Donald Trump and the House Jan. 6 Committee

Be careful what you wish for!

With respect to what was bound to happen, particularly after Garland's statement on Thursday, many Republicans are acting like fools.

ABC reports, "Congressional Republicans were quick to pan Merrick Garland's Thursday remarks on the FBI search of Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago -- calling the attorney general's comments insufficient and insisting the Justice Department release more information behind the unprecedented raid even as Garland said he wants the search warrant unsealed.

"But GOP lawmakers said the Justice Department's motion to unseal parts of the warrant would not cut it, demanding that more information behind the search's genesis was needed given the gravity of the operation at a former president's home."

The GOP lawmakers got their wish. Today, their comments are laughable.

 

The Senate Intelligence Committee on Tuesday reaffirmed its support for the U.S. intelligence community’s conclusion that the Russian government interfered in the 2016 presidential election with the goal of putting Donald Trump in the Oval Office.https://www.politico.com/news/2020/...rms-russia-aimed-to-help-trump-in-2016-198171

The seized documents were part of an inquiry into violation of the Espionage Act and two other laws.
The Times reports, "A list of documents removed from former President Donald J. Trump’s Florida residence, Mar-a-Lago, includes materials marked as top secret and meant to be viewed only in secure government facilities, according to a copy of the warrant obtained by The New York Times.

"Federal agents who executed the warrant did so to investigate potential crimes associated with violations of the Espionage Act, which outlaws the unauthorized retention of national security information that could harm the United States or aid a foreign adversary; a federal law that makes it a crime to destroy or conceal a document to obstruct a government investigation; and another statute associated with unlawful removal of government materials.

"Of the three criminal laws cited in the search warrant, one stood out as raising new questions: Section 1519 of Title 18 of the United States Code. Section 1519 is an obstruction law. It applies to document crimes undertaken “with the intent to impede, obstruct, or influence the investigation or proper administration of any matter” within the jurisdiction of federal departments or agencies. That raises the question: What do investigators suspect that Trump, by hoarding the documents, was trying to impede?"

A better question is, what was Trump going to do with the set of documents marked as “TS/SCI documents,” which refers to “top secret/sensitive compartmented information?"

 

CBS reports, "South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham must testify before a grand jury in Georgia investigating former President Donald Trump's conduct after losing the 2020 election.

"Graham had asked a federal judge to quash a subpoena, arguing that he was performing "legislative acts" when he twice called Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger after the election. Attorneys for Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis argued in court filings that Graham was actually calling to "explore the possibility of a more favorable outcome" for Trump."

Graham didn't bother to explain why a U.S. Senator from South Carolina was calling the Secretary of State for Georgia, beyond the obvious, that is

"Individuals on the calls have publicly suggested that Senator Graham was not simply engaged in legislative factfinding but was instead suggesting or implying that Georgia election officials change their processes or otherwise potentially alter the state's results," May wrote.

Graham may still get out of this, but it is obvious that Graham was playing a role in President Trump's attempt to overthrow the elected government.

Then there is Betsy DeVos.

Reports show that former Education Secretary Betsy DeVos is in talks to be interviewed by the January 6th committee.

Reporting this week revealed DeVos was in communication with the committee investigating the attack on the US Capitol in 2021. CNN cited multiple unnamed sources after the committee interviewed former Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao. Both women were members of the former president’s cabinet and admitted they had discussions about invoking the 25th amendment after the insurrection.

Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who was Trump's personal attorney during the aftermath of the election has become a target in the Georgian probe.

The rulings mandating Graham and Giuliani appear come as Trump is under increasing scrutiny from a series of high-profile investigations. On Friday, a New York City judge blocked an effort to dismiss criminal tax fraud charges against Trump's company and its former CFO. Two days earlier, Trump invoked the Fifth Amendment hundreds of times while attending a court-ordered deposition in a sweeping civil fraud probe run by New York Attorney General Letitia James. The deposition came two days after the FBI searched Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence for top secret documents allegedly improperly removed from the White House. Federal agents in that case are investigating Trump for potential violation of three criminal statutes, including the Espionage Act. CBS

 

The [Republican] Senate Intelligence Committee on Tuesday reaffirmed its support for the U.S. intelligence community’s conclusion that the Russian government interfered in the 2016 presidential election with the goal of putting Donald Trump in the Oval Office. https://www.politico.com/news/2020/...rms-russia-aimed-to-help-trump-in-2016-198171

ABC reports, "Sens. Mark Warner, D-Va., and Marco Rubio, R-Fla., the chair and vice chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, respectively, have sent a private letter to top intelligence officials and the Justice Department asking for more information from last week's unprecedented FBI search at Mar-a-Lago.

"The letter, sent Sunday to Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines and Attorney General Merrick Garland, specifically seeks the classified documents that were seized and an analysis of any national security threat posed by the mishandling of the information.

"The request comes after it was revealed that 11 sets of classified information were seized from former President Donald Trump's Florida resort, including confidential, secret, and top-secret documents."

"The Senate Intelligence Committee is charged with overseeing counterintelligence matters, including the handling and mishandling of classified information, which appears to be at the core of the search of Mar a Lago," said Rachel Cohen, a spokesperson for Warner.

Recalling that Vladimir Putin wanted this man to become our next President in 2016, Trump has offered many lies and threats concerning the legal FBI search of his Mar-a-Lago home, but he has never explained why he removed classified documents from the White House.

 

It is unlikely that the supporting affidavit behind the now-public search warrant for former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate will be made public.

In addition to the media, Trump wants the affidavit to go public as well so he can learn what the DOJ has on him and the identity of supporting witnesses.

Which is just another reason why the judge will not allow the affidavit to go public.

ABC explains, "The Justice Department said in a new court filing Monday that it opposes an effort by multiple media organizations, including ABC News, to unseal the supporting affidavit behind the now-public search warrant for former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate.

"There remain compelling reasons, including to protect the integrity of an ongoing law enforcement investigation that implicates national security, that support keeping the affidavit sealed," the filing states.

"Disclosure of the government’s affidavit at this stage would also likely chill future cooperation by witnesses whose assistance may be sought as this investigation progresses, as well as in other high-profile investigations," the filing states. "The fact that this investigation implicates highly classified materials further underscores the need to protect the integrity of the investigation and exacerbates the potential for harm if information is disclosed to the public prematurely or improperly."

"Further explaining their request to keep the underlying affidavit sealed, prosecutors note it "would serve as a roadmap to the government’s ongoing investigation, providing specific details about its direction and likely course, in a manner that is highly likely to compromise future investigative steps."

That is exactly what Trump wants to do.

The unsealing could also impact the civil liberties of those whose actions are detailed in the underlying affidavit, prosecutors said.

That would be Trump.

It would be quite surprising if the judge allowed this to happen.

 

Pence says he'd consider testifying before January 6 committee if invited
Source: CNN

(CNN)Former Vice President Mike Pence said Wednesday that he would consider testifying before the House select committee investigating the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol if he were invited. Pence made the remarks at a "Politics and Eggs" breakfast in New Hampshire. "If there was an invitation to participate, I would consider it," he said.

"We have three co-equal branches of government. And any invitation to be directed to me, I'd have to reflect on the unique role I was serving in as vice president. It would be unprecedented in history for a vice president to be summoned to testify on Capitol Hill." The January 6 committee detailed at a public hearing in June how former President Donald Trump tried to pressure Pence, his vice president, to join in his scheme to overturn the 2020 presidential election -- and how Pence's refusal put his life in danger as rioters called for his hanging on January 6, 2021.

Two witnesses who advised Pence that he did not have the authority to subvert the election testified during the June 16 hearing: former Pence attorney Greg Jacob and retired Republican judge J. Michael Luttig.

The committee walked through how conservative Trump attorney John Eastman put forward a legal theory that Pence could unilaterally block certification of the election -- a theory that was roundly rejected by Trump's White House attorneys and Pence's team but nevertheless was embraced by the former President."

Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/17/politics/mike-pence-january-6-committee/index.html

 

ABC reports, "Former Vice President Mike Pence said Wednesday he'd consider testifying before the House Jan. 6 committee if asked, in some of his most specific comments yet on the prospect.

"Appearing at a "Politics & Eggs" breakfast in Manchester, New Hampshire, where presidential hopefuls often speak since the state holds the nation's first primary, Pence was asked if he'd be "agreeable" if the committee were to call on him to testify.
"If there was an invitation to participate, I would consider it," Pence responded."

"But you've heard me mention the Constitution a few times this morning. In the Constitution there are three co-equal branches of government, and any invitation that would be directed to me I'd have to reflect on the unique role I served as vice president."

"Any formal invitation rendered to us, we'd give it due consideration. But my first obligation is to continue to uphold my oath, continue to uphold this framework of government enshrined in the Constitution, this created the greatest nation in the history of the world," he continued.

What a load of crap, but that is Pence. A typical politician, he talks but doesn't say a damn thing.

 

The judge wanted to appease the media moguls. It is doubtful any harm will be done.

CNN reports, "A US magistrate judge started the process of potentially releasing some information from the affidavit that the Justice Department used to obtain a search warrant for former President Donald Trump’s Florida residence.

"Judge Bruce Reinhart said during a hearing at the West Palm Beach courthouse that he was planning to unseal portions of the affidavit, which is sought by various media outlets and other organizations.

"Reinhart set in motion on Thursday the possible public release of a heavily redacted version of the affidavit for the search at Mar-a-Lago. The judge plans to hear more from the Justice Department by next Thursday about how extensively investigators want to keep confidential the document that describes their investigative steps and methods leading to the need for the search.

"Prosecutors will have the opportunity to propose redactions and explain why each piece of information needs to be kept from the public eye, Reinhart said. Those proposals will be due noon ET on August 25.

"A document unsealed Thursday, which offered specifics about the crimes the Justice Department is investigating, including “willful retention of national defense information,” sharpens the focus on the former President as a possible subject of the criminal probe.

"But the specific language on “willful retention” could point to the role of the former President, who would have been authorized to possess national defense documents while in office but not once he decamped to his private club and residence in Palm Beach, Florida."

Little wonder as to why the DOJ wanted to keep witnesses and investigative methods under wraps. There is a time and a place for disclosure. The time is not now, and why the media is intent on helping Trump with the law is a mystery. For a story?

The time is in the future. The place is a court and a jury of Trump's peers.

 

Politico reports, "The federal magistrate judge who authorized the warrant to search Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate emphasized Monday that he “carefully reviewed” the FBI’s sworn evidence before signing off and considers the facts contained in an accompanying affidavit to be “reliable.”

That said, the judge appears to be arguing with himself.

The Hill writes, "A federal magistrate judge reviewing whether to release the affidavit that pushed him to approve a warrant to search former President Trump’s home said Monday that while he believes public interest favors releasing the document, redactions could make it “meaningless.”

"While Reinhart previously suggested he would release a redacted version of the affidavit, he warned that approach could shift after reviewing DOJ’s proposed redactions."

“I cannot say at this point that partial redactions will be so extensive that they will result in a meaningless disclosure, but I may ultimately reach that conclusion after hearing further from the government,” he wrote.

The affidavit lays out a “roadmap” to its ongoing investigation, and gives “highly sensitive information about witnesses” along with “specific investigative techniques.”

DOJ has until noon Thursday to submit its proposal for redactions.

When the judge releases the redacted version of the affidavit is in serious question.

 

The [Republican] Senate Intelligence Committee on Tuesday reaffirmed its support for the U.S. intelligence community’s conclusion that the Russian government interfered in the 2016 presidential election with the goal of putting Donald Trump in the Oval Office. https://www.politico.com/news/2020/...rms-russia-aimed-to-help-trump-in-2016-198171

The Times reports, "President Donald J. Trump took more than 700 pages of classified documents, including some related to the nation’s most covert intelligence operations, to his private club and residence in Florida when he left the White House in January 2021, according to a letter that the National Archives sent to his lawyers this year.

"The letter, dated May 10 and written by the acting U.S. archivist, Debra Steidel Wall, to one of Mr. Trump’s lawyers, M. Evan Corcoran, described the state of alarm in the Justice Department as officials there began to realize how serious the documents were.

"The letter from the archives was made public shortly after Mr. Trump’s lawyers filed a legal motion on Monday asking a federal judge in Florida to appoint an independent arbiter, known as a special master, to weed out any documents protected by executive privilege from a trove that was removed during an F.B.I. search of Mar-a-Lago on Aug. 8."

The federal judge in Florida gave Trump until Friday to refine the legal arguments in his request for a special master.

ABC continued, "The letter could further implicate Mr. Trump in a potential crime. It confirmed, for instance, that the former president had kept at Mar-a-Lago documents related to Special Access Programs, some of the nation’s most closely held secrets, before the F.B.I. searched the property.

"Mr. Solomon’s (a Trump ally) decision to release the letter did more than confirm that Mr. Trump had kept some of the country’s most highly guarded secrets in his relatively unsecured beachfront club in Florida. It also revealed that well before Mr. Trump’s lawyers argued in their court filing on Monday that many of the records were protected by executive privilege, the same argument had been rejected by the White House and a top official at the Justice Department."

More Jan. 6 committee hearings are scheduled along with the committee's final report just in time for the November mid-terms.

Trump has that to look forward to.

 

In defending Trump, Trump's lawyers and Republican lawmakers can often look rather hilarious.

By way of an example, a nine-page memo is quite forthcoming.

NPR explains, "The Justice Department on Wednesday released a memo from 2019 laying out the case for not prosecuting former President Donald Trump for obstruction of justice in connection with then-special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation.

"The nine-page memo dated March 24, 2019 was written by two senior Trump Justice Department officials: Assistant Attorney General Steven Engel and Principal Associate Deputy Attorney General Ed O'Callaghan.

"They conclude that none of Trump's actions documented in the Mueller report— his firing of FBI director James Comey; his directing the top White House lawyer to fire Mueller; his exhorting witnesses not to flip — should be viewed as obstruction.

"We conclude that the evidence described in Volume II of the Report is not, in our judgment, sufficient to support a conclusion beyond a reasonable doubt that the President violated the obstruction-of-justice statutes," the memo says. "In addition, we believe that certain of the conduct examined by the Special Counsel could not, as a matter of law, support an obstruction charge under the circumstances."

Come on, now that is funny.

To defend Trump, one has to ignore Trump's actions.

Being stupid helps.

 

CNN reports, "In the days following the FBI search of Trump’s compound, the former President and his allies have claimed Trump had a “standing order” to declassify documents he took from the Oval Office to the White House residence.

"More than a dozen senior officials from the Trump administration never heard any such order issued during their time working for Trump, saying they believe the claim to be patently false."

Indeed, Trump's claim is amateurish in nature, almost childish.

The current President weighed in on the ludicrous claim, mocking it. It was the only way to handle such an inept claim.

CNN continued, "Biden and his top aides have worked diligently to avoid commenting on the ongoing criminal probe into Trump’s handling of classified material. They have said they only learn of developments from the news media.

"Still, some Biden administration officials have privately said there is concern internally about what exactly Trump took with him, and whether it has the potential to damage US national security.

"Asked Friday whether it was ever appropriate to take home classified material, Biden suggested there were scenarios when it was OK."

“It depends on the circumstance – for example, I have in my home a cabined-off space that is completely secure,” he said, describing the Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility built to handle classified information.

“I’m taking home with me today today’s PDB (Presidential Daily Brief). It’s locked. I have a person with me, military with me. I read it. I lock it back up. I give it to the military,” he said

 

One of Trump's other issues. He's got a few.

ABC reports, "A judge ruled Monday that Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp must testify before a special grand jury that’s investigating possible illegal attempts by then-President Donald Trump and others to influence the 2020 election in the state — but not until after the November midterm election.

"Lawyers for Kemp had argued that immunities related to his position as governor protect him from having to testify. But Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney, who’s overseeing the special grand jury, disagreed and said the governor must appear before the panel. But he did agree to a request from Kemp's lawyers to delay that testimony until after the Nov. 8 election, in which the Republican governor faces a rematch with Democrat Stacey Abrams."

“The Governor is in the midst of a re-election campaign and this criminal grand jury investigation should not be used by the District Attorney, the Governor's opponent, or the Governor himself to influence the outcome of that election,” McBurney wrote. “The sound and prudent course is to let the election proceed without further litigation or other activity concerning the Governor's involvement in the special grand jury's work.”

Jan. 6 committee member Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., has announced another round of hearings will be held in September.

Trump thought he was above the law, and he is paying the price as the members of his cult remain silent on the issues.

It should be quite a while before we trust the Republican Party again.

 

Republican Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo. is a good man and a dedicated Senator.

But he made himself look like a fool when tried to defend the former Republican President.

ABC explains, "In an interview on ABC's "This Week," Blunt was repeatedly pressed by anchor George Stephanopoulos before he answered a question about how he felt about what the Department of Justice said Trump did.

"Initially responding to Stephanopoulos’ question, Blunt drew comparisons to Hillary Clinton and former FBI Director James Comey for their past conduct related to records.

"But Stephanopoulos pushed back, noting that it wasn't the same."

“You’re still not answering the question. You are critical of Secretary Clinton, who actually turned over what she had … what we have here is a situation where the president did not turn over these documents. Can you say whether this was right or wrong?”

“He should have turned the documents over,” said Blunt.

Meaning, what Trump did was wrong.

Then Blunt tried desperately to change the subject, a common Republican tactic because Republican lawmakers do not want to talk about Trump.

"What I wonder about is why this could go on for almost two years and less than 100 days before the election [and] suddenly we're talking about this rather than the economy or inflation or even the student loan program you and I were going to talk about today?" he said.

"Well, it went on because the president didn't turn over the documents, correct? He was asked several times," Stephanopoulos said. "He didn't turn them over. He was subpoenaed, he didn’t respond to the subpoena."

“I understand he turned over a lot of documents,” Blunt claimed of Trump, seemingly referring to classified papers that were returned to the government in the months before the FBI search, after a protracted back-and-forth while ignoring the fact that Trump had hundreds more pages of classified documents which were seized by the FBI on August 8.

In attempting to defend Trump, the whole interview was a no-win situation for Blunt.

Another Republican Senator, Lindsey Graham, threatened that there would be "riots in the streets" if Trump is indicted.

Donald Trump is the current leader of the Republican Party, and Republicans running for office strongly seek his endorsement.

It should be quite a while before we trust the Republican Party again.

 

Trump's supporters are hard at it, creating chaos in preparation for the November mid-terms. In effect, they are endangering American democracy.

Because free elections are the foundation of American democracy, Trump's supporters are doing exactly what Vladimir Putin wants them to do.

In a way, Trump's cult is rewarding Putin for his efforts in 2016.

"The [Republican] Senate Intelligence Committee reaffirmed its support for the U.S. intelligence community’s conclusion that the Russian government interfered in the 2016 presidential election with the goal of putting Donald Trump in the Oval Office."https://www.politico.com/news/2020/...rms-russia-aimed-to-help-trump-in-2016-198171

These are the same people who chose our President in 2016.

ABC explains, "In Colorado, supporters of Donald Trump seeking evidence of 2020 election fraud have flooded some county offices with so many records requests that officials say they have been unable to perform their primary duties.

"In Nevada, some election workers have been followed to their cars and harassed with threats.

"And in Philadelphia, concerns about the potential for violence around Election Day have prompted officials to install bulletproof glass at their ballot-processing center.

"With ten weeks to go until the 2022 midterms, dozens of state and local officials across the country tell ABC News that preparations for the election are being hampered by onerous public information requests, ongoing threats against election workers, and dangerous misinformation campaigns being waged by activists still intent on contesting the 2020 presidential election.

"Elizabeth Howard, senior counsel in the Elections and Government Program at the Brennan Center for Justice, a nonpartisan think tank that tracks election rules, said it smacks of a coordinated effort!"

 

Sad, so very sad. The US Democracy has been challenged over the years but never like this since 1861.

 

ABC reports, "Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina is facing backlash after claiming political violence will break out if former President Donald Trump is indicted for mishandling presidential records.

"President Joe Biden on Tuesday, while not mentioning Graham by name, appeared to call him out at a political rally in Pennsylvania, saying, "the idea you turn on a television and see senior senators and congressmen saying if such and such happens, there'll be blood in the street. Where the hell are we?"

"Graham's comments came at a time when Trump supporters' threats against law enforcement have escalated following the Mar-a-Lago search."

In a show of sheer desperation because the leader of their party is alleged to be guilty of multiple crimes, "Graham and many other Republicans have argued that Trump is facing a double standard from how the DOJ treated Hillary Clinton," ABC.

ABC continued, "Specifically, Clinton, Trump's 2016 Democratic rival for president, was not charged after probes into her use of a private email server containing classified information while she was secretary of state.

"The two cases are not the same, however. In both cases, the FBI launched criminal investigations, obtaining search warrants to obtain or access relevant documents. But in Clinton's case, the FBI said in findings released in July 2016, the classified information had been improperly transmitted via carelessness, not in an attempt to circumvent the law. The caliber of "classified information" found on Hillary Clinton’s private servers was not the same as what was found at Mar-a-Lago, particularly as it relates to highly-sensitive Special Access Programs."

As Republican supporters are threatening both law enforcement and America's free elections and their leader stole classified documents and is facing judgment day as it relates to his coup attempt, it is difficult to understand the Republican Party these days.

They are expected to win control of the House of Representatives in November?

What is going on?

 

CNN reports, "Donald Trump is considering waiting until after the November midterms to launch a third presidential campaign as he navigates a widening array of legal troubles and mounting concerns that some of his hand-picked Senate candidates may be weaker than he once thought, sources familiar with his thinking tell CNN.

"After months of eyeing Labor Day weekend as the target launch date for a 2024 campaign, Trump has spent the past few weeks backing away from that timeline following the FBI search of his Mar-a-Lago estate and an increased panic among Republicans that the party may not be in for the red wave it has long anticipated this November.

"While his timeline could shift again between now and November, the onslaught of political and legal concerns has the former President feeling nervous about prematurely diving into the 2024 primary."

Only to be indicted by the DOJ for obstruction and espionage as it relates to stolen classified documents.

Hearings by the House January 6 committee looking into Trump's coup attempt to overthrow the elected government are scheduled to resume in September.

 

The theft of classified documents which ended up in Trump's home in south Florida is not the only thing on the minds of prosecutors at the DOJ.

There are some Republicans who wish they never heard of Donald Trump. He is in the process of doing tremendous damage to the GOP, and many deal with him by ignoring him. Most Republicans are totally silent when it comes to the leader of their party.

Here is one reason why.

ABC reports, "Two former top Trump White House lawyers are expected to appear Friday before a federal grand jury investigating the events surrounding Jan. 6, sources familiar with the matter tell ABC News.

"Former White House counsel Pat Cipollone and former deputy White House counsel Pat Philbin were subpoenaed by a federal grand jury investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol and efforts to overturn the 2020 election, ABC News reported last month.

"The move to subpoena the two men has signaled an even more dramatic escalation in the Justice Department's investigation into the Jan. 6 attack than previously known. Members of former Vice President Mike Pence's staff have also appeared before a grand jury."

A resumption of the January 6 committee hearings is just around the corner.

Can you blame Republican leaders for not wanting to deal with Donald Trump?

 

ABC reports, "Judge Aileen Cannon, a Trump appointee, unsealed a more detailed inventory of what the FBI seized in the search of former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate last month.

"The judge, who is considering the Trump legal team's request to name a third party to review the materials, ordered the release in a court hearing in Florida Thursday."

If you are Trump, the result of the judge's order is catastrophic.

ABC continued, "The expanded property list gives further detail of the volume of material seized by agents in the search and how it was intermingled with seemingly innocuous items such as newspaper clippings, photographs, books and clothing. It describes hundreds upon hundreds of U.S. government documents collected by investigators without any classification markings that were grouped in some cases with only a few documents that bore classification markings ranging from Confidential to Top Secret/SCI (Sensitive compartmented information)."

Did Trump get caught?

We know there is no control over the comings and goings at Mar-a-Lago except for Trump.

We know there was no control over the access to these documents other than Trump.

We know Trump has never provided a reason as to why he stole the documents, not even a lie.

There is a possible explanation.

We know Vladimir Putin helped Trump become our President in 2016.

"The [Republican] Senate Intelligence Committee reaffirmed its support for the U.S. intelligence community’s conclusion that the Russian government interfered in the 2016 presidential election with the goal of putting Donald Trump in the Oval Office." https://www.politico.com/news/2020/...rms-russia-aimed-to-help-trump-in-2016-198171

Has a Russian agent already been allowed to see and record relevant intelligence from the documents?

Is this why the DNI is assessing the damage done by Trump?

Intel officials will assess 'risk to national security ... - NBC News

 

Trump led a coup attempt to overthrow the elected government culminating in the ransacking of our capitol on Jan. 6. Some died, 140 police were assaulted, the life of the vice-president was threatened, and the business of Congress was halted.

Trump said he would issue full pardons and a government apology to rioters who stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. “I am financially supporting people that are incredible and they were in my office actually two days ago, so they’re very much in my mind,” Trump said. “It’s a disgrace what they’ve done to them. What they’ve done to these people is disgraceful. I mean full pardons with an apology to many,” he told conservative radio host Wendy Bell on Thursday morning.

Members of his cult love that kind of talk. Trump is, after all, talking to them.

After his seven million vote defeat, Trump stole important documents from us.

"The expanded property list gives further detail of the volume of material seized by agents in the search and how it was intermingled with seemingly innocuous items such as newspaper clippings, photographs, books and clothing. It describes hundreds upon hundreds of U.S. government documents collected by investigators without any classification markings that were grouped in some cases with only a few documents that bore classification markings ranging from Confidential to Top Secret/SCI (Sensitive compartmented information)," ABC.

Trump and his followers are doing the bidding of our foreign adversaries by attacking the foundation of our democracy, free and fair elections. Trump and his misguided followers are still saying he won the election without ever producing evidence of such an outrageous lie.

It is entirely possible that Trump may be indicted for espionage, obstruction of justice, and/or sedition for Jan. 6.

Our President said recently, "There's no question that the Republican Party today is dominated, driven, and intimidated by Donald Trump and the 'MAGA Republicans,' and that is a threat to this country."

CNN reports, "If Republicans take back the House in the November midterm elections, that would give them unilateral subpoena power,"

And all of this would be swept under the rug.

Is that what we want?

Is that what Republicans want?

Or do they want to be done with the Trump curse?

 

This does not come as a surprise from a federal judge appointed by Trump and confirmed after he lost reelection by over seven million votes.

Unquestioned is the fact that Trump stole hundreds of pages of classified documents from the American people and carelessly stored them in his Mar-a-Lago resort.

NPR reports, "U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon has granted former President Donald Trump's request for a special master to review documents seized by the FBI from Mar-a-Lago last month, temporarily stopping federal prosecutors from using those documents in their investigation into obstruction and mishandling of government secrets.

"The decision was expected. Last weekend, the judge said she was inclined to grant Trump's request, and a hearing on the matter took place last Thursday. At that hearing, the Justice Department laid out its argument against the special master and signaled it was likely to appeal such a ruling.

"Cannon, a Trump appointee, cited in her order on Monday the need to ensure "the appearance of fairness and integrity under the extraordinary circumstances presented."

"The FBI and the Justice Department have become vicious monsters," Trump in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania on Saturday campaigning for Doug Mastriano.

Trump thinks he won the 2020 election. Mastriano agrees with them. Both are challenging the very basis of American democracy, free and fair elections. Has Trump's federal judge misplaced her sentiments?

Furthermore, Cannon's order contradicts itself here.

NPR continued, "The judge also ordered the government to cease any review or use of the materials for its criminal investigation until the special master review is completed, but Cannon said the intelligence community may continue its review to determine potential national security risks (created by Trump's theft) from the classified material being kept outside of a secure government facility."

"Cannon set a deadline of Fri. Sept. 9 for the two parties to submit a joint filing with a list of proposed candidates to be named special master and a detailed proposal to establish the duties and limits of the special master, as well as a schedule for the review and compensation.

Legal experts have said that requesting a special master is another attempt from Trump to undermine the work of the Justice Department and question their integrity.

It seems apparent that Trump's judge doesn't trust the DOJ. Strangely enough, she apparently trusts Trump more.

Did Cannon just make a very bad career move?

 

Trump stole hundreds of classified documents from the American people. Because the theft created a national security threat, the DOJ conducted a warranted search of Mar-a-Lago to return the documents to a secure location while they conducted an investigation of possible crimes, improper conduct of classified documents, espionage, and obstruction of justice topping the list.

It appears that the federal judge appointed by Trump thought it was important to protect Trump from the DOJ, citing "bias" and "leaks to the media," even though it was Trump who unleashed the media storm regarding the search.

To protect the accused (in this case, Trump), witnesses, and investigation techniques, the DOJ avoids publicity in its investigations.

Trump blew such secrecy all to hell. The judge didn't know that.

This is the man the federal judge wants to protect from the excesses of the DOJ.

ABC reports, "In his first rally since the FBI searched his Mar-a-Lago home last month, former President Donald Trump took the stage in Pennsylvania for nearly two hours during which he responded to the raid on his home last month and President Joe Biden's remarks earlier this week."

"The shameful raid and break-in of my home Mar-a-Lago was a travesty of justice," Trump said of the search. "The FBI and the Justice Department have become vicious monsters."

ABC continued, "Trump's rally also comes as fallout continues from the Aug. 8 FBI search at his Mar-a-Lago estate, where agents recovered classified documents as part of an investigation into his handling of presidential records after leaving office.

Trump almost immediately launched into a response to the raid of his Mar-a-Lago home Saturday, framing it as persecution of a political enemy. He attacked law enforcement without offering any substantive response to the allegations against him regarding his handling of classified documents.

Trump also had words for our President.

“Joe Biden came to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to give the most vicious, hateful and divisive speech ever delivered by an American president.....He's an enemy of the state," Trump said.

Our President spoke about MAGA Republicans who attacked law enforcement and a former President who stole vital documents from the American people and took them to his home.

Trump's vicious speech made little sense to anyone ... unless one was a member of his cult. Since reality is something they avoid, they loved it, and Trump was speaking to them.

"I don't feel he did anything wrong. I think that will come out in the end, but they just want to turn people against Trump," said Barbara, a voter from Mountain Top, Pennsylvania.

This is the man the federal judge wants to protect.

 

"The [Republican] Senate Intelligence Committee reaffirmed its support for the U.S. intelligence community’s conclusion that the Russian government interfered in the 2016 presidential election with the goal of putting Donald Trump in the Oval Office." https://www.politico.com/news/2020/...rms-russia-aimed-to-help-trump-in-2016-198171

It would appear that Trump and the MAGA Republicans are attacking the very foundation of American democracy ... free and fair elections.

CNN reports, "In a surveillance video, Cathy Latham, a former GOP chairwoman of Coffee County who is under criminal investigation for posing as a fake elector in 2020, is escorting two operatives working with an attorney for former President Donald Trump into the county’s election offices on the same day a voting system there was breached, newly obtained video shows.

"The video sheds more light on how an effort spearheaded by lawyers and others around Trump to seek evidence of voter fraud was executed on the ground from Georgia to Michigan to Colorado, often with the assistance of sympathetic local officials.

ABC reports, "Donald Trump first introduced unsubstantiated election fraud conspiracy claims into the political mainstream during the 2016 campaign before making them the focus of his final months in the White House and the two years since, inspiring a slew of candidates and supporters who believe the same.

"It's an alarming trend, according to some election experts and historians who warn, if left unabated, it could weaken -- or in the extreme -- dismantle American democracy.

"The riot instigated by Trump at the Capitol exemplified how extreme election denial has been on the rise, especially among Republicans -- and can be intertwined with violence. And the constant drumbeat of denialism, these experts say, is eroding the very foundation of trust that democratic institutions rely on to function."

The denial of reality by Trump Republicans is on full display on this forum. Because they are uninformed they often make up scenarios that have little basis in fact, and, of course, sources supporting their odd scenarios are completely absent. Basically, they just say whatever they want to say and the truth to them is immaterial.

With Vladimir Putin's help, these voters chose our President in 2016 and Republicans may gain control of Congress in about sixty days. That makes Trump Republicans very dangerous.

To fully understand the threat to us, Wendy Weiser said it best.

"For the election system to work, our entire democracy to work, depends on trust in the election system. That is the reason why there is and has always been a peaceful transition of power after elections in the United States. And if that belief isn't there, then there's a real risk that can see more resistance to peaceful transitions of power, more resistance to the electoral system overall."

Wendy Weiser directs the Democracy Program at the Brennan Center for Justice.

"At least 23 people who deny the results of the 2020 election are running for secretary of state in 19 states across the U.S., according to the group — a number that has alarmed voting and elections experts. Four of those states — Arizona, Georgia, Michigan and Nevada — are ones in which Biden scored his narrowest victories in 2020," NBC.

Secretaries of state run elections.

 

You can't be serious!

The Saudis just gave a $2billion to his son-in-law and daughter.