rawstory--2020-01-15--Here’s what Trump doesn’t understand about the ‘deep state’

This seems like a strange moment to be writing about “ the deep state ” with the country entering a new phase of open and obvious aboveground chaos and instability .
Just as we had gotten used to the fact that the president is , in effect , under congressional indictment , just as we had settled into a more or less stable stalemate over when ( and if ) the Senate will hold an impeachment trial , the president shook the snow globe again , by ordering the assassination of foreign military officials and threatening the destruction of Iran @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than the promise of new war crimes to take the world ’ s attention away from a little thing like extorting a U.S. ally to help oneself get reelected .
On the other hand , maybe this is exactly the moment to think about the so-called deep state , if by that we mean the little-noticed machinery of governance that keeps dependably churning on in that same snow globe ’ s pedestal , whatever mayhem may be swirling around above it .
Maybe this is even the moment to be grateful for those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the ship of state moving in the same general direction , regardless of who ’ s on the bridge at any given time .
However , that sometimes benign inertia is not what the people who coined that term meant by deep state .
The expression is actually a translation of the Turkish phrase derin devlet .
As historian Ryan Gingeras has explained , it arose as a way of describing “ a kind of shadow or parallel system of government in which unofficial or publicly unacknowledged individuals play important roles in defining @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Turkish case , those “ unacknowledged persons ” were , in fact , agents of organized criminal enterprises working within the government .
Gingeras , an expert on organized crime in Turkey , has described how alliances between generals , government officials , and “ narcotic traffickers , paramilitaries , terrorists , and other criminals ” allowed the creation and execution of “ policies that directly contravene the letter and spirit of the law.
” In the Turkish case , the history of such alliances can be traced to struggles for power in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , following the collapse of the Ottoman Empire .
The interpenetration of the drug cartels and government in Mexico is another example of a deep state at work .
The presence of cartel collaborators in official positions and in the police hierarchy at all levels makes it almost impossible for any president , even the upright Andrés Manuel López Obrador , to defeat them .
The term “ deep state ” has also been used to characterize the role of the military in Egypt .
As Sarah Chayes has written in Thieves of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Egypt ’ s military has long been a state-within-a-state with its own banking and business operations that constitute 25 % -40 % of the Egyptian economy .
It ’ s the country ’ s largest landowner and the ultimate maker and breaker of Egyptian presidents .
In 2011 , at the height of the Arab Spring , a popular uprising forced President Hosni Mubarak , who had run the country for 30 years , to resign .
The military certainly had something to do with that resignation , since he handed over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Armed Forces .
When , however , a nascent democracy brought their longtime opponent , the Muslim Brotherhood , to power with the election of Mohamed Morsi , that was too much for the generals .
It helped that Morsi made his own missteps , including the repression of peaceful protesters .
So there wasn ’ t much objection when , in 2012 , his own minister of defense , Abdel Fattah el-Sisi , led a military coup against Morsi .
Sisi and the Egyptian military have run the country directly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the deep state one and the same .
From his earliest days in the White House , Donald Trump and his officials have inveighed against what the president has regularly labeled the “ deep state.
” What he ’ s meant by the term , though , is something different from its more traditional use .
Rather than referring to a “ shadow or parallel system of government ” operating outside official channels , for Trump the deep state is the government—or at least those parts of it that frustrate him in any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the judicial system throws up barriers to government by fiat , that ’ s the deep state at work as far as he ’ s concerned .
Want to proclaim “ a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States ” but the courts put a hold on your executive order ?
Blame the deep state .
Did anonymous government officials tell the press that your National Security Advisor , Michael Flynn , lied about his contacts with Russian officials ?
Blame the deep state for the leaks .
As early @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Secretary Sean Spicer acknowledged that the administration did indeed believe in the existence of a deep state , a shadow operation that had infiltrated many of the offices and activities of the federal government .
A reporter asked him , “ Does the government believe that there is such a thing as a ‘ deep state ’ that is actively working to undermine the president ?
” “ I think that there ’ s no question when you have eight years of one party in office that there are people who stay in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the agenda of the previous administration , so I don ’ t think it should come to any surprise that there are people that burrowed into government during the eight years of the last administration and may have believed in that agenda and want to continue to seek it.
” In other words , for the Trump administration and its supporters , the deep state is any part of the apparatus of government itself that doesn ’ t do their absolute bidding .
The Huffington Post has assembled a convenient list of some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ deep state.
” Here ’ s a summary : • In November 2017 , he blamed unnamed “ deep state authorities ” for a failure to continue investigating Hillary Clinton ’ s emails , calling those authorities “ Rigged and corrupt.
” • That same month , he tweeted that the FBI and the Justice Department were withholding information about “ surveillance of associates of Donald Trump.
” This was , he said , “ Big stuff .
Deep State , ” and he demanded that someone “ Give this information NOW @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he accused Hillary Clinton ’ s former aide Huma Abedin of putting “ Classified Passwords into the hands of foreign agents.
” Did this mean , he asked , that the “ Deep State Justice Dept must finally act ” ?
If it were to “ finally act , ” he added , it should be “ Also on Comey & others.
” • In May 2018 , he accused the “ Criminal Deep State ” of going after “ Phony Collusion with Russia , a made up Scam ” and “ getting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ likes of which this country may never have seen before !
” Apparently the president was referring to a conspiracy theory of his that the Obama administration had embedded a spy in his campaign operation in order to ensure a Hillary Clinton victory .
• In July 2018 , he was ruminating about a supposedly missing Democratic National Committee computer server that the FBI , he believed , had failed to impound .
Was this failure , he wondered , an action of the “ Deep State ” ?
( Yes , this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to look for in his country as a precondition for releasing U.S. military aid . )
• In September 2018 , he inveighed against the deep state in general , suggesting that it and its allies were upset at his policy achievements .
This time he suggested that the deep state does have its extra-governmental allies , “ the Left ” and “ the Fake News Media ” : “ The Deep State and the Left , and their vehicle , the Fake News Media , are going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what to do .
The Economy is booming like never before , Jobs are at Historic Highs , soon TWO Supreme Court Justices… ” Trump , in other words , sees the U.S. government as infected by “ Unelected , deep state operatives who defy the voters , to push their own secret agendas.
” Those “ operatives , ” he told a rally in 2018 , are “ truly a threat to democracy itself.
” Does the United States Have a Deep State ?
The November House impeachment hearings brought us the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and civil servants like Marie Yovanovich , the former ambassador to Ukraine , and Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman , a Ukraine specialist on the National Security Council .
Their appearance led John McLaughlin , a former deputy director of the CIA , to exclaim in a speech at George Mason University , “ Thank God for the deep state.
” He meant it as a joke , but he was also pointing out that their dignified testimony might serve as a reminder of the value of government service .
“ Everyone here has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ intelligence officers and White House people trooping up to Capitol Hill right now , ” he explained .
Those who watched that progression , he said , certainly recognized that “ these are people who are doing their duty.
” McLaughlin told National Public Radio ’ s Greg Myre and Rachel Treisman that he had received some “ blowback ” from his joke , and added : “ I think it ’ s a silly idea .
There is no ‘ deep state.
’ What people think of as the ‘ deep state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , social security , the people who fix the roads , health and human services , Medicare.
” I ’ ll give one cheer for that kind of deep state : not a secret , extra-official shadow government , but the actual workings of government itself for the benefit of the people it ’ s meant to serve .
Personally , I ’ m all for people who devote their lives to making sure our food is as safe as possible , the cars we drive won ’ t kill us , our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and roads and railways are built and maintained to connect us , not to speak of having clean air and water , public schools and universities to educate our young people , and a social security system to provide a safety net for people of my age—all of which , by the way , is in danger from this president , his administration , and the Republican party .
But there ’ s another way of thinking about the deep state , one that suggests an ongoing threat not to Donald Trump and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the world .
I ’ m thinking , of course , of that vast—if informal , complex , and sometimes internally competitive—consortium composed of the industries and government branches that make up what President Dwight Eisenhower famously called the “ military-industrial complex.
” This was exactly the “ state ” that I think President Obama encountered when he decided to shut down the George W. Bush-era CIA torture program and found that the price for compliance was a promise not to prosecute anyone for crimes committed in the so-called war on terror .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ said , a time to “ look forward as opposed to looking backwards.
” Here is Mike Lofgren , a long-time civil servant and aide to many congressional Republicans , writing in 2014 about that national security machine for BillMoyers.com .
In “ Anatomy of the Deep State , ” he described the power and reach of this apparatus in chilling terms : “ There is the visible government situated around the Mall in Washington , and then there is another , more shadowy , more indefinable government that is not explained in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the White House or the Capitol… “ Yes , there is another government concealed behind the one that is visible at either end of Pennsylvania Avenue , a hybrid entity of public and private institutions ruling the country according to consistent patterns in season and out , connected to , but only intermittently controlled by , the visible state whose leaders we choose.
” Lofgren was not describing “ a secret , conspiratorial cabal.
” Rather , he was arguing that “ the state within a state is hiding mostly in plain sight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the light of day.
” This has certainly been the experience of those who have , in particular , opposed U.S. military adventures abroad .
They discover that many of the lies , deceptions , and crimes of that “ state within a state ” are openly there for all to see and are being committed in the equivalent of broad daylight with utter impunity .
This , by the way , creates certain obvious problems for those of us who oppose the presidency and the striking new militarism of Donald Trump—if , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ representatives of Lofgren ’ s deep state as that old war criminal , John Bolton .
He has not become a progressive hero just because he ’ s suddenly proclaimed himself ready , if subpoenaed , to testify in the Senate impeachment trial of his former boss .
If Bolton chooses to do so , you can be sure that he will not be motivated by a devotion to democratic government or the rule of law Trump ’ s own relationship to the national security deep state has been ambivalent at best .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ those officials initially thought he might be a weapon they could aim and shoot at will , but he ’ s turned out to be far more bizarre and unpredictable than any of them expected .
There ’ s evidence , for example , that the assassination of Iranian Major General Qassem Suleimani was presented to Trump as the most extreme option possible—in a bid to convince him to act against Iran , but in a less drastic way .
As the New York Times reported recently , “ Pentagon officials have often @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other possibilities appear more palatable , ” but they don ’ t expect presidents to choose the decoy .
Donald Trump is clearly not one of those presidents .
There is a sense , however , in which the United States under Trump does resemble the original Turkish conception of a deep state , that “ kind of shadow or parallel system of government in which unofficial or publicly unacknowledged individuals play important roles in defining and implementing state policy.
” That ’ s a pretty apt description , for instance , of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ personal lawyer , Rudy Giuliani , in relation to U.S. policy towards Ukraine , which he ’ s been coordinating and in some sense directing for some time .
The only difference in this case is that Trump has been fool enough to acknowledge his personal lawyer ’ s role .
May that foolishness get him turned out of office , one way or another .
In the meantime , I ’ ll keep giving my one cheer for the civil servants who keep the wheels turning .
I suspect , however , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Middle East now that Trump has followed 18 years of U.S. state ( and deep state ) disaster there with his own impetuous intervention , few people will be offering many cheers for the United States of America .
Rebecca Gordon , a TomDispatch regular , teaches at the University of San Francisco .
She is the author most recently of American Nuremberg : The U.S. Officials Who Should Stand Trial for Post-9/11 War Crimes and is now at work on a new book on the history of torture in the United @ @

This seems like a strange moment to be writing about “the deep state” with the country entering a new phase of open and obvious aboveground chaos and instability. Just as we had gotten used to the fact that the president is, in effect, under congressional indictment, just as we had settled into a more or less stable stalemate over when (and if) the Senate will hold an impeachment trial, the president shook the snow globe again, by ordering the assassination of foreign military officials and threatening the destruction of Iran’s cultural sites. Nothing better than the promise of new war crimes to take the world’s attention away from a little thing like extorting a U.S. ally to help oneself get reelected.
On the other hand, maybe this is exactly the moment to think about the so-called deep state, if by that we mean the little-noticed machinery of governance that keeps dependably churning on in that same snow globe’s pedestal, whatever mayhem may be swirling around above it. Maybe this is even the moment to be grateful for those parts of the government whose inertia keeps the ship of state moving in the same general direction, regardless of who’s on the bridge at any given time.
However, that sometimes benign inertia is not what the people who coined that term meant by deep state.
What Is a “Deep State”?
The expression is actually a translation of the Turkish phrase derin devlet. As historian Ryan Gingeras has explained, it arose as a way of describing “a kind of shadow or parallel system of government in which unofficial or publicly unacknowledged individuals play important roles in defining and implementing state policy.” In the Turkish case, those “unacknowledged persons” were, in fact, agents of organized criminal enterprises working within the government.
Gingeras, an expert on organized crime in Turkey, has described how alliances between generals, government officials, and “narcotic traffickers, paramilitaries, terrorists, and other criminals” allowed the creation and execution of “policies that directly contravene the letter and spirit of the law.” In the Turkish case, the history of such alliances can be traced to struggles for power in the first decades of the previous century, following the collapse of the Ottoman Empire.
The interpenetration of the drug cartels and government in Mexico is another example of a deep state at work. The presence of cartel collaborators in official positions and in the police hierarchy at all levels makes it almost impossible for any president, even the upright Andrés Manuel López Obrador, to defeat them.
The term “deep state” has also been used to characterize the role of the military in Egypt. As Sarah Chayes has written in Thieves of State: Why Corruption Threatens Global Security, Egypt’s military has long been a state-within-a-state with its own banking and business operations that constitute 25%-40% of the Egyptian economy. It’s the country’s largest landowner and the ultimate maker and breaker of Egyptian presidents. In 2011, at the height of the Arab Spring, a popular uprising forced President Hosni Mubarak, who had run the country for 30 years, to resign. The military certainly had something to do with that resignation, since he handed over power to Egypt’s Supreme Council of the Armed Forces.
When, however, a nascent democracy brought their longtime opponent, the Muslim Brotherhood, to power with the election of Mohamed Morsi, that was too much for the generals. It helped that Morsi made his own missteps, including the repression of peaceful protesters. So there wasn’t much objection when, in 2012, his own minister of defense, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, led a military coup against Morsi. Sisi and the Egyptian military have run the country directly ever since, making the state and the deep state one and the same.
Donald Trump and the “Deep State”
From his earliest days in the White House, Donald Trump and his officials have inveighed against what the president has regularly labeled the “deep state.” What he’s meant by the term, though, is something different from its more traditional use. Rather than referring to a “shadow or parallel system of government” operating outside official channels, for Trump the deep state is the government—or at least those parts of it that frustrate him in any way.
When, for example, the judicial system throws up barriers to government by fiat, that’s the deep state at work as far as he’s concerned. Want to proclaim “a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States” but the courts put a hold on your executive order? Blame the deep state.
Did anonymous government officials tell the press that your National Security Advisor, Michael Flynn, lied about his contacts with Russian officials? Blame the deep state for the leaks.
As early as March 2017, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer acknowledged that the administration did indeed believe in the existence of a deep state, a shadow operation that had infiltrated many of the offices and activities of the federal government. A reporter asked him, “Does the government believe that there is such a thing as a ‘deep state’ that is actively working to undermine the president?”
Spicer replied:
“I think that there’s no question when you have eight years of one party in office that there are people who stay in government—affiliated with, joined—and continue to espouse the agenda of the previous administration, so I don’t think it should come to any surprise that there are people that burrowed into government during the eight years of the last administration and may have believed in that agenda and want to continue to seek it.”
In other words, for the Trump administration and its supporters, the deep state is any part of the apparatus of government itself that doesn’t do their absolute bidding.


rawstory--2020-01-15--Why did Mike Bloomberg’s campaign just tweet the mayor as a meatball? The internet is seriously conf

Why did Mike Bloomberg’s campaign just tweet the mayor as a meatball? The internet is seriously confounded

A dripping meatball sub or a massive piece of pizza folded in half are staples in New York City , @ @ @ @ @ former Mayor Michael Bloomberg ’ s campaign team has even Italian food connaisseurs scratching their @ @ @ @ @ t competing in early primary and caucus states and instead has been running over $ @ @ @ @ @ “ super Tuesday ” primary states , including California .
The strange tweet brought questions @ @ @ @ @ brought mockery from anti-Bloomberg Twitter users .
Some proposed other options for large brown lumps @ @ @ @ @ to be Bloomberg .
Others were grateful for the moment of humor as another Democratic @ @ @ @ @ said they ’ d like to eat Bloomberg .
There were even some who recalled @ @ @ @ @ Live ” skit for Schweddy Balls .
Finally , there are the conspiracy theorists who @ @ @ @ @ get the internet to talk about Bloomberg during the debate .
You can see the @ @ @ @ @ :

Louise and I went to see the new Barbie movie Friday afternoon. Sitting in the theater, we both nearly choked on our popcorn when, in the first few minutes of the movie, one of the Barbies said:
“In Barbieland, corporations are not people, and money is not considered protected free speech!”
Wow!
I suppose it shouldn’t surprise me that Barbie has more common sense than Sam Alito, but there it is.
Alito, of course, provided a tie-breaking vote on Citizens United in 2010, the bizarre Supreme Court decision that fully legalized political bribery, handing the American political system to the billionaires who helped pack him and other rightwing justices onto the Court in the first place.
In the Citizens United decision, the five Republicans then on the Court doubled-down on earlier pronouncements that laid its foundation. In 1976, in Buckley v Valeo, the Court — for the first time in the history of America or any other developed nation — ruled that it would no longer be considered bribery when a morbidly rich person poured so much cash over a politician that s/he entirely parrots their lines and votes their interests.
Their rationale was that the First Amendment protects free speech and, because your “free speech” can’t be heard without a lot of money to buy advertising time on TV, etc., cash can now be considered the same thing as speech.
In his dissent, Justice Byron White cut right to the chase about the Court’s bizarre legalization of political bribery and its potential consequences:
“The act of giving money to political candidates, however, may have illegal or other undesirable consequences: it may be used to secure the express or tacit understanding that the giver will enjoy political favor if the candidate is elected.”
Justice Marshall similarly dissented, writing:
“[T]he perception that personal wealth wins elections may … undermine public confidence in the integrity of the electoral process.”
While I’ve never heard the money I carry in my pocket talk to me, that was the decision of the Court and it stands to this day: money is now “free speech.” This explains why every elected Republican who depends on the Koch network and other fossil fuel billionaires for campaign cash still denies our climate emergency even exists and refuses to do anything about it.
Two years later, in a decision (First National Bank v Bellotti) written by the infamous rightwing hack and tobacco shill Lewis Powell himself, the Court ruled that corporations, too, were entitled to legally bribe politicians because corporations are “persons” and thus protected by the human rights protections of the Bill of Rights, including the First Amendment right of free speech (now apparently known as “free money for politicians”).
That was too much even for Republican William Rehnquist, who wrote the dissent, saying:
“A State grants to a business corporation the blessings of potentially perpetual life and limited liability to enhance its efficiency as an economic entity. It might reasonably be concluded that those properties, so beneficial in the economic sphere, pose special dangers in the political sphere. Furthermore, it might be argued that liberties of political expression are not at all necessary to effectuate the purposes for which States permit commercial corporations to exist.”
Rehnquist added in footnote 6 to his dissent:
“[T]he interest of Massachusetts and the many other States which have restricted corporate political activity is not one of equalizing the resources of opposing candidates or opposing positions, but rather of preventing institutions which have been permitted to amass wealth as a result of special advantages extended by the State for certain economic purposes from using that wealth to acquire an unfair advantage in the political process.”
Nonetheless, the Court’s majority opinion stood and just two years later Ronald Reagan floated into the White House on a river of oil money, leading him to reverse Jimmy Carter’s policies to make America energy independent, end Carter’s Solar Bank that would have had 20 percent of America’s electricity coming from solar power by the year 2000, and remove Carter’s solar panels from the roof of the White House.
When the Court tripled down on these two freakish distortions of American bribery law in its 2010 Citizens United decision, Justice John Paul Stevens called them out:
“The Court’s blinkered and aphoristic approach to the First Amendment will undoubtedly cripple the ability of ordinary citizens, Congress, and the States to adopt even limited measures to protect against corporate domination of the electoral process.”
He added, pointing out that the case was essentially manufactured and should never have even been taken up by the Court:
“The Court’s ruling threatens to undermine the integrity of elected institutions across the Nation. The path it has taken to reach its outcome will, I fear, do damage to this institution.”
And, indeed, it has. As former President Jimmy Carter told me seven years ago on my radio/TV program:
“It [Citizens United] violates the essence of what made America a great country in its political system. Now it’s just an oligarchy, with unlimited political bribery being the essence of getting the nominations for president or to elect the president. … So now we’ve just seen a complete subversion of our political system as a payoff to major contributors, who want and expect and sometimes get favors for themselves after the election’s over.”
Now comes Sam Alito, without whose vote Citizens United wouldn’t have turned our elections over to America’s rightwing billionaires, saying that if he and Thomas want to take travel and gifts from billionaires with business before the Court; if Chief Justice Roberts’ wife wants to take more than $10 million from law firms that will appear before the Court; if billionaires with interests before the court want to help Neal Gorsuch sell his property in a sweetheart deal; then that’s just fine.
As noted, Alito came right out and used the word “regulate” to describe what he believes Congress cannot do to the Court.
Apparently, he never read the Constitution that he pretends to interpret and enforce. For there it is, for all to see, right smack dab in the middle of Article III, the part of the Constitution that creates the Supreme Court:
“[T]he supreme Court shall have appellate Jurisdiction, both as to Law and Fact, with such Exceptions, and under such Regulations as the Congress shall make.”
One of those regulations, in fact, was Congress creating an eighth seat on the Court — which Alito currently occupies — with the Judiciary Act of 1837 that also created the eighth and ninth Circuit Courts. (Today there are 13 Circuit Courts, strongly arguing for 13 justices on the Supreme Court, as historically each justice had oversight over one of the Circuit Courts and now most are doubled-up.)
Congress has already regulated the Supreme Court numerous times, including imposing a code of ethics on them that they are simply choosing to ignore.
In 1940, Congress passed ethics rules for district courts, but in 1974 they were updated to include all federal justices and judges, which includes the Supreme Court. The law [28 U.S. Code § 455 – Disqualification of justice, judge, or magistrate judge] now reads (with my annotations in [brackets]):
“(a) Any [“Any” means “any,” including SCOTUS justices] justice, judge, or magistrate judge of the United States shall disqualify himself in any proceeding in which his impartiality might reasonably be questioned.
“(b) He shall also disqualify himself in the following circumstances:
“(1) Where he has a personal bias or prejudice concerning a party [like the billionaires supporting Kavanaugh, Alito, and Thomas, although none have so far recused themselves in these cases], or personal knowledge of disputed evidentiary facts concerning the proceeding;
“(2) Where in private practice he served as lawyer in the matter in controversy, or a lawyer with whom he previously practiced law served during such association as a lawyer concerning the matter, or the judge or such lawyer has been a material witness concerning it [because of this law, until she joined the Supreme Court Amy Coney Barrett routinely recused herself from cases involving fossil fuels because her father spent most of his career as one of Shell Oil’s top attorneys, but now she refuses to recuse herself];
“(3) Where he has served in governmental employment and in such capacity participated as counsel, adviser or material witness concerning the proceeding or expressed an opinion concerning the merits of the particular case in controversy [when Roberts was employed by Reagan in the DOJ, he wrote extensively about how to overturn Roe v Wade, as I detail in The Hidden History of the Supreme Court and the Betrayal of America, and Amy Coney Barrett was a party to lobbying and PR efforts by anti-abortion groups];
“(4) He knows that he, individually or as a fiduciary, or his spouse or minor child residing in his household, has a financial interest in the subject matter in controversy or in a party to the proceeding, or any other interest that could be substantially affected by the outcome of the proceeding [consider John Roberts’ wife taking over $10 million for placing attorneys with law firms who have business before the Court]…”
Because the Court has assiduously ignored 28 U.S. Code § 455, Congress is working on a new bill to explicitly regulate the justices’ behavior; it passed out of the Senate Judiciary Committee last week over the objection of every single Republican senator. It will die in the House, but it’s a good exercise for a law that should be among the first rolled out if in 2025 in Democrats can reclaim the House (and hold the Senate and White House).
Republican Senators, of course, don’t want the legalized bribery gravy train to ever stop, and if billionaire-bought-off conflicted justices can’t rule because these sorts of issues force the recusal of Thomas, Alito, and Roberts (at least), then Citizens United itself might be reversed. Not to mention their gutting of the EPA’s ability to regulate fossil fuels. Or the federal government’s ability to regulate American wetlands. Etc.
When Barbie has more integrity than six Republican members of the US Supreme Court, you know American democracy is in a crisis.
It’s time for Congress and the Department of Justice to do their jobs and force the “corrupt six” Supreme Court justices to follow the law.


rawstory--2020-01-15--Here are 7 stunning new pieces of impeachment evidence just released by the House

House Intelligence Committee Chair Adam Schiff , a California Democrat , dropped a new slate of deeply revealing evidence Tuesday night in the impeachment case against President Donald Trump .
Though the evidence doesn ’ t change the basic narrative of the case against Trump — that he and a group of his cronies used the administration in various ways to put pressure on Ukraine to announce investigations into his political rivals as the 2020 campaign heated up — it adds more color and detail to the story and should make the president ’ s culpability in a disturbing plot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deny .
Here are seven stunning new facts the new evidence revealed : Writing to Zelensky on May 10 , when Giuliani was trying to plan a trip to Ukraine to pressure the country into investigating former Vice President Joe Biden , the president ’ s lawyer wrote that he is acting with Trump ’ s “ knowledge and consent.
” This claim fundamentally undercuts the argument some defenders of the president have been inclined to make that Giuliani was operating as a rogue agent .
2 .
In the same letter , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ capacity as personal counsel to President Trump.
” “ I am private counsel to President Donald J. Trump , ” Giuliani wrote .
“ Just to be precise , I represent him as a private citizen , not as President of the United States.
” This confirms , as many have argued repeatedly , that Giuliani ’ s efforts in Ukraine were clearly for Trump ’ s personal benefit , not the country ’ s .
That ’ s part of the reason why it was so grossly wrong , and indeed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ powers of his office to induce Ukraine to announce an investigation into Biden and other political opponents .
3 .
Trump lawyer Jay Sekulow gave John Dowd , another attorney , permission from the president to defend Igor Furman and Lev Parnas , two of Giuliani ’ s associates who have been indicted on campaign finance charges , in part , for their Ukraine-related work .
Trump has claimed he doesn ’ t know who Furman and Parnas are , even though he has appeared in pictures with them .
This evidence makes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and raises more questions about why he was trying to conceal his dealings with them .
4 .
Parnas wrote notes on Ritz-Carlton stationery suggesting he was directly involved with the Ukraine scheme .
“ get Zalensky [ sic ] to Annonce [ sic ] that the Biden case will Be Investigated , ” he wrote .
In a letter to House Judiciary Chair Jerry Nadler , Schiff said Parnas ’ lawyer confirmed that he wrote the note .
5 .
Parnas texted with a man named Robert F. Hyde , believed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for a House seat in Connecticut , about removing former Ukraine Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch .
6 .
Parnas was also communicating with Ukrainian officials which , Schiff argued , demonstrated “ that Mr. Parnas served as a direct channel between President Trump ’ s agent , Mr. Giuliani , and individuals close to President Volodymyr Zelensky.
” Parnas tried to set up a meeting for Giuliani and Zelenksy in May 2019 via senior aides to the Ukrainian president , the texts show .
7 .
Giuliani tried to get a visa approved for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told Giuliani that former Prosecutor General Viktor Shokin , who has been feeding the unsupported allegations against Biden , was denied a visa to the U.S. Giuliani said in response : “ I can revive it , ” despite having no formal role at the State Department .

House Intelligence Committee Chair Adam Schiff, a California Democrat, dropped a new slate of deeply revealing evidence Tuesday night in the impeachment case against President Donald Trump.
Though the evidence doesn’t change the basic narrative of the case against Trump — that he and a group of his cronies used the administration in various ways to put pressure on Ukraine to announce investigations into his political rivals as the 2020 campaign heated up — it adds more color and detail to the story and should make the president’s culpability in a disturbing plot even harder for his Republican allies to deny.
Here are seven stunning new facts the new evidence revealed:
1. Rudy Giuliani told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky he’s working with Trump’s “knowledge and consent.”
Writing to Zelensky on May 10, when Giuliani was trying to plan a trip to Ukraine to pressure the country into investigating former Vice President Joe Biden, the president’s lawyer wrote that he is acting with Trump’s “knowledge and consent.” This claim fundamentally undercuts the argument some defenders of the president have been inclined to make that Giuliani was operating as a rogue agent.
2. In the same letter, Giuliani says he is acting in his “capacity as personal counsel to President Trump.”
“I am private counsel to President Donald J. Trump,” Giuliani wrote. “Just to be precise, I represent him as a private citizen, not as President of the United States.”
This confirms, as many have argued repeatedly, that Giuliani’s efforts in Ukraine were clearly for Trump’s personal benefit, not the country’s. That’s part of the reason why it was so grossly wrong, and indeed impeachable, for him to use the powers of his office to induce Ukraine to announce an investigation into Biden and other political opponents.
3. Trump lawyer Jay Sekulow gave John Dowd, another attorney, permission from the president to defend Igor Furman and Lev Parnas, two of Giuliani’s associates who have been indicted on campaign finance charges, in part, for their Ukraine-related work.
Trump has claimed he doesn’t know who Furman and Parnas are, even though he has appeared in pictures with them. This evidence makes it harder to believe this is true and raises more questions about why he was trying to conceal his dealings with them.
4. Parnas wrote notes on Ritz-Carlton stationery suggesting he was directly involved with the Ukraine scheme.
“get Zalensky [sic] to Annonce [sic] that the Biden case will Be Investigated,” he wrote.
In a letter to House Judiciary Chair Jerry Nadler, Schiff said Parnas’ lawyer confirmed that he wrote the note.
5. Parnas texted with a man named Robert F. Hyde, believed to be the same person who is running for a House seat in Connecticut, about removing former Ukraine Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch.
Schiff explained:
In response to some articles, tweets, and videos accusing the Ambassador of being disloyal to President Trump, Mr. Hyde wrote “Wow. Can’t believe Trumo [sic] hasn’t fired this bitch. I’ll get right in that. Mr. Hyde then sent a series of text messages suggesting that he had Ambassador Yovanovitch under physical surveillance in Kyiv and that “They are willing to help if we/you would like a price.”
6. Parnas was also communicating with Ukrainian officials which, Schiff argued, demonstrated “that Mr. Parnas served as a direct channel between President Trump’s agent, Mr. Giuliani, and individuals close to President Volodymyr Zelensky.”
Parnas tried to set up a meeting for Giuliani and Zelenksy in May 2019 via senior aides to the Ukrainian president, the texts show.
7. Giuliani tried to get a visa approved for a disgraced former Ukrainian prosecutor.
Parnas told Giuliani that former Prosecutor General Viktor Shokin, who has been feeding the unsupported allegations against Biden, was denied a visa to the U.S. Giuliani said in response: “I can revive it,” despite having no formal role at the State Department.


rawstory--2020-01-15--Trump argues Suleimani assassination did not have to be legal because he had killed ‘hundreds of tho

Trump argues Suleimani assassination did not have to be legal because he had killed ‘hundreds of thousands’ of people

President Donald Trump pushed back against the notion that he needed legal authority to assassinate Iranian General Qassim Suleimani during @ @ @ @ @ Wisconsin .
Trump argued it was irrelevant where Suleimani presented an “ imminent threat ” @ @ @ @ @ the legal requirement that was necessary for the assassination to have any hope of being @ @ @ @ @ the right thing , everyone knows , ” Trump claimed , despite widespread condemnation of @ @ @ @ @ ’ re saying , ‘ was the attack imminent — imminent ?
’ Does the @ @ @ @ @ hundreds of thousands of people and thousands of Americans — horribly killed — and wounded @ @ @ @ @ doesn ’ t matter ?
” Trump asked .
It is unclear where he got @ @ @ @ @ is no public evidence that Suleimani killed hundreds of thousands of people or thousands of @ @ @ @ @ attack imminent ?
” Trump asked , drawing attention to the key legal burden .
@ @ @ @ @ re going to start a new investigation .
”

In new allegations revealed Wednesday, Texas House investigators accused suspended Attorney General Ken Paxton of engaging in a complex cover-up to hide his relationship with real estate investor Nate Paul as senior aides grew increasingly concerned about Paxton’s willingness to use his office to benefit Paul.
The subterfuge allegedly included Paxton and Paul creating an Uber account under an alias so they could meet each other and so the attorney general could visit the woman with whom he was having an extramarital affair.
And once Paxton learned several high-ranking officials in his office reported his behavior to the FBI, the House impeachment managers alleged, he took immediate steps to cover up his relationship with Paul, including wiring a $122,000 payment to a Paul-affiliated company in an effort to hide home renovations that Paul had provided for free.
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The allegations, outlined in a series of filings with the Texas Senate’s court of impeachment, shed new light on the relationship between Paul and Paxton that is at the core of his impeachment proceedings.
Among the new claims: Top deputies in the attorney general’s office persistently warned Paxton that Paul was a “crook” and that there was no merit to his claims that he had been unfairly treated by law enforcement, and that the two met at least 20 times in spring and summer 2020, sometimes discussing the FBI investigation into Paul’s faltering real estate empire.
Paxton “blindly accepted Paul’s conspiracy,” impeachment managers alleged. “Senior Staff urged Paxton to stay away. But when it came to Paul, Paxton was immune to reason.”
Paul was arrested in June on federal felony charges of lying to financial institutions to secure business loans.
Responding to Paxton’s pretrial motions that seek to dismiss all 20 articles of impeachment, including four that will not be included in the Sept. 5 impeachment trial, House managers also detailed multiple actions in which Paxton allegedly sought to use his office to benefit Paul.
They alleged that Paxton conducted a “sham criminal investigation” into Paul’s “adversaries,” routinely overriding concerns from agency staff who told him that Paul was a “criminal” and that Paxton needed to “get away.”
Instead, House managers alleged, Paxton became increasingly “entangled in Paul’s web of deceit” and “went to great lengths” to hide his relationship with Paul — using a burner phone and secret email accounts, ditching his security detail and using the fake Uber name to be “ferried to his lover’s or Paul’s properties more than a dozen times.”
In response to Paul’s favors — including allegedly employing the woman and paying to remodel Paxton’s home — Paxton “continually abused the power of his office to advance Paul’s aims,” House managers alleged.
In one instance, Paxton allegedly told agency staff that he did not want the office to assist law enforcement “in any way” with an investigation into Paul, who Paxton claimed was being “railroaded” and needed “unprecedented” access to sensitive information about his case.
After meeting with “alarmed” senior staff, Paxton allegedly demanded files about Paul’s criminal case that included an unredacted FBI letter that identified individuals involved in a 2019 raid on Paul’s home and businesses.
“Paxton held onto the file for more than a week,” House managers wrote. “Ultimately, OAG did not disclose the information to Paul. But Paxton did.”
In another instance, Paxton was accused of issuing a legal opinion that staved off a pending foreclosure sale of Paul’s businesses at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. House investigators cited two agency employees who said they were forced to work through the night to produce the opinion while Paxton frequently called them.
Paxton “sounded like someone was holding him hostage,” one of the staffers told investigators.
The opinion, which Paxton allegedly edited himself, was published at 1 a.m. Aug. 2, 2020, and said foreclosure proceedings posed a public health threat — despite the state’s “open for business” mantra throughout the pandemic, managers said.
The next day, managers alleged, Paul cited the opinion to successfully delay the foreclosures.
“It is hard to imagine a more blatant abuse of Paxton’s office,” House managers wrote.
Paxton’s legal team had filed more than a dozen motions to dismiss all articles of impeachment, often arguing that the underlying allegations were baseless or fell under the legitimate duties of the attorney general’s office.
His attorneys also accused the Texas House of trying to “overturn the will of voters” who reelected Paxton to a third term last year despite various public scandals dating to 2015. One argument stressed that Paxton cannot be impeached for alleged misconduct that predated his most recent election under the so-called “prior-term doctrine.” And they downplayed some of the allegations he faces, saying that, even if true, they are not severe enough to warrant his removal from office.
Paxton’s lawyers also attacked two bribery-related impeachment articles, saying there was no evidence of a “quid pro quo” and that Paxton’s ties to Paul were nothing more than “a personal relationship with a constituent and that the constituent found something the Attorney General did to be agreeable in some way.”
Under rules adopted by the Senate, any pretrial motion to dismiss or quash an article of impeachment must be voted on by senators. A majority — 16 senators — can approve dismissal of an article, placing an early test on the determination of the chamber’s 19 Republicans to allow a trial on the allegations. Those votes are set to be taken shortly after the trial begins in September.
In a written response, filed with the Senate on Tuesday and made public Wednesday, the impeachment team challenged other pretrial assertions from Paxton’s lawyers, who claimed the articles of impeachment were deficient because they failed to list specific laws that Paxton allegedly broke.
“Impeachable offenses need not be indictable crimes,” the House team argued. “Impeachment in Texas seeks to protect against conduct that undermines the integrity of the office, disregards constitutional duties and oaths of office, abuses government process and power, and adversely impacts the system of government.”
What’s more, the team argued, many of the articles listed particular crimes, and several detailed “how Paxton abused his office for his own personal benefit or that of Nate Paul and business entities controlled by Paul.”
More broadly, the managers emphasized that the impeachment trial is not a criminal or civil proceeding, as Paxton’s side has implied. In one new filing, the managers wrote that an impeachment trial is “a unique, if not mostly Political, with a capital ‘P’, proceeding — i.e., an action by the representatives of the people challenging official actions that are contrary to the public interest.”
That view aligns with the view that Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who leads the Senate and is acting as judge in the impeachment trial, offered in a TV interview Tuesday.
“It’s not a criminal trial. It’s not a civil trial. It’s a political trial,” Patrick told the Fox affiliate in Houston.
The House managers also asked the Senate to dismiss Paxton’s motion to quash the articles or return them to the House to add more detail to the allegations. The managers said the demand shows a “fundamental misunderstanding” of how impeachment works, arguing that the Texas Constitution does not require the level of detail common in a civil or criminal proceeding.
“A person can be impeached without an indictment, therefore Paxton does not have any right to demand more details,” the managers said.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.


rawstory--2020-01-15--‘Just the tip of the iceberg’: Congressman says new docs only scratch the surface of Trump’s secrets

‘Just the tip of the iceberg’: Congressman says new docs only scratch the surface of Trump’s secrets from the public

On MSNBC Tuesday , Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi ( D-IL ) suggested that the damning new documents from indicted Rudy Giuliani @ @ @ @ @ the beginning of what President Donald Trump and his associates have concealed about their Ukraine @ @ @ @ @ s , like , possible smoking gun stuff lying all over the place .
Can @ @ @ @ @ get your hands on it ?
” asked host Chris Hayes .
“ Well , @ @ @ @ @ question , but what ’ s interesting to me about this is that we are @ @ @ @ @ come to us voluntarily through Lev Parnas , but also through Freedom of Information Act @ @ @ @ @ out to us is that , you know , this is just the tip of @ @ @ @ @ the information that the White House is concealing from us , ” said Krishnamoorthi .
@ @ @ @ @ articles of impeachment talk about obstructing this congressional investigation , and I think that what @ @ @ @ @ is proof positive that such obstruction actually occurred .
”

The young people who are most closely associated with guns are more likely to be white people who have worse symptoms of anxiety or depression, according to new research conducted by Everytown for Gun Safety, American University’s Polarization and Extremism Research and Innovation Lab (PERIL) and the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC).
The research also found that men were more familiar with and agreed more with the following “gun narratives”: “Guns allow the weak to stand up to the strong,” “People should buy guns now because society might collapse in our lifetime;” “It isn’t fair that the actions of a few troubles individuals should have a negative effect on the gun rights of good Americans who have done everything right;” “Guns are the best way to defend yourself, loved ones and your community;” and “Guns bring families together.”
This first-of-its-kind look at American youth’s attitudes about gun violence polled over 4,000 American young people between the ages of 14 and 30 from a nationally representative sample over the past year. The researchers, who also conducted qualitative focus groups with participants, found that youth with stronger male supremacist and racist attitudes tend to hold stronger beliefs that adults in schools should be armed, feel safer with guns than without guns, and have stronger trust in the police.
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A number of beliefs and experiences corresponded to higher measures of male supremacy. The higher the number of experiences a person has had related to injuries or deaths from gun violence, the higher the belief respondents held that guns defend minorities, and the higher the belief that the Second Amendment gives Americans the right to overthrow the government, all correlated with higher scored measures of male supremacy.
Pasha Dashtgard, the director of research at PERIL and an expert on male supremacy and online radicalization, said one factor propelling this sentiment is a shifting economic landscape in America.
“In places of economic instability, men are shifting from this attitude of man as provider to man as protector,” he said. “You may not be able to, as a man, be the primary breadwinner, but you can — through acquiring guns and the willingness to use guns for violence — reclaim your masculinity as a protector.”
Even in young people, this sentiment was notable and behind many of the things that participants expressed to the researchers during interviews. Dashtgard said this speaks to a larger cultural dynamic at play currently, where many white men are feeling unsure of how to articulate themselves as men in current society. As a result, many young men are turning to guns as an “unimpeachable access to masculinity.”
A boy examines a firearm during the National Rifle Association’s annual convention in May 2022, in Houston, Texas. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
Dashtgard said that for many young men, developing a relationship with guns as a way to bolster their sense of male identity starts at a very young age, when young boys are often unwittingly exposed to “a lot of really toxic ideas and a lot of really potentially radicalizing content” through social media. He says while many parents dismiss concerns over what children are seeing — and the potential for radicalization — on social media as overblown “wokeness,” he said most parents would be shocked to find that their children are interacting with white supremacist recruiters while playing video games and watching Twitch streams.
“Media literacy is really important,” Dashtgard said.
In addition to making sure children are taught media literacy, Angela Ferrell-Zabala, the executive director of Moms Demand Action, a part of the Everytown for Gun Safety network, told The 19th that parents also need to be aware of what media their children are consuming — and aware of the ways that the gun advocates have helped position media messages designed to influence their sons, as this new research shows.
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“This research tells us a lot about where we need to go from here and it confirms just how intertwined the gun culture promoted by the gun lobby is with hate-filled ideologies,” Ferrell-Zabala said.
She noted that part of Everytown’s work on gun safety includes calling attention to the way guns and gun accessories are frequently marketed to young boys and men. Ferrell-Zabala pointed to campaigns such as Bushmaster’s “reissue your man-card,” and an ad from Kahr Firearms that was posted during the Black Lives Matter protests of 2020 that portrays Kyle Rittenhouse — the man who as a then-17-year-old traveled to Kenosha, Wisconsin during the protests there following the killing of a Black man in the summer of 2020 and shot three people, two of them fatally — as a hero.
“I think we need to talk about why, when young men and boys are engaging with content about guns and American gun culture, they increasingly find themselves holding hateful beliefs about sexism and racism,” Ferrell-Zabala said of the findings of this new research. “The rhetoric of the gun lobby has long included racist and sexist overtones and dog-whistles, which we may assume only reaches the older generations in our country — but what our research shows is that this rhetoric does seem to be sticking with young boys and men.”
In his own research, Dashtgard regularly sees how low the bar to entry is for young men interacting with male supremacist and white supremacist content.
“This isn’t a case of somebody typing in ‘the Holocaust isn’t real,’ but a 14-year old boy who is nervous about talking to women and going on the Internet and searching for tips for how to do that.”
From that simple search, he said, many young men are quickly entering into a world of “really awful content” that is rooted in male and white supremacist ideology.
“As feminist discourse has entered into mainstream conversation, there has been an understandable focus on the ways patriarchy has impacted women,” Dashtgard said. “There hasn’t been articulated as clearly an understanding of how patriarchy affects boys and men.”
As a result, many boys and men are turning to the Internet for answers. There, Dashtgard said, “white supremacist and Stormfront recruiters [are] coming into those forums” so that men looking for answers are met with ideas that often lead them to violence rooted in feelings of hatred and resentment towards women and racial minorities.
The research from Everytown, PERIL and the SPLC also found that 42 percent of young people said they had easy access to guns in their homes. Dashtgard said that talking about “the gun access problem is too late” — and instead, more focus needs to be put on what is driving men to pick up guns and use them in violent ways.
“We need to be targeting young people earlier, and we need to be addressing why are you feeling so angry, what did you read, who did you hear from that women are the ones responsible for your anger?” Dashtgard said.
The 19th is an independent, nonprofit newsroom reporting on gender, politics and policy.


rawstory--2020-01-15--Marie Yovanovitch wants official investigation into why Trump associates were spying on her

Former Ukraine Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch learned along with the rest of the world Tuesday that President Donald Trump ’ s @ @ @ @ @ her , following her and speculating on whether they could pay bodyguards could harm her @ @ @ @ @ series of WhatsApp messages were revealed by Parnas between him and Republican congressional candidate Robert @ @ @ @ @ he knew people in Ukraine who could monitor Yovanovitch and act on behalf of their @ @ @ @ @ , Yovanovitch released a statement trusting that an investigation into Hyde would be forthcoming .
@ @ @ @ @ the notion that American citizens and others were monitoring Ambassador Yovanovitch ’ s movements for @ @ @ @ @ We trust that the appropriate authorities will conduct an investigation to determine what happened , @ @ @ @ @ In a call with the Ukraine president , Trump alleged that the ambassador was “ @ @ @ @ @ things.
” It clearly reveals the president knew what was going on with his allies @

Former Ukraine Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch learned along with the rest of the world Tuesday that President Donald Trump's lawyer and associates were monitoring her, following her and speculating on whether they could pay bodyguards who could harm her in some way.
A series of WhatsApp messages were revealed by Parnas between him and Republican congressional candidate Robert Hyde, who said that he knew people in Ukraine who could monitor Yovanovitch and act on behalf of their interests.
Through her attorney, Yovanovitch released a statement trusting that an investigation into Hyde would be forthcoming.
"Needless to say, the notion that American citizens and others were monitoring Ambassador Yovanovitch's movements for unknown purposes is disturbing. We trust that the appropriate authorities will conduct an investigation to determine what happened," the statement said.
In a call with the Ukraine president, Trump alleged that the ambassador was "going to go through some things." It clearly reveals the president knew what was going on with his allies.


rawstory--2020-01-15--Michael Flynn moves to un-plea guilty: report

On Tuesday , former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn moved to withdraw his guilty plea for lying to the FBI @ @ @ @ @ ’ s legal team argue that federal prosecutors broke their end of his cooperation agreement @ @ @ @ @ back his plea .
Flynn , who resigned almost immediately after taking office as Trump @ @ @ @ @ , initially confessed to lying about his conversation with Russian Ambassador to the United States @ @ @ @ @ cooperate with federal prosecutors .
However , in mid-2019 he replaced his legal counsel with @ @ @ @ @ activist lawyer who threw out Flynn ’ s previous legal strategy and tried instead to @ @ @ @ @ trial — with disastrous results .
Prosecutors are seeking for Flynn to be jailed for @ @ @

The three candidates, as well as businessman Perry Johnson and Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, also had campaign events at the Iowa State Fair scheduled for Friday, meeting with Reynolds for a “fair-side chat” at JR’s SouthPork Ranch and speaking at the Register Political Soapbox.
In Thursday events, candidates talked with Iowans about issues from the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol insurrection to the investigation into Hunter Biden’s financial dealings. Some of the Iowans attending political events in the first two days of the Fair were weighing their options for the 2024 Republican caucuses — looking for alternatives to the frontrunner, former President Donald Trump.
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Linda Sullivan of Johnston came to listen to Burgum’s speech at 8:30 a.m., saying she and her husband were interested in what he and other candidates like Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and U.S. Sen. Tim Scott were saying. Sullivan said Trump was “wouldn’t be on my top list,” and that she was looking for another candidate to take on leading the Republican Party in 2024.
“I just want to get the best person that can get us out of this — in my words — mess, we’re kind of in, in our country,” Sullivan said. “And, yeah, just get back to common sense, like Kim said.”
Trump plans to attend the fair Saturday, but does not plan to speak at the soapbox or participate in a chat with Reynolds.
Here are some updates from the second day of Iowa’s 2023 Iowa State Fair:
Larry Elder calls for support to get to GOP debate stage
Talk show host Larry Elder defended his spot as a “serious candidate” in the 2024 Republican presidential field Friday at the Iowa State Fair, while saying his role was to push other candidates on under-discussed issues.
“Did you think that Donald Trump would win in 2016 at some point? Did you think Joe Biden would the nominee in 2020 at some point?” Elder said. “… Honestly, things have a long way to go between now and the first vote was here in Iowa on January 15. And of longer way to go before the first vote in November in 2024. Anything could happen — trust me, it will happen. You have no idea what’s gonna happen. Do I believe I’m a serious candidate? Hell yes, I am.”
The former California gubernatorial candidate spoke to more than 60 people gathered at the Des Moines Register Political Soapbox Friday afternoon. He shared his family story and described policy proposals to address the “epidemic of fatherlessness,” tie federal spending to a set percentage of the national gross domestic product and to remove so-called “soft on crime” district attorneys from office in cities around the country.
Elder described himself as a “MAGA” and “America First” Republican. Though Elder did not point to reasons why he would be a better nominee than former President Donald Trump, he asked for Republicans to support him to put a bigger spotlight on the topics he is discussing.
“Even if they want somebody else, I’m trying to put these issues front and center,” he said. “So if I’m not the nominee, if Trump, for example, is a nominee, if Trump can begin talking about this, given the strength of his voice, given the strength of his megaphone … maybe something can be done.”
Elder said no other Republican candidates are talking about issues such as fatherhood or saying that America is not “systematically racist,” for fear of being called racist. He asked for donations and support from Iowa Republicans at the soapbox and during his Thursday “fair-side chat” with Gov. Kim Reynolds to help him qualify for the Republican debate in Milwaukee Aug. 23.
Elder said he was about 15,000 donors short of the Republican National Committee’s 40,000 threshold. He asked the crowd for support to get his message on the national stage even if they support another candidate for the Republican nomination.
“Do you think that’s a serious message to take to the American people as I’m campaigning, even if I’m not the nominee?” Elder said. “Hell yeah, it is. That’s why I’m doing this.”
Perry Johnson wants executive order to stop Ukraine spending
Perry Johnson spent a large portion of his 20 minutes on the Des Moines Register Political Soapbox focused on federal debt and spending.
Defense spending, aid to Ukraine and federal departments were on Johnson’s list of cuts to make.
“I spent my entire life bringing quality and efficiency to companies and now I want to bring it to the federal government,” Johnson said.
Johnson is a businessman who focuses on efficiency and has founded several worldwide companies.
“I think it’s ridiculous that we are sending $113 billion to the Ukraine when we are going broke here,” Johnson said.
“The single most important thing we have in the United States is defense,” Johnson said, addressing the Department of Defense’s need to have advanced technology, as well as the department’s failed audits.
One audience member asked Johnson how he would be able to stop the U.S. from sending money to Ukraine.
“You noticed how Biden has all of the executive orders to send money over [to Ukraine]? You’re allowed to have an executive order to not fund it,” Johnson said. “… Let’s stop this craziness because sending $113 billion to the Ukraine, we don’t even know where the money is going. It’s nuts.”
Johnson also said he would get rid of the federal Department of Education if elected.
Lowering the cost of running the government is part of Johnson’s agenda, but he also wants to address costs Americans are facing in their privates lives, too, he said.
“The two major things that have gone up exponentially are college tuition and medical care and we need to address those issues,” Johnson, who just sent his eldest son to Michigan State, said.
Johnson said he would require colleges to freeze tuition cost and cut spending 2% each year to qualify for student loans if elected.
“Part of the thing that’s going to happen when I enter office is I will try to privatize as many things as possible,” Johnson said. “You realize, when we privatize things we force competition, we force people to have better quality and better efficiency or they can’t survive.”
Johnson is hosting a concert Saturday featuring the band Big & Rich at the Lauridsen Amphitheater in Des Moines. He said his concert was originally just for his donors, but he has reached his goal of 40,000 donors to reach the debate stage in Milwaukee on Aug. 23.
Johnson still invited everyone to the concert, “I guess in theory you’re supposed to donate, but I do have 52,000 donors, I don’t need more.”
Miami Mayor Francis Suarez emphasizes national electability while aiming for debate stage
Miami Mayor Francis Suarez does not have the name recognition that some of his competitors for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination can boast, but he told Iowans he was uniquely able to draw certain groups of voters away from the Democratic Party.
“I have absolutely no doubt that I would be a impossible candidate for the Democrats to beat, because I attack three core constituencies that, if they were to lose, they will lose the election by a landslide,” Suarez said. “… If we could win Hispanics, if we could win urban voters — which I’ve done already, my community — and young voters, it’s game over. There isn’t a place in the United States where Democrats can win. I’ve already done that.”
The Republican mayor talked with Iowans in back-to-back stops at the Iowa State Fair, first speaking with Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds for a “fair-side chat” before speaking to a group of 30 at the Des Moines Register Political Soapbox.
In both talks, Suarez discussed his experience as a Cuban-American whose parents were “kicked out of their country of birth by a communist dictator.” He said his family history and experience as a Republican mayor in a major American city would make him a good choice to lead conservatives to victory in a national election.
However, Suarez has acknowledged that his bid for the Republican nomination hinges on gaining a higher national profile. In an interview with The Hill Tuesday, the candidate said making it onto the Milwaukee debate stage later this month was “critical” to his campaign, and that he may drop out of the race if he does not qualify for the Aug. 23 debate.
Candidates must have donations from a minimum of 40,000 individuals, as well as hit at least 1% in three national polls or a mix of national and early state polls between July 1 and Aug. 23. Currently, eight candidates have met these thresholds for the debate: former President Donald Trump, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former Vice President Mike Pence, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, U.S. Sen. Tim Scott, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.
Trump, Pence and Christie have yet to sign the Republican National Committee’s pledge to back the eventual Republicans nominee regardless of who wins the contest also required to participate.
Suarez said that he is hoping the RNC offers some flexibility in the debate requirements because of some of the obstacles his campaign has encountered, “including not being included in at least a third of the polls that have been that have been put out.” Speaking with reporters after his soapbox speech, Suarez did not commit to dropping out if he does not qualify for the debate, but said he does believe candidates should not “linger around” if they do not have a credible shot at the nomination.
Getting a national platform would give his campaign the momentum needed to build toward that “credible” bid at the Republican nomination, he said.
“When you’re a relatively unknown candidate, you see the reaction that the crowd has and the people have when they listen to me, you know that if you’re given an opportunity to speak at a national level, that you’re gonna be able to connect and that you’re gonna be able to grow,” Suarez said. “So it’s kind of a chicken or an egg problem. And so we’re doing everything we can over the next 10 days to get there.”
Pence expresses pride in ‘Trump-Pence administration’
Although it’s been a common topic during campaign trail appearances, Gov. Kim Reynolds did not ask former Vice President Mike Pence about Jan. 6 during her “fair-side chat” interview.
A fairgoer on Thursday accused Pence of treason for refusing on Jan. 6, 2021, to block certification of the 2020 election. Pence said he was upholding his oath to defend the Constitution.
Reynolds, however, kept the focus on lighter topics. She asked what he was proud of during his time in the White House, as well as his Christian faith, his childhood and America’s current “absent president.”
Pence said he will “always be proud of the Trump-Pence administration,” an appealing line to some Republicans.
Andrew Wallace, a 21-year-old from Wisconsin drove five hours to see Donald Trump on Saturday, but decided to arrive to Iowa a day early to see Pence. Wallace said Pence is running on an agenda similar to Trump’s, but said he does not like Pence “ripping on Trump.”
“I don’t like that, I don’t like that,” Wallace said. “Trump didn’t do anything to him, Trump did absolutely nothing to him.”
Wallace said of Pence, “He’s running a Trump campaign, just a different guy other than Trump.”
Regarding Medicare and Social Security, Pence said, “We’re not going to change anything, 40-years-old or older and nothing changing for you.”
For those who are under 40, Pence said “I’d like to reform these New Deal programs and actually give you a better deal by making sure that Social Security and Medicare are actually there for you.”
The former vice president said the federal government has gotten too big.
“Washington is not only too big and spends too much, but it does too much,” Pence said before he told the audience of about 100 that he would shut down the federal Department of Education if elected.
Reynolds followed up with a question about Linn-Mar schools and a federal lawsuit regarding gender transitioning, with which Pence has been involved.
“We have got to make it clear that parents don’t co-parent with government,” Pence said, receiving a round of applause. “Parents are in charge of their children’s education and we got to protect our kids from this radical gender ideology.”
Pence promised attendees that he would bring small town values to the White House.
“Iowa just feels like home,” Pence said. “I grew up in a small town… I can tell you, I just promise you, you give me the privilege to be your president, I’m going to fight for the values and the ideals and the integrity and the character of the people of Iowa and the heartland of this country.”
Doug Burgum calls for action on U.S.-Mexico border
North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum told Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds Friday about his recent trip to the U.S.-Mexico border in Texas, saying President Joe Biden’s administration was failing to support Border Patrol agents.
Both Burgum and Reynolds, Republican governors, have sent National Guard troops from their states at the request of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott. The action comes following the end of Title 42, a measure that allowed the U.S. to turn away asylum-seekers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Burgum also made a trip to the border in Texas with North Dakota National Guard’s adjutant general on Monday and Tuesday, receiving a briefing from the more than 100 North Dakota National Guard troops on a yearlong deployment supporting U.S. Border Patrol agents in Texas.
In a “fair-side chat” with Reynolds Friday, Burgum said he saw the need during his trip for more federal support, and for more Border Patrol agents. There was not enough attention on the Biden administration’s border policies, he said, citing as an example an experience while he was being interviewed by national press in Texas.
“Over my shoulder, there was people wading across the Rio Grande, and I was getting questions about the swamp, and these indictments, while there’s people crossing the river behind us,” Burgum said.
The Biden administration asked Congress on Thursday for an additional $4 billion for border security.
Burgum linked the Biden administration’s handling of the U.S.-Mexico border with rising fentanyl overdose deaths, saying the U.S. was “taking mass casualties” by not stopping the flow of drugs over the southern border. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration found in 2020 that most fentanyl, produced in China and Mexico, was transported into the U.S. through legal ports of entry by U.S. citizens. Democrats have criticized Republicans for linking fentanyl trafficking with immigration.
The North Dakota Republican also said immigration along the U.S.-Mexico border was an issue of national security. He said cartels, transnational criminal organizations, were profiting off of people seeking transportation to the U.S. border, and that some of the people crossing the border could pose national security risks.
“This isn’t just like, ‘Oh, people are coming over from Mexico,'” Burgum said. Syrians, Iranians, North Koreans, Russians, Chinese — I mean, so we’ve got people on terrorist watch lists that are part of the group that are coming across the border right now.”
Burgum said there are roughly 20,000 Border Patrol agents currently working in the U.S. at both the northern and southern borders. He said he would reverse the Biden administration’s “dereliction of duty,” and put more federal resources behind border patrol.
“On a day one, if you give a group of law enforcement the support they need if you give them the technology, you give them the staffing you given the material, they’re going to be able to do the job when I was talking to Border Patrol people they said, Hey, we’ve done it before we’ve controlled the board before. Just give us a chance to do it.”
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Iowa Capital Dispatch is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Iowa Capital Dispatch maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Kathie Obradovich for questions: info@iowacapitaldispatch.com. Follow Iowa Capital Dispatch on Facebook and Twitter.


rawstory--2020-01-15--Giuliani associate has exposed how Trump’s lawyers were running a ‘criminal organization’: CNN analy

Giuliani associate has exposed how Trump’s lawyers were running a ‘criminal organization’: CNN analyst

On CNN Tuesday , former Bill Clinton White House Press Secretary Joe Lockhart broke down the full scale of what was revealed in the documents turned over to the House Intelligence Committee by indicted Rudy Giuliani associate Lev Parnas .
“ This really shines a light on — I think — the criminal organization aspect of this , ” said Lockhart .
“ I mean , think of it for a second , if we go back to the Senate trial .
The president has expressed interest in having Jay Sekulow , who is now up to his ears in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up to his ears in this , and Alan Dershowitz , who is being sued as part of the Jeffrey Epstein case .
Lawyers are supposed to be clean , not the people involved in the mess.
” “ And the letter that Giuliani sent to [ Ukrainian President Volodymyr ] Zelensky , he cites he wants to bring Victoria Toensing , who is representing a corrupt oligarch that the U.S. is trying to extradite right now , ” added Lockhart .
“ These people are all criminals .
And they ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , use my card as president of the United States .
”

On CNN Tuesday, former Bill Clinton White House Press Secretary Joe Lockhart broke down the full scale of what was revealed in the documents turned over to the House Intelligence Committee by indicted Rudy Giuliani associate Lev Parnas.
"This really shines a light on — I think — the criminal organization aspect of this," said Lockhart. "I mean, think of it for a second, if we go back to the Senate trial. The president has expressed interest in having Jay Sekulow, who is now up to his ears in this, Rudy Giuliani, who is up to his ears in this, and Alan Dershowitz, who is being sued as part of the Jeffrey Epstein case. Lawyers are supposed to be clean, not the people involved in the mess."
"And the letter that Giuliani sent to [Ukrainian President Volodymyr] Zelensky, he cites he wants to bring Victoria Toensing, who is representing a corrupt oligarch that the U.S. is trying to extradite right now," added Lockhart. "These people are all criminals. And they're working, and the president is saying, use my card as president of the United States."
Watch below:


rawstory--2020-01-15--WATCH LIVE: Donald Trump rally in Milwaukee, Wisconsin ahead of impeachment trial

President Donald Trump is spending the nights before the Senate vote on an impeachment trial rallying his base .
The president will take the stage just hours after the House Intelligence Committee released a trove of documents from Rudy Giuliani ’ s associate Lev Parnas .
According to the documents , Giuliani sent a letter to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky saying that he had spoken to the president and had the authorization to cut on his behalf .
Trump ’ s lawyer went on to request a meeting prior to Zelensky being sworn-in , in his “ capacity as personal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ knowledge and consent.
” Trump is expected to criticize Democrats for challenging him on the authorization for the use of force against Iran .
Trump and his team have bungled the explanation for the U.S. attack , at first saying embassies were under “ imminent threat , ” then “ some ” embassies were being threatened , just 24 hours later there were four embassies under possible attack .
After being criticized for the message evolution , Trump ’ s top aides changed their comment to the killing of an Iranian general to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is not legally authorized for the executive branch to conduct without approval from Congress .
You can watch Trump ’ s speech below in a video provided by PBS .
It is scheduled to begin at 8 p.m. EST , though the president often runs late .

President Donald Trump is spending the nights before the Senate vote on an impeachment trial rallying his base. The president will take the stage just hours after the House Intelligence Committee released a trove of documents from Rudy Giuliani's associate Lev Parnas.
According to the documents, Giuliani sent a letter to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky saying that he had spoken to the president and had the authorization to cut a deal on his behalf.
Trump’s lawyer went on to request a meeting prior to Zelensky being sworn-in, in his “capacity as personal counsel to President Trump and with his knowledge and consent.”
Trump is expected to criticize Democrats for challenging him on the authorization for the use of force against Iran. Trump and his team have bungled the explanation for the U.S. attack, at first saying embassies were under "imminent threat," then "some" embassies were being threatened, just 24 hours later there were four embassies under possible attack. After being criticized for the message evolution, Trump's top aides changed their comment to the killing of an Iranian general to be a "deterrent," which is not legally authorized for the executive branch to conduct without approval from Congress.
You can watch Trump's speech below in a video provided by PBS. It is scheduled to begin at 8 p.m. EST, though the president often runs late.


rawstory--2020-01-15--Here is the Republican operative that is the new poster boy for why Trump was impeached

The House Intelligence Committee on Tuesday transmitted a huge cache of evidence from Lev Parnas to the House Judiciary Committee .
Parnas , an indicted associate of Donald Trump defense attorney Rudy Giuliani , is a key figure in the upcoming impeachment trial .
Robert Hyde , who is running to represent Connecticut ’ s fifth congressional district in the 2020 election , features heavily in the documents .
“ Hyde is 40 and a resident of Simsbury and a Republican who is running for Congress in Connecticut ’ s 5th District .
He is a relative unknown who hopes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democrat , ” the Hartford Courant reports .
“ Hyde made headlines last month after he posted a sexist and vulgar tweet about California Sen. Kamala Harris .
On Dec. 3 , after Harris suspended her presidential campaign , Hyde posted this on Twitter : ‘ went down , brought to her knees .
Blew it , ’ Hyde tweeted .
‘ Must be a hard one to swallow .
# KamalaHarris # heelsup ’ ” “ In May , Hyde was removed by police from Trump National Doral Miami in Florida .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Doral police department , Hyde told the responding officer that he was in fear for his life and ‘ a hit man was out to get him.
’ Hyde gave police with a variety of names and contacts to provide information about why he felt his life was in danger , ” the newspaper reported .
“ He was not arrested .
Police escorted him from the hotel and transported him to an undisclosed location .
In the vehicle , Hyde said his computer had been hacked by the Secret Service and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the premises , according to the incident report , ” the newspaper added .
Hyde has also made interesting choices as to how he has prioritized his expenses .
“ Hyde donated at least $ 2,000 to Trump ’ s reelection fund and at least $ 750 to the Connecticut Republican Party , according to the FEC , ” the Courant reported .
“ Hyde owed the mother of his 13-year-old son more than $ 2,000 in child support , according to court records , even as he continued to donate thousands @ @ @ @ @ @ @ National Committee.
” Here ’ s some of what other people are saying about Hyde :

The House Intelligence Committee on Tuesday transmitted a huge cache of evidence from Lev Parnas to the House Judiciary Committee.
Parnas, an indicted associate of Donald Trump defense attorney Rudy Giuliani, is a key figure in the upcoming impeachment trial.
Robert Hyde, who is running to represent Connecticut's fifth congressional district in the 2020 election, features heavily in the documents.
"Hyde is 40 and a resident of Simsbury and a Republican who is running for Congress in Connecticut’s 5th District. He is a relative unknown who hopes to unseat Rep. Jahana Hayes, a Democrat," the Hartford Courantreports. "Hyde made headlines last month after he posted a sexist and vulgar tweet about California Sen. Kamala Harris. On Dec. 3, after Harris suspended her presidential campaign, Hyde posted this on Twitter: 'went down, brought to her knees. Blew it,' Hyde tweeted. 'Must be a hard one to swallow. #KamalaHarris #heelsup'”
"In May, Hyde was removed by police from Trump National Doral Miami in Florida. According to an incident report filed by the Doral police department, Hyde told the responding officer that he was in fear for his life and 'a hit man was out to get him.' Hyde gave police with a variety of names and contacts to provide information about why he felt his life was in danger," the newspaper reported.
"He was not arrested. Police escorted him from the hotel and transported him to an undisclosed location. In the vehicle, Hyde said his computer had been hacked by the Secret Service and that the Secret Service was watching him at the premises, according to the incident report," the newspaper added.
Hyde has also made interesting choices as to how he has prioritized his expenses.
"Hyde donated at least $2,000 to Trump’s reelection fund and at least $750 to the Connecticut Republican Party, according to the FEC," the Courant reported. "Hyde owed the mother of his 13-year-old son more than $2,000 in child support, according to court records, even as he continued to donate thousands to President Donald Trump and the Republican National Committee."
Here's some of what other people are saying about Hyde:


rawstory--2020-01-15--‘Organized-crime-type stuff’: Republican Trump foe George Conway on shocking new Lev Parnas document

‘Organized-crime-type stuff’: Republican Trump foe George Conway on shocking new Lev Parnas documents

Republican Washington lawyer George Conway blasted President Donald Trump for his involvement revealed by a series of documents released by @ @ @ @ @ Lev Parnas .
Tuesday , however , the House dropped documents handed over to the @ @ @ @ @ What the documents appeared to show was a record of the international conspiracy involving Giuliani @ @ @ @ @ As his Twitter feed blew up with comments and retweets , Conway explained that the @ @ @ @ @ akin to an organized crime operation .
As a former mafia-busting prosecutor , it puts @ @ @ @ @ a legal argument .
Conway , who Trump mocks as Mr. Kellyanne Conway , has @ @ @ @ @ Republicans to work against the president and air ads questioning the legitimacy of Trump ’ @ @ @ @ @ .

"If you look at the sheer number of people charged in the Georgia case, you're talking about 18 Trump allies, including Trump himself," said anchor Abby Phillip. "They're accused of racketeering, at least one, and at least one related crime. There's a lot of conduct alleged here, including trying to tamper with voting machines, and actual voting information. What is your take on the actual information contained in this document?"
POLL: Should Trump be allowed to run for office?
"So, a couple things," said Sununu. "I'm not a lawyer. I will say, this is incredibly similar to the federal indictment that Jack Smith is doing out of DOJ. Other than, as you brought up, now 18 people involved. That's a much bigger swath of individuals. Something that I think republicans need to take note of, this is a grand jury in a very conservative state. That said, this guy needs to be indicted. This isn't just the Department of Justice and the idea that it's all politicized. This is a grand jury in Georgia of all states."
All of this, said Sununu, underscores the fact that "this guy can't win in November."
"You might give him the nomination — I hope we don't — but this guy cannot win a state like New Hampshire, or Arizona, where these two states they absolutely have to have," said Sununu. "Last time I checked, you can't govern if you don't win. It's just gonna be another sob story for Donald Trump. And he's gonna crush the Republican ticket going down. I still am very hopeful the Republicans as a whole make a smart choice and find that one or two candidates to go against him by the time Iowa in New Hampshire hit."
Watch the video below or at the link.


rawstory--2020-01-15--Indicted Giuliani associate used pro-Trump super PAC official to forward Ukraine talking points to t

Indicted Giuliani associate used pro-Trump super PAC official to forward Ukraine talking points to the president’s son: report

One of the new revelations in the second batch of information released to House Democrats by indicted Rudy Giuliani associate @ @ @ @ @ apparently forwarded talking points on Ukraine to Donald Trump , Jr. using Joseph Ahearn , @ @ @ @ @ pro-Trump super PAC America First Action , according to BuzzFeed News reporter Emma Loop .
@ @ @ @ @ in setting up a $ 325,000 payment from Parnas and his partner Igor Fruman to @ @ @ @ @ payment is one of the campaign finance violations that led to Parnas and Fruman ’ @ @ @

"Trump and Giuliani had a handshake agreement that Giuliani and his team would get paid by the Trump political operation for their post-election work, according to Timothy Parlatore, an attorney for longtime Giuliani ally Bernard Kerik," Schwartz says. "But the Trump campaign and their affiliated committees ultimately did not honor that pledge, according to campaign finance records. The failure to pay Giuliani and his team came up last week in a private interview between prosecutors on special counsel Jack Smith's team and Bernard Kerik, a member of Giuliani's team in late 2020, according to Parlatore."
POLL: Should Trump be allowed to hold office again?
Schwartz recalls that "Federal Election Commission records and testimony from the House January 6th Select Committee hearings reveal that none of the private sector lawyers identified -- but not indicted -- in that case got paid for their post-election work: Not Sidney Powell, Kenneth Chesebro or John Eastman."
Trump reneging on his gentleman's contract with Giuliani, Schartz observes, "is all the more striking" given that Giuliani was charged along with Trump by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis for trying to steal the election in Georgia under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) of 1970 — upon which Giuliani built his career as a federal prosecutor in the Southern District of New York.
Trump's fundraising push after he lost to President Joe Biden is also under scrutiny by Smith, whom Politico's Betsy Woodruff Swan and Kyle Cheney explained on August 8th is investigating if Trump's Save America Political Action Committee "violated federal laws by raising money off claims of voter fraud they knew were false."
Those efforts, predicated on Trump's insistence that the election was stolen from him, raked in $250 million, according to the final report released by the House January 6th Select Committee.
READ MORE: Why Trump’s Georgia indictment is a 'reminder of the genius of American federalism': op-ed
"The money came in response to countless fundraising appeals that claimed it was needed to fund Trump's election challenges in court," Schwartz continues. "Yet instead of paying the lawyers who tried unsuccessfully to overturn his loss, the money went into Trump’s leadership PAC."
In fact, "Trump's entire political network, including his joint fundraising committees, spent over $47 million combined from the start of 2020 through the end of 2021 on legal fees, according to a report by OpenSecrets," Schwartz adds. "Today, that money is instead helping Trump pay his own legal bills. The PAC spent over $20 million in the first half of the year alone on legal fees as the president faced the first two of his four indictments."
READ MORE: Judge randomly assigned to Georgia Trump case once worked for Willis: report
Schwartz's report is available at this link.


rawstory--2020-01-15--‘Trump knew exactly what was going on’: Lev Parnas tells MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow ‘he lied’

Former Rudy Giuliani associate Lev Parnas turned over a trove of documents to the House Intelligence Committee , which was released to the public Tuesday evening .
In the words of former acting Solicitor General Neal Katyal , the documents are what President Donald Trump has been afraid of .
The impeachment trial is slated to begin Tuesday , as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ( D-CA ) transfers the articles of impeachment to the U.S. Senate this week .
Thus far , Trump has blocked first-hand witnesses and documents subpoenaed by the House .
Some documents have become available due @ @ @ @ @ @ @ non-profit groups and news outlets who went to court .
While Republicans haven ’ t agreed to subpoena Parnas , get a deposition , or even acknowledge he was involved , MSNBC ’ s Rachel Maddow did call him to answer questions .
The documents released answered a lot of questions , but it also revealed more questions that should be answered by Trump and his attorney .
Other questions like whether Parnas was given the phone number for Trump ’ s lawyer , Jay Sekulow , if he called him and what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ask about Hyde ’ s involvement in the monitoring of Yovanovitch and further questions about whether he is a reliable source .
Maddow delivered on expectations , taking a deep dive into the specifics about the scandal that is now promoting the impeachment of the president .
Among the comments leaked by Maddow Wednesday , was the accusation that Trump knew exactly what was happening at all times .
“ President Trump knew exactly what was going on .
He was aware of all of my movements .
I wouldn ’ t do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or the president , ” said Parnas .
See the video below :

Former Rudy Giuliani associate Lev Parnas turned over a trove of documents to the House Intelligence Committee, which was released to the public Tuesday evening. In the words of former acting Solicitor General Neal Katyal, the documents are what President Donald Trump has been afraid of.
The impeachment trial is slated to begin Tuesday, as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) transfers the articles of impeachment to the U.S. Senate this week. Thus far, Trump has blocked first-hand witnesses and documents subpoenaed by the House. Some documents have become available due to Freedom of Information Act requests from non-profit groups and news outlets who went to court.
While Republicans haven't agreed to subpoena Parnas, get a deposition, or even acknowledge he was involved, MSNBC's Rachel Maddow did call him to answer questions. The documents released answered a lot of questions, but it also revealed more questions that should be answered by Trump and his attorney.
Other questions like whether Parnas was given the phone number for Trump's lawyer, Jay Sekulow, if he called him and what they discussed. She'll likely ask about Hyde's involvement in the monitoring of Yovanovitch and further questions about whether he is a reliable source.
Maddow delivered on expectations, taking a deep dive into the specifics about the scandal that is now promoting the impeachment of the president. Among the comments leaked by Maddow Wednesday, was the accusation that Trump knew exactly what was happening at all times.
"President Trump knew exactly what was going on. He was aware of all of my movements. I wouldn't do anything without the consent of Rudy Giuliani or the president," said Parnas.
Parnas also said that it doesn't make sense that any of the Ukrainian leaders would meet with him unless he had the authorization by the president of the United States.
"Who am I? I'm nobody," he told Maddow.
Republicans are still not expected to care about the new information.
See the videos below:


rawstory--2020-01-15--‘We’ve got a request to talk to the big one’: House Dems release voicemails between Parnas and key T

‘We’ve got a request to talk to the big one’: House Dems release voicemails between Parnas and key Trump lawyer

On Wednesday , Politico reported that House Democrats released yet another batch of material turned over by indicted Rudy Giuliani @ @ @ @ @ voicemails between Parnas and Victoria Toensing , a right-wing attorney in President Donald Trump ’ @ @ @ @ @ Lev .
VT here , ” said one message Toensing sent on April 23 , @ @ @ @ @ ve got a request to talk to the big one .
So I just wanted @ @ @ @ @ you , if I could .
I know it ’ s late there .
I @ @ @ @ @ and Parnas have both been implicated in Giuliani ’ s scheme to pressure Ukrainian President @ @ @ @ @ “ investigation , ” of former Vice President Joe Biden ’ s family .