US Politics

[Wilbur]

1 hour ago, Tracker said:

BREAKING: Trump’s chances of going to prison skyrocket as The Guardian drops bombshell on Trump, reveals that, “Donald Trump’s lawyer tasked with searching for classified documents at Mar-a-Lago after the justice department issued a subpoena told associates that he was waved off from searching the former president’s office, where the FBI later found the most sensitive materials anywhere on the property.”

But it gets even worse for Trump…

The Guardian continues: “The lawyer found 38 classified documents in the storage room. He then asked whether he should search anywhere else but was steered away, he told associates. The lawyer never searched Trump’s office and told prosecutors that the 38 papers were the extent of the material at Mar-a-Lago.

The assertion that there were no classified documents in Trump’s office or elsewhere proved to be wrong when the FBI retrieved 101 classified documents months afterwards, including from the office, which was found to be where the most highly classified documents had been located.

The lawyer previously unreported account, as relayed to the Guardian by two people familiar with the matter, suggests he was materially misled as the special counsel Jack Smith examines whether his incomplete search was actually a ploy by Trump to retain classified documents.”

This is DEVASTATING for Trump. It shows not just criminal intent, but consciousness of guilt — two legal elements that are sure to doom Trump once Special Counsel Jack Smith criminally charges him for stealing highly classified documents — and then lying about to federal investigators.

I'll believe he is actually going to prison when they release the picture of him in cuffs.

[Tracker]

8 minutes ago, Wilbur said:

I'll believe he is actually going to prison when they release the picture of him in cuffs.

You have every right to be cynical- Trump and his crime family has escaped justice for some 90 years. If I had to put someone on the trail of a ruthless, powerful and corrupt person, I would want someone who was brilliant, methodical and relentless. Merrick Garland fits that description and so does the prosecutor in charge of the investigation, I am cautiously hopeful because now they have testimony that Trump wilfully directed staff to move and conceal classified documents. They could not have hoped for a better smoking gun, and now at least two of Trump's lawyers have cooperated with the investigation. Trump's social media postings have become more and more hysterical, showing  that he is aware that he is approaching the gallows with no chance of escape.

[Tracker]

 

                           

[Tracker]

Experts thrilled Jack Smith is investigating Trump’s firing of election security expert

U.S. Dept. of Justice Special Counsel Jack Smith has subpoenaed former Trump administration staffers possibly involved in the firing of Chris Krebs, a top cybersecurity official who had published a report calling the 2020 presidential election “the most secure in American history,” just days after the election, infuriating then-President Donald Trump.

The New York Times reports the special counsel’s investigators have “been asking witnesses about the events surrounding the firing” of Krebs (photo), who was appointed by Trump to the newly-created position of Director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, part of the U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security.
Krebs was fired by Trump on November 17, 2020 after tweeting that election fraud claims were bogus: “59 election security experts all agree, ‘in every case of which we are aware, these claims either have been unsubstantiated or are technically incoherent,’” according to The Washington Post.

[HardCoreBlue]

19 hours ago, Wilbur said:

I'll believe he is actually going to prison when they release the picture of him in cuffs.

Picture of him in actual Jail would be preferable.

[Tracker]

N.I.G.Y.S.O.B.: 'Absolutely blockbuster evidence': Stunned experts say docs recording is game over for Donald Trump

Legal experts wasted no time Wednesday responding to an exclusive CNN report revealing federal prosecutors have obtained audio evidence of Donald Trump in a 2021 meeting at his Bedminster golf course admitting he had held onto a classified Pentagon document about a potential attack on Iran, admitting he wanted to share the document, and admitting he knew he legally could not because he did not have the authority to declassify it post-presidency.

“War plans are among the most highly classified documents. Puts pressure on DOJ to indict, and a jury to convict,” writes NYU Law professor of Law Ryan Goodman, a former U.S. Dept. of Defense Special Counsel. “Make no mistake. This is squarely an Espionage Act case,” Goodman continues, calling the news a “bombshell.”

“It is not simply an ‘obstruction’ case,” says Goodman. “There is now every reason to expect former President Trump will be charged under 18 USC 793(e) of the Espionage Act. The law fits his reported conduct like a hand in glove.”

“Audio recording is a meeting with several people who don’t have security clearances. If Trump discussed content of document it is even worse – and raises its own criminal exposure,” Goodman also writes.

On-air, CNN reported in the audio recording a piece of paper could be heard ratting in the wind.

Calling it “a critical find,” MSNBC legal analyst Lisa Rubin says the alleged audio recording of Trump “reveals another new, significant fact: In summer 2021, Trump had at least one classified document with him at Bedminster. Trump lawyers told DOJ in December 2022 that a search of Bedminster by private investigators yielded no such records.

[bustamente]

Trump has only one play to save his skin, become POTUS again, it's the only thing that will save him

[Tracker]

13 minutes ago, bustamente said:

Trump has only one play to save his skin, become POTUS again, it's the only thing that will save him

And there is neither law, precedent nor convention in US law as to whether a president can govern from jail or should be allowed to.

[blue_gold_84]

https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/debt-ceiling-us-1.6861576

Quote

Veering away from a default crisis, the U.S. House overwhelmingly approved a debt ceiling and budget cuts package, sending the deal that President Joe Biden and Speaker Kevin McCarthy negotiated to the Senate for swift passage in a matter of days, before a fast-approaching deadline.

The hard-fought compromise pleased few, but lawmakers assessed it was better than the alternative — a devastating economic upheaval if Congress failed to act. Tensions ran high as hard-right Republicans refused the deal, but Biden and McCarthy assembled a bipartisan coalition to push to passage on a robust 314-117 vote late Wednesday.

 

[HardCoreBlue]

Excerpt taken from a story by Fatma Khaled Newsweek quoting Republican Senator Chuck Grassley (bolded part my doing):

"We asked for the document a month ago. It's been subpoenaed and he [FBI Director Christopher Wray] ought to respond to a...subpoena," he said. "We're doing the constitutional job of oversight. I have read that document...and as an unclassified document, he admits it exists. And we aren't interested in whether or not the accusations against Vice President Biden are accurate or not. We're responsible for making sure the FBI does its job."

Doing their constitutional job? Sure, let's go with that. 

[Tracker]

Mike Pence Claims God Is Calling Him To Run For President

Former Vice President Mike Pence said that he has heard a calling from God and he will announce his presidential campaign decision on Wednesday.

Pence is participating in Joni Ernst’s Roast and Ride in Iowa:
That is not the voice of God in Mike Pence’s ear. It’s his ego. Republican presidential candidates who claim that God told them to run do not have good track records, which means that God is a lousy pundit or isn’t really talking to these Republicans.

Trump supporters think that Mike Pence is the anti-Christ, so could Pence possibly be confusing the voice of God with Satan?

Pence has no chance of winning the Republican nomination, and when the only justification for his candidacy is God told him to do it, things will get very bad very fast.

[17to85]

Oh Pence and Trump and DeSantis... this could be entertaining. 

[bustamente]

Trump will not debate any of the other Republican candidate's he baggage carousel is loaded.

[Wilbur]

This upcoming election is making me depressed lol.

[HardCoreBlue]

6 hours ago, Tracker said:

Mike Pence Claims God Is Calling Him To Run For President

Former Vice President Mike Pence said that he has heard a calling from God and he will announce his presidential campaign decision on Wednesday.

Pence is participating in Joni Ernst’s Roast and Ride in Iowa:
That is not the voice of God in Mike Pence’s ear. It’s his ego. Republican presidential candidates who claim that God told them to run do not have good track records, which means that God is a lousy pundit or isn’t really talking to these Republicans.

Trump supporters think that Mike Pence is the anti-Christ, so could Pence possibly be confusing the voice of God with Satan?

Pence has no chance of winning the Republican nomination, and when the only justification for his candidacy is God told him to do it, things will get very bad very fast.

Replace God with ‘my offshore accounts to hide donations’.

[Pepper_Brooks]

2 hours ago, HardCoreBlue said:

Replace God with ‘my offshore accounts to hide donations’.

Ah, I see you've found the divine loophole for tax evasion and heavenly financial planning!

[bustamente]

Trump is in full meltdown mode today.

[Wilbur]

1 hour ago, bustamente said:

Trump is in full meltdown mode today.

He's in CYA mode also.

[Tracker]

2 hours ago, bustamente said:

Trump is in full meltdown mode today.

Trump's lawyers met with the DOJ this morning. This means that the DOJ has offered Trump a chance to plead guilty with some sort of plea deal before laying charges. Typically, someone in that position will have no more than 24 hours to accept whatever was offered (if a deal was even offered at all) and if no deal is reached, arrest warrants will be issued within 2-3 days. A plea deal would require Trump to plead guilty in open court in full view of cameras and it is doubtful if his bloated ego will allow him to do so, but that is the only way he could avoid jail time.

[Tracker]

Prosecutors Suspect Trump May Have Flooded Mar-a-Lago Room To Destroy Evidence

Prosecutors are suspicious about a swimming pool flood a Mar-a-Lago that destroyed video logs and other evidence related to the classified documents case.

CNN reported:

While it’s unclear if the room was intentionally flooded or if it happened by mistake, the incident occurred amid a series of events that federal prosecutors found suspicious.

At least one witness has been asked by prosecutors about the flooded server room as part of the federal investigation into Trump’s handling of classified documents, according to one of the sources.

The incident, which has not been previously reported, came roughly two months after the FBI retrieved hundreds of classified documents from the Florida residence and as prosecutors obtained surveillance footage to track how White House records were moved around the resort. Prosecutors have been examining any effort to obstruct the Justice Department’s investigation after Trump received a subpoena in May 2022 for classified documents.

What a coincidence. The room where all of the video logs for the resort were kept just so happened to flood two months after the FBI searched Mar-a-Lago and seized hundreds of classified documents.
As president, Trump reportedly flushed documents down the toilet when he was done reading them, which is an illegal act that could be a felony.

Since an entire video surveillance room is too big to fit down a toilet, Trump may have ordered other steps to be taken to destroy evidence. The CNN story does not mention any other rooms that were flooded during the swimming pool incident, so the idea that the only flooded room was one that potentially contained evidence against Trump should raise the suspicions of prosecutors.

The Trump Organization also has a long history of destroying evidence, so this behavior would not be new or unique.

If Donald Trump ordered the destruction of evidence, it could be one more charge added to the list against him by the Department of Justice.

[bustamente]

11 minutes ago, Tracker said:

Trump's lawyers met with the DOJ this morning. This means that the DOJ has offered Trump a chance to plead guilty with some sort of plea deal before laying charges. Typically, someone in that position will have no more than 24 hours to accept whatever was offered (if a deal was even offered at all) and if no deal is reached, arrest warrants will be issued within 2-3 days. A plea deal would require Trump to plead guilty in open court in full view of cameras and it is doubtful if his bloated ego will allow him to do so, but that is the only way he could avoid jail time.

Special Council Jack Smith was also there so it appears things are wrapping up

[bustamente]

Andrew Weissmann 

 

@AWeissmann_

·

4h

 

A zillion stories about Trump case — but bottom line is he is getting charged and it will be in DC. And this week. Open issues are whether others may be charged and whether they will be in DC or FLA.

[Tracker]

12 hours ago, bustamente said:

Andrew Weissmann 

 

@AWeissmann_

·

4h

 

A zillion stories about Trump case — but bottom line is he is getting charged and it will be in DC. And this week. Open issues are whether others may be charged and whether they will be in DC or FLA.

Why not both?

[HardCoreBlue]

15 hours ago, Tracker said:

Prosecutors Suspect Trump May Have Flooded Mar-a-Lago Room To Destroy Evidence

Prosecutors are suspicious about a swimming pool flood a Mar-a-Lago that destroyed video logs and other evidence related to the classified documents case.

CNN reported:

While it’s unclear if the room was intentionally flooded or if it happened by mistake, the incident occurred amid a series of events that federal prosecutors found suspicious.

At least one witness has been asked by prosecutors about the flooded server room as part of the federal investigation into Trump’s handling of classified documents, according to one of the sources.

The incident, which has not been previously reported, came roughly two months after the FBI retrieved hundreds of classified documents from the Florida residence and as prosecutors obtained surveillance footage to track how White House records were moved around the resort. Prosecutors have been examining any effort to obstruct the Justice Department’s investigation after Trump received a subpoena in May 2022 for classified documents.

What a coincidence. The room where all of the video logs for the resort were kept just so happened to flood two months after the FBI searched Mar-a-Lago and seized hundreds of classified documents.
As president, Trump reportedly flushed documents down the toilet when he was done reading them, which is an illegal act that could be a felony.

Since an entire video surveillance room is too big to fit down a toilet, Trump may have ordered other steps to be taken to destroy evidence. The CNN story does not mention any other rooms that were flooded during the swimming pool incident, so the idea that the only flooded room was one that potentially contained evidence against Trump should raise the suspicions of prosecutors.

The Trump Organization also has a long history of destroying evidence, so this behavior would not be new or unique.

If Donald Trump ordered the destruction of evidence, it could be one more charge added to the list against him by the Department of Justice.

Almost 50% of Americans emulate and/or support Trump and his handlers. Dangerous.

This is not normal, this is not everyone’s bad and it can’t be ignored by treating it as another side of the issue with civility and humour. 

He is not the only bad guy obviously but he ranks as one of the worst by far. His whole persona and what he represents needs to be flushed away so we can get back to some level of normalcy. 

 

 

[HardCoreBlue]

Excerpt taken from Sarah Fortinsky The Hill:

“Over time, people will see that this is not a case of the Department of Justice conducting a witch hunt,” Barr said in an interview on CBS on Tuesday. “In fact, they approached this very delicately and with deference to the president, and this would have gone nowhere had the president just returned the documents. But he jerked them around for a year and a half.”

As the saying goes, I'm not a Lawyer nor do I play one of TV but one of the main tenets of the Law is no one is above it so just returning the documents really should not ensure this went nowhere Trump being a former President or not.

Bill Barr thinks we're all idiots with his usual condescending tone. Providing people like Bill Barr a major platform is maddening, frustrating and exhausting.