Axios reports:

President Trump has directed his White House counsel to examine explosive allegations dropped on him Friday in the Oval Office:

• Former Trump attorney Alina Habba told the president that another one of his top advisers — former Kennedy Center leader Ric Grenell — failed to deposit a multimillion-dollar donation that her billionaire husband made to the center a year ago, according to four senior administration officials and three insiders briefed on the controversy.
• Grenell denied the accusations as “absurd” and a “lie.”
• Habba and her husband, Turhan Mildon, declined to comment through a spokesperson.

Why it matters: The extraordinary row between the two top-tier presidential advisers and former allies provides a rare and acrimonious behind-the-scenes glimpse into the intersection of power, influence and money in Trump’s Washington. [Continue reading…]

The Daily Beast reports:

A vicious battle between two of Donald Trump’s senior appointees has exploded into public view after months of bitter infighting and extraordinary threats.

The feud sees Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau take on Paolo Zampolli, the president’s longtime friend and special envoy who, the Daily Beast reported earlier this month, has been accused in a lawsuit of drugging and raping a much younger woman, which he denies.

Explosive emails obtained by Politico expose how the bitter power struggle between the pair spiraled into threats of dismissal, allegations of misconduct and accusations of leaking damaging information to the press.
They show that Landau, 62, repeatedly ordered Zampolli, 56, not to involve himself in foreign policy matters beyond his official responsibilities, or he would face dismissal and legal consequences.

The extraordinary exchanges sometimes included more than a dozen Trump administration officials.
In one November email, Landau accused Zampolli of pursuing potentially unlawful business and economic activities without authorization.

Zampolli, who has claimed he introduced Melania Trump to her future husband, rejected the allegations and insisted his position was dependent on the president, not Landau. [Continue reading…]