WTF Just Happened Today

Thursday, March 21, 2019

Subscribe: Get the Daily Update in your inbox for free

1/ Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump used WhatsApp and personal email accounts to conduct official government business, according to Elijah Cummings, chairman of the House Oversight and Reform Committee. In a letter, Cummings accused the White House of "obstructing the committee's investigation into allegations of violations of federal records laws" and potential breaches of national security. He said he'd give the White House a final chance to "voluntarily" comply with his investigation into the use of private email accounts by Kushner, Ivanka, and other White House officials before resorting to "alternative means" to obtain the information requested. Kushner's lawyer told the committee in December that his client had used WhatsApp for official business, but that he was not in violation of the Presidential Records Act because he took screenshots of his communications and forwarded them to his White House email account or to the National Security Council. CNN and the Wall Street Journal previously reported that Kushner had communicated with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman using WhatsApp. The panel also obtained documents showing that former deputy national security adviser K.T. McFarland and Steve Bannon conducted official business using personal accounts. (New York Times / Wall Street Journal / NBC News / Bloomberg / Politico)

• Seven members of Trump's team have used unofficial personal email accounts for official government business: Jared Kushner, Ivanka Trump, Stephen Miller, Gary Cohn, Stephen Bannon, K.T. McFarland and Reince Priebus. (Washington Post)

2/ The former owner of a Florida spa involved in a prostitution investigation claimed she didn't sell access to Trump. Cindy Yang says the allegations that she is a Chinese agent are false, and that she believes she is being persecuted because of her ethnicity and political party. "I'm Chinese. I'm Republican," she said. "That's the reason the Democrats want to check me." She also said that she hasn't had any contact with members of the Chinese government since she moved to the United States 20 years ago. (NBC News)

3/ Trump wants Patriots owner Robert Kraft at the White House celebrating the team's Super Bowl victory despite Kraft's recent arrest on charges of soliciting prostitution at a Florida massage parlor. White House aides are worried that it could turn a photo op into an embarrassing media spectacle. (Politico / New York Times)

4/ Trump charged his own reelection campaign $1.3 million for rent, food, lodging and other expenses at Trump-owned properties since taking office. Federal regulations allow candidates t...

Visit WTF Just Happened Today? for more news and headlines, brought to you by Matt Kiser. The WTFJHT Podcast is narrated and produced by Joe Amditis.