Schiff says Trump's political relevance may have slowed DOJ probes

[Kablooie]

Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) on Sunday said former President Trump’s political relevance may have impacted the Justice Department’s probes involving Trump’s attempts to overturn the 2020 election results, his potential mishandling of classified documents and his involvement in the Jan. 6 riot on the U.S. Capitol.

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“I think he should face the same remedy, force of law, that anyone else would. I do worry that it may take until he is no longer politically relevant for justice to be served,” Schiff said.

“That’s not the way it should be in this country, but there seems to be an added evidentiary burden with someone who has a large enough following… I find it hard otherwise to explain why, almost two years from the events of January 6th, and with the evidence that’s already in the public domain, why the Justice Department hasn’t moved more quickly than it has,” Schiff said.

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https://thehill.com/homenews/sunday-talk-shows/3779670-schiff-says-trumps-political-relevance-may-have-slowed-doj-probes/

[Botany]

1. A. Schiff, "I think he should face the same remedy, force of law, that anyone else would."

Thank you Adam!

[Chainfire]

2. Summon the DOJ defenders!

[Peregrine Took]

4. What - they aren't here yet? n/t

[WA-03 Democrat]

10. You do not know

all the hard work going on behind the scenes!


Those fuckers will never pay.

There is no law

[Silent3]

3. "there seems to be an added evidentiary burden"

No fucking shit.

I get so sick of people assuring us that "this is just the process". It's pretty clear the DoJ dragged its feet for many months, it's more reluctant to go after Trump than they would be for anyone else with the same amount of overwhelming evidence, and they are much, much more afraid to lose.

That "when you strike at the king, don't miss" fear grants Trump a high degree of protection most others would not enjoy, and definitely treats Trump as not equal before the law, to his benefit.

[dchill]

5. Agreed.

Thanks, media.

[magicarpet]

6. If they don't make tRump answer for what he has done and suffer repercussions.

tRump or someone much like him or worse - will come along and pull the same stunts like he did to undermine and trash American Democracy again.

They let Donnie off the hook for his egregious criminality,.. they will let us off again next time too.

[RockRaven]

7. No shit. You don't say!

Point to a time in living memory that the DOJ wasn't a corrupt, self-interested shitpile.

[CrispyQ]

8. It sure looks that way to me, too.

We needed a bull dog but got a lap dog. Is Jack Smith a bulldog? Too early to tell, but Garland ultimately holds his leash. Rule of law is dead.

[Magoo48]

9. The elves are scurrying about behind the scenes processing and reprocessing mounds of evidence.

The new frontman and his so-far, reluctant boss are poised to act, or not. The congress critters are about to report, but the same thing is missing that’s been missing from the getgo: the big engines who drive our beloved Capitalism are not behind it all, pushing. The super powerful and their pawns, as well as, the pitchforks and torches of a truly pissed off grassroots contingent are laying back afraid to release the Kraken.

[Firestorm49]

11. Yeah, Adam. You and the rest of the country.

But, be careful to not be derogatory of Garland on DU.

[MyOwnPeace]

16. Maybe, just maybe.......

the DOJ has been like so many of us, hoping that there'd be 1 'choke-bone' in the next bucket of KFC, or one more 'Big Mac with fries" would be THE one that would deliver us all with our 'silent wish.'
"SURELY he can't last ONE MORE DAY with THAT diet!"

[boston bean]

12. Amen.

[Mr.Bill]

13. Sometimes Mr. Schiff

displays a firm grasp of the obvious.

Good to see him vaildate what many of us think, though.

[Evolve Dammit]

21. He has expressed frustration for a year or more.

[Just A Box Of Rain]

14. Anyone with a functioning mind understands the difficulty of winning a conviction--

in a trial by jury--of a former president (who has a significant base of support), which means that any such case needs to be air-tight.

That's beyond obvious.

The DOJ needs to get convictions.

Not indictments. Not "not guilty" verdicts or hung-juries.

Convictions.

[musclecar6]

19. That's

Always been the problem. The jury in a trial may wind up like the spineless and/or corrupt people, like the republicans in the 2 impeachment trials.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

25. I think Adam Schiff has "a functioning mind".

[Just A Box Of Rain]

26. I do too. So he understands the realities involved.

The committee's own referral, for example--which is not legally binding and while of significant symbolic value--doesn't involve proving anything to a jury won't even come until today (assuming all goes as expected).

Hard to have high praise for a slap at DOJ in this contect.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

27. Easy to prove that Top Secret docs were illegally in his possession. Would you be arrested?

[Just A Box Of Rain]

28. Again, we return to the main point.

The DOJ has to consider getting convictions in any case against Donald J Trump. Not arrests. Not indictments.

They need to know they have a case that can yield convictions.

Seems like they are moving forward on that front with deliberate speed.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

29. Again, the main point is traitortrump is treated differently than anyone else.

[Just A Box Of Rain]

30. As the realities involved with securing a conviction of a figure with a substantial base of

support that would be difficult to exclude entirely from a jury pool require extra care on the part of DOJ to make sure they bring air-tight cases. 100%

In addition, the realities of prosecuting a former president also put a burden on DOJ that makes these cases different that if Trump were a private citizen who had never held the presidency.

These things are factors. They both (rightly) put pressure on DOJ to make sure they have very solid cases prior to making indictments.

DOJ is acting precisely the way we should hope they would.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

32. No, they are not. He should have been arrested and held without bail with the documents.

What is more "air-tight" than caught red-handed, exactly as predicted by the search warrant? Nothing would prevent the DoJ from continuing to build all other cases and charges against him.

[Just A Box Of Rain]

33. Evidently those who are actually tasked with the job--people with the competence, expertise,

and experience in handling such matters--have come to a different conclusion that those offering up "hot takes" on the internet.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

34. Yet you have proven, within this sub-thread, that Adam Schiff (see OP) is right.

[Just A Box Of Rain]

35. Not right (from the evidence available to us, which is incomplete at best) that DOJ has failed

to move with all deliberate speed in building their cases, while also correct that Trump's cases require different levels of care in building those cases than those of criminals who are not in his situation would take.

The DOJ is acting precisely they way they ought to be acting from all appearances known to the informed general public, the way I see it.

[Lucky Luciano]

15. Adam Schiff is obviously a naive armchair prosecutor.

What would he know?

[Orrex]

17. Impossible! When I suggested the same thing, I was mocked, insulted, and belittled.

I'm sure that the same people who ridiculed me will be contacting Rep. Schiff immediately to tell him how foolish and illiterate and impatient he is.

[orthoclad]

18. This is not a CRIMINAL case

It's an insurrection violence case. Like firing on Fort Sumter.

The DOJ is playing it safe and playing it like a mafia investigation, which is appropriate for DJT's business and financial shenanigans, but this case involves violence and murder. Mass murder, due to his many pandemic crimes (first downplaying it, then playing politics with who got ventilators, etc.). He killed hundreds of thousands, in addition to the Capitol attack.

The grievous covid murders should be addressed like mafia hits, maybe, but there's a whole other dimension to an attempt to overthrow the government. At least the Confederates only wanted to go their own damnable way without taking over the whole damn US.

We don't want extrajudicial punishments like Sawdi Arabia, but at the least the DOJ should have moved quickly on 14A actions before the midterms, rather than leave such weighty prosecutions up to counties and states. Isn't insurrection a Federal crime?

WE HAVE JUST SEEN MASS MURDER ON A SCALE NEVER SEEN HERE BEFORE, AND NOTHING IS DONE. THE COVFEFERACY TRIED TO TAKE OVER THE GOVERNMENT, AND THEY ARE STILL HOLDING SEATS IN CONGRESS.

[DeeDeeNY]

20. He's on tape demanding 11,000+ fraudulent votes

That has to be criminal no matter what his relevance is.

https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-demands-georgia-secretary-state-find-votes-hand/story?id=75027350

[Orrex]

22. He's been caught red-handed with stolen classified materials

And he's publicly bragged about possessing them.

But I'm told that such details are insufficient to justify criminal charges pending further evidence.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

24. I think you or I would still be held in jail without bail, awaiting indictment, if we had those docs

[orthoclad]

23. I usually hate emoticons, but

that wall-banger is spot-on.

By the time we finish a carefully-crafted criminal investiation ala mafia, the NEXT insurrection will be over. Game over.

Why did DOJ wait so long to bring in Smith, right after losing the mid-terms? The insurrectionists have taken the House without a shot.

Timidity in the face of aggression is not prudence.

[bigtree]

31. Schiff makes oblique charges against DOJ without any explanation other than his angst

...what Schiff should be addressing is why his own committee is still dithering over sending evidence and transcripts of testimony to DOJ.

He has absolutely zero knowledge of the DOJ investigation. People suggesting otherwise should consider the implications of a sitting congressman privy to the details of a supposedly independent probe. He doesn't know squat, and he's grandstanding here, as he's done several times previous. It's isn't helpful, and is just more flak against the ONLY people doing anything of consequence about holding Trump accountable.

Perhaps Schiff should be reminded that his committee has ZERO authority to do anything more than inform us, no actual responsibility for guiding these charges through an actual legal process. The hubris from him is nauseating.

[uponit7771]

36. Michelle Obama agrees with Adam Schiff

https://therecount.com/watch/michelle-obama-on-top-secret/2645887638