By Darren Smith, Weekend Contributor
On yet another road trip we happened along this strange form of filling station–a tribute of sorts to the Teapot Dome Scandal. It has been one hundred years since the ensuing investigation, which greatly embarrassed the Harding Administration and later sent Secretary of the Interior Albert Fall to prison on corruption charges. In a twist, in 1985 the Department of the Interior added the station to the National Register of Historic Places.
Last night, Fox News broke the story that the U.S. Capitol Police arrested a group of staffers with CBS’s “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” and charged them with unlawful entry. The crew was reportedly shooting a skit dealing with Jan. 6th but ended up with the same charge that has been levied against the vast majority of those arrested after the riot. Fox is reporting that the crew was told to leave but regained entry through a staff member of Rep. Jake Auchincloss (D., Mass). They also interviewed House Intelligence Chair and Jan. 6th Committee member Adam Schiff (D., Cal.). The arrests could put Speaker Nancy Pelosi in an awkward position. Continue reading “The Late Show with the Capitol Police: Crew of Comedian Stephen Colbert Arrested in Capitol”
In Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest, Cecily observes “I have never met any really wicked person before… I am so afraid he will look just like every one else.” The quote came to mind this week after Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) demanded an investigation of Ginni Thomas. Whitehouse insists that there is a “big investigative gap” in pursuing the leaker of the draft Supreme Court opinion in the pending abortion case, but not the wife of Clarence Thomas. Ginni Thomas supported the challenge to the certification of the 2020 election. Continue reading “Sen. Whitehouse Calls for Investigation of Ginni Thomas”
In past columns, we have discussed how Harvard Law professor Laurence Tribe seems intent upon running through the entire criminal code in declaring clear evidence of every federal crime by former President Donald Trump and/or his family. Just for the purposes of keeping score, Tribe declared evidence supporting criminal charges of witness tampering, obstruction of justice, criminal election violations, Logan Act violations, extortion, espionage, and treason by Trump or his family. He has now added attempted murder in an interview on CNN’s “Erin Burnett OutFront.” In addition to declaring former President Donald Trump clearly guilty of the attempt to murder Vice President Mike Pence on January 6, 2021, Tribe is again assuring viewers that “without any doubt, beyond a reasonable doubt, beyond any doubt, and the crimes are obvious.” I guess there is no doubt. There is also no compelling legal basis for the claim. Nevertheless, Tribe is promising more if needed: “There are other crimes that have been proven. Those are plenty to start with.”
Below is my column on the recent fining and apology of Washington Commanders defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio for expressing a dissenting view of the Jan. 6th riot. There has been little support for the exercise of free speech by Del Rio, even from those who support the free speech of athletes protesting during actual games. Instead, there was the useful demands for him to be fired for uttering an opposing view of what occurred on January 6th.
Here is the column:
There has been a backlash nationally over prosecutors who were recently elected in a push by far left groups with support from billionaire George Soros. One of those is Loudoun County Commonwealth’s Attorney Buta Biberaj, who is now in middle of a controversy over an alleged misrepresentation of the criminal record of a felon in order to secure a lower sentence in a plea deal. Loudoun County Circuit Court Judge James Plowman removed Biberaj and her office from the case. After Republican Attorney General Jason Miyares wrote the court offering to prosecute the case, Biberaj (who described herself as a “progressive prosecutor”) lashed out at Miyares and told him to “stay in your lane.”
The Washington Examiner recently gained access to texts on Hunter Biden’s laptop with the help of a computer expert. One of the newly acquired texts addressed the scandal over his lost gun. In prior interviews, Hunter insisted that he was never aware of federal law enforcement getting involved in the case and did not believe that it was true. However, in the text, he attacked his sister-in-law Hallie for throwing out the gun. He laments that her tossing the gun to protect him meant that the matter was now “in the hands of the FBI.”
The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) has long been the leading defender of free speech in education. It has now announced that it has changed its name to the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression. Many are asking if FIRE can be the new ACLU. Hopefully not, but it could be the old ACLU. Many of us have been highly critical of the conversion of the ACLU into a more political and partisan organization under the leadership of executive director, Anthony Romero, former President Susan N. Herman, and current president Deborah Archer. The involvement of the ACLU in the defamatory column of Amber Heard was the final straw for many long-time supporters of the civil liberties group. Unlike the ACLU, FIRE has remained focused on its mission as a leading civil liberties advocacy group. It could well become the old ACLU and fill the void left by the demise of that once revered organization.
Continue reading “Can FIRE Be The New ACLU? Hopefully Not, But It Can Be The Old ACLU”
The hearings of the House Select Committee on the Jan. 6th riot have featured a number of Republican lawyers, including former Attorney General Bill Barr, who opposed efforts to challenge the election after finding no support for the widespread election fraud claims of former President Donald Trump. The media called them “Team Normal.” That does not sit well with the most rabid activists who spent years demonizing Barr and others. Yet, the most ironic dissenting voice is that of former Clinton campaign General Counsel Marc Elias, who just ran a vehement column “Calling B.S. On Trump’s ‘Team Normal.'” Elias is a lawyer previously sanctioned in court and accused of lying about the hidden funding of the Steele Dossier by the Clinton campaign.
Continue reading “Controversial Clinton Lawyer Marc Elias Slams ‘Team Normal” for Supporting Lies”
Representative Adam Schiff (D-CA) went on CNN’s “Don Lemon Tonight” to tout the work of the House Select Committee investigating the Jan. 6th riot. In that interview, Schiff declared that the Committee has enough evidence showing former President Donald Trump “engaged in likely multiple criminal acts.” While vague on the specific crimes, Schiff emphasized that the Justice Department did not have to wait any further to launch a criminal investigation based on what has already been disclosed. While the Committee has disclosed new evidence in the form of videotapes and testimony, it has not presented new material evidence of criminal acts in my view. That could still come but the first two hearings largely focused on a “conspiracy” to challenge the election certification and allegations that Trump knew that there was no compelling evidence of widespread election fraud.
There is an interesting case out of Ohio where the state Supreme Court has ruled that Lake County Common Pleas Court Judge Eugene Lucci erred when he gave Manson Bryant, 35, an added six years after Bryant called him “racist as f**k.” The outburst followed his initial sentencing for robbery, kidnapping, and weapons charges relating to an armed burglary.
Below is my column in The Hill on the January 6th Committee hearings and how the Democrats undermined the legitimacy of their investigation by breaking the long tradition of bipartisan and balanced membership on such special committees. Many of us support the effort to release more information and evidence on what occurred on that day. However, Speaker Nancy Pelosi decided to forego even the pretense of a bipartisan and full inquiry.
Here is the column:
Continue reading “Pelosi’s Court: How the Jan. 6 Committee Undermined its Own Legitimacy”
There is a new study by psychology researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and University of Louisville that maintains that those people who maintain a “color-blind” racial philosophy are actually fostering racism. There is a growing movement from elementary schools to colleges that it is not enough to be non-racist. You must be anti-racist. A collateral position is that color blindness allows white people to evade racism or racial justice questions. The question is whether the study in the Journal of Counseling Psychology will be used to support universities requiring affirmative anti-racism statements and other direct responses from faculty and students.
Continue reading “Professors: Being “Color Blind” Fosters Racism”
Below is my column in USA Today on the alleged attempted murder of Justice Brett Kavanaugh at his home outside of Washington, D.C. Less than 24 hours later, protesters were back in front of the Kavanaugh home as well as the home of Justice Amy Coney Barrett. In addition, pro-choice activists posted the location of the school of the Barrett children. It is all part of a national rage addiction where neither decency nor responsibility are relevant. Indeed, seven children of a justice are no longer even a concern in venting one’s rage.
Here is the column: Continue reading “The Kavanaugh Murder Attempt is Shocking But Not Surprising”
In January, I wrote a column criticizing the legal position of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) in favor of Whole Food workers seeking to wear Black Lives Matter (BLM) symbols or clothing at work. Now a judge has rejected a similar claim brought by employees at Home Depot despite a decision in their favor earlier by the NLRB General Counsel. Continue reading “Court Rules for Home Depot in Barring Black Lives Matter Imagery”