Author: Andrew Bradford

Proud progressive journalist and political adviser living behind enemy lines in Red America.

Categories
Crime Donald Trump

Former Solicitor General: New Lawsuit Filed By Capitol Police Proves ‘Trump Is In Serious Trouble’

A federal lawsuit was filed recently by two D.C. police officers — James Blassingame and Sidney Hemby — that accuses former President Donald Trump of inciting the pro-Trump rioters who inflicted physical and emotional injuries when they stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6.

The Washington Post reports that the lawsuit clearly places blame on Trump:

“’The insurrectionist mob, which Trump had inflamed, encouraged, incited, directed, and aided and abetted, forced its way over and past the plaintiffs and their fellow officers, pursuing and attacking them inside and outside the United States Capitol, and causing the injuries,’ the suit states.”

“At least 81 Capitol Police officers were assaulted on Jan. 6, according to filings by federal prosecutors, The Post’s Tom Jackman reported. About 65 D.C. police officers also suffered injuries during the Capitol siege, including several concussions from head blows from various objects, including metal poles ripped from inauguration scaffolding, police officials said.”

This latest lawsuit, according to former Obama administration acting Solicitor General Neal Katyal, is a big deal and it’s the worst possible news for Trump, who recently lied and said that his supporters were hugging and kissing the cops as they ransacked the Capitol.

Katyal appeared on MSNBC and noted:

“This is what the complaint said today: ‘The officer attacked relentlessly, bleeding from a cut less than an inch from the eye, cuts, and abrasions on the face and hands and his body was pinned against a large metal door fending off attacks.’ So when Donald Trump said they were kissing and hugging the guards, my God.”

Host Nicolle Wallace then read more of the suit, making it clear that the insurrectionists were out of control and that Trump did absolutely nothing to stop them once the rioting started:

“For several hours after the mob stormed the Capitol, Trump had the continuing ability to issue statements through traditional and social media but refused. Refused to communicate anything to the followers that might discourage the assault and battery. Trump thereby ratified the conduct of the followers and ensured that the assaults on the officers last much longer, worsening the injuries of the plaintiffs and other officers. Late in the afternoon, Trump ratified the conduct, and again said that the election had been stolen by fraud and by announcing support, praise and love for his followers.”

Wallace then asked Katyal if the Blassingame-Hemby lawsuit had put Trump in even greater legal jeopardy. Katyal said it most certainly did:

“Absolutely. If you could short Donald Trump right now it would be a good time to do so. Everything you’re saying, Nicolle, is absolutely right. This, in conjunction with new developments going on in New York, with respect to Weissberg and the like. Donald Trump is in serious trouble. The difference between now and the past is that the Republican Party and senior officials are inviting the trouble and saying there’s merit to it.”

In time, Donald Trump may wind up being charged as an accessory to murder. He could be charged criminally for that and other crimes in Washington, D.C.

Serious legal trouble? That’s putting it mildly.

Here’s Neal Katyal on MSNBC:

 

Categories
Elections WTF?!

Georgia Governor Admits On Tape: Voter Suppression Bill Has ‘Nothing To Do With Fraud’

The voter suppression bill that Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp signed last week was supposedly (according to him and other Republican leaders in the Peach State) necessary to fight voter fraud.

On Tuesday, Kemp was still defending the legislation:

“I’ve always been passionate about making it easy to vote and hard to cheat. You know, the voters in Georgia are pretty smart and I trust them to take a hard look and figure out for themselves what is really in it and what’s not.”

But just a few hours later, Kemp flatly admitted that the bill had nothing at all to do with fraud or cheating by Georgia voters, telling WABE radio:

“A lot of this bill is dealing with the mechanics of the election. It has nothing to do with potential fraud or not.”

Kemp also suggested that since the GOP controls the Georgia General Assembly, they can pass any laws they want, no matter what anyone else thinks:

“I’ve heard a lot of the Democrats say this year the elections have consequences. And they certainly do.

“And the people that are still governing in the General Assembly wanted to do something about the problems that they saw with this election. And that’s exactly what they have done, which is how the process works.”

So there’s no fraud that needs to be fought against, but since Republicans are in charge, they can do as they please. That’s a hell of a way to look at things.

However, Kemp’s legislation is already causing major problems for Georgia economically, with a boycott being called for and the CEO’s of both Delta and Coca-Cola (both headquartered in the Peach State) saying the new law is unacceptable.

Several lawsuits have also been filed to void the Georgia voting law, any of which could succeed. But will they before the 2022 midterm?

Republicans can’t win elections unless they cheat. If you doubt that, keep in mind that even Gov. Brian Kemp admitted so.

Categories
Congress Crime Fox News GOP WTF?!

Matt Gaetz Went On Fox News And Accused Tucker Carlson Of Being A Sex Offender

On Tuesday evening, just hours after the New York Times reported that Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) is under federal investigation for sex trafficking for an alleged affair he had with a 17-year-old girl, Gaetz appeared on Tucker Carlson’s Fox News show and tried to suggest that he was the victim of a smear campaign to extort money from his father, a wealthy attorney.

In other words, Gaetz tried to cover up his own crime by lying and creating a bullshit conspiracy theory. That’s what Republicans do because that’s what Donald Trump is so fond of doing.

But as he spun his BS story, Gaetz mentioned that Carlson had also been charged as a sex offender, remarking:

“I‘m not the only person on screen right now that has been falsely accused of a terrible sex act.” 

The reference Gaetz made was to a sexual harassment filed against Fox News.

Carlson bristled at Gaetz’s comparison:

“You just referred to a mentally ill viewer who accused me of a sex crime 20 years ago and, of course, it was not true. I never met the person. But I do agree with you that being accused falsely that being accused falsely is one of the worst things that can happen and you do see it a lot. Let’s go back to the investigation you say it was or is underway. There was an investigation. What is the basis of that investigation? What is the allegation that really not very clear from these news stories.”

Clearly, what Gaetz was engaged in was classic deflection: Bring up an allegation to cover your own. The technique is popular with liars.

After the interview, Carlson made it clear to his viewers that he wasn’t sure what to make of what had just transpired:

“You just saw our Matt Gaetz interview. That was one of the weirdest interviews I’ve ever conducted. That story just appeared in the news a couple of hours ago, and on the certainty that there’s always more than you read in the newspaper, we immediately called Matt Gaetz and asked him to come on and tell us more. Which, as you saw, he did. I don’t think that clarified much, but it certainly showed this is a deeply interesting story and we’ll be following it.”

Oh, it was weird all right. It was a complete clusterfuck and the only purpose it served was to give Gaetz a platform for his lies.

Gaetz is innocent until proven guilty. But his wild tale certainly suggests he’s hiding something.

Categories
Donald Trump Espionage Foreign Policy Russia Trump-Russia

Trump Allowed Russia To Steal The ‘Crown Jewels’ Of U.S. Intelligence: Report

As if it wasn’t bad enough that failed, one-term former President Donald Trump repeatedly kowtowed to Russian President Vladimir Putin, it turns out that Russian hackers also managed to steal what is being called the “crown jewels” from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

The Associated Press (AP) reports that hackers from Russia managed to steal emails from top officials in the DHS, which could have serious implications for U.S. national security:

“Suspected Russian hackers gained access to email accounts belonging to the Trump administration’s head of the Department of Homeland Security and members of the department’s cybersecurity staff whose jobs included hunting threats from foreign countries, The Associated Press has learned.

“The intelligence value of the hacking of then-acting Secretary Chad Wolf and his staff is not publicly known, but the symbolism is stark. Their accounts were accessed as part of what’s known as the SolarWinds intrusion, and it throws into question how the U.S. government can protect individuals, companies and institutions across the country if it can’t protect itself.”

The Biden administration is trying to decide exactly what sanctions to impose on Russia for the DHS hack, but based on the AP’s reporting, it seems fair to surmise the punishment will be severe.

Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH) says targeting the DHS allowed Russia to have access to some of the most carefully guarded secrets in the world:

“The SolarWinds hack was a victory for our foreign adversaries, and a failure for DHS. We are talking about DHS’s crown jewels.”

Since Homeland Security is tasked with overseeing several important agencies — including the U.S. Secret Service and U.S. Customs Service, the Russian hack means Russian intelligence may have obtained information that could directly impact the security of the United States.

Though it remains unclear exactly how harsh the White House will choose to be with sanctions, it has already become clear to Russia that relations between the two nations will continue to be strained. When Biden was recently asked if he thought Putin was a “killer,” he quickly replied that he did.

Trump, on the other hand, tried to suggest there were many killers in the United States, trying to excuse Putin’s murderous actions.

One thing is certain: Russia and Putin will no longer be coddled by the American head of state. And based on their actions, they damn well shouldn’t be.

 

Categories
Crime Donald Trump

Latest Indictment Against Ghislaine Maxwell Could Spell Big Trouble For Donald Trump

A superseding indictment filed against Ghislaine Maxwell is the strongest proof yet that the case against her is growing and could wind up ensnaring others if she chooses to cooperate with prosecutors in exchange for leniency.

Reuters reports that federal prosecutors in Manhattan continue to add charges against Maxwell as new evidence and victims come to light:

“An amended indictment against Maxwell now covers alleged crimes stretching from 1994 to 2004 in New York and Florida, including accusations that she paid the girl, known as Minor Victim-4, hundreds of dollars for each sexual act with Epstein.

“Maxwell, who was Epstein’s longtime associate and former girlfriend, faces new charges of sex trafficking conspiracy and sex trafficking of a minor in the eight-count indictment, as well as earlier charges that include perjury.”

Both Maxwell and Epstein were longtime friends and associates of former President Donald Trump, who has been accused of repeatedly raping a 13-year-old girl with Epstein in 1994. And Trump’s ties to the two could wind up sending him to prison.

Prosecutors continue to stack up criminal charges and indictments against Maxwell because they want to pressure her into cooperating with them and telling what she knows about some of the powerful men she helped acquire underage girls for. That list is said to include Trump and Prince Andrew of the British royal family.

Even if Maxwell doesn’t agree to cooperate with prosecutors, her upcoming trial, which is scheduled to begin in July, could also wind up revealing information that will both embarrass Donald Trump and also place him in legal jeopardy. If Trump’s name comes up in association with Maxwell or Epstein during the trial, it seems safe to assume the same Manhattan U.S. Attorney who is prosecuting Maxwell will also seek to charge Trump, especially since the former president no longer controls the Department of Justice with his handpicked puppet, William Barr.

The news about the superseding indictment against Trump comes on the very same day that it was revealed the Donald is also being investigated by two grand juries in Georgia for his attempts to change the vote totals in that state.

Everywhere he looks, Donald Trump can see the authorities closing in on him. Hopefully he’ll soon be charged, put on trial, and locked up for this many crimes.