I just have to post this bit too:
Translation: “You want access to systems that, if compromised, could literally result in death and destruction, but you can’t even manage your own Twitter account properly. Fuck off.”
That’s actually the whole point of this exercise, to make people distrust elections and weaken democracy.
It’s not a bug, it’s a feature, from the MAGA crowd’s POV.
Last week, Individual 1 bragged that a new lawsuit would prove that the election was stolen. Today, a judge threw the lawsuit out.
The Daily Beast buried the lead. They put that one as number 1, and this one as number 2:
Matthew DePerno is the attorney in this case:
DePerno responded to the ruling on Twitter, saying, “Apparently the SOS (secretary of state) can conduct the audit in any way she determines even if she is actively part of the fraud.”
DePerno needs to be hauled up by a disciplinary committee at the least, and probably have his ass sued off by the Secretary of State.
Yes. Too many lawyers saying and doing outrageously unprofessional things since Election Day; there should and must be disciplinary consequences.
Agreed, but sadly, one of the solid pieces of knowledge many of us have acquired since 2016 is how toothless (and/or timid) state bar associations seem to be.
Why do we keep allowing situations where those committing infractions have a say in whether or not infractions even occurred?
It seems to be a huge part of American culture, from the police to Congress to Bar associations, etc.
I was absolutely thinking this when reading how the Republican politicians do not want an investigation about how the leader of their own party instigated a violent assault on the Capitol building while votes were being counted. They voted against an investigation of their own party. It’s like giving a suspected bank robber a vote on whether or not a search warrant should be issued for their house and car; it’s beyond idiotic.
There was news this week that investigations of the Trump Organization have changed from purely civil matters to criminal investigations. One of the reports that I saw on the subject said that the organization was informed of this back in April, but it just became public this week.
Is that normal when investigating crimes; do we tell a suspected murderer, rapist, or mugger that they are being investigated? I suppose it could be a way of putting them on notice to not destroy any documents or evidence, but it does smack of a double standard; rich criminals getting a warning.
Apparently it’s not that uncommon in white collar crime cases, federal law enforcement agencies frequently send “target letters” to people they are investigating, informing them that they are the target of a criminal investigation.
Apparently sending a target letter is a strategic decision on the part of prosecutors, it’s not required. But it has some advantages for the prosecution. It puts the target on notice that destroying documents and evidence would be obstruction of justice. There is the risk that the letter might cause the target to destroy documents, but if they already suspect they are an investigatory target they might try to destroy them anyway, this way they can’t play dumb.
It can also be used as the opening salvo in a cooperation agreement if there is another, bigger and better target in the sights of the prosecution.
It certainly isn’t unusual though, and I don’t see it as the prosecution trying to help Trump in any way.
I blame Trump:
This just in:
Cue Trumplican cries of ‘what’s wrong with that, it’s national security!!!1!!!’ and probably a stray ‘both sides do it!!!’ or two.
Last night, Maddow’s main story was about how Merrick Garland’s DOJ is, alarmingly, continuing to pursue Trump/Barr DOJ projects such as…seizing the records of reporters.
I have a feeling her story hit home, as in today’s testimony before a Senate subcommittee, Garland said his DOJ would not move forward with the Orwellian project of stifling journalism:
https://www.cnn.com/2021/06/09/politics/ag-garland-trump-rule-of-law/index.html
Maddow’s story is well worth a look:
Nigeria’s government blocked access to Twitter because Twitter removed a comment by its president, and Trump said he wished he’d done that while he was in office. The man wants to be a dictator; I wonder why the hell the GOP can’t see that, I really do.
Oh, they can see it. They can see it just fine.
And they like it!
I get it. The DOJ doesn’t want to get into the situation of reversing itself after elections. That implies decisions are being made for political reasons instead of careful consideration of the law.
But that chicken was already been well and truly fucked. Can’t unfuck it at this point, though a lot of people are trying their damned best to pretend the last 4 years simply didn’t happen.
So long as it’s a Republican dictator. Those guys with the Better Russian than Democrat shirts were not kidding at all.
And they wouldn’t mind if it turned into a hereditary position. The rank and file wouldn’t have to think very hard about what name to chant and the upper echelons would know there’d be plenty of scraps to feed upon, kind of like remora.
They do see it. The thing is they believe he will dictate what they want him to dictate.