;)
The Commentariat -- February 19, 2020
Dareh Gregorian of NBC News: "The ninth Democratic presidential debate is set for Wednesday in Las Vegas.... The two-hour debate, which is being hosted by NBC News, MSNBC, Noticias Telemundo and The Nevada Independent, is being held at the Paris Theater in Las Vegas. It's scheduled to start at 9 p.m. ET." Mrs. McC: This debate could be crucial, as Mike Bloomberg's fate may be determined by his performance.
** Matt Zapotosky, et al., of the Washington Post: "Attorney General William P. Barr has told people close to President Trump -- both inside and outside the White House -- that he is considering quitting over Trump's tweets about Justice Department investigations, three administration officials said, foreshadowing a possible confrontation between the president and his attorney general over the independence of the Justice Department. So far, Trump has defied Barr's requests, both public and private, to keep quiet on matters of federal law enforcement. It was not immediately clear Tuesday if Barr had made his posture known directly to Trump. The administration officials said Barr seemed to be sharing his position with advisers in hopes the president would get the message that he should stop weighing in publicly on the Justice Department's ongoing criminal investigations." ABC News has a story here. Mrs. McC: Yo, Bill. If you need to get a message to Donald, the only sure way is go on Fox "News." BTW, Bill, we did notice you had this story leaked to nearly every major print & broadcast outlet. Almost makes me feel as if it's fake news. Of course we know what really upsets you, Bill, is that it's harder for you to shill for Trump when he is publicly telegraphing the unethical orders you're carrying out. ~~~
~~~ Summer Concepcion of TPM: "When asked [by a reporter Tuesday] if he makes it hard for Barr to do his job with integrity, Trump said 'oh yeah' given how Barr is 'a man with incredible integrity.' 'Just so you understand, I chose not to be involved,' Trump said. 'I'm allowed to be totally involved. I'm actually, I guess, the chief law enforcement officer of the country. But I've chosen not to be involved. But he is a man of great integrity. But I could be involved if I wanted to be.'"
Sharon LaFraniere of the New York Times: "President Trump renewed his attacks on law enforcement on Tuesday, denouncing the prosecutors, the judge and the jury forewoman in the case of his longtime friend Roger J. Stone Jr. only days after Attorney General William P. Barr warned that the president's criticisms were making it 'impossible' for him to do his job. Undeterred, Mr. Trump kept up his running commentary on the department's criminal cases on Twitter and in comments to reporters before leaving for the West Coast. He reasserted that he had the right to intervene in individual criminal cases but has not done so, appearing to draw a distinction between opining publicly and outright ordering law enforcement officials to take specific actions." Mrs. McC: A good overview article that pulls together the threads of Trump's latest spate of bad behavior. ~~~
~~~ This story has been updated & expanded & reporters added to the byline:
"[Bill Barr's] suggestions of resignation came at the end of a day when the president asserted his dominance over a justice system that had long sought to insulate itself from political pressures. Calling himself 'the chief law enforcement officer of the country,' Mr. Trump demanded a new trial for Mr. Stone, urged federal judges to address the 'tremendous' abuse of the special counsel investigation of his campaign and bypassed the traditional pardon process to grant clemency to celebrity convicts recommended by his friends, allies and political donors. ~~~
"Mr. Trump's attacks on Judge [Amy Berman] Jackson generated alarms in the judiciary. The Federal Judges Association, a voluntary organization, scheduled an emergency telephone conference for this week.... Mr. Trump countered that the judges should instead investigate misconduct in the Mueller investigation. 'I hope the Federal Judges Association will discuss the tremendous FISA Court abuse that has taken place with respect to the Mueller Investigation Scam, including the forging of documents and knowingly using the fake and totally discredited Dossier before the Court,' he wrote on Twitter."
~~~ Quint Forgey of Politico: "... Donald Trump on Tuesday threatened to file retaliatory lawsuits 'all over the place' for damages he claims to have incurred as a result of former special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation. In a multi-post morning Twitter screed, the president fiercely criticized the 22-month-long probe into Russian interference in the 2016 election, and also appeared to weigh in once again on the federal criminal case against his longtime political adviser Roger Stone.... 'These were Mueller prosecutors, and the whole Mueller investigation was illegally set up based on a phony and now fully discredited Fake Dossier, lying and forging documents to the FISA Court, and many other things,' Trump tweeted. 'Everything having to do with this fraudulent investigation is badly tainted and, in my opinion, should be thrown out.' The president went on to accuse Mueller of lying before Congress when he told lawmakers he did not interview with Trump to apply for the job of FBI director, tweeting: 'The whole deal was a total SCAM. If I wasn't President, I'd be suing everyone all over the place. BUT MAYBE I STILL WILL. WITCH HUNT!'" Forgey also covers Trump's tweets about the Stone case. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~
~~~ John Wagner of the Washington Post: "President Trump on Tuesday raised the possibility of suing those involved in prosecuting the Roger Stone case after sharing the opinion of a Fox News commentator [Andrew Napolitano] who said it is 'pretty obvious' that Stone, Trump’s longtime political confidant, should get a new trial.... Defense lawyers for Stone demanded a new trial Friday, one day after Trump suggested that the forewoman in the federal case had 'significant bias.'... [In tweets,] Trump quoted Napolitano as saying, 'I think almost any judge in the Country would order a new trial, I’m not so sure about Judge Jackson, I don't know.' Napolitano was referring to U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson, who is presiding over Stone's case and who has drawn Trump's ire on Twitter for her treatment of another ally of his, Paul Manafort.... Trump also derided prosecutors in the Stone case as 'Mueller prosecutors'.... All four career prosecutors handling the case against Stone withdrew from the legal proceedings last week -- and one quit his job entirely -- after the Justice Department signaled it planned to undercut their sentencing recommendation. Two of those prosecutors had worked for Mueller." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~
~~~ Mrs. McCrabbie: Yo, Bill Barr. More tweets that "make it impossible for [you] to do your job." Better resign. ~~~
~~~ ** Update. Harper Neidig of the Hill: "A federal judge on Tuesday refused to delay Roger Stone's sentencing amid the fallout over the Trump administration's decision to intervene in the case against the president's longtime ally. The sentencing will move forward on Thursday at its originally scheduled time, the judge said, despite a new effort from Stone's defense team to get a new trial. 'I think that delaying this sentence would not be a prudent thing to do under all of the circumstances,' U.S. District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson, an Obama appointee, said during a telephone conference with the two sides.... The new prosecution team, from the U.S. Attorney's Office in Washington, D.C., argued in favor of moving forward with the sentencing hearing as planned. Jackson said that she has not decided whether to have a hearing on the defense motion [for a new trial], but said that it would be best to move forward with Thursday's hearing and delay the sentence from going into effect until the motion is decided." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~
~~~ Rachel Weiner & Matt Zapotosky of the Washington Post: "Prosecutors on Tuesday filed under seal a motion opposing Stone's request [for a new trial], and the filing was approved by Attorney General William P. Barr, said a Justice Department official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations. That appears to put Barr at odds with Trump, who on Tuesday quoted a Fox News segment arguing that Stone should get a new trial. Trump said last week that the jury forewoman in the case had 'significant bias.'" Mrs. McC: Wow! Barr is so "independent." Or he thought Trump wouldn't hear about the prosecutors' secret filing. (Also linked yesterday.)
Mrs. McCrabbie: In a classic Pot-Calls-Kettle-Black essay, Jim Comey, in a Washington Post op-ed, lectures Bill Barr on his "threatening the reservoir of [apolitical] trust" the DOJ enjoys. Is it because he is so tall that Comey rides such a high horse? If you ever climb down, Jim, you might mosey over to Hillary Clinton's place -- which is not 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue -- & ask her about that "reservoir of trust." Or you could send her an e-mail. You know her e-mail address.
Trump and Other Crooks. Peter Baker, et al., of the New York Times: "President Trump commuted the 14-year prison sentence of former Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich of Illinois, the Democrat who was convicted of trying to essentially sell Barack Obama's vacated Senate seat for personal gain, and pardoned the financier Michael R. Milken and Bernard B. Kerik, the former New York City police commissioner, the president announced on Tuesday.... The president's decision came the same day that he pardoned Edward J. DeBartolo Jr., a former owner of the San Francisco 49ers who pleaded guilty in 1998 to concealing an extortion attempt and eventually surrendered control of his team.... In conversations with advisers, Mr. Trump has also raised the prospect of commuting the sentence of Roger J. Stone.... Asked about a pardon for Mr. Stone on Tuesday, Mr. Trump said 'I haven't given it any thought.'" (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~
~~~ Dan Mangan & Kevin Breuninger of CNBC: "In all, Trump granted some form of executive clemency to 11 individuals Tuesday, according to the White House.... Pardons were given to former CEO Ariel Friedler, who in 2014 admitted conspiring to hack into his competitors' computer systems; Paul Pogue, who pleaded guilty to underpaying on his taxes over a three-year period; David Safavian, who was convicted of perjury; and Angela Stanton, a Trump-supporting television personality. Trump also granted commutations to Tynice Nicole Hall and Crystal Munoz, both of whom were given lengthy prison sentences for drug-related offenses. He also signed an order granting a commutation for Judith Negron, who was sentenced to 35 years behind bars for Medicare fraud." Mrs. McC: All this, of course is the prep work for pardoning his rogues' gallery of co-conspirators & criminals. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~
~~~ Beth Reinhard & Anne Gearan of the Washington Post: "... all but five of the 24 people who have received clemency from Trump had a line into the White House or currency with his political base, according to a review by The Washington Post. As the administration takes its cues from celebrities, political allies and Fox News, thousands of other offenders who followed Justice Department rules are waiting, passed over as cases that were brought directly to Trump leaped to the front of the line. For more than 125 years, the Office of the Pardon Attorney in the Justice Department has quietly served as the key adviser on clemency, one of the most unlimited powers bestowed on the president by the Constitution. Under Trump, the pardon office has become a bureaucratic way station, according to government data and interviews with lawyers, criminal justice advocates, and former pardon and White House officials. Most of Trump's grants of clemency have gone to well-connected offenders who had not filed petitions with the pardon office or did not meet its requirements, The Post review shows." ~~~
~~~ OR, as this Daily Beast headline puts it, "Trump Grants Clemency to Another Round of Convicts He Saw on Fox News." Justin Baragona & Asawin Suebsaeng: "... Donald Trump on Tuesday granted clemency to 11 people, including several convicted felons who are either Fox News regulars or have been championed by the president's favorite cable-news network.... Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Trump made the Fox News connection abundantly clear, telling reporters that he decided to commute the rest of Rod Blagojevich's sentence because he'd seen the ex-governor's wife Patti Blagojevich pleading her husband's case on Fox." Read on, if you can stand it. ~~~
~~~ Kindred Crooks. Philip Bump of the Washington Post: "Trump's flurry of presidential acts of clemency on Tuesday truly makes clear how indifferent he is about misbehavior by public officials -- particularly when considered alongside his past pardons and commutations.... The highest-profile charge on which Rod Blagojevich was convicted was his effort to leverage the Senate seat vacated by Barack Obama's election to the White House for his own benefit. But it wasn't the only charge. His efforts to leverage ... $8 million in funding for the hospital [in exchange for a $50,000 contribution to his campaign] were among more than a dozen corruption-related charges for which Blagojevich was convicted in 2011.... Earlier this month, Trump himself stood accused of having tried to leverage his official position to benefit himself, facing trial in the Senate on charges that he tried to strong-arm Ukraine into launching politically useful investigations by similarly withholding funds from that country.... Trump also pardoned strong> Edward DeBartolo Jr., probably at least in part because of DeBartolo's ties to the politically important region of northeastern Ohio. DeBartolo's crime? Agreeing to a bribe solicited by a former governor of Louisiana and not reporting it. He pardoned David Safavian, convicted of obstruction of justice and making false statements in connection with the sprawling corruption investigation into former lobbyist Jack Abramoff. Trump also pardoned former New York police commissioner Bernard Kerik, convicted of making false statements about a bribe he took while working in Iraq."
Matt Zapotosky of the Washington Post: "The Justice Department revealed Tuesday that law enforcement officials running Ukraine-related investigations must seek approval before expanding their inquiries -- a move that could have implications for Rudolph W. Giuliani, as President Trump's personal attorney pushes for scrutiny of the president's political foes while facing a federal probe into his own conduct. The directive from Deputy Attorney General Jeffrey A. Rosen was disclosed in a response to Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) after the House Judiciary Committee chairman demanded clarity on how the Justice Department is reviewing information from Giuliani, who has urged law enforcement to investigate former vice president Joe Biden and his son for their dealings in Ukraine.... [the] move could be viewed as putting another layer of approval in place if prosecutors wanted to widen their Giuliani probe...." ~~~
~~~ Mrs. McCrabbie: As nearly as I can understand this report, the extra approval layers are meant to go both ways; that is, investigators need permission to accept fake information from Rudy as well as information about Rudy that might incriminate him in some criminal ops. Update: Rachel Maddow got hold of the DOJ memo, and it confirms my understanding -- Barr's handpicked henchmen will control every matter which touches in any way upon Ukraine. Maddow also recalled this Feb. 5 report by Katie Benner of the New York Times: "Attorney General William P. Barr issued new restrictions on Wednesday over the opening of politically sensitive investigations...." As I wrote at the time, "This might be all right if Barr were not a partisan hack. But you know he'll approve investigations into Democratic candidates and disapprove any investigations into Article II Man who can do anything he wants."
Andrew Desiderio of Politico: "Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told a trio of U.S. senators last week that he would continue to steer clear of ... Rudy Giuliani, according to one of the senators. 'Zelensky clearly doesn't really want to talk about this, and I don't blame him,' Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) wrote in a Medium post detailing his meeting in Kyiv on Friday with Zelensky and two Republican senators, Ron Johnson of Wisconsin and John Barrasso of Wyoming."
Kyle Cheney of Politico: "The top lawyer for the intelligence community, whose decision to block a whistleblower's complaint about ... Donald Trump and Ukraine from reaching Congress helped jumpstart the impeachment inquiry, is resigning from his post, officials confirmed. Jason Klitenic, the general counsel for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, will depart early next month, according to an agency spokeswoman. His exit comes as the acting DNI, Joseph Maguire, nears a March 11 deadline to depart as well. Federal law prevents Maguire from serving in an acting capacity beyond that date, meaning a new director must be nominated and confirmed by then, or Trump must pick a new acting official." (Also linked yesterday.)
Leo Shane of the Military Times: "A coalition of more than 1,100 veterans on Tuesday condemned ... Donald Trump for his continued attacks on an Army officer [Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman] who testified against him in the impeachment inquiry, noting that military rules bar the service member from defending himself publicly. 'The president should know that, despite taking aim at one Army officer, he has targeted anyone who currently wears -- or has worn -- the uniform,' the group stated in an open letter."
Alex Henderson of Alternet: "Democrats have been seeking President Donald Trump&'s tax returns at both the federal and state levels; one of the federal efforts has been a lawsuit by the House Ways and Means Committee, which is chaired by Rep. Richard Neal of Massachusetts. And on February 15, House Democrats asked [Trump-appointed] U.S. District Judge Trevor N. McFadden to lift a stay on that lawsuit -- using, reporter Jerry Lambe notes in Law & Crime, 'arguments put forth by Trump's impeachment legal team.'... McFadden put a stay on House Ways and Means' lawsuit in January." --s
Matthew Chapman of the Raw Story: "On Tuesday, Bloomberg News reported that advice columnist E. Jean Carroll, who accused ... Donald Trump of raping her in a department store two decades ago, is asking a judge to deny a request from his lawyers to stay discovery in her lawsuit against him.... Trump's attorneys are attempting to put the case on hold while they argue to the New York Court of Appeals that a sitting president cannot be sued. That court will also consider this issue in the defamation suit of Summer Zervos, a contestant on Trump's reality shows who claims Trump sexually assaulted her." The Bloomberg report is here.
Elliot Spagat of the AP: "The Trump administration said Tuesday that it will waive federal contracting laws to speed construction of a wall at the U.S.-Mexico border. The Department of Homeland Security said waiving procurement regulations will allow 177 miles (283 kilometers) of wall to be built more quickly in California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. The 10 waived laws include requirements for having open competition, justifying selections and receiving all bonding from a contractor before any work can begin. The acting Homeland Security secretary, Chad Wolf, is exercising authority under a 2005 law that gives him sweeping powers to waive laws for building border barriers." Mrs. McC: But I'm sure all the contracts let will be on the up-and-up.(Also linked yesterday.)
Chris Quintana & Shelly Conlon of USA Today: "Reagan National University was supposed to be a place of higher learning, but it was unclear how it awarded degrees. By all appearances, at present, it has no students, no faculty and no classrooms. An agency meant to serve as a gatekeeper for federal money gave the university approval to operate anyway.... The Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges & Schools, has a history of approving questionable colleges, with devastating consequences. It accredited ITT Tech, Corinthian Colleges and Brightwood College, massive for-profit universities whose sudden closures last decade left thousands of students without degrees and undermined the value of the education of those who did graduate. Those closures led President Barack Obama's Education Department to strip ACICS' powers in 2016. After a federal court decision, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos and President Donald Trump's administration reinstated the accrediting agency." --s
Geneva Sands of CNN (Feb. 12): "Chad Mizelle, a Trump administration official who is viewed as an ally of senior White House policy adviser and immigration hardliner Stephen Miller, has been tapped to be the Department of Homeland Security's top attorney.... Mizelle has less than 10 years' experience as an attorney and will now run the DHS Office of the General Counsel, which oversees 2,500 attorneys and is ultimately responsible for all of the department's legal determinations.... Mizelle will be replacing a career official, who filled the void left after the previous Senate-confirmed general counsel, John Mitnick, was fired in September -- months after Miller wanted him out. It is unclear if Mizelle will be nominated for the role, but the President has said he likes to have officials in acting capacities." --s
AND for you romantics, contributor Hattie points us to this lovely wedding registry for newlyweds Stephen Miller & Katie Waldman. Samantha Bee helped Stephen & Katie create the registry, which includes some sweet vignettes about the couple's relationship. For instance, Katie tells us about their first date: "... when I walked into my office I found a card from Stephen asking me out. He signed it with his name and an acronym that I believe stood for 'Katie, Katie, Katie.' Since that day, unlike migrant families at the border, we became inseparable." ~~~
~~~ Hayley Miller (presumably no relation) of the Huffington Post: "David Glosser, a retired neuropsychologist and [Stephen] Miller's maternal uncle, on Monday posted a link on Facebook to a spoof online wedding registry created by comedian Samantha Bee in December. The site, 'MatchMadeInHate.com,' contains wish-list items from U.S.-based charities that assist asylum-seekers and immigrants ― such as mittens, underwear and LED night lights.... Glosser, an outspoken critic of Miller's anti-immigrant agenda, wrote on his Facebook post that he planned to donate to HIAS, a Jewish American nonprofit organization that provides humanitarian aid and assistance to refugees."
Josh Gerstein of Politico: "A federal judge in Kansas who was reprimanded last year by his colleagues over sexual harassment, an extramarital affair with a felon, and chronic tardiness has announced his plans to resign from the bench. The move by Kansas City-based U.S. District Court Judge Carlos Murguia came as members of Congress were demanding answers from the judiciary about why Murguia had not faced more severe consequences than the public admonishment delivered September by the 10th Circuit Judicial Council." Bill Clinton appointed Murguia.
Presidential Race
Mark Murray of NBC News: "Sen. Bernie Sanders has jumped out to a double-digit national lead in the Democratic presidential contest after his victory in
Mike Bloomberg Says Remarkably Stupid Stuff, Ctd. Dominic Holden of BuzzFeed News: "A newly uncovered video shows Democratic presidential candidate Mike Bloomberg in 2019 describing transgender people as 'he, she, or it' and 'some guy in a dress' who enters girls locker rooms -- invoking a conservative cliché as he argued that transgender rights are toxic for presidential candidates trying to reach Middle America. And yet, Bloomberg's campaign published a new video on Tuesday that pledged the former New York City mayor believed in 'inclusivity' for 'LGBTQ+ youth,' featuring fashion designer Isaac Mizrahi declaring, 'Mike is so incredibly sensitive to this issue.'"
The Bickersons. Nolan McCaskill of Politico: Amy Klobuchar "was stumped last week when asked by Telemundo if she could name the president of Mexico. 'No,' she said. Prompted with the same question, billionaire environmentalist Tom Steyer said, 'I forget.' Only Pete Buttigieg was able to name him. Given a do-over Tuesday at a CNN town hall in Las Vegas, Klobuchar ... gave her greetings to President Andrés Manuel López Obrador.... Buttigieg seized on Klobuchar's gaffe Sunday, telling supporters in Nevada 'that there is more to being prepared than how many years you spent in Washington.' Klobuchar told CNN's Anderson Cooper on Tuesday that she had been in the Senate 'all day' on the day she did the interview. She noted ... that her flight landed in Nevada 'at midnight my time,' then she 'had a fast interview and then did two forums after that,' not wrapping up her day until 2 or 3 a.m.... 'And I would say to the mayor, this isn't like a game of "Jeopardy."'" Mrs. McC: You're supposed to pose that in the form of a question, Amy: "Do you think this is a game of 'Jeopardy,' Pete?"
The Iowa Caucuses, Ctd. Maggie Astor of the New York Times: "The Iowa Democratic Party announced on Tuesday that it had completed its partial recanvass, changing results in 29 precincts but shifting no national delegates. But the Epic of Iowa still isn't over. The recanvass drastically narrowed Pete Buttigieg's small lead over Senator Bernie Sanders in state delegate equivalents: Mr. Buttigieg now has 563.207 to Mr. Sanders's 563.127. The campaigns can now request a recount, which is a much more intensive process. And Mr. Sanders's campaign said it would do just that."
Justine Coleman & Joe Concha of the Hill: "Conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh said President Trump advised him to 'never apologize' for his comments on Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg's sexuality. Limbaugh said on his Monday show that Trump called him to talk about his comments last week that 'America's still not ready to elect a gay guy kissing his husband on the debate stage.'"
Chris Francescani of ABC News: "After hearing from 35 witnesses over more than two weeks of testimony, the New York City jury in Harvey Weinstein's rape and sexual assault case will begin deliberations this morning. Weinstein is facing five felony counts of rape and sexual assault, based on the testimony of two complaining witnesses: former 'Project Runway' production assistant Miriam 'Mimi' Haleyi -- who claims the Hollywood producer sexually assaulted her in 2006, and an accuser who claims Weinstein raped her in a Manhattan hotel suite in 2013. ABC News is not naming the rape accuser because she has never publicly identified herself. The other five women either did so, or their lawyers gave ABC permission to name them[.] The account of a third accuser, Annabella Sciorra, is too old to prosecute, but a judge allowed her to testify in support of two predatory sexual assault charges -- which require prosecutors to prove that Weinstein attacked at least three women." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~
~~~ Jan Ransom of the New York Times: "Over the weekend, just days before jurors in the Harvey Weinstein case were set to begin deliberations, his lead defense lawyer, Donna Rotunno, wrote an opinion piece imploring them 'to do what they know is right.'The article in Newsweek magazine infuriated the Manhattan district attorney's office, and on Tuesday the lead prosecutor, Joan Illuzzi, called Ms. Rotunno's behavior 'inappropriate,' and tantamount to jury tampering. The judge ordered the defense team not to speak to the news media until after a verdict is reached. 'Defense team you are ordered to refrain from communicating with the press until there is a verdict in the case,' Justice James M. Burke told Mr. Weinstein's lawyers. 'I would caution you about the tentacles of your public relations juggernaut.' The jurors were not in the courtroom at the time. As in many high-profile cases, jurors have been reminded every day by the judge not to follow any news media coverage of the case." (Also linked yesterday.)
Beyond the Beltway
Massachusetts. Neil Vigdor of the New York Times: "A longtime Massachusetts state lawmaker was arrested Tuesday on more than two dozen fraud and tax evasion charges after the authorities accused him of stealing thousands of dollars in campaign funds to support his gambling habit and to pay for his lavish lifestyle. The lawmaker, Representative David M. Nangle, 59, a Democrat from Lowell who serves on the House Ethics Committee, was also accused of falsifying bank loan applications to obtain nearly $400,000, and of claiming fraudulent deductions on his tax returns, according to a 28-count indictment.... Prosecutors said that as a former Ethics Committee chairman whose campaign had been audited several times, Mr. Nangle knew full well that his actions were wrong. They said he had filed false campaign finance reports to try to cover his tracks." Mrs. McC: Fraud & tax evasion? Meh. Luckily for Dave there, he was arrested on federal charges. So all he has to do is go on Fox "News" and the Crook-in-Chief will pardon him. And another Trumpocrat is born.
North Carolina. Will Doran of the Raleigh News & Observer: "North Carolina's new voter ID law appears to have been enacted with racially discriminatory intent and will be at least temporarily blocked during the 2020 elections, the N.C. Court of Appeals ruled Tuesday. A federal court has already blocked the voter ID mandate at least through the 2020 primary elections, which are underway now. Tuesday's decision -- in a separate lawsuit in state courts rather than federal courts -- could also extend that block until the general election in November. The voter ID law was written after voters passed a new constitutional amendment in 2018 requiring photo ID to vote. However, this is now the second court to rule that African-American voters could be harmed by the way the Republican-led legislature wrote the law behind the amendment."
Way Beyond the Beltway
U.K. Lisa O'Carroll, et al. of the Guardian: "Britain is to close its borders to unskilled workers and those who can't speak English as part of a fundamental overhaul of immigration laws that will end the era of cheap EU labour in factories, warehouses, hotels and restaurants. Unveiling its Australian-style points system on Wednesday, the government will say it is grasping a unique opportunity to take 'full control' of British borders 'for the first time in decades' and eliminate the 'distortion' caused by EU freedom of movement. But industry leaders immediately accused the government of an assault on the economy warning of 'disastrous' consequences with job losses and closures in factories and the high street." --s
News Lede
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Reader Comments (8)
Apologies if these have already been posted.
“Stephen Miller's Uncle Donates To Pro-Refugee Group As 'Wedding Gift' To Nephew”:
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/stephen-miller-uncle-wedding-gift_n_5e4affb6c5b65f25da4dc356
and
Samantha Bee’s gift registry for The Newly Weds:
https://matchmadeinhate.com
There he stands on top of the hill brandishing a sword and wearing a red cap with some writing on it––I'm too far away to read the message. Suddenly his voice bellows below calling for his army of lemmings who scatter hither and yon preventing me from exiting. I am a reporter, an enemy of the people according to the ruler in the red cap. My voice will be silenced.
"The point of authoritarianism is to concentrate power in the ruler, so the world knows that all actions, good or bad, harsh & generous, come from a single source. "
Jeffrey Toobin gives us his take on "The Trouble with Trump's clemencies and Pardons."
https://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/the-trouble-with-donald-trumps-pardons
"I'm the chief law enforcement officer in the country." Didn't he
mean to tweet 'flawed', not 'law', since he certainly is the mostest
flawed we've ever had.
And a billionaire can buy dozens of TV spots, but one thing that
his money can't buy would be a good, or great debate performance.
"Addressing Beltway rumors: The Attorney General has no plans to resign."
Posted by the AG's SPOX @KerriKupecDOJ. After he dropped the story in the first place.
A Daily Beast story with the cash and in-kind donations that were given to Trump for the pardons.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-grants-clemency-to-another-round-of-people-he-saw-on-fox-news?ref=home
On the subject of pardons, both the BBC and Sydney (Aust) Morning Herald have stories of administration representatives visiting Julian Assange of Wikileaks fame in 2017 offering him a pardon to deny Russian links to his campaign.
@Jeanne re: an earlier post of yours
I’d never known of “spork”, neither as a hybrid utensil nor its more colorful usages discovered with further reading.
Thank you for raising my game.
Unless overlooked - entirely possible - I’ve yet to learn anything (substantive) from our despotus’ maw.
Coronavirus may be "at the brink" of a global pandemic - from Axios
https://www.axios.com/coronavirus-at-brink-of-global-pandemic-5342192f-a486-41e3-acab-fe541a353e1b.html
Hattie: I think there is some debate as to whether nasty S Miller looks like the back of your thumb, or whether he looks like a spoon. The spork is because his soul is jagged like the edges of a spoon/fork. Of course, I am not a religious person, so how do I know what his soul looks like? I think it is not hard to guess, judging by his output and affect on people. Just looking at him gives me the willies...
So, never underestimate the power of slimey people to dally with the press...this morning and last night, oh, poor Droopy-- he might resign cuz Tweety Bull is full of it on an hourly basis. By this afternoon: why, what do you mean?! He and Tweety Bull are harmonious... Not that I ever believed it, but some Very Serious People believed it... Not sure what planet they live on. None of this is normal. Whatever that is.