Trump and consequences: After an amazing series of unforced errors, indictment is coming

[marmar]

Trump and consequences: After an amazing series of unforced errors, indictment is coming
Trump and his lawyers keep making things worse, and he's now the DOJ's target: The irony is dark, but delicious

By LUCIAN K. TRUSCOTT IV
Columnist
PUBLISHED SEPTEMBER 3, 2022 8:00AM (EDT)


(Salon) The last week in August is usually a sleepy time in America, news-wise. A gigantic blanket of heat settles over the country, driving everyone inside, or to beaches and lakeside retreats. Congress is in recess with the president typically vacationing somewhere that features refreshing breezes if not cool temperatures; cable news anchors have retreated to their second homes in the mountains or by the seaside; even newspapers tend to take the slow-news days to run culture features on trendsetters and hip designers who have set the looks everyone will be sporting in the fall.

But none of that holds true when the disrupter in chief is facing investigations in multiple states and by the federal government itself that could land him in criminal court, and maybe even in jail. The former president, who throughout the past week had his lawyers refer to him as "President Trump" and "the President" in legal papers filed on his behalf in Florida, is facing a lawsuit in New York that could disassemble and fine out of existence his business, the Trump Organization; an investigation by prosecutors in Georgia for attempting to overturn the 2020 election results in that state (which he lost); and an investigation by the Department of Justice into his handling of official documents and national defense information that he spirited away to Mar-a-Lago when he left the White House and then refused to return to the National Archives over a period of almost 18 months.

It's not a pretty picture for a man who would rather be on one of his golf courses than hiring new lawyers and holding Zoom meetings with them, especially when it became known this week, according to a report in Politico, "the Republican National Committee is not paying for Trump's legal fees related to the FBI's investigation and retrieval of documents at Mar-a-Lago."

It's not going to be cheap. The former president had four lawyers in a Florida courtroom on Thursday to argue his motion that a so-called special master should be appointed to go through the documents seized by the FBI in its search of Mar-a-Lago early in August. Trump had ordered his lawyers to file a motion requesting the outside arbiter to review the seized materials for documents that might fall under either attorney-client privilege or executive privilege, the second of which is accorded to presidents while in office to protect their communications with top aides and other senior government officials. (It's unlikely to apply in this case, both because ex-presidents have limited recourse to executive privilege and because the FBI and the Justice Department are themselves part of the executive branch.) .....................(more)

https://www.salon.com/2022/09/03/and-consequences-after-an-amazing-series-of-unforced-errors-indictment-is-coming/

[Thomas Hurt]

1. He just gets his cultist marks to pay his atty fees....or doesn't pay his attys at all. easy peasy

[Wicked Blue]

6. Putin pays the bills, imho nt

[Snarkoleptic]

2. TFG fugged around and found out.

Womp womp.

[lindysalsagal]

3. Here's the money line r.e. federal indictment:

There is a kicker in the DOJ filing. Trump is suspected of violating statutes involving obstruction of justice in his handling of the documents he took to Mar-a-Lago. But it's not the kind of obstruction where you lie to investigators or encourage witnesses to lie or avoid talking to the FBI or prosecutors. It's an obstruction law passed under George W. Bush in 2002. The only thing the feds have to establish in order to prove Trump obstructed justice under that law is that he failed to return government property, or encouraged others to avoid returning it, when it was demanded by the government. The documents Trump removed to Mar-a-Lago and refused for 18 months to give back to the National Archives, where they belonged, all fall under that category.

If the law is that straightforward and clear, either Garland should indict, or Garland should be removed. One, or the other.

[lindysalsagal]

4. "This time, there will be no one in the White House to pardon him."

We all learn as little kids that it's wrong to take stuff that isn't yours and it's wrong to lie about it when you get caught. All of us, it seems, except spoiled brats who have gotten away with not paying their bills, welching on their debts and lying practically every time they open their mouths. The Republican Party enabled Donald Trump to beat two impeachments for crimes that would have driven any other president from office. But he is about to learn, rather late in life, that there are consequences when you take something that isn't yours and refuse to give it back.

This time, there will be no one in the White House to pardon him.

[calimary]

17. I especially love that sentence at the end.

At what may be a very BITTER end - for the donald.

[Brainfodder]

5. This kicking and screaming phase is sad, but comedy gold, thick fog of MAGA tears & rivers of irony!

Espionage, they are defending his espionage, his clear cut orange handed espionage!

WTF isn't Mar-A surrounded by 10,000 angry AF people with at least pitchforks until the SOB comes out and faces the music?

Answer: Floriduh!

[CanonRay]

7. I don't understand the need to wait until after November

Trump is not running for anything in November 2022. It just defies logic.

[Lonestarblue]

10. It does indeed. Meanwhile, Trump is free and may be sharing more documents that have not

been recovered. I want to be hearing about searches of Bedminster and the NY apartment.

It’s interesting that it was first reported in June of 2021 that Ivanka and Jared were distancing themselves from Trump. Had they seen the boxes of documents stolen from the White House? Both might be corrupt, but they aren’t totally stupid and would have known that Trump had broken the law, especially if he bragged to them about all the classified documents he had.

[Tadpole Raisin]

14. I hope the Feds are wiretapping everything. Seems like enough evidence to do that.

If they are I don’t mind waiting. Secret warrant?

They’d have to bug every place he is since he likes to use other peoples’ phones.

Man how many traitors could you pull down in the end? It’s mind boggling!

[BOSSHOG]

12. No reason whatsoever

Is DOJ “concerned” that an American, any American might find out the truth about trump? Did gop hold off on their Benghazi clown show because of an election? And the Benghazi nonsense was horrible for America but hopefully more so for the trump crime family in the long run.

[ancianita]

13. The wait isn't just about Trump. With Trump's indictment come congress people's indictments for

aiding and abetting or for being accessories after the fact. The Nov election puts them in office, while their indictments put them in a legal, if not political, bind. And there are more than a few rethugs whose actions fall under either charge.

[InstantGratification]

18. Other possible targets besides Trump

IMHO, they have Trump dead to rights. The delay at this point could have a counter intelligence component to it. For example, if they suspect information was shopped around, the security footage at Mar a Lardo could show the spies the secrets were given to. There could also be co-conspirators with Trump, Jared getting paid 2 billion by the Saudi's is suspicious enough to warrant investigation. I'm sure that is just the tip of the iceberg for things the investigation will have to look into and all the leads that will have to be run down before the indictments start dropping.

[CrispyQ]

21. It makes no fucking sense at all.

Our allies are watching how we handle this & IMO, delaying makes us look weak, not just to them, but to voters, too. WTF? No one can demoralize the dem base better than the dems.

[Obvious85]

8. his lawyers don't realize, they will never get paid

ruining their reputation for free, much dumb!

[Evolve Dammit]

9. Whatever happened to the rape case (Ms. Carroll?) in which she allegedly has his DNA?

[Duppers]

11. Good question.

She was paid off in rubles?

[Tadpole Raisin]

15. Trial is in Feb. 2023 I think.

I was curious and looked it up a couple of weeks ago.

Can’t wait!!!

[Evolve Dammit]

22. I hope she makes it as public as she wants to, or can stand. He needs to pay for his actions, since

he really hasn't. Multiple victims may have "settled" but he needs what Cosby got. He's always slid, but his "pussy grabbin' " days are winding down. One way or another.

[Native]

16. Nothing new in this, but it does lay it all out in exquisite order.

[msfiddlestix]

19. yeah, sure it's comin'..... in our collective dreams, sometime in the after life

[multigraincracker]

20. Will not be surprise me when he fires all of his lawyers

and handled the case himself.

[central scrutinizer]

23. Please proceed!

That would be comedy gold