Pak resigned over pressure
Byung J. Pak, a former U.S. attorney in Atlanta, told congressional investigators Wednesday his abrupt resignation in January had been prompted by Justice Department officials’ warning that thenPresident Donald Trump intended to fire him for refusing to say widespread voter fraud had been found in Georgia, according to a person familiar with his testimony.
Mr. Pak, who provided more than three hours of closed-door testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee, stepped down with no notice on Jan. 4.
While he did not discuss Mr. Trump’s role in his decision to resign at the time, he told the Senate panel the president had been dismayed that Mr. Pak had investigated allegations of voter fraud in Fulton County, Ga., and not found evidence to support them, according to the person familiar with the statements.
Mr. Pak testified that top department officials had made clear Mr. Trump intended to fire him over his refusal to say the results in Georgia had been undermined by voter fraud, the person said. Resigning would preempt a public dismissal.
Giuliani threw ‘a fake’ for Trump in 2016
Rudy Giuliani’s promise of a “big surprise” to help former President Donald Trump’s election in October 2016 led to Democratic accusations the FBI was feeding him secrets about an investigation of Hillary Clinton.
But a newly obtained transcript shows the former New York mayor told federal agents it was OK to “throw a fake” when campaigning, to which his then-law partner added, “there’s no obligation to tell the truth.”
Mr. Giuliani’s comments came in a 2018 interview with agents for the Justice Department inspector general, conducted in a room at Mr. Trump’s hotel in downtown Washington. The Project on Government Oversight, a government watchdog group, sued for a copy of the interview transcript and provided it to The Washington Post on Wednesday.
Biden to convene democracies summit
President Joe Biden will convene dozens of elected world leaders in December for a virtual summit that celebrates democracy and explores ways like-minded nations can link arms against authoritarianism, fulfilling a campaign promise clouded by the coronavirus pandemic and the legacy of former President Donald Trump.
The event will take place Dec. 9 and 10, and invitations will go out within weeks, a senior administration official said.
“The purpose is really to solicit new and meaningful commitments to defend against authoritarianism, address and fight corruption, and promote respect for human rights both at home and abroad,” said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to provide exclusive details of the summit ahead of an official announcement.
The person would not confirm whether any particular leaders were likely to receive invitations but said the goal was to convene a mix of established democracies and “emerging” ones.