Below is my column in the New York Post on the level of joy being expressed by many over the indictment of former president Donald Trump, including former FBI Director James Comey. The thrill kill atmosphere ignores the blatantly political history behind this indictment. In the Sixteenth Century, the poet John Lyly wrote “The rules of fair play do not apply in love and war.” It also appears equally true “in love and War Trump.”
Here is the column:
James Comey could not contain himself at the news of an indictment of former President Donald Trump.
Comey hopped on Twitter to declare, “It’s been a good day.”
The former FBI director, who has been teaching and speaking on government ethics, joined others in celebrating the upcoming arrest of Trump because nothing says “ethical leadership” like a patently political prosecution.
Comey declined to prosecute Hillary Clinton on her email scandal despite finding that she violated federal rules and handled classified material “carelessly.”
He declared, “Ethical leaders lead by seeing above the short term, above the urgent or the partisan, and with a higher loyalty to lasting values, most importantly the truth.”
Yet now Comey is heralding the effort of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who campaigned on a pledge of bagging Trump for some unspecified crime.
While the actual charges will not be disclosed until the release of the indictment, the underlying theory discussed for months is an effort to revive a dead misdemeanor offense of falsifying business records — years after the statute of limitations expired.
Bragg may try to accomplish this Frankensteinian feat by converting this into a felony.
The long-debated theory in Bragg’s office was whether they could effectively allege a violation of federal election laws even though the Justice Department and the Federal Election Commission declined such charges.
Notably, Bragg’s predecessor declined to bring these charges.
Bragg himself declined to do so, and that led to two of his prosecutors resigning in protest.
Mark F. Pomerantz then proceeded to do what some of us view as breathtakingly unprofessional.
He wrote a book on what he learned in the investigation, which was still ongoing.
He made the case for indicting an individual who had not been charged, let alone convicted.
He continued to engage in this public campaign despite requests from his former office that he was undermining its ongoing investigation.
The public pressure worked.
Bragg caved.
Despite the widespread criticism of Bragg for reducing charges for an array of felonies by Manhattan criminals, he spent months working to convert a misdemeanor into a felony.
Trump would apparently have been better off robbing Stormy Daniels at gunpoint rather than paying her off for a nondisclosure agreement.
And yet Comey is not alone in his praise.
Various professors and pundits have declared that this unprecedented use of New York law would be perfectly legal and commendable.
They largely ignore that the misdemeanor is expired.
Instead, Georgetown Law professor and MSNBC legal analyst Paul Butler declared, “Nobody is above the law, including Donald Trump.
“It doesn’t matter that this is kind of a minor crime compared to some of the other allegations.”
However, the law also protects people from selective prosecution and affords them protection through the statute of limitations.
One can debate whether Trump may have committed this misdemeanor.
That is a good-faith debate. What is not debatable is that the window for such a prosecution closed years ago.
Unless this indictment reveals a previously undisclosed crime, the use of the long-debated bootstrapped offense would defy the rule of law. Nobody is above the law, but nobody is below its protections … including Donald Trump.
Dozens of criminal counts — it’s been reported there are as many as 34 — will make no difference if they merely replicate the same flaws.
There are reports, for example, that Bragg may bring charges based not only on the Daniels payment but money given to former Playboy model Karen McDougal to kill a story on another alleged affair.
However, that payment (from Trump’s friend at the National Enquirer) was also paid in 2016 and raises the same statute of limitations and other issues.
Bragg is operating directly out of Comey’s handbook on “ethical leadership.” After all, it was Comey who joked about how he violated department rules to nail Trump national security adviser Michael Flynn. He delighted audiences with how he told underlings “let’s just send a couple guys over” to trap Flynn.
It was Comey who was fired after former Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein cited him for “serious mistakes” and violating “his obligation to ‘preserve, protect and defend’ the traditions of the Department and the FBI.”
It was Comey who violated federal laws and removed FBI material (including reported classified material) after being fired and then leaked information to the media.
Despite those violations, Comey was heralded by the media and made wealthy on book and speaking tours.
Bragg knows that 62% of people view his case as “mainly motivated by politics,” but (like Comey) he is playing to an eager and generous audience.
The buildup to Trump’s booking has all of the appeals of a thrill kill for Democrats.
It will be another “good day” for Comey and others who put politics above principle in the use of the criminal justice system.
Jonathan Turley is an attorney and a professor at George Washington University Law School.
Here’s how we win back the White House in 2024.
Trump / DeSantis is the ticket. Trump 4 years. DeSantis 8 years.
Campaign slogan:
“You bring me the man, I’ll find you the crime.”
Because everyone in America is entitled to prove their innocence in a court of law.
DeSantis campaigns outside.
Trump campaigns from prison.
Can you say unstoppable?
Biden regime is already working on plans to stop it.
Indicting Trump is step 1.
There won’t be anything close to a fair election in 2024.
“We need more money to plan for the 2nd pandemic.
There’s going to be another pandemic. We have to think ahead.” ~President Biden
Flag this bet. 4/2/23
The dastardly Miss Anny says Real President Donald J. Trump is going to prison for life and Ronnie “Made Man” DeSanctimonious is going to steal the prize from under his nose.
I don’t know, something about that stinks, maybe something like betrayal and disloyalty to the party and the people in the party – watch your fellow republican thrown into a show trial in a kangaroo court, abandon him, run away from the fray and abscond with the trophy.
More than two decades ago, Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan wrote that “the Cold War has bequeathed to us a vast secrecy system that shows no signs of receding.” What’s more, he continued, “it has become our characteristic mode of governance in the executive branch.”
“Secrecy Is for Losers: What Biden’s classified document scandal reveals about power in America”
https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/news/articles/secrecy-is-for-losers-jacob-siegel
Real President Donald J. Trump
“Stranded in the Jungle”
Narrative: Trump was stranded in the jungle (new york) when his plane crashed, DeSantis is trying to get his girl (the presidency) on lover’s lane, the “boys in the jungle had [Trump] on the run,” Trump “smelled somethin’ cookin’ they was cookin’ me,” again, for about the 5th time, so Trump jumped in the ocean and grabbed a whale (massive public and legal support) that got him back to the States with a chance to get his girl (the presidency) back from disloyal “Made Man” Ronnie.
May we all wait patiently, i.e., cool, calm and collected for the indictment to be unsealed. If there actually is something to it other than just one of the six ways from Sunday that America’s intelligence state has of making one’s life miserable, we might better able assess then whether or not what has been carried out is in good faith, sincere, genuine, and authentic.
“… Don’t need a Weatherman to know which way the Wind blows …”
“May we all wait patiently, i.e., cool, calm and collected for the indictment to be unsealed. If there actually is something to it other than just one of the six ways from Sunday that America’s intelligence state has of making one’s life miserable, we might better able assess then whether or not what has been carried out is in good faith, sincere, genuine, and authentic.”
That’s great advice. Strangely it was absent when Republicans were doing the same thing to Hillary Clinton. All the Benghazi and email investigations looking for something that never amounted to any crime. What about Hunter Biden’s years long investigations and political harassment to get something against president Biden?
The goal was certainly to make their lives miserable. Trump shouldn’t be immune from the same treatment. If it was ok for Hillary and Hunter it should be ok for Trump.
You can’t be serious. If you are, god help you. Real crimes and real evidence against Hilary and the Bidens versus, what?
I guess I’m so old I don’t even remember Hillary and Hunter being indicted.
LOL
+100000000
I’m sure Hillary and Hunter are thankful that it has only been republicans tormenting them and not the whole of the much more formidable American intelligence state. It is always good for one to have friends in the highest places.
Absolutely not. Retribution and trying to make Trump miserable is not an appropriate goal/act. Either there’s good *legal* reason to indict him or there isn’t.
“Absolutely not. Retribution and trying to make Trump miserable is not an appropriate goal/act.”
It was certainly the goal for republicans to make Hillary miserable and harass president Biden by constantly investigating his son. Neither of which produced any indictment or even charges. All they managed to find were policy violations that even the Trump administration broke on a daily basis.
There are plenty of legal reasons to indict him and there is far more evidence against him to criminally charge Trump. To Trump supporters or those who “don’t” support him, but do it is impossible to accept that he indeed has committed multiple crimes. The evidence shows us he has. It’s just a matter of going thru the process of proving it in court. Trump has gone farther than Hillary or Hunter Biden. He’s been indicted and that’s just one of several indictments that are sure to come.
impossible to accept that he indeed has committed multiple crimes.
This how retard trolls operate.
Make the accusation, then NEVER name one detail.
stupid is a stupid does
I don’t want the Democrats to stoop down to the level of the Republicans.
Since Democrats are already in negative numbers, stooping down means an approach to zero. Republicans have positive numbers.
They are only crimes in your deluded mind!
Hillary was the Sec State.
Government investigations of Government actions do not impinge on constitutional rights.
Clinton mishandled Benghazi – Just as Biden mishandled Afghanistan.
Democrats investigated Trump’s actions as president. Sometimes those investigations are stupid, but they are within the powers of government.
The House, the Senate, DOJ even Special Counsels can investigate GOVERNMENT actions without warrant and without meeting the standards for a criminal investigation.
Candidate Trump was NOT a government actor. All investgations of Candidate Trump’s actions must respect his constitutional rights.
Just as the Investigations of Joe Biden (or Hunter) or Hillary, for conduct OUTSIDE of government service,
must protect their rights.
But the Conduct of Senator Biden, VP Biden. Sec State Clinton. Do not have such protections.
Nor does the Conduct of DA Bragg or Judge Merchan.
There is no right to privacy in the actions of those in government as government.
There are no constitutional rights that are implicated. regarding their actions as govenrment
The Benghazi investigations did not find a crime ?
Really ?
What rock do you live under ?
Svelaz. What is hypocritical is YOU saying “wait and see” whan you have been ranting that everything Trump does is obviously criminal for 6 years.
You have cried wolf, wolf, and there is no wolf.
It was perfetly reasonable to beleif after so many false wolf cries that there was no Wolf in the recent indictment.
Unsealing the indictment has shown once again no wolf.
Bragg refuses to demonstrate that he has even a prima fascia case – which so far he DOES
NOT – more cries of Wolf, Wolf and yet no wolf.
Trump is going to be forced to move for a list of particulars – that will delay prosecution – but on the defenses dime.
Defense attorney’s are entitled to play games.
Prosecutors are not.
The defense serves their client.
The prosecutor has a duty to Justice.
Hiding the ball is not justice it is injustice.
You have been attempting to make Trump and all who are at political odds with you miserable for decades.
Democrats have not gotten very much of their own medicine.
It is well past time.
AI’s like cars, computers, rocks and ants do not have rights.
Rights are uniquely Human.
They arise from Free Will.
Why do you expect there to be “something to it” ?
In a different era, or with a different person your advice might be sound.
But what has been true for the past 6 years is that nothing the media claims is true.
Even what Government finally produces in reports or efforts at prosecutions
still ultimately is prove garbage.
Mueller’s report – itself a dud claimed that Russia made efforts to interfere.
Yet the Twitter files reveal that Twitter worked HARD at the request of FBI to find actual evidence of the Russia interferance we have all been told was real, and was unable to find any of it. No Russian Bots, no IRA accounts.
Even the relatively minor stuff that we have been sold – FALSE.
This is simple – the left and the media LIE PERIOD.
There is zero reason to expect anything.
Though there is every reason to expect that every possible effort will be made to avid transparency, hide the truth.
A Greek man wrote something about boys and wolves.
John B. Say,
“Even what Government finally produces in reports or efforts at prosecutions
still ultimately is prove garbage.”
When republicans are in charge that is true. As we are currently witnessing with these “government weaponization” committees and twitter investigations. We have republicans actively interfering on behalf of Trump while crying foul over alleged government interference using twitter.
“Yet the Twitter files reveal that Twitter worked HARD at the request of FBI to find actual evidence of the Russia interferance we have all been told was real, and was unable to find any of it. No Russian Bots, no IRA accounts.”
The Russians were not using twitter. They were using Facebook. They DID find Russian bots and fake accounts used to interfere with the election. Mueller’s investigation did indict Russian hackers in absentia as they had plenty of proof. Facebook was the biggest conduit for the Russian interference. Not twitter.
“This is simple – the left and the media LIE PERIOD.”
That’s a false. It ‘s the right who lies. Fox News has already been shown to have been deliberately lying to the nation and is currently in being sued for it. The evidence shown so far is overwhelming. The trial starting soon will reveal in more detail how Fox News has been deliberately lying to it’s viewers for years. Trump lies incessantly and Fox News profits from it by enabling it willingly and knowingly. It wouldn’t be surprising if the Russians took advantage of that and used the gullibility of Fox News viewers to their advantage and peddle lies beneficial to them. You already have Fox News pundits who are very supportive of Russian views.
“Though there is every reason to expect that every possible effort will be made to avid transparency, hide the truth.”
That’s quite a statement, because the right has been doing exactly that. Fox News fought hard to avoid being transparent, and so has Trump. They desperately want to hide the truth from their viewers and supporters. What we are seeing is Fox News and Trump lashing out because they ARE being exposed for who they really are, liars and grifters who work in concert with each other.
The evidence shown so far is overwhelming.
Yet you cant point to a single piece of the that evidence
Iowan2, it’s kind of like how conservatives on the blog operate. They are very good at lobbing accusations. But but have a lot of trouble posting evidence, credible evidence that is.
By the way, all you need is google. You can find out for yourself. The fact that it’s overwhelming should make it easy for you to find.
Pretty much everyone is aware of the “evidence” in excrutiating detail.
And 50% of Democrats think this is a political hatchet job.
AQbsolutely a few sycophants liek yourself can be trusted to claim tthere is substance when their is nothing.
But even left wing nuts who badly want to “get Trump” have admitted -t here is no crime. there is no evidence of an actual crime.
There is very little disagreement on What Trump did.
There are no facts in dispute.
There are only two actual issues
Your claim to know motives. as well as to claim that the motives you are so certain of without evidence in and of themselves constitute a crime.
The law.
Just as you have thoroughly botched the NY Speedy Trial law – and pretty much every other law you have ever spoken about – you are blatantly wrong about the law here.
More important as always you are WRONG in the way that converts the law into a political weapon.
The law is not arbitrary.
Everything we do not liek is not a crime.
Everything that is wrong or that we think is wrong is not a crime.
To be a crime there must be the use of force or fraud to violate the rights of another.
There must be actual harm.
You have none of that.
Svelaz,
as is typical you make a large number of vague assertions.
But you provide no support.
We are all expected to accept them as truth from your golden tongue.
Yet as has been demonstrated repeatedly – you are careless, deceptive, disconnected from facts, untrustworthy and without credibiltiy.
So why should anyone accept any claim you have made ?
You do not provide evidence.
You do not even provide an argument.
You just make claims that in most cases are obviously false.
Are Republicans “actively interfering” – Certainly, as well as legitimately
Democrats Actively interfered in Trump’s efforts to seek investigations of Biden conduct in Ukraine by impeaching him for doing so.
Democrats set the standard – Turn about is fair play.
Ultimately I expect that Various Prosecutors engaged in politically harged prosecutions will be REQUIRED to testify as well as to provide all communications regarding those prosecutions that are of a political nature. As an exampel All Bragg’s communications with the DNC, Democrats, the Federal Government regarding this prosecution should be turned over to the house.
If there is any coordination at all within the democratic party or between the Federal and local authorities then those coordinating should be prosecuted.
If as an example Biden is involved in anyway – he should be impeached.
I would also suggest that rather than making claims and listening to the posturing of Democrat and Republican congressmen,
That you should actually listen to the WITNESSES.
Last Week two State AG’s testified under oath that Ranking officials in the Biden White-house THREATENED people at Facebook and Twitter and elsewhere
if they did not act as they wished and censor specific accounts.
We are also learning that the TARGETS were NOT for the most part the “far right”. That Government was exlicitly targeting the most credible people – right and left – mostly towards the center who were challenging Government policies. That the effort was to Shutdown people who were TRUSTED, not to shutdown the fringes.
“The Russians were not using twitter. They were using Facebook.”
And yet that is NOT what was claimed after the 2016 election.
“They DID find Russian bots and fake accounts used to interfere with the election.”
Nope.
“Mueller’s investigation did indict Russian hackers in absentia as they had plenty of proof.”
Correct, he also LOST every case against actual Russians that he prosecuted – IN New York, Because the Judge Threw the Cases out,
Because Mueller failed to Come to court with ANY Evidence.
“Facebook was the biggest conduit for the Russian interference. Not twitter.”
Given that Mueller ACTUAL claim was inconsequential, What matters the debate over whether Twitter or FB had more of nothing that the other.
The FACT is that the Actual claimed Russian Accounts, have all been traced back to REAL AMERICANS.
This Claim is another Left wing FRAUD.
I have argued for years that Russian interferance was deminimus – because the ALLEGED Evidence – Muellers claimed evidence was inconsequential.
But like many many other claims about 2016 – the Alleged Evidence has ultimately Turned out to be FRAUDULENT.
Do you have a single person that you can PROVE saw an actual post by a Russian or Russian Bot regarding the 2016 election prior to election day ?
As to indictments – all you have done there is assured that most of us no longer trust grand juries.
Svelaz,
This is tedious. I am no fan of Fox – but your claims are utter nonsense.
It is not possible to “lie” about what is not known.
Todate there is very little about the 2020 election that has been established as certainty, and NOTHING that was KNOWN with certainty at the time of the reporting.
What you claim is evidence of Fox “lying” is evidence that in private Fox was saying much the same as they were in public.
That SOME Fox talking head found SOME claims of election Fraud weak. Whoppee.
As anyone remotely familiar with this would KNOW, Turker Carlson was Very skeptical
ONE THE AIR of Sydney Powells DVS rigged the election claims and told her point blank to come back with evidence.
I really do not care much about Fox, I do not especially Trust them – though Fox is 10 times as trustworthy as say CNN or MSNBC or NYT, or WaPo.
Really – YOUR claim that Fox lies is litterally based on Fox expressing the same skepticism about SOME claims in private as they did no the air.
Is that Honestly what you call lying ? Do you have any idea what the word LIE actually means ?
If you are in doubt – read your own posts – they are FULL of LIES – just as you are currently LYING about Fox.
I LIE is a knowingly false statement of FACT.
Todate there are few Proven FACTS regarding the 2020 election. Statements regarding things that werre not known at the time and for the most part still are not known today are OPINIONS – and therefores CAN NOT be lies.
However Calling an opinion a LIE is an actual LIE.
If Trump/Fox ACTUIALLY Lied about the 2020 Election – that would STILL make Democrats – and YOU and the rest of Media by FAR the bigger Liars.
You are STILL drowning in the THOROUGHLY Debunked Russian Collusion nonsense.
Which I find really Odd.
We are watching over in Ukraine as a relatively small nation takes on Russia – the 2nd or 3rd most powerful military in the world.
And at every turn we learn that Russia is a paper Tiger. That they do not have the capailities that we have long attributed to them.
And yet here you are STILL Claiming that a country that is having enormous diffiulties taking and holding regious of Ukraine that are purportedly majority ethnic Russian. That has had to resort to WWII Guns and Ammunition, is somehow capable of tilting a US election ?
Do you even consider whether any of the claims you make, make the slightest Sense ?
You keep crying Wolf. But there is not Wolf.
You, the Left, the Media, Democrats have lied about pretty much everything.
You lied about Chansley.
You lied about 2016.
You lied about the Biden’s in Ukraine, and in China and pretty much everywhere.
You lied about Covid.
You have Lied about Trump.
What is it that you have NOT Lied about ?
Why should anyone believe you about anything ?
Is there anything you have told the truth about ? Anything ?
It was righteous payback for the whole “Trump Colluded with Russia®™ to Steal the 2016 Election” propaganda campaign.
The NYT’s anonymous sources claim that the whole thing was about paying off Stormy Daniels.
I would be astonished if this was about some Madoff-type fraud.
Ron,
Please explain exactly how you expect there MIGHT be something too it ?
Why you expect this to be any different frrom the myriads of other efforts to “get Trump” ?
I do not expect the indictment to be unsealed anytime soon.
We will hear the CHARGES shortly. We will NOT hear the evidence.
What EVIDENCE have you seen of any of the “get Trump” allegations ?
The MO of the left is to make claims and HIDE EVIDENCE.
It took more than half a decade to get to the bottom of the Collusion Dellusion nonsense.
Why do you expect this to be more transparent ?
We STILL have not seen the entire FISA Court Warrant Applicaiton.
We STILL have note seen the Entire MAL Raid Warrant Applicaiton.
We STILL have not seen even a rought description of the allegedly classified information from MAL ?
At every step of the way the efforts of the Left has been to HIDE the truth – about ANYTHING.
About Trump,
About Covid
About the Biden’s
And you expect that you are going to be permitted to know if there is a basis for this indictment ?
“Legally pathetic!”
– Professor Turley
“It makes me mildly nauseous to think that we might have had some impact on the election.”
“But honestly, it wouldn’t change the decision.”
– James Comey, Director FBI, Investigating Hillary Clinton’s Blatant Crimes, 2016
“Although there is evidence of potential violations of the statutes regarding the handling of classified information, our judgment is that no reasonable prosecutor would bring such a case.”
– James Comey, Director FBI, Investigating Hillary Clinton’s Blatant Crimes, 2016
“We will stop him.”
– Peter Strzok to FBI paramour Lisa Page
___________________________________
“[Obama] wants to know everything we’re doing.”
– Lisa Page to FBI paramour Peter Strzok
___________________________________
“I want to believe the path you threw out for consideration in Andy’s office — that there’s no way he gets elected — but I’m afraid we can’t take that risk It’s like an insurance policy in the unlikely event you die before 40.”
– Peter Strzok to FBI parmour Lisa Page
_________________________________
“People on the 7th floor to include Director are fired up about this [Trump] server.”
– Bill Priestap
___________
“We are five days away from fundamentally transforming the United States of America.”
– Barack Obama
Comedy is a clown. He claimed that no prosecutor would pursue charges against Clinton, when dozens, if not hundreds, of prosecutors said they would.
Everyone seems focused on Stormy Daniels but it is the McDougal payoff that really does appear illegal. The $150K paid to her by a friend of Trump does seem like an illegal campaign donation.
Still, it seems a petty offense (remember the “it was only a blowjob!” defense of Bill Clinton).
I do believe that congress has standing to demand that the AG appear before investigative committees. He is affecting a national campaign, it a state one.
Anti-American Communist Comedy
That’s Funny!
In what way?
If you want to know, read the plea statement for Michael Cohen, who already served time in part for his illegal campaign contribution in paying off Daniels.
ATS is once again telling other to read something. HE is incapable of making an argument without linking.
Why should any read a convicted liar to discover the truth. Such faulty logic can only come from another liar.
Stormy Daniels can not reasonably be called a political campaign.
I am curious as to why you think McDougal might be a crime ?
Fundamentally I think the problem is with the campaign finance laws.
You can not criminalize the payment of money unless that money is being paid to advance an actual crime.
Legal efforts to elect a political candidate, can not be made illegal because money is involved.
Clinton was not guilty of “just a blow job” – he was guilty of lying under oath – and actual obstruction by trying to get others to lie too.
No one prosecuted him after he left office.
“I do believe that congress has standing to demand that the AG appear before investigative committees. He is affecting a national campaign, it a state one.”
Standing is confined to courts, it does not apply to congress.
The question regarding Congress is, whether there is a legitimate legislative or oversight purpose.
Given that the courts have never found that congress did not have a legitimate legislative or oversight purpose, they are not likely to change that now.
Regardless, All interaction between Bragg and Federal officials – Especially the WH is completely within the Houses legitimate domain.
Every single email and phone call between Bragg and anyone in the federal government is trivially subject to congressional subpoena.
The election related issues are weaker, but still more than sufficient.
I think the House should tread carefully here. I Think they should Stick closely to the involvement of Federal Officials in this.
But they should absolutely investigate that THOROUGHLY.
And they should do that regarding the GA investigation, and the SC investigation.
As well as other politically motivated investigations.
There appears to be a strong potential basis for impeaching Garland now.
He has testified under oath that the DOJ did not influence the decison of Federal Marshals to arrest and prosecute protestors at Supreme court justices homes.
Yet, there is now a memo from DOJ – I beleive From Garland directing the Marshals to NOT prosecute anything that was not violent.
It appears that Garland LIED under oath to congress.
How many times may the enemy communists (liberals, progressives, socialists, democrats, RINOs, AINOs) in America put Real President Donald J. Trump in jeopardy?
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
5th Amendment
No person shall be…subject for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy…
Imagine, if you can, each Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States of America swore a somber oath to “support” the literal meaning and intent of the Constitution, not subvert it.
One might never guess.
The communists (liberals, progressives, socialists, democrats, RINOs, AINOs) in America have far exceeded the letter and intent of the Founders, Framers and Constitution.
Who let the enemies in; was it surreptitious through a Trojan Horse?
At some point, actual Americans may discover that the “law” has been suspended and that their nation has been stolen.
So Comey the guy who committed the illegal act of leaking a conversation with a President now climbs out from under a rock to tell us how happy he is. I can picture him doing his little goody goody dance in a circle round and round. Here is a man who oversaw a corrupt FBI dancing with joy when the man who exposed his corruption is indicted. Perhaps The Republicans should now push for the indictment of Comey for his deeds the statute of limitations be damned. Why should he be protected by the law when Trump is not protected. Happy day? I say a very sad day for our nation.
James Comey is all the evidence needed to prove how corrupt our govenrment is.
This is NOT someone who EVER should have headed the FBI.
This is NOT someone who EVER should have been a US attorney.
While I think the claims Comey is strongly partisan are wrong.
Comey is corrupt and he cares about only one thing – James Comey.
I have no doubt he would have sought to prosecute Clinton – if he thought that would have benefited him.
Comey favored Democrats – because he viewed that as in his best interest.
Not because he was partisan.
There were some “Partisans’ in the FBI,
But the big problem is there are too many Comey’s.
I am less concerned about pollitical Bias in Government – though that is very real.
Than in corruption whether it is political or not.
Govenrment does not have the checks on power that are throughout the free market.
Don’t blame Comey because you don’t have the —– or the sense to go on offense, or even fight back.
Bush had the White House, Congress and Senate in 2000.
Republicans should have slammed America, in Lincolnesque fashion, back onto the Constitution and Bill of Rights, retroactively correcting comprehensively.
Communism must have been obliterated and annihilated, alas, it won.
C’est la vie.
How to begin restoring faith in rule of law in this country?
Start by indicting and prosecuting JAMES COMEY, trying him in a court outside Washington DC, say Oklahoma City, then putting the man behind bars for at least 10 years.
Then move on to the next, and the next, and the next….we all know who the criminals are.
Start prosecuting them all and putting them all behind bars.
That will be a good start.
Jimmy Comey is an in-the-paint committed Democratic partisan if ever there was one. He personally interceded to save Hillary Clinton in 2016 with her 33,000 subpoenaed emails and classified documents violations (and as the FBI Director no less). You can’t get a better placed “insider” than that. He has convinced himself that normal rules simply don’t apply to him as he answers to a “higher calling”. His lack of self-awareness (if he ever had any to begin with) is astounding. Thank you, Jonathan, for an excellent article.
William Roper: So, now you give the Devil the benefit of law!
Sir Thomas More: Yes! What would you do? Cut a great road through the law to get after the Devil?
William Roper: Yes, I’d cut down every law in England to do that!
Sir Thomas More: Oh? And when the last law was down, and the Devil turned ’round on you, where would you hide, Roper, the laws all being flat? This country is planted thick with laws, from coast to coast, Man’s laws, not God’s! And if you cut them down, and you’re just the man to do it, do you really think you could stand upright in the winds that would blow then? Yes, I’d give the Devil benefit of law, for my own safety’s sake!
CALL
“…courts…must…declare all acts contrary to the manifest tenor of the Constitution void.”
“…men…do…what their powers do not authorize, [and] what they forbid.”
_________________________________________________________
“[A] limited Constitution … can be preserved in practice no other way than through the medium of courts of justice, whose duty it must be to declare all acts contrary to the manifest tenor of the Constitution void. Without this, all the reservations of particular rights or privileges would amount to nothing … To deny this would be to affirm … that men acting by virtue of powers may do not only what their powers do not authorize, but what they forbid.”
– Alexander Hamilton
Excellent
When people are not held responsible for their actions they can hassle anyone. What Comey did to Trump is the equivalent of a white collar mugging.
And when these corrupt, unethical, dirtbags like Comey face ZERO consequences, they have no reason to stop. Hence, we see all the lawlessness that is happening right now in Biden’s DOJ, FBI, IRS, etc….
Time to PROSECUTE and put these mf’ers in prison. That will begin to restore faith in our corrupt system of INJUSTICE.
Does anyone remember the indictment of Rick Perry?
Now let me quote someone going by the online handle “Maraxus”
https://ethicsalarms.com/2018/12/13/enlighten-impress-and-depress-your-friends-explain-why-the-presidents-alleged-election-law-violation-was-not-one-much-less-a-justification-for-impeachment/#comment-591244
(emphasis added)
We have people like “Maraxus” extolling criminal prosecution as an acceptable political tactic.
What must be done is to get even. and that means every Republican prosecutor must set aside the Constitution, law, and ethics to prosecute Democrats- their leaders, their donors, and their spokesholes. Nothing is more important than taking democrats to court, regardless of how outlandish or nonsensical the legal arguments are, no matter what the cost.
Does anyone else think it’s funny that the same people that said “lock her up” are now the same people that are supporting a disgraced twice impeached FPOTUS. Because it’s not funny, it’s sad, just sad. Bigly.
And the same people who condemned “lock her up” as beyond the pale because it would destroy “our democracy” are now giddy with excitement.
Lock her up was never an actual intent but a campaign slogan. Trump proved this by not going after her once he was in a position to do so. The unhinged Left, however, is willing to actually destroy “our democracy” in service of its deranged hatred of one man.
Some are, others aren’t. I condemn the “lock her up” chants (and it wasn’t just a campaign slogan, because he continued to lead people in the chants after he was elected and tried to pressure his AGs into putting her in jail), and I haven’t been giddy. In fact, I’ve repeatedly told people to wait until we can see the indictment. You think the left is unhinged. I think many on the right are unhinged. People often have different opinions.
Just curious, Barr refused to “lock her up” even after she destroyed hard drives with thousands of classified emails and her server admins fled to Pakistan to avoid being deposed.
Would you then say Garland is more reckless than Barr if he tried to lock up Trump?
And what is your opinion of Bragg, assuming his case against Trump revolves around the hooker payment? Would you say Bragg is more reckless than Barr?
I don’t want to assume what Bragg’s case is about. I want to wait until the indictment is unsealed, as I’ve said repeatedly. I have no basis for judging Bragg based on an indictment that’s still sealed.
Garland named a Special Counsel, and if Smith and his GJ decide that there’s probable cause to indict Trump, let him present his case in court. Trump will have due process: represented by attorneys, choosing not to testify if he doesn’t want to, …, and a jury will decide whether the case is or isn’t proven beyond a reasonable doubt. That’s how our legal system works. Had HRC been indicted, I would have said the same for her.
So you’d be ok if Trump had assigned a Special Counsel for Hillary and Joe. They’d get due process, right?
Under the old rules, only if there was probable cause that they were connected to a crime.
“I want to wait until the indictment is unsealed, as I’ve said repeatedly. I have no basis for judging “
How long did you wait after the Washington Post posted anonymous reports lying about Trump? You didn’t wait, and you were later proven wrong on most issues.
You are not credible. You are a hypocrite who can’t run away from the dozens of major errors you have made by pushing lies the second they were printed.
Incidentally, the Central Park 5 send Trump their regards.
“Trump Will Not Apologize for Calling for Death Penalty Over Central Park Five”
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/18/nyregion/central-park-five-trump.html
Doesn’t matter if Trump got it wrong. DO NOT EVER APOLOGIZE to the left. NOT EVER. NEVER EXPLAIN. NEVER APOLOGIZE.
Not the best hyperlink by me as I meant to focus on Trump’s initial conduct in the matter. However this case goes, Trump will get more consideration than he advocated for them.
Anonymous, there is a reason not to apologize to the left because the left lies too frequently. The CP5 admitted their guilt, but some prosecutors didn’t want the settlement because too much evidence showed their guilt.
If one reads the text from the NY Times cited above, one will also read the following.
Trump advertisement.
“(The ads never explicitly called for the death penalty for the five defendants.)”
The left creates guilty people on page one but says the opposite on another page that most do not read.
The headline: “Trump Will Not Apologize for Calling for Death Penalty Over Central Park Five”
The actual story: “(The ads never explicitly called for the death penalty for the five defendants.)” The headline lied.
Never apologize to the left because they are lying.
Now Meyer. Everybody knows Trump called for the death penalty immediately after the settlement of the Central Park 5 case. And everybody knows he took out the advertisements immediately after the rape happened. Even after the Central Park 5 were exonerated by DNA evidence not available in 1989, he still said they were guilty.
He was at the forefront of whipping up a mob mentality. The same type of mob mentality being used against him now. Doesn’t make it right. And hopefully, Bragg will be held to account. But there is a certain Karma to the whole thing. And at least in terms of the hypocrisy meter, Trump fits right in with many in the Washington establishment.
“Now Meyer. Everybody knows Trump called for the death penalty immediately after the settlement of the Central Park 5 case. “
Steve, we just saw you post a headline from the NYTimes that was wrong about the advertisement. You didn’t quote the NY Times correction written in the article saying something different.
Now you are telling me what we are all supposed to know, but we don’t. At least we don’t know for sure because the news media posts erroneous headlines and statements out of context. Sometimes they even purposely abridge statements to prove the opposite of what is said.
I don’t have the answer, but you are saying you do. Therefore, you must provide Trump’s words to prove your case and a link to the complete statement.
The NY Times hoodwinked you once on this issue. I am hoping to get accurate data.
Well, the timing of the adds correlated with the timing of the case as did his calls for the death penalty. Pretty clear what he was referring to. And he made reference to the case along with another one in discussing the adds on Larry King live shortly thereafter. Trump isn’t denying that he had that case in mind when he took out the adds. He has no interest in doing so. And he still calls them guilty. You seem to be trying to defend him against something he has no interest in defending himself over. There isn’t a controversy here. Trump is Trump Mob mentality good for thee but not for me.
The advertisement is in black and white. The NY Times admitted Trump did not connect the five with that advertisement.
You have not provided Trump’s statements corroborating what you claim he said.
You were wrong on the headline because you didn’t see the facts. I think you believe what you say and are not lying, but you don’t have the in-context statements proving your case.
Without them, you are assuming as you did with the headline.
What was wrong with the advertisement, then?
Check that. They had the DNA evidence at the time. They didn’t have the ability to match it to the actual culprit until he confessed years later. But a mob mentality his hard to put down. It seeps into the police, goes through the prosecutors, and into the Jury.
“They had the DNA evidence at the time. They didn’t have the ability to match it to the actual culprit until he confessed years “
They confessed, and there was a lot of evidence that more than one person was involved. The victim was beaten assumedly by more than one, and raped by at least one.
The city decided to pay. San Fransisco is saying they will pay reparations to slaves, and those who receive the money might be the descendants of slave owners. Others recipients came after and will receive rewards under the proposed plan for being black, not for being descendants of slaves. The descendants of whites who fought in the War freeing the slaves and died are not exempted from paying the bill. That is how crazy leftist cities can be and NYC is one of the most leftist.
That NYC released and paid the ones who confessed is how they do business. They didn’t ascertain guilt or innocence.
“mob mentality his hard to put down.”
It is, especially when they confessed.
They were teenagers hauled into separate interrogation rooms for hours on end. Classic. And the confessions never passed the smell test.
Statements by the five defendants “differed from one another on the specific details of virtually every major aspect of the crime — who initiated the attack, who knocked the victim down, who undressed her, who struck her, who held her, who raped her, what weapons were used in the course of the assault, and when in the sequence of events the attack took place.” None of them accurately described where the jogger was attacked. And of course, they all managed to avoid leaving even a speck of DNA evidence. Bragg would be proud of their work.
“the confessions never passed the smell test.”
Since I don’t have enough knowledge I am open to being convinced. Tell us what proof you have that the confessions never passed the smell test. Why did they confess?
I remember the contradictions in testimony but that is not unusual.
Were they on drugs at the time?
Hm . . . random, never before seen poster on a post about Trump but none of the others . . . -> 🧌🧌 perhaps?
If you believe the media’s version of events regarding much of anything these past seven or so years: I honestly don’t know what to say to someone like that, except that it must be nice to be free and unaffected to be so insular. It’s also quite an impressive leap of faith to believe the aftershocks of something like this won’t reverberate mightily for *everyone*.
Did any prosecutor during the Trump administration pursue charges against Hillary’s many crimes?
No.
Not for lack of trying on Trump’s part. Not only did he call for HRC to be charged, he called for Obama, and Biden, and lots of other of his opponents to be charged. He’s a loose cannon.
Provide a link. One link. Then show ANY court document or submission from any of the government agencies involved.
Here’s a link for what I said: https://www.mediaite.com/news/trump-calls-on-biden-and-obama-to-be-charged-with-crimes-says-bill-barr-will-go-down-in-history-as-sad-if-not/
I have no onus to show things I didn’t claim.
A loose cannon? Biden is a cannon that blows up in everyone’s face.
Trump had a rightful charge or should I say charges against Hillary.
As President Trump prevented war, yet today we are potentially entering a war with China and Russia. He made America richer and oil independent. Lots more but I don’t know if you can count higher than three.
As usual you don’t know what you are talking about.
Since you do not understand our legal system: Impeachment is an accusation. Without conviction innocence is presumed.
Now get going Lawmakers –the evidence is piling up. Time to do the RIGHT thing:
IMPEACH PRESIDENT BIDEN
IMPEACH MERRICK GARLAND
IMPEACH MAYORKAS
for starters…
You’re telling the wrong people. If you want that, call your House Rep. and tell him or her. The House is the only body that can impeach them. Also be clear about the basis for impeachment. You’re silent about that here.
Oh please just Shut up.
Take your own advice.
Child, that’s because she committed a felony. Comey admitted it. You aren’t even comparing apples and oranges – at least they’re both fruit. You’re comparing apples and alternators.
If you have a college degree, I’d suggest asking for a refund.
FishCult: Does anyone else think it’s funny to hear that the same people who defend the case against Trump with the words “No one is Above the Law,” are fine with DA Bragg failing to prosecute actual violent criminals?
Alvin Bragg is just one of dozens of Soros DA’s who believes violent criminals are indeed *above the law,* according to his own record of failing to prosecute them.
Soros DAs all across the country are releasing violent criminals back onto the streets to continue terrorizing citizens. Because “No one is Above the Law”?? How do you square that? You don’t.
Did anyone actually try to prosecute Hillary – Despite innumerable actual crimes for which she is guilty beyond any doubt ?
https://amgreatness.com/2023/04/02/indict-one-and-all/
You know Truley, I’m pretty confident there is an abominable ethics violation here, and ironvically Trump is getting treated pretty much equally the same as other people who are indicted.
Say you have a prosecutor who takes 10 people to trial. For simplicity’s sake, let’s have him charge each defendant with 5 counts or statutes of something over a single incident.
In each and EVERY case he secures a conviction — on 2 of the 5 counts or statutes.
Well, his conviction rate isn’t 100%. It’s 20%. And he owes the general public, not to mention an ethics review board, why his conviction rate is so low and/or why he is so cavalierly overcharging fellow American citizens.
A grand jury would indict a ham sandwich, if that’s what you wanted.
–Chief Judge Sol Wachtler
No, it’s the 90+ counts or however many they’re going to try to throw in. It’s a matter of psychology. Juries are more inclined to find their way to “beyond a reasonable doubt” when multiple statutes and counts are drummed up — particularly when minor charges are mixed with major ones. They can see their way to one or two minor charges whereas if the defendant were only tried on those two minor charges, a non-guilty verdict is more likely.
Of course, I’m a bit more concerned with the thousands of times per day it’s happening to other citizens as opposed to this case. But it is happening here. And people have gotten so used to it, I don’t think even the Trumpaphobes are taking offense over it.
How do you get 20%?
Ha! Good Lord! 40% percent it is. But that’s being too kind. Make it 2 out of 10 counts or statutes.
There are fairly radical differences between Trump and ordinary prosecutions.
But You make SOME valid points.
Prosecutors always overcharge – so whatever is being charged, you can pretty much almost ALWAYS count on the fact that the most serious charges will go away.
Prosecutors overcharge as leverage to get plea bargains and for public relations.
None of that is unique.
It is also true that large numbers of counts – often from a single crime are the norm.
As an example Bragg is claiming that paying Cohen for legal services was a crime. Trump did NOT pay Daniels 150K for the NDA, in fact Trump was not part of the NDA. Daniels had a legal argument that the NDA might be invalid because Trump was NOT a party to it.
Trump Paid Cohen 480K in fixed monthly amounts for legal services for 18 months. It is going to be nearly impossible for Bragg to prove that the 480K was specifically for the 150K payment to Daniels – much less that it was a crime. Cohen is useless as a witness – he has been convicted of Perjury.
Regardless Bragg is likely charging a separate count for each payment.
Lets assume that Bragg actually hits the lotto and manages to convict. It is near certain that all counts will merge for sentencing
This BTW is also true of normal defendants.
Again prosecutors try to terrify you that you could be sentenced to consecutive terms for each count.
But that rarely happens. It rarely happens even when there are multiple independant crimes.
As an example if you are arrested for 20 home burglaries, and convicted of say half. The likely Sentence with be in the aggravated range for A SINGLE burglary.
Not 10 different burglaries with concurrent sentences. That is not guaranteed, but it is likely.
Also it is typical to charge each crime and all lessor included offenses.
Though what is initially charged – and what ultimately goes to the jury is different.
Prosecutors usually leave the lessor included offenses when their case is weak and they do not expect to convict for the most serious charge,
But they eliminate lessor included offenses when they think they have a strong case and they do not want the jury to be able to pick a lessor offense.
Regardless, if a Jury convicts of a crime AND lessor included offenses – they merge. You can not be convicted of 1st degree murder and manslaughter for a single act killing one person.
Some of the above is somewhat nescescary.
Some of it is proprietorial tactics.
Some of it is Wrong. Overcharging as an example should be improper. No one should ever face a jury with a charge even the prosecutor does not really believe.
“B. Comey Violated Department and FBI Policies Pertaining to the Retention, Handling, and Dissemination of FBI Records and Information
“1. Comey Failed to Return Memos 2, 4, 6, and 7 after Being Removed as FBI Director
“C. Comey Failed to Immediately Alert the FBI to the Unauthorized Disclosure of Classified Information
“E. FBI Efforts to Secure Information and Devices from Comey’s Office and Home
“On May 12, 2017, the SSA and two other SSAs went to Comey’s residence to inventory and retrieve all FBI property from Comey’s home SCIF. They were accompanied by Rybicki and the then-FBI Associate Deputy Director, David Bowdich, who went to another area of the house with Comey while the SSAs inventoried and removed the government property, including electronic devices
and documents. No hard copy versions of the Memos were found in Comey’s home SCIF and Comey did not tell the FBI that he had copies of Memos 2, 4, 6, and 7 in his personal safe.”
Excerpted from Report of Investigation of Former Federal Bureau of Investigation Director James Comey’s Disclosure of Sensitive Investigative Information and Handling of Certain Memoranda, https://oig.justice.gov/reports/2019/o1902.pdf
Didn’t know the IG was investigating former Director Comey. .. although I’m not surprised.
Tbh, thought Comey’s personal report to Congress after the years-long $50m Russia/Trump probe was, uh, somewhere beyond incompetent. Like Biden, he often appeared to not understand what he was saying. .. even in his more lucid moments.
*Snowden for President 2024 ‘Brain Cells Matter’