Karen Freifeld

Michael Cohen received a subpoena from New York’s tax department as part of an investigation into the Trump Foundation after his lawyer said Cohen had relevant information. The subpoena follows a lawsuit by Attorney General Barbara Underwood accusing Donald Trump, three of his children and the foundation of using the nonprofit for personal and campaign-related purposes, allegations dismissed by the White House. Cohen, who recently pleaded guilty to eight federal charges, may also provide information to state and federal investigators, including Special Counsel Robert Mueller.

The United States added 43 Chinese entities to the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act Entity List, raising the total to 187 and creating a presumption that their goods are prohibited from entering the US unless importers prove they were not made with forced labor. The listed companies span lithium and battery materials, aluminum, solar-panel inputs, gold, electronics components, and food products, with US authorities citing alleged cooperation with Xinjiang labor programs or sourcing from the region. China rejected the allegations and condemned the move as an unfounded unilateral sanction, promising necessary measures to protect its companies. The restrictions could affect US supply chains for electric vehicles, energy storage, renewable energy, consumer electronics, and food.

The Trump administration is considering changing the Foreign Direct Product Rule to require foreign companies using US chipmaking equipment to obtain a US licence before supplying Huawei. The proposal, aimed at limiting Huawei’s access to globally produced chips, could significantly affect TSMC and other suppliers and expand US export-control authority. Supporters cite national-security concerns and allegations involving Huawei, while critics within the administration warn that the move could antagonize China, disrupt supply chains and push technological innovation offshore. Approval remains uncertain.

A heavily redacted court filing says Paul Manafort told former business partner Richard Gates in January 2017 that he was using intermediaries to place people in the Trump administration. The filing also details allegations that Manafort lied about his contacts with Konstantin Kilimnik, including discussions of a Ukrainian peace plan and a meeting in Madrid. It follows the inadvertent disclosure that Manafort shared Trump campaign polling data with Kilimnik, whom Robert Mueller has accused of having Russian intelligence ties. Manafort’s lawyers called any inaccurate statements unintentional, while Judge Amy Berman Jackson will decide whether a hearing is necessary on whether he violated his plea agreement.

Donald Trump submitted written answers to Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s questions about Russia’s alleged interference in the 2016 election and possible collusion with the Trump campaign. Trump’s lawyers said he answered questions concerning pre-election events, including the Trump Tower meeting, but would not address possible obstruction after taking office or agree to an interview. The submission followed extensive negotiations and the provision of testimony and documents, while Mueller’s investigation had already produced charges against former Trump aides and Russian individuals and entities.

Special Counsel Robert Mueller has offered to accept written answers from Donald Trump about whether his 2016 campaign conspired with Russia, while leaving open the possibility of a follow-up interview. Trump's legal team had not responded, and investigators would decide their next step after reviewing any answers. The offer reportedly focuses on collusion questions, while Mueller is also examining whether Trump obstructed the investigation, including through the firing of former FBI Director James Comey. U.S. intelligence agencies concluded that Russia interfered in the election, a claim Russia denies; Trump continues to deny collusion and calls the probe a “witch hunt.”

White House Counsel Donald McGahn reportedly gave Robert Mueller’s team at least three voluntary interviews totaling about 30 hours, providing detailed accounts of Donald Trump’s responses to the Russia investigation, James Comey’s firing and efforts to remove Mueller. Although the cooperation could have exposed McGahn to legal risk, Trump’s lawyers argued that he supplied no incriminating information and should have been protected by executive privilege. Trump and his legal team defended the arrangement as a deliberate strategy, denied collusion or obstruction, and continued to dismiss the investigation as a “witch hunt.”

Maria Contreras-Sweet and investor Ron Burkle reached a deal to acquire Weinstein Company assets and rebuild the studio under a majority-female board. The plan would preserve about 150 jobs, protect creditors and establish an $80 million to $90 million compensation fund for victims of misconduct. The agreement followed New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman's lawsuit against the company and Harvey and Bob Weinstein, which had disrupted earlier takeover negotiations and helped push the studio toward bankruptcy.

Former White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus voluntarily met with Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigators as part of the inquiry into possible coordination between Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign and Russia. The investigation also examined whether Trump obstructed justice by pressuring then-FBI Director James Comey over the inquiry into former national security adviser Michael Flynn. Priebus, who had chaired the Republican National Committee during the campaign, served as chief of staff from January until resigning in July after key Trump legislation failed to pass Congress.

Donald Trump’s campaign and the Republican National Committee are using privately raised political funds to pay lawyers handling investigations into alleged Russian interference in the 2016 election and possible obstruction of justice. The RNC confirmed payments of $100,000 to lead lawyer John Dowd and $131,250 to the firm of lawyer Jay Sekulow, while the legality of using campaign funds for a criminal investigation is permitted under Federal Election Commission rules but is unprecedented for a modern president. Trump and Russia deny collusion, and the scale and allocation of his legal costs remain unclear. The report also details payments to other law firms, the campaign’s early re-election filing and the broader shift away from public campaign financing.

Greg Andres, a former Justice Department official and experienced white-collar prosecutor, joined Robert Mueller's team investigating Russian interference in the 2016 US presidential election and possible ties to the Trump campaign. His appointment increased the team to 16 lawyers and prompted legal experts to predict that the inquiry could continue into 2018 or longer. Andres previously oversaw foreign-bribery cases, prosecuted financier Robert Allen Stanford and handled organized-crime cases in Brooklyn. The investigation was also examining communications surrounding a June 2016 meeting involving Donald Trump Jr., Jared Kushner and Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya, while Russian officials denied election interference and President Trump denied collusion.

Donald Trump Jr. hired New York criminal-defense attorney Alan Futerfas to represent him in investigations related to alleged Russian efforts to aid the Trump campaign. Futerfas is profiled as an experienced lawyer whose career includes major organized-crime, white-collar, pension-fund corruption and cybercrime cases. His past clients included mob captain Anthony Russo, Tyco consultant Christine Berry, HFV Management, Israeli hacking defendant Ziv Orenstein and Russian malware creator Nikita Kuzmin. Futerfas also briefly worked for Jay Goldberg, a former lawyer for Donald Trump, though he said Goldberg did not connect him with Trump Jr.

Eliot Spitzer, the former New York governor and attorney general who resigned in 2008 after being identified as a client of a prostitution ring, is seeking a political comeback as New York City comptroller. His campaign will test whether voters are willing to forgive his misconduct. Spitzer’s candidacy coincides with Anthony Weiner’s mayoral bid, creating a broader test of how New York voters respond to politicians attempting to recover from sexual scandals.