Justice Kennedy's son signed off on Trump's loans at Deutsche Bank.

[MelissaB]

Remember when Justice Kennedy retired suddenly from the SCOTUS w/Brett Kavanaugh waiting in the wings for @realDonaldTrump?

Guess who signed off on Trump’s suspicious loans @DeutscheBank when no other bank would?

Justin Kennedy.

Justice Kennedy’s son.

Link to tweet

[hatrack]

1. Shocked, shocked!

[olegramps]

25. The entire Republican Party is a criminal enterprise that must be eradicated.

It is a cancer that is eating the heart out of the nation. A vicious entity that harbors criminals, breeding racism, hatred and division.

[Traildogbob]

28. Cancer

Fueled by Fox Noise and right (white) wing hate radio. Ask Austria how well Putin and right wing dominance went for them.

[DENVERPOPS]

52. Some one else said:

THE ENTIRE REPUBLICAN PARTY HAS BECOME THE MOST THOROUGHLY CORRUPT POLITICAL PARTY IN THE HISTORY OF OUR NATION, AND AT THIS POINT COULD BE LABELED A FASCIST GOVERNMENT PARTY......

It has been shown, especially in the last three months, that they truly have NO respect for a single law we use to govern our Democracy.

This is nothing less than a political and government coup........

Of all the things that have happened in the History of the United States, this is indeed our darkest moment, with many more to come as the direct result of the current Republican Parties actions..............

[lsewpershad]

51. Haul his ass

in court.... daddy is no longer to protect him.

[Funtatlaguy]

2. This needs A LOT OF inspection.

[srobertss]

60. Wish I could remember where I read

that Kennedy’s son was pretty far removed from any Trump business at the bank. I remember feeling disappointed because it was such a great story otherwise. Who knows, though? I agree, needs a lot of inspection.

[BigmanPigman]

70. I read it in several places...here and here...

https://www.businessinsider.com/anthony-kennedy-son-loaned-president-trump-over-a-billion-dollars-2018-6

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/28/us/politics/trump-anthony-kennedy-retirement.html

I read about him last June and I remember Stephanie Ruhle on MSNBC saying that she knew the son and she doubted he would do such things...suuuuuuure Steph! Right?

[saidsimplesimon]

74. BP, you speak for me, thank you.

[srobertss]

80. That's amazing.

I wonder what in the heck I was reading that said just the opposite. I’ll go with this. Whew. This goes to the heart of troubles we’ll be dealing with for the next 30 years unless we pack the courts.

[BigmanPigman]

82. This happened almost one year ago.

With the non-stop news cycle it is almost impossible to remember everything that you have read or heard and keep it all straight, let alone make the connections between the crimes such as this one. My head has too much info in it, I don't know how I am going to make room for the deluge that's coming soon.

[Indykatie]

73. The Headline Says Kennedy "Signed Off" on Trump's Loan But Is That True?

I think it may depend on the definition of "signed off". The Hill articles stop short of saying he personally approved the loans but that he led the Global Real Estate Division. I couldn't get to the NYT article linked in this thread. Has anyone read it to determine the language it uses?

[BigmanPigman]

81. See if this link works...

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/19/business/deutsche-bank-trump-kushner.html

[blueinredohio]

3. So much for judges being nonpartisan.

[atreides1]

5. Not partisan

I believe that Kennedy was protecting his son from a possible criminal indictment!

I think that Kennedy was given an option, either retire or see his son face charges for money laundering!!

[karynnj]

27. One problem with this conspiracy theory - who would have made that threat or promise?

1) Promise to protect:
Assume that there is significant proof to indict him, because otherwise, he is not in danger. The President could not pardon Justin Kennedy if he worked out of NY and the NY AG indicts him. Nor could the President prevent him from being indicted.

Even if only the federal government had jurisdiction, which I don't think is the case, there are still problems. If his son was charged with money laundering in connection to Trump loans, it gives credibility to Trump and his family also being involved in money laundering. Even if he promised that if Justin Kennedy is charged, he would pardon him -- that in and of itself would be obstruction of justice to protect himself.

2) Threat - he will be indicted by the Trump DOJ -- clearly not in Trump's interest!

[arthritisR_US]

83. Non partisan is a dream, unprincipled is the

norm. Rule of ethics be damned.

[madashelltoo]

6. Surprise!!!

NOT!!!!

[dlk]

7. One Hand Washes the Other...

Today’s GOP operates like a crime family. They are a present and ongoing threat to our country.

[pazzyanne]

8. X1,000,000

[watoos]

9. Kennedy and his son

need to be issued subpoenas. If they have nothing to hide they should gladly comply.

[DeminPennswoods]

43. As good a place as any to start

Kennedy and Kennedy kid aren't covered by executive privilege so no excuse not to give sworn testimony.

McGahn was the one who had the list of judges and was the one shepherding their nominations and confirmations. Did he have any other role besides that? Like offering a quid pro quo to Kennedy like step down and I'll make sure DoJ/Treasury doesn't prosecute your son.

[NotASurfer]

10. If true, add blackmail to the list of criminal acts

And file a few indictments while we're at it

[FailureToCommunicate]

11. Was it quid pro quo to go easy on his son that Justice Kennedy stepped down to

let Kavanaugh take his place?

"Go easy" that is, if he ever actually faced any scrutiny by the bank, or the regulators or our justice system.

The dirty corruption and obstruction of justice is so monumental in Trump's rise to power, and now, fixing it so he and other's may skate away into the sunset with Barr and the tilted Supreme Court (and many new, conservative Federal judges) that it boggles the mind.

We're so overwelmed at the scale of it all that it is nearly paralyzingly...

[Hortensis]

16. Having read about ruthless fascistic politics and how devoted

the RW powers have become to them, I don't think you're overstating at all. Blackmail would be SOP, and I suspect it's been used far, far more than we know to defuse and control opponents and enroll allies.

Kennedy's resignation for Kavanaugh makes no sense on its own.

Many public figures who puzzle those who've long known them by "changing."

Comey. We've never known why he sacrificed his shining career, which he did, to mount the latest but most blatant interference right before the election that triggered immediate internal FBI and OIG investigations, but he did. Willing conspirator and giant source of blackmail material or victim of blackmail, or even both?

[SayItLoud]

22. National Enquirer just the most visible "catch and hold" operation....what others are there? nt

[bigbrother05]

44. Kennedy steps down, no recusal when D Bank issues reach SCOTUS

Preloaded the court to block release of Trump records.

When you are career crooks, you have to play the long game. Kennedy's father was a mob fixer and his son is an enabler.

[stuffmatters]

61. Bingo,bingo,bingo! Dad steped down so he won't have to recuse himself.

No need for blackmail, tho that's probably how Trump acquired the majority of his "protectors." This time it was to clear SCOTUS for
Kavanaugh & a bullet proof majority to protect the son & Deutsche Bank's records from exposure..

[Honeycombe8]

12. Trump had this ace in the hole the whole time. McConnell surely knew it.

A trick was played on the American people, and it included a Supreme Court Justice.

Our system of checks and balances did not foresee corruption so widespread. In the White House, in Congress, AND in the court system. Corruption in the "system of checks and balances" itself.

It makes me physically ill to think of it.

[Hortensis]

17. Yes, and me too.

[empedocles]

30. The traitortrump/rw plot is sickening and thickening.

Part of trump's ugly arrogance may be based on his court appointments, especially SCOTUS.

trump's apparent idol, from his NYC 'dealing' days, was primo gangster John Gotti. [Saw a show on Reel the other night on Gotti; coif hair check, rotund check, expensive dresser check, no care or loyalty to anyone else check, ruthless check, reckless in pursuit of maximum publicity check]. Gotti was so confident, even in Court, that he could bribe and beat the system. Gotti was wrong.

There is so much information already, and so much more now and flood coming.

It may be an awful, ugly, dangerous, kind of war - however, I think traitortrump will go down.

[Hortensis]

38. Yes. Will it matter if Trump goes down, though,

if whoever replaces him continues to serve, especially if the replacement is far more competent and dutiful?

Trump's only mostly obedient (what do they have on him?) and highly erratic. But even in bucking the Heritage Society list he was to draw from, the RW powers were happy enough with Kavanaugh's ideology and eagerness to continue as their very dirty agent and added him to their list when Trump insisted. A list that would just be updated for the next Republican POTUS.

Tough, grim slog, but as you say the plot is thickening enough to become visible. If enough people vote while we still have the power we'll put them down.

[empedocles]

40. traitortrump, like Gotti, was so persistently corrupt - even the SCOTUS seems to have

been corrupted several ways [kennedy, kavenaugh, Gorsuch?]. With big time exposure of some of the extent of the nation-wide sickening exposure, and a hugh anti-'con wave - so much is possible. Indictments throughout the republicon hierarchies. [Think MeToo wave effect].

[Hortensis]

42. Yes, and let's add Thomas for sure.

He's as extreme as the last two appointees, and we know they didn't put him on the court to diversify it. That just helped them get away with it so early.

This massive corruption started way before Trump. The plotting began before Reagan, but the shift to conservative-dominated government really empowered it in government, and they'd already embedded a great deal of corruption into our systems, including judiciary, long before Trump came along.

It's become so bad now, though, that they can't keep it and themselves, or their goals, largely hidden from the public anymore. And Trump is the label on their bottle.

[empedocles]

54. traitor 'TRUMP is the label on their bottle' - good one.

[Hortensis]

55. Yes, don't doubt for a minute. Them too.

[Princetonian]

13. Ever wonder why Justice Kennedy voted in favor of Citizens United? Wonder no more....

Trump's greatest legacy is packing the Supreme Court and the federal courts with rightwing ideologues.

[Hortensis]

19. Umhm, but his true legacy will be as an erratic but powerful

tool for those who are packing the court with RW ideologues. It seems highly improbable that they're not extorting his cooperation by some, probably various, means. We know he and his family must be walking invitations to blackmail, and ruthless people don't need invitation.

[SayItLoud]

23. Wonder what they have on Barr? nt.

[NCjack]

59. Maybe Sonny-Boy approved some DB loans for Barr. nt

[stuffmatters]

64. Opus Dei

[crazytown]

75. Kennedy f'ing Wrote Citizen's United

[bronxiteforever]

14. Kick and recommend for visibility

[Kid Berwyn]

15. RICO ain't bigly enough.

One Special Prosecutor can’t do the job.

We the People need a Grand Jury Army.

[HootieMcBoob]

18. A Transnational Crime Syndicate

As Sarah Kindzior so aptly described them.

[SayItLoud]

20. Mob bosses get "something" on someone then milk them dry...

Cohen, the fixer, or someone got to Judge Kennedy and said..."even if your kid gets convicted....tRUMP will pardon him.
This "I'm retiring early" has smelled rotten from day one when we discovered that his kid worked for DB.... NOW we know he signed off on tRUMP loans.....Oh, my!

[yaesu]

21. Democracy will never survive under capitalism. nt

[infullview]

24. And the plot sickens....

[empedocles]

26. Great thread. Tremendously enjoyable to read it all!

[Gymbo]

29. Help me out here

I don't see Justin Kennedy's name mentioned in that article, is this conjecture or is there something I missed?

[klook]

33. The article includes a link to an earlier NYT piece

that notes Kennedy’s role at Deutsche Bank:
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/18/business/trump-deutsche-bank.html

[Gymbo]

39. Thanks

Klook, thank you, you were most helpful.

[markpkessinger]

86. Yes, but even that article does not allege that Kennedy signed off on the questionable transactions

Maybe he did, maybe he didn't. But at this point, it seems like pure speculation.

[Ponietz]

31. Before retiring Kennedy should have recused on any case involving this administration

There is more than an appearance of impropriety here—the standard any judge would use in recusal determinations. A traffic court judge could not hear the case of a person his son loans money to—much less a Supreme Court justice. It takes a depraved perversity to argue otherwise.

[klook]

32. Yet if any of us pays cash for a car

(over $10k), the dealer files IRS form 8300. But presumably no DUers are fake billionaires with mob connections.

[LiberalFighter]

34. Dirty Judge

[dem4decades]

35. We lived through too big to fail now it's too big to jail.

I have no hope that anything will be done.

[Wounded Bear]

36. All in the family...

[Leghorn21]

37. Great to see this story getting its profile raised again!!!

I believe Spicy covered this in detail when the deal went down, waving/screaming/begging the MSM to pay attention!!!!!



Thanks MB, your posts are always ON IT

[patphil]

41. Trump's ego got him into this mess

And its only going to get worse for him.
He could have played financial games for the rest of his life and no one would have cared.
But now, as president and chief double asshole, he gets to have his whole life on display.
It's catching up to him.
It's the financial stuff that will ultimately bring him down.
No pardon for state related crimes.

Patrick Phillips

[hedda_foil]

45. I hope it's true but the name Kennedy is not in the linked NYT article. Misleading tweet.

[lunatica]

48. A link within the article takes you there

See post #33 above.

[hedda_foil]

49. Thanks lunatica

[lunatica]

50. .

[Cracklin Charlie]

46. Every time I see Trump tied to Justice Kennedy...

I think of that weird exchange between the two of them after their ceremony.

Kennedy stopped in tracks, angry, then following Trump with finger wagging.

What was that about? I would love to know.

[Hekate]

58. After which ceremony?

[RANDYWILDMAN]

47. Sounds like Stephanie Ruhle

Owes everyone a big apology !!!!!!

She spent at least one morning telling everyone how layered and complex things were at Deutche Bank, that she knew for sure that little Kennedy couldn't possibly be involved in the Trump family crimes.

Wish I had the clip...Enablers for the GOP crime crew are just as bad as the GOP crime crew!!!!

[Freethinker65]

53. This was "unproven" according to snopes in 2018

https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/anthony-kennedy-resignation-trump/

There was definitely something odd about the timing of Kennedy's resignation. And Trump had been caught on tape I believe commenting to Kennedy about his son, however, I thought there was no overlap between Kennedy's son's time at the bank and Trump's loans? I am not saying there isn't any connection, I would just like to see evidence.

The suspicious activity might have nothing to do with Kennedy's kid nor his resignation, but still be unethical/criminal.

[Hekate]

56. That's one reason I want more info than a tweet can provide. I want research by journalists...

I'd like a link to current work by the NY Times and WaPo.

This is a nauseating story -- I wouldn't mind passing it along, but Twitter's not my go-to source for truth.

[Glimmer of Hope]

67. This WaPo story is from last year:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fact-checker/wp/2018/07/12/untangling-the-links-between-trump-deutsche-bank-and-justice-kennedys-son/?tid=ss_tw&utm_term=.aa3ab68eabde

[Initech]

57. George Carlin was right - it's a big club and we're not in it.

[stuffmatters]

65. I smell Opus Dei all over this club

[Progressive Jones]

68. Yep. Hard Right Irish Catholics. nt

[MFGsunny]

62. Quid pro SQUAT.... for us.

Grifters got lotsa $$$$ plus another SCJ; we got effed. Period.

[Nitram]

63. The fix is in.

[gldstwmn]

66. Holy cow. No conflict of interest there.

[UTUSN]

69. K&R

[magicarpet]

71. Did Kennedy the banker get a 10% commission from...

trDump if he closed the $300 million loan for trDump Industries International ?

$urely trDump $weetened the pot to make the loan go through ab$ent any $eriou$ review.

[alwaysinasnit]

72. K&R Thanks for emphasizing that point.

[crazytown]

76. "GOP grade Lie". NYT does not mention Kennedy.

[markpkessinger]

85. Exactly n/t

[lindysalsagal]

77. The moment when you find out your kid steals little kids' lunch money.

sad trombone

[Chin music]

78. Reads as unethical as all get out to me.

Is gorsuch and kavanaugh, fruit of the poisonous tree? You bet.

[SunSeeker]

79. K & R for exposure.

[markpkessinger]

84. While I don't doubt this as a possibility, there is a problem with the Tweet

When the Tweet says, "Justice Kennedy’s son," followed by a colon and a link to an article, one expects the link to be to an article that discusses Justice Kennedy's son's role in this. But the name Kennedy appears nowhere in the linked article.

[moondust]

87. Was Justin in a position

to stop the suspicious activity reports by the anti-money laundering specialists from being sent to the Treasury Department for investigation?

(Deutsche Bank apparently denies that it stopped any reports from being sent.)

[McCamy Taylor]

88. Blackmail! It's what makes the GOP great!

[Achilleaze]

89. VAST: republican corruption and turpitude

the republican party is morally and ethically bankrupt, and busy pissing all over the Ten Commandments they like to "claim" they care about.

[BSdetect]

90. Why are the regulatory authorities not stopping these criminals?

[Achilleaze]

92. republicans have shitcanned all the regs that protected America

[ck4829]

91. K&R

[UniteFightBack]

93. Gee Whiz little old me remembers this I wonder if Congress does? Bwahahahahhahhaahha.

Like folks were saying..the Mueller report was the beginning. Floodgates commence to opening.