Tag: Crime

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Congress Crime Donald Trump

Former Asst. U.S. Attorney Predicts Both Gaetz And Trump Will Be Indicted In September

There are those among us (call them eternal skeptics) who will tell you that failed, one-term former President Donald Trump will never be charged with criminal offense, and even if he is, he won’t ever serve a day in prison.

Using that sort of flawed logic, it would be easy to suggest that the American judicial system is stacked in favor of those who are wealthy and well-known, so much so that no one with financial means can ever be convicted. But if that’s true, how do you explain the successful prosecutions of Bernie Madoff, Ivan Boesky, the gang at Enron, and Michael Milken?

Granted, the judicial system we have isn’t perfect and is in desperate need of reform, but that doesn’t mean it cannot or will not ever work.

All of that brings us to three names most in the news these days: Donald Trump, Rep. Matt Gaetz, and Rudy Giuliani. And recently, we got new developments on two of those fronts:

  • Donald Trump: Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. has empaneled a special grand jury to examine alleged crimes (bank and tax fraud, money laundering, racketeering) the former president, members of his family, and his company may have committed.
  • Matt Gaetz: Gaetz, who is already facing the possibility of being indicted for sexually trafficking a minor, is now believed to have obstructed justice by speaking with a witness in the case against him.

Could we be on the verge of seeing indictments in the matter of Trump, Gaetz, and Trump’s personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani? That depends on who you ask, but one person who’s convinced all three of them are about to see their name on indictments is former Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Signorelli, who used to work as a prosecutor for the Southern District of New York and has decades of knowledge about how legal issues involving “famous” defendants work.

Recently, Signorelli made a bold prediction which he shared with his 36.000 followers: Gaetz, Giuliani, and Trump are all going down, and it’s going to happen by September:

Signorelli got immediate pushback, with people asking, “What makes you say that?” He responded calmly and knowingly:

Using Richard Signorelli’s prediction, by September 5 we should see Gaetz, Giuliani, and Trump indicted and facing trial and imprisonment.

 

Categories
Crime The Trump Adminstration

Steve Bannon’s Legal Problems Have Gone From Bad To Worse

When Donald Trump handed him a presidential pardon in the final days of the Trump administration, Steve Bannon probably thought he was in the clear legally and could stop worrying about being sent to prison.

But Bannon was very wrong.

 

The Washington Post reports that federal prosecutors are refusing to erase his indictment for fraud:

“The U.S. attorney’s office in Manhattan, which is preparing for trial against three of Bannon’s co-defendants in an alleged border wall fundraising scam, is seeking an ‘administrative’ termination of Bannon’s case, which would halt the prosecution against him for good but would not clear his name from the docket. The case would officially remain pending while the others, who were not pardoned by Trump before he left office in January, await trial.”

That’s not the only legal jeopardy Bannon finds himself in, as Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. is also considering whether or not he’ll seek an indictment against the former White House aide for his scheme to embezzle money from his failed “Build the Wall” scheme which turned out to be nothing but a con job:

“Following Bannon’s pardon, which covers only federal charges, the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office began its own investigation of the alleged scam, raising the possibility that Bannon could face state fraud charges. If his case remains open in federal court, it is not expected to affect the ability of state prosecutors to file charges.”

Could Bannon be facing charges in both federal and state court? He most certainly could, and since he and his attorneys are likely to litigate the federal case against him in light of his pardon from Trump, the chances increase that if he’s found guilty, Bannon could be serving his time at Attica or Sing Sing, two of the most infamous prisons in the country.

Bannon probably thought being connected to and working for Donald Trump would bring him fame and fortune. Instead, it has resulted in him facing the prospect of spending a large portion of what remains of his life incarcerated.

 

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Congress Crime

Prosecutor Who Put Bill Cosby Behind Bars: Matt Gaetz ‘Should Be Very Worried’

The investigation into the alleged crimes committed by Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) remains active, and the sex crimes prosecutor who put Bill Cosby behind bars for indecent assault says Gaetz “should be very worried,” especially since one of his close friends and “wingman,” Joel Greenberg, is now cooperating with prosecutors.

Appearing on MSNBC, Kristen Gibbons Feden told host Ayman Mohyeldin that if indeed Greenberg gives statements “consistent with” the letter he wrote, it will establish two facts for federal prosecutors looking into Gaetz’s alleged criminal behavior:

“First, that he gave money in exchange for sex and second that sexual contact was with a minor. This wouldn’t necessarily get the prosecutors over the finish line, right? Because they would still need to establish that this crime relates to interstate commerce which is a necessary precondition for federal involvement.”

That’s why the issue of Gaetz allegedly taking a 17-year-old girl across state lines for the purposes of sex is so important to the case being built against the congressman, Feden added, because it would:

“Be a violation of 2423, Transportation of a Minor for Illegal Sex Crimes, which, again, would satisfy that interstate commerce, but also under that particular section the prosecutor would not need to prove that Gaetz knew that the young lady was a minor at the time of the sex act. Which the letter and I presume Greenberg’s statements would be consistent with the letter.”

Feden then went into even greater detail, noting that federal prosecutors intend to charge Gaetz under the the Child Sex Trafficking criminal statute, and that requires very specific proof:

“The prosecutor will need to prove that Gaetz had some level of knowledge at the time of the sex act that that young lady was a minor.”

It’s safe to assume that the investigation underway into Gaetz is indeed being predicated around the allegation that he did indeed take a young girl across state lines for sex. That act would make him guilty of sex trafficking and violating the Mann Act. And the penalty for that crime can be as harsh as life in federal prison.

Matt Gaetz shouldn’t just be worried. He should be shitting his pants.

Here’s Kristen Gibbons Feden on MSNBC:

 

Categories
Crime Donald Trump

Ghislaine Maxwell Is Now Facing Two Trials For Sex Crimes – That’s Big Trouble For Donald Trump

Recently, Federal Judge Alison Nathan issued a 34-page ruling which will split the charges against Ghislaine Maxwell into two separate trials, the first of which is set to begin in July.

The New York Daily News is reporting:

“Ghislaine Maxwell will face two separate trials on charges of grooming underage victims of Jeffrey Epstein and lying under oath, a judge ruled Friday.

“‘It would introduce unrelated allegations of sexual abuse, which would potentially expose the jury to evidence that might otherwise not be admissible,’ the jurist explained.”

Maxwell is charged with sex trafficking conspiracy, sex trafficking of a minor, and perjury.

Both Maxwell and Epstein have a history with former President Donald Trump, who spoke glowingly about Epstein before he was accused of sexually abusing underage girls. The former financier was later arrested on federal criminal charges and died while in custody. His death was later ruled a suicide, but there have been rumors that Epstein might have been killed while awaiting trial.

Now consider two trials for Maxwell and what that means for Trump.

If Maxwell recalls incidents when she procured girls for Epstein and Trump was also involved, that may well come out during her court appearances. Such information could lead to new indictments against her former associates.

But the biggest threat for Trump is if Maxwell agrees to cooperate with prosecutors in exchange for leniency. In that scenario, she would agree to testify against “bigger fish” such as the former president.

Just last month, a superseding indictment was filed against Maxwell which increases the pressure on her to tell what she knows:

“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 is in one hell of a legal fix, and the only way she can possibly reduce spending the rest of her life in prison is by telling what she knows. If she does, Donald Trump and many other famous men may wind up incarcerated for decades, too.

 

Categories
Congress Crime

Matt Gaetz’s Current Legal Problems Have An Interesting Connection To Jeffrey Epstein

Would it surprise you to learn the accusations against Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) that he sexually trafficked an underage girl have a lot in common with the late convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, who died in federal custody back in 2019?

Former federal prosecutor Shan Wu spelled out that connection Saturday during an appearance on CNN, noting that federal authorities don’t want to see another high-profile figure escape justice for his possible crimes:

“I think one important context is the Epstein case. Because the Justice Department has messed this up once before, letting a sex trafficker go with just a slap on the wrist. They’re not going to let that happen again.

“This is a different environment than it was before. The testimony of any of these complainants, particularly the underaged minor, will be devastating. This is a new time. We care about victims, and this is a problem for Gaetz.”

Oddly enough, Gaetz was one of the few public officials upset when the Epstein case was reopened in 2019, eventually resulting with Epstein being charged by federal prosecutors for allegedly engaging in sexual relations with underage girls. Specifically, Gaetz said he feared such actions by the Department of Justice (DOJ) would set a “dangerous’ precedent for prosecutors.”

At the moment, Gaetz is facing prosecution for numerous felonies, including sexual trafficking, which could result in him being sentenced to life in prison.

Things got even worse for Gaetz when an attorney for co-conspirator  Joel Greenberg confirmed that his client was cooperating with the DOJ and had accepted a plea deal from federal prosecutors who are also pursuing Gaetz.

There’s another connection between Gatez and Epstein: Both were longtime friends of failed, one-term former President Donald Trump, who was once accused of “repeatedly raping” a 13-year-old girl with the late sex offender. Trump also spoke glowingly about Epstein, just as he has about Gaetz, whom he lavished with praise while he was still in the White House.

Since the accusations against Gaetz have come to light, however, Trump has been mostly silent on the Florida congressman’s legal plight, perhaps showing that even a man as depraved as the former president doesn’t want to risk defending someone suspected of such a heinous crime.

Here’s Shan Wu courtesy of CNN: