Texas Democrats come to Capitol over voting rights: ‘We’re not going to buckle to the big lie’ – live

  • Lawmakers arrive in DC to call for legislation to strengthen voting rights
  • Explainer: why did Democratic lawmakers flee Texas?
  • House Democrats tell Senate: exempt voting rights bill from filibuster
  • Texas governor vows to arrest Democratic legislators who fled Austin

6.10pm BST

A New York jury in federal has just convicted a Chicago banker of criminal charges for enabling Paul Manafort, the former campaign manager for Donald Trump, to obtain $16 million in loans before Manafort helped him get an interview for a job in the Trump administration.

Stephen Calk was convicted in a Manhattan court room, in a case in which The Mooch testified, of financial institution bribery and conspiracy charges. Calk’s lawyers had maintained their client did nothing illegal in the weeks after Trump won the presidential election in November 2016.

prosecutors said Calk cleared the path for Manafort to receive loans he was not entitled to in the hopes that Calk could secure a high-level post with the Trump administration. Although Calk eventually got an interview at Trump Tower [Trump’s business and home on New York’s Fifth Avenue], he was not hired.

Sentencing was set for January 10 for Calk, who was the former chief executive of The Federal Savings Bank.

5.47pm BST

Kamala Harris has spoken of the state Democrats, 50-plus of whom flew to Washington, DC, to break quorum in the state legislature back home in Austin and therefore once again putting a freeze on Republicans’ voter suppression efforts, as having “great courage”.

Help @TheDemocrats fight back against Republican efforts to take away your right to vote and ensure that we can safeguard our democracy. Sign up to volunteer today. https://t.co/IpT2q9HqXn

Today, I spoke with activists about how we can defend and strengthen voting rights in Michigan and across the country. Our vote is our power—and we can’t let anyone take it away. pic.twitter.com/wDOYEfKgIM

Continue reading…

source: theguardian.com