Trump's Retribution Tour Continues
On September 20th, Trump posted a message on his social media site directed to Attorney General Pam Bondi directing her to prosecute former FBI director James Comey, Senator Adam Schiff, and New York Attorney General Leticia James. The Wall Street Journal has confirmed this message was meant as a direct message to Bondi, and was not meant to be seen publicly. The Department of Justice is supposed to operate independently of the President. Such guardrails no longer exist as the Trump administration sheds ethical practices every single day.
Bondi got the message loud and clear. Comey was indicted on an incredibly weak perjury charge. Lindsey Halligan, a former personal lawyer of Trump’s was installed as a prosecutor after her predecessor refused to indict Comey, citing the complete lack of any evidence of a crime. Halligan, with absolutely no criminal experience, has now also indicted Letitia James. James successfully sued The Trump Organization for massive financial fraud.
The Comey indictment is a mess. Halligan submitted two different sets of indictment paperwork. When the judge asked her about it, she said she didn’t know how that happened. The judge pointed out her signature was on both sets of documents. She did not have a response. Comey’s lawyers aren’t even sure which statements or people contradict his testimony — information which would normally be listed in the indictment.
Halligan, once again the only prosecutor signing onto the indictment, is accusing James of mortgage fraud regarding a house she purchased then rented to her niece. Like the laughable case against Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, James is accused of lying about the intended use for the home in order to get a more favorable rate. And like the Lisa Cook case, this one disintegrates because James at multiple points told the mortgage company exactly what the home would be used for. Mortgage fraud requires intent, and rather obviously, someone who repeats over and over what the home is for but missed a detail in the paperwork is not intending to convince the bank that incorrect detail is accurate.
This is nothing more than Trump installing one of his personal lawyers at the Department of Justice to exact revenge against the woman who successfully sued his company for fraud. It should come as no surprise if they get a similar indictment of Senator Schiff, also accused by Trump of mortgage fraud and named in his botched direct message to Bondi.
In court news, TWO temporary restraining orders were issued in Illinois today. The first one limits the hostile and violent actions DHS has been taking against journalists covering the protests in Broadview, IL. It specifically installs heavy restrictions on their use of chemical munitions against journalists.
The second one, echoing the TRO in Oregon, forbids the use of National Guard troops in Illinois. As in the Oregon case, the judge today noted that what the government and President Trump keep saying is happening in Chicago is not actually happening. In other words, they’re saying the president is lying — because he is.
Both of these are merely temporary restraining orders and may not ultimately stop him from sending troops to brutalize protesters, but for now, these are big victories.
I will be camping until Tuesday and mostly off the grid. I know a few of you reading this have been in the middle of the protests the government has used the most violence against. Keep it up and take care of yourselves.
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