Below is my column in The Hill on the continuing promotionals for “The Notorious RBG.” I have long been a critic of this trend toward celebrity justices and the discomfort over these campaigns is not simply about Ruth Bader Ginsburg. The culture of the Court is changing and I do not believe it is changing for the better.
Here is the column:
Continue reading “The Notorious RBG and the Problem With The Celebrity Justice”
Texas recently settled a legal fight over its failure to install air conditioning at the Wallace Pack Unit near College Station — a facility long deemed dangerously hot in the summer. In the wisdom only known to bureaucrats, the state spent $7 million to fight the lawsuit and ultimately paid $4 million to simply put in the air conditioning system. Continue reading “Texas Spends $7 Million Fighting Demand To Add Air Conditioning To Dangerously Hot Prison . . . Then Installs The System For $4 Million”
This weekend I discussed a surprising, and unreported, allegation made on CNN by former Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili against the latest cooperating witness of Special Counsel Robert Mueller, former Republican lobbyist and Paul Manafort associate, Sam Patten. Saakashvili preceded me on CNN and accused Patten of threatening to ruin him if he went public with allegations about Patten’s work with Russian interests in Georgia. Since Saakashvili could easily be called as a rebuttal witness to Patten, the threats could be viewed as witness tampering. Saakashvili viewed them as outright Russian-style blackmail. Since I ran that column, I have heard from a great number of people on both sides, but I received an email this morning from Christina Pushaw, who identifies herself as Saakashvili’s representative. Pushaw sent the underlying material supporting Saakashvili’s charges and confirmed that they have given the allegation and evidence to the FBI today. The complaint to the FBI only magnifies the problems for both Patten and Mueller that I discussed earlier. A submission to the FBI, including a criminal allegation, comes with added penalties for false statements or submissions. Both sides in this dispute have been the subject of serious criminal allegations in Europe. Yet, such communications (if true) from a cooperating witness would unlikely be approved by prosecutors. Mueller’s team is about to present its prosecution of Paul Manafort for witnessing tampering for contacting potential witnesses to shape their accounts. That creates a rather awkward situation when its most recent cooperative witness is allegedly the subject of a complaint to the FBI.
We previously discussed the wisdom of Brazil spending billions on the 2016 Olympics when its country was struggling with serious economic and social problems including rampant corruption. Now, in a loss for the entire world, Rio de Janeiro’s 200-year-old National Museum has been reportedly gutted in a catastrophic fire. According to reports, the museum has begged the federal government for funding of the aging building, including the need for a fire prevention system. Continue reading “Rio Spends Billions On Olympics . . . Then National Museum Burns Due To Lack Of an Adequate Fire Prevention System”
If Paul Manafort needed any further indication of his rapidly reducing future, it came in a new filing in New York last week. No it was not Special Counsel Robert Mueller, it was his daughter Jessica Manafort, 36, who wants now to be known as Jessica Bond. Continue reading “The Name Is Bond, Jess Bond . . . And Definitely Not Manafort”
A curious thing happened this Labor Day weekend when one of Robert Mueller’s most recent cooperating witnesses may have burst into flames on national television – but no one seemed to notice. Former Republican lobbyist and Paul Manafort associate, Sam Patten, only pleaded guilty on Friday, but on Sunday a world leader leveled a serious allegation of criminal conduct committed after his plea bargain. Obviously, this is only one side and Patten could well deny either the email or its meaning. However, the implications of the allegations aired on national television are very serious not only for Patten but Mueller. Update: a complaint has now reportedly been made to the FBI. Continue reading “Mueller Witness Accused Of Blackmailing World Leader After Plea Agreement [Updated]”
Below is my column in The Hill newspaper on the departure of White House Counsel Don McGahn. Trump is now strongly suggesting that he may allow Attorney General Jeff Sessions to remain but only until after the approaching November elections. At that point, the situation could change rapidly and dangerously with a divided Congress. With the expected departure of both McGahn and Sessions, the next chapter appears a paraphrase of Dick the Butcher in Henry VI ”The first thing we do, let’s kill fire all the lawyers.” Obviously, much will depend on their replacements but Sessions’ removal (and the reason for the removal) is far more problematic. Continue reading “In Search Of The “Happier Prospect”: Trump Moves Toward The Removal Of McGahn and Sessions”
According to filings in federal court, former campaign adviser George Papadopoulos claims Donald Trump approved his proposal of a meeting with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin ahead of the 2016 presidential election. I still do not see that effort as particularly sinister or incriminating. Bach channels have long been established in politics. What is most notable is that he states that Attorney General Jeff Sessions also approved the trip. That fact only reaffirms the clearly correct decision that Sessions made to recuse himself despite the President continued attacks on Sessions. Indeed, the account of the Papadopoulos testimony could conflict with Sessions’ testimony before Congress – making recusal all but inevitable. Continue reading “Papadopoulos Claims Trump and Sessions Approved His Outreach To The Russians”
CNN is facing rising questions over its refusal to correct its earlier bombshell story entitled “Cohen Claims Trump Knew In Advance Of 2016 Trump Tower Meeting.” As I discussed recently, Cohen’s attorney Lanny Davis now admits that he was the anonymous source for that story (after publicly denying that he was the source) and that he has no information to support the allegation. Cohen himself testified to Congress that he had no such information. One would think that the denial of both Cohen and his lawyer (and original source) would alter that story that “Cohen claims Trump knew . . . ” CNN however says that it had multiple sources for the story and sticks with the reporting by Jim Sciutto, Carl Bernstein and Marshall Cohen. Continue reading “CNN Sticks With Story That Cohen Alleges Trump Knew Of Trump Tower Meeting Despite Cohen and His Lawyer Denying The Story”
Below is my column in The Hill newspaper on the recent admission by Michael Cohen’s lawyer that he was the source on what appears a false story on the meeting at Trump Tower with Russians and Trump officials. Davis also admitted that he lied to the media in denying that he was the source of the story. It may be too early to predict the demise of Davis. We discussed earlier the controversy surrounding former CNN commentator and DNC official Donna Brazile lied to the public about being the author of hacked emails giving Hillary Clinton debate questions in advance. She is back as a commentator on various networks.
Here is the column: Continue reading “Lanny Davis And The Year Of Lawyers Living Dangerously”
This week represented a milestone for California in the criminal justice system when Gov. Jerry Brown on Tuesday signed legislation eliminating cash bail in the state. Starting in October 2019, a system of risk assessment will replace cash bail — a move deemed more fair to defendants with little ability to pay bail.
There is an interesting C-SPAN survey out this week where ninety-one percent of citizens agreed that decisions on the Supreme Court impacted the lives of every American but a majority lack the ability to name a single justice.
Continue reading “Supremely Forgettable: A Majority Of Americans Cannot Name A Single Justice”
Below is my column in The Hill on the curious role that Gofundme is playing in the ongoing controversies surrounding the Trump Administration. There is an emerging type of market for witnesses on both sides where they compete for donors based on their potential value attacking or defending President Donald Trump.
Here is the column: Continue reading “The Great American Witness Auction: How Michael Cohen And Others Are Making Millions In A Testimony Market”
While the world was preparing for the devastating news of the passing of Sen. John McCain, Arizona Republican Kelli Ward was seeing the announcement of his suspending further treatment in an entirely different and personal light. Ward, who has long opposed McCain and supported President Donald Trump, insisted the statements (coming just twenty-four hours before his death) were meant to run a “negative narrative” about her. It appears that she was about to kick off her bus tour and was convinced that McCain was obsessed with derailing her media coverage.Continue reading “GOP Senate Candidate: McCain Was Dying To Undermine Me”
