FEDERAL GRAND JURY INVESTIGATES GOP FUNDRAISER

» A federal grand jury

N E WYORK in New York is investigating top Republican fundraiser Elliott Broidy, examining whether he used his position as vice chair of President Donald Trump’s inaugural committee to drum up business deals with foreign leaders, according to documents obtained by The Associated Press and people familiar with the matter.

A wide-ranging subpoena the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Brooklyn recently sent to Trump’s inaugural committee seeks records relating to 20 individuals and businesses. All have connections to Broidy, his investment and defense contracting firms, and foreign officials he pursued deals with — including the current president of Angola and two politicians in Romania.

Prosecutors appear to be investigating whether Broidy exploited his access to Trump for personal gain and violated the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, which makes it illegal for U.S. citizens to offer foreign officials “anything of value” to gain a business advantage. Things of value in this case could have been an invitation to the January 2017 inaugural events or access to Trump.

A statement released to the AP by Broidy’s attorneys said that at no point did Broidy or his global security firm Circinus have a contract or exchange of money with “any Romanian government agency, proxy or agent.” It also said that while Circinus did reach an agreement with Angola in 2016 there was no connection whatsoever to the inauguration or Broidy’s role on the inaugural committee.

Trump administration reviews human rights’ role in U.S. policy.

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SHINGTON» The Trump administration said Monday that it will review the role of human rights in American foreign policy, appointing a commission expected to elevate concerns about religious freedom and abortion.

Human rights groups accused the administration of politicizing foreign policy in a way that could undermine protections for marginalized populations, including the gay, lesbian and transgender community. Democratic senators have raised concerns about the panel’s intent and composition, fearing it would consist of members who “hold views hostile to women’s rights” and blow away existing standards and definitions.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced the creation of the Commission on Unalienable Rights, saying the country must be “vigilant that human rights discourse not be corrupted or hijacked or used for dubious or malignant purposes.” M

MEXICO CIT GREECE» Greece’s exican police, ATHENS, bailout creditors on Monday soldiers and National bluntly rejected calls from the Guard are country’s new conservative government raiding hotels, to ease draconian budget buses and trains conditions agreed as part of to round up migrants, creating its rescue program. scenes of weeping Central

Conservative party leader Kyriakos American mothers piled into Mitsotakis was sworn in as police vans along with their children Greece’s new prime minister and overflowing detention Monday, a day after his resounding centers with deplorable conditions. election victory on campaign pledges to cut taxes and negotiate Such scenes have caused an new terms with international outcry in the United States, but lenders. Euro area finance ministers in Mexico there has been little meeting hours later in Brussels backlash against the government said key targets already of President Andrés Manuel López agreed with Athens would not be Obrador even though his changed. country has historically had a deep sympathy for the plight of migrants.

This sympathy has been eroded LONDON» President Donald by the migrant caravans of late Trump threatened Monday to 2018 and early 2019, which left a cut off contact with Britain’s bad taste in the mouth of Mexicans ambassador to the United States and caused deep divisions after leaked diplomatic cables among pro-migrant groups. López revealed the envoy called the Obrador’s reputation as a Trump administration “dysfunctional” popular leftist has also muted the and “inept.” response to the crackdown. Add

The U.S. leader tweeted about to this the disruption caused by Ambassador Kim Darroch a day migrants in Mexican border cities after a British newspaper published and threats of border closures the diplomat’s unflattering or tariffs from U.S. President assessments of the current Donald Trump, and it has all led administration in Washington. many Mexicans to see the waves

“I do not know the Ambassador, of migrants as a problem. but he is not liked or well Polls say López Obrador’s approval thought of within the US. We rating has held steady at will no longer deal with him,” 66% to 72% despite the crackdown Trump wrote. and reports of brutal conditions at the huge Siglo XXI mi

Greece creditors say no changes in bailout terms for new PM. Trump will “no longer deal” with U.K. envoy who panned him.

grant holding facility on Mexico’s southern border and other centers.

When the first caravan got a warm welcome in October, Mexicans were almost evenly split on whether Mexico should stop migrants from other countries from entering without proper documents, according to an El Universal survey which polled 1,000 people June 3-7 with a margin of error of 3.5 percentage points.

Eight months later, 61.5% supported stopping them and only 33% opposed it, according to the same poll. Even more dramatic was the reversal on giving migrants asylum in Mexico. In October, nearly 48% favored it, while 38% opposed. By June that had flipped, with 57% opposed and 37% favoring.

Even for Mexicans who don’t think Central Americans take jobs from Mexicans or cause increased crime — accusations routinely heard, especially in southern Mexico — there is a sense that too many migrants have come.

“The truth is that it is a problem for everyone. It’s better that they be sent back to their countries,” said Jorge Parada Leon, a Mexico City message delivery worker. “Crossing Mexico the way they do is dangerous, a lot of them have died ... they should fix the problems they have in their home countries.”

Many Mexicans are also angered by the idea that Mexico would contribute money for development aid in Central America.

López Obrador “should focus on the people instead of being compassionate with the migrants who come from other countries,” said Argelia Miranda Vazquez, a government employee. “He should support the (Mexican) people. And the others? Well, let their governments take care of their own people.”

Some have criticized the crackdown. The head of Mexico’s National Immigration Institute, Tonatiuh Guillén, resigned when the crackdown was announced in June to head off Trump’s threat of tariffs on Mexican products. Porfirio Munoz Ledo, the congressional leader of López Obrador’s Morena party, said that “it is morally unacceptable that on one hand we demand they (the U.S.) open the doors for us, but we close them in the faces of Central Americans, in order to do the United States’ dirty work.”

López Obrador acknowledges the crackdown was implemented to avoid U.S. tariffs on Mexican imports threatened by Trump in late May.

“A few days ago we were able to overcome a possible economic and political crisis, by means of an immigration agreement that requires us to be stricter in enforcing immigration laws,” he said. “We have established a relationship of respect and friendship with the people and government of the United States and this has allowed us to avoid confrontation that wouldn’t benefit anyone.”

Even some of the most outspoken defenders of migrants are defending López Obrador’s crackdown on the porous southern border, where migrants from across the world simply wade or ride rafts across rivers marking the border.

Rev. Alejandro Solalinde, who runs a shelter for migrants in the southern Mexico and has fiercely criticized past administrations, said that “someone had to impose order on the border ... everyone was crossing there without the slightest problem.”

Solalinde, who is close to López Obrador, added: “Let’s be clear about this. This isn’t what Andrés Manuel’s administration wanted; it is what it was able to do” in the face of Trump’s threats.

Solalinde blamed a series of four or five immigrant caravans that brought thousands of migrants in 2018 and early 2019 that overwhelmed border cities and wore out an initially warm welcome.

“They were irresponsible in bringing migrants to the northern border and exposing them to risks in such a brutal way. They herded the migrants up to the border and caused a big international problem between the two countries,” Solalinde said.

Irineo Mujica, whose Pueblo Sin Fronteras group helped lead those caravans, now acknowledges the caravans were “used for political purposes” — Trump cited them frequently during the 2018 midterm elections — and says they shouldn’t happen again.