DOJ SUBPOENAS: Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) and four other state and local officials received subpoenas from the Department of Justice (DOJ) on Tuesday as the federal investigation into alleged obstruction of immigration enforcement escalates.
Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey (D), who also received a subpoena, have engaged in a back-and-forth with the White House and DOJ for the past few weeks following the killing of Renee Good by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer this month.
Walz and Frey have repeatedly called on federal immigration officials to leave the state as ICE has surged officers into Minnesota, specifically the Twin Cities. Tensions have been rising as protests have continued against ICE operations, leading to a faceoff between officers and demonstrators.
Walz denounced the subpoenas as a “partisan distraction,” while Frey said all Americans should be concerned by the federal government trying to “intimidate” local officials for doing their jobs.
Subpoenas were also sent to Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison (D), the office of St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her (D) and Hennepin County, where the Twin Cities are located.
▪ The Hill: House panel opens Minnesota fraud investigation.
▪ CNN: DOJ pushed FBI to investigate contributions to Minnesota officials.
FED CASE: The Supreme Court will hear a critical case Wednesday that could signal what the future holds for the independence of the Federal Reserve as the president tries to assert more influence.
The court will hear a case to decide whether Trump can fire Fed board of governors member Lisa Cook over accusations that she committed mortgage fraud, which she denies. Trump argues Cook falsely listed Atlanta as her primary residence to gain favorable mortgage terms, while Cook’s attorneys said it was an “inadvertent notation” and she had no intent to defraud.
The Federal Reserve Act of 1913 prevents the president from firing Fed governors except “for cause,” but it doesn’t explicitly define what that means. Trump is the first president to try to fire a Fed governor.
The DOJ will argue Trump can fire Fed governors for reasons related to their conduct, ability, fitness or competence. But Cook’s team argues that interpretation would “destroy” the independence of the Fed.
The case has also taken on even higher prominence as the DOJ conducts its probe into Chair Jerome Powell over his congressional testimony about the costs of renovations to the Fed’s headquarters.
▪ The Hill: Conservatives skeptical of argument defending Hawaii gun law.
MEASLES SPREAD RISING: The U.S. has met one of the main conditions for losing its measles elimination status as the Trump administration deprioritizes preventing and fighting infectious diseases.
Tuesday marked 12 consecutive months of consistent measles spread in the U.S., according to data from the Pan American Health Organization. But the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said it’s too soon to declare an end to the country’s measles elimination status.
Ralph Abraham, the CDC’s principal deputy director, said the exact chain of transmission needs to be determined before the status is official, The Hill’s Joseph Choi reports.
Abraham brushed off the idea that losing the elimination status would be a significant loss, calling it the “cost of doing business” in maintaining borders that easily permit international business and respecting the “personal freedom” of those who don’t want to get vaccinated.
Canada lost its elimination status late last year, while Mexico is set to lose its status on Feb. 1.
Experts told Choi the shift is the result of rising vaccine hesitancy that predates the Trump administration, but it comes as Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a top vaccine skeptic, has overhauled vaccine and health guidance in the U.S.
Most recently, the CDC cut the number of vaccines recommended for children by a half-dozen, concerning medical and public health experts.
▪ NewsNation: Measles case confirmed at Clemson University.
HALLIGAN OUT: Lindsey Halligan has stepped down as interim U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, capping off a controversial tenure that featured bringing charges against two of Trump’s top political opponents.
Attorney General Pam Bondi announced Halligan’s departure from the role Tuesday night, accusing Democratic senators of having “weaponized” the Senate's blue-slip process to make her continuing in the role impossible.
“Despite multiple, unnecessary legal obstacles placed in her path, Lindsey stepped forward at a critical juncture for our Nation and fulfilled her responsibilities with courage and resolve,” Bondi said in a statement posted on the social platform X. “Her departure is a significant loss for the Department of Justice and the communities she served.”
Halligan was a senior aide to Trump when the president announced he would appoint her to the U.S. attorney role in September. She replaced Erik Siebert, who resigned from his position over pressure from the Trump administration to launch investigations into former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James (D), both of whom have been sharply critical of Trump.
Comey and James were both indicted soon after Halligan took office, but those cases were dismissed in November after a judge ruled Halligan was unlawfully appointed. The DOJ has appealed that ruling, and Halligan sought to continue serving in the role.
But the announcement of Halligan’s departure came after a federal judge posted a job listing for the interim U.S. attorney position earlier Tuesday. The judge’s order states the court may appoint a U.S. attorney until the position is filled by a Senate-confirmed nominee.
Applicants are asked to submit their materials for the job by Feb. 10.
Halligan’s departure raises more questions about whether either case against Comey or James can be revived.
LAST FUNDING BILLS RELEASED: The text of the four remaining appropriations bills has been released, setting up a pathway for lawmakers to avoid a government shutdown on Jan. 30.
The bills, released by the House Appropriations Committee, would fund the departments of Homeland Security (DHS), Defense, Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, Health and Human Services, Labor, Education and other related agencies.
Time is of the essence as the House is set to recess next week, requiring the bills to be passed this week in order to take effect before government funding partially runs out. But the funding of DHS is likely to be the biggest challenge, with Democrats up in arms over ICE’s conduct.
House Democratic leadership is supporting the bill, which would allow tens of millions of dollars to flow to ICE. But The Hill’s Sudiksha Kochi and Mike Lillis report that support is angering progressives who are demanding reforms to reel ICE in following the Minnesota shooting.
▪ Reuters: House Speaker says U.S., U.K. can work through differences.
