Tag: Jack Smith

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Crime Donald Trump Elections January 6

Jack Smith Will Reveal ‘Important Evidence’ Today That Lays Out Trump’s Motives For January 6

Later today, Special Counsel Jack Smith is expected to file notice to attorneys for former president Donald Trump of  “any crimes, wrongs, or other bad acts” the Justice Department believes Trump committed in his attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 election, which he lost in an electoral landslide to President Joe Biden.

Former U.S. Attorney Joyce Vance notes on Substack that the filing — known formally as a 404(b) notice — is meant to show “evidence of a prior crime, for instance, can be offered to prove ‘motive, opportunity [to commit the crime], intent, preparation, plan, knowledge, identity, absence of mistake, or lack of accident.'”

Given what we already know about Smith’s case against Trump, Vance continues, it’s safe to believe that the special counsel is about to reveal “some important evidence” that significantly boosts has case against the ex-president.

Expect him to focus on proving Trump’s state of mind when it comes to election fraud and the absence of a good faith belief that the path he was setting the nation on would not result in the type of obstructive violence we saw on January 6—in other words, it was no mistake. Smith will also have to advise Trump about the permitted purpose he believes he can offer any 404(b) evidence for and the reasoning in support of his view. This, coincidentally, forces Smith (or perhaps gives him the opportunity depending on your point of view), to educate the public a fair bit more about his case.

Trump is also facing federal criminal prosecution for allegedly stealing classified documents from the White House and transporting them to his Mar-a-Lago resort. That case will be heard in a Florida courtroom while the Jan. 6 case it proceeding in Washington, D.C. with U.S. District Court Judge Tanya Chutkan presiding. Chutkan has signaled that she intends to start the trial before the 2024 election is held, which could prove politically disastrous for Trump.

Additionally, the former president is being prosecuted for racketeering in Georgia as a result of his attempts to subvert the will of voters in the Peach State. Several co-defendants have already agreed to cooperate with Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis.

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Congress Crime Donald Trump GOP Justice Department

House Republicans Demand Jack Smith Give Them All Trump Indictment Documents – Or Else

Perhaps sensing that the federal criminal case progressing against former president Donald Trump on multiple fronts is closer to becoming a slam dunk for Special Counsel Jack Smith, three members of the House Republican caucus are now demanding that Smith and the Justice Department hand over all of the documents related to Trump’s indictment.

According to Eric Cortellessa of Time Magazine, House Oversight Committee members James Comer (R-KY), Jim Jordan (R-OH), and Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) sent a letter in which they demand “all documents and and communications” between Smith and the DOJ that pertain to Trump or his federal indictments.

The three lawmakers also threatened to use a “compulsory process” if Smith doesn’t comply by Dec. 15.

Specifically, Jordan, Comer, and Luna say they want to know how Smith empaneled grand juries and how he decided what witnesses he would offer immunity in exchange for the testimony. In other words, they want to know everything Smith knows even though they aren’t entitled to such information until after the case has concluded.

What “compulsory process” would be used against Smith? That remains unclear, but it’s safe to say no federal court in the country is going to compel the Justice Department to hand over information related to an ongoing criminal prosecution.

Here’s more from Eric Cortellessa, which he shared on Twitter:

Categories
Crime Donald Trump

Trump Violates Gag Order On Veteran’s Day – Calls ‘Deranged’ Jack Smith ‘A Disgrace To America’

While President Joe Biden was at Arlington National Cemetery honoring the many veterans who gave their lives for this country, failed ex-president Donald Trump was in Claremont, New Hampshire for a campaign rally, violating a court-imposed gag order and also slagging the former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley.

The attack that violated the gag order came when Trump made remarks about Special Counsel Jack Smith.

“We have deranged Jack Smith. Have you ever heard of him? He’s a lovely man.”
“He’s a lovely man. He’s the Trump-hating prosecutor in the case. His wife and family despise me much more than he does, and I think he’s about a 10. They’re a 15 on a scale of 10. He was involved with the failed and very messy Lois Lerner IRS scandal.”

Then came the denigration of Gen. Milley.

“You know Mattis. General Mattis. General Milley. Real beauties.”

“General Milley is the one who decided to take the soldiers out first. General Milley is the one that said let’s leave $85 billion worth of equipment behind because it’s cheaper than taking it out. It’s cheaper than putting a tank of nice, clean fuel in the airplane and flying it to Pakistan or flying it all the way home. It’s cheaper to leave it there.”

The comments aimed at the special counsel could land Trump in very hot water with Judge Tanya Chutkan, who imposed a gag order on the disgraced former president in October. That order bars Trump from making statements targeting prosecutors, possible witnesses, and court staff.

Of course, a gag order can only be effective if there are serious penalties for the person who violates it. Will Judge Chutkan do more than merely slapping Trump with a fine? If so, he’ll gladly pay it and do worse the next time.

Maybe the judge should give Donald a week behind bars for his refusal to comply. If he does it again, make it a month. Then add a month for every future infraction. As much as Trump likes to run his mouth, he’d likely be in prison until the 2024 election.

 

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Crime Donald Trump Justice Department

Jack Smith Accuses Trump Of ‘Threatening’ Mark Meadows – Judge Considering Penalties

Multiply-indicted former president Donald Trump is once again in very hot water due to his inability to keep his threats to himself, and could be on the verge of being punished legally for his actions.

Special Counsel Jack Smith has filed an emergency motion with U.S. District Court Judge Tanya Chutkan accusing the disgraced ex-president of threatening his former chief of staff Mark Meadows.

ABC News reports:

In a filing Wednesday night to the judge presiding over Trump’s federal election interference case in Washington, Smith’s team said Trump’s “harmful” post on Truth Social was trying to “send an unmistakable and threatening message to a foreseeable witness in this case.”

Smith’s team argued to U.S. District Court Judge Tanya Chutkan that the alleged threat is just one more example of why a limited gag order in the case is needed as soon as possible.

Chutkan had issued such a gag order early last week but then temporarily suspended it after the former president’s legal team appealed the judge’s order to a higher court.

Here’s the post that drew the court filing from Smith. It was made on Trump’s failing Truth Social site:

I don’t think Mark Meadows would lie about the Rigged and Stollen 2020 Presidential Election merely for getting IMMUNITY against Prosecution (PERSECUTION!) by Deranged Prosecutor, Jack Smith. BUT, when you really think about it, after being hounded like a dog for three years, told you’ll be going to jail for the rest of your life, your money and your family will be forever gone, and we’re not at all interested in exposing those that did the RIGGING — If you say BAD THINGS about that terrible “MONSTER,” DONALD J. TRUMP, we won’t put you in prison, you can keep your family and your wealth, and, perhaps, if you can make up some really horrible “STUFF” a out him, we may very well erect a statue of you in the middle of our decaying and now very violent Capital, Washington, D.C. Some people would make that deal, but they are weaklings and cowards, and so bad for the future our Failing Nation. I don’t think that Mark Meadows is one of them, but who really knows? MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!!

The filing from Smith’s team alleges that Trump has a “long and well-documented history of using his public platform to target disparaging and inflammatory comments at perceived adversaries. When the defendant does so, harassment, threats, and intimidation foreseeably and predictably follow.”

Just last week, Judge Chutkan issued a limited gag order that specifically prohibited Trump from attacking the special counsel or members of his team, court staff, or any witnesses in the ongoing case, which is scheduled for trial in March of next year.

Smith notes in the filing, “Recent social media posts targeting a known witness in this case in an attempt to influence and intimidate him” necessitate a more stringent gag order.

 

Categories
Crime Donald Trump Elections GOP

Meadows Immunity Deal Is ‘Crack In The Dam’ That Could Destroy Trump And The GOP: Report

Former Trump administration White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows is now cooperating with Special Counsel Jack Smith and providing testimony to a grand jury that could serve as the final nail in the political coffin for disgraced ex-president Donald Trump and many top Republicans.

ABC News reports that Meadows reached an immunity deal with Smith and has been spilling the beans regarding efforts to overturn the 2020 election.

(Meadows) has spoken with special counsel Jack Smith’s team at least three times this year, including once before a federal grand jury, which came only after Smith granted Meadows immunity to testify under oath, according to sources familiar with the matter.

The sources said Meadows informed Smith’s team that he repeatedly told Trump in the weeks after the 2020 presidential election that the allegations of significant voting fraud coming to them were baseless, a striking break from Trump’s prolific rhetoric regarding the election.

That, according to Washington Post reporter Carol Leonnig, is another piece in the puzzle, especially since many members of the GOP have said that Meadows’ autobiography has been cited by prominent Republicans for why they believe the 2020 presidential election was stolen from Trump.

“We have seen texts and exchanges that Mark Meadows had with people in the White House counsel’s office and other lawyers in which he made fun of the claim that there was an election that had been stolen. There was fraud enough in states such as Georgia to call those counts into question. As I remember one of those text exchanges, he said even my son hasn’t found enough dead people that voted in Georgia to raise questions about this. So, it’s pretty powerful stuff.”

That’s where the autobiography comes into play, Leonnig added:

“If he’s acknowledging that those were false, it reveals to most of us reporters who have been covering this for a long time that the jig is up for a host of other Republican leaders who have been trading on this story, to stay connected to voters, that they think are riled up about this. To stay connected to a group of people that they are misleading in order to get their votes. People who gobble up conspiracy theories, distrust the government, and can be loosely misled and led astray.”

In other words, Leonnig continued, the immunity deal could be a “crack in the dam” of GOP denial.

“It will be really interesting to watch what happens for other Republican leaders who have insisted that the election was stolen. Lindsey Graham, Ted Cruz, Jim Jordan, a host of people, many of whom are closely tied to Mark Meadows and Donald Trump.”

It’ll be fun to see what lies people such as Graham, Cruz, and Jordan try to use to cover the lies they’ve been telling for three years about the 2020 election. And it’ll also be interesting to see exactly what Trump knew, when he knew it, and just how large of a role he played in possibly illegal activities for the purpose of remaining in office.

Stay tuned. All rats are about to be exposed to the light of truth.