Preparing for Trump's Indictment
- Thread starter gwb-trading
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Special Counsel Jack Smith ain't doing jack shiat on Thanksgiving. Oh wait, what's this? Turns out he's actually working on Thanksgiving and filed a brief with the 11th Circuit Court that points out a fatal flaw in Trump's lame-ass appeal. Well... have at it then.
Merrick Garland said the following:
Based on recent developments, including the former President's announcement that he is a candidate for President in the next election, and the sitting President's stated intention to be a candidate as well, I have concluded that it is in the public interest to appoint a Special Counsel.
This is pretty appalling... the head of the DOJ just said that since his boss is running for president again and trump has announced he will run against him, then it is in the public interest to start investigating trump and go after him.
sorry....I think Merrick accidentally said the quiet part out loud here.... that is some bullshit coming from the head of the DOJ....
You wonder why the right thinks the way they do when the head of the DOJ comes out and says what the GOP has been complaining about all the time...
Based on recent developments, including the former President's announcement that he is a candidate for President in the next election, and the sitting President's stated intention to be a candidate as well, I have concluded that it is in the public interest to appoint a Special Counsel.
This is pretty appalling... the head of the DOJ just said that since his boss is running for president again and trump has announced he will run against him, then it is in the public interest to start investigating trump and go after him.
sorry....I think Merrick accidentally said the quiet part out loud here.... that is some bullshit coming from the head of the DOJ....
You wonder why the right thinks the way they do when the head of the DOJ comes out and says what the GOP has been complaining about all the time...
Correct. How crazy and obvious can he get? paraphrase of Garland: "It is my duty to stay out of all political matters so I am just going to appoint a special counsel to go after him and remain neutral."
There is also the factor that I discussed with UsualTard ad nauseum back when all the lefties were self-stimulating over the Maralago raid. I said to him, at length, "let me know what Garland is going to do with all this after the theatrics are over with, he will just roll it out after the elections, then get it to wither away because he cannot get a conviction on anything." So, right on schedule he rolled it out until after the elections. And now he is handing it off to a special counsel. And in that way he does not have to prosecute the case or take the hit if prosecution fails. It was a hit job. Garland got to do the hit job before the election and then walk away from it- and even expect us to congratulate him for his alleged integrity in doing so.
What a crock.
How can A.G. Garland's statement be reasonable read as: Because Mr. Trump has decided to run against my boss "it is in the public interest to start investigating trump and go after him" ?
There is no "start" of an investigation here. Trump and his activities have been under investigation by the U.S. Congress, the Department of Justice, the State of Georgia, and the New York Attorney General for many months. In addition, a private defamation lawsuit brought earlier by Jean Carrol has just been expanded under new New York law. The expansion would allow Trump to be held accountable for his alleged rape of Ms Carrol. (Ms Carrol reportedly has DNA evidence!) The New York District Attorney is opening an investigation into Trump's role in illegal hush money paid to a porn star in violation of election law. Trump has already been identified as a co-conspirator in an indictment and conviction of another person for this same crime.
The only reasonable way to read the Attorney General's statement is that because his boss has announced an interest in running in the 2024 Presidential Election and Trump has unequivocally stated he is running, avoidance of a conflict of interest, or the appearance of one, requires that he, Garland, personally distance himself from any ongoing investigation of Trump. Ideally Garland would be able to appoint an independent counsel.
However,
"In the past, Congress has authorized independent counsels, who were requested by the Attorney General and appointed by a judicial panel, but that authority lapsed in 1999.Currently, the Attorney General has regulatory authority to appoint a special counsel to investigate allegations that may present a conflict of interest for the Department of Justice (DOJ)"
https://sgp.fas.org/crs/misc/special.pdf
https://sgp.fas.org/crs/misc/special.pdf
In other words, as a result of Trump's declaring himself a candidate in 2024 and Biden having expressed interest in running, A.G. Garland is appointing a Special Counsel under the current law to avoid a conflict of interest or the appearance of one in DOJ investigations of Trump.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2022/11/25/e-jean-carroll-sues-donald-trump-rape/
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I could see that interpretation but how the Special Counsel is appointed and who he choses.... the whole process smells a little...
Shamelessness has now gone to patheticlessness...
Can you believe that some people actually want this guy to be the President of The United States of America ....
again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Trump is now attacking the sister-in-law of the special counsel
Donald Trump is going all-in on attacks against the family of special counsel Jack Smith. Instead of mounting a defense for his actions, Trump deployed one of his top tactics: attacking anyone trying to hold him accountable.
One of Trump's right-wing allies posted a claim that Smith's sister-in-law, who is allegedly a psychologist and whose patients were "crying" and "sobbing" over Trump's 2016 election.
"And I’m supposed to get a fair shake from this person, who’s under tremendous pressure from his family, but he is actually worse than they are?" Trump rambled on his personal social media site. "Can Republicans, and fair-minded people, generally, allow this to happen? Jack Smith is nothing less than a hit man for Obama, his Attorney General Eric Holder, and Andrew Weissmann. Weaponization. Our Country is in big trouble, a real mess!"
Smith was hired by Trump's administration to serve as an acting United States Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee during Trump's first year in office, his biography states. During this same time, the new Trump Justice Department was firing most of the U.S. Attorneys hired under President Barack Obama's administration. One of those biggest names was Preet Bharara, who helped Trump with the transition while serving as the U.S. Attorney Southern District of New York. He was fired the same month that Trump hired Smith in 2017.
Can you believe that some people actually want this guy to be the President of The United States of America ....
again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Trump is now attacking the sister-in-law of the special counsel
Donald Trump is going all-in on attacks against the family of special counsel Jack Smith. Instead of mounting a defense for his actions, Trump deployed one of his top tactics: attacking anyone trying to hold him accountable.
One of Trump's right-wing allies posted a claim that Smith's sister-in-law, who is allegedly a psychologist and whose patients were "crying" and "sobbing" over Trump's 2016 election.
"And I’m supposed to get a fair shake from this person, who’s under tremendous pressure from his family, but he is actually worse than they are?" Trump rambled on his personal social media site. "Can Republicans, and fair-minded people, generally, allow this to happen? Jack Smith is nothing less than a hit man for Obama, his Attorney General Eric Holder, and Andrew Weissmann. Weaponization. Our Country is in big trouble, a real mess!"
Smith was hired by Trump's administration to serve as an acting United States Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee during Trump's first year in office, his biography states. During this same time, the new Trump Justice Department was firing most of the U.S. Attorneys hired under President Barack Obama's administration. One of those biggest names was Preet Bharara, who helped Trump with the transition while serving as the U.S. Attorney Southern District of New York. He was fired the same month that Trump hired Smith in 2017.
He really does have the worst lawyers. And the judge is sick of their shenanigans.
Judge reprimands Trump Corp. lawyers for late night filings
https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/28/politics/trump-org-trial-late-night-filings-juan-merchan/index.html
Judge Juan Merchan reprimanded lawyers for the Trump Corporation for filing motions and new exhibits late Sunday night that they wanted to introduce Monday morning when they questioned Mazars accountant Donald Bender, telling them he will no longer accept any motions from the attorneys.
Defense attorneys had submitted 18 exhibits to the prosecution around midnight.
“It’s inconsiderate at a minimum,” the judge said. At worst, it’s “good old-fashion sandbagging.”
At times, the judge raised his voice and told defense attorney Susan Necheles to be seated.
“It’s almost as though you really don’t want me to rule on the issue,” Merchan told Necheles. “It’s almost as though you don’t want me to get it right. I’m not accepting any filings any more from the Trump Corporation, period.”
The judge denied Necheles’ request to consider Bender a “hostile” witness and her motion to introduce an accounting code of conduct.
Merchan said he wouldn’t allow them to introduce the code of conduct because it would open up other irrelevant lines of questioning. He previously ruled that the Trump entities cannot use as their defense that they relied on the accountants.
“Our defense is we relied on accountants for state of mind,” Necheles countered. She said the Trump entities paid Mazars a lot of money, they were excellent accountants, and knew what the Trump companies had done because it was spelled out in their books and records.
Bender testified that Trump Organization executives hid from him some of the compensation and fringe benefits they received. Bender said he was aware that certain employees were paid bonuses as if they were consultants, which gave them and the Trump entities certain tax benefits.
Necheles wants to further challenge Bender on what he knew when she questions him again this morning. The defense called Bender, after prosecutors decided not to call him in their case.
The judge’s comments were directed at Necheles, who is representing the Trump Corporation. The Trump Payroll Corp. is represented by a separate set of attorneys.
The two Trump Organization entities are charged with nine counts of tax fraud, grand larceny and falsifying business records in what prosecutors allege was a 15-year scheme to defraud tax authorities by failing to report and pay taxes on compensation provided to employees. The companies have pleaded not guilty and rested their case on Monday.
(More at above url)
Judge reprimands Trump Corp. lawyers for late night filings
https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/28/politics/trump-org-trial-late-night-filings-juan-merchan/index.html
Judge Juan Merchan reprimanded lawyers for the Trump Corporation for filing motions and new exhibits late Sunday night that they wanted to introduce Monday morning when they questioned Mazars accountant Donald Bender, telling them he will no longer accept any motions from the attorneys.
Defense attorneys had submitted 18 exhibits to the prosecution around midnight.
“It’s inconsiderate at a minimum,” the judge said. At worst, it’s “good old-fashion sandbagging.”
At times, the judge raised his voice and told defense attorney Susan Necheles to be seated.
“It’s almost as though you really don’t want me to rule on the issue,” Merchan told Necheles. “It’s almost as though you don’t want me to get it right. I’m not accepting any filings any more from the Trump Corporation, period.”
The judge denied Necheles’ request to consider Bender a “hostile” witness and her motion to introduce an accounting code of conduct.
Merchan said he wouldn’t allow them to introduce the code of conduct because it would open up other irrelevant lines of questioning. He previously ruled that the Trump entities cannot use as their defense that they relied on the accountants.
“Our defense is we relied on accountants for state of mind,” Necheles countered. She said the Trump entities paid Mazars a lot of money, they were excellent accountants, and knew what the Trump companies had done because it was spelled out in their books and records.
Bender testified that Trump Organization executives hid from him some of the compensation and fringe benefits they received. Bender said he was aware that certain employees were paid bonuses as if they were consultants, which gave them and the Trump entities certain tax benefits.
Necheles wants to further challenge Bender on what he knew when she questions him again this morning. The defense called Bender, after prosecutors decided not to call him in their case.
The judge’s comments were directed at Necheles, who is representing the Trump Corporation. The Trump Payroll Corp. is represented by a separate set of attorneys.
The two Trump Organization entities are charged with nine counts of tax fraud, grand larceny and falsifying business records in what prosecutors allege was a 15-year scheme to defraud tax authorities by failing to report and pay taxes on compensation provided to employees. The companies have pleaded not guilty and rested their case on Monday.
(More at above url)