Former FBI deputy director Andrew McCabe penned an op-ed for The Washington Post to contest the allegation of his “lack of candor” with federal investigators. I have been writing (here and here and here) on the contrast between the treatment of McCabe and former national security adviser Michael Flynn. McCabe has been erroneously portrayed as “losing his pension” but has not been charged. Flynn was charged and accepted a plea deal under 18 U.S.C. 1001 for making a false statement to investigators. Now McCabe is raising virtually the same defense that did not work for Flynn: that there was a lot going on and he was “confused and distracted.”
The sheer market power of China over American companies was on full display in Nebraska this month where Roy Jones lost his $14-an-hour job with Marriott for “liking” a tweet that referenced Tibet. When the hotel chain was hit with a torrent of complaints from China, Marriott not only fired Jones but assured China that all employees would be sent for retraining.
Below is my column in USA Today on the recent ruling against President Donald Trump in a civil lawsuit where his counsel sought dismissal on constitutional grounds. It was a weak argument that made bad precedent for the Office of the President. With yet another change in his legal team, Trump needs to focus on continuity among his legal team. More lawyers does not necessarily translate to a stronger case. Indeed, it can undermine a case when lawyers are advancing conflicting or reckless arguments.
Here is the column:
Continue reading “Bad Cases (and Bad Lawyers) Can Make For Bad Law”
Scott (“Spider”) Wegener, 55, is nothing if not unique in the annals of crime. He is accused of creating an IED using a Canadian Mist bottle, black powder and a cannon fuse. He then used the bomb to try to kill another man’s chickens. The attack was reportedly due to a disagreement over a BB gun.
Continue reading “Florida Man Arrested For Tossing A Bomb Into Yard To Kill Man’s Chickens”
There is an interesting verdict out of California where a former MLB pitcher, Greg Reynolds, was awarded $2.3 million against a man who appeared at his house naked and high on LSD. In an effort to keep Dominic Pintarelli (left) out of his house, Reynolds severely damaged his hand and effectively ended his promising baseball career. Reynolds was also allowed to recover from the hosts of the party where Pintarelli became high. The liability of the hosts is particularly interesting. The damages included $300,000 for the pain and suffering of Reynolds’ wife.
As many on this blog know, I have long been a critic of our sprawling national debt and reckless budgets. I admit to being adverse to our long history of kicking the can down the road with new taxes and higher budgets. Well, we are about to push our kids further into debt with an obscene $1.3 trillion budget bill. The White House and Congress yielded to virtually every temptation in adding to our national debt at a time of tremendous economic uncertainties. We have added $1 trillion to our debt in just the last six months.
Continue reading “Debtor Nation: Congress Approves A Staggering $1,300,000,000,000 Budget”
Below is my column in The Hill Newspaper on lack of clarity in the charging of various Trump figures with false statements while former Andrew McCabe is simply fired a day before retirement. As discussed before, the much discussed “loss” of McCabe’s pension appears to be unfounded and McCabe will reach a pension likely to reach roughly $2 million. The more difficult question concerns the standard applied to when charges are brought (and more importantly who the charges are brought against.)
Here is the column:
While various networks have advanced narratives of former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe being fired as part of a Trump bloodlust, FBI Director Christopher Wray weighed in this week to say that he acted without any political influence. Wray, who has been widely credited as being completely independent and apolitical, supported the view that McCabe was fired for true cause. Wray pushed McCabe out after reportedly reading the conclusions of the Inspector General’s report.
The happy and amazed mugshot of Collin James Daniel, 24, may reflect the fact that he is lucky to be alive. The Spring Hill (FL) man registered a blood alcohol level at .316. He was spotted by an aviation unit driving erratically in an apartment complex and things only got worse.
Continue reading “Florida Man Registers A .316 BAL After Crashing In Mailboxes and Other Cars”
President Donald Trump is under intense fire for congratulating Russian President Vladimir Putin on his election — an election widely denounced as a sham. Putting aside the propriety of an American President congratulating an authoritarian figure (who is accused of interfering with his own election), the most notable element in the story was a leak that said Trump’s national security staff not only warned him not congratulate Putin but included in his briefing materials in all-capital letters the warning “DO NOT CONGRATULATE.” The speed of the leak is astonishing even by the measure of the Trump Administration. It appears that the leaks may have occurred within minutes of the call. Chief of Staff Kelly is reportedly irate with the leak and for good reason.
We previously discussed the case of Mark Meechan who thought it was funny to train his pet pug Buddha to give a Nazi salute when he said “Sieg Heil.” It was a joke and clearly many could find it offensive. However, he was charged criminally and has now been convicted in yet another attack on free speech in the United Kingdom.Continue reading “Scottish Man Convicted In Hate Crime Trial For Teaching Pug To Give Nazi Salute”
Municipal Judge Wilfredo Benitez is at the center of a controversy after he reportedly shouted profanities and cited his judicial position after being found passed out by the side of a road. Benitez was later found to be intoxicated. However, his charges were later thrown out by another judge.
There is a fascinating case in Edgewater, Florida where Jason Braun, 41, was arrested after police were able to lift his DNA from a doorbell. The story is an example of advanced forensic tests have become and how little is needed now for a DNA sample.
Continue reading “Police Arrest Florida Man After Pulling DNA Sample From Doorbell”
At the turn of the last century, surrealists had a parlor game in Paris called “The Exquisite Corpse” where writers would create collective stories by writing lines without knowing what preceded them. The lines were often nonsensical like the line that gave the game its name: “Le cadavre exquis boira le vin nouveau. ” (“The exquisite corpse shall drink the new wine.”) With minutes of his firing, former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe became such an exquisite corpse with various politicians adding lines to his story that seemed entirely disconnected to his story. Former FBI Director James Comey used McCabe to pitch his upcoming book while former Attorney General Eric Holder used him to effectively attack career staff at his former agency. The point of the game in both politics and literature is not to advance a coherent narrative but insert your own lines into a collective story.
Continue reading “THE EXQUISITE CORPSE: HOW ANDREW MCCABE IS NOW PART OF THE BODY POLITIC”
Derrick Faria, 19, allegedly prefers convenience over stealth in robbing banks. Faria is accused of taking a taxi to the Fifth Third Band in Evansville Indiana to rob it . . . . and then taking the same taxi back home. He allegedly paid for the return trip with some of the money from the bank heist.