Trump’s Appeal Bond and Other News Bits

Posted on by

I’ve been looking for any information on the appeal bond posted by Trump yesterday. And we don’t know much.This is from Alternet —

The ex-president’s bond was guaranteed by the Federal Insurance Company — a New York-based subsidiary of the company Chubb Group LLC, which is headquartered in Switzerland. In 2018, Chubb CEO Evan Greenberg served on a trade advisory committee in the Trump White House. The Washington Post reported that “it was not clear from court records what collateral Trump presented to obtain the bond from Chubb.”

We don’t know what was put up for collateral, we don’t know if it was co-signed, we don’t know what fee Trump is being required to pay. Seems a tad hinky. Some commenters are breathlessly noting that Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán was at Mar-a-Lago yesterday and wondering if Orbán was involved in securing the loan. That’s pure speculation, note. Orbán came to the U.S. to meet with Trump but is not meeting with President Biden, which is definately hinky.

Trump has now officially taken over the RNC, so watch the RNC budget get drained on behalf of Trump. You down-ballot candidates are on your own.

In other Mar-a-Lago news, this is from Joyce Vance yesterday —

In the Mar-a-Lago case, two additional prosecutors filed their notices of appearance, the formal way a lawyer advises a judge they will be participating in a case. One of those lawyers handled Trump’s appeal on presidential immunity to the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, leading to widespread speculation Jack Smith is gearing up to appeal Judge Aileen Cannon to the Eleventh Circuit.

Cannon will have to issue an appealable order before that can happen. But that moment may well come when she rules on pending classified discovery issues or Trump’s request to make the names of witnesses public.

We can hope.

The fallout from Thursday night continues, including the trashing of Sen. Katie Britt. I get the impression that Republicans are projecting all their frustrations at having been owned at the SOTU onto her. She may or may not have a career after this. But here’s a fun read about her — Is Katie Britt for Real?

23 thoughts on “Trump’s Appeal Bond and Other News Bits”

  1. I loved "Is Katie Britt for Real?" – I understand it was by someone from her hometown.

    Same subject, and you must read: The Fundie Baby Voice

    I was about to head to bed after the State of the Union last night, when I heard a voice coming from my television that stopped me in my tracks. I didn’t know who was speaking, but it really didn’t matter—I recognized the voice. It was so many voices from my childhood. It was so many Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings. It was potlucks, and baby showers, and graduations, and birthday parties.

    It was Senator Katie Britt using her well-practiced fundie baby voice.

    …I used my “training” as a former Evangelical, a Southern Baptist, to describe the breathy cadence and the soft, child-like high pitch. Folks outside of Fundamentalist culture have never heard the term—they just know the voice makes them uncomfortable.

    I know that voice well…in fact I can’t shake it myself. It was ingrained in every woman I knew from church. Every time I speak about it, folks will point out that I sound that way myself.

    Yes, friends. That’s the point. Be sweet. Obey. Prove it by speaking in muted tones…

    3

    • Gaah!  I didn't hear her rebuttal on Thursday; read it yesterday, and it didn't seem as bad as people had been saying.  Finally looked it up on YT today, and Gaah! now I understand the reaction, and "Fundie Baby Voice" describes it perfectly.  I only made it through 26 seconds; I have low tolerance for creepy Stepford Wives.

  2. I'm liking the mojo I'm seeing from Biden, finally a Democrat who can go on the offensive and land punches. 

    Saw on a CNN chyron: "Will Biden Debate Trump? Biden: "If He Behaves Himself"

    2

  3. Chubb is the sponsor of Antiques Roadshow.  Evan Greenberg's father Maurice was the chairman of AIG.

  4. I had to turn Katie off after 30 seconds. 

    Can't imagine why these words popped into my head: "Stepford Wives" 

    1

  5. I'm as curious as anyone what collateral Trump had to put up for a $100 million guarantee that E. Jean Carroll will be paid when the appeals are exhausted. No one seems to doubt that Chubb has the assets so the main point is covered. Carroll will be paid. Is it possible Chubb did NOT secure collateral? Yes. There was a banker who made a bad loan to Mannifort with the understanding he'd (the banker) become Secretary of the Army. Manifort went to jail – the loan went belly-up and the banker was in serious trouble as I recall. 

    Britt was almost certainly Trump's suggestion. What was Trump thinking? IMO, she's pretty, unlike the governor of Arkansas. Trump "casts" people for roles. Britt was on the shortlist for VP – had she scored, that would have clinched it. So she's out. But Trump wants a loyalist as VP who will not take any of the spotlight but looks hot. And having a woman as VP will bring millions of women to Trump's side because deep down, they all want to be next to Trump. I'm not at all sure Trump's given up on a VP with t^ts because Trump's actually aware Republicans are getting killed in elections on his signature achievement. 

    The DOJ formally clarified a point earlier this month – the "60-day rule" on not taking actions that will affect an election will NOT prevent trials from happening in that window before the election. The DOJ won't initiate anything new against Trump in that window – no new indictments, probably not even any superseding indictments. But the if the stuff Trump is delaying comes due for trial in the summer, it won't be put on hold in the fall. IMO, it's likely bordering on certain that Trump will spend much of September and October in a courtroom facing serious felony charges when the low-info voters get their heads out of …. the sand. (I cleaned that up.)

    The most serious issue and contrast between Trump and Biden stares the media in the face and nobody has said anything. Every week, Monday thru Friday, the WH meets with the press. The Trump Press Office opened with the most ridiculous lies about the pathetic crowd in DC, rotated through a pathetic series of mouthpieces and finally shut down for what? a year. Trump is not doing interviews except with a favored few. Hard questions on issues? Never gonna happen. When discussion on debates comes up, Trump will demand to stack the deck or refuse to appear. My point: the media should be front and center on this – Trump only wants to perform before a friendly crowd. 

    1

    • "My point: the media should be front and center on this – Trump only wants to perform before a friendly crowd. "
      What I would like to see is our media pin down the GOP on J6. Biden set the whole conversation up during the SOTU. One of his first points was how many in the GOP are trying to downplay J6, rewrite history and many calling the insurrection a patriotic act. You could see Speaker Johnson squirm when Biden brought this up. I think most of them know damn well that the rioters are not patriots, they know what happened was wrong. There is a large minority that may believe the real loons, MTG, etc but I have to believe most know the truth. Any time Johnson McConnell or any other GOP'er is interviewed they should be asked if the J6 rioters are patriots. Any time they use the old "the election had problems" they should ask why after more than three years Trump has not proven one ounce of election fraud, remember the cyber ninjas? As we get closer to the election Stump will stick to his guns that J6 was a patriotic demonstration, those incarcerated are political prisoners. The Biden campaign and what's left of our honest press corp need to drive a wedge between the GOP establishment and Stump. It's an open wound right there out in the open.

      5

    • Chubb developed the residential part of the Weehawken waterfront.  Arthur Imperatore developed the commercial part.  But Chubb has had huge experience with real estate.  In tough conditions, initially Conrail refused to grant right of easement over their tracks to the area.

    • Chubb isn't some local bank, but a company with global business founded in the 19th century. I assume they're smart enough to know that Trump is a bad risk. 

  6. If I were Chubb, I don't think I'd back tRUMP. 

    Even if it was only for a buck.

    Or, not unless some Oligarch(s), from Russia, China, Iran, the US, OR SOMEWHERE,ANYWHERE, guaranteed the money!

    That man is THE Supreme Grifter & Goniff!

    tRUMP may be the least competent human that we've had the (rather dubious) privilege of encountering.

    Pretty much, his whole miserable life has been out there for us to see!

    That's why people from NYC didn't – and still don't – support him.

    We NYers had been deluged with tRUMP's BS on a daily basis for decades.

    He was on the FRONT page of newspapers with some real estate BS or other.

    And with the NY Cosmos, the USFL NY Generals, and some boxing interests, tRUMP was in the BACK page.

    He was always on Page 6.  Usually with some new model, actress, or "illegal" immigrant hottie – like his (still current?) wife, "Melanie!" (As tRUMP calls her!).

    In NYC, from back in the early 80 's, until today, there was no escape from tRUMP and his bullshit!

    We hate the miserable SOB.

    3

  7. We don’t know what was put up for collateral, we don’t know if it was co-signed, we don’t know what fee Trump is being required to pay.

     What we do know is Trump is indebted to somebody, who knowing Trump's history of fraud has more than likely made sure they are going to get their money back. If Trump doesn't regain the White House and isn't able to repay by way of favorable legislation or major political appointments, he's on the hook for some serious money with unfavorable terms. He's going to have to sell an awful lot of never surrender high tops to get that monkey off his back.

     He's in a position now where he's forced to make decisions out of desperation to maintain his fraudulent image as an extremely weathly and brilliant business man. He's sitting on a powder keg with a hair trigger. My thought is that in all likelihood it is going to blowup in his face before November. He's running too close to the edge. His secretive deal making to stay afloat only increases the suspicion among normal people that he's selling out America just to save his own ass.

    Not that he wasn't selling out America all along, but this just puts a sharper focus on his game.

  8. "THE DRUGS ARE WEARING OFF!", he posted.  Hmm, he didn't exactly specify whose drugs were wearing off, but I think we know. 

  10. Okay, the appeal bond has been posted. For most of us here, that probably has negative effects.
    Like Maha said, Chubb is a big company, and if TFG loses the appeal and then defaults on the judgment, Chubb has to pay the judgment.  Period. But they're not going to just shrug and take a loss, that's not good business, and this is a tidy sum. 
    So they pay and then start the process of using collateral. I'm not sure it's legal but if a third party provided the LOC needed as collateral as a "favor" to TFG, then TFG never has to pay it but TFG owes that third party big time. 
    So bottom line, the bond puts a legal layer of separation between E. Jean Carroll and TFG. The bond protects Carroll, but TFG gets to delay having to pay, at a minimum. So, as long as he can game things, he doesn't feel the punishment.  If he owes a favor, then if he gets elected, that obligation is a national security risk. Not good. If he goes to the big house instead of the White House, the friend who did the favor is SOL.
    Since accountability is so important here, all of these legalisms rob us, as a nation, of accountability.

  11. From Joyce Vance

    Last Friday… Trump posted a bond in the required amount of $91.63 million dollars, which reflects the judgment plus interest. The bond was furnished by Federal Insurance Company, a subsidiary of the Chubb Group. This is good news for E. Jean Carroll because the bond guarantees that the judgment will be paid if she prevails on appeal.

    …There is an unusual provision in the bond that would give Chubb 60 days from the date final judgment is entered in Carroll’s favor (if she wins on appeal) to make payment to her, which her lawyers might seek some clarification on, and there may be some technical details to work out. But after all the concern about Trump’s ability to pay, the bond means that if he doesn’t, Chubb must tender the full amount. They can collect from Trump in turn, but doing that would be their problem. This certainty of payment is why it’s extremely unusual for a prevailing party to oppose a bond properly obtained through a surety.

    Chubb is an international insurance business and reports it has more than $225 billion in assets. They provide various types of surety bonds as part of their normal business operations….

  12. According to Michael Popok, Trump put up cash he can't touch to get the bond. For the bond to not be challenged by Carroll, her lawyer set the terms regarding payout. So this isn't gonna drag out forever.

    Trump will get a shot at an appeal. When it fails, Carroll gets her money. The only way Trump will see a dime of what he put up is if the appeals court agrees. As I see it, if Trump didn't have a bond, Carroll might have attached properties that she could have auctioned at a huge loss to Trump.  TrumAs I read it, Trump wanted to pay for an open-ended series of legal delays. Carroll might have refused anything less than the guaranteed bond so Chubb negotiated with Carrol's lawyer and she insisted on a payout within a short time. 

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCWozjK_Xtg

  13. Navarro is going to federal prison in Miami for four months starting this month. That sounds vaguely familiar. I went to federal prison in Miami for four months (three and I did thirty days in a halfway house in Tampa.) My guess is it will be FDC Miami which is a high-rise prison in downtown Miami across from the federal courthouse. Most of the prisoners at FDC Miami are awaiting trial or adjudication. But one floor is reserved for convicted felons because accused felons can't be forced to work. SO it's likely Peter will be working in the kitchen because that's where most of the labor force winds up. 

    I doubt if Peter knows this. I didn't until after I reported and I was scared shitless. That feeling won't go away for a while though FDC Miami on the third level isn't as tough as the other levels and nowhere near as bad as some federal lock-ups. I wish I had contacts in the prison to hear wow things go for Peter.

    2

    • The "labor force" at Lancaster County Jail in PA ended up doing foundry work and also assembling mobile homes.  They were either awaiting sentencing or there for failure to pay child support.  They were referred to as "outmates".  After work a bus would pick them up and take them back.

      1

  14. It seems boxes of documents left Mar-a-Lago just before the FBI showed up. This makes one wonder about a tip-off.  A dozen or so boxes of documents hurried away before the raid and who knows what was in them.  More for the loose Cannon kitty to cover up before the stench becomes overwhelming.  

    2

    • Most kids try to get around the restrictions of their parents. Until they are teens and they they want to openly defy even prudent restrictions and eliminate the control they resent. (What's a stronger word than resent?) 

      Cannon knows how she's restrained by precedent and the 11th Circuit. It should force her to a "right" choice except when there's a legitimate question. If she follows that path, Trump will be convicted which is unacceptable to her. A good judge doesn't build proceedings around the result he/she desires. Cannon should make judicial rulings about the rules leading up to the trial and let the result emerge from the jury.

      I'm reading and starting to wonder if Cannon isn't on the verge of dismissing the entire federal case against Trump in the hope the USSC is appalled by the idea of Great Leader behind bars. 

      In character, this move reminds me of various mass murderers whose motive was to kick off a race war. Manson was one but there was the kid from GA. Cannon may be more of a nut than we suspect, thinking that God gave this to her so she could intervene on behalf of White Supremacy. And she knows that if it goes to trial, Trump is doomed, 

      If Cannon slow-walks it, she's betting Trump will win the election and dismiss the case. A 50-50 chance. If she dismisses and the higher courts sustain, the documents trial goes away even if Trump loses. And she did it – there's the recognition she will get from Trump for her act. Plus like a rebellious teen, she wants to tell Smith that he can't apply the law to Trump. She wants to be the one who rips this prosecution away from him.

      And it will all fail at the 11th Circuit level on appeal and we'll get a real judge.

      3

Comments are closed.