DEMS/HOUSE OF REPS/MICHAEL COHEN/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The House Oversight Committee has instructed its Democratic members not to deviate from agreed upon lines of questioning at Michael Cohen’s public hearing Wednesday [2-27-19], prompting grumbling from several Democrats on the panel who want to press President Donald Trump’s former personal attorney about a range of matters related to Russia. In a memo to Democrats obtained by CNN, the Oversight staff wrote that the committee ‘wants to take great care not to inappropriately interfere with any ongoing investigation or prosecution,’ advising members to ‘consult closely with Committee staff in advance about potential lines of questioning.’ Those areas, outlined in a nine-page memo to the Democratic staff, include a range of Trump’s conflicts of interests, Trump Organization business practices as well as payments to Trump’s alleged mistresses to silence their stories before the 2016 elections. But they do not include a range of topics about Russia, instead leaving those matters to Thursday’s classified hearing before the House Intelligence Committee, an early indication of the tension bound to grow between several powerful House committees all investigating aspects of Trump’s life.”
–Manu Raju and Jeremy Herb, “House panel to Dems: Russia off limits in Cohen’s public hearing,” CNN Politics, CNN.com, February 26, 2019 11:15 pm