It appears that John Durham’s investigation into why the FBI opened an investigation into the ties between the 2016 Trump campaign and Russian operatives is coming to an end. Durham’s investigation was a prime example of Trump’s attempt to use the Department of Justice not to enforce the nation’s laws, but to hurt his enemies, a charge former U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York Geoffrey Berman has made in his new book. Trump, Berman said, wanted his friends protected and his enemies—including former secretaries of state John Kerry and Hillary Clinton—prosecuted.
“He never tells the truth,” said Peter J. Solomon, Mayor Koch’s Deputy Mayor. “Never.”
Never? I asked. “Never,” said Peter.
Axiom One. He is a pathological liar.
Two Plus. He’s a rapist, a grifter, a traitor, a criminal insurrectionist, criminal provocateur; a tax cheat, a Black fearing racist, Jews will not replace us” does not trouble him, he stiffs his workers and lawyers, cheats on his third wife, he’s guilty of many crimes and will now be investigated, charged, tried, convicted, and sentenced to house arrest to keep the SS out of jail - with him. Dead Capitol cops do not trouble him, and he must confess on the big lie, or try the zoo. Trump would.
Exhausted here. I could devote a week to this bastard. He is the embodiment of Evil.
This Letter may well have been called " the GOP feels that they are above the law, let me count the ways". That is spot on.
Everyday the GOP reinforces their right of passage through the abuse of this assertion. It's not a new approach they use, its just that it's so rampant and compounded as of late.
I think we are so use to Trump using that card that we have become numb to it.
It's said that "patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel", and if ever there was a scoundrel. it's Bill Barr. Imagine Barr, once Trump's senior-most flunky, now defending the FBI (his own people) against Trump's lie mongering machine, and on Fox News, no less! But beyond a rebound in justice, the karmic significance of Attorney General Merrick Garland’s role in the process can't be overlooked. I'm sure that a ton of Republican grifters would far rather see Garland sitting on the bench at SCOTUS right now than in his present role at the DOJ. Mitch McConnell, if you're reading this, I recommend Maalox.
"Now [Jeffery Clark] claims the D.C. Bar cannot punish him because normal rules of behavior don’t apply."
Why, you ask? Because Jeffery Clark lives in the land of "Because I Said So".
In further shocking news, ALL of Mike Lindell's compelling truths about the 2020 election are stored on his cellphone (he doesn't have a computer) which the FBI seized at a Hardee's. OF COURSE the FBI is going to erase all of Lindell's very damning evidence against the Devil People AKA the Democrats.
Mike Lindell is the poster child for the old anti-drug PSA featuring a fried egg on a sizzling griddle with the caption: "This is your brain on drugs."
What? No mention of American oligarch Leonard Leo? Trump's court whisperer. Impresario of dark money shell companies. Racist right wing religious extremist Opus Dei acolyte.
google Leonard Leo = Corrupt Courts
"When the history of the end of the American republic is written, I suspect discerning historians will not spend as much time on the rise of El Caudillo del Mar-A-Lago as they will on the slow hollowing out of the republic’s foundations by a guy named Leonard Leo."
- Charlie Pierce
What Leonard Leo is doing, we would call criminal. Except his artfully crafted courts decide what's legal. When Leo says 'there oughta be a law' presto bingo there is one. With loopholes a train of camels could fit through - but only camels freighted with Citizens United dark money.
And from the US government to the tiny Bar Harbor, Maine government - no entity is too large or too small for Leo to corrupt.
In Bar Harbor the Town Council is stonewalling requests for information about the influence of Leo's complaints over the Town Manager - who spent the summer diverting town resources to literally erasing a public outreach campaign with the message 'google Leonard Leo = Corrupt Courts.' A project protected by the First Amendment and in compliance with the Maine Criminal Code.
Tip of the iceberg citations:
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse on Leo's $1.6 billion tax free payday
After Helsinki, the Mueller Report and after the Senate Judiciary found collusion between the Trump campaign and Moscow,
I am amazed that the Intelligence people allowed Trump access to tippy top secrets outside of the safe room. Also, why was there no FBI raid on Bedminster?
‘Perhaps most revealing of the restoration of the rule of law at the Justice Department is that former attorney general Barr has been on the television circuit defending the FBI and Biden’s Department of Justice from Trump’s fury over the FBI’s execution of a search warrant at Mar-a-Lago that yielded documents—or empty folders—bearing the highest classified markings.’
‘That is, the same man who sponsored Durham’s political mission has recently begun to speak up for the rule of law.’(Letter)
William Barr’s role as AG under DJT and 'The Rule of Law' as it was practiced by the Department of Justice while he headed it and DJT called the shots is in for a lot scrutiny in the months ahead.
It is worthwhile to consider not only who nominated Barr for the position of Attorney General, who confirmed his appointment and, most importantly, what he brought to the job.
‘UPDATE: On Feb. 14, 2019, the Senate confirmed William Barr to be the next attorney general of the United States by a vote of 54-45.’
'William Barr’s Record – American Civil Liberties Union'
‘In December, President Donald Trump nominated William Barr to succeed Jeff Sessions as the next attorney general of the United States. If Barr is confirmed by the Senate, it will be his second stint as the top law enforcement officer in the country. Barr previously served as attorney general for President George H.W. Bush from 1991 until 1993.’
‘During his time in government as well as in the private sector, Barr amassed a record of advancing policies that advocated dragnet government surveillance, mass incarceration, and discriminatory profiling while pushing an aggressive theory of expansive executive power that sidelines Congress’ constitutional role in checking the president.’
‘The ACLU does not endorse or oppose nominees or candidates for political or judicial office, but we have analyzed Barr’s civil liberties and civil rights record before his confirmation hearing. We hope this analysis will provide members of the Senate Judiciary Committee with the information they need to press Barr on his record and determine whether he is firmly committed to upholding the Constitution and safeguarding our rights and liberties as the next attorney general of the United States.’
'No Relief: William Barr Is as Bad as Jeff Sessions — if Not Worse
'Barr's record suggests he will continue the former attorney general’s worst policies while promoting a sweeping view of executive power.'
'Senators should ask Barr about his support for unconstitutional spying that endangers
our rights.'
'William Barr’s Unsolicited Memo to Trump About Obstruction of Justice'
'Barr's critique of the Mueller investigation raises serious questions about his views of presidential power. Senators should demand'
'William Barr Was an Ardent Champion of Mass Incarceration'
'The last time he was attorney general, Barr proclaimed that only prisons reduce crime, and that we need a lot more of them.' (ACLU) For the complete review by the ACLU see link below.
‘President Donald Trump’s nominee for attorney general, William Barr, was confirmed in the Senate on Thursday to take over the Justice Department, where he will oversee special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia probe.’
‘Barr, 68, was confirmed in a 54-45 vote that largely fell along party lines. He was sworn in Thursday afternoon in the Oval Office by Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, the White House told NBC News.’
‘Barr was widely expected to be confirmed by the Republican-majority Senate on Thursday. He had served in the same role more than two decades earlier in President George H.W. Bush’s administration, and had passed procedural hurdles in the Senate Judiciary Committee and the full Senate in recent votes,’
'Lindsey Graham TWEET Today is a great day for the Department of Justice with the confirmation of William Barr to be the next Attorney General.'
‘A few senators broke with their party in the final vote, however. Among Democrats, Sens. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Doug Jones of Alabama — both of whom represent deep-red states — voted for Barr, as did first-term Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema. Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul was the only Republican to vote against Barr’s nomination.’ (CNBC)
The role of partisan politics in the DOJ varies from administration to administration, but the damage partisan politics can inflict on the Rule of Law -- on the scale of justice -- has at times been immense.
"Mississippi officials, including former governor Phil Bryant, to work with former NFL player Brett Favre to divert about $5 million in federal welfare funds from helping people in poverty to building a volleyball facility at the University of Southern Mississippi, where his daughter was a volleyball player."
I want to see Barr charged with something, somehow. He’s now coming forward about what went on but he had his finger in the pie,too.
Can the USAG do anything to a Supreme Court Justice or a federal judge or a former USAG? Can Cannon be charged for her sway in favor of Trump. Is there a legal body she has to answer too?
No one is above the law, except Donald Trump, who stated openly, before he became president, but he could “shoot somebody on fifth Avenue and there will be no consequences“. Since then, his actions have been criminal and thus far there have been no consequences for his actions.
What is most disturbing is that Merrick Garland has come out and said there will be no prosecution of Donald Trump prior to the midterm elections. No matter what is pending, if a crime has been committed by Donald Trump or anyone else, there should be immediate prosecutions, the midterm election not withstanding!
Since his election nearly 5 years ago, Donald Trump has been guilty of many egregious crimes and has not suffered a single consequence of his actions. If Donald Trump or any other lawbreaker is not prosecuted in a timely fashion, they are operating above the law and this type of judicial misconduct must end. Allowing people like Donald Trump to “get away with murder“ is not what should happen in the United States of America.
The other thing that must change is the appointment of incompetent judges like Eileen Cannon to the bench simply because they are “political friends“ of the party in power. All judicial appointments must be made on judicial standards, not based on political allies, As it is the only way to prevent a career criminal like Donald Trump from taking over our country and turning it into a dictatorship.
No one should be lulled into a false sense of security, as our democracy is definitely on the ballot in November.
"Trump’s politicization of the Department of Justice was a profound attack on the principles of democracy. Using the law to attack enemies is a hallmark of authoritarians— ... —while it also encourages lawbreaking from those who don’t fear legal consequences. "
The J6th insurrection in full view of cameras, some in the hands of insurrectionists themselves, was clearly a turn of events supported by the sense that rule of law had been indefinitely suspended and and would continue to be edict of Trump, so badly had the process of justice been corrupted.
“He never tells the truth,” said Peter J. Solomon, Mayor Koch’s Deputy Mayor. “Never.”
Never? I asked. “Never,” said Peter.
Axiom One. He is a pathological liar.
Two Plus. He’s a rapist, a grifter, a traitor, a criminal insurrectionist, criminal provocateur; a tax cheat, a Black fearing racist, Jews will not replace us” does not trouble him, he stiffs his workers and lawyers, cheats on his third wife, he’s guilty of many crimes and will now be investigated, charged, tried, convicted, and sentenced to house arrest to keep the SS out of jail - with him. Dead Capitol cops do not trouble him, and he must confess on the big lie, or try the zoo. Trump would.
Exhausted here. I could devote a week to this bastard. He is the embodiment of Evil.
Depressing.
Thank you Heather.
This Letter may well have been called " the GOP feels that they are above the law, let me count the ways". That is spot on.
Everyday the GOP reinforces their right of passage through the abuse of this assertion. It's not a new approach they use, its just that it's so rampant and compounded as of late.
I think we are so use to Trump using that card that we have become numb to it.
This must end. Now
Be safe. Be well.
It's said that "patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel", and if ever there was a scoundrel. it's Bill Barr. Imagine Barr, once Trump's senior-most flunky, now defending the FBI (his own people) against Trump's lie mongering machine, and on Fox News, no less! But beyond a rebound in justice, the karmic significance of Attorney General Merrick Garland’s role in the process can't be overlooked. I'm sure that a ton of Republican grifters would far rather see Garland sitting on the bench at SCOTUS right now than in his present role at the DOJ. Mitch McConnell, if you're reading this, I recommend Maalox.
"Now [Jeffery Clark] claims the D.C. Bar cannot punish him because normal rules of behavior don’t apply."
Why, you ask? Because Jeffery Clark lives in the land of "Because I Said So".
In further shocking news, ALL of Mike Lindell's compelling truths about the 2020 election are stored on his cellphone (he doesn't have a computer) which the FBI seized at a Hardee's. OF COURSE the FBI is going to erase all of Lindell's very damning evidence against the Devil People AKA the Democrats.
Mike Lindell is the poster child for the old anti-drug PSA featuring a fried egg on a sizzling griddle with the caption: "This is your brain on drugs."
Ciao from Rome, Italy🌷🌷🌷🌷
Thank you, Dr. Heather. You stay up way too late to keep us informed, and I hope you know how much we appreciate and love you! Rest well! 💜
What? No mention of American oligarch Leonard Leo? Trump's court whisperer. Impresario of dark money shell companies. Racist right wing religious extremist Opus Dei acolyte.
google Leonard Leo = Corrupt Courts
"When the history of the end of the American republic is written, I suspect discerning historians will not spend as much time on the rise of El Caudillo del Mar-A-Lago as they will on the slow hollowing out of the republic’s foundations by a guy named Leonard Leo."
- Charlie Pierce
What Leonard Leo is doing, we would call criminal. Except his artfully crafted courts decide what's legal. When Leo says 'there oughta be a law' presto bingo there is one. With loopholes a train of camels could fit through - but only camels freighted with Citizens United dark money.
And from the US government to the tiny Bar Harbor, Maine government - no entity is too large or too small for Leo to corrupt.
In Bar Harbor the Town Council is stonewalling requests for information about the influence of Leo's complaints over the Town Manager - who spent the summer diverting town resources to literally erasing a public outreach campaign with the message 'google Leonard Leo = Corrupt Courts.' A project protected by the First Amendment and in compliance with the Maine Criminal Code.
Tip of the iceberg citations:
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse on Leo's $1.6 billion tax free payday
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=I6kH4Zc2PtM
https://www.whitehouse.senate.gov/news/speeches/the-scheme-12-jcns-opening-salvo
https://newrepublic.com/article/159683/oligarch-month-leonard-leo
https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/a41118185/leonard-leo-supreme-court/
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/sep/04/leonard-leo-federalist-society-conservative-abortion
https://www.acslaw.org/analysis/reports/dark-money/
https://www.npr.org/2022/06/30/1108351562/roe-abortion-supreme-court-scotus-law
https://www.citizensforethics.org/reports-investigations/crew-investigations/80-million-dark-money-group-tied-to-trump-supreme-court-advisor-leonard-leo/
https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2019/investigations/leonard-leo-federalists-society-courts/
https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2018/05/group-that-spent-millions-to-boost-gorsuch-also-paid-mysterious-inaugural-donor/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BH_Group
After Helsinki, the Mueller Report and after the Senate Judiciary found collusion between the Trump campaign and Moscow,
I am amazed that the Intelligence people allowed Trump access to tippy top secrets outside of the safe room. Also, why was there no FBI raid on Bedminster?
‘Perhaps most revealing of the restoration of the rule of law at the Justice Department is that former attorney general Barr has been on the television circuit defending the FBI and Biden’s Department of Justice from Trump’s fury over the FBI’s execution of a search warrant at Mar-a-Lago that yielded documents—or empty folders—bearing the highest classified markings.’
‘That is, the same man who sponsored Durham’s political mission has recently begun to speak up for the rule of law.’(Letter)
William Barr’s role as AG under DJT and 'The Rule of Law' as it was practiced by the Department of Justice while he headed it and DJT called the shots is in for a lot scrutiny in the months ahead.
It is worthwhile to consider not only who nominated Barr for the position of Attorney General, who confirmed his appointment and, most importantly, what he brought to the job.
‘UPDATE: On Feb. 14, 2019, the Senate confirmed William Barr to be the next attorney general of the United States by a vote of 54-45.’
'William Barr’s Record – American Civil Liberties Union'
‘In December, President Donald Trump nominated William Barr to succeed Jeff Sessions as the next attorney general of the United States. If Barr is confirmed by the Senate, it will be his second stint as the top law enforcement officer in the country. Barr previously served as attorney general for President George H.W. Bush from 1991 until 1993.’
‘During his time in government as well as in the private sector, Barr amassed a record of advancing policies that advocated dragnet government surveillance, mass incarceration, and discriminatory profiling while pushing an aggressive theory of expansive executive power that sidelines Congress’ constitutional role in checking the president.’
‘The ACLU does not endorse or oppose nominees or candidates for political or judicial office, but we have analyzed Barr’s civil liberties and civil rights record before his confirmation hearing. We hope this analysis will provide members of the Senate Judiciary Committee with the information they need to press Barr on his record and determine whether he is firmly committed to upholding the Constitution and safeguarding our rights and liberties as the next attorney general of the United States.’
'No Relief: William Barr Is as Bad as Jeff Sessions — if Not Worse
'Barr's record suggests he will continue the former attorney general’s worst policies while promoting a sweeping view of executive power.'
'William Barr Helped Build America’s Surveillance State'
'Senators should ask Barr about his support for unconstitutional spying that endangers
our rights.'
'William Barr’s Unsolicited Memo to Trump About Obstruction of Justice'
'Barr's critique of the Mueller investigation raises serious questions about his views of presidential power. Senators should demand'
'William Barr Was an Ardent Champion of Mass Incarceration'
'The last time he was attorney general, Barr proclaimed that only prisons reduce crime, and that we need a lot more of them.' (ACLU) For the complete review by the ACLU see link below.
https://www.aclu.org/issues/civil-liberties/executive-branch/william-barrs-record
‘President Donald Trump’s nominee for attorney general, William Barr, was confirmed in the Senate on Thursday to take over the Justice Department, where he will oversee special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia probe.’
‘Barr, 68, was confirmed in a 54-45 vote that largely fell along party lines. He was sworn in Thursday afternoon in the Oval Office by Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, the White House told NBC News.’
‘Barr was widely expected to be confirmed by the Republican-majority Senate on Thursday. He had served in the same role more than two decades earlier in President George H.W. Bush’s administration, and had passed procedural hurdles in the Senate Judiciary Committee and the full Senate in recent votes,’
'Lindsey Graham TWEET Today is a great day for the Department of Justice with the confirmation of William Barr to be the next Attorney General.'
‘A few senators broke with their party in the final vote, however. Among Democrats, Sens. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Doug Jones of Alabama — both of whom represent deep-red states — voted for Barr, as did first-term Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema. Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul was the only Republican to vote against Barr’s nomination.’ (CNBC)
The role of partisan politics in the DOJ varies from administration to administration, but the damage partisan politics can inflict on the Rule of Law -- on the scale of justice -- has at times been immense.
"Mississippi officials, including former governor Phil Bryant, to work with former NFL player Brett Favre to divert about $5 million in federal welfare funds from helping people in poverty to building a volleyball facility at the University of Southern Mississippi, where his daughter was a volleyball player."
Patent sociopathy.
William Barr is not to be trusted, not now or at any time. He has forfeited his privilege to be taken seriously in any public venue.
So Bill Barr found religion, and the rule of law, on FOX News.
A little louder, please.
Let him confess to having his fingers crossed behind his back while he was spinning the Mueller Report; that 2016 was the stolen election.
I won’t hold my breath.
I want to see Barr charged with something, somehow. He’s now coming forward about what went on but he had his finger in the pie,too.
Can the USAG do anything to a Supreme Court Justice or a federal judge or a former USAG? Can Cannon be charged for her sway in favor of Trump. Is there a legal body she has to answer too?
Again, Dear Heather, deepest gratitude to you and for you. You rock‼️‼️‼️
No one is above the law, except Donald Trump, who stated openly, before he became president, but he could “shoot somebody on fifth Avenue and there will be no consequences“. Since then, his actions have been criminal and thus far there have been no consequences for his actions.
What is most disturbing is that Merrick Garland has come out and said there will be no prosecution of Donald Trump prior to the midterm elections. No matter what is pending, if a crime has been committed by Donald Trump or anyone else, there should be immediate prosecutions, the midterm election not withstanding!
Since his election nearly 5 years ago, Donald Trump has been guilty of many egregious crimes and has not suffered a single consequence of his actions. If Donald Trump or any other lawbreaker is not prosecuted in a timely fashion, they are operating above the law and this type of judicial misconduct must end. Allowing people like Donald Trump to “get away with murder“ is not what should happen in the United States of America.
The other thing that must change is the appointment of incompetent judges like Eileen Cannon to the bench simply because they are “political friends“ of the party in power. All judicial appointments must be made on judicial standards, not based on political allies, As it is the only way to prevent a career criminal like Donald Trump from taking over our country and turning it into a dictatorship.
No one should be lulled into a false sense of security, as our democracy is definitely on the ballot in November.
Knee deep in Trump Dump? Vote Democrat. You’ll feel better.
"Trump’s politicization of the Department of Justice was a profound attack on the principles of democracy. Using the law to attack enemies is a hallmark of authoritarians— ... —while it also encourages lawbreaking from those who don’t fear legal consequences. "
The J6th insurrection in full view of cameras, some in the hands of insurrectionists themselves, was clearly a turn of events supported by the sense that rule of law had been indefinitely suspended and and would continue to be edict of Trump, so badly had the process of justice been corrupted.