WTF is Special Council Jack Smith doing regarding Trump?

[Cyrano]

For four long, horrible, seemingly endless years, we watched on TV as Donald Trump publicly committed crimes for which anyone else in this country would have, long ago, been arrested and tried.

Joe Biden's Attorney General, Merrick Garland, spent endless months investigating (I suppose) some of those crimes. Then, he appointed a Special Counsel, Jack Smith, to investigate some of those crimes (I suppose).

So here we are with another election season about to heat up, Donald Trump is hosting billionaires at Mar-a-Lago, and that thing called "accountability" is nowhere in sight. And to add to that, the Orange Beast seems well on his way to becoming the Republican nominee. (Yeah, I know. "He can't win." That's what we believed in 2016.)

Could he once again be elected pResident while under indictment, or even under home arrest? Would he have to wear an ankle bracelet in the White House? Who knows.

To it's credit, the DOJ isn't leaking anything. Nonetheless, one can't help but wonder WTF Jack Smith is doing. And whatever it is, do you think he'll accomplish anything before the next presidential election rolls around?

(Trump doesn't seem to have anything close to the numbers needed to win a national election. But don't believe the Republican Party can't steal it for him. They have shown themselves to be nothing more than a criminal organization. And whether he wins or steals it, American democracy will be gone.)

[Ocelot II]

1. Have you not noticed the many grand jury subpoenas he has issued

and that the courts have upheld? TFG's lawyers are being forced to testify about their communications with TFG because the crime/fraud exception to attorney-client privilege means they have to. I'd say Jack Smith is very busy indeed, but he's not bound by the impatience of internet kibitzers.

[emulatorloo]

26. No, because apparently they don't read reputable news sources. Or choose not to.

[Orrex]

37. DoJ's Cheerleaders ALWAYS play that card

Jack Smith is very busy indeed, but he's not bound by the impatience of internet kibitzers.

Well no shit.

I invite you to quote the DUer who has claimed that Smith (or Garland, for that matter) is obligated to follow the timetable set forth by "internet kibitzers." If you can't do so, then perhaps you and the rest should abandon this intellectually dishonest tactic, or at least admit that you're knowingly relying on an intellectually dishonest tactic.

The reality is this: no one of significance has been held accountable for any of Trump's crimes. No one. Not by Smith and certainly not by Garland. A basket of anonymous deplorables have indeed received middling sentences, but no one in power or position has faced any real consequences. This, coupled with Trump's lifetime of open criminality with impunity, leads some people quite understandably to dread the growing impression that Trump will once again escape and very possibly be elected in 2024.

But it's more important for the cheerleaders to waggle their fingers and cluck their tongues and pretend that we have one system of equal justice for all, even as daily reality proves otherwise.

It's not clear that the cheerleaders even give a shit about the outcome of the many investigations about Trump; what they appear to want more than anything is to scold and belittle those who dare to express entirely natural and reasonable frustration.


Maybe you can tell us again that "These Things Take Time" and "There's No Precedent For This Kind of Investigation" and blah blah blah blah blah.

[Demsrule86]

45. I am a Democratic party cheerleader in all cases...we have two choice s,

unless you want to lose, Democrats or Republicans... constant complaining weakens our chances to win elections. I am sure you understand how much worse it would be if the Republicans were in charge... enough to give you screaming nightmares. Neither you nor I have any idea what is going on in the Trump investigations.

[Orrex]

46. Here's the difference, as always:

Neither you nor I have any idea what is going on in the Trump investigations.

True, but based on that fact, the cheerleaders insist that things must therefore be proceeding apace, and they stomp with both feet on anyone who dares to express a lack of faith in Garland or Smith of the DoJ at large.

I reject the false dichotomy of your "two choice" proposal because it's simplistic groupthink. It certainly doesn't excuse Democratic inaction or failures, even if the GOP alternative would be objectively worse.

The cheerleaders are in a rhetorically stronger position, because if Garland et al succeed at bringing Trump to justice, the naysayers will say "whew, I'm glad I was wrong." But if Garland et al fail to make charges stick, then the cheerleaders will say "this proves that the DoJ was right."

[gab13by13]

2. Merrick Garland employed the pyramid strategy

he didn't investigate Trump or his inner circle for over a year, and no one can prove otherwise. No one flipped under his pyramid strategy.

Don't knock Jack Smith, he is doing what Garland should have done. We maybe could have had a federal criminal trial before the 2024 election had Garland started investigating sooner.

The one that really pizzes me off is Garland saying that he will not be partisan, Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, we have one political party that is complicit in the insurrection, now is the time to be partisan, Democrats aren't trying to overthrow our democracy.

[JohnSJ]

13. +++

[Sky Jewels]

15. Can you imagine if Obama had attempted a literal coup d'etat

and the next Republican attorney general had stated that he wanted to be "non-partisan"? It never would have happened. NEVER EVER!!!

[Meowmee]

34. this completely

[Meowmee]

32. agree

and in bending over backwards not to be partisan he actually was being partisan in favor of the fascist R party. Apparently no one is courageous enough to stop these fascists once and for all. The cost is high. Let's see if JS will do something.

[Thomas Hurt]

3. You should check out Meidas Touch on YouTube. They keep you updated on what Smith is doing...

that is what is public of course.

[Jrose]

4. What greatly differs from the 2016 campaign for DjT...

... is that while and after he'd been in office, DjT was impeached twice for extorting Ukraine's Zelensky, inciting the Jan. 6 attack, and later indicted for the Daniels case. He now has a number of other ongoing, even more potentially criminally and politically devastating cases facing him.

No matter what the outcomes of those cases will be, for the majority of Americans, including independent voters, his likelihood to be electable in 2024 will be much less than in 2016 or even 2020.

[yaesu]

5. Even racist entitled scumbags like tRump deserve do process under the law

plus there is the political aspect as not making it look political. We will hear something when the jd is ready to act. As far as the election goes I'm more concerned with deathsantis than tRump, that is one evil mfer that is actually smart. If tRump can knock that dangerous pos out of the race before he gets his ass handed to him by the jd that would be cool with me.

[Cyrano]

9. You or I have a better chance of becoming president than DeSantis

The FL Republican legislature will pass any piece of insanity he comes up with. But it won't play on a national basis.

What will totally do him in is his lack of charisma. There is nothing about him to like. And regardless of what pundits and polls say, people don't vote for policies. They vote for who they like.

[speak easy]

16. And then there is asymmetrical warfare.

Trump can say virtually anything about DeSantis that he likes - but RonBoy can't respond with the same intensity for fear of permanently alienating hardcore MAGAts.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

6. Special Counsel Jack Smith has been busy

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

[FelineOverlord]

7. Boris Epshsteyn met with Jack Smith's office for multiple hours over 2 days

The FBI has his phone.

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

[onenote]

8. Well, for starters, he seems to be too busy to keep you in the loop

Not that he has any obligation to do so.

[Bev54]

17. Yes these posts are getting tiresome, doesn't matter how much it is pointed out what both

Garland and Smith have done and are doing, they wear their blind folds with some kind of prideful stubbornness

[emulatorloo]

27. They don't bother reading reputable news sources. Pure contrarianism at this point.

Anyone who reads reputable news sources knows that the DOJ has gotten the courts to compel testimony from Pence, Corcoran, and other Trump insiders. And that there are three grand juries hearing testimony about Trump’s crimes.

[Bev54]

31. Yes and at least one of the grand juries has been in place in early 2021.

This is in addition to all the 1/6 insurrectionist rioters with whom they are also making deals to flip some of them.

[MarineCombatEngineer]

10. Ummm, his job.

I guess the DoJ hasn't been very forthcoming with you on his investigation, they're too busy with the criminal investigations against Benedict and his cohorts.

[Scrivener7]

11. Smith has only been on the job for five months, and in that time his investigation,

unlike Garland's, has left a very visible and extensive paper trail.

When Smith took office, the attorneys investigating the organizers of January 6 and the election fraud were moved over to work under him. Of the scores of lawyers the DOJ has hired to work on January 6, and the hundreds which the DOJ already employed, only TWENTY were in that group which transferred over to work for Smith.

An attempt to overthrow the government. Twenty lawyers.

So my assumption is that we have to assume that Smith is almost starting from scratch. It is ridiculous, but there it is, and the signs are that he is moving forward.

I don't know where it will end, but I am much more comfortable with the very visible paper trail that is necessarily left by an effective investigation than I was with two years of "the DOJ doesn't leak" nonsense.

[Bev54]

18. Unlike Garland??? Who do you think did most of the leg work for Smith?

[Scrivener7]

20. Smith. And you, I take it, think it's Garland. We disagree. I can deal with that. Can you?

[Bev54]

22. Here is some of the timeline of the 1/6 investigation prior to Smith being appointed.

I can provide a timeline of the documents investigation if you would like. It still is not complete.

Some key dates in the January 6 investigation are:
January 4, 2021: DC authorities seize Enrique Tarrio’s phone
January 25, 2021: Stop the Steal VIP Brandon Straka arrested; DOJ IG opens probe into Jeff Clark and others
February 17, 2021: First allegedly cooperative interview with Straka
March 17, 2021: DOJ makes first tie between Oath Keepers investigation and Roger Stone
March 25, 2021: Second allegedly cooperative interview with Straka
April 21, 2021 (Lisa Monaco’s first day on the job): DOJ obtains warrant targeting Rudy Giuliani’s cell phones in Ukraine investigation
June 23, 2021: First Oath Keeper who interacted with Stone enters into cooperation agreement
August 19, 2021: Alex Jones sidekick Owen Shroyer, who participated in Friends of Stone list and served as a communication hub between Proud Boys and others, arrested
September 2021: DOJ subpoenas records from Sidney Powell grift
September 3, 2021: SDNY makes an ultimately successful bid to review all content on Rudy’s devices for privilege (making such content available if and when DOJ obtains January 6 warrant targeting Rudy)
Fall 2021: Thomas Windom appointed to form fake elector team
October 28, 2021: Merrick Garland tells Sheldon Whitehouse DOJ is following the money of January 6
November 2, 2021: Special Master Barbara Jones releases first tranche of materials from Rudy’s phones, including content through seizure
November 22, 2021: Trump appointee Carl Nichols asks James Pearce whether 18 USC 1512(c)(2) might be applied to someone like Trump (he would go on to issue an outlier opinion rejecting the application)
By December 2021: JP Cooney starts long-invisible investigation into financial side of January 6
December 2021: NARA and Mark Meadows begin process of completing his record of PRA-covered communications
December 10, 2021: Judge Dabney Friedrich (a Trump appointee) upholds application of 18 USC 1512(c)(2) to January 6
Mid-January 2022: DOJ finally obtains contents of Tarrio’s phone
January 5, 2022: Merrick Garland reiterates that DOJ is investigating the financial side of January 6
January 19, 2022: Jones releases remaining content from Rudy’s phones; SCOTUS declines to review DC Circuit rejection of Trump’s Executive Privilege claims with respect to January 6 subpoenas
January 5, 2022: Lisa Monaco confirms DOJ is investigating fake electors plot
February 18, 2022: In civil cases, Judge Amit Mehta rules it plausible that Trump and militias conspired to obstruct vote certification, as well that he aided and abetted assaults
March 2, 2022: Oath Keeper in charge of Stone security on January 6, Joshua James, enters into cooperation agreement
March 28, 2022: Judge David Carter issues crime-fraud ruling covering John Eastman’s communications with and on behalf of Trump
May 2022: DOJ subpoenas all NARA records provided to J6C
May 26, 2022: Subpoenas for fake electors plot including Rudy, John Eastman, Boris Epshteyn, Bernie Kerik, and Jenna Ellis, among others; warrants for email accounts of Jeffrey Clark, John Eastman, Ken Klukowski, and one non-lawyer
June 6, 2022: DOJ charges Proud Boy leaders with seditious conspiracy
June 21, 2022: Second set of fake electors subpoenas, adding Mike Roman and others, warrants for NV GOP officials and GA official
June 22, 2022: DOJ searches Jeffrey Clark’s home and seizes his phone
June 28, 2022: DOJ seizes John Eastman’s phone
June 23, 2022: DOJ completes exploitation (but not scoping) of Shroyer’s phone
June 24, 2022: Ali Alexander grand jury appearance
June 27, 2022: Then Chief Judge Beryl Howell permits prosecutors to obtain emails between Scott Perry and Clark and Eastman
July 22, 2022: Marc Short appears before grand jury
August 9, 2022: Scott Perry’s phone seized
August 2022: Mark Meadows provides previously withheld PRA covered materials to NARA
Early September, 2022: Pre-election legal process includes seizure of Boris Epshteyn and Mike Roman’s phones, subpoenas to key aides including Dan Scavino, Bernie Kerik, Stephen Miller, Mark Meadows, subpoenas pertaining to Trump’s PAC spending,
October 13, 2022: Marc Short and Greg Jacob make second, privilege-waived grand jury appearance
November 18, 2022: Merrick Garland appoints Jack Smith

[Scrivener7]

25. That's a lovely list. Many of those things have nothing to do with Merrick Garland. Some

have nothing to do with the DOJ.

Others describe actions against lower level participants consistent with the "pyramid scheme" that no one disputes was in effect.

Some are simply statements by Garland that he's doing stuff. And they are just that specific.

Some are simply statements by his staff members that the DOJ is doing stuff. And they are just that specific.

There's talk of an "invisible" investigation into the finances of January 6. It is very invisible indeed.

Lot's of phones seized. Yay. But hold on, most of those were seized a year and a half after the attempted takeover of our government. Others were seized almost two years after the attempted takeover of our government. Hmmmm. What could go wrong with that?

Some coverage of the months of polite requests for the stolen documents.

While your list seems long, on second glance, if that is the total of the DOJ's achievements for those two years, if that is an indication of their response to an attempted coup, an attempt to overthrow our government, that is really quite pitiful.

[Cyrano]

12. Given most of the replies so far, I didn't realize

we'd lost the right to criticize our government. Right or wrong, we all have the right to bitch and moan about what's happening in our name. And since it's been almost two and a half years since the grifter-in-chief left the White House, please forgive me for occasionally kvetching.

[MarineCombatEngineer]

14. And who here has said or attempted to stop you from criticizing the govt? nt

[newdayneeded]

24. I almost got kicked off this site

for voicing my opinion about Garland and Powell.

So now I have to conform.

Garland is the by far the strongest, most fearless, most relentless AG this country has ever had. It's most impressive how absolutely blistering the pace is that this investigation is flying along!!!!!

I'm sorry for being so negative about Powell raising interset levels, I hope he keeps raising them up to double digits. I think he's absolutely right in driving toward a much needed recession. I totally see the light now!! Thank you Mr. Powell!!

[Bev54]

19. Go ahead and criticize but to do so based strictly on your own assumptions and not

on any actual evidence; expect people to push back. There is so much evidence counter to your argument and much of it has been presented on this forum.

[emulatorloo]

28. Ah playing the victim card. Nobody told you that you can't "criticize the government." Rather

they gave you evidence that counter the speculative fact-free claims you made in you OP.

[Ocelot II]

36. Nobody is taking away your right to criticize our government

(although DU, which is not the government, does have a rule about bashing Democratic officials). But if your criticism isn't based on easily-discovered facts you will be fairly criticized for that.

[Hekate]

21. From my files: Watergate timeline

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100217698774

[kentuck]

23. He is going over all the evidence that has been uncovered...

...and is nearing a decision to recommend to Merrick Garland, who will make the final decision on whether or not to prosecute.

[emulatorloo]

29. Yes. And is presenting it to the relevant Grand Juries, which one would know if they were to read

reputable news sources.

[Goodheart]

30. Getting paid by the hour, apparently.

What motive does he have to wrap this up quickly if he's not getting paid a fixed amount by contract?

[Ocelot II]

35. He's a government employee. They aren't paid by the hour.

[Goodheart]

40. Every hour he extends the investigation means he collects more payment

So, yes, in a real sense he's paid by the hour.

[Ocelot II]

41. Do you seriously think he's doing this for the money?

[Goodheart]

43. That's why people go to work, generally.

But I don't think it's entirely for the money, though.

Still, I can't see that he feels any rush or incentive to get it done quickly, as has been the case with multiple special prosecutors in the past. trump should have already been charged for what Texeria just got arrested.

[Ocelot II]

44. Maybe you should call him up and offer your services.

[Meowmee]

33. JS has supoenaed

several witnesses, old or current dump lawyers etc. Let's see what comes of it. It could very well be too late as you say. And yes he ( the mass murderer fascist) could be elected or illegally elected again. The fact that he can even be allowed to run again shows how broken and corrupt the whole system is.

[Kid Berwyn]

38. The Situation

Certainly seems like Trump gets the Kid Glove treatment. It’s concerning to me, too.

I also remember the hands-off treatment Reagan-Bush-Bush2 have received. They lied America into illegal, immoral, unnecessary and disastrous wars for profit.

It’s crazy, but all one needs to do to enjoy impunity and forgiveness is be a money trumps peace/white property rights über Alles type of sociopath.

Jack Smith sending Dimdonnie to Leavenworth would be just a start. I’ve been wondering where Justice disappeared to since November 22, 1963.

[bigtree]

39. why don't you go find out?

...google Jack Smith, grand jury (juries).

I've seen enough of these outrage threads to know that they come with zero info, and ZERO interest in the actual answers.

Trump is absolutely terrorized by them right now, and you're supposing all is fine and dandy for him. It's just misinformation to present the investigation as unconcerned with Trump. It's a curious deflection from what's happening right in front of us. I wonder why?

Why detract from this hilarity to suppose Trump is getting off scott free? There's delusion and there's delusion.

Link to tweet

[Ocelot II]

42. I think it's called FUD.

Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt. I'm not sure why it's being spread here, but I wish people who didn't know what they were talking about wouldn't do it.

[BannonsLiver]

47. Snickering over here

Given that DU is like a fanzine for Jack Smith that you had the hutzpah to post this is hilarious. Reactions were hilariously agitated and predictable. Well played.