Today's Headlines and Commentary

The Justice Department requested that its inspector general investigate whether there were political motivations behind the investigation into the connections between the Trump campaign and Russia, according to the Washington Post. This came on the heels of Trump tweeting that he demanded such an inquiry. In a statement, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein wrote, “If anyone did infiltrate or surveil participants in a presidential campaign for inappropriate purposes, we need to know about it and take appropriate action.” A Justice Department spokesperson described its referral to the inspector general: “The Department has asked the Inspector General to expand the ongoing review of the FISA application process to include determining whether there was any impropriety or political motivation in how the FBI conducted its counterintelligence investigation of persons suspected of involvement with the Russian agents who interfered in the 2016 presidential election.”

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro won reelection, according to the Post. The Venezuelan government claimed that only 46 percent of its population voted, but the opposition coalition would be the lowest turnout since the 1940s. The opposition coalition had called for a boycott of the snap election because the Venezuelan Supreme Court ruled that two opposition candidates were not allowed to participate in the election. The government is also accused of bribing and intimidating voters, as well as obstructing election observers. Vice President Mike Pence referred to the election as “fake elections with fake results.”

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas was hospitalized, according to the New York Times. This is the third time in less than a week that Abbas has been to the hospital. The medical director of the hospital said Abbas was admitted “for medical tests after the surgery he had three days ago in his middle ear. All the tests are normal and his medical condition is reassuring.” When Abbas was in the United States in February 2017, he was also hospitalized for medical checks.

Paraguay opened its embassy in Jerusalem, according to Politico. Both the United States and Guatemala have already relocated their embassies. Romania, the Czech Republic, and Honduras are considering relocation to Jerusalem as well.

Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin said tariffs will not be imposed on China because there are ongoing trade negotiations between the two countries, according to Politico. In order to deter intellectual property theft, the United States had threatened tariffs of $50 to $150 billion on Chinese goods. In 2017, the U.S. trade deficit with China hit $375 billion, a number that the Trump administration wants to decrease by $200 billion. On Saturday, the United States and China released a joint statement that said “China will significantly increase purchases of United States goods and services.” When Mnuchin was asked if this meant that China had agreed to the $200-billion reduction, he refused to give any specifics.

ICYMI: Last Weekend on Lawfare

Jen Patja Howell posted the most recent episode of the Lawfare Podcast: The Jerusalem Embassy Opening and Protests in Gaza.

Quinta Jurecic and Ben Wittes analyzed the of the outing of an intelligence source by the House Intelligence Committee chairman, his staff, certain actors in the conservative press, and the president of the United States.

Oriana Skylar Mastro examined China’s war termination behavior and determined that it would make it more difficult for China to end a war once it has begun.

Email the Roundup Team noteworthy law and security-related articles to include, and follow us on Twitter and Facebook for additional commentary on these issues. Sign up to receive Lawfare in your inbox. Visit our Events Calendar to learn about upcoming national security events, and check out relevant job openings on our Job Board.