Today, days after Trump announced he would seek reelection in 2024, Attorney General Merrick Garland said he had appointed a special counsel to assume control over the investigations of the former president. One is the investigation into Trump’s theft of United States documents, including some that were classified at the highest levels, when he left office. The other is Trump’s role in the events leading up to the January 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol in an attempt to steal the 2020 presidential election for Trump.
The Department of Justice has been investigating both of these issues since they came to light, but with Trump now in the political ring for 2024—in part because he hoped an announcement would stop his prosecution—and with Biden likely to announce later, Garland said he thought it was important to demonstrate that the investigations were independent. It is also of note that a special counsel can be removed only for misconduct, insulating the investigations from the new Republican majority in the House. The White House was not given advance notice of Garland’s action.
Garland appointed to the position Jack Smith, a graduate of Harvard Law School who served as a prosecutor for government corruption cases and since 2018 has been a war crimes prosecutor in The Hague. A former colleague said of him: “I have no idea what his political beliefs are because he’s completely apolitical. He’s committed to doing what is right.”
The appointment frustrated those who saw no reason to treat Trump differently than any other U.S. citizen and thought it would significantly slow the investigation; others saw it as a sign the Justice Department would indict the former president. Tonight, referring to the issue of the stolen documents, Trump’s attorney general William Barr told CNN, “I personally think they probably have the basis for legitimately indicting [Trump].... They have the case.”
Oddly, most of the reporting overlooks his experience prosecuting war crimes, which generally involve public officials who either failed to carry out their duties to protect their citizens or used war as a cover to enrich themselves. A low-level military person would be subject to a courts martial. What do you do with a crooked Commander-in-chief? I will not be surprised if the violations of the emoluments clause are considered and added. The problem with the classified documents is that they will not be able to be used at trial. Which is why DoJ is now pressing for the return of the other documents as potential exhibits. The investigation needs to be complete before charges are filed. After charges are filed the evidence will have to be shared with the defendant's lawyers. Since neither his lawyers nor his followers are too bright, "keep it simple" is the best advice.
The Donald's defense of "If I touched it it is declassified" is pure kindergarten-level thinking. The man is a fool and a buffoon. However, I am happy to see that he is publicly getting nervous at the appointment of Jack Smith and Cheetolini seems to be beginning to realize that *this* time he may not escape his crimes.
Trump Force One is all tuned up and ready to go. I think it has enough range to make it at least form Maine to Moscow (which wouldn't require passing over any other country). One thing I wonder about is how many passports Trump has; certainly he doesn't have just one.
Re concessions, both Frisch's and the one Lake is not making: My years in PR have probably given me a better than average grasp of the difference between PR and legal proceedings. The difference between the court of public opinion and a court of law. A concession is a PR event. It has absolutely no effect on the legal status of anything.
Yes but as Josh Shapiro in PA observed, it is the voters that decide and the candidates' response is irrelevant. However, before voters started paying attention, the counting was often haphazard and abandoned mid-stream. Election managers are aware that Florida in 2000 and Ohio in 2004 were problematic.
Wil and I are crossing NH enroute to Maine after attending VT*Grand’s school play in Vermont. The entire cast gave their all, did a fabulous job and got a much deserved Standing-O. We are so glad she tested negative two days before rehearsals ended! Her Dad couldn’t be there, as he caught Covid from her, so I took a heap of photos for him. We brought her flowers and chocolates. The play was “Hello Dolly.” We had never seen it, even as a movie. So we watched the version with Barbra Streisand as Dolly Levin and really disliked it…! Only one time we’d ever heard before and so visually jumbled as to be distracting. Worst of all the sexual politics. But the play was wonderful, and they tweaked it to modernise it ever so slightly. A wisp of “equality of the sexed” not just a war of domination. So good!!
I remember going to see it a couple of times in San Francisco with my Mom a LONG time ago. She enjoyed it, and I don't recall much of anything about it.
Heather Cox Richardson tonight is definitely good reading
ReplyDeleteFor example:
DeleteToday, days after Trump announced he would seek reelection in 2024, Attorney General Merrick Garland said he had appointed a special counsel to assume control over the investigations of the former president. One is the investigation into Trump’s theft of United States documents, including some that were classified at the highest levels, when he left office. The other is Trump’s role in the events leading up to the January 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol in an attempt to steal the 2020 presidential election for Trump.
The Department of Justice has been investigating both of these issues since they came to light, but with Trump now in the political ring for 2024—in part because he hoped an announcement would stop his prosecution—and with Biden likely to announce later, Garland said he thought it was important to demonstrate that the investigations were independent. It is also of note that a special counsel can be removed only for misconduct, insulating the investigations from the new Republican majority in the House. The White House was not given advance notice of Garland’s action.
Garland appointed to the position Jack Smith, a graduate of Harvard Law School who served as a prosecutor for government corruption cases and since 2018 has been a war crimes prosecutor in The Hague. A former colleague said of him: “I have no idea what his political beliefs are because he’s completely apolitical. He’s committed to doing what is right.”
The appointment frustrated those who saw no reason to treat Trump differently than any other U.S. citizen and thought it would significantly slow the investigation; others saw it as a sign the Justice Department would indict the former president. Tonight, referring to the issue of the stolen documents, Trump’s attorney general William Barr told CNN, “I personally think they probably have the basis for legitimately indicting [Trump].... They have the case.”
Oddly, most of the reporting overlooks his experience prosecuting war crimes, which generally involve public officials who either failed to carry out their duties to protect their citizens or used war as a cover to enrich themselves. A low-level military person would be subject to a courts martial. What do you do with a crooked Commander-in-chief?
DeleteI will not be surprised if the violations of the emoluments clause are considered and added.
The problem with the classified documents is that they will not be able to be used at trial. Which is why DoJ is now pressing for the return of the other documents as potential exhibits.
The investigation needs to be complete before charges are filed. After charges are filed the evidence will have to be shared with the defendant's lawyers. Since neither his lawyers nor his followers are too bright, "keep it simple" is the best advice.
The Donald's defense of "If I touched it it is declassified" is pure kindergarten-level thinking. The man is a fool and a buffoon. However, I am happy to see that he is publicly getting nervous at the appointment of Jack Smith and Cheetolini seems to be beginning to realize that *this* time he may not escape his crimes.
DeleteTrump Force One is all tuned up and ready to go. I think it has enough range to make it at least form Maine to Moscow (which wouldn't require passing over any other country). One thing I wonder about is how many passports Trump has; certainly he doesn't have just one.
DeleteRe concessions, both Frisch's and the one Lake is not making: My years in PR have probably given me a better than average grasp of the difference between PR and legal proceedings. The difference between the court of public opinion and a court of law. A concession is a PR event. It has absolutely no effect on the legal status of anything.
ReplyDeleteYes but as Josh Shapiro in PA observed, it is the voters that decide and the candidates' response is irrelevant. However, before voters started paying attention, the counting was often haphazard and abandoned mid-stream. Election managers are aware that Florida in 2000 and Ohio in 2004 were problematic.
DeleteWil and I are crossing NH enroute to Maine after attending VT*Grand’s school play in Vermont. The entire cast gave their all, did a fabulous job and got a much deserved Standing-O. We are so glad she tested negative two days before rehearsals ended! Her Dad couldn’t be there, as he caught Covid from her, so I took a heap of photos for him. We brought her flowers and chocolates.
ReplyDeleteThe play was “Hello Dolly.” We had never seen it, even as a movie. So we watched the version with Barbra Streisand as Dolly Levin and really disliked it…! Only one time we’d ever heard before and so visually jumbled as to be distracting. Worst of all the sexual politics.
But the play was wonderful, and they tweaked it to modernise it ever so slightly. A wisp of “equality of the sexed” not just a war of domination.
So good!!
^ Anony Mouse was listener
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteI remember going to see it a couple of times in San Francisco with my Mom a LONG time ago. She enjoyed it, and I don't recall much of anything about it.
Delete