Much of the impetus for the current Special Counsel investigation can be attributed to two equally disastrous decisions: the decision to fire FBI Director James Comey in the midst of the Russian Investigation and the meeting of Donald Trump Jr. with Russians promising dirt on Hillary Clinton. While I continue to doubt that the meeting (or the later misleading statement issued by Trump Jr.) constituted any type of crime, I have previously written that it was an astonishingly dumb decision to go (with both Jared Kushner and Paul Manafort) to this meeting. I have little doubt that the Clintons would have eagerly accepted the same information, but they would have used surrogates as they did with the Steele dossier. Now Trump Jr. is dismissing the very idea that his father would sit down with Mueller. While this is certainly a good-faith disagreement among lawyers, Trump Jr. is wrong again about a meeting. There are perfectly good reasons for his father to go to such a meeting and interview, but it should have been done months ago as I previously discussed. Continue reading ““I Wouldn’t Do It”: Trump Jr. Declares It Would Be “Stupid” For Trump To Go To Meeting With Mueller”
Category: Bizarre
It appears that things got ugly in a recent meeting between Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and House oversight staff. Rosenstein reportedly threatened to “subpoena” House committee members if they went after him with a contempt sanction for failing to turn over material on the FBI’s investigation of Trump campaign officials. If the account is true, it was a mistake by Rosenstein. To quote The Godfather, oversight is not personal, its oversight business. Continue reading “It’s Not Personal, Mr. Rosenstein, Its Strictly Government Business”
It may be the ultimate expression of our overheated politics. Longtime DNC member Bob Mulholland accused a Sanders supporter of being a possible Russian stooge after she attended a meeting of the Democratic National Committee to discuss rules and bylaws. It appears that anyone can now be denounced as Russian collaborators in an environment that is increasingly picking up McCarthyite elements. The bizarre allegation from Mulholland comes after the DNC moved to effectively block Sanders from the next presidential primary unless he registers as a Democrat. The effort was later abandoned, but left bad memories of the last primary where the DNC was shown to have secretly rigged the process for Hillary Clinton.
I periodically post old mugshots which offer a gritty insight into criminal history. The West Midlands Police just released some gems from their archives including what is believed to be the oldest mugshot in British history. That distinction rests with Isaac Ellery who was convicted in March 1853 and sentenced to seven years transportation for stealing four ‘gig’ cushions.
Continue reading “First Ever Mugshot In Britain Released: Isaac Ellery, Cushion Thief”
In torts, there is a doctrine called the “egg shell thin skull rule” where a defendant can be sued for the full damages of a tort even though the victim was especially susceptible to injury. It is the concept that “you take your victim as you find him.” Blaine Manalle, 20, is now personally familiar with the criminal counterpart to that rule. She is facing a second-degree murder charge after allegedly hitting Jeffery Howell in the head. Howell just had brain surgery and the blow fell on the still healing surgery incision behind his ear.
Rachel Camille Calhoun, 24, in Forestdale, Alabama allegedly had a novel way to to rob the Regions Bank in Forestdale. Police say that she gave the bank manager a stark choice: Given her $6,000 and accept sex in return or she would accuse him of sexual assault. He opted for the third option and called police.
Democrats and media figures continue to struggle with the truth of the abuses of former President Bill Clinton who has been accused by multiple women of everything from sexual harassment to rape. Dozens of reporters have interviewed Clinton without seriousness questioning him on these past allegations until recently. Even after a year of “MeToo” stories, only this month did an interviewer risk the ire of Clinton supporters to press the former president. Clinton became immediately condescending and dismissive. The continued muted response to Clinton’s past is evident after a rather shocking claim in a new interview with PBS NewsHour where Clinton explained that “what you can do to someone against their will” has simply changed. Continue reading “Clinton: Standards Have Changed Over “What You Can Do To Someone Against Their Will””
We have been discussing the growing number of idiots who are leaving graffiti and destroying national and state parks (here and here and here and here and here). Now some teenager has defaced the incredible Colorado National Monument with juvenile graffiti meant to convince a girl to go to the prom. The stunt could cost the culprit six months in jail. Indeed, until judges hand down some serious jail time, people like this will continue to deface our national parks. Continue reading “High-School Student Defaces the Colorado National Monument With Graffiti”
There is an interesting new story about a bizarre practice by President Donald Trump who reportedly rips up material given to him despite the duty to preserve the documents under the Presidential Records Act. Two staffers have recounted how they were required to spend considerable time taping the documents back together to stay in compliance with the PRA. They reportedly complained about the duty for people making $60,000 a year. They were suddenly fired. This Humpy Dumpty duty raises some serious questions of federal violations. Continue reading “Humpy Dumpty Duty: Trump Regularly Rips Up Documents, Requiring Staff To Tape Them Back Together To Comply With Federal Law”
Constance Koulmey has been awarded over $100,000 after she was hit by a bowl of pasta thrown by lawyer James Sweeney. She alleged that she received a head injury from the bowl that Sweeney threw at another restaurant customer. That left an al dente on her head that was enough for the Waterbury, Connecticut jury to find in favor of her battery claim.
West Point graduate and Army infantry officer Spenser Rapone has been drummed out of the military after receiving an “other than honorable discharge” from the military. He caused a stir with a posted photo of his West Point cap with the words “Communism will win” written inside. He also displayed a Che Guevara T-shirt underneath his uniform jacket. Rapone is clearly a dedicated socialist, but the action raises the issue of whether being a communist or socialist is disqualifying. His removal is widely tied to a letter sent by Sen. Marco Rubio (R., Fl.). Rapone is scheduled to be a featured speaker at the conference “Socialism 2018” in Chicago this year.
Continue reading “Controversial Socialist Army Officer Given “Other Than Honorable” Discharge”
The State Department was eager to brush over miffed feelings connected to the G-7 meeting, particularly with Germany. Perhaps a bit too eager. State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert was striving to list examples of our close historical relationship and included the D-Day invasion. It is true that that was a key moment in our “relationship” but it was hardly a positive one.
There has been continued controversy over the penchant of President Donald Trump to pardon celebrities or political figures or, most recently, a woman who was championed by Kim Kardashian. Today Trump announced that he is considering a pardon for the late boxing sensation Muhammad Ali — not long after he granted a posthumous pardon to boxing legend Jack Johnson (who was advocated for by celebrity Sylvester Stallone). This case however raises the added curiosity that Ali’s conviction was overturned by the Supreme Court in Clay v. United States, 403 U.S. 698 (1971)(when Ali was still under his birth name of Cassius Clay). Obviously, there is no conviction to pardon or commute in this case. In addition to the overturning of the conviction, draft dodgers were given amnesty previously by both Ford and Carter. Continue reading “A Pardon For Muhammad Ali Is Neither Needed Nor Warranted”
Rudy Giuliani has often strayed far beyond his brief as a lawyer representing the President in the Russian investigation. These include controversial comments about Korean nuclear negotiations where he was criticized widely in falsely predicting an imminent change. Most recently, while in Israel, Giuliani told the world that Kim Jong-un “got back on his hands and knees and begged” for the United States to revive the Singapore summit. Now, Giuliani is not being contradicted by a foreign leader but the first lady. Giuliani, also during the Israeli trip, declared on the Stormy Daniels scandal that the First Lady “believes her husband, and she knows it’s untrue.” That led to the rare push back from the First Lady’s office from her spokesperson and East Wing communications director Stephanie Grisham that “I don’t believe Mrs. Trump has ever discussed her thoughts on anything with Mr. Giuliani.” In Washington talk, that is a take down. The First Lady rarely issues statements and this statement would never be released absent her consent.
This has been quite a trip of Giuliani in tripping wires and causing controversies. He also attacked Daniels as beyond belief as someone who “sells her body for sexual exploitation.” At least those comments were tangentially related to his brief for the president. The comments on high-level diplomatic matters or the relations between the first couple are well beyond what most lawyers would feel comfortable discussing in public. My concern is that it shows a continued lack of message discipline and focus on the legal team. In this case, that lack of discipline led to a countervailing statement of the First Lady’s spokesperson. In other words, it made the record worse for his client.
Lieutenant Joshua Philip Yabut, 29, apparently thinks a luxury SUV or a corvette is not grand enough for grand theft auto. Instead, he went with the M577 armored command vehicle, which he stole from Fort Pickett, a Virginia Army National Guard facility. He then took police on a 60-mile chase. Yahut previously sought to run against Sen. Tim Kaine (D., Va.) but failed to file the proper forms.