Sidney Powell's secret intelligence contractor witness is a pro-Trump podcaster  —  As she asked the U.S. Supreme Court this month to overturn President Trump's election loss, the attorney Sidney Powell cited testimony from a secret witness presented as a former intelligence contractor …

Sidney Powell Wants to Fight for Donald Trump—But His Aides Won't Let Her, She Says  —  President Donald J. Trump says he wants a lawyer to probe “election theft,” but the president's leading candidate, Sidney Powell, says she has been barred from the White House by the president's own chief of staff.

Republican Mississippi Senator: Trump's Pardons ‘Smack of Cronyism and Political Favors’  —  Sen. Brice Wiggins, a prominent Republican member of the Mississippi Senate from Pascagoula, broke ranks with most members of his party in the state last night as he criticized President Donald Trump's ongoing pardon spree.

Democrats shatter fundraising records ahead of Georgia Senate runoffs  —  Democrats Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock shattered fundraising records by hauling in more than $100 million each in the past two months, significantly outraising GOP Sens. David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler in the final stretch …

Trump wields pardon power as political weapon, rewarding loyalists and undermining prosecutors  —  WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Among the dozens of people who received pardons from President Trump this week were several who lied to investigators and obstructed a federal probe into the president's links to Russia.

Frustrated Trump met with Pence before holiday break  —  Washington (CNN)Hours before President Donald Trump retweeted a message for his vice president to “act” in stopping the ratification of the Electoral College, he met for more than an hour in the Oval Office with Mike Pence …

Behind Trump Clemency, a Case Study in Special Access  —  Philip Esformes was sentenced last year to 20 years for Medicare fraud.  Then a well-connected organization supported by his family weighed in with the White House.  —  Philip Esformes acquired a $1.6 million Ferrari and a $360,000 Swiss watch …

DeSantis spokesman Piccolo deletes his Twitter account after tweet about COVID-19 victims  —  Fred Piccolo, spokesman for Gov. Ron DeSantis, deactivated his Twitter account Wednesday after he tweeted in the middle of night that photos of each dead COVID-19 victim should be balanced with 99 photos of people who survive the disease.

Families on brink of eviction, hunger describe nightmare Christmas as $900 billion relief bill hangs in limbo  —  About 14 million Americans will lose unemployment aid on Saturday after President Trump and Congress were unable to reach a deal.  —  Millions of Americans who are hours away …

POLITICO Playbook: Merry Christmas!  —  DRIVING THE DAY  —  MERRY CHRISTMAS!  —  THE PRESIDENT is complaining to people he speaks to that the coronavirus/government funding package has too much “pork,” as he says, and the direct payments are too low.  The bill has been flown to Florida from Washington for his signature.

Answering Trump, Democrats Try and Fail to Jam $2,000 Payments Through House  —  In a brief bit of political theater, the House majority leader opened the House for business to ask for unanimous consent to accede to President Trump's request for larger checks.

FBI team leader: How I know the Blackwater defendants didn't deserve a pardon from Trump  —  Thomas O'Connor served for 23 years as an FBI special agent before retiring in 2019.  The opinions expressed in this commentary are his own.  View more opinion at CNN.

An Oscar Winner Made a Khashoggi Documentary.  Streaming Services Didn't Want It.  —  Bryan Fogel's examination of the killing of the Saudi dissident Jamal Khashoggi had trouble finding a home among the companies that can be premier platforms for documentary films.

Judge dismisses GOP lawsuit to limit Georgia ballot drop box hours  —  A Fulton County judge dismissed a Republican Party lawsuit Thursday that tried to close absentee ballot drop boxes after normal business hours.  —  Superior Court Judge Kimberly Esmond Adams' ruling allows voters …

Pence under pressure as the final step nears in formalizing Biden's win  —  Vice President Pence urged an audience of conservative youth activists earlier this week to “stay in the fight,” as they chanted “Four more years” and “Stop the steal” to trumpet their embrace of the groundless notion …

What watchdogs?  Trump leaves office with key IG jobs vacant across govt  —  As President-elect Joe Biden continues to weigh critical Cabinet appointments, the new administration will be confronting widespread vacancies in watchdog offices across the government.

As Biden zeroes in on attorney general pick, some worry one contender is too moderate on criminal justice issues  —  As President-elect Joe Biden seeks an attorney general who can restore public faith in the Justice Department as an independent law enforcement institution while boosting internal morale …

Relative of Blackwater victim in Iraq says pardons ‘unfair’  —  BAGHDAD (AP) — Faris Fadel had just one word to describe the recent pardoning by the Trump administration of four private security contractors convicted of killing Iraqi civilians — including his brother — in a public square 13 years ago: Unfair.

Could Trump declare martial law to try to steal the election?  —  That and other efforts his allies are floating won't work, say legal and national security experts.  Here's why.  —  He's thought about it.  He's hosted political and legal outcasts at the White House to talk about it.