Overview

• The Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel approved a memo signed by Attorney General Pam Bondi declaring the $400 million Qatari jet gift to President Trump legally permissible.
• Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin has requested Bondi provide records of her ethics consultations, citing her prior lobbying for Qatar and potential conflicts of interest.
• Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has placed a hold on DOJ political appointee confirmations, demanding disclosures from the DOJ’s FARA unit and raising national security concerns over the jet deal.
• Republican senators blocked Democratic attempts to pass resolutions opposing the jet, though some Republicans have expressed concerns about safety, security, and the appearance of a quid pro quo.
• The jet, intended for the Trump Presidential Library, raises broader questions about the separation of powers, foreign-gift rules, and the precedent of a sitting president accepting such a benefit.