Maine House Speaker Sara Gideon, a Democrat, to run against Sen. Susan Collins

No Images? Click here         Trump says he won't fire Kellyanne Conway despite ethics violations President Donald Trump defended senior White House adviser Kellyanne Conway on Friday after an independent federal watchdog said she should be fired for repeatedly violating a law prohibiting government employees from political campaigning. Trump tried to frame what a U.S. Office of Special Counsel report called Conway’s “disregard for the law” as a First Amendment issue and said he won’t remove her from his staff. “It looks to me like they’re trying to take away her right of free speech and that’s just not fair,” Trump said on “Fox & Friends.” “It really sounds to me like a free speech thing. It doesn’t sound fair.” The Office of Special Counsel, which is different from the Justice Department office once operated by Robert Mueller, sent a report to Trump on Thursday outlining numerous occasions in which Conway violated the Hatch Act by disparaging Democratic presidential candidates while speaking in her official capacity on TV and in social media.  READ MORE     People before power. We think regular people’s stories are important – and we think you do too. JOIN HUFFPOST PLUS       WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING? Actress and producer Louise Linton, who is married to Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, has spoken out about her past controversies in a new interview in which she complained it “sucks being hated.” READ MORE A Republican group has created a TV ad that urges House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and the rest of Congress to act against President Donald Trump.  READ MORE   Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) blocked an effort to pass a bill requiring political campaigns to report to the FBI any offers of foreign assistance. Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) tried to pass the bill on the Senate floor via unanimous consent. Blackburn prevented unanimous consent by raising an objection to the measure. READ MORE           ICYMI Maine House Speaker Sara Gideon, a Democrat, is expected to formally announce in the coming weeks that she’s running for Republican Sen. Susan Collins’ seat in 2020.  A lawsuit from a former employee accusing Nicholas Sparks of racism and homophobia has been backed up by newly revealed emails reportedly between the accuser and the famed novelist.   Senate Republicans are finally standing up to President Donald Trump on the kind of judicial nominee they can’t support: a lawyer who defends his client.          Want more?  Here Are The Lineups For The First Democratic Debates Elizabeth Warren Sees Girls As Future Leaders. What About Joe Biden?  A Georgia Venue Is Refusing To Hold Same-Sex Wedding Ceremonies, So This Comedian And Author Is Offering His Yard   👋You may have noticed our website is now www.huffpost.com. Don't worry, it'll still be the same HuffPost you know and love, just with a new URL. Make sure to update your bookmarks!     HuffPost is now a part of Verizon Media Group. On May 25, 2018 we introduced a new Oath Privacy Policy which will explain how your data is used and shared. Learn More. How will Trump’s administration impact you? Sign up for our email and find out. Did a friend send you this? Subscribe here. Like what you see? Share it. Want more? Here are two other newsletters you'll love: The Morning Email and Must Reads. ©2019 HuffPost | 770 Broadway, New York, NY 10003 You are receiving this email because you signed up for updates from HuffPost Feedback | Privacy Policy | Unsubscribe       - - Preferences  |  Unsubscribe