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The anti trump turned into the anti anti trump, then they took the US into hell.
These are still up. Time for Republicans to do a round trip; to hell and back. Won't hold my breath.
Hey Lindsey, we would like to send you this coffee mug with your prophetic tweet printed on it. Contact us please. Thanks. https://t.co/VxAjzEnvn3 pic.twitter.com/1JD8UJPwx9
— Republicans against Trump (@RpsAgainstTrump) January 8, 2021
The only hope (and defense) and income is the lies and tainting the jury pool. The cult will starve and die out if the traitorous GOP and trump don't keep it up.
"burning trash barge of lies that is Truth Social..."
No, trash barge of lies that is the Republican Party. Truth Social is just one of their tools for political and money laundering.
.@jheil on the current state of the Republican Party: “It’s staggering that a party that we all considered problematic in some respects, but that we thought of as a serious political party less than a decade ago, is what it is now, which is, you know, a whorehouse.” pic.twitter.com/ODFwBDJJgY
— The Recount (@therecount) August 15, 2023
May be a little deep for some, but it is part of what the true "deep state" is doing.
Weaponized Neuroscience
Vince Scafaria
https://scafaria.com/weaponized-neuroscience-118c7d5a29d1
5 min read
Mar 11
Originally posted to Twitter July 27, 2022. Since ideas are no longer safely preserved there, I’m re-posting here. Having similar thoughts? Sign up at positivesum.net for upcoming tools that will help you reclaim your data.
Here’s how Bannon, the Mercers, and Putin weaponized neuroscience to declare war on democracy.
You know Bannon & the Mercers co-founded Cambridge Analytica. You know CA stole psych profiles on 87 million Americans via Facebook. You may even know the data was shared with Russia. Do you know why that data created such a powerful attack vector?
Article for above image Whistleblower: Cambridge Analytica shared data with Russia
Moral Foundations Theory describes five innate universal foundations of morality: Care for others, Fairness/Justice, Loyalty, Respect for Authority, and Sanctity/Purity.
We all value Care for others and Fairness. But as Jonathan Haidt points out, conservatives value Loyalty, Authority, and Sanctity much more than liberals.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/theory-knowledge/201201/jonathan-haidts-moral-political-psychology
The Sanctity personality trait — being prone to *disgust* at that which is not “pure” — is the most dangerous to weaponize.
Brain imaging studies reveal:
“When we respond to a homeless person with disgust, we avoid considering the person’s mind… We treat the person as equivalent to a pile of garbage.”
I highly recommend clicking into this Nature article.
The same brain patterns (amygdala and insula firing) are seen when responding to visceral disgust (cockroaches, maggots) as to moral disgust.
“Propagandists throughout history have been quick to pick up on the possibilities raised by the blurring of visceral disgust into a weapon for the in-group/out-group border patrol.” (Dan Jones in Nature, 2007)
“Nazi propaganda depicted Jews as cockroaches and rats; Hutu instigators denigrated Tutsis as cockroaches during the Rwandan genocide… identifying the enemy with an object of disgust throws up strong emotional barriers to empathy.” (Dan Jones in Nature, 2007)
The people who are most sensitive to the core personality trait for Purity/Sanctity are more easily activated by demagogues. Sapolsky explains this further in a clip I’ve borrowed within my Neuroscience of Fascism video.
https://scafaria.com/weaponized-neuroscience-118c7d5a29d1
Many have minimized the Cambridge Analytica scandal, saying it provided insufficient data to influence our buying behaviors. But the Mercers didn’t fund Cambridge Analytica to make a few bucks from advertisers.
They promote nihilism and ending democracy as part of a libertarian fever dream. Influencing primitive brain wiring and sorting populations based on elemental disgust reflexes was the far easier and salient task. This was the true mission for Bannon, the Mercers, and Putin.
Amazingly, the same brain wiring for Sanctity operates at three levels:
1: cleanse the body (e.g. vomit if you swallowed rotten meat)
2:cleanse the community (e.g. see those “others” as disgusting; needing to be eliminated)
3:cleanse the nation!
I discuss this third level within a related thread (esp. starting at post 7). It relates closely to the neuroscience of patriarchy. (Also pasted at bottom of this post.)
For the past decade, we’ve mistakenly thought of surveillance capitalism as something unscrupulous Western advertisers use via Facebook etc. Too few recognize that enemies of democracy, both foreign and domestic, have been using these weapons in war against democracy itself.
How do we counter this? There is some good news within the neuroscience. Yes, conservatives are susceptible to the Sanctity/Purity trigger. But they also value Care for others and Fairness/Justice in the 5-Factor (MFT) model.
This suggests that the more we can *humanize* those who the “sanctity” crowd perceives as a threat, the more we can de-escalate. Ex:
My attempt to appeal to our common humanity regarding transgender human rights. (video)
“Kids grow up straight or gay or transgender the way kids grow up right-handed or left-handed. It doesn’t matter if the teacher offered left-handed scissors at crafts time. Let’s all take a deep breath, ok?”
Wherever possible, underscore our common humanity. These aren’t “social issues”, they are certain inalienable human rights.
Here’s the related neuroscience of patriarchy thread referenced by the “cleanse the nation” point above:
“Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey” — on Netflix. This is a cautionary tale. Powerful people have been working 40+ years toward a fundamentalist patriarchal theocracy in the US. Time is running short to choose democracy instead.
Netflix: Keep Sweet
Article: [url]https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/keep-sweet-warren-jeffs-documentary
[/url][tag]https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/keep-sweet-warren-jeffs-documentary[/tag]
The title of the Warren Jeffs documentary,“Keep Sweet”, embodies the pernicious story of the “pure woman”. Jack Holland wrote about this impossible standard in A Brief History of Misogyny: The World’s Oldest Prejudice. It calls for a strong patriarchy to “protect” her.
In fundamentalist religious societies, “members are insulated, discouraged from contact with the outside, and have all decisions made for them by self-appointed male prophets.”
That quote is from Jim Stewartson, describing People of Praise Church, the religion of Justice Amy Coney-Barrett. Justice Barrett’s mom was a “handmaid” and her father helped run the system of “headship and submission”.
Fundamentalist patriarchal religious organizations mix up a potent cocktail of power (access to God through powerful men) and emphasis on women’s purity. The most obvious result is sexual abuse scandals.
The BBC cites 216,000 victims of abuse just from the FRENCH Catholic Church alone!
But until reading The Road to Unfreedom by Timothy D. Snyder, I didn’t realize the geopolitical implications of the “pure woman” trope. Fascism exploits the desire to preserve purity and personifies the nation as a chaste woman. Snyder cites extensively from Putin’s propaganda — Russia is inherently “innocent” and America (and the EU) are a “homosexual Satan” seeking to “penetrate” her. This traces its roots to the writings of fascist Ivan Ilyin, now via Aleksandr Dugin.
To believe fascist propaganda is to believe that liberals, Jews, and LGBT are trying to ruin the purity of the nation. Only the strong masculine leader can defend her sanctity.
It seems likely (I am not a neuroscientist) that the same brain wiring that makes people susceptible to patriarchal religious fundamentalism also applies at the nation state level — thus the power of the virginal nation metaphor.
Given that tried and true brain wiring type, Cambridge Analytica (Steve Bannon’s firm) sharing data with Russia (and helping elect tfg) is so much more insidious. Just google Cambridge Analytica Russia, and then keep in mind FB’s biz model — selling access to our minds.
There is a global campaign to scapegoat marginalized groups including LGBT people. This is just the first wave of fascism. I don’t want to live in a patriarchal theocratic autocracy. But Putin wants that for us and he has many allies.
May be a little deep for some, but it is part of what the true "deep state" is doing.
Weaponized Neuroscience
Vince Scafaria
https://scafaria.com/weaponized-neuroscience-118c7d5a29d1
5 min read
Mar 11
Originally posted to Twitter July 27, 2022. Since ideas are no longer safely preserved there, I’m re-posting here. Having similar thoughts? Sign up at positivesum.net for upcoming tools that will help you reclaim your data.
Here’s how Bannon, the Mercers, and Putin weaponized neuroscience to declare war on democracy.
You know Bannon & the Mercers co-founded Cambridge Analytica. You know CA stole psych profiles on 87 million Americans via Facebook. You may even know the data was shared with Russia. Do you know why that data created such a powerful attack vector?
Article for above image Whistleblower: Cambridge Analytica shared data with Russia
Moral Foundations Theory describes five innate universal foundations of morality: Care for others, Fairness/Justice, Loyalty, Respect for Authority, and Sanctity/Purity.
We all value Care for others and Fairness. But as Jonathan Haidt points out, conservatives value Loyalty, Authority, and Sanctity much more than liberals.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/theory-knowledge/201201/jonathan-haidts-moral-political-psychology
The Sanctity personality trait — being prone to *disgust* at that which is not “pure” — is the most dangerous to weaponize.
Brain imaging studies reveal:
“When we respond to a homeless person with disgust, we avoid considering the person’s mind… We treat the person as equivalent to a pile of garbage.”
I highly recommend clicking into this Nature article.
The same brain patterns (amygdala and insula firing) are seen when responding to visceral disgust (cockroaches, maggots) as to moral disgust.
“Propagandists throughout history have been quick to pick up on the possibilities raised by the blurring of visceral disgust into a weapon for the in-group/out-group border patrol.” (Dan Jones in Nature, 2007)
“Nazi propaganda depicted Jews as cockroaches and rats; Hutu instigators denigrated Tutsis as cockroaches during the Rwandan genocide… identifying the enemy with an object of disgust throws up strong emotional barriers to empathy.” (Dan Jones in Nature, 2007)
The people who are most sensitive to the core personality trait for Purity/Sanctity are more easily activated by demagogues. Sapolsky explains this further in a clip I’ve borrowed within my Neuroscience of Fascism video.
https://scafaria.com/weaponized-neuroscience-118c7d5a29d1
Many have minimized the Cambridge Analytica scandal, saying it provided insufficient data to influence our buying behaviors. But the Mercers didn’t fund Cambridge Analytica to make a few bucks from advertisers.
They promote nihilism and ending democracy as part of a libertarian fever dream. Influencing primitive brain wiring and sorting populations based on elemental disgust reflexes was the far easier and salient task. This was the true mission for Bannon, the Mercers, and Putin.
Amazingly, the same brain wiring for Sanctity operates at three levels:
1: cleanse the body (e.g. vomit if you swallowed rotten meat)
2:cleanse the community (e.g. see those “others” as disgusting; needing to be eliminated)
3:cleanse the nation!
I discuss this third level within a related thread (esp. starting at post 7). It relates closely to the neuroscience of patriarchy. (Also pasted at bottom of this post.)
For the past decade, we’ve mistakenly thought of surveillance capitalism as something unscrupulous Western advertisers use via Facebook etc. Too few recognize that enemies of democracy, both foreign and domestic, have been using these weapons in war against democracy itself.
How do we counter this? There is some good news within the neuroscience. Yes, conservatives are susceptible to the Sanctity/Purity trigger. But they also value Care for others and Fairness/Justice in the 5-Factor (MFT) model.
This suggests that the more we can *humanize* those who the “sanctity” crowd perceives as a threat, the more we can de-escalate. Ex:
My attempt to appeal to our common humanity regarding transgender human rights. (video)
“Kids grow up straight or gay or transgender the way kids grow up right-handed or left-handed. It doesn’t matter if the teacher offered left-handed scissors at crafts time. Let’s all take a deep breath, ok?”
Wherever possible, underscore our common humanity. These aren’t “social issues”, they are certain inalienable human rights.
Here’s the related neuroscience of patriarchy thread referenced by the “cleanse the nation” point above:
“Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey” — on Netflix. This is a cautionary tale. Powerful people have been working 40+ years toward a fundamentalist patriarchal theocracy in the US. Time is running short to choose democracy instead.
Netflix: Keep Sweet
Article: [url]https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/keep-sweet-warren-jeffs-documentary
[/url][tag]https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/keep-sweet-warren-jeffs-documentary[/tag]
The title of the Warren Jeffs documentary,“Keep Sweet”, embodies the pernicious story of the “pure woman”. Jack Holland wrote about this impossible standard in A Brief History of Misogyny: The World’s Oldest Prejudice. It calls for a strong patriarchy to “protect” her.
In fundamentalist religious societies, “members are insulated, discouraged from contact with the outside, and have all decisions made for them by self-appointed male prophets.”
That quote is from Jim Stewartson, describing People of Praise Church, the religion of Justice Amy Coney-Barrett. Justice Barrett’s mom was a “handmaid” and her father helped run the system of “headship and submission”.
Fundamentalist patriarchal religious organizations mix up a potent cocktail of power (access to God through powerful men) and emphasis on women’s purity. The most obvious result is sexual abuse scandals.
The BBC cites 216,000 victims of abuse just from the FRENCH Catholic Church alone!
But until reading The Road to Unfreedom by Timothy D. Snyder, I didn’t realize the geopolitical implications of the “pure woman” trope. Fascism exploits the desire to preserve purity and personifies the nation as a chaste woman. Snyder cites extensively from Putin’s propaganda — Russia is inherently “innocent” and America (and the EU) are a “homosexual Satan” seeking to “penetrate” her. This traces its roots to the writings of fascist Ivan Ilyin, now via Aleksandr Dugin.
To believe fascist propaganda is to believe that liberals, Jews, and LGBT are trying to ruin the purity of the nation. Only the strong masculine leader can defend her sanctity.
It seems likely (I am not a neuroscientist) that the same brain wiring that makes people susceptible to patriarchal religious fundamentalism also applies at the nation state level — thus the power of the virginal nation metaphor.
Given that tried and true brain wiring type, Cambridge Analytica (Steve Bannon’s firm) sharing data with Russia (and helping elect tfg) is so much more insidious. Just google Cambridge Analytica Russia, and then keep in mind FB’s biz model — selling access to our minds.
There is a global campaign to scapegoat marginalized groups including LGBT people. This is just the first wave of fascism. I don’t want to live in a patriarchal theocratic autocracy. But Putin wants that for us and he has many allies.
Did Trump take the USA to the edge of fascism? @ruthbenghiat says he did. A historian of authoritarianism she describes what a second round of Trump would mean for America and democracy. https://t.co/iQo6Cpma87 @LiSTNRau pic.twitter.com/mkXoOORnkR
— Malcolm Turnbull (@TurnbullMalcolm) August 15, 2023
Did Trump take the USA to the edge of fascism? @ruthbenghiat says he did. A historian of authoritarianism she describes what a second round of Trump would mean for America and democracy. https://t.co/iQo6Cpma87 @LiSTNRau pic.twitter.com/mkXoOORnkR
— Malcolm Turnbull (@TurnbullMalcolm) August 15, 2023
Maybe this one.
The Devil went down to Georgia, he was
lookin' for a election to steal
He was in a bind 'cause he was way
behind
And he was willin' to make a deal........
Is Sean Hannity really bringing on Paul Manafort to defend Trump over his RICO charges? Yes, yes he is. pic.twitter.com/VD5T2txZPN
— Justin Baragona (@justinbaragona) August 15, 2023
A couple of hours more, wait been going on for some time.
https://www.citizensforethics.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/2021-1-4-Trump-overturning-election-DOJ-Fulton-County-DA.pdf
January 4, 2021
Jeffrey A. Rosen
Acting Attorney General
U.S. Department of Justice
950 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20530
Fani T. Willis
District Attorney, Fulton County
141 Pryor St., NW
Atlanta, GA 30303
Re: Request for Investigation of President Donald J. Trump’s Violations of Federal
and Georgia Law by Attempting to Overturn the Results of the Presidential
Election
Dear Acting Attorney General Rosen and District Attorney Willis:
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (“CREW”) respectfully requests
that the U.S. Department of Justice and the Fulton County District Attorney investigate whether
President Donald J. Trump violated federal and Georgia criminal law by pressuring Georgia
Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to overturn the results of Georgia’s presidential election in
a recent telephone conversation. President Trump appears to have illegally conspired to deprive
the people of Georgia of their right to vote and have their votes counted, conspired to intimidate
Georgia election officials in an effort to falsify the count of votes in the presidential election,
attempted to deprive or defraud the residents of Georgia of a fair election process by falsely
tabulating ballots, and attempted to cause Georgia officials to engage in conduct that constitutes
a crime under the state election code. President Trump’s conduct violates not only the law, but
the foundation on which our democracy is built.
Factual Background
On January 2, 2021, President Trump and various associates, including White House
Chief of Staff Mark Meadows and attorneys Cleta Mitchell and Kurt Hilbert, called Georgia
Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger in an attempt to pressure and coerce him to overturn the
results of Georgia’s presidential election.1 A recording of the call was obtained by the
Washington Post, which also produced a transcript of the conversation.2
____________________________________
1 While this complaint focuses on President Trump’s conduct, we believe that your offices should also review the
conduct of Mr. Meadows, Ms. Mitchell, and any other individuals who aided the President’s likely illegal activity.
2 Audio: Trump’s full Jan. 2 call with Ga. secretary of state, Washington Post, Jan. 3, 2021,
https://wapo.st/3rY2P79; The Post has published Trump’s full phone call with Georgia election officials. Listen to
the audio and read the transcript, Washington Post, Jan. 3, 2021, https://wapo.st/35nBp0P.
January 4, 2021
Page 2
Throughout the discussion, President Trump repeatedly insisted that – despite Georgia
certifying the election for President-elect Joe Biden, as well as numerous investigations by the
Secretary of State’s office, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and others, and multiple court
decisions upholding the result – he “won the election” in Georgia.3 President Trump made clear
that the purpose of his efforts was to have Secretary Raffensperger overturn the results of the
election, telling him at one point, “I just want to find 11,780 votes” – one more than the 11,779
votes by which he lost the state to President-elect Biden. President Trump later reiterated to
Secretary Raffensperger and his counsel Ryan Germany: “So what are we going to do here
folks? I only need 11,000 votes. Fellas, I need 11,000 votes. Give me a break.”
President Trump and his associates repeatedly implored Secretary Raffensperger and Mr.
Germany to take official action that would undermine the Georgia vote count and overturn the
election results. Among other things, President Trump pressed Secretary Raffensperger to
conduct “signature verification” for one county where there were no allegations of verification
problems and to investigate a variety of debunked theories of voter fraud.4
When Secretary Raffensperger rejected President Trump’s exhortations, he appeared to
threaten Secretary Raffensperger and Mr. Germany with exposure for purported criminal
violations. After making a litany of allegations about “corrupt” ballots, President Trump told
them: “And you are going to find that they are [corrupt] – which is totally illegal, it’s more
illegal for you than it is for them because, you know what they did and you’re not reporting it.
You know, that’s a criminal — that’s a criminal offense. And you know, you can’t let that
happen. That’s a big risk to you and to Ryan, your lawyer. That’s a big risk.”5
President Trump also appeared to threaten political and other consequences if Secretary
Raffensperger failed to help him quickly overturn the election. Referring first to the impending
Senate elections in Georgia, and then to Governor Brian Kemp and Secretary Raffensperger
himself, President Trump said: “I think we should come to a resolution of this before the
election. Otherwise you’re going to have people just not voting. They don’t want to vote. They
hate the state, they hate the governor and they hate the secretary of state. I will tell you that right
now. And the only people that like you are people that will never vote for you. You know that
Brad, right?” President Trump further warned Secretary Raffensperger that failing to overturn
the election results would be “very costly,” saying: “So tell me, Brad, what are we going to do?
We won the election and it’s not fair to take it away from us like this. And it’s going to be very
costly in many ways.”
_________________________________________
3
Id. In fact, President Trump claimed to have won Georgia by “hundreds of thousands” of votes. Id.
4
Id. Some of the steps requested also may be illegal. For instance, President Trump and Mr. Meadows sought access
to voter data that Mr. Germany said is protected by law. Id.
5
Id. Making further criminal allegations against Secretary Raffensperger and Mr. Germany, President Trump also
said: “[U]nder the law you’re not allowed to give faulty election results, OK? You’re not allowed to do that. And
that’s what you [have] done. This is a faulty election result.” Id.
January 4, 2021
Page 3
Potential Violations
Conspiracy against rights – 18 U.S.C. § 241
Section 241 makes it unlawful for two or more persons to “conspire to injure, oppress,
threaten, or intimidate any person in any State, Territory, Commonwealth, Possession, or District
in the free exercise or enjoyment of any right or privilege secured to him by the Constitution or
laws of the United States.” The right to vote for federal offices and the right to have one’s vote
fairly counted are among the rights secured by Article I, Sections 2 and 4, of the Constitution,
and hence is protected by Section 241.6
President Trump appears to have violated Section 241.7 First, he and his associates
conspired to call Secretary Raffensperger to pressure him to use the power of his office – that is,
the power to oversee the counting of ballots, the determination of the final vote totals, and the
final certification of the state’s election results – as part of a scheme to overturn the results of
Georgia’s presidential election. The object of the conspiracy was thus to oppress the citizens of
Georgia by denying them their constitutional rights to vote in a free and fair election and to have
their votes fairly counted.8
Second, because Section 241 applies to conspiracies to commit conduct affecting the
integrity of the federal election process as a whole (and does not require fraudulent action with
respect to any particular voter), President Trump’s threats, exhortations, and attempts to
intimidate Secretary Raffensperger to use the power of his office to illegally change the result of
the election fall within the scope of the statute.9 President Trump’s solicitation that Secretary
Raffensperger use the power of his office to “find 11,780 votes” to add to the total count –
presumably, either by manufacturing new ballots or by changing or invalidating legally case
ballots – would have resulted in the dilution of valid ballots, thus corrupting an honest vote tally
and depriving the citizens of Georgia of their constitutional rights.10
_____________________________________________
6 Anderson v. United States, 417 U.S. 211, 227 (1974); United States v. Classic, 313 U.S. 299 (1941); Ryan v.
United States, 99 F.2d 864, 866 (8th Cir. 1938); Ex parte Yarborough, 110 U.S. 651 (1884).
7 Should Secretary Raffensperger have followed through on President Trump’s demands and used the power of his
office to overturn the result in Georgia, he would have been criminally liable under Section 241’s sister crime, 18
U.S.C. § 242. Section 242 makes it a crime for anyone acting under color of law to willfully deprive another person
of their constitutional or statutory rights.
8 United States v. Classic, 313 U.S. 299, 321 (1941) (holding that “a conspiracy to prevent the citizen from voting or
to prevent the official count of his ballot when cast, is a conspiracy to injure and oppress the citizen in the free
exercise of a right secured by the Constitution”). Though Section 241 does not require the conspirators to take an
overt act in furtherance of the conspiracy, see United States v. Colvin, 353 F.3d 569, 576 (7th Cir. 2003); United
States v. Whitney, 229 F.3d 1296, 1301 (10th Cir. 2000), the very fact of the call itself would satisfy an overt act
requirement should a court decide to apply one (as in United States v. Brown, 49 F.3d 1162, 1165 (6th Cir. 1995)).
9 United States v. Nathan, 238 F.2d 401, 407 (7th Cir. 1956).
10 United States v. Haynes, 1992 WL 296782, at *1 (6th Cir. 1992); United States v. Townsley, 843 F.2d 1070, 1073-
75 (8th Cir. 1988); United States v. Howard, 774 F.2d 838 (7th Cir. 1985); United States v. Olinger, 759 F.2d 1293
(7th Cir. 1985); United States. v. Anderson, 481 F.2d 685, 689 (4th Cir. 1973).
January 4, 2021
Page 4
Depriving State residents a fair and impartial election process – 52 U.S.C. § 20511(2)(B)
Under federal law, any “person, … who in any election for Federal office … knowingly
and willfully . . . attempts to deprive or defraud the residents of a State of a fair and impartially
conducted election process, by … the … tabulation of ballots that are known by the person to be
materially false, fictitious, or fraudulent under the laws of the State in which the election is
held,” commits a felony punishable by up to five years in prison.11
President Trump appears to have violated this statute. Pressuring and threatening
Secretary Raffensperger to take official actions to overturn the results of the presidential election,
in the face of overwhelming evidence that the votes were counted legally and properly, was an
attempt to deprive the residents of Georgia of a fair and impartially conducted election process.
President Trump attempted to do so by preventing the tallying of legitimate votes, which would
result in a tabulation that is false and fictitious. President Trump’s conduct further appears to be
knowing and willful, as Georgia government agencies, courts, election experts, the news media
and, on the call itself, Secretary Raffensperger and Mr. Germany, have all debunked the invalid
theories that President Trump claims justify overturning Georgia’s presidential election.
Accordingly, President Trump’s pressuring and threatening of Secretary Raffensperger appears
to violate 52 U.S.C. § 20511(2)(B).
Criminal solicitation to commit election fraud – Ga. Code Ann. § 21-2-604
Georgia’s law makes it a felony to intentionally solicit, request, command, importune, or
otherwise attempt to cause another person to engage in conduct constituting a felony under the
election code (or a misdemeanor if the solicited conduct is a misdemeanor).12 President Trump
appears to have violated this statute by soliciting and attempting to coerce Secretary
Raffensperger to commit several election crimes.
First, under Georgia election code Section 2-562, it is a felony to insert any fraudulent
entry on or in, or to alter or intentionally destroy any “registration card, electors list, voter's
certificate, affidavit, tally paper, general or duplicate return sheet, statement, certificate, oath,
voucher, account, ballot, or other record or document authorized or required to be made, used,
signed, returned, or preserved for any public purpose in connection with any primary or
election.”13
In pressuring Secretary Raffensperger to change the determination of Georgia’s voters in
the presidential election, President Trump intentionally solicited, and attempted to command and
coerce, Secretary Raffensperger to either insert, alter, or destroy entries in the official record and
certificate of election, or to alter or destroy validly cast ballots. Specifically, under Section 2-499
of the election code, the Secretary of State is required to “file” an official “tabulation of votes” in
his office,14 and to submit an official certification of all votes cast to the Governor.15 Both of
these documents fall within the broad requirements of Section 2-562, as they are both
______________________________________________________
11 52 U.S.C. § 20511(2)(B).
12 Ga. Code Ann. § 21-2-604.
13 Ga. Code Ann. § 21-2-562.
14 Ga. Code Ann. § 21-2-499(a).
15 Ga. Code Ann. § 21-2-499(b).
January 4, 2021
Page 5
“certificates” and “document[s] … required to be made, used, signed, returned, or preserved for
any public purpose” in connection with an election. Accordingly, in order to “find” the extra
votes President Trump said he needed to overturn the result of the election, Secretary
Raffensperger would have to either alter the numbers recorded on the various certificates,
destroy or alter valid ballots, or alter a “tally paper” – all violations of the election code. That
President Trump acted with the requisite intent appears clear: in addition to attempting to coerce
Secretary Raffensperger through threats and intimidation about the “risks” Mr. Raffensperger ran
by not complying with President Trump’s demands, President Trump at various points explicitly
stated that he wanted Secretary Raffensperger to simply find enough ballots to overturn
President-elect Biden’s margin in the state – statements which belie any suggestion that
President Trump was concerned with rooting out legitimate voter fraud.
Additionally, it is a misdemeanor for any public officer to willfully refuse to perform a
duty required by the election code.16 President Trump appears to have further violated Section 2-
604 by soliciting and attempting to coerce Secretary Raffensperger to refuse to perform his duty
to “tabulate, compute, canvass, and certify” election returns under Section 2-499.17 To overturn
the results of the election, Secretary Raffensperger would need to willfully enter a false
tabulation of votes and improperly certify a false result, and therefore would be refusing to
perform his duty under the election code to correctly tabulate, compute and certify the results of
the election. As a result, by pressuring Secretary Raffensperger to engage in such conduct,
President Trump appears to have violated Section 2-604.
Conclusion
Throughout his presidency, Donald Trump has repeatedly attempted to use federal
resources to boost his candidacy for re-election. President Trump’s January 2, 2021 call with
Georgia Secretary of State Raffensperger provides clear and incontrovertible evidence that he
attempted to pressure Georgia state officials to overturn the will of Georgia’s voters in the 2020
presidential election. This conduct is not only a gross abuse of power, but also represents clear
violations of federal and state statutes designed to protect our elections from unscrupulous
interference. We ask that each of you immediately open an investigation to determine what
criminal laws under your respective jurisdiction may have been violated and take swift action as
necessary to ensure accountability and the rule of law. Thank you for your prompt attention to
this matter.
Sincerely,
Noah Bookbinder
Executive Director
The Georgia Indictments say there were zero "no bills." That means that the Grand Jury decided to indict in all cases that the DA (the prosecutor) sought. This is very very bad news for Trump, and likely others in his circle.
— Neal Katyal (@neal_katyal) August 15, 2023
logorrhea: excessive and often incoherent talkativeness or wordiness
Sounds about right.
DA’s office says it will be holding a press conference AFTER the indictments are processed by the clerk’s office… which could take 1-3 hours, I’m told
— Tamar Hallerman (@TamarHallerman) August 15, 2023
New word for the day; pentadictment (there's a superseding one in Florida counting as five).
"The convoy is mobile," McBurney informs the press #gapol
— Tamar Hallerman (@TamarHallerman) August 15, 2023
Judge McBurney just entered his courtroom. Feels like it's coming. He's cracking a few jokes with reporters watching the door
— Tamar Hallerman (@TamarHallerman) August 15, 2023
He's indicted up and had to make other plans. Sorry about that.
They had a couple thousand people last year with Eric, Junior and Guilfoyle as headliners. This year it was supposed to be Trump, but he backed out at last minute so they had to cancel and refund all the money. https://t.co/iExceHz0wx
— Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) August 15, 2023
Trump/GOP: "we demand..., wait, what"
Congratulations to Donald J Trump for finally getting the second vote in GA he was demanding.
— emptywheel (Chuckie cheese) (@emptywheel) August 15, 2023
While the wait and there's talk about disaster relief and the GOP spew their lies yet again.
Records reveal: 1.5 years after Hurricane Maria, FEMA had sent only $3.3 billion to Puerto Rican gov’t
Linnaea Honl-Stuenkel
September 24, 2020
https://www.citizensforethics.org/reports-investigations/crew-investigations/records-reveal-1-5-years-after-hurricane-maria-fema-had-sent-only-3-3-billion-to-puerto-rican-govt/
President Trump in Florida
Newly obtained documents reveal that in the year and a half following Hurricane Maria, which caused an estimated $90 billion of damage in Puerto Rico, the Federal Emergency Management Agency only sent $3.3 billion in federal disaster aid to local authorities in the U.S. territory. Not only do these records undercut Trump’s claim at the time that Puerto Rico had received $91 billion in federal aid, but they make Trump’s new $13 billion FEMA aid package for Puerto Rico look even more politically motivated.
Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico in September 2017, killing around 3,000 people and destroying the islands’ electrical system. A year and a half later, in April 2019, Trump tweeted that “Puerto Rico got 91 Billion Dollars for the hurricane, more money than has ever been gotten for a hurricane before & all their local politicians do is complain & ask for more money.” It was clear at the time that Trump’s number was incorrect, so CREW requested records from FEMA to see how much money had actually been allocated and granted to local authorities by the agency for disaster relief in Puerto Rico.
While these records are not a full accounting of the entire federal government’s disaster aid to the territory, they show that much of the $15 billion obligated by FEMA had not actually been spent.
CREW obtained a breakdown of FEMA aid.
Read the records here.
Read more: CREW obtained a breakdown of FEMA aid.
What we do know is that by April 10, 2019, when CREW sent the request, FEMA had granted only $3.3 billion in disaster relief to the government of Puerto Rico, or just over 59% of obligated public assistance funds, the FEMA documents reveal. The agency had also delivered none of the $16 million obligated toward hazard mitigation.
The relatively small amount given to Puerto Rico’s government by FEMA in the aftermath of the hurricane calls into question the timing of last week’s White House announcement of a new $13 billion relief package for the territory. Trump’s announcement of $13 billion in aid just 46 days before the election, granted through FEMA and largely directed toward the government-owned Puerto Rico Electrical Power Authority, is roughly four times the amount of money given to local authorities by the agency in the 18 months immediately following the disaster. At the time, Trump railed on Puerto Rico’s politicians for asking for relief, but now with the election approaching, his approach has changed dramatically.
The Puerto Rican population in Florida may well play a critical role in Trump’s performance in the state, one commentator pointed out. A large proportion of those who left the island following the hurricane settled in Florida.
If Trump is using federal disaster aid to boost support in a critical swing state just weeks before the election, it would be incredibly troubling, but hardly surprising. This would not be the first time he has used taxpayer dollars to advance his own political interests. In fact, withholding federal aid for political reasons is precisely what he was impeached for earlier this year.
Read More in Investigations
BIG FLAG: a source with knowledge of the proceedings tells me the grand jury is voting NOW in Fulton County.
— Blayne Alexander (@ReporterBlayne) August 15, 2023
It’s past 7 pm but with grand jury presentations still ongoing the media is staying out pic.twitter.com/VgdJwvwEsY
— Tamar Hallerman (@TamarHallerman) August 14, 2023
I just caught up with Duncan for a quick interview. “As Republicans we need to take our medicine and realize the election wasn’t rigged, Donald Trump was the worst candidate ever, in the history of our party … and now we are going to have to pivot from there.” #gapol pic.twitter.com/FbEq587cZ6
— Greg Bluestein (@bluestein) August 14, 2023
Tamar Hallerman
@TamarHallerman
Anxious reporters are assembling in the 8th floor courtroom of Robert McBurney, the Fulton judge on duty who will be receiving any charges that are handed up from the grand jury. McBurney briefly stepped in and told reporters to hang in there
4:44 PM · Aug 14, 2023
·
25.7K
Views
I wonder how close this analysis will be.
Deciphering the Trump Indictment from the Apparent Fulton County Docket Entry
by Ryan Goodman, Norman L. Eisen and Joshua Kolb
https://www.justsecurity.org/87605/deciphering-the-trump-indictment-from-the-apparent-fulton-county-docket-entry/
August 14, 2023
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Filed under:
2020 presidential election, Conspiracy, Donald Trump, election interference, election law, Georgia, January 6th Attack on US Capitol, Mark Meadows, RICO, Rudy Giuliani, Special Counsel Jack Smith
Earlier Monday, it appears that the Fulton County Clerk of Clerk accidentally published a draft docket entry for this week’s highly anticipated indictment of former President Donald Trump. When a big case with multiple defendants is anticipated, clerks do sometimes make advance preparations based upon what will be presented to the grand jury, with the proviso that the draft may of course change depending on the grand jury outcome. The Fulton County clerk’s office put out a statement this afternoon indicating that they were aware a “fictitious document” had been circulated online related to the special grand jury, which appears to refer to the fact that the document was not an “official filing.” Reuters reported that the document was real and had been filed on the court’s website briefly before being removed. While it was quickly (and properly) removed, this docket, if authentic, provides a preview of the charges the former president might face. The charges listed in this docket entry are presumably only what DA Fani Willis is proposing to the grand jury; the grand jury will still have the opportunity to “no bill,” or not indict, any charges for which they do not find sufficient evidence. Nevertheless, this docket seems to provide insight into the case Fulton County is likely presenting against Trump.
We draw inferences from the draft docket entry based on the first and second edition of the Brookings Fulton County report, the Just Security Model Prosecution analyzing the parallel federal investigation of this conduct, and much other analysis including a chart tracking criminal evidence produced by the House Select Committee hearings. We hasten to add that this inadvertently posted draft docket may not represent the final charging decisions, so the following should be taken with that caution in mind.
Let’s start with what we know. The docket shows a total of at least 39 counts, and probably more; 13 of the 39 charges name former President Donald Trump. Note that there may be more than 39, as we have the docket entry only for one defendant. We expect to see docket entries of other defendants, and CNN has reported (at least as of last week) that there are more than a dozen of them.
The presence of other defendants is also corroborated by the fact that there are charges that are missing from this document – for example, the charges go from Charge 1 to Charge 5, skipping 2 through 4. This indicates charges against other defendants, perhaps for the same crime as the previous one listed. We will discuss below who these other defendants could potentially be, given the charges, the dates listed in the document, and publicly available facts about the underlying conduct at those times.
We also know the case number and the judge who is indicated, Rachelle Carnesale. Should that assignment remain and she gets the case, she is eminently qualified. She is a well-regarded former prosecutor and experienced judge (as a prosecutor she specialized in child abuse cases).
Violations of the Georgia RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations) Act: 11/04/2020
The first charge against Donald Trump is a violation of the Georgia RICO Act. As detailed in the Brookings report, this is a serious felony that comes with a minimum sentence of 5 years imprisonment and a maximum of up to 20 years. The charges under Georgia RICO will, in all likelihood, encompass the entirety of the allegedly criminal scheme to overturn the election results in Georgia. The charge is dated to November 4, 2020 – the day after election day in 2020. Early that morning, with Rudy Giuliani’s encouragement, Trump declared that the election had been stolen, and throughout that day Trump and his allies (and apparent co-defendants) began their alleged criminal enterprise.
There are presumably three more individuals who are charged with violations of Georgia RICO – which would be the unlisted charges 2-4. Trump’s chief of staff Mark Meadows and Giuliani are the most likely here. It is difficult to detect the next most likely person. We do know, for example, that on the same date listed, Nov. 4, 2020, “Meadows called [attorney Cleta] Mitchell and asked her to go to Georgia, where Trump’s initial lead was shrinking as Democrat-heavy absentee ballots were counted,” according to the Washington Post and Jane Mayer’s reporting. However, the other members of the RICO conspiracy could have joined later than Nov. 4. We will find out soon enough.
Although there appears to be no specific reference in the docket to the allegations surrounding access to voting machines in Coffee County, those potential crimes may be folded into the broader RICO charge against Trump and others.
Solicitation of Violation of Oath by a Public Officer (Georgia Code 16-4-7(b), 16-10-1): 12/07/2020
The next charge against Trump is Solicitation of Violation of Oath by a Public Officer (Georgia Code 16-4-7(b), 16-10-1), dated to December 7, 2020. There is an extended analysis of the crime of violation of oath by a public officer in the second edition of the Brookings report. Meadows told Sen. Mike Lee that, on Dec. 7, he had begun “working on” pressing legislatures to appoint alternative slates of delegates.
Again, there are three missing charges – numbers 6-8. That could be the same three people as part of the RICO conspiracy.
Conspiracy Charges Under Georgia Code 16-4-8: 12/06/2020
The next six charges against Trump (Charges 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, and 19) are all for conspiracy under Georgia Code 16-4-8 – Conspiracy to Commit Impersonating a Public Officer, two charges for Conspiracy to Commit Forgery in the First Degree, two charges of Conspiracy to Commit False statements and Writings, and Conspiracy to Commit Filing False Documents. All of the conspiracy charges in the docket date to December 6, 2020, and this is presumably when the charged conspiracies started. The false electors plot appears to have begun in earnest on December 6. On that day Kenneth Chesebro, a Trump campaign lawyer, wrote a memorandum outlining a strategy for the fake electors scheme. This memorandum is at the heart of Jack Smith’s federal indictment, indicating a pivotal moment that tipped over into an allegedly criminal conspiracy across seven states including Georgia.
Chesbero appears to stand a high likelihood of being charged if our analysis is correct. So may David Shafer, chair of the Georgia GOP who took a leadership role in organizing the false electors in his state. He served as their Chairperson and directly communicated with Chesebro about the plan.
Filing False Documents Under Georgia Code 16-10-20.1(b): 12/31/2020
The next charge against Trump is Charge 27 for filing false documents. This appears to be for a notarized court document that Trump and John Eastman signed and filed alleging false Georgia election fraud on the date listed in the docket: December 31, 2020. The false certification features prominently in the Special Counsel’s indictment (para 30) and in federal district court judge David Carter’s analysis of Trump and Eastman’s criminal wrongdoing.
Solicitation of Violation of Oath by Public Officer Under Georgia Code 16-4-7(b) and False Statements and Writings Under Georgia Code 16-10-20: 01/02/2021
The next two charges – solicitation of violation of oath by a public officer, and false statements and writings – date to January 2, 2021. This is when the infamous call between Trump and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger occurred. There are eight missing charges in the docket until the next one listed against Trump. This indicates that Willis may be charging four individuals with both of these crimes, as well. Given who was present on the phone call with Raffensperger, we believe that the individuals who may face possible exposure for these crimes could be Meadows (who actively participated on the call), Mitchell, and Trump campaign lawyers Kurt Hilbert and/or Alex Kaufman.
Solicitation of Violation of Oath by Public Officer Under Georgia Code 16-4-7(b) and False Statements and Writings Under Georgia Code 16-10-20: 09/17/2021
The final two charges listed in the docket are also for solicitation of Violation of Oath by a Public Officer, and false statements and writings. But these charges date to September 17, 2021. This date may surprise some, given that it is months after Trump’s effort to overturn the election failed and Joe Biden had been sworn in as president. However, on this date, Trump sent a letter to Raffensperger, including a report alleging further election fraud in Georgia during the 2020 presidential election.
A lawyer for Trump has already criticized the docket release, arguing that it “was no simple administrative mistake.” However, we do not think the apparently accidental posting of this docket entry is prejudicial against Trump or indicates anything out of the ordinary with the DA’s handling of the case. When a big case with multiple defendants is anticipated, clerks sometimes make advance preparations based upon what will be presented to the grand jury, with the proviso that the draft may of course change depending on the grand jury outcome. The apparently inadvertent posting of the docket entry does not appear to indicate any nefarious action. The grand jury was already in deliberations before it leaked, and it should have no impact on the proceedings. As we noted, this document only indicates the charges DA Willis intends to bring before the grand jury. Indeed, if the grand jury does not vote in favor of any one of these charges, the publication of this entry may actually help Trump — and indicate the integrity of the process.
Fulton County Georgia Crimes
Title Statute Date
1 Violations of the Georgia RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations) Act GA CodeJ § 16-14-4 11/04/2020
5 Solicitation of Violation of Oath by Public Officer GA Code § 16-4-7(b) 12/07/2020
9 Conspiracy to Commit Impersonating a Public Officer GA Code § 16-4-8 12/06/2020
11 Conspiracy to Commit Forgery in the First Degree GA Code § 16-4-8 12/06/2020
13 Conspiracy to Commit False Statements and Writings GA Code § 16-4-8
12/06/2020
15 Conspiracy to Commit Filing False Documents GA Code § 16-4-8
12/06/2020
17 Conspiracy to Commit Forgery in the First Degree GA Code § 16-4-8 12/06/2020
19 Conspiracy to Commit False Statements and Writings GA Code § 16-4-8 12/06/2020
27 Filing False Documents GA Code § 16-10-20.1(b)
12/31/2020
28 Solicitation of Violations of Oath by Public Officer GA Code § 16-4-7(b)
09/17/2021
29 False Statements and Writings GA Code § 16-10-20 09/17/2021
JUST IN: Donald Trump is asking Judge Mehta to stay the civil lawsuit brought by Sandra Garza, partner of late USCP Officer Brian Sicknick, while his criminal case is pending in Washington D.C. https://t.co/VYsMFyYU7h pic.twitter.com/BhwkljFI9r
— Kyle Cheney (@kyledcheney) August 14, 2023
Half expected this thing to twist it's head around and spit pea soup. I swear it said "your mamma eats frog poop". lol
They don't understand anything at all other than what the cult leader(s) feed them.
BREAKING: We've obtained Donald Trump’s FEC certified 2023 financial disclosures. Click the link to read them. https://t.co/oAHGihGNAO
— Citizens for Ethics (@CREWcrew) August 14, 2023
https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/4152222-gop-legal-experts-file-amicus-brief-backing-january-trial-for-trump/
A group of conservative legal experts on Monday filed an amicus brief in support of the Jan. 2 proposed trial date in the federal criminal case against former President Trump over his efforts to remain in power after the 2020 election.
The group, which comprises former attorneys and judges who served or were appointed during Republican administrations, argued the repercussions of this trial on American democracy “could not be any more profound” and endorsed the trial date proposed by special counsel Jack Smith’s team, as opposed to the significantly later time frame suggested by Trump.
“There is no more important issue facing America and the American People — and to the very functioning of democracy — than whether the former president is guilty of criminally undermining America’s elections and American democracy in order to remain in power notwithstanding that the American people had voted to confer their power upon the former president’s successor, President Joseph Biden,” they wrote.
The friend-of-the-court brief argued it was in the best public interest to have a speedy trial, and the American people have a right to see the legal matters resolved. Trump is running for another term in the White House in 2024 and is, by far, the front-runner in hypothetical GOP primary polls.
“There is a surpassing public interest in the expeditious resolution of these questions, in order that these questions raised by the former president’s conduct for which he now stands charged do not continue much longer to cast a dark shadow over America and her democratic system of government and governance,” they argued.
The experts acknowledged efforts by the Trump team to delay the trial and argued that while “the questions presented are profound, the impending trial of the former president on these serious offenses should be straightforward, presenting little just cause for delay beyond the government’s proposed schedule and trial date.”
In making the argument the case should be straight-forward, they pointed to the expansive breadth of evidence already available to the public and to other key details, including the work of the Jan. 6 House committee; the fact that the events of Jan. 6, 2021, transpired in public view; the lack of classified evidence needed; and the fact that charges were not novel and that many Jan. 6 rioters have now been charged in similar cases.
CNN first reported the amicus brief.
The 11 experts cited are Michael Luttig, who testified before the Jan. 6 committee, as well as Donald Ayer, Steven Calabresi, John Farmer Jr., Stuart Gerson, Alberto Gonzales, Richard Painter, Jonathan Rose, Paul Rosenzweig and Stanley Twardy Jr.
“For the first time in American history, a former President of the United States stands charged with grave crimes against the United States of America that he allegedly committed while President. The serious offenses alleged in United States v. Donald J. Trump constitute a knife to the heart of America’s democracy and its democratic system of government and governance. The 9 former president’s trial is of transcendent consequence for the Nation,” they wrote.
“As the eyes of democracies around the world look to America as the continuing proof of democracy’s promise, it is important that this prosecution and the trial of the former president be resolved expeditiously, consistent with Constitution and the rule of law.”
"Truth is a cow which yields such people no milk, and so they have gone to milk the bull."
Samuel Johnson
Come back for desserts?
“We just got word from inside of the courtroom that the judge urged the reporters in the room to go grab dinner suggesting this is going to go beyond the 5:00 P.M. deadline..” pic.twitter.com/PhcXWXZh6Q
— Acyn (@Acyn) August 14, 2023
Is he going to get bail? No other criminal defendant would, that's for sure.
Weissmann: let me give you the exact words because this is the provision that the court has to find to release someone on bail in Georgia which is that the defendant poses no risk of intimidating witnesses, or otherwise obstructing the administration of justice. pic.twitter.com/UbAxKZTGN7
— Acyn (@Acyn) August 14, 2023
50 years ago today 8/14/1973
— Spiro’s Ghost (@AntiToxicPeople) August 14, 2023
VP Spiro Agnew says he is innocent of extortion, bribery and tax fraud he is being investigated for. Says he has done nothing wrong. He pleads to one count of tax evasion & resigns 8 weeks later instead of facing 40 counts of extortion & bribery. pic.twitter.com/jAMkGH8cNq
Reminder: Paul Manafort REMAINS a bigger tax scandal than Hunter Biden but none of these people complained when he was pardoned.https://t.co/pv2rlnuOCj https://t.co/CZ0FmSjenc
— emptywheel (Chuckie cheese) (@emptywheel) August 14, 2023
We're still not over the fact that they made up to $640 million while working in the White House https://t.co/5ECweusyyu
— Citizens for Ethics (@CREWcrew) August 14, 2023
Has gone national, I don't think it's going away anytime soon. The Marion good old boys and girls are going to have to get their stories straight, it's going to be a tough fight for them I think. Also don't think the restaurant owner going to get her liquor license.
SPJ commits to Legal Defense Fund assistance after Marion County Record newsroom raid
https://www.spj.org/news.asp?ref=2952
8/14/2023
CONTACT:
Claire Regan, SPJ National President, cregan@spj.org
Zoë Berg, SPJ Communications Specialist, 317-920-4785, zberg@spj.org
INDIANAPOLIS — The Society of Professional Journalists is deeply concerned about the raid on Friday of the Marion County Record newsroom in Kansas. SPJ is offering help covering up to $20,000 in legal fees for the newsroom, and condemns this brazen action taken by law enforcement to stop the flow of information.
“By all accounts, the raid was an egregious attack on freedom of the press, the First Amendment and all the liberties we hold dear as journalists in this great country,” SPJ National President Claire Regan said during an emergency board meeting on Sunday to approve funding to the newspaper. “From the moment they learned about the raid, SPJ members have been speaking up and stepping forward to demand justice, hold the responsible accountable and support the Record staff in their recovery.”
The SPJ Board of Directors unanimously approved allocating up to $20,000 from the Legal Defense Fund to assist the Marion County Record with legal costs. SPJ also joined the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press and 33 other news media and press freedom organizations in a letter to Marion Chief of Police Gideon Cody condemning the raid.
“In short, the search warrant directed at the Marion County Record was significantly overbroad, improperly intrusive, and possibly in violation of federal law,” the letter states. “Again, and crucially, we urge you to immediately return any seized equipment and records to the newspaper; purge any such records retained by your department; and initiate a full, independent, and transparent review into your department’s actions.”
“The newsroom is sacrosanct; interrupting its operation is a threat to democracy,” Regan said. “SPJ offers its full support to the staff of the Marion County Record following this outrageous attack on freedom of the press.”
The SPJ Legal Defense Fund is a unique account that can be tapped for providing journalists with legal or direct financial assistance. The committee works throughout the year raising funds for LDF. More information about the Fund can be found here.
SPJ promotes the free flow of information vital to informing citizens; works to inspire and educate the next generation of journalists; and fights to protect First Amendment guarantees of freedom of speech and press. Support excellent journalism and fight for your right to know. Become a member, give to the Legal Defense Fund or give to the SPJ Foundation.
Well you've got the paper investigating the police chief's sexual misconduct, maybe some hanky panky between the hotel's owner (brother of the county attorney) and the restaurant owner with her liqueur problems exposure, and who knows what rabbit hole it goes down. That's all justification they need to stomp all over the 1st Amendment rights.
One of the last things 98 year old Joan Myer, newspaperwoman since 1953, said before she died after she got stressed to death; "These are Hitler tactics and something has to be done.” Sure hope there is.
From the Wichita Eagle
In what can only be a total coincidence, the newspaper that got raided by the police chief had been investigating the police chief over allegations of sexual misconduct.
— Bill Grueskin (@BGrueskin) August 12, 2023
Via this excellent @marisakabas2 interview of the publisher https://t.co/JMnOzO70C5 https://t.co/iPAG6LHipA pic.twitter.com/fs1OheyOeB
There's something going on, and it isn't good. This should make national.
Police stage ‘chilling’ raid on Marion County newspaper, seizing computers, records and cellphones
BY: SHERMAN SMITH, SAM BAILEY, RACHEL MIPRO AND TIM CARPENTER - AUGUST 11, 2023 4:15 PM
https://kansasreflector.com/2023/08/11/police-stage-chilling-raid-on-marion-county-newspaper-seizing-computers-records-and-cellphones/
Raid on Kansas newspaper is an intolerable overreach by police |
Editorial BY THE WICHITA EAGLE AND KANSAS CITY STAR EDITORIAL BOARDS UPDATED AUGUST 12, 2023 7:54 PM
https://www.kansas.com/opinion/editorials/article278199777.html
I'm aware of their history. Par for the SPAC business. Usually just trade the things, they many times have that initial pump and volatility for some decent trading and sometimes some good volatility on the way down. Got interested in this one, had a relation to someone that went out with dementia. Sad stuff, would have been nice to have some improvement drug like the examples in the NKGen's presentation.
Don't have a whole lot riding right now, and it's paid for, but trying to figure out if I'm going to deal with it on any long term basis, play the thing up and down for an investment strategy position and risk control. or not. Time is the biggest expense, a lot more time into any seriousness of it.
SPAC's are going through another transition at the moment. Twenty or so years ago you'd have a ten year period with less than 20 SPACs, generally increasing over the years. In a five year period 2016-2020 there was around 400, then 2021 they starting printing them out like no tomorrow to over 600 for that year alone. Didn't matter what they were selling or what the fundamentals were, a convincing story and a pump job combined with some heavy manipulation and SPAC meme they will go with a big take for the sponsors.
2022 comes around and the SEC comes in proposes some new rules cracking down on all that, which they are still hashing out, but it did subdue the SPAC's down a bit. Less than a 100 in 2022 and pretty slow this year. Amongst a whole lot of other things SEC proposed enhanced and additional disclosures regarding a list of things including disclosures on conflicts of interest, dilution, and the SPAC sponsors themselves.
But the stickiest is the liability clauses. One of the main reasons for the shut down, the underwriters and banks put a moratorium on the SPAC money.
The SEC proposal if fully implemented, the de-SPAC target company would be deemed a co-registrant alongside the SPAC, thereby making it an issuer and its executive officers and directors subject to liability under US securities laws. Along with that the underwriters would carry potential liability with the sponsor or company making claims that usually are not realized.
Page 178 https://www.sec.gov/files/rules/proposed/2022/33-11048.pdf
They should be more careful what they wish for. They'll just keep making lies and more lies trying to cover their ass and project. They haven't come up with anything, no witnesses, no documents, no videos, no nothing, just accusations that are confessions. They are mad because they can't nurse and dribble their conspiracies out as well. Them being mad about it must mean it's a good thing.
That's why I said that the thread only covered part of all the billions that trump and family received. There was at least another billion or more put just in Kushner's firm that got the 2 billion. There wasn't anything that family wouldn't grift small or large using the presidency. Remember the beans, wonder how much was put in the trump's coffers for that one.
Of course now the 2 billion number is getting out there and making waves for the GOP so trying to cover and Comer says that's ok, Kushner got the money after he was working in the white house and it was a "legitimate business" cough cough. And it's only the 2 billion number they are talking about, and not the time he made the deals. Have to wait for the public to become more aware and take note of all the other billions the trump's scammed on. Hopefully GOP will have to cover for many other things including the Fifth Avenue property.
Republicans Turn on Jared Kushner: 'Crossed the Line'
BY DARRAGH ROCHE ON 8/11/23 AT 5:59 AM EDT
https://www.newsweek.com/republicans-turn-jared-kushner-crossed-line-1819069
Republicans appear to have turned on Jared Kushner, former President Donald Trump's son-in-law, over a $2 billion investment from Saudi Arabia that his company received six months after Trump left the White House.
Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, who is seeking the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, raised the issue during remarks in New Hampshire on Wednesday and compared Kushner to Hunter Biden.
Republicans in the House of Representatives have been probing Hunter Biden's dealings as part of an investigation into allegations that his father, President Joe Biden, was involved in son's business dealings.
The White House has repeatedly denied that the president had any involvement with his son's business affairs.
Speaking in Salem, New Hampshire, on Wednesday, Christie drew attention to the $2 billion Saudi investment in Kushner's firm, Affinity Partners.
Kushner served as a senior White House adviser during the Trump administration, who was closely involved with the administration's Middle East policy.
"Why would you send Jared Kushner to the Middle East when you have Rex Tillerson and Mike Pompeo as secretaries of state? Two incredibly accomplished men," Christie said.
"You send him?" Christie said, adding: "Why? We found out the answer six months after he left office: $2 billion from the Saudis to Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump, $2 billion, and because he did all this and more with his family. He's normalizing this conduct."
"And now we have another president who's doing exactly the same thing. And allowing Hunter Biden to run roughshod. Making money from foreign governments is selling access to Joe Biden," Christie said.
"I'm going to end this family grift that's going on. We are not a third-world republic. We are the United States of America. And it's time for Donald Trump's family to get off the public dole and go back to New York where they belong," he added.
Newsweek has reached out to Affinity Partners via its website for comment.
Christie is a former Trump ally who has become highly critical of the former president. While serving as a U.S. attorney, Christie prosecuted Kushner's father, Charles Kushner, who pled guilty to tax evasion and making illegal campaign donations. In December, 2020, Trump pardoned Kushner.
House Oversight Committee Chairman Representative James Comer - a Republican who has been leading the congressional probe into Hunter Biden - responded to Christie's comments during a CNN interview on Thursday.
"I have been vocal that I think that what Kushner did crossed the line of ethics," Comer told CNN's The Lead with host Jake Tapper.
"But what Christie said, it happened after he left office. Still no excuse, Jake, but it happened after he left office. And Jared Kushner actually has a legitimate business," he added.
Comer went on: "This money from the Bidens happened while Joe Biden was vice president, while he was flying to those countries. He – look, days after he left Romania, his family started receiving wires from a corrupt Romanian foreign national, days, Jake, like four days after he left, including his granddaughter. What's his granddaughter doing getting a wire from a Romanian foreign national?"
Affinity Partners, Kushner's firm, received a $2 billion investment from Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund six months after Trump left office, despite concerns about the deal from a Saudi Public Investment Fund review panel, according to meeting minutes seen by The New York Times.
The board of the sovereign wealth fund, led by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, overruled those concerns.
House Republicans are continuing to investigate President Biden, and some in the GOP described bank records released this week as a "smoking gun" that provide evidence of corruption by the president.
Democrats noted that much of the information had already been made public and that it didn't show Biden had been involved with his son's business dealings.
This surprised me, a couple of Federalist Society law professors published a paper stating that Trump is disqualified from serving as President according to their interpretation of the 14th Amendment.
https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4532751
126 Pages Posted:
William Baude
University of Chicago - Law School
Michael Stokes Paulsen
University of St. Thomas School of Law
Date Written: August 9, 2023
Abstract
Section Three of the Fourteenth Amendment forbids holding office by former office holders who then participate in insurrection or rebellion. Because of a range of misperceptions and mistaken assumptions, Section Three’s full legal consequences have not been appreciated or enforced. This article corrects those mistakes by setting forth the full sweep and force of Section Three.
First, Section Three remains an enforceable part of the Constitution, not limited to the Civil War, and not effectively repealed by nineteenth century amnesty legislation. Second, Section Three is self-executing, operating as an immediate disqualification from office, without the need for additional action by Congress. It can and should be enforced by every official, state or federal, who judges qualifications. Third, to the extent of any conflict with prior constitutional rules, Section Three repeals, supersedes, or simply satisfies them. This includes the rules against bills of attainder or ex post facto laws, the Due Process Clause, and even the free speech principles of the First Amendment. Fourth, Section Three covers a broad range of conduct against the authority of the constitutional order, including many instances of indirect participation or support as “aid or comfort.” It covers a broad range of former offices, including the Presidency. And in particular, it disqualifies former President Donald Trump, and potentially many others, because of their participation in the attempted overthrow of the 2020 presidential election.
Keywords: Constitution, Fourteenth Amendment, Section Three, Insurrection, Rebellion