TFG may yet be indicted in one court or another, for one or another of a myriad of crimes. What is on trial now is the American justice system. Given overwhelming amount of evidence publicly available and who knows how much more as yet unrevealed, if we don't see a resolute march to justice pronto, the public will abandon any trust it has left in our system's will and capacity to prosecute the rich and powerful. How ironic, that a criminal destined for a special place in the annals of crime in this nation is actually putting the justice system on trial. So be it; its been a long time coming.
Similarly here in Australia, a proto-Trumpian ex prime minister has been exposed for undermining our democracy. In this case it was called a ministerial ‘power-creep’. If you want to preserve your democracy, you need to charge them, investigate them and prosecute them. The political cancer must be eliminated.
Aug 27, 2022·edited Aug 27, 2022Liked by Robert B. Hubbell
I am delighting in the irony that a man who doesn’t read and doesn’t appreciate history will (hopefully) be done in by librarians and archivists. I worry though that there could be copies or photos of these documents stored on phones or computers. And, he could have disclosed the contents of the documents already.
Here we have a fully documented and obvious crime. Top secret documents have been stolen and found. The owner of the home makes no declaration of innocence. Instead he claims he has a right to the documents.
If I were the former store manager of a home improvement center (still got my keys and security code) and I had backed up a truck and removed a few pallets of power tools...and those tools were found in my garage...would I simply be able to claim ownership? And walk free?
It is a simple dereliction of duty on the part of the DOJ that this person who has undeniably stolen top secret documents is still a free man. Every day he is allowed the opportunity to talk with another human being is a potential risk to our national security and perhaps a threat to the lives of those who work for us in the intelligence sector. TFG should be in a locked down isolation cell yesterday.
There is no defense. The crime is established. Screw the political backlash. Enforce the law.
Given #45’s problematic relationships with Ukraine and NATO, does it strike anyone else as curious that a year after he left the White House with untold pages of classified documents, his good friend Putin launched an unprovoked attack on Ukraine, cheered on by #45, obviously assuming that NATO and the US would let him get away with it?
The specifics in the affidavit seem enough to indict Trump. However, Section 7 - Source of Evidence - hints there is more to come in the second sentence , "Because this affidavit is submitted for the limited purpose of establishing probable cause in support of the application for a search warrant, it does not set forth each and every fact that I, or others, have learned during the course of this investigation." Those facts may lead to more trouble for Trump and his accolades than just illegal record retention and obstruction - perhaps monetizing their value for personal gain.
I have a feeling that as revelations come out of the DOJ, there are at least a few seasoned Republicans who are getting antsy over the fealty they and their colleagues have lavished on DJT for the last 6 years. He has always been an immoral and conniving narcissist but now that it is being revealed that he put himself in a position of actual harm, I think, at least i pray, that these seasoned members of the GOP are thinking about jumping ship. I'd have thought Mitt Romney would be in the vanguard but he has certainly been put in an awkward box by his niece Ronna McDaniel who seems to have gone full-on MAGA.
Aug 27, 2022·edited Aug 27, 2022Liked by Robert B. Hubbell
The Justice Department just played out one more way Trump planned to overturn the 2020 election and ruin free and fair elections. He is still the president and is allowed to do whatever he wants. He is not just stealing the 2020 election but stealing American democracy.
I just read the warrant application. I have a new appreciation for AG Garland and the Justice Department. It is clear that they have to get Trump dead to right or they will not be able to bring any indictment against him. They have done that. They gave him tons of rope by dragging out attempts to get these documents, giving him multiple opportunities to lie, cover up, ultimately because he, as president, can do whatever he wants because he is above the law.
With the release of this application, the only defense Trump and his supporters can now have is that he should be above the law. There is no Bill Bahr there to lie about what the warrant application contains. There is only OAN, Brightbart and Fox News that can help him proclaim that he should be above the law.
The application sets out each law that was violated, each thing ((element) that they need to prove to find Trump guilty of violating that law, and the evidence they have they believe proves that element.
The evidence that supports each element of law violation:
1. There is extensive discussion that the items found in the set of documents that Trump first turned over contains presidential records as well as classified documents;
2. They set out evidence that there are more documents stored at Trump's residence that had not been turned over, their attempts to get the documents still at Mara Lago, and the responses from Trump's attorneys.
During this period, they explain how they gave Trump ample opportunity to hang himself: he admitted that he had documents in violation of law, obstructed their ability to get those documents by lying, stating that he is above the law, and getting his news organizations to state that he is above the law, and by ginning up his base to attack (physically) law enforcement if they intend to enforce the law against him.
You can bet that a part of the next set of January 6 hearings will include his continued assertion that he is the lawful president, that he has the right to violate laws; that law enforcement has no right to investigate or prosecute him.
As I said, I have a new appreciation for AG Garland the the DOJ.
I send great hugs to you, your wife, your daughter, and your family, and I send congratulations and best wishes for a glorious wedding celebration and blessings on the couple. May their lives be long and filled with love, joy and wonderment.
I like the fiesty Joe. Gloves off Joe and the Democrats. Time to take the fight to the Rethuglican party. These people are a threat to Democracy. I will break out a bottle of champagne when Trump is behind bars. We should not be afraid of prosecuting him and those who are trying to destroy our government.
"Trump’s apologists might want to disentangle themselves from him before they thoroughly embarrass themselves." From Jennifer Rubin's column; I'd say it's a bit late for that now. If they're not thoroughly embarrassed at this point, they never will be and it's clear that some will go down with the ship if/when it is finally sunk.
Congratulations Mr. Hubbell. Forget about politics for a few days. Believe it or not, those people are about to lose badly. Relax and enjoy your family. You deserve it.
Dear Attorney General Garland: When you are done with Trump, please move on to Bill Barr. There will be no true justice until he and his DOJ lackeys are called to account for their willful shell game with the truth about Russian collusion.
TFG may yet be indicted in one court or another, for one or another of a myriad of crimes. What is on trial now is the American justice system. Given overwhelming amount of evidence publicly available and who knows how much more as yet unrevealed, if we don't see a resolute march to justice pronto, the public will abandon any trust it has left in our system's will and capacity to prosecute the rich and powerful. How ironic, that a criminal destined for a special place in the annals of crime in this nation is actually putting the justice system on trial. So be it; its been a long time coming.
Similarly here in Australia, a proto-Trumpian ex prime minister has been exposed for undermining our democracy. In this case it was called a ministerial ‘power-creep’. If you want to preserve your democracy, you need to charge them, investigate them and prosecute them. The political cancer must be eliminated.
I am delighting in the irony that a man who doesn’t read and doesn’t appreciate history will (hopefully) be done in by librarians and archivists. I worry though that there could be copies or photos of these documents stored on phones or computers. And, he could have disclosed the contents of the documents already.
Here we have a fully documented and obvious crime. Top secret documents have been stolen and found. The owner of the home makes no declaration of innocence. Instead he claims he has a right to the documents.
If I were the former store manager of a home improvement center (still got my keys and security code) and I had backed up a truck and removed a few pallets of power tools...and those tools were found in my garage...would I simply be able to claim ownership? And walk free?
It is a simple dereliction of duty on the part of the DOJ that this person who has undeniably stolen top secret documents is still a free man. Every day he is allowed the opportunity to talk with another human being is a potential risk to our national security and perhaps a threat to the lives of those who work for us in the intelligence sector. TFG should be in a locked down isolation cell yesterday.
There is no defense. The crime is established. Screw the political backlash. Enforce the law.
Given #45’s problematic relationships with Ukraine and NATO, does it strike anyone else as curious that a year after he left the White House with untold pages of classified documents, his good friend Putin launched an unprovoked attack on Ukraine, cheered on by #45, obviously assuming that NATO and the US would let him get away with it?
The specifics in the affidavit seem enough to indict Trump. However, Section 7 - Source of Evidence - hints there is more to come in the second sentence , "Because this affidavit is submitted for the limited purpose of establishing probable cause in support of the application for a search warrant, it does not set forth each and every fact that I, or others, have learned during the course of this investigation." Those facts may lead to more trouble for Trump and his accolades than just illegal record retention and obstruction - perhaps monetizing their value for personal gain.
I have a feeling that as revelations come out of the DOJ, there are at least a few seasoned Republicans who are getting antsy over the fealty they and their colleagues have lavished on DJT for the last 6 years. He has always been an immoral and conniving narcissist but now that it is being revealed that he put himself in a position of actual harm, I think, at least i pray, that these seasoned members of the GOP are thinking about jumping ship. I'd have thought Mitt Romney would be in the vanguard but he has certainly been put in an awkward box by his niece Ronna McDaniel who seems to have gone full-on MAGA.
The Justice Department just played out one more way Trump planned to overturn the 2020 election and ruin free and fair elections. He is still the president and is allowed to do whatever he wants. He is not just stealing the 2020 election but stealing American democracy.
I just read the warrant application. I have a new appreciation for AG Garland and the Justice Department. It is clear that they have to get Trump dead to right or they will not be able to bring any indictment against him. They have done that. They gave him tons of rope by dragging out attempts to get these documents, giving him multiple opportunities to lie, cover up, ultimately because he, as president, can do whatever he wants because he is above the law.
With the release of this application, the only defense Trump and his supporters can now have is that he should be above the law. There is no Bill Bahr there to lie about what the warrant application contains. There is only OAN, Brightbart and Fox News that can help him proclaim that he should be above the law.
The application sets out each law that was violated, each thing ((element) that they need to prove to find Trump guilty of violating that law, and the evidence they have they believe proves that element.
The evidence that supports each element of law violation:
1. There is extensive discussion that the items found in the set of documents that Trump first turned over contains presidential records as well as classified documents;
2. They set out evidence that there are more documents stored at Trump's residence that had not been turned over, their attempts to get the documents still at Mara Lago, and the responses from Trump's attorneys.
During this period, they explain how they gave Trump ample opportunity to hang himself: he admitted that he had documents in violation of law, obstructed their ability to get those documents by lying, stating that he is above the law, and getting his news organizations to state that he is above the law, and by ginning up his base to attack (physically) law enforcement if they intend to enforce the law against him.
You can bet that a part of the next set of January 6 hearings will include his continued assertion that he is the lawful president, that he has the right to violate laws; that law enforcement has no right to investigate or prosecute him.
As I said, I have a new appreciation for AG Garland the the DOJ.
I send great hugs to you, your wife, your daughter, and your family, and I send congratulations and best wishes for a glorious wedding celebration and blessings on the couple. May their lives be long and filled with love, joy and wonderment.
I keep thinking of Harry Truman. Biden is indeed “decent and honest.”
"Russia...if you're listening, I have 184 pages of classified documents!"
Donald FPOTUS Trump
I like the fiesty Joe. Gloves off Joe and the Democrats. Time to take the fight to the Rethuglican party. These people are a threat to Democracy. I will break out a bottle of champagne when Trump is behind bars. We should not be afraid of prosecuting him and those who are trying to destroy our government.
"Trump’s apologists might want to disentangle themselves from him before they thoroughly embarrass themselves." From Jennifer Rubin's column; I'd say it's a bit late for that now. If they're not thoroughly embarrassed at this point, they never will be and it's clear that some will go down with the ship if/when it is finally sunk.
The evidence is there Mr. Garland; JFDI.
Congratulations Mr. Hubbell. Forget about politics for a few days. Believe it or not, those people are about to lose badly. Relax and enjoy your family. You deserve it.
Thank you for your dedication and hard work to keep us well informed. I never miss your letters
Dear Attorney General Garland: When you are done with Trump, please move on to Bill Barr. There will be no true justice until he and his DOJ lackeys are called to account for their willful shell game with the truth about Russian collusion.