alternet--2020-09-29--Inside QAnon’s toxic spread among police officers

The problem with police officers being white supremacists is an obvious one : The public can not have confidence that laws will be enforced equitably when even one such officer employed is racially bigoted or generally unhinged .
The problem is somewhat less obvious when cops succumb to conspiracy theories , especially considering their spread into the mainstream in recent years—but it can be every bit as big a problem , especially when it involves an authoritarian political cult like QAnon .
And QAnon is indeed spreading among the ranks of American police officers , as Ali Breland recently explored @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this spread is particularly worrisome because of the peculiar nature of the QAnon theories themselves .
`` The logic of the conspiracy theory almost requires its adherents to carry out acts of violence : If you actually believe that elites are harboring scores of children in underground tunnels to rape and steal blood from , taking action to liberate them would be a moral imperative , '' he writes.QAnon seems to have taken root within New York City 's police department in particular : The head of the department 's second-biggest union gave @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cup in full view on the shelf behind him , and offered no clarification or apology afterward .
The Harlem NYPD precinct 's social media account retweeted a number of QAnon-related posts ( including one accusing the mail-order business Wayfair of `` sex trafficking young girls '' ) , along with a number of Donald Trump tweets that spread misinformation about the COVID-19 pandemic and mail-in voting .
However , the conspiracist cult has spread to police precincts all around the nation .
By far the most public and prolific of the officers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who was formerly employed by the New Haven , Connecticut , police department .
Bandy has produced nearly 30 episodes of a podcast devoted to QAnon conspiracy theories , where he holds forth at length about a variety of dubious claims , gullibly relaying them all to his audience .
`` These elites are torturing these kids , '' Bandy said in a March 22 podcast .
`` Yes , there 's sex involved .
They 're trafficking these children and all these other rituals that they do .
They are Satanic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state , all this . ''
Bandy believes the ultimate proof of QAnon 's substance is the fact that Donald Trump—around whom the theories revolve as the chief heroic figure—has refused to disavow them : Bandy retired from the New Haven department in September after Police Chief Otoniel Reyes said there would be an internal affairs investigation into his posts , which remains ongoing .
Police in Bellevue , Washington , also suspended an officer—Nico Roche , who only recently joined the city 's police department—after his frequent QAnon-related social-media posts became known @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the internal investigation , announced in June , will be completed soon . )
His chief , Steve Mylett , told KIRO-TV in Seattle that the investigation would try to balance the officer 's rights with the public 's .
`` The employee has constitutional rights , as everybody else , officers do .
He 's got freedom of speech , freedom of expression .
We carry a burden and our standard is very high because of the work that we do and what we represent , '' said Mylett .
Not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Joliet , Illinois , two officers who wore `` Q '' vests while participating in an anti-COVID-19 rally in Springfield were defended by the city 's mayor , Jeff Grove , who told the local newspaper that he intended to judge the officers solely on the basis of their daily work , adding that in his view , `` what you do on your own time is your choice , and that 's your right . ''
If any issues arise , he said , `` we 'll definitely be addressing them .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ even more aggressive in defending their associations with the conspiracy cult .
`` I , like millions of other people on this planet , enjoy the challenge of attempting to decode the information contained within the Q drops .
It 's called ' Q Research ' for a reason , it requires research to obtain the information encoded within the posts , '' Manicki explained to the Times .
`` I 'm merely someone who sits on my couch late at night with my dog on my lap , iPhone in hand , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I checked , there was nothing wrong with that ! ''
In reality , the FBI has previously identified the QAnon cult as one of the leading sectors for the kind of conspiracism that , as the agency put it in a bulletin that was issued to law enforcement officers , is `` very likely motivate some domestic extremists , wholly or in part , to commit criminal and sometimes violent activity .
The FBI further assesses in some cases these conspiracy theories very likely encourage the targeting of specific people , places @ @ @ @ @ @ @ likelihood of violence against these targets . ''
And it warned that this is indeed a threat to public safety : `` Anti-government , identity based , and fringe political conspiracy theories very likely will emerge , spread , and evolve in the modern information marketplace over the near term , fostering anti-government sentiment , promoting racial and religious prejudice , increasing political tensions , and occasionally driving both groups and individuals to commit criminal or violent acts , '' the bulletin read .
It lists several domestic terrorism cases as examples of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ incident in July 2018 when a fervent believer in the pro-Trump QAnon conspiracy theories blocked traffic across Hoover Dam in Nevada , as well as a 2013 attack on security officers at Los Angeles International Airport .
The bulletin also mentions two incidents that had not been previously reported in the media : • The December 2018 arrest of a California man found in possession of bomb-making materials , who allegedly `` planned to travel to Springfield , Illinois and blow up a satanic temple monument at the Illinois Capitol rotunda in order @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the New World Order ( NWO ) , who were dismantling society . '
`` • The October 2016 arrests of two Georgia men , originally for drugs , who were discovered to be stockpiling guns , ammo , and tactical gear as preparation for an attack on a government radar-research station in Alaska they believe is manipulating the weather—a conspiracy theory long promoted by the Militia of Montana .
The memo is also remarkably astute in its assessment of the mechanics of conspiracist radicalization .
Its definition of `` conspiracy theory @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but it is pragmatic and to the point : `` an attempt to explain events or circumstances as the result of a group of actors working in secret to benefit themselves at the expense of others . ''
It explains how they `` typically allege wrongdoing by powerful others ( for example , public officials , business executives , scientists ) or societally marginalized groups ( for example , Muslims , Jews ) , and are most prevalent among individuals with extreme political views . ''
It points directly to the aspect of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to unhinge its believers : namely , the estrangement from factual reality .
Conspiracy theories typically `` ignore stronger evidence that would refute their claims .
Consequently , they are usually at odds with official or prevailing explanations of events . ''
`` Relying on the premises that nothing happens by accident , nothing is as it seems , and everything is connected , conspiracy theorists tend to view every bad outcome as the result of an intentional decision by an evil actor , dismiss disconfirming evidence as 'fabricated ' by the conspirators @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seemingly unrelated occurrences to suggest a larger plot , '' the memo explains .
`` The danger , '' QAnon Anonymous podcast host Jake Rockatansky told Mother Jones , `` is that you 've got law enforcement who have a tremendous amount of responsibility who are showing complete disconnect from reality .
They carry weapons .
What happens if a police officer thinks that they 've uncovered a pedophile ring ?

The problem with police officers being white supremacists is an obvious one: The public cannot have confidence that laws will be enforced equitably when even one such officer employed is racially bigoted or generally unhinged. The problem is somewhat less obvious when cops succumb to conspiracy theories, especially considering their spread into the mainstream in recent years—but it can be every bit as big a problem, especially when it involves an authoritarian political cult like QAnon.
And QAnon is indeed spreading among the ranks of American police officers, as Ali Breland recently explored at Mother Jones. Breland explains that this spread is particularly worrisome because of the peculiar nature of the QAnon theories themselves. "The logic of the conspiracy theory almost requires its adherents to carry out acts of violence: If you actually believe that elites are harboring scores of children in underground tunnels to rape and steal blood from, taking action to liberate them would be a moral imperative," he writes.QAnon seems to have taken root within New York City's police department in particular: The head of the department's second-biggest union gave a televised interview with a QAnon coffee cup in full view on the shelf behind him, and offered no clarification or apology afterward. The Harlem NYPD precinct's social media account retweeted a number of QAnon-related posts (including one accusing the mail-order business Wayfair of "sex trafficking young girls"), along with a number of Donald Trump tweets that spread misinformation about the COVID-19 pandemic and mail-in voting.
However, the conspiracist cult has spread to police precincts all around the nation. By far the most public and prolific of the officers adopting the conspiracy theories is Jason Bandy, who was formerly employed by the New Haven, Connecticut, police department.
Bandy has produced nearly 30 episodes of a podcast devoted to QAnon conspiracy theories, where he holds forth at length about a variety of dubious claims, gullibly relaying them all to his audience.
"These elites are torturing these kids," Bandy said in a March 22 podcast. "Yes, there's sex involved. They're trafficking these children and all these other rituals that they do. They are Satanic worshipers. They are Illuminati. Deep state, all this."
Bandy believes the ultimate proof of QAnon's substance is the fact that Donald Trump—around whom the theories revolve as the chief heroic figure—has refused to disavow them:
But my thing is look, Donald Trump calls fake everything out. If this stuff is fake, he'd be the first one to say, "Hey, this is fake." That's not what he said. When they asked him, "Do you know what Q is?" he said, "I'm not gonna say, but I'm just gonna tell you I think you'd be really surprised."
Bandy retired from the New Haven department in September after Police Chief Otoniel Reyes said there would be an internal affairs investigation into his posts, which remains ongoing.
Police in Bellevue, Washington, also suspended an officer—Nico Roche, who only recently joined the city's police department—after his frequent QAnon-related social-media posts became known. (A spokesperson told Daily Kos that the internal investigation, announced in June, will be completed soon.) His chief, Steve Mylett, told KIRO-TV in Seattle that the investigation would try to balance the officer's rights with the public's.
"The employee has constitutional rights, as everybody else, officers do. He's got freedom of speech, freedom of expression. We carry a burden and our standard is very high because of the work that we do and what we represent," said Mylett.
Not all jurisdictions take it seriously. In Joliet, Illinois, two officers who wore "Q" vests while participating in an anti-COVID-19 rally in Springfield were defended by the city's mayor, Jeff Grove, who told the local newspaper that he intended to judge the officers solely on the basis of their daily work, adding that in his view, "what you do on your own time is your choice, and that's your right." If any issues arise, he said, "we'll definitely be addressing them."
The officers—Matthew Kunkel and Mark Manicki—were even more aggressive in defending their associations with the conspiracy cult. "I, like millions of other people on this planet, enjoy the challenge of attempting to decode the information contained within the Q drops. It's called 'Q Research' for a reason, it requires research to obtain the information encoded within the posts," Manicki explained to the Times. "I'm merely someone who sits on my couch late at night with my dog on my lap, iPhone in hand, while seeking the truth. Last time I checked, there was nothing wrong with that!"
In reality, the FBI has previously identified the QAnon cult as one of the leading sectors for the kind of conspiracism that, as the agency put it in a bulletin that was issued to law enforcement officers, is "very likely motivate some domestic extremists, wholly or in part, to commit criminal and sometimes violent activity. The FBI further assesses in some cases these conspiracy theories very likely encourage the targeting of specific people, places, and organizations, thereby increasing the likelihood of violence against these targets."
And it warned that this is indeed a threat to public safety: "Anti-government, identity based, and fringe political conspiracy theories very likely will emerge, spread, and evolve in the modern information marketplace over the near term, fostering anti-government sentiment, promoting racial and religious prejudice, increasing political tensions, and occasionally driving both groups and individuals to commit criminal or violent acts," the bulletin read.
It lists several domestic terrorism cases as examples of conspiracy-fueled crimes, including a widely reported incident in July 2018 when a fervent believer in the pro-Trump QAnon conspiracy theories blocked traffic across Hoover Dam in Nevada, as well as a 2013 attack on security officers at Los Angeles International Airport.
The bulletin also mentions two incidents that had not been previously reported in the media:
The December 2018 arrest of a California man found in possession of bomb-making materials, who allegedly "planned to travel to Springfield, Illinois and blow up a satanic temple monument at the Illinois Capitol rotunda in order to 'make Americans aware of 'Pizzagate' and the New World Order (NWO), who were dismantling society.' "
The October 2016 arrests of two Georgia men, originally for drugs, who were discovered to be stockpiling guns, ammo, and tactical gear as preparation for an attack on a government radar-research station in Alaska they believe is manipulating the weather—a conspiracy theory long promoted by the Militia of Montana.
The memo is also remarkably astute in its assessment of the mechanics of conspiracist radicalization. Its definition of "conspiracy theory" may lack an esoteric component, but it is pragmatic and to the point: "an attempt to explain events or circumstances as the result of a group of actors working in secret to benefit themselves at the expense of others." It explains how they "typically allege wrongdoing by powerful others (for example, public officials, business executives, scientists) or societally marginalized groups (for example, Muslims, Jews), and are most prevalent among individuals with extreme political views."
It points directly to the aspect of conspiracism that gives it an unusual power to unhinge its believers: namely, the estrangement from factual reality.
Conspiracy theories typically "ignore stronger evidence that would refute their claims. Consequently, they are usually at odds with official or prevailing explanations of events."
"Relying on the premises that nothing happens by accident, nothing is as it seems, and everything is connected, conspiracy theorists tend to view every bad outcome as the result of an intentional decision by an evil actor, dismiss disconfirming evidence as 'fabricated' by the conspirators, and connect a wide range of seemingly unrelated occurrences to suggest a larger plot," the memo explains.
"The danger," QAnon Anonymous podcast host Jake Rockatansky told Mother Jones, "is that you've got law enforcement who have a tremendous amount of responsibility who are showing complete disconnect from reality. They carry weapons. What happens if a police officer thinks that they've uncovered a pedophile ring?


alternet--2020-09-29--The Obama DOJ had a plan to hold police accountable for abuses. Trump's DOJ just undermined it

ProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative newsroom .
Sign up for The Big Story newsletter to receive stories like this one in your inbox .
It was caught on tape .
A Seattle police officer lunged into the backseat of a patrol car .
The Black woman detained inside had been combative , but she already had her hands cuffed behind her back .
Still the cop punched her in the face , breaking an orbital bone .
The Seattle Police Department moved to fire the officer for excessive force , but in November 2018 , the cop 's union @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to overturn the termination .
The implications of the incident went beyond the officer .
The entire Seattle Police Department was under an agreement reached with the Obama administration Department of Justice because its officers had a pattern of abuse similar to the incident in the patrol car .
That agreement , known as a consent decree , forced the department under tight federal oversight until it reformed itself .
The Seattle police had already made a string of changes , including ending unconstitutional stop-and-frisk and improving training .
But the inability to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ car incident called the city 's progress into question .
If the department could n't even get rid of officers it thought should be fired , then its disciplinary system potentially violated the settlement agreement , the judge assigned to oversee the consent decree said .
The court-appointed independent monitor for the consent decree agreed .
But instead , the Justice Department of President Donald Trump took an unusual stance in court : It argued that the city 's disciplinary system was fine the way it was .
District Judge James Robart was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accused the federal government of reversing its position on “ the old accountability system 's inadequacy '' and doing so “ for the sake of political expediency . ''
In Seattle and jurisdictions across the country , the Trump administration 's Department of Justice has pulled back on policing the police .
It has not entered into a single new consent decree with any law enforcement agency suspected of systemic abuses of constitutional rights .
It has only announced the completion of one investigation into such abuses .
But the pullback goes deeper @ @ @ @ @ @ @ undermining the existing agreements between the federal government and abusive police forces across the country , according to interviews with court-appointed monitors and former Justice Department officials .
The Obama Department of Justice entered into 15 consent decrees with law enforcement agencies , up from three under the Bush Justice Department .
The settlement agreements , which come after a lawsuit by the federal government alleging unconstitutional policing , compel police agencies to fix themselves while under the close watch of Justice Department attorneys and an outside independent court monitor .
The Department @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these agreements when Trump entered the Oval Office in 2017 .
Supporters of the increased oversight worried that the Trump Justice Department would try to pull out of them entirely .
It did so in Chicago just before an agreement was to be finalized and tried to in Baltimore .
But instead of pulling out completely of those already well underway , it has eased up on enforcing them , managing to avoid negative attention and the ire of uncooperative judges , according to court-appointed monitors and former Justice Department lawyers .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in places like Cleveland , Los Angeles County and Newark , New Jersey , as it did in Seattle , with attorneys for the federal government failing to push for reforms , refusing to publicly back up frustrated monitors and not pressing local police forces to meet the requirements they agreed to .
The Justice Department declined to comment for this story .
As excessive force and killings by police have led to one of the biggest social justice movements the country has ever seen , the Trump administration has embraced police departments @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Trump has taken on the “ law and order '' mantle as a centerpiece of his campaign .
And top Trump officials , including then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions , have questioned whether the federal government should play an active role in reforming bad law enforcement agencies .
“ If the city knows you 're not going to litigate because the head of the Justice Department is saying they do n't believe in consent decrees , then they know you 're not going to get the authority and they call your bluff , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ DOJ attorney who worked on investigations and consent decree enforcement during the Obama and Trump administrations .
People involved in these cases said career attorneys at the Justice Department 's civil rights division are acting cautiously , seeking not to draw the attention and ire of the politically appointed bosses in Washington .
The chill has led to an exodus of attorneys from the unit that handles consent decree enforcement since the start of the Trump administration .
( The DOJ would not share personnel numbers with ProPublica . )
Court-appointed monitors tasked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ local police forces have noticed the shift .
“ You would never know they 're party to the consent decree , '' one monitor said , asking for anonymity to avoid angering the Justice Department .
“ I 've never seen DOJ lawyers be so passive . ''
Consent decrees are a relatively recent tool for reforming troubled police departments .
They were made possible by the Clinton administration 's 1994 crime bill , the same piece of legislation that has become radioactive among criminal reform advocates for contributing to over-incarceration .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Department to sue cities and counties for unconstitutional practices by their cops and prosecutors .
The process begins with civil rights attorneys from the Justice Department opening what 's known as a “ pattern or practice '' investigation into a police department or other law enforcement agency .
They examine whether the rights of residents are being violated — either through excessive force , racially biased stops , unjustified arrests or other misconduct .
On occasion , the Justice Department will sue those local jurisdictions or , in the most serious cases , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ require the local jurisdictions to work with the Justice Department for years to complete a list of reforms and to prove to a judge those reforms are working .
The court-appointed monitors , typically a police practices expert or former law enforcement official , examine how well the police force is implementing the changes in a series of public reports .
If the local agency refuses to take required steps , or is too slow , it can be sanctioned by the judge on the case .
The sanctions can include fines or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chief or other city official .
The process can be invasive and burdensome for local jurisdictions , particularly cash-strapped ones .
After the shooting of Michael Brown , the unarmed Black teen whose death launched nationwide protests , Ferguson , Missouri , entered into a consent decree with the Obama administration Justice Department in 2016 .
The community has struggled to hire experts in data analysis and other fields that the agreement demands .
But experts believe the process is one of the most effective for righting wayward police forces .
“ It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to fix things institutionally , '' said Peter Harvey , the former New Jersey attorney general and the current court-appointed monitor for the consent decree in Newark .
“ Once if you fix it organically , that culture persists . ''
One consent decree widely considered a success is the 2001 agreement reached with the Los Angeles Police Department .
The complaints of racist and brutal policing went back decades , prompting riots , like after the 1991 Rodney King beating , and major scandals , including when officers in the Rampart anti-gang @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and carrying out unprovoked shootings .
The federal oversight in Los Angeles lasted what local officials complained was an interminable 12 years , but in the end , even longtime LAPD veterans praised its outcome .
In 2013 , Chief Charlie Beck credited the consent decree with making “ this a department that I am proud to hand over to my children . ''
A Harvard study on the reforms found that the police reduced incidents of serious force and that public satisfaction with the force rose to 83 % .
From the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hostile stance on these types of reform efforts .
Trump 's first attorney general , Sessions , set the tone when he said the investigations “ undermine the respect for police officers and create an impression that the entire department is not doing their work consistent with fidelity to law and fairness . ''
He pulled out of a consent decree effort in Chicago , leaving it to the state attorney general to pick up , and tried to pull out of an agreement in Baltimore , which a federal judge blocked .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sessions issued a memo requiring high-level approval for any new consent decrees and raising the standard that staff attorneys needed to meet before opening a new investigation .
In Los Angeles County , the Justice Department entered into a settlement agreement with the Sheriff 's Department in 2015 after finding that cops assigned to the desert towns on the county 's northern outskirts were discriminating against Black and Latino residents .
According to the complaint the Justice Department filed in court , rank-and-file deputies were stopping and searching Black residents at higher rates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have contraband half as often as white residents .
Even people who posed no obvious danger — including domestic violence victims and minor traffic offenders — were routinely being detained in the back of patrol cars .
The agency 's deputies were assisting affordable housing inspectors in searches that intimidated Black residents and forced them from their homes .
Members of the department did n't do much to hide their bias .
During a tour with federal investigators , a sheriff 's supervisor remarked that all newly arrived Black residents in the area @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A sheriff 's captain suggested that affordable housing residents were offering shelter to gang member relatives “ from South Central '' — a neighborhood on the other end of the county with a large percentage of Black residents..
But five years into the settlement agreement , the agency has not overhauled its data collection system to track its interactions with the public to see if people of color are still being disproportionately stopped or harassed , one of the key reforms the agency agreed to with the Justice Department .
“ It is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the co-chair of the team in charge of monitoring the agreement .
Both chairs , Brann and Angela Wolf , said the Sheriff 's Department resisted an expensive fix .
The settlement agreement only applied to part of the sheriff 's jurisdiction , but an overhaul would require the sheriff to change his data collection agencywide .
In 2018 , they pressured sheriff 's officials to act .
Their response was , “ 'We 're gon na make some phone calls , we 're gon na see , ' '' Wolf told ProPublica @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's officials suggesting they would appeal to Justice Department supervisors to try to get around the requirement .
“ It was n't quite a threat , '' Wolf said .
“ But it was an 'uh huh , we 'll see if you 're right about that . '
'' The staff-level attorneys are committed to enforcing the deal , but “ we get the sense that higher up , supervisors are sometimes working in opposition to the mission , '' Wolf said .
“ We do know there were times when sheriff @ @ @ @ @ @ @ higher-ups at DOJ , '' she said , adding , “ We do know that level of influence was being offered . ''
And the department has still not revamped its system .
The Sheriff 's Department did not respond to questions from ProPublica .
The monitors ' concerns go beyond the data issue .
For a year and a half during the settlement agreement , sheriff 's officials ignored requests to make agreed-upon changes to their use-of-force policy .
Only recently did the office begin to engage again with the monitor .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ not an approved new policy .
Cleveland entered into a consent decree in 2015 after the Justice Department found its officers were using excessive force on residents , shooting at people who did n't pose an immediate threat and using guns carelessly , including hitting people on the head with them .
Cleveland cops were also using Tasers and pepper spray on people who were already handcuffed , at times not based on any threat they posed in the moment , but to punish them for earlier remarks .
Officers who investigated their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to cast accused officers in “ the most positive light possible . ''
In the consent decree with the Justice Department , Cleveland agreed that a judge would have the final say on a body cam policy .
The city , with support from the police union , proposed that officers would not need to wear body cams if they were moonlighting .
When police officers worked as security at a Cavaliers game , for example , getting paid by a private entity , they were n't required to wear cameras , even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their uniforms and functionally acting as police officers .
The police union was determined not to bend on this .
When the city tried a voluntary pilot program to encourage moonlighting officers to wear cameras , the union distributed a letter instructing its members that it “ is the OFFICIAL UNION POLICY to refrain from 'VOLUNTEERING ' for anything with regard to work . ''
The monitor objected to the moonlighting carve out .
“ A system where one set of rules applies to officers working a city shift while another set of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ private employer fosters confusion , not confidence , among the community , '' Matthew Barge , the monitor in Cleveland , argued in court .
The judge assigned to the case also signaled he agreed : “ When you 're a police officer and you 're policing , whether it 's a bar or restaurant or whatever , people see you as a police officer . ''
He expressed concern that officers were “ not encouraged but discouraged to volunteer . ''
But at a June 2017 hearing , the Justice Department did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attorney told the judge that DOJ was “ hopeful '' that “ the officers will see that using cameras on secondary employment is going to be beneficial for them and not burdensome . ''
The Justice Department , she added , “ looks forward to hearing about the progress of the pilot program as the rest of the months go on . ''
At that point , however , the pilot program had zero volunteers and was functionally dead .
Today , moonlighting Cleveland cops go about their duties without body cams .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a similar approach .
The city entered into a consent decree with the federal government in 2016 .
The Justice Department had alleged that a whopping 75 % of the pedestrian stops Newark police made did not have a legitimate basis .
Even though just about half the city 's residents are Black , they made up about 80 % of stops and arrests .
Last year , as the consent decree was ongoing , a Newark cop shot repeatedly at a moving car , even as his partner urged him to “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ killed the driver , a Black man , and seriously injured the passenger .
The officer had fired three separate times during a short pursuit , while the suspect 's car was in motion , a discouraged practice because of the danger it puts innocent bystanders in .
The shooting was considered particularly reckless because the suspect 's windows were heavily tinted .
The monitor on the case repeatedly asked for video footage of the shooting in order to assess whether the department 's use-of-force policy needed revisions .
He was repeatedly denied @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Police Department 's ) response in refusing to produce the requested information violated the letter and spirit of Consent Decree , '' the monitor wrote in one report .
He only received the footage later , after it was aired on the local news .
The monitor could have used help from the Justice Department .
But federal attorneys never spoke up .
“ Not a word out of DOJ , '' said someone involved in the case .
“ No email , no phone call , nothing . ''

ProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative newsroom. Sign up for The Big Story newsletter to receive stories like this one in your inbox.
It was caught on tape. A Seattle police officer lunged into the backseat of a patrol car. The Black woman detained inside had been combative, but she already had her hands cuffed behind her back. Still the cop punched her in the face, breaking an orbital bone.
The Seattle Police Department moved to fire the officer for excessive force, but in November 2018, the cop's union lawyer was able to convince an arbitrator to overturn the termination.
The implications of the incident went beyond the officer. The entire Seattle Police Department was under an agreement reached with the Obama administration Department of Justice because its officers had a pattern of abuse similar to the incident in the patrol car. That agreement, known as a consent decree, forced the department under tight federal oversight until it reformed itself. The Seattle police had already made a string of changes, including ending unconstitutional stop-and-frisk and improving training.
But the inability to easily fire the officer from the patrol car incident called the city's progress into question. If the department couldn't even get rid of officers it thought should be fired, then its disciplinary system potentially violated the settlement agreement, the judge assigned to oversee the consent decree said. The court-appointed independent monitor for the consent decree agreed.
But instead, the Justice Department of President Donald Trump took an unusual stance in court: It argued that the city's disciplinary system was fine the way it was.
District Judge James Robart was shocked. In a filing, he accused the federal government of reversing its position on “the old accountability system's inadequacy" and doing so “for the sake of political expediency."
In Seattle and jurisdictions across the country, the Trump administration's Department of Justice has pulled back on policing the police. It has not entered into a single new consent decree with any law enforcement agency suspected of systemic abuses of constitutional rights. It has only announced the completion of one investigation into such abuses.
But the pullback goes deeper. The Justice Department has also been undermining the existing agreements between the federal government and abusive police forces across the country, according to interviews with court-appointed monitors and former Justice Department officials.
The Obama Department of Justice entered into 15 consent decrees with law enforcement agencies, up from three under the Bush Justice Department. The settlement agreements, which come after a lawsuit by the federal government alleging unconstitutional policing, compel police agencies to fix themselves while under the close watch of Justice Department attorneys and an outside independent court monitor.
The Department of Justice was still overseeing all of these agreements when Trump entered the Oval Office in 2017. Supporters of the increased oversight worried that the Trump Justice Department would try to pull out of them entirely. It did so in Chicago just before an agreement was to be finalized and tried to in Baltimore. But instead of pulling out completely of those already well underway, it has eased up on enforcing them, managing to avoid negative attention and the ire of uncooperative judges, according to court-appointed monitors and former Justice Department lawyers.
The Justice Department has taken a similar approach in places like Cleveland, Los Angeles County and Newark, New Jersey, as it did in Seattle, with attorneys for the federal government failing to push for reforms, refusing to publicly back up frustrated monitors and not pressing local police forces to meet the requirements they agreed to.
The Justice Department declined to comment for this story.
As excessive force and killings by police have led to one of the biggest social justice movements the country has ever seen, the Trump administration has embraced police departments and attacked protesters as lawless and violent. Trump has taken on the “law and order" mantle as a centerpiece of his campaign. And top Trump officials, including then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions, have questioned whether the federal government should play an active role in reforming bad law enforcement agencies.
“If the city knows you're not going to litigate because the head of the Justice Department is saying they don't believe in consent decrees, then they know you're not going to get the authority and they call your bluff," said Sharon Brett, a former DOJ attorney who worked on investigations and consent decree enforcement during the Obama and Trump administrations.
People involved in these cases said career attorneys at the Justice Department's civil rights division are acting cautiously, seeking not to draw the attention and ire of the politically appointed bosses in Washington. The chill has led to an exodus of attorneys from the unit that handles consent decree enforcement since the start of the Trump administration. (The DOJ would not share personnel numbers with ProPublica.)
Court-appointed monitors tasked with examining the progress being made by local police forces have noticed the shift.
“You would never know they're party to the consent decree," one monitor said, asking for anonymity to avoid angering the Justice Department. “I've never seen DOJ lawyers be so passive."
Consent decrees are a relatively recent tool for reforming troubled police departments.
They were made possible by the Clinton administration's 1994 crime bill, the same piece of legislation that has become radioactive among criminal reform advocates for contributing to over-incarceration. A provision of the law empowered the Justice Department to sue cities and counties for unconstitutional practices by their cops and prosecutors.
The process begins with civil rights attorneys from the Justice Department opening what's known as a “pattern or practice" investigation into a police department or other law enforcement agency. They examine whether the rights of residents are being violated — either through excessive force, racially biased stops, unjustified arrests or other misconduct. On occasion, the Justice Department will sue those local jurisdictions or, in the most serious cases, enter into consent decrees.
Those agreements require the local jurisdictions to work with the Justice Department for years to complete a list of reforms and to prove to a judge those reforms are working. The court-appointed monitors, typically a police practices expert or former law enforcement official, examine how well the police force is implementing the changes in a series of public reports. If the local agency refuses to take required steps, or is too slow, it can be sanctioned by the judge on the case. The sanctions can include fines or even jail time for an obstructive police chief or other city official.
The process can be invasive and burdensome for local jurisdictions, particularly cash-strapped ones. After the shooting of Michael Brown, the unarmed Black teen whose death launched nationwide protests, Ferguson, Missouri, entered into a consent decree with the Obama administration Justice Department in 2016. The community has struggled to hire experts in data analysis and other fields that the agreement demands.
But experts believe the process is one of the most effective for righting wayward police forces.
“It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. You get to fix things institutionally," said Peter Harvey, the former New Jersey attorney general and the current court-appointed monitor for the consent decree in Newark. “Once if you fix it organically, that culture persists."
One consent decree widely considered a success is the 2001 agreement reached with the Los Angeles Police Department. The complaints of racist and brutal policing went back decades, prompting riots, like after the 1991 Rodney King beating, and major scandals, including when officers in the Rampart anti-gang division were discovered to be planting evidence and carrying out unprovoked shootings.
The federal oversight in Los Angeles lasted what local officials complained was an interminable 12 years, but in the end, even longtime LAPD veterans praised its outcome. In 2013, Chief Charlie Beck credited the consent decree with making “this a department that I am proud to hand over to my children." A Harvard study on the reforms found that the police reduced incidents of serious force and that public satisfaction with the force rose to 83%.
From the beginning, the Trump administration took a hostile stance on these types of reform efforts. Trump's first attorney general, Sessions, set the tone when he said the investigations “undermine the respect for police officers and create an impression that the entire department is not doing their work consistent with fidelity to law and fairness." He pulled out of a consent decree effort in Chicago, leaving it to the state attorney general to pick up, and tried to pull out of an agreement in Baltimore, which a federal judge blocked. Just before he resigned in 2018, Sessions issued a memo requiring high-level approval for any new consent decrees and raising the standard that staff attorneys needed to meet before opening a new investigation.
In Los Angeles County, the Justice Department entered into a settlement agreement with the Sheriff's Department in 2015 after finding that cops assigned to the desert towns on the county's northern outskirts were discriminating against Black and Latino residents.
According to the complaint the Justice Department filed in court, rank-and-file deputies were stopping and searching Black residents at higher rates, even though they were found to have contraband half as often as white residents. Even people who posed no obvious danger — including domestic violence victims and minor traffic offenders — were routinely being detained in the back of patrol cars. The agency's deputies were assisting affordable housing inspectors in searches that intimidated Black residents and forced them from their homes.
Members of the department didn't do much to hide their bias. During a tour with federal investigators, a sheriff's supervisor remarked that all newly arrived Black residents in the area were current or former gang members. A sheriff's captain suggested that affordable housing residents were offering shelter to gang member relatives “from South Central" — a neighborhood on the other end of the county with a large percentage of Black residents..
But five years into the settlement agreement, the agency has not overhauled its data collection system to track its interactions with the public to see if people of color are still being disproportionately stopped or harassed, one of the key reforms the agency agreed to with the Justice Department.
“It is fundamental," said Joseph Brann, the co-chair of the team in charge of monitoring the agreement.
Both chairs, Brann and Angela Wolf, said the Sheriff's Department resisted an expensive fix. The settlement agreement only applied to part of the sheriff's jurisdiction, but an overhaul would require the sheriff to change his data collection agencywide.
In 2018, they pressured sheriff's officials to act. Their response was, “'We're gonna make some phone calls, we're gonna see,'" Wolf told ProPublica.
The monitors took that as sheriff's officials suggesting they would appeal to Justice Department supervisors to try to get around the requirement.
“It wasn't quite a threat," Wolf said. “But it was an 'uh huh, we'll see if you're right about that.'"
The staff-level attorneys are committed to enforcing the deal, but “we get the sense that higher up, supervisors are sometimes working in opposition to the mission," Wolf said. “We do know there were times when sheriff's officials made a phone call to higher-ups at DOJ," she said, adding, “We do know that level of influence was being offered."
And the department has still not revamped its system. The Sheriff's Department did not respond to questions from ProPublica.
The monitors' concerns go beyond the data issue. For a year and a half during the settlement agreement, sheriff's officials ignored requests to make agreed-upon changes to their use-of-force policy. Only recently did the office begin to engage again with the monitor. But to this day there is still not an approved new policy.
Cleveland entered into a consent decree in 2015 after the Justice Department found its officers were using excessive force on residents, shooting at people who didn't pose an immediate threat and using guns carelessly, including hitting people on the head with them. Cleveland cops were also using Tasers and pepper spray on people who were already handcuffed, at times not based on any threat they posed in the moment, but to punish them for earlier remarks. Officers who investigated their colleagues' shootings admitted their goal was to cast accused officers in “the most positive light possible."
In the consent decree with the Justice Department, Cleveland agreed that a judge would have the final say on a body cam policy. The city, with support from the police union, proposed that officers would not need to wear body cams if they were moonlighting.
When police officers worked as security at a Cavaliers game, for example, getting paid by a private entity, they weren't required to wear cameras, even though they would be armed, wearing their uniforms and functionally acting as police officers. The police union was determined not to bend on this. When the city tried a voluntary pilot program to encourage moonlighting officers to wear cameras, the union distributed a letter instructing its members that it “is the OFFICIAL UNION POLICY to refrain from 'VOLUNTEERING' for anything with regard to work."
The monitor objected to the moonlighting carve out.
“A system where one set of rules applies to officers working a city shift while another set of rules applies to officers working for a private employer fosters confusion, not confidence, among the community," Matthew Barge, the monitor in Cleveland, argued in court.
The judge assigned to the case also signaled he agreed: “When you're a police officer and you're policing, whether it's a bar or restaurant or whatever, people see you as a police officer." He expressed concern that officers were “not encouraged but discouraged to volunteer."
But at a June 2017 hearing, the Justice Department did not strongly support the monitor. The attorney told the judge that DOJ was “hopeful" that “the officers will see that using cameras on secondary employment is going to be beneficial for them and not burdensome."
The Justice Department, she added, “looks forward to hearing about the progress of the pilot program as the rest of the months go on." At that point, however, the pilot program had zero volunteers and was functionally dead.
Today, moonlighting Cleveland cops go about their duties without body cams.
Justice Department lawyers in Newark have taken a similar approach.
The city entered into a consent decree with the federal government in 2016. The Justice Department had alleged that a whopping 75% of the pedestrian stops Newark police made did not have a legitimate basis. Even though just about half the city's residents are Black, they made up about 80% of stops and arrests.
Last year, as the consent decree was ongoing, a Newark cop shot repeatedly at a moving car, even as his partner urged him to “Relax! Relax bro!" He killed the driver, a Black man, and seriously injured the passenger. The officer had fired three separate times during a short pursuit, while the suspect's car was in motion, a discouraged practice because of the danger it puts innocent bystanders in. The shooting was considered particularly reckless because the suspect's windows were heavily tinted.
The monitor on the case repeatedly asked for video footage of the shooting in order to assess whether the department's use-of-force policy needed revisions. He was repeatedly denied.
“The City and (Newark Police Department's) response in refusing to produce the requested information violated the letter and spirit of Consent Decree," the monitor wrote in one report. He only received the footage later, after it was aired on the local news.
The monitor could have used help from the Justice Department. But federal attorneys never spoke up.
“Not a word out of DOJ," said someone involved in the case. “No email, no phone call, nothing."


alternet--2020-09-29--German chancellor candidate says Trump win risks transatlantic collapse

President Donald Trump has drawn a great deal of criticism from Democrats — as well as from Never Trump conservatives — for praising authoritarian leaders like Turkey 's Recep Tayyip Erdogan , the Philippines ' Rodrigo Duterte and Brazil 's Jair Bolsonaro while disrespecting the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and long-time U.S. allies like German Chancellor Angela Merkel .
Germany is the largest economy in the European Union , and one of the country 's leading conservatives is openly rooting for former Vice President Joe Biden and stressing that a Biden victory in November would be great for U.S./Germany relations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Germany 's Foreign Affairs Committee in the Bundestag ( the German parliament ) and a high-ranking member of the Christian Democrat Party , discussed the United States ' presidential election with Politico and made it clear why he is hoping for a Biden victory .
Röttgen told Politico , `` The current American administration is driven by a logic of punishment whenever others do not abide .
It is n't possible to build a partnership on this basis . ''
Many European politicians , despite their disdain for Trump , are very @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the E.U .
have a lot of common interests — and when the U.S. is in bad shape , there are a lot of worried politicians in Berlin , Paris , Amsterdam and Rome .
Europeans , as a rule , view the United States ' problems as Europe 's problems , and Röttgen is no exception .
Röttgen told Politico that if Trump defeats Biden and is reelected in November , `` The U.S. would see its ability to take international leadership erode further .
A country that is internally divided @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some point , lose the ability to shape foreign affairs .
So , we 'd see the American retreat from international politics continue , creating a vacuum that others would be more than happy to fill . ''
Politico 's Matthew Karnitschnig said of Röttgen , `` That a leading German conservative would speak so bluntly about the ( Trump ) Administration underscores just how dysfunctional the German-U.S. relationship has become .
Trump has regularly lambasted Germany since he took office over everything from its modest defense spending to its refugee policies .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ common ground largely fell flat , and the relationship hit a new low in July with Trump 's decision to withdraw about 12,000 U.S. troops stationed in the country . ''
Never Trump conservatives in the U.S. , from MSNBC 's Joe Scarborough to the Washington Post 's Max Boot to members of The Lincoln Project , have been arguing that Trump 's disdain for NATO is one of things that has made him a foreign policy disaster .
Similarly , the conservative Röttgen believes that Trump has been terrible for U.S./Germany relations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be beneficial for Germany .
Röttgen told Politico , `` Should Joe Biden win , I would expect his government to return to a partnership based on rational thinking and cooperation .
A new American administration will understand that the goal should n't be to force American positions on Germans and Europeans , but rather , to find a new division of labor .
Both sides need to contribute . ''

President Donald Trump has drawn a great deal of criticism from Democrats — as well as from Never Trump conservatives — for praising authoritarian leaders like Turkey's Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Philippines' Rodrigo Duterte and Brazil's Jair Bolsonaro while disrespecting the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and long-time U.S. allies like German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Germany is the largest economy in the European Union, and one of the country's leading conservatives is openly rooting for former Vice President Joe Biden and stressing that a Biden victory in November would be great for U.S./Germany relations.
Norbert Röttgen, the 55-year-old chairman of Germany's Foreign Affairs Committee in the Bundestag (the German parliament) and a high-ranking member of the Christian Democrat Party, discussed the United States' presidential election with Politico and made it clear why he is hoping for a Biden victory. Röttgen told Politico, "The current American administration is driven by a logic of punishment whenever others do not abide. It isn't possible to build a partnership on this basis."
Many European politicians, despite their disdain for Trump, are very pro-U.S. because they realize that the U.S. and the E.U. have a lot of common interests — and when the U.S. is in bad shape, there are a lot of worried politicians in Berlin, Paris, Amsterdam and Rome. Europeans, as a rule, view the United States' problems as Europe's problems, and Röttgen is no exception.
Röttgen told Politico that if Trump defeats Biden and is reelected in November, "The U.S. would see its ability to take international leadership erode further. A country that is internally divided and full of acrimony will, at some point, lose the ability to shape foreign affairs. So, we'd see the American retreat from international politics continue, creating a vacuum that others would be more than happy to fill."
Politico's Matthew Karnitschnig said of Röttgen, "That a leading German conservative would speak so bluntly about the (Trump) Administration underscores just how dysfunctional the German-U.S. relationship has become. Trump has regularly lambasted Germany since he took office over everything from its modest defense spending to its refugee policies. Attempts by Chancellor Angela Merkel to find common ground largely fell flat, and the relationship hit a new low in July with Trump's decision to withdraw about 12,000 U.S. troops stationed in the country."
Never Trump conservatives in the U.S., from MSNBC's Joe Scarborough to the Washington Post's Max Boot to members of The Lincoln Project, have been arguing that Trump's disdain for NATO is one of things that has made him a foreign policy disaster. Similarly, the conservative Röttgen believes that Trump has been terrible for U.S./Germany relations and believes that a Biden victory would be beneficial for Germany.
Röttgen told Politico, "Should Joe Biden win, I would expect his government to return to a partnership based on rational thinking and cooperation. A new American administration will understand that the goal shouldn't be to force American positions on Germans and Europeans, but rather, to find a new division of labor. Both sides need to contribute."


alternet--2020-09-29--Trump's resort business is collapsing — is that why he pushed to reopen the economy?

For the past several decades , Donald Trump has been widely regarded as .
Everything about him is a mirage .
He steals credit for the , especially his predecessor , Barack Obama .
His business model is all about slapping his goofy name on properties built by others .
Even his outward appearance is a fraud : his unsubstantiated self-confidence , his hair , his clown makeup , his baggy suits designed to hide his doughy frame , even his shoes , which appear to have unusually high heels — it 's all intended to make him appear physically @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fake , fake and fake .
It 's all a big show .
In reality , he 's nothing more than a petty , brittle , small man — and a business failure .
Now , thanks to the latest bombshell story from the New York Times , revealing previously unknown details about Trump 's tax returns , we finally have solid confirmation that his wealth and his status as a successful businessman are just as fake as his presidential record and his dairy-swirled hair .
One of the major components in Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` success '' of his various resorts and golf courses .
Spoiler warning : Trump 's properties are n't doing nearly as well as he says , which leads me to a theory about his response to the pandemic .
More on that presently .
According to the tax returns obtained by the Times , Trump earned $ 427 million as the host of `` The Apprentice , '' along with various deals linked to his network television career .
Trump used his TV revenue to go on a spending spree , buying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ golf courses that turned out to be 18-hole money-pits .
As of 2015 , he had accumulated 15 golf resorts , and it 's difficult to find one that 's actually operating at a profit .
• In 2012 , Trump purchased the Trump National Doral resort for $ 150 million .
Since then , the property has gobbled up $ 162 million in losses , especially after Trump burned through another $ 213 million in upkeep .
The property also has `` a $ 125 million mortgage balance coming due in three @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Ireland and Scotland have accumulated `` $ 63.6 million in losses , '' according to his tax returns .
• Trump 's hotel in Washington , D.C. , located near the White House , had lost more than $ 55 million as of 2018 .
• Between 2008 and 2009 , during the Great Recession , the Trump Organization itself lost $ 1.4 billion .
Trump exploited this loss to claim a $ 73 million tax refund from the IRS , which subsequently launched an ongoing audit of Trump 's taxes .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ end of the audit , he could owe the government $ 100 million .
For starters .
By the way , the New York Times story did n't cover losses from his other failed enterprises , including Trump magazine , Trump vodka , Trump steaks and , more notoriously , Trump University .
Furthermore , none of these losses take into consideration tax years 2018 , 2019 or — gulp !
— 2020 .
It 's safe to assume that Trump 's losses are continuing to stack up , especially with a crushing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ swing .
Despite his garish penthouse and private jet , Trump is broke .
His properties are failing and he needs the money .
Badly .
Turns out , not only is Trump a craptastically bad businessman , but you and everyone you know is paying to help mitigate his investment nightmares nearly every damn weekend .
Michael Cohen told MSNBC that the tax returns are a Rosetta Stone for understanding Trump 's finances .
Accordingly , one of the myriad secrets the New York Times story exposed is a possible answer to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to his resorts on a regular basis — at least costing taxpayers — and why he chose to rush the nation into reopening the economy while the pandemic was at its height .
It 's worth mentioning that in addition to forcing taxpayers to finance his money-losing properties , Trump paid zero in taxes during 10 of the last 15 years .
Remember the debate about `` makers vs .
takers ? ''
Trump is absolutely a taker .
Indeed , based on these numbers , he 's taken a million times more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government in recent years .
Talk about a welfare queen .
Not only are we involuntarily backstopping Trump 's colossal financial losses with our tax dollars , we 're also backstopping his losses with our lives and livelihoods .
We already knew his zealous reopening obsession was about long enough 1 ) to keep his portfolio in good standing , and 2 ) to haul his ponderous bulk into a second term .
But reopening too soon could also have been about those crappy golf resorts .
The hospitality sector has taken a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID and Trump 's inability to rise to the challenge , and that ca n't be good for his already failing resorts .
More than 205,000 Americans are dead , while 7.1 million have been infected , in part because Trump is desperately worried about the solvency of his vacation properties .
In other words , the president of the United States is so freaked out about falling deeper into debt that he may very well be making life-and-death decisions for the entire nation based on the failing financial status of his janky @ @ @ @ @ @ @ second .
The president is metaphorically grinding down American bodies and fertilizing his golf courses with the remains .
Hundreds of thousands of our fellow citizens are dead so Trump can be re-elected ( or so he hopes ) while generating blood money for his failing golf courses .
On these terms alone , he 's the deadliest sociopath ever to occupy the White House .
After the Civil War , the War Department turned Robert E. Lee 's Arlington , Virginia , estate into a military cemetery , burying Union soldiers as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
If there 's any justice remaining in America after this nightmare , Trump should be forced to give up his resorts , and the people we 've lost due to his sadism and destruction in the face of COVID should be interred on those lands for free -- if the families even want that , of course .
At the very least , Trump 's resorts should be turned into permanent public memorials to the men , women and children who have succumbed to this otherwise avoidable virus .
Sadly , there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ toward American lives as he pursues his cruel and reckless mission to keep his properties on life support .
His irredeemable actions this year alone warrant the harshest prison term allowed by law , if for no other reason than to guarantee that nothing like this horror show never happens again in America .

For the past several decades, Donald Trump has been widely regarded as a great big phony . Everything about him is a mirage. He steals credit for the accomplishments of others , especially his predecessor, Barack Obama. His business model is all about slapping his goofy name on properties built by others. Even his outward appearance is a fraud: his unsubstantiated self-confidence, his hair, his clown makeup, his baggy suits designed to hide his doughy frame, even his shoes, which appear to have unusually high heels — it's all intended to make him appear physically more powerful than he actually is. Fake, fake and fake.
It's all a big show. In reality, he's nothing more than a petty, brittle, small man — and a business failure.
Now, thanks to the latest bombshell story from the New York Times , revealing previously unknown details about Trump's tax returns, we finally have solid confirmation that his wealth and his status as a successful businessman are just as fake as his presidential record and his dairy-swirled hair.
One of the major components in Trump's ongoing deception pertains to the alleged "success" of his various resorts and golf courses. Spoiler warning: Trump's properties aren't doing nearly as well as he says, which leads me to a theory about his response to the pandemic. More on that presently.
According to the tax returns obtained by the Times, Trump earned $427 million as the host of "The Apprentice," along with various deals linked to his network television career. Trump used his TV revenue to go on a spending spree, buying up golf courses around the world -- golf courses that turned out to be 18-hole money-pits. As of 2015, he had accumulated 15 golf resorts, and it's difficult to find one that's actually operating at a profit.
In 2012, Trump purchased the bedbug-infested Trump National Doral resort for $150 million. Since then, the property has gobbled up $162 million in losses, especially after Trump burned through another $213 million in upkeep. The property also has "a $125 million mortgage balance coming due in three years."
Trump National Doral resort for $150 million. Since then, the property has gobbled up $162 million in losses, especially after Trump burned through another $213 million in upkeep. The property also has "a $125 million mortgage balance coming due in three years." His golf resorts in Ireland and Scotland have accumulated "$63.6 million in losses," according to his tax returns.
Trump's hotel in Washington, D.C., located near the White House, had lost more than $55 million as of 2018.
Between 2008 and 2009, during the Great Recession, the Trump Organization itself lost $1.4 billion. Trump exploited this loss to claim a $73 million tax refund from the IRS, which subsequently launched an ongoing audit of Trump's taxes. If he ends up getting the fuzzy end of the audit, he could owe the government $100 million. For starters.
By the way, the New York Times story didn't cover losses from his other failed enterprises, including Trump magazine, Trump vodka, Trump steaks and, more notoriously, Trump University.
Furthermore, none of these losses take into consideration tax years 2018, 2019 or — gulp! — 2020. It's safe to assume that Trump's losses are continuing to stack up, especially with a crushing recession fueled by the pandemic in full swing.
Despite his garish penthouse and private jet, Trump is broke. His properties are failing and he needs the money. Badly. Turns out, not only is Trump a craptastically bad businessman, but you and everyone you know is paying to help mitigate his investment nightmares nearly every damn weekend.
Michael Cohen told MSNBC that the tax returns are a Rosetta Stone for understanding Trump's finances. Accordingly, one of the myriad secrets the New York Times story exposed is a possible answer to why he drags his entire presidential entourage to his resorts on a regular basis — at least 500 times so far, costing taxpayers more than $1 million — and why he chose to rush the nation into reopening the economy while the pandemic was at its height.
It's worth mentioning that in addition to forcing taxpayers to finance his money-losing properties, Trump paid zero in taxes during 10 of the last 15 years. Remember the debate about "makers vs. takers?" Trump is absolutely a taker. Indeed, based on these numbers, he's taken a million times more than he's paid into the federal government in recent years. Talk about a welfare queen.
Not only are we involuntarily backstopping Trump's colossal financial losses with our tax dollars, we're also backstopping his losses with our lives and livelihoods.
We already knew his zealous reopening obsession was about keeping the stock market afloat long enough 1) to keep his portfolio in good standing, and 2) to haul his ponderous bulk into a second term. But reopening too soon could also have been about those crappy golf resorts. The hospitality sector has taken a severe beating this year, thanks to COVID and Trump's inability to rise to the challenge, and that can't be good for his already failing resorts.
More than 205,000 Americans are dead, while 7.1 million have been infected, in part because Trump is desperately worried about the solvency of his vacation properties. In other words, the president of the United States is so freaked out about falling deeper into debt that he may very well be making life-and-death decisions for the entire nation based on the failing financial status of his janky resorts.
Think about that for a second. The president is metaphorically grinding down American bodies and fertilizing his golf courses with the remains. Hundreds of thousands of our fellow citizens are dead so Trump can be re-elected (or so he hopes) while generating blood money for his failing golf courses. On these terms alone, he's the deadliest sociopath ever to occupy the White House.
After the Civil War, the War Department turned Robert E. Lee's Arlington, Virginia, estate into a military cemetery, burying Union soldiers as close to the Custis-Lee mansion as possible. If there's any justice remaining in America after this nightmare, Trump should be forced to give up his resorts, and the people we've lost due to his sadism and destruction in the face of COVID should be interred on those lands for free -- if the families even want that, of course. At the very least, Trump's resorts should be turned into permanent public memorials to the men, women and children who have succumbed to this otherwise avoidable virus.
Sadly, there's nothing phony about Trump's malice toward American lives as he pursues his cruel and reckless mission to keep his properties on life support. His irredeemable actions this year alone warrant the harshest prison term allowed by law, if for no other reason than to guarantee that nothing like this horror show never happens again in America.


alternet--2020-09-29--Trump aides in chaos over tax story as president keeps them in the dark: NYT’s Haberman

Appearing on CNN 's `` New Day '' on Tuesday morning , the New York Times ' Maggie Haberman said that aides to Donald Trump have no idea how to defend the president against allegations made in an explosive Times ' report on his failure to pay taxes because he refuses to talk to them about it .
Speaking with hosts Alisyn Camerota and John Berman , Haberman was asked about the mood in the White House since the bombshell report broke Sunday night — just days before the president appears with Democratic presidential challenger Joe Biden in a nationally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ morning that are saying that this story in your paper , which is a phenomenal bit of reporting over two days and I know there 's going to be more , has an impact that is a little bit outsized because of other scandals , because it is relatable .
because people can visualize what $ 750 means to them and their family compared to what it means to Trump and his family .
How has it landed inside the White House ? ''
host Berman asked .
`` There 's concern within @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a $ 750 figure , they can understand that they themselves do n't pay that little , '' Haberman replied .
`` And so it is striking to hear that somebody who professes to be a billionaire would be paying that amount of money . ''
`` The White House is concerned about trying to approach this issue with the president for a couple of reasons , '' she reported .
`` But one of which is , this is a topic he does n't like to talk about .
This is not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aides do — but most of his aides do n't have all the information , where they can just answer questions about this because this is information he has been withholding from most of his aides and from the public forever . ''
`` So this is something that becomes very difficult for them to respond to or to try to advise him on .
and he 's going to say whatever he 's going to say .
they do recognize in the White House that the president just saying 'fake news ' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he 's going to have to find some kind of answer , '' she added .

Appearing on CNN's "New Day" on Tuesday morning, the New York Times' Maggie Haberman said that aides to Donald Trump have no idea how to defend the president against allegations made in an explosive Times' report on his failure to pay taxes because he refuses to talk to them about it.
Speaking with hosts Alisyn Camerota and John Berman, Haberman was asked about the mood in the White House since the bombshell report broke Sunday night — just days before the president appears with Democratic presidential challenger Joe Biden in a nationally televised debate.
'There are commentators this morning that are saying that this story in your paper, which is a phenomenal bit of reporting over two days and I know there's going to be more, has an impact that is a little bit outsized because of other scandals, because it is relatable. because people can visualize what $750 means to them and their family compared to what it means to Trump and his family. How has it landed inside the White House?" host Berman asked.
"There's concern within the White House that people can understand a $750 figure, they can understand that they themselves don't pay that little," Haberman replied. "And so it is striking to hear that somebody who professes to be a billionaire would be paying that amount of money."
"The White House is concerned about trying to approach this issue with the president for a couple of reasons," she reported. "But one of which is, this is a topic he doesn't like to talk about. This is not something where his aides have — some aides do — but most of his aides don't have all the information, where they can just answer questions about this because this is information he has been withholding from most of his aides and from the public forever."
"So this is something that becomes very difficult for them to respond to or to try to advise him on. and he's going to say whatever he's going to say. they do recognize in the White House that the president just saying 'fake news' is not going to be enough and he's going to have to find some kind of answer," she added.
Watch below:


alternet--2020-09-29--Trump: It’s 'certainly possible' Supreme Court will overturn Roe v. Wade if Barrett is confirmed

President Donald Trump acknowledged on Sunday that the Supreme Court may overturn Roe v. Wade or chip away at abortion protections if nominee Amy Coney Barrett is confirmed .
`` She is certainly conservative in her views , in her rulings , and we 'll have to see how that all works out , but I think it will work out , '' Trump told Fox News over the weekend .
Asked if Barrett would be part of a 6-3 ruling `` on a life issue , '' Trump replied , `` It 's certainly possible .
And maybe they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Maybe they 'd give it back to the states .
You just do n't know what 's going to happen . ''
Trump said that he did not discuss any specific cases when he met with Barrett .
`` I did n't discuss certain concepts and certain things , '' he said .
`` And some people say you should n't .
I do n't see any reason why you should n't .
But I decided not to do it .
And I think it gives her freedom to do what she has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rulings . ''
Trump previously said during the 2016 campaign that he would nominate anti-abortion judges to the Supreme Court .
Asked whether the court would overturn Roe v. Wade , Trump said , `` that will happen automatically in my opinion '' if he can nominate enough judges .
Trump formally announced his nomination of Barrett on Saturday .
Barrett has criticized the Supreme Court 's Roe v. Wade decision , though she acknowledged that the court would `` probably '' let the precedent stand .
In 2016 , she predicted that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health protections .
`` I think the question of whether people can get very late-term abortions — you know , how many restrictions can be put on clinics — I think that would change , '' she said at the time .
Democrats have also raised concerns about Barrett 's strict Catholicism .
Barrett , who is reportedly a member of an obscure group whose members swear a lifelong oath of loyalty and are assigned a `` head '' and `` handmaid '' that oversee many personal decisions , has said that a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to an end .
.
.
and that end is building the Kingdom of God . ''
Barrett is also a former member of the Federalist Society , which has been key in advancing anti-abortion judges for Trump 's judicial nominations .
Planned Parenthood warned after the death of late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg that there were 17 abortion-related cases potentially headed to the Supreme Court after the last two abortion cases were decided by a single vote .
Senate Republicans say they plan to rush Barrett 's confirmation ahead of the November @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's nomination of Merrick Garland for 11 months in 2016 .
A New York Times/Siena College poll released over the weekend found that 56 % of voters prefer the winner of the election to select the next justice .
The poll also showed that 60 % of voters believe that abortion should be legal all or some of the time .
About 56 % of voters said they would be less likely to vote for Trump if his nominee were to help overturn Roe v. Wade while just 24 % said they would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden has also warned that Barrett could help strike down Obamacare after criticizing the court 's decision upholding the law .
The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear a case that could decide the fate of the health care law a week after the election .
`` Women could once again be charged higher premiums just because they are women ; pregnancy could become a pre-existing condition again , '' Biden said on Sunday .
`` It does n't matter what the American people want , President Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mission , steal away the vital protections of the ACA from countless families who 've come to rely on it for their health , their financial security and the lives of those they love . ''
Alexis McGill Johnson , the president and CEO of the Planned Parenthood Action Fund , framed Barrett 's nomination as an attack on women .
`` Trump has made it clear that he would only appoint justices who would overturn Roe v Wade , and his administration is currently asking the Supreme Court to dismantle the Affordable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to see this nomination succeed , '' she said in a statement .
`` Nominating Amy Coney Barrett is a particular insult to the legacy of Justice Ginsburg .
Barrett 's history of hostility toward reproductive health and rights , expanded health care access , and more demonstrate that she will put Justice Ginsburg 's long record of ensuring that everyone receives equal justice under the law at risk . ''

President Donald Trump acknowledged on Sunday that the Supreme Court may overturn Roe v. Wade or chip away at abortion protections if nominee Amy Coney Barrett is confirmed.
"She is certainly conservative in her views, in her rulings, and we'll have to see how that all works out, but I think it will work out," Trump told Fox News over the weekend.
Asked if Barrett would be part of a 6-3 ruling "on a life issue," Trump replied, "It's certainly possible. And maybe they do it in a different way. Maybe they'd give it back to the states. You just don't know what's going to happen."
Trump said that he did not discuss any specific cases when he met with Barrett.
"I didn't discuss certain concepts and certain things," he said. "And some people say you shouldn't. I don't see any reason why you shouldn't. But I decided not to do it. And I think it gives her freedom to do what she has to do. She has to make rulings."
Trump previously said during the 2016 campaign that he would nominate anti-abortion judges to the Supreme Court. Asked whether the court would overturn Roe v. Wade, Trump said, "that will happen automatically in my opinion" if he can nominate enough judges.
Trump formally announced his nomination of Barrett on Saturday. Barrett has criticized the Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade decision, though she acknowledged that the court would "probably" let the precedent stand.
In 2016, she predicted that the court would chip away at reproductive health protections.
"I think the question of whether people can get very late-term abortions — you know, how many restrictions can be put on clinics — I think that would change," she said at the time.
Democrats have also raised concerns about Barrett's strict Catholicism. Barrett, who is reportedly a member of an obscure group whose members swear a lifelong oath of loyalty and are assigned a "head" and "handmaid" that oversee many personal decisions, has said that a "legal career is but a means to an end . . . and that end is building the Kingdom of God."
Barrett is also a former member of the Federalist Society, which has been key in advancing anti-abortion judges for Trump's judicial nominations.
Planned Parenthood warned after the death of late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg that there were 17 abortion-related cases potentially headed to the Supreme Court after the last two abortion cases were decided by a single vote.
Senate Republicans say they plan to rush Barrett's confirmation ahead of the November election after blocking former President Barack Obama's nomination of Merrick Garland for 11 months in 2016. A New York Times/Siena College poll released over the weekend found that 56% of voters prefer the winner of the election to select the next justice.
The poll also showed that 60% of voters believe that abortion should be legal all or some of the time. About 56% of voters said they would be less likely to vote for Trump if his nominee were to help overturn Roe v. Wade while just 24% said they would be more likely to vote for him.
Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden has also warned that Barrett could help strike down Obamacare after criticizing the court's decision upholding the law. The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear a case that could decide the fate of the health care law a week after the election.
"Women could once again be charged higher premiums just because they are women; pregnancy could become a pre-existing condition again," Biden said on Sunday. "It doesn't matter what the American people want, President Trump sees the chance to fulfill his explicit mission, steal away the vital protections of the ACA from countless families who've come to rely on it for their health, their financial security and the lives of those they love."
Alexis McGill Johnson, the president and CEO of the Planned Parenthood Action Fund, framed Barrett's nomination as an attack on women.
"Trump has made it clear that he would only appoint justices who would overturn Roe v Wade, and his administration is currently asking the Supreme Court to dismantle the Affordable Care Act – we can't afford to see this nomination succeed," she said in a statement. "Nominating Amy Coney Barrett is a particular insult to the legacy of Justice Ginsburg. Barrett's history of hostility toward reproductive health and rights, expanded health care access, and more demonstrate that she will put Justice Ginsburg's long record of ensuring that everyone receives equal justice under the law at risk."


alternet--2020-09-29--'Sick of him': Trump's support is drying up among critical GOP voting bloc in Florida

Florida senior residents have been reliable Republican voters for decades , but it looks like their political impact could shift in the upcoming 2020 election .
As Election Day approaches , Florida is becoming a major focal point .
President Donald Trump is facing more of an uphill battle with maintaining the support of senior voters due to his handling of critical issues over the last several months .
Several seniors , including some who voted for Trump in 2016 , have explained why he will not receive their support in the November election .
`` He just lies about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a 65-year-old Boca Raton resident who voted for Trump in 2016 largely because her husband supported him .
Now , they 've both distanced from the embattled president .
According to Soloman , Trump 's handling of the coronavirus and his stance on masks was unsettling .
`` I really got sick of him when he did not wear a mask , and he took the control totally away from the governors .
It was a very bad situation , '' she said .
`` I want this place to come back to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ poll results suggest trouble may lie ahead for Trump where the state of Florida is concerned .
In the United States ' largest swing state , senior voters made up 30 % of the state 's vote in the 2016 presidential election and Trump benefited from that percentage , according to Politico .
`` Republicans have had a varying double-digit margin with 65-plus voters in recent statewide races at the top of the ticket , '' said David Johnson , a Republican consultant in Florida .
`` It 's an age gap with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to address both now and in the future . ''
However , recent poll results suggest Trump 's cushion with Florida 's senior citizen voters is thinning at an accelerated pace .
A September poll from AARP signals a one-point lead for Biden with voters over the age of 65 , even within the survey 's margin of error .
This month , Monmouth also released a poll that indicated just a two-point lead for Trump with voters over 65 , within the margin of error .
However , Biden 's projected thin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Ryan Tyson , a Florida Republican pollster , discussed Biden 's lead as he noted some similarities he saw when Hillary Clinton was in his position back in 2016 .
`` Biden might be doing a point or two better than Hillary Clinton did in 2016 , '' Tyson said of the presidential race to secure the vote for Florida 's seniors .
`` But he is hitting the same ceiling with white voters that Hillary Clinton and [ 2016 Democratic gubernatorial candidate ] Andrew Gillum did .
If Democrats figure that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But they have not . ''

Florida senior residents have been reliable Republican voters for decades, but it looks like their political impact could shift in the upcoming 2020 election.
As Election Day approaches, Florida is becoming a major focal point. President Donald Trump is facing more of an uphill battle with maintaining the support of senior voters due to his handling of critical issues over the last several months. Several seniors, including some who voted for Trump in 2016, have explained why he will not receive their support in the November election.
"He just lies about everything," said Joy Solomon, a 65-year-old Boca Raton resident who voted for Trump in 2016 largely because her husband supported him. Now, they've both distanced from the embattled president.
According to Soloman, Trump's handling of the coronavirus and his stance on masks was unsettling.
"I really got sick of him when he did not wear a mask, and he took the control totally away from the governors. It was a very bad situation," she said. "I want this place to come back to some sense of normalcy."
New poll results suggest trouble may lie ahead for Trump where the state of Florida is concerned. In the United States' largest swing state, senior voters made up 30% of the state's vote in the 2016 presidential election and Trump benefited from that percentage, according to Politico.
"Republicans have had a varying double-digit margin with 65-plus voters in recent statewide races at the top of the ticket," said David Johnson, a Republican consultant in Florida. "It's an age gap with younger voters that statewide Republicans have had to address both now and in the future."
However, recent poll results suggest Trump's cushion with Florida's senior citizen voters is thinning at an accelerated pace.
A September poll from AARP signals a one-point lead for Biden with voters over the age of 65, even within the survey's margin of error. This month, Monmouth also released a poll that indicated just a two-point lead for Trump with voters over 65, within the margin of error.
However, Biden's projected thin lead is still concerning for some pollsters. Ryan Tyson, a Florida Republican pollster, discussed Biden's lead as he noted some similarities he saw when Hillary Clinton was in his position back in 2016.
"Biden might be doing a point or two better than Hillary Clinton did in 2016," Tyson said of the presidential race to secure the vote for Florida's seniors. "But he is hitting the same ceiling with white voters that Hillary Clinton and [2016 Democratic gubernatorial candidate] Andrew Gillum did. If Democrats figure that out, they win the state. But they have not."