Can’t state strongly enough how much I appreciate your today’s column with a parsing of the language used by the legal opponents in this battle. It’s interesting to say the least how the FL judge has waded into a very deep pool. I can only wait to hear what the CIA et. al. have to say about the documents and how their exposure has compromised people who are alive and now at risk…or maybe already dead. Trump was considered a risk in 2016 - before he was elected. Now? It’s incredible. Thank you for staying in this. ❤️🤍💙
We all knew when Trump was elected it would be bad, but we could never have dreamed just how bad it would be, even in his post presidency. Lock him up!
Wouldit be Karmic if he actually goes down for something as historic as espionage ? It would if ,ourselves, leave all the grifting, Tax Evasion, etc. In the dust, and I'm pretty sure that even if he does go to prison, it will bar him from ever holding Public Office again. Then, we can go after his enablers and sycophantic toads like Mizz Lindsay, Gymshorts, Pompeo et al.
I'm thinking his "presidential library" should be a wing in an existing law library that will contain all the documents and commentary related to all the suits brought by or against him. This would be very useful to lawyers, legal scholars, historians, and others.
“Reading between the lines of its filing, the DOJ came as close as it dared to implying that Trump is a target and that criminal charges involving the Espionage Act and obstruction of justice, not to mention the Presidential Record Act are already in the works.”
From your lips (figuratively speaking) to the FSM’s ears!!
"Trump is a target and that criminal charges involving the Espionage Act and obstruction of justice, not to mention the Presidential Record Act are already in the works." You have touched the first whiff of what is coming. History might show that the Jan 6 Committee shamed the FBI and DOJ into getting serious.
Audiea; I'm not sure about History, but, imho, The Jan 6 Committee has already lit a fuse under DOJ. Up until a couple of months ago, General Garlands elves were seemingly focused on a very tight window into the events which occurred on January 6. And it took the testimony, in public of people like the Hutchinson girl (I'm 75, any woman under 50 is still a girl) and a couple of others to Kickstart Garland into looking at the surrounding Conspiracy to actually overthrow the Elected Government.
You are correct. It looks as if Garland was unsure about taking on a former president. But the document boxes and revelations of documents that compromised our intelligence agents overseas? Maybe the Jan 6 Committee caused Garland and FBI to develop a better picture. Something changed this summer, and Trump knows it.
I disagree. Garland's former Harvard professor, Lawrence Tribe, who knew nothing of the inner workings of the DOJ because Garland ran that tight a ship, made the public accusations that Garland was dragging his feet and not doing his job. Who benefitted from this false disparagement? Not justice. Hmm, Tribe got a lot of air time.
I disagree. The DOJ began their meticulous and critical work immediately after the insurrection, and successfully investigated, flipped, tried and convicted hundreds of insurrectionists ("903 arrested..." https://news.yahoo.com/most-arrests-capitol-riots-misdemeanor-225235647.html) who provided the evidence needed. The DOJ historically, and for important and proven reasons, began with the small fry, moving up to the big fish, and the full conspiracy, while the FBI pursued the classified documents. Look at Garland's hugely successful. record before becoming A.G. (I did because my son was Executive Assistant to the Director of Discover's show, "Unibomber."). It had to be done right.
And I think the American people will accept the prosecution of an ex-President more than a sitting President. It’s easier to understand and support charges of espionage, stealing top secret documents and obstruction of justice than the BS that Bill Barr fed us from the Mueller report.
My evidence is the fact that Garland refused to prosecute Trump on the Mueller crimes and the Daniels bribe. Both those cases were fully investigated and could’ve been charged on his first day. He declined, and we have yet to hear his reason. It’s been almost 18 months since he took over DOJ and I can’t see we’re any closer to justice being done. It appears to me he’s only now making noises about Trump because the J6 committee revealed his incompetence. Admittedly it’s conjecture on my part. What’s wrong with conjecture? We all do it.
Nothing at all wrong with conjecture. I do it all the time. In fact, my conjecture on why Garland didn't charge Trump with what you call "the Mueller crimes" is that the new Democratically controlled DOJ took a look at the obstruction portions of the Mueller report and for one reason or another decided that prosecutions on those allegations would not be a slam dunk, which is I think what the DOJ thought it should have to get a conviction if they took Trump to trial. I can't recall what the law the Daniels bribe broke, but it may be that their reasoning was the same. In the current instance, the DOJ does not seem shy about going after him, requesting and executing a search warrant that caused them to list the federal statutes Trump is thought to have violated. I think Garland is exacting, but sure of his own judgement and he's taking things one step at a time. A little tip: Look for new search warrants.
You're hell bent on trying to make Garland complicit in some sort of cover up, aren't you?
When a new head comes into the office, the very last thing he wants to do is rake the old coals over from the last fire.
Garland has an almost airtight case against Trump right now, and if that makes him a number in the federal system, so be it.
I don't really care as long as justice is served-by which crime, it almost doesn't matter because Donald Trump is a criminal and he's never going to stop being one.
By the way you do realize Garland did get Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols? He's not incompetent. He just doesn't like to have a mess to clean up when he's doing a complex case.
I think this time is the right time, and it will happen. Donald Trump has been running this game for over 50 years and you can't keep doing the same old same old without something going pop and everything collapsing on you.
It's called karma, fate, whatever you want to do-but it does exist and that is why I believe Trump has run out of luck. Hopefully he'll be alive to serve his sentence.
Justice in the system is hard to get. I've been through the wringer myself though being involved in a federal case, and after 10 years it was done-Trump has never been through this level of bad, and I hope he suffers mightily from this.
What?! Garland will sandbag the trial? Garland has done everything necessary in the most timely way to assure conviction. Even Harvard's Lawrence Tribe who started these false rumors has back pedalled, and agreed that Garland is getting the job done.
Which is very odd for him to have done, because from all accounts, he was one of Garland's law professors at Harvard, and reportedly respects the hell out of him.
Yes, odd. I suspect Tribe is not the super confident human he appears to be - I think he was terrified that tRump would not get indicted, and HE, Lawrence Tribe The Great (be nice MaryPat), had to light a fire under Garland to save democracy. That's my charitable excuse for his unprofessional behavior. I taught nursing (part-time) for the University of Michigan for 20 years. Maybe Harvard has more lax ethic rules, but we would never have publicly denigrated one of our own graduates.
History will show that the DOJ, FBI and Congressional Jan 6 Committee each did their jobs in the most timely, professional and convincing ways possible, each playing key roles in the take down of the worst threat to the U.S.A. since The Civil War.
Another excellent article clarifying the legal "ping pong." It will be very interesting to learn about the tapes and who were involved in moving the boxes around. Above top -secret doc's were not secret at Mar-a-Lago.
The incompetence and mendacity of Trump’s counsel cannot be exaggerated. They managed to mangle the simple business of serving their counterparty and as Marcy Wheeler showed they’re either co-conspirators or witnesses; this is a shambles and an embarrassment to the participants.
No halfway intelligent attorneys will represent him since it’s so obvious he’s guilty of so many crimes. And he’s famous for stiffing people who do any type of work for him.
I do so wish Trump would get better lawyers-because if the DOJ and it's teams of very well-trained attorneys cannot separate out privileged documents, they're in the wrong business.
The judge shopping is obviously because Trump is scared shitless of what they're going to find in those boxes, and if they're even close to what you're describing, he damn well should be.
This judge is wading into matters that are above her pay grade and I think she'd best just be backing off and let the rest of the alphabet soup of the government take it from here.
But someone tell Trump that he's never gonna get back his love letter from Kim and his scribblings on those very sensitive documents will be handy for proof he actually did have them in his possession-and by the way, the charges are going to get real bad if they find he's copied any of them.
As it is now, I bet all the intelligence agencies are doing in depth assessments of what they could be looking at for damage.
Trump is really in deep shit for that. That's called treason and we all know how those kinds of people end up.
Too bad Trump just didn't give it all back when he was politely asked to. It'll mean whether or not he goes to prison, which I'm betting is a pretty sure thing.
Because the intelligence agencies do not like him, he's dissed them and pissed them off, believe me I think they're just jumping for joy they have the SOB nailed to the door on this.
They'll have their revenge yet.
They're not the people who you really need for enemies.
Better lawyers haven't been answering or returning his calls. They've all known since the J6 comittee hearings (if not before) that representing ex45 is A: professional suicide up to bar licence threatening level, and B: unlikely to see all invoices paid in full (if at all).
And as an intelligence officer, if I had ever abused my security clearances to take classified home I am sure I wouldn't have been able to find a sympathetic judge...
...the Director of National Intelligence is “leading an intelligence community assessment of potential risk to national security that would result from disclosure of the materials.”
tfg poked the hornet's nest this time. Pretty sure the spooks all hate his guts already. Time for some long overdue payback.
Can’t state strongly enough how much I appreciate your today’s column with a parsing of the language used by the legal opponents in this battle. It’s interesting to say the least how the FL judge has waded into a very deep pool. I can only wait to hear what the CIA et. al. have to say about the documents and how their exposure has compromised people who are alive and now at risk…or maybe already dead. Trump was considered a risk in 2016 - before he was elected. Now? It’s incredible. Thank you for staying in this. ❤️🤍💙
We all knew when Trump was elected it would be bad, but we could never have dreamed just how bad it would be, even in his post presidency. Lock him up!
Wouldit be Karmic if he actually goes down for something as historic as espionage ? It would if ,ourselves, leave all the grifting, Tax Evasion, etc. In the dust, and I'm pretty sure that even if he does go to prison, it will bar him from ever holding Public Office again. Then, we can go after his enablers and sycophantic toads like Mizz Lindsay, Gymshorts, Pompeo et al.
Exactly, he has elevated himself above a mere mob boss.
His Presidential Library will be a Leavenworth cell number!
I'm thinking his "presidential library" should be a wing in an existing law library that will contain all the documents and commentary related to all the suits brought by or against him. This would be very useful to lawyers, legal scholars, historians, and others.
"Gymshorts"
“Reading between the lines of its filing, the DOJ came as close as it dared to implying that Trump is a target and that criminal charges involving the Espionage Act and obstruction of justice, not to mention the Presidential Record Act are already in the works.”
From your lips (figuratively speaking) to the FSM’s ears!!
Amen!
"Trump is a target and that criminal charges involving the Espionage Act and obstruction of justice, not to mention the Presidential Record Act are already in the works." You have touched the first whiff of what is coming. History might show that the Jan 6 Committee shamed the FBI and DOJ into getting serious.
Audiea; I'm not sure about History, but, imho, The Jan 6 Committee has already lit a fuse under DOJ. Up until a couple of months ago, General Garlands elves were seemingly focused on a very tight window into the events which occurred on January 6. And it took the testimony, in public of people like the Hutchinson girl (I'm 75, any woman under 50 is still a girl) and a couple of others to Kickstart Garland into looking at the surrounding Conspiracy to actually overthrow the Elected Government.
You are correct. It looks as if Garland was unsure about taking on a former president. But the document boxes and revelations of documents that compromised our intelligence agents overseas? Maybe the Jan 6 Committee caused Garland and FBI to develop a better picture. Something changed this summer, and Trump knows it.
I disagree. Garland's former Harvard professor, Lawrence Tribe, who knew nothing of the inner workings of the DOJ because Garland ran that tight a ship, made the public accusations that Garland was dragging his feet and not doing his job. Who benefitted from this false disparagement? Not justice. Hmm, Tribe got a lot of air time.
Bannon's stated goal, lest we forget.
He's another one who should have been slammed into prison. He's poison and evil.
I disagree. The DOJ began their meticulous and critical work immediately after the insurrection, and successfully investigated, flipped, tried and convicted hundreds of insurrectionists ("903 arrested..." https://news.yahoo.com/most-arrests-capitol-riots-misdemeanor-225235647.html) who provided the evidence needed. The DOJ historically, and for important and proven reasons, began with the small fry, moving up to the big fish, and the full conspiracy, while the FBI pursued the classified documents. Look at Garland's hugely successful. record before becoming A.G. (I did because my son was Executive Assistant to the Director of Discover's show, "Unibomber."). It had to be done right.
I hope so. I’m afraid even if Garland is backed into a corner he will do everything he can to sandbag the trial.
You did not mention the evidence on which you base this conjecture, but I think you are wrong.
And I think the American people will accept the prosecution of an ex-President more than a sitting President. It’s easier to understand and support charges of espionage, stealing top secret documents and obstruction of justice than the BS that Bill Barr fed us from the Mueller report.
My evidence is the fact that Garland refused to prosecute Trump on the Mueller crimes and the Daniels bribe. Both those cases were fully investigated and could’ve been charged on his first day. He declined, and we have yet to hear his reason. It’s been almost 18 months since he took over DOJ and I can’t see we’re any closer to justice being done. It appears to me he’s only now making noises about Trump because the J6 committee revealed his incompetence. Admittedly it’s conjecture on my part. What’s wrong with conjecture? We all do it.
Nothing at all wrong with conjecture. I do it all the time. In fact, my conjecture on why Garland didn't charge Trump with what you call "the Mueller crimes" is that the new Democratically controlled DOJ took a look at the obstruction portions of the Mueller report and for one reason or another decided that prosecutions on those allegations would not be a slam dunk, which is I think what the DOJ thought it should have to get a conviction if they took Trump to trial. I can't recall what the law the Daniels bribe broke, but it may be that their reasoning was the same. In the current instance, the DOJ does not seem shy about going after him, requesting and executing a search warrant that caused them to list the federal statutes Trump is thought to have violated. I think Garland is exacting, but sure of his own judgement and he's taking things one step at a time. A little tip: Look for new search warrants.
Yes. ""When you strike at a king, you must kill him.'"
Attributed to Ralph Waldo Emerson (this week anyway).
You're hell bent on trying to make Garland complicit in some sort of cover up, aren't you?
When a new head comes into the office, the very last thing he wants to do is rake the old coals over from the last fire.
Garland has an almost airtight case against Trump right now, and if that makes him a number in the federal system, so be it.
I don't really care as long as justice is served-by which crime, it almost doesn't matter because Donald Trump is a criminal and he's never going to stop being one.
By the way you do realize Garland did get Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols? He's not incompetent. He just doesn't like to have a mess to clean up when he's doing a complex case.
He is brilliant enough to make his case winnable.
In the meantime another day slips away without justice. My point is it past time. When would you finally say enough is enough?
I think this time is the right time, and it will happen. Donald Trump has been running this game for over 50 years and you can't keep doing the same old same old without something going pop and everything collapsing on you.
It's called karma, fate, whatever you want to do-but it does exist and that is why I believe Trump has run out of luck. Hopefully he'll be alive to serve his sentence.
Justice in the system is hard to get. I've been through the wringer myself though being involved in a federal case, and after 10 years it was done-Trump has never been through this level of bad, and I hope he suffers mightily from this.
What?! Garland will sandbag the trial? Garland has done everything necessary in the most timely way to assure conviction. Even Harvard's Lawrence Tribe who started these false rumors has back pedalled, and agreed that Garland is getting the job done.
Which is very odd for him to have done, because from all accounts, he was one of Garland's law professors at Harvard, and reportedly respects the hell out of him.
Yes, odd. I suspect Tribe is not the super confident human he appears to be - I think he was terrified that tRump would not get indicted, and HE, Lawrence Tribe The Great (be nice MaryPat), had to light a fire under Garland to save democracy. That's my charitable excuse for his unprofessional behavior. I taught nursing (part-time) for the University of Michigan for 20 years. Maybe Harvard has more lax ethic rules, but we would never have publicly denigrated one of our own graduates.
Thata very broad broom you are sweeping with. Best you support it with something besides bar room conjecture.
See above. Also no need to insult me, I’m willing to engage in a good faith discussion.
History will show that the DOJ, FBI and Congressional Jan 6 Committee each did their jobs in the most timely, professional and convincing ways possible, each playing key roles in the take down of the worst threat to the U.S.A. since The Civil War.
Another excellent article clarifying the legal "ping pong." It will be very interesting to learn about the tapes and who were involved in moving the boxes around. Above top -secret doc's were not secret at Mar-a-Lago.
Thanks, Lucian.
The incompetence and mendacity of Trump’s counsel cannot be exaggerated. They managed to mangle the simple business of serving their counterparty and as Marcy Wheeler showed they’re either co-conspirators or witnesses; this is a shambles and an embarrassment to the participants.
No halfway intelligent attorneys will represent him since it’s so obvious he’s guilty of so many crimes. And he’s famous for stiffing people who do any type of work for him.
I do so wish Trump would get better lawyers-because if the DOJ and it's teams of very well-trained attorneys cannot separate out privileged documents, they're in the wrong business.
The judge shopping is obviously because Trump is scared shitless of what they're going to find in those boxes, and if they're even close to what you're describing, he damn well should be.
This judge is wading into matters that are above her pay grade and I think she'd best just be backing off and let the rest of the alphabet soup of the government take it from here.
But someone tell Trump that he's never gonna get back his love letter from Kim and his scribblings on those very sensitive documents will be handy for proof he actually did have them in his possession-and by the way, the charges are going to get real bad if they find he's copied any of them.
As it is now, I bet all the intelligence agencies are doing in depth assessments of what they could be looking at for damage.
Trump is really in deep shit for that. That's called treason and we all know how those kinds of people end up.
Too bad Trump just didn't give it all back when he was politely asked to. It'll mean whether or not he goes to prison, which I'm betting is a pretty sure thing.
Because the intelligence agencies do not like him, he's dissed them and pissed them off, believe me I think they're just jumping for joy they have the SOB nailed to the door on this.
They'll have their revenge yet.
They're not the people who you really need for enemies.
Better lawyers haven't been answering or returning his calls. They've all known since the J6 comittee hearings (if not before) that representing ex45 is A: professional suicide up to bar licence threatening level, and B: unlikely to see all invoices paid in full (if at all).
Oh, dear God; LOCK HIM UP already. He’s a traitor who deserves the death penalty for his crimes. Put US out of his misery.
And as an intelligence officer, if I had ever abused my security clearances to take classified home I am sure I wouldn't have been able to find a sympathetic judge...
...the Director of National Intelligence is “leading an intelligence community assessment of potential risk to national security that would result from disclosure of the materials.”
tfg poked the hornet's nest this time. Pretty sure the spooks all hate his guts already. Time for some long overdue payback.
Remember his early visit to Langley, the CIA will never forget.
I do hope that the federal judge in Florida realizes just exactly what she’s getting into with this whole “Special Master” review.
Trump Stink finds another victim.
All trump appointees should be fumigated yesterday.
Is anyone really surprised?
It was considerate of Trump to videotape his crimes for the authorities. He should of learned from his MAGA mob not to do that.
Those who fail to learn from history…
An incompetent mob boss, Jimmy Breslin is smiling!
I love it when you read between the lines.
I don’t understand why DOJ is responding to this judge. What she is doing is clearly not in her jurisdiction.