The criminal case is likely to deepen concerns that the Justice Department under Bondi is being weaponized in pursuit of investigations and now prosecutions of public figures the president regards as his political enemies. It was filed as the White House has taken steps to exert influence in unprecedented ways on the operations of the Justice Department, blurring the line between law and politics for an agency where independence in prosecutorial decision-making is a foundational principle.
I’m sure the usual suspects will be along shortly to say how this is all just a normal ‘swinging of the pendulum’ and nothing to worry about because the courts will reign in executive excess, but even the fact that this vengeance campaign has gotten this far without any currently sitting Republicans objecting tells you everything you need to know about how much respect they have for actual law and order or norms of democratic governance.
Well jesus christ, didn’t Trump just call for this, then fire the (US Attorney?) that wouldn’t do it, then hire a friend who would?
Welcome to America as Republicans want it.
Man, it’s a good thing that we didn’t prosecute Trump and his first administration for all of their illegal activity, because if we had, they would now be retaliating.
Well, it would have been a good idea to have impeached and removed him, rendering him legally incapable of running for federal office. As already demonstrated, convicting him of double digit felony violations did exactly fuck-all to quench Turmp’s ambitions and MAGA enthusiasm.
I bet McConnell would like a do-over now, wouldn’t you Mitch?
Comey said at a hearing that he had “not authorized someone else at the FBI to be an anonymous source in news reports”.
Govt says that’s a lie, and since it was under oath and material to an investigation, perjury and obstruction.
My memory is his source who leaked to the press was not at the FBI. Like a former teacher Comey left his personal notes with. So not a lie. But maybe I’m mixing up what this is about exactly. Regardless, I highly doubt Comey did anything remotely illegal.
Does anyone have a guess as to who Person 1 and Person 3, in that indictment, are?
I notice there is no Person 2. That’s sloppy work, but perhaps understandable because of this being Lindsey Halligan’s first attempt ever to indict someone.
The White House Office of the Staff Secretary isn’t just an office secretary; it is arguably the second most powerful position operating within the White House, second to the White House Chief of Staff, deciding what information actually ends up on the President’s desk and controlling appointments on the President’s calendar.
If that did happen, or if Comey was acquitted, it would be a terrific humiliation for the administration – perhaps even the beginning of the end of the Trump dictatorship.
I wonder if the most likely outcome is a plea bargain down to something where probation is the normal sentence. Trump would hate that, but the great majority of federal criminal cases do end with a plea bargain.
I think that statistic predates a time when the pres. himself publicly called for the prosecution.
I think the odds of defendants being cleared are going to change in the defendant’s favor.
According to Substacker Jay Kuo, this is already happening. See the section titled “ Trump’s weaponization keeps running aground” about 3/4 of the way down.
This could not possibly be more obviously contrived. He publicly implored Bondi to prosecute his enemies and days later this comes out? He was publicly annoyed that his hand picked prosecutor didn’t do his illegal bidding, so he axed him and found himself another Alina Habba. I’m sure Dumbass thinks he’s got it all sewed up, but this is so blatant, unless the judge is one of the deplorable flunkies (sadly, very possible) I don’t see how this isn’t obvious, premeditated revenge.
