[Update: SCOTUS has rejected Trump’s demands to shield White House documents from the January 6 Committee. The National Archives is free to hand it all over to the committee.]
While we’re waiting for the vote in which Manchin, Sinema, and 50 Republican senators kill voting rights and democracy in America, let’s take a look at the court filing from New York Attorney General Letitia James. This was not, I was disappointed to learn, a filing of actual criminal charges against the Trumps. (Note that James says she isn’t planning criminal charges, but civil ones, but we can hope.) Instead, it “seeks a court order enforcing testimonial subpoenas issued to Donald J. Trump, Donald Trump, Jr., and Ivanka Trump, as well as the production of documents held by Donald J. Trump. … Earlier this month, the Trumps filed a motion to quash these interviews, and the papers filed today by the Attorney General oppose that motion.”
It does appear that James has documentary evidence up the wazoo that the Trumps have engaged in fraudulent activity. The Trumps, of course, dismiss James’s evidence as just politics and animus against the poor, put-upon Trumps.
Philip Bump writes at WaPo that The Trumps always wiggle out of whatever they’ve done wrong.
Ol’ Donny Trump’s ability to wriggle out of jams has long depended heavily on the support of his allies and supporters — and, in some cases, attorneys. There is a massive ecosystem dedicated to helping Trump pry himself free from controversy, an ecosystem that is, by now, extremely well-versed in how to make that happen. It has been strained, as with the “Access Hollywood” tape or the riot at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, but no wriggle-proof jam has been identified yet.
So, yeah, until there are indictments I’m not going to hold my breath. One does wonder what holds the massive ecosystem of Trump support together, though. I know part of it is made up of his deluded supporters, and part of it is made up of people who see Trump as their ticket to their own power and money, somehow (even though this rarely if ever works). But unless there are other people further up the chain, people even Trump is afraid of, I question whether this ecosystem would have held so tightly together for so long. Trump is not that wealthy, you know. There are many other people on the planet who could buy and sell him several times over, I’m sure. And Trump is certainly not that smart.
People who attach themselves to Trump often find this association doesn’t turn out well — ask Rudy Giuliani or Brian Kemp about that — and now it may be the Oath Keepers’ turn to be tossed out with the trash. They’re in a heap o’ trouble. A filing today by the U.S. Attorney for D.C. includes photos showing Edward Vallejo carting what prosecutors say are weapons, ammunition and essential supplies to last thirty days into the QRF hotel in Virginia. Vallejo is one of the Oath Keeper leaders who has been indicted for seditious conspiracy. He and some other men at the hotel were a heavily armed Quick Reaction Force planning to move on the Capitol when signaled to do so by the guys in the Capitol buidling. What happened on January 6 was supposed to be just the spearhead of a larger effort.
Josh Kovensky writes at Talking Points Memo that the Oath Keepers were working with a Serbian national in Texas, who pointed them toward the 2000 ouster of Slobodan Miloševic as president of the Republic of Yugoslavia. Miloševic had tried to stay in power after a disputed election, meaning that he lost, but wouldn’t admit it. Mass demonstrations took place; armed police moved against him and persuaded him to retire. In the minds of the Oath Keeprs Joe Biden is Miloševic, even though Trump is a much closer match. In any event, they started planning the violent overthrow of the election in November, according to Kovensky.
New York Attorney General Letitia James
Legal eagle Glenn Kershner says that taking the Fifth Amendment cannot be construed as guilt in a criminal law or otherwise used against a defendant. In a civil proceeding, however, the rules are different and taking the Fifth can be used against the person who takes it.
Interesting as Eric Trump has already appeared before the Letitia James Grand Jury and is reported to have pled the 5th more than 500 times in 6 hours.
I guess that Eric didn't listen to his fathers advice that only the mob takes the 5th. I'm sure we can expect the same from Donny Jr. and Ivanka. The bright spot is the fact that Michael Cohen points out is that the documents don't lie.
It's not quite as clear-cut as that, at least at the state level.
I've been waiting for an article like this to add a couple points, things I came across over the last few days
In Teri Kanefield’s blog (she’s an attorney), she does a great job going over the sedition charge levied against a bunch of the rioters. You read what the Feds have on these people, details about how they made multiple runs to buy many thousands of dollars worth of guns and ammo, multiple times, and it makes your head spin. She explains why sedition is the closest thing to treason we’ll get to charging these people with, since treason is narrowly defined as selling us out to a foreign country we’re officially at war with. Treason isn’t going to happen.
I heard elsewhere (Rachel?) that the most open and shut case against Trump could come from the Fulton County Georgia DA’s office, where, in a recorded conversation, he’s on record demanding the GA secretary of state find 11,000+ voters to put him over the top. It’s flat-out election tampering.
And so Trump is being assailed from multiple directions, and it may not be the most glamorous, high profile angle that takes him down.
Since it seems to be a hot topic here, it might help to define "treason" for federal constitutional purposes:
"Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying war against them, or in adhering to their enemies, giving them aid and comfort. No person shall be convicted of treason unless on the testimony of two witnesses to the same overt act, or on confession in open court." U.S. CONST., Art. III, sec. 3.
There have been state laws against treason when it is committed against a state, as opposed to the country. I'm not sure if any of those survive; most I've run across have been repealed.
Treason at the federal level is almost never charged.
"Alphonse Gabriel Capone January 17, 1899 – January 25, 1947), sometimes known by the nickname "Scarface", was an American gangster and businessman who attained notoriety during the Prohibition era as the co-founder and boss of the Chicago Outfit. His seven-year reign as a crime boss ended when he went to prison at the age of 33."
Those who observe that Trump is good at wriggling out of trouble are correct. This condition will be true… until it's not. Meaning, the fact he's not yet been brought down yet is not proof it can't happen.
I think that like Icarus, Trump has flown too close to the sun. You can liken his situation to a termite infestation in a mighty wooden structure where the damage remains undetected until it reaches the point of collapse. The unspoken order to abandon ship Trump is fast approaching on the horizon.
Pushing the big lie is just not sustainable, and I believe that when the J6 committee gets done and fully exposes Trump for what he is and what he's done, his currently supporting Repugs are going to be faced with the prospect of saving their own hides or going down with the Trump ship.
Doug,
Drat! You beat me to the Al Capone reference!!!
Maybe one of the reasons tRUMPleTHINSKIN skated so often before, is that he used to bribe… Er… "Contribute" to the campaign funds of both RepubliKKKLANS and Democrats. Hopefully not. Probably not. But you never know. Money talks.
Btw: Biden held an almost 2-hour presser today.
It was a record! Longest presidential presser ever!
He was very good. No slippage!
You try to do what he did: Stand up there for 112 minutes and answer the questions of a room chock full of reporters. Even the idiotic "GOTCHYA!" queries from the FUX, NewsHacks, and ONANism nit/dim/half/fuck-wits!
He asked a very important and telling question, which should be in evety D candidates campaign ads.
He asked the room full of reporters, "What are the Republicans FOR?"
And in a separate location today, Moscow Mitch was asked what the legislative agenda would be if RepubliKKKLANS won the presidency and controlled both houses of Congress?
He said something akin to, "I don't know. " Then, he said "Ask me when it happens."
It was like a perfect bookend to Joe's question.
Oh, Mitch knows what he's for. For sure.
He just can't say it out loud. At least not without a lot of polishing-up of the turds they'll be trying to "jam down our throats!"
And as for ex-POTUS I. B. N. Arrshole, tick-tock, tick-tock, baby: You couldn't even run out this SCOTUS's clock! And Clarence was the only one who stood by you. The three bozo's you put on the court turned their backs to you. LOL!!!!!
I want to see the out-takes from his 1/6/21 video (filmed in MAGA-Vision!). Now THAT should be good for some shits and giggles, no?
Don't forget Matt Gaetz. He's got an appointment with destiny. It never hurts to have a GOP Representative proclaiming his innocence of sex trafficking a minor and obstruction prior to the mid-terms. Once his indictment hits he's going to find himself lonelier than a Maytag repairman.
All things work together for the GOP's glory.
I'll believe that when I see it.