Opinion Trump's risk of indictment for his document snatch just skyrocketed

When U.S. Magistrate Judge Bruce Reinhart initially indicated he was disposed to unsealing the affidavit accompanying the search warrant executed at former president Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home, former prosecutors and legal experts were surprised, to put it mildly.

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Now it appears we are unlikely to see much if anything from the affidavit — and for good reason. On Monday, Reinhart issued a ruling noting that “one of the statutes for which I found probable cause … prohibits obstructing an investigation. Also, as some of the media Intervenors have reported, there have been increased threats against FBI personnel since the search.”

He therefore found that “given the public notoriety and controversy about this search, it is likely that even witnesses who are not expressly named in the Affidavit would be quickly and broadly identified over social media and other communication channels, which could lead to them being harassed and intimidated.” In other words, the MAGA campaign of incitement against law enforcement should weigh heavily against disclosure.

Reinhart continued, “The Affidavit discloses the sources and methods used by the Government in its ongoing investigation. I agree with the Government that the Affidavit ‘contains, among other critically important and detailed investigative facts: highly sensitive information about witnesses, including witnesses interviewed by the government; specific investigative techniques; and information required by law to be kept under seal.’ ”

Reinhart therefore concluded: “Government has a compelling reason not to publicize that information at this time.” Reinhart agreed to consider whether a redacted affidavit might be released, but his opinion strongly suggests that nothing significant would be revealed.

Jury finds two men guilty of plot to abduct Michigan governor

Source: Rueters

Jury finds two men guilty of plot to abduct Michigan governor

Aug 23 (Reuters) - A jury on Tuesday convicted two men accused of conspiring to trigger "a second American revolution" by kidnaping Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, handing the U.S. government a victory in its second attempt to prosecute the case.

The verdict against Adam Fox, 39, and Barry Croft Jr., 46, comes about four months after a federal judge in Grand Rapids, Michigan, declared a mistrial in the same case. Two other defendants were found not guilty in the first trial.

The pair, who the government said were members of the Three Percenters militia group, were also found guilty of conspiring to use a weapon of mass destruction - an exposive device that prosecutors say the conspirators planned to hinder law enforcement's response to a kidnapping. Croft was guilty on an additional charge of possession of an explosive device,

The men face the possibility of life in prison.



Read more: https://www.reuters.com/legal/jury-finds-two-men-guilty-plot-abduct-michigan-governor-2022-08-23/?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=Social

Those who represent themselves have a fool for a client.

Here's a "what if" regarding the stolen classified documents:

What if the orange fuck was going to use them to buy Russia's interference in the 2024 election?

What if thought he didn't win 2020 because Russia was pretty hands-off compared to 2016, and he thought classified documents were the perfect currency to get Russia to install him in the White House again?

And now that the FBI has the documents back, he no longer has that bargaining chip?

Or did he make copies which he can still use?

The pundits keep saying he's going to declare his candidacy any minute now, yet he hasn't done it. Maybe now he doesn't have the means to buy this election?





Okay .... tinfoil hat off.

Federal judge denies Lindsey Graham's latest 'unpersuasive' attempt to evade grand jury subpoena

Source: Raw Story

Federal judge denies Lindsey Graham's latest 'unpersuasive' attempt to evade grand jury subpoena

For the second time this week a federal judge has denied U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham‘s attempt to evade a grand jury subpoena requiring him to testify in the investigation of Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election, calling his legal argument “unpersuasive.”

U.S. District Judge Leigh Martin May Friday afternoon responded to Fulton County, Georgia District Attorney Fani Willis’ request to order the GOP Senator from South Carolina to appear before the Special Purpose Grand Jury (SPGJ).

“Senator Graham’s arguments are entirely unpersuasive,” Judge May writes, as Politico’s Kyle Cheney notes, “and they do not even demonstrate a ‘substantial case on the merits.’ As an initial matter, Senator Graham takes issue with the Court’s recognition that his sole request-to quash the subpoena in its entirety–was built largely (if not entirely) on the premise that Senator Graham will only be questioned about the phone calls, which Senator Graham characterizes as legitimate legislative factfinding exercises and thus completely protected by the Speech or Debate Clause.”

“Instead, Senator Graham maintains that he believes that the ‘other topics’ will simply be used as a ‘backdoor’ for questioning him about the phone calls,” the judge adds. “The problem for Senator Graham is that the record thoroughly contradicts his suggestion that the District Attorney and grand jury simply wish to use questions on other topics as a ‘backdoor’ to asking him about the legislative fact- finding on the phone calls.”

Judge May found Sen. Graham had “no basis” to claim he should not be ordered to testify, and ordered him to testify on August 23.

Read more: https://www.rawstory.com/federal-judge-denies-lindsey-grahams-latest-unpersuasive-attempt-to-evade-grand-jury-subpoena/

Groundbreaking Massachusetts Law Protects Telemedicine Abortion Providers Serving Patients Located i

Source: Ms. Magazine

Groundbreaking Massachusetts Law Protects Telemedicine Abortion Providers Serving Patients Located in States Banning Abortion

Massachusetts passed a sweeping new reproductive rights law on June 29 with robust protections for healthcare workers who provide abortion services to patients living outside the state—both those who travel to Massachusetts for care, and those who receive care in their home states from Massachusetts providers via telemedicine. The Massachusetts law means women, girls, trans men and nonbinary people living in states with abortion bans can receive telemedicine abortion care from U.S. providers and obtain abortion pills promptly by mail, rather than having to order pills from outside of the country, which can take weeks.

In addition to provider protections, the law removes cost barriers to abortion care, expands access to third-trimester abortions in cases of grave fetal diagnosis, increases access to emergency contraception and medication abortion, and guarantees the right to gender-affirming care.

“This is a huge victory for patients and providers, who deserve the ability to seek, access, or deliver reproductive healthcare without fear or shame,” said Dr. Jennifer Childs-Roshak, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts. “With this law, Massachusetts unequivocally affirms that abortion is healthcare, and that zip code, income, or identity should not be a barrier to care.”

“Today Massachusetts has made it indisputably clear: Our commonwealth will stand up to hostile attacks on life-saving and life-affirming healthcare,” said Rebecca Hart Holder, executive director of Reproductive Equity Now.

Read more: https://msmagazine.com/2022/08/18/massachusetts-abortion-law/

Justice Department Issues Subpoena to National Archives Over Trump Docs

Source: Daily Beast

The Department of Justice has issued a sweeping grand jury subpoena to the National Archives surrounding the involvement of former President Donald Trump and his allies in the lead-up to last year’s Capitol riot. The subpoena calls for “all materials, in whatever form” that the National Archives gave to the Jan. 6 House committee, including Trump’s daily schedule, phone logs, and a draft speech written before the riot, according to the New York Times. The subpoena is not related to the recent FBI raid of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence and the classified documents Trump allegedly took from the White House and brought back to his home. “The grand jury subpoena suggests that the Justice Department has not only been following the committee’s lead in pursuing its inquiry, but also that prosecutors believe evidence of a crime may exist in the White House documents the archives turned over to the House panel,” the Times reports.

Read more: https://www.thedailybeast.com/department-of-justice-issues-subpoena-to-national-archives-over-trump-documents?ref=home

Justice Department Issues Subpoena to National Archives Over Trump Docs

The Department of Justice has issued a sweeping grand jury subpoena to the National Archives surrounding the involvement of former President Donald Trump and his allies in the lead-up to last year’s Capitol riot. The subpoena calls for “all materials, in whatever form” that the National Archives gave to the Jan. 6 House committee, including Trump’s daily schedule, phone logs, and a draft speech written before the riot, according to the New York Times. The subpoena is not related to the recent FBI raid of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence and the classified documents Trump allegedly took from the White House and brought back to his home. “The grand jury subpoena suggests that the Justice Department has not only been following the committee’s lead in pursuing its inquiry, but also that prosecutors believe evidence of a crime may exist in the White House documents the archives turned over to the House panel,” the Times reports.

Trump Didn't Bring Down Liz Cheney--Her Conservative White Base Did

Representative Liz Cheney’s defeat on Tuesday in her primary battle against Donald Trump–backed candidate Harriet Hageman proves again that the biggest problem facing this country is white conservative voters. It’s not Trump or Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and his quest to be Trump-with-reasoning-skills. It’s not Fox News or Alex Jones or the other purveyors of white-wing media. These characters and organizations are merely opportunists: flies that fatten themselves on a deeper rot. Nobody from Trump to Tucker would be able to threaten American democracy without the willingness of white conservative voters to trash everything to keep themselves in power.

Cheney herself was a beneficiary of the white conservative lust for power before she was a victim of it. The congresswoman, who is functionally a Virginian, is the representative from Wyoming because of her family name. Her father, Dick Cheney, was the state’s lone representative in the House for 10 years, but he is better known as George H.W. Bush’s secretary of defense and George W. Bush’s vice president.

Much has been written about the evil career of Dick Cheney, but he is popular with a certain kind of white person for his brutal projection of white American hegemony across the globe. Cheney père is the former CEO of defense contractor Halliburton, was one of the main drivers of the Iraq War, and supports torture. In a decent country, men like this must use their power from the shadows for fear of being rejected by popular majorities. In our country, Cheney won multiple elections to various public offices. He’s not telegenic or charismatic: He’s just cruel, and that cruelty was enough for his people.

Liz Cheney rode the wave of that legacy of cruelty to public office. She went to law school and worked at the State Department. She has focused most of her career on foreign policy, parroting the same Cheney-family tripe about how liberals are “weak” and America needs to be “strong” and somehow that means starting wars and violating international human rights. After some time in the Fox News echo-sphere and a failed run for Senate in 2014, Cheney was elected as Wyoming’s sole representative in 2016, at the same time as Trump won the presidency election. In Congress, she voted with the Trump administration 93 percent of the time, including during his first impeachment, which is odd because, with her foreign policy bona fides, one might have expected Cheney to do precisely the opposite. (Trump, after all, was accused of trying to bribe a foreign government to start an investigation into a political rival.) But no matter. She broke with her party for the second Trump impeachment, when she decided that attacking the Capitol was wrong, and despite her years of loyal service to the Trump machine, she was drummed out of her party.

Secret Service held onto Pelosi threat until after insurrection

Source: CREW

The Secret Service knew of a threat to Nancy Pelosi on January 6th days before the insurrection, but did not pass it along until hours after the Capitol had been breached, according to Secret Service emails obtained by CREW.

On January 4, Secret Service agents discovered a Parler account, which we’ve chosen not to name, posting a series of violent threats towards lawmakers. Other profiles with the same name appeared on Twitter, MeWe, Bitchute, Youtube and Facebook.

On December 31, the account posted, “January 6 starts #1776 all over again…Fight for EVERYTHING” and listed “Enemies,” including Pelosi. At 5:55 pm on January 6, after hours of defending the United States Capitol from a violent mob, the United States Capitol Police received the post along with a message from the Secret Service:

“Good afternoon, The US Secret Service is passing notification to the US Capitol Police regarding discovery of a social media threat directed toward Speaker Nancy Pelosi.”
The language used by the account, as we’ve now seen repeated in recordings released by the January 6th Committee, is a clear call for a violent overthrow of the American government on January 6, 2021.



Read more: https://www.citizensforethics.org/reports-investigations/crew-investigations/secret-service-held-onto-pelosi-threat-until-after-insurrection/