Lock him up! Why is repeat offender Donald Trump still a free man?

[CousinIT]

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/may/23/lock-him-up-why-is-repeat-offender-donald-trump-still-a-free-man

The ex-president is accused of abuse of power, fraud, tax evasion and more but he has not been charged with anything

. . .

Whingeing amid the manicured greens and bunkers of his exclusive golf course, the defeated president recalls an ageing Bonnie Prince Charlie – a sort of “king over the water” with water features. Like deposed leaders throughout history, he obsesses about a return to power.

Yet as Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell moves to kill off a 9/11-style national commission to investigate the 6 January Capitol Hill insurrection, the pressing question is not whether Trump can maintain cult-like sway over Republicans, or even whether he will run again in 2024. The question that should most concern Americans who care about democracy is: why isn’t Trump in jail?

The fact he is not, and has not been charged with anything, is a genuine puzzle – some might say a scandal, even a conspiracy. Trump’s actual and potential criminal rap sheet long predates the Capitol siege. It includes alleged abuses of power, obstruction of justice, fraud, tax evasion, Russian money-laundering, election tampering, conflicts of interest, hush-money bribes, assassination – and a lot of lies.

Let’s take these allegations one at a time. District of Columbia investigators say they have charged 410 people over the Capitol breach. Some could be tried for plotting to overthrow the US government – a crime punishable by up to 20 years in prison – or even for murder, given that five people died.

Yet Trump, who urged supporters at a Washington rally that day to “fight like hell” to stop Congress certifying his election loss, is not among them. He has not even been questioned over his indisputably pivotal role. . . .

[llashram]

1. no shit

POS needs to be under the GD jail...money and fear change everything for rich mofo's. They are not like us. They're special...

[malaise]

2. He has also been impeached twice

Lock him up

[marble falls]

3. I will bet you that by September between SDNY and the Manhatten DA that he will be indicted ...

... which would you prefer: instant pudding or a professional chefs hand crafted Blancmange?

[niyad]

17. I will wait. I want all the relevant agencies to have things so tightly wrapped that he cannot

slither through some obscure legal loophole.

Although. . .he is so damned toxic, a lack of his existence in this world would not bother me in the slightest.

[yellowdogintexas]

26. definitely. This is what the DA and AG in NY are doing.

Wrap it up so tightly there is no option except imprisonment for him or his cult followers

[calimary]

30. I like the way you put that, niyad!

"...a lack of his existence in this world would not bother me in the slightest."

I share that sentiment, only not nearly so deftly expressed.

[niyad]

33. Thank you kindly. After four years of expletive-fueled invective, I am trying to return to some

semblance of nuanced communication.

[calimary]

34. I get that.

It shows you to have been well-educated and/or well-read, with a wide and nimble vocabulary. Nuanced communication is a skill, and often showcases some deviously and devilishly clever wit!

[niyad]

35. One of the many things that I love about DU is the level of communication skills. So much

eloquence, so much erudition, so much, as you said, clever, and even diabolical wit. It all makes this wordsmith's heart and soul very happy.

[StarfishSaver]

4. What a ridiculous article

Under the law, Trump is not a "repeat offender." He has never been convicted of any crime and there is no such thing as a "potential criminal rap sheet."

What a stupid take by a British journalist who obviously hasn't a clue about how the American criminal justice system works and who thinks DOJ and state prosecutors should employ Trump's "lock her up" approach.

[walkingman]

6. It's just wishful thinking. The way I see it is one of the biggest problem is that the Ameican

justice system is broken and has been for a long, long time. People with influence play by different rules that the typical citizen. They can break the law, get lawyers, then have charges dropped of delay indefinitely until it just goes away. The normal citizen simply does not have the deep pockets and the cases are quickly decided with either a plea bargain or sentence.

Trump's entire life (from what I can tell) has been a series of fucking over people. Nobody that sorry needs to be able to continue their grift but it is a everyday happening in America.

[AnrothElf]

13. Exactly.

One has to live on a different, imaginary, plane of existence to hold the American criminal justice system up as any sort of fair or impartial system.

You'd have to be a lot farther than England to not realize it's hopelessly broken.

[TwilightZone]

7. It has nothing to do with being British.

Oftentimes, the Brits seem to be much more aware of how things are supposed to work here than "we" do. It's clearly hyperbole, just like we see from American sources all the time.

US-based, left-leaning websites have been making similar assertions constantly for five years. Similar statements are made multiple times a day on DU. What's their excuse?

[StarfishSaver]

21. It's an uninformed take wherever it comes from

There is nothing irrational about taking a few months to compile information and complete an investigation before "locking up" someone, especially in such a high profile and extraordinarily complicated case with no room for error.

And considering, unlike under the corrupt Trump administration, this DOJ is conducting its work behind the scenes and neither these journalists nor we have any idea of what is taking place to build and advance the case (including secret grand jury proceedings), accusing the prosecutors and investigators (and, by extension, President Biden) of dragging their feet and cowardice because they haven't yet thrown the book at Trump is, as I said, a stupid take.

[Evolve Dammit]

9. He and his father were guilty of housing discrimination resulting in largest penalty levied in NYC.

Perhaps not on the Orange One's "criminal record?"

[StarfishSaver]

22. That was not a criminal matter

They were sued, not charged with any crime.

[Evolve Dammit]

37. Thanks. Sued and settled with NYC legal, SDNY or NY AG? Guess no matter if not criminal. nt

[StarfishSaver]

39. U.S. Department of Justice

[AnrothElf]

12. "how the American criminal justice system works"

HAHAHHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHQHWHHAHWHAHAHAHSBSDBXSBA. cough cough choke gag... Deeeeep breath....


HAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHQHAHAHWWHHWAHAHAAÀAAA

Good one.

[niyad]

16. There is the whole t**** university thing, and the t****charity. And the housing case against

the f'n, murdering, orange traitor and his equally reprehensible sire in the 70's.

[Hotler]

5. There doesn't seem to be much will at the top. Scared of the word politicizing I guess. nt

[bucolic_frolic]

8. There have been articles over the past 3-4 years that speculate

a cooperating witness who holds kompromat on many is not easy to pin something on, basically. But it's journalistic rumors.

[LizBeth]

10. Trump will never go to prison regardless what is found on him.

[KS Toronado]

14. Only if he dies before our slow justice system gets around to him.

[LizBeth]

15. He can live to be 100. I do not think it will happen.

[walkingman]

24. Agree - it will never happen. But one can hope!

[SoCalDavidS]

20. Yep

If you expect ANY sort of justice, you're in the wrong country.

[Arazi]

32. I can't even imagine his Secret Service allowing him to be arrested

By all accounts #Traitor has surrounded himself with Secret Service sycophants who are hardcore MAGAts. I sincerely doubt they'll even let arresting officers get close

[Blue Owl]

11. Take him out of the equation

NOW!

[DENVERPOPS]

18. My favorite fantasy is:

Trump sitting on his stainless steel toilet, in a SuperMax cell, with his loyal Trumphumping Secret Service Agents sitting out side the door 24/7.

Anyone else have a favorite fantasy????????

Oh, and I also fantasize about all the Republican Senators, and Trump's entire administration placed in the "General Population" at other prisons, wrapped in large confederate flags, they are so proud to display, as their only clothing......

These visions have helped me go to sleep many a night these past five years, being worried sick about myself, my children and my grandchildren's futures..............

[Evolve Dammit]

38. I truly appreciate your visions. If there is a God....or Kharma...or....nt

[speaknow]

19. That Orange Humpty Dumpty has an ACE in his pocket ,

That's why he is not worried at all! what is it you're
thinking, Well. You Can't indict a setting President.
Even though we know those are fake audits. His
Lawyer's will say in court, The Election is not over
he is still the President ! And worse they'll find a
judge that will listen to that crap, it's coming you
can count on that!

[dlk]

23. Trump is the embodiment of privilege and our deeply-entrenched, two-tiered system

The fact that he’s committed an endless series of crimes for decades and not been held accountable says it all. If he were a poor person of color, he would have been locked up years ago and still be behind bars today. The American myth of “justice for all” continues.

[MineralMan]

25. He may, or may not, face criminal charges.

It's a big deal to charge a former President with a criminal offense. It's not something state Attorneys General really want to do, because it's going to be extremely expensive and will be appealed at every possible opportunity.

No President, sitting or former, has ever been charged and tried for a criminal offense. That is why there is no rush to do so in Trump's case. If I were a betting man, I would bet it never happens, frankly, even though it definitely should.

[Jon King]

28. I agree, I'll believe it when I see it.

Not only is the bar going to be high for a former President, he used a middleman like Cohen or Weisselberg for everything.

All it takes is one juror to hide behind the fact that he always had an 'expert' in the field doing the bad deeds for him, he could walk.

Cohen as a lawyer should have known, Weisselberg as an accountant did it all....Trump was so busy he relied on experts. That will be the defense and you need every juror to not go for it.

[BSdetect]

27. He must never be allowed to escape severe punishment.

Pursue him relentlessly

[calimary]

31. Well, that could be considered one form of "imprisonment."

He'll spend the rest of his miserable life looking over his shoulder.

For him, the old battle cry fits perfectly: No justice? No peace.

[Wednesdays]

29. Hey Guardian,

for the answer to the question, you may want to ask the fifty repug Senators and the seventy million loonies who voted for the crook.

[WarGamer]

36. Well.. there's a process

With many steps.

First, he has to be charged with something and then you have to see a 12 person Jury agree on the charges.

[BobTheSubgenius]

40. No matter how guilty he is, and how much guiltier he appears, it's still a LONG, torturous process.

So let's get on with it.