ATF/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “President Donald Trump is considering a top national police official to be his director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, an appointment that critics say could be a potential reward for his support of a White House-backed sentencing reform bill. Opponents of bipartisan legislation to overhaul federal sentencing guidelines were surprised to see Chuck Canterbury, the head of the influential Fraternal Order of Police, standing beside Trump on Wednesday [11-14-18] at an event celebrating the proposed measure. The police group, which Canterbury has headed for more than a decade, had previously opposed the legislation. It was an unusual move for the law enforcement veteran, who enthusiastically testified at last year’s Senate confirmation hearing on behalf of Jeff Sessions, Trump’s recently dismissed attorney general and a high-profile opponent of the criminal justice reform legislation. Canterbury’s group said in a statement ahead of the president’s endorsement that the First Step Act would boost safety “in our streets and neighborhoods” and better protect police.”
–Gabby Orr, Burgess Everett and Eliana Johnson, “Top police official seeking Trump job reversed position on criminal justice bill,” Politico, November 16, 2018 7:34 pm