The Paper Trail: May 20, 2025

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The Paper Trail

Top stories for May 20, 2025

Trump appointee pressed analyst to redo intelligence on Venezuelan gang: Joe Kent, a top adviser to Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, ordered a senior analyst to redo an assessment of the relationship between Venezuela’s government and a gang after intelligence findings undercut the White House’s justification for deporting migrants. (Julian E. Barnes, Maggie Haberman, and Charlie Savage, New York Times)

🔎 See Also: Supreme Court blocks Trump from restarting Alien Enemies Act deportations (John Fritze and Devan Cole, CNN)

Trump’s actions are pushing thousands of experts to flee government: Across the government, the push for early retirement and voluntary separation is fueling an exodus of experienced, knowledgeable staffers unlike anything in living memory. Other workers with decades of service are being dismissed as the administration eliminates entire offices and divisions. (Hannah Natanson et al., Washington Post)

Where local forecast offices no longer monitor weather around the clock: For decades, the National Weather Service has been an around-the-clock operation. Now, in four of the agency’s 122 weather forecasting offices, there aren’t enough meteorologists to staff an overnight shift. (Scott Dance and John Muyskens, Washington Post)

How the Trump administration is weakening the enforcement of fair housing laws: HUD officials, state officials, attorneys, and advocates describe a dismantling of federal fair housing enforcement, which has been slowed, constrained, or halted at every step. Those accused of housing discrimination are newly emboldened not to cooperate with HUD. (Jesse Coburn, ProPublica)

The future of history: Trump could leave less documentation behind than any previous U.S. president: Trump’s presidency will leave less for the nation’s historical record than nearly any before it, and what is authorized for public release will be sanitized and edited. (Will Weissert, Associated Press)

The Qatari 747 is just the latest mega-donation flowing to Trump’s “library”: The president, or unnamed aides, try to ameliorate ethics concerns by explaining that various large donations — such as the Qatari luxury plane, unspent inaugural funds, proceeds from fundraising dinners, and legal settlements with Disney and Meta — will go to the Donald J. Trump Presidential Library. (Dan Friedman, Mother Jones)

🔎 See Also: “Very disturbing”: Trump receipt of overseas gifts unprecedented, experts warn (Andrew Roth, The Guardian)

🔎 See Also: Gulf deal-making spree also benefited Elon Musk and his family (Mara Hvistendahl, Rebecca R. Ruiz, and Ryan Mac, New York Times)

Senators probe cash funneled to Trump IRS nominee: Sens. Elizabeth Warren, Ron Wyden, and Sheldon Whitehouse claim that “unusually timed contributions” to the dormant Senate campaign committee of IRS commissioner nominee Billy Long “potentially violate federal bribery laws.” (Helen Santoro, The Lever)

🔎 See Also: Trump’s pick to lead IRS promoted a nonexistent tax credit (Andrew Duehren, New York Times)

Transportation secretary sold stocks two days before Trump announced a plan for reciprocal tariffs: Two days before President Trump announced dramatic plans for “reciprocal” tariffs on foreign imports, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy sold between $75,000 and $600,000 worth of stock in dozens of companies. Duffy sold up to $50,000 more on the day of Trump’s announcement. (Robert Faturechi and Brandon Roberts, ProPublica)

Elon Musk & DOGE

Judge deems DOGE takeover of U.S. Institute of Peace “null and void”: U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell ruled that DOGE’s takeover of the U.S. Institute of Peace was unlawful and invalidated the removal of USIP board members and its president, ordered the individuals installed by DOGE to be removed, and nullified the transfer of USIP’s headquarters and financial assets to the GSA. (Ella Lee, The Hill)

Legislative watchdog rebuffs DOGE efforts to install on-site team: DOGE sought to assign a team of staffers to the GAO, but the watchdog privately rejected those efforts, arguing that the legislative branch agency is not subject to DOGE oversight. (David DiMolfetta and Natalie Alms, Nextgov/FCW)

Labor watchdog opens investigation into DOGE whistleblower claims after NPR reporting: NLRB’s inspector general is investigating DOGE’s interaction with the agency, including a whistleblower claim that DOGE may have improperly removed sensitive data. (Stephen Fowler and Jenna McLaughlin, NPR)

How DOGE’s grand plan to remake Social Security is backfiring: Many of the major changes DOGE pushed at the Social Security Administration have been abandoned or are being reversed after proving ineffective. Other changes are yielding unintended consequences and badly damaging customer service. (Hannah Natanson, Lisa Rein, and Meryl Kornfield, Washington Post)

Democrats renew call for probe of Musk-Putin ties: Nearly seven months after it was reported that Elon Musk had repeatedly held phone conversations with Vladimir Putin and other high-level Russians, there is no sign the Defense Department is reassessing Musk’s role as a major defense contractor with a top-secret security clearance. (John M. Donnelly, Roll Call)

Weaponization of the Government

Rep. McIver charged with assault over clash outside Newark ICE center: The DOJ charged New Jersey Congresswoman LaMonica McIver with assaulting federal agents when she visited a Newark immigration detention center with two other members of Congress earlier this month. (Luis Ferré-Sadurní, New York Times)

Verizon ends DEI policies to get FCC’s blessing for its $20 billion Frontier deal: The FCC approved Verizon’s $20 billion deal to buy broadband provider Frontier Communications a day after Verizon agreed to end many of its DEI-related policies and programs. (Maria Aspan, NPR)

Head of CBS news is forced out amid tensions with Trump: CBS parent company Paramount is in talks to settle a $20 billion lawsuit brought by President Trump that accuses “60 Minutes” of deceptively editing an interview with Kamala Harris. Legal experts call the suit baseless, but Paramount’s controlling shareholder, who is seeking federal approval for a multibillion-dollar sale of the company, said she favors settling the case. (Michael M. Grynbaum, Benjamin Mullin, and Lauren Hirsch, New York Times)

Insurrection

U.S. to pay nearly $5 million to family of Jan. 6 rioter Ashli Babbitt: The DOJ is set to pay nearly $5 million to the family of Ashli Babbitt to settle their wrongful death lawsuit. The DOJ found insufficient evidence to prove Babbitt’s civil rights had been violated, and that it was reasonable for the police officer who shot her to have believed he was acting in self-defense or in defense of members of Congress. (Spencer S. Hsu, Washington Post)

Judge deals blow to Arizona case over 2020 Republican electors: Maricopa County Judge Sam Myers ordered state prosecutors to send back to a grand jury a case in which Republicans were charged for their alleged roles in trying to overturn the 2020 election, potentially jeopardizing the indictments of several high-profile Trump allies including Mark Meadows, Rudy Giuliani, and Christina Bobb. (Yvonne Wingett Sanchez and Patrick Marley, Washington Post)

Dobbs Aftermath

Brain-dead pregnant woman’s case spurs questions about medical consent: The debate over Adriana Smith reflects uncertainty about who can decide whether to continue a pregnancy when the mother can’t. Before the Supreme Court overturned Roe, that right would have fallen to the mother’s next-of-kin or another legally designated person, but new state abortion restrictions have introduced complications. (Praveena Somasundaram, Washington Post)

Police Misconduct

Police secretly monitored New Orleans with facial recognition cameras: For two years, New Orleans police secretly used facial recognition technology to scan city streets in search of suspects, a surveillance method without a known precedent in any major American city that may have violated the city’s guidelines for use of the technology. (Douglas MacMillan and Aaron Schaffer, Washington Post)

Defense and Veterans Affairs

Boeing bungled $3.9B Air Force One project, blew past deadline and opened door for Qatari jet offer: Experts say Boeing has run into several roadblocks in producing two new planes to serve as Air Force One, including the bankruptcy of a key supplier and retaining high-skilled employees with the necessary security clearances. (Morgan Phillips, Fox Business)

Congressional appropriators criticize VA’s unapproved funding moves: Members of Congress criticized VA leaders after the department shifted hundreds of millions of dollars into outside health care accounts without seeking permission from congressional appropriators. (Leo Shane III, Military Times)

Business and Finance

U.S. preparing to relax big-bank capital rules: The Federal Reserve and two other federal regulators are preparing to ease key financial requirements for Wall Street — a win for the industry’s largest banks, which have long pushed for looser restrictions. (Andrew Ackerman, Washington Post)

Genetic data will be safeguarded with 23andMe sale, drugmaker vows: Regeneron Pharmaceuticals’ acquisition of 23andMe would put the DNA data of millions of customers in the hands of a company which hopes to supercharge its efforts to mine genetic data for insights in crafting new medicines. (Daniel Gilbert, Washington Post)

Tech

Terrorists continue to pay for check marks on X, report says: More than a year after researchers first warned X that it was potentially violating U.S. sanctions by accepting payments for subscription accounts from terrorist organizations and other groups barred from doing business in the country, X continues to accept payments from accounts affiliated with Hezbollah leaders, Houthi officials, and militia leaders in Syria and Iraq. (Kate Conger, New York Times)

Spotify caught hosting hundreds of fake podcasts that advertise selling drugs: Last week, Spotify rushed to remove hundreds of obviously fake podcasts found to be marketing prescription drugs in violation of Spotify’s policies and possibly federal law. (Ashley Belanger, Ars Technica)

Health Care

States win injunction against HHS’ $11B clawback of COVID-19, public health grants: A federal judge placed a longer emergency hold on HHS’s rescinding of billions in public health funds to states, cities, and organizations for pandemic preparedness, mental health, overdose prevention, community health programs, and public health infrastructure. (Noah Tong and Dave Muoio, Fierce Healthcare)

ICYMI

Immigration and Border Security:

→ Supreme Court lets Trump lift deportation protections for Venezuelans

→ Trump administration acknowledges another error in a high-profile deportation

→ Trump proposal to repatriate Ukrainians, Haitians would use foreign aid funds

→ Deportation fears trigger decline in tax filings in immigrant communities

→ DHS mulls reality show for immigrants seeking U.S. citizenship

→ Rush of contracts on migrant crackdown exposes issues, contractors and experts say

Other News:

→ Retired four-star Navy Adm. Robert P. Burke guilty of bribery

→ Pandemic IG spent end of tenure simultaneously in leadership at a different agency

→ Former Social Security head O’Malley ran afoul of the Hatch Act

→ DOJ plans to drop Boeing prosecution in 737 crashes

Upcoming Events

📌 Breach of Trust: Surveillance in Private Spaces. House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform; Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Information Technology, and Government Innovation. Tuesday, May 20, 2:00 p.m., 2247 Rayburn House Office Building.

📌 Oversight of the Federal Communications Commission. House Committee on Appropriations; Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government. Wednesday, May 21, 10:00 a.m., 2358-A Rayburn House Office Building.

Nominations & Appointments

Appointments

• Religious Liberty Commission advisory board members