deadly insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. (Tom Williams/Pool via AP, File)WASHINGTON – Stacey Plaskett couldn't cast a vote last month when the House impeached former President Donald Trump. The non-voting delegate from the Virgin Islands is among the impeachment managers selected by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to argue the case that Trump incited a deadly insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. It's an extraordinary moment that places Plaskett in the center of just the fourth impeachment trial of an American president.

(AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)WASHINGTON – House Democrats asked Donald Trump to testify under oath for his Senate impeachment trial, challenging him to respond to their charge that he incited a violent mob to storm the Capitol. Hours after the Democrats' Thursday request was revealed, Trump adviser Jason Miller dismissed the trial as “an unconstitutional proceeding” and said the former president would not testify. Separately, Trump’s lawyers denounced the request as a “public relations stunt.”AdThe impeachment trial starts Feb. 9. He asked that Trump provide testimony about his conduct “either before or during the Senate impeachment trial,” and under cross-examination, as early as Monday, Feb. 8, and not later than Thursday, Feb. 11. The Senate could vote to subpoena Trump, or any other witnesses, on a simple majority vote during the trial.

(AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)WASHINGTON – House Democrats on Thursday asked Donald Trump to testify under oath for his Senate impeachment trial, challenging him to respond to their charge that he incited a violent mob to storm the Capitol. Hours after the Democrats' request was revealed, Trump adviser Jason Miller dismissed the trial as “an unconstitutional proceeding” and said the former president would not testify. Separately, Trump’s lawyers denounced the request as a “public relations stunt.”AdThe impeachment trial starts Feb. 9. He asked that Trump provide testimony about his conduct “either before or during the Senate impeachment trial,” and under cross-examination, as early as Monday, Feb. 8, and not later than Thursday, Feb. 11. The Senate could vote to subpoena Trump, or any other witnesses, on a simple majority vote during the trial.

WASHINGTON – House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has tapped nine of her most trusted allies in the House to argue the case for President Donald Trump’s impeachment. Pelosi hasn’t yet said when she will send the article of impeachment to the Senate. Colorado Rep. Diana DeGette, another manager, says the nine prosecutors plan to present a serious case and “finish the job” that the House started. REP. TED LIEU, CALIFORNIALieu, who authored the article of impeachment with Cicilline and Raskin, is on the Judiciary and Foreign Affairs panels. She is also a member of the House Judiciary Committee, and is a former lawyer and member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.

After a violent mob launched a deadly insurrection at the U.S. Capitol that forced Raskin and his colleagues to evacuate. the Maryland Democrat and former constitutional law professor is leading the effort to remove President Donald Trump from office for inciting the riot. Now Raskin, a former constitutional law professor, is leading the effort to remove President Donald Trump from office for inciting the riot. And even as many Republicans fought the Democratic effort to remove Trump, Raskin was praised by the GOP for continuing his work during such a challenging moment. Last week's riot at the Capitol began as lawmakers were certifying Biden’s Electoral College victory over Trump.

The House is trying to push the vice president and Cabinet to act even more quickly to remove President Donald Trump from office. Democrats are set to pass a resolution calling on Vice President Mike Pence to invoke constitutional authority under the 25th Amendment to oust Trump. Trump, meanwhile, warned the lawmakers off impeachment and suggested it was the drive to oust him that was dividing the country. Trump faces a single charge — “incitement of insurrection” — in the impeachment resolution after the most serious and deadly domestic incursion at the Capitol in the nation’s history. Trump was impeached by the House in 2019 over dealings with Ukraine and acquitted in 2020 by the Senate.