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Presented by Instagram: POLITICO's must-read briefing on what's driving the afternoon in Washington. | | | | |  | | By Garrett Ross | | | THE TALENTED MR. SANTOS — The latest strangeness in the saga of freshman Rep. (and serial fabulist) GEORGE SANTOS (R-N.Y.): — A Santos campaign aide allegedly impersonated KEVIN McCARTHY’s chief of staff to get money from top donors. CNBC’s Brian Schwartz reports that in both the 2020 and 2022 cycles,wealthy Republicans “received calls and emails from a man who said he was DAN MEYER, McCarthy’s chief of staff. … His name was actually SAM MIELE, and he worked for Santos raising money for his campaign, according to one GOP donor who contributed to Santos’ campaign.” (The Washington Times reported in December on the McCarthy staffer impersonation, but didn’t identify the staffer.) — And Santos’ campaign allegedly broke campaign finance laws, reports WaPo’s Isaac Stanley-Becker: “The alleged wrongdoing includes masking the true source of his campaign’s funding, misrepresenting his campaign’s spending and using campaign resources to cover personal expenses. The [FEC] complaint, filed by the nonpartisan Campaign Legal Center, could propel a formal investigation into Santos by the federal regulator.”
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President Joe Biden greets Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador as he arrives in Zumpango, Mexico, on Sunday, Jan. 8. | Andrew Harnik/AP Photo | STARTING TODAY — President JOE BIDEN, Mexican President ANDRÉS MANUEL LÓPEZ OBRADOR and Canadian PM JUSTIN TRUDEAU are gathering in Mexico City for the North American Leaders’ Summit, where the three are expected to “focus on immigration, security and supply-chain problems,” WSJ’s Tarini Parti and Anthony Harrup write from Mexico City. Here’s a roundup of some of the other major storylines to watch: — NBC’s Peter Nicholas on Biden’s new diplomatic challenges: “the camaraderie has begun to fade, and the post-Trump honeymoon appears to have ended.” — AP’s Colleen Long and Maria Verza with the latest policy move from AMLO: An apparent willingness by Mexico to accept more migrants expelled by the U.S. EMBARRASSING ERROR — “A Korean War Wall of Remembrance Set Hundreds of Errors in Stone,” by NYT’s Dave Philipps: “Many names of American service members who died in the conflict are misspelled or missing from the new memorial wall in Washington, relatives and researchers say.” THE LATEST ON BRAZIL — Here’s the latest on the JAIR BOLSONARO supporters who stormed Brazil’s national capital, via NYT: “At least 1,200 protesters were detained for questioning in the wake of the storming of Brazil’s capital buildings, a spokesman for the civil police said on Monday, as the authorities began dismantling the tent city where supporters of Jair Bolsonaro, the far-right former president, had been camping out since he lost October’s election.” — Biden, López Obrador and Trudeau issued a joint statement today denouncing the unrest in Brazil: “We stand with Brazil as it safeguards its democratic institutions. Our governments support the free will of the people of Brazil. We look forward to working with President Lula on delivering for our countries, the Western Hemisphere, and beyond.”More from Nahal Toosi — Among those keeping a low profile: Congressional Republicans. While Sen. RICK SCOTT on Sunday tweeted a call for peace and democracy in Brazil, his fellow Florida Republican Sen. MARCO RUBIO hasn’t yet commented on the events. Rubio has rarely passed up an opportunity to comment on anti-democratic abuses by the hemisphere's leftist strongmen. Asked for comment by Playbook, his office did not respond as of publication time. Similarly, neither Senate Minority Leader MITCH McCONNELL nor House Speaker KEVIN McCARTHY have issued a statement on the news from Brazil. (Reps. BRIAN FITZPATRICK and Santos have both put out tweets condemning the violence.) — “Bolsonaro's Florida stay puts ball in Biden's court after riots in Brasilia,” by Reuters’ Gabriel Stargardter: “After watching supporters of former U.S. leader Donald Trump invade the U.S. Capitol two years ago, Democratic President Joe Biden is now facing mounting pressure to remove Bolsonaro from his self-imposed exile in suburban Orlando.” — “Bolsonaro Hospitalized in US After Brasilia Riots, O Globo Says,” by Bloomberg’s Daniel Carvalho: “Brazil’s former President Jair Bolsonaro has been admitted to a US hospital with severe abdominal pain a day after his supporters stormed Brasilia demanding military intervention against his loss in the October election, according to local newspaper O Globo.”
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Learn more about our tools and set them up today. | | | Good Monday afternoon. Tonight is the college football national championship game between the No. 3 TCU Horned Frogs and the No. 1 Georgia Bulldogs. Drop me a line with your prediction: gross@politico.com. I think the Dawgs will win in convincing fashion to secure their second-straight title and cement their place as the new Alabama. PROGRAMMING NOTE — Our colleagues Alex Ward, Erin Banco and Ryan Heath are on the ground in Switzerland this week to bring you all the coverage in Davos Playbook. The U.S. delegation there has scarcely an elected Republican but a large Biden Cabinet delegation, including JOHN KERRY, USTR KATHERINE TAI, USAID Administrator SAMANTHA POWER, DNI AVRIL HAINES, FBI Director CHRISTOPHER WRAY and Labor Secretary MARTY WALSH. The congressional representation includes Sens. CHRIS COONS (D-Del.), JOE MANCHIN (D-W.Va.), KYRSTEN SINEMA (I-Ariz.) and Reps. DON BEYER (D-Va.), JOAQUIN CASTRO (D-Texas), SETH MOULTON (D-Mass.) and MIKIE SHERRILL (D-N.J.). Sign up for Davos Playbook CONGRESS THE NEW HOUSE GOP — “Rogers plans to step aside from plum House GOP post,” by Olivia Beavers: “Rep. MIKE ROGERS is preparing to step down from a powerful House Republican panel that decides committee assignments for conference members after a series of confrontations with conservatives who prolonged Kevin McCarthy’s speakership fight. “Rogers (R-Ala.) confirmed the plan Monday morning , saying it would likely happen later this week — while underscoring that his departure from the GOP steering committee isn’t finalized and that he is not being encouraged by his colleagues to exit. Should Rogers do so as planned, his region’s members would meet to elect a new representative.” — Olivia tweets: “Rep. MARK GREEN (R-Tenn.) wins the Homeland Security gavel, I'm told. He beat out Rep. DAN CRENSHAW (R-Texas).” RUNNING IT BACK — “Senate Dems tap Peters again as campaign chief in hopes of 2022 repeat,” by Burgess Everett: “Michigan Sen. GARY PETERS will once again lead his caucus’ campaign arm, according to two people familiar with the matter and confirmed by the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. The second-term senator successfully defended Democrats’ majority last cycle under difficult circumstances, with the party even picking up one more seat in the chamber. Still, Peters had initially turned down entreaties to do the job again. He’s the first Democrat since CHUCK SCHUMER , now the majority leader, to run the DSCC two cycles in a row.” TRUMP CARDS THE GEORGIA INVESTIGATION — “Fulton special grand jury completes Trump investigation,” by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Tamar Hallerman and Bill Rankin: “The Fulton County special grand jury that has spent the last eight months examining potential criminal interference in Georgia’s 2020 presidential election has completed its work and is being dissolved, according to the judge overseeing the high-profile panel. In a brief order issued Monday, Fulton Superior Court Judge ROBERT McBURNEY wrote that the grand jury has fulfilled its duties to his satisfaction. In addition, a majority of Superior Court judges who have reviewed the special grand jury’s final report agree, his order stated.”
| | | | STEP INSIDE THE WEST WING: What's really happening in West Wing offices? Find out who's up, who's down, and who really has the president’s ear in our West Wing Playbook newsletter, the insider's guide to the Biden White House and Cabinet. For buzzy nuggets and details that you won't find anywhere else, subscribe today. | | | | | THE WHITE HOUSE UNDER THE INFLUENCE — “Open invitation: TikTok lobbyists repeatedly scored visits to Biden White House, records reveal,” by the Washington Examiner’s Gabe Kaminsky: “TikTok and ByteDance lobbyists have visited the White House at least eight times between July 2021 and August 2022, White House visitor logs show, providing a window into how the Chinese government-linked social media operation has gained influence in Washington.” ALL POLITICS GEORGIA ON MY MIND — “Kemp done being underestimated, aims to steer GOP past Trump,” by AP’s Jeff Amy and Bill Barrow: “Having vanquished both a Donald Trump-backed Republican challenger and Democratic star STACEY ABRAMS to win reelection, [Georgia Gov. BRIAN] KEMP is looking to expand his influence in his second term, free from the caricature of the gun-toting, pickup-driving, migrant-catching country boy that emerged during his first campaign for governor. … Beyond his own advancement, Kemp’s victory could provide a blueprint for Republicans in competitive states after voters rejected many of the Trump-molded candidates in 2022.” WORKING ON HER PITCH — “Boebert’s backers urge her to ‘tone down the nasty rhetoric,’” by Jesse Bedayn in Rifle, Colo.: “In her relatively short time in Washington, [GOP Rep. LAUREN BOEBERT] has built a national profile with a combative style embracing everything from gun ownership to apocalyptic religious rhetoric. Constituents … in the Republican-leaning 3rd Congressional District laud Boebert for defending their rights, but cringe at her provocations, contributing to an unexpectedly tight race last year that she won by just 546 votes out of more than 300,000 cast.” JUDICIARY SQUARE BENCH PRESS — “Biden struggles to confirm judges in the South and thwart Trump’s impact,” by CNN’s Joan Biskupic: “The dearth of nominees offered in southern states, notably where both U.S. senators are Republican, threatens to undercut Biden’s large-scale effort to counteract Trump’s effect on the federal judiciary, particularly to bolster civil rights and ensure voter protections. “The Biden team’s well-documented diversification of the courts — nominees have been overwhelmingly women and people of color, such as Supreme Court Justice KETANJI BROWN JACKSON , and offered professional diversity, including public defenders and civil rights lawyers — has withered when it comes to district courts in Alabama, Florida, Louisiana and Texas, where more than a dozen such court vacancies exist.” SCOTUS WATCH — “Court revives claims by Texas death row inmate backed by DA,” by AP’s Mark Sherman — “Justices turn away Israeli spyware maker in WhatsApp suit,” AP ON THE DOCKET — “Is Encouraging Unauthorized Immigration Free Speech or a Felony?” by NYT’s Adam Liptak: “The Supreme Court will decide whether a 1986 law that makes it a crime to urge people to stay in the United States unlawfully can be squared with the First Amendment.”
| | | | A message from Instagram:   | | | POLICY CORNER CRYPTO CRISIS CONTINUES — “Sam Bankman-Fried’s Defense Team Led by Battle-Tested Lawyers,” by James Fanelli and Corinne Ramey: “A pair of attorneys defending FTX founder SAM BANKMAN-FRIED against one of the biggest white-collar prosecutions in decades are veterans of high-profile cases, including ones involving drug lord El Chapo and disgraced socialite GHISLAINE MAXWELL.” BEYOND THE BELTWAY FOR YOUR RADAR — “Year After Deadly Bronx Blaze, a Plan to Combat ‘America’s Fire Problem,’” by NYT’s Jeffery Mays and Corey Kilgannon: “On the first anniversary of the Twin Parks fire in the Bronx that killed 17 people, the Federal Emergency Management Agency will announce a new national plan to combat ‘America’s fire problem’ using investigatory muscle granted by federal legislation that President Biden signed last month. The legislation will give the United States Fire Administration the power to identify the causes of fires like the one at the Twin Parks North West housing complex in the Bronx, New York City’s deadliest inferno in decades.” WAR IN UKRAINE HOW UKRAINE IS FIGHTING — “Without Hesitation, Ukraine Goes Toe to Toe With Russia in Bakhmut,” by NYT’s Andrew Kramer HMMM — “Russian Ship’s Secretive South Africa Stop Prompts U.S. Questions,” by WSJ’s Gabriele Steinhauser and Benoit Faucon in Johannesburg: “A Russian merchant ship whose owner has allegedly carried weapons for the Kremlin turned off its transponder last month before surreptitiously docking at South Africa’s largest naval base, where it delivered and loaded unidentified cargoes, according to witnesses and a senior U.S. official.”
| | | | POLITICO’s exclusive interview with Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi will take place on Thursday, January 19 at 1:30 PM EST – live from the Davos mountaintop. Register today to join us online. | | | | | AMERICA AND THE WORLD THE VIEW FROM JERUSALEM — “In Power With Netanyahu, Ultra-Orthodox Parties Chart Israel’s Future,” by NYT’s Isabel Kershner PLAYBOOKERS FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — Dave Levinthal is leaving Insider to become editor in chief at Raw Story, where he will oversee news operations with a goal of expanding the news organization’s investigative and enterprise reporting. He was deputy editor at Insider and is a Center for Public Integrity, POLITICO, OpenSecrets and Dallas Morning News. MEDIA MOVE — Camille Vasquez is joining NBC as a legal analyst. She is a partner in Brown Rudnick’s litigation and arbitration practice group and was recently one of the lead attorneys for Johnny Depp. More from Deadline TRANSITIONS — Josh Sorbe is now press secretary for the Senate Judiciary Committee under Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.). He previously was digital manager for Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.). … Steve Hansen will be the legislative director for Rep. Max Miller (R-Ohio). He most recently was legislative assistant and press secretary for Rep. Claudia Tenney (R-N.Y.). … Megan Hannigan is now legislative director for Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.), handling his financial services portfolio. She previously was lead Democrat on PayPal’s federal government relations team. … … Jenn Miller is now legislative assistant covering foreign policy and homeland security for Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.). She previously was government relations associate at Israel Policy Forum. … Chelsey Perry is now director of media and PR at the National Park Foundation. She previously was senior manager for strategic comms at National Geographic. … Erin Drummy is now scheduler for Rep. Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.). She most recently was scheduler for Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.). WEDDING — Charlotte Kaye, health policy adviser for Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), and Stuart Rock, a D.C.-based entrepreneur, got married on New Year’s Eve at the Ritz-Carlton. The couple met through mutual friends in 2017 and their first date was seeing Judd Apatow at DC Improv. SPOTTED: David Cleary, Kellie McConnell, Angela Wiles, David Certner, Megan Whittemore, Gary Nuzzi, Reid Nickle, Anna “Boo” Devanny, S.K. Bowen, Zach Swint, Kate Lindsey, and Andy Brown of Andy’s Pizza. Pic … Another pic
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