WASHINGTON – Sen. Richard Blumenthal joined two other Senate Democrats on Monday in suing to block Matthew Whitaker from serving as President Donald Trump’s acting attorney general. The lawsuit argues that the Constitution’s Appointments Clause requires that the Senate confirm high-level federal government officials, including the Attorney General, before they exercise the duties of the office.
Jeff Sessions
Posted inJustice, Politics
Blumenthal: Sessions ‘resignation’ a ‘breaking glass’ moment
WASHINGTON – Sen. Richard Blumenthal, who has sponsored legislation aimed at protecting special counsel Bob Mueller, angrily denounced President Donald Trump’s replacement of Attorney General Jeff Session with Matthew Whitaker, a Justice Department employee who thinks Mueller has exceeded his powers.
Posted inPolitics
DeLauro: Splitting immigrant kids from parents is ‘child abuse’
WASHINGTON – At a press conference outside the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, Rep. Rosa DeLauro sought support for her resolution condemning the separation of immigrant children from their parents at the border. DeLauro’s resolution has an uphill climb in a GOP Congress, but her effort amplifies the Democratic outcry over the Trump administration’s “zero tolerance” policy on immigration.
Posted inJustice, Politics
Trump pushes for ‘bump stock’ ban, but Malloy, others skeptical
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump directed Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Tuesday to propose regulations that would ban bump stocks and similar devices “that turn legal weapons into machine guns.” But proponents of stricter federal gun regulations, including Connecticut Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, are skeptical of Trump’s initiative.
Posted inJustice
CT lawmakers ask Sessions if policing money delayed by ‘sanctuary’ policy
WASHINGTON — Connecticut’s lawmakers on Tuesday asked Attorney General Jeff Sessions why the state has not received about $2.6 million in 2017 federal policing grants, suggesting the delay may be the result of “Connecticut’s immigration laws and policies.” “If true, this delay would be illogical and potentially illegal,” the delegation letter said.
Posted inPolitics
Sessions tells Blumenthal he’s had no contact from Mueller in Russia probe
WASHINGTON — Sen. Richard Blumenthal and Attorney General Jeff Sessions played a game of political cat and mouse Wednesday during a Senate Judiciary oversight hearing, with the Democratic senator pressing Sessions on whether he’d been contacted for questioning by special counsel Robert Mueller. Blumenthal finally got a no from Sessions.
Posted inJustice
CT questions Sessions over ‘sanctuary city’ policing grant ban
Connecticut Attorney General George Jepsen on Tuesday asked U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions to clarify new rules requiring that those seeking federal policing money certify they are cooperating with federal immigration authorities. Sens. Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy also have written Sessions over his policy of cracking down on “sanctuary” cities and states by withholding federal law enforcement funds.
Posted inPolitics
Blumenthal: Let Judiciary panel take crack at close-mouthed Sessions
Washington – Democrats on the Senate Intelligence Committee had plenty of questions for Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Tuesday, but few were answered. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, who was not on the panel, said he wants a chance to to try to wrest information from the close-mouthed attorney general.
Posted inPolitics
Immigrant advocates say CT didn’t act to help undocumented at ‘crucial’ time
WASHINGTON — With a federal crackdown on the undocumented underway, Connecticut’s immigrant advocates who were hoping for help from Democratic state lawmakers are bitterly disappointed legislators failed to provide any new protections.
Posted inJustice, Politics
Trump budget makes another attempt to target ‘sanctuaries’
WASHINGTON — Tucked into the massive $4.4 trillion budget President Donald Trump released this week is the administration’s latest attempt to punish cities and states, like Connecticut, that it considers “sanctuaries,” a move the Malloy administration and others say is unconstitutional.
Posted inJustice
Barrios’ deportation case one of many in CT
WASHINGTON — The case of Luis Barrios, a Guatemalan native who faces deportation after decades of living in Derby and forming a family in the United States, has captured the sympathy of his neighbors and key federal lawmakers, who have intervened to try to keep him in the United States. But his case is not unique. Many immigrants like Barrios who were not in danger of deportation now may be.
Posted inNews
Blumenthal votes against Justice nominee over Russia probe
WASHINGTON —Sen. Richard Blumenthal on Tuesday was in a small minority of senators to vote against the confirmation of Rod Rosenstein to the No. 2 job at the Justice Department. He said Rosenstein’s failure to commit to appointing a special prosecutor to investigate ties between the Trump administration and Russia forced him to vote against the nomination.
Posted inJustice
Despite immigrant-friendly stance, CT shares information with ICE
Updated at 9:20 p.m.
WASHINGTON — Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s confidence that Connecticut won’t be subject to Trump administration punishment of “sanctuary” cities and states is based on its policy of information-sharing with federal immigration authorities.
Posted inPolitics
CT lawmakers grow louder in criticisms of Sessions
WASHINGTON — Attorney General Jeff Sessions has agreed to recuse himself in any Justice Department investigation of ties between Russia and the Trump campaign, but that’s not good enough for Rep. Jim Himes, who on Friday joined other Connecticut lawmakers in calling for Session’s resignation.
Posted inPolitics
CT lawmakers call for Sessions’ resignation
Updated at 5:30 p.m.
WASHINGTON — Connecticut Democratic lawmakers joined a growing chorus of their colleagues Thursday calling for the resignation of Attorney General Jeff Sessions, citing his testimony under oath denying he had contacts with Russian officials during the presidential campaign.