The Daily 202: New coalition aims to improve Democratic messaging against Trump
-- Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke has identified himself as a geologist to bolster his credibility, but he has never worked as a geologist. CNN’s Sara Ganim reports: “Since becoming leader of the 70,000-employee agency, Zinke has suggested that he was a geologist or former geologist at least 40 times in public settings, including many under oath before Congress. … Zinke, however, has never held a job as a geologist. In his autobiography, Zinke wrote that he majored in geology at the University of Oregon, which he attended on a football scholarship, and chose his major at random. … [O]nce Zinke retired as a [Navy] SEAL he went into business and politics, never mentioning work in the field of geology.”
-- U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer spent nearly $1 million to furnish the two trade offices near the White House. From the New York Post’s Marisa Schultz: “That’s a significant increase compared to the last two trade reps. Ron Kirk, [Obama’s] first trade ambassador, spent $237,000 on office furniture during the first 15 months of his term. His successor, Ambassador Michael Froman, spent $151,000 during a comparable time span, records show. When asked about the spending spree, Lighthizer’s office pointed the finger at the Obama administration. ‘The furniture purchases are the culmination of a longtime, planned project that began under the Obama Administration to replace two-decade-old furniture,’ Lighthizer’s office said in a statement. … But Obama-era reps say they didn’t sign off on any major remodeling plans.”
- Rep. Blake Farenthold (R-Tex.) abruptly resigned earlier this month because the House Ethics Committee was about to rule against him in a sexual harassment investigation. Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Calif.) said the committee was also going to announce it had concluded Farenthold used official money for campaign purposes and lied in committee testimony. (HuffPost)
- The Sacramento Police Department released dozens of videos related to last month’s shooting of Stephon Clark, the unarmed black man who was fatally shot in his grandmother’s backyard. The new material shows officers muting their body cameras at least 16 times, raising additional questions about police actions in the final moments of Clark’s life. (Alex Horton)
-- EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt upgraded his official car last year to a larger, customized SUV, complete with bullet-resistant covers over bucket seats. Juliet Eilperin and Brady Dennis report: “Recent EPA administrators have traveled in a Chevrolet Tahoe, and agency officials had arranged for Pruitt to use the same vehicle when he joined the administration in February. But he switched to a larger, newer and more high-end Chevy Suburban last June. One former EPA official ... said that Pruitt remarked that he wanted the larger car because it was similar to ones in which some other Cabinet officials rode. The first year’s lease of the vehicle cost $10,200, according to federal contracting records.”
-- Pruitt stayed at a luxury Colorado hotel on the dime of a home builders group affected by a regulation the EPA was unwinding. Politico’s Lorraine Woellert reports: “During his visit to Colorado Springs, Pruitt gave a speech to the builders and invited them to EPA headquarters in Washington, where he later told his staff to regard them as the agency’s ‘customers,’ the head of the group [said]. The $409.12 hotel stay may have met federal legal requirements if EPA’s ethics officers had approved it ahead of time. But it’s likely to add to the storm of ethics controversies surrounding Pruitt … ”
-- Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) announced that he will refuse to allow a floor vote on bipartisan legislation to protect Mueller. “I’m the one who decides what we take to the floor. That is my responsibility as the majority leader. And we’ll not be having this on the floor of the Senate,” he said on Fox News last night. “McConnell’s statement comes barely a week after Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa) said the panel would take up and vote on the measure during a business meeting April 26,” Karoun Demirjian and Sean Sullivan report. "[In] the Fox interview, [McConnell] questioned why Congress would expend effort on trying to get a bill passed that the president was unlikely to sign.” “There’s no indication that Mueller’s going to be fired … and just as a practical matter, even if we passed it, why would he sign it?” he said, calling the legislation “not necessary.”
-- Missouri Attorney General and Senate candidate Josh Hawley announced his office had found evidence of a probable felony committed by embattled Gov. Eric Greitens (R). Kurt Shillinger reports: “Hawley said Tuesday that he found evidence that Greitens, during his run for governor, had ‘obtained, transmitted and used’ the donor list of his charity for the purpose of political fundraising without the organization’s knowledge. ‘I do think this evidence would likely support the finding of probable cause that a crime was committed again,’ Hawley said Tuesday in a news conference, adding that a crime would be grounds for impeachment as well.”
-- Rep. Charlie Dent (R-Pa.), who had already announced his retirement, said he will resign and leave Congress within weeks — potentially setting up a costly special election. Mike DeBonis and David Weigel report: “Pennsylvania election law requires the governor to issue a writ of election within 10 days of a vacancy, with an election to follow ‘not less than sixty days’ later. Although the election could be held during ‘the next ensuing primary or municipal election,’ Pennsylvania’s primary will be held May 15 — before any special election could be called.” Dent's swing seat is a prime pickup opportunity for Democrats.
-- McConnell voiced strong opposition to the White House's call for cutting billions of dollars from the massive spending bill passed last month. From Erica Werner: “McConnell said last week that he thought a possible rescission package was worth discussing, but in a Fox News Channel interview Tuesday he came out strongly against it. Aides have said the White House is looking to pare back $30 billion to $60 billion in spending from the ‘omnibus’ bill. ‘Well, he agreed to it, you know. He was involved in the negotiation and signed the bill,’ McConnell said of Trump. ‘You can’t make an agreement one month and say, ‘Okay, we really didn’t mean it.'”
-- The Koch-backed LIBRE Initiative and Freedom Partners Chamber of Commerce are launching a seven-figure national ad campaign calling for a permanent solution for “dreamers.” The president of the LIBRE Initiative said in a statement, “ ... The Dreamers are among our best and brightest. … Washington must come together and approve a bipartisan solution that provides certainty for Dreamers and security improvements along our border.” (I wrote earlier this month about the Koch network’s frustration with GOP inaction on Capitol Hill.)
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