War, Politics Plus DDT Trial Day 20

Foreign Events:

First, Israel threw Al Jazeera out of the country; then it seized an Associated Press camera and broadcasting equipment, accusing the news organization of giving images to Al Jazeera. Hours later the government said it will return the equipment after blocking AP’s live video of Gaza and facing increased criticism of interfering with independent journalism. The Biden administration, journalism organizations, and an Israeli opposition leader condemned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government and pressured it to reverse the decision. Israel’s communications minister, Shlomo Karhi, said the defense ministry will review news outlets’ positioning of Gaza’s live video. AP had not been formally warned that the camera’s positioning was an issue but had been told to stop transmitting.

One of thousands of AP customers, Al Jazeera receives live video from AP and other news organizations. AP follows Israel’s censorship rules prohibiting broadcasts of security problems such as details of troop movements, but the live video generally shows smoke rising over the territory. During the 2021 Israel-Hamas war, Israel destroyed the building housing AP’s Gaza office, claiming, with no evidence, that Hamas used the building for military purposes.

Since January, members of Israel’s police and military have been telling far-right activists and settlers where they can find aid trucks delivering humanitarian aid to Gaza so that they can block and vandalize the convoys. Trucks are looted and set on fire. Settlers claim they’re keeping supplies from getting to Hamas.

U.S. Ambassador Robert Wood told the UN that Russia likely launched a counter space weapon on May 16 close enough to be capable of attacking and destroying a nearby orbiting U.S. government satellite. The first such launch since 2022 occurred while the U.S. and its allies are highly concerned about Russia’s efforts to develop a nuclear space weapon to destroy commercial and government satellites. Woodward says the launch debunks Russia’s claims that it is seeking outer space security.

DDT Disasters:

The Boeing 757 belonging to Deposed Donald Trump (DDT) clipped the rear elevator of an unoccupied parked corporate jet at Palm Beach International Airport. Whether DDT was on the plane at the time is unknown. His plane was arriving from Atlantic City International Airport; DDT held a campaign rally on May 12 nearby at Wildwood (NJ).

In Florida, a new loophole in the law is hiding Jared Kushner’s family ties to Surfside; billionaire Charles Kushner and other top real estate developers can put “thousands of dollars” into 2024 candidates in the oceanfront village of 5,000. Voters won’t be able to see the source of donations until after the election. While his father-in-law hopes to be in the White House, Jared Kushner plans to build a $500 million hotel with DDT’s former aide Richard Grenell on prime Belgrade real estate on the site of the former Yugoslav defense ministry given to Kushner. The U.S. backed NATO forces in 1999 to bomb the complex during Serbian war with Kosovo. House Democrats including Jamie Raskin (MD) and Robert Garcia (CA) are speaking out against Kushner’s $3 billion European deals with money from Saudi Arabia.

Congressional Conflagrations:

House Democrats want an investigation into the allegation that lawmakers were drinking alcohol and acting “pretty ugly” during a hearing last Thursday to mark up a bill declaring contempt of Congress for AG Merrick Garland. Republicans who attended DDT’s criminal trial as surrogates postponed the hearing until evening about Garland’s refusal to give Republicans the tapes of Robert Hur’s interviews with President Joe Biden regarding his possession of classified documents. The surrogates were in New York for publicity by attacking people, statements which a gag order blocked DDT from making. James Comer (R-KY), chair of the Oversight Committee, was unable to control Republicans insulting Democratic members. Raskin, the committee’s ranking member, wants to initiate the investigation into those accused of behavior “embarrassing to our institution.” Axios reported that a House Republican described the hearing as “embarrassing” and “a four-alarm dumpster fire.”

Rep. Victoria Spartz (R-IN) wants Congress to “shut down” the U.S. economy over the southern border and falsely accuses Biden of Marxist “socialist policies.” She introduced her request in an interview with Fox host Maria Bartimono. According to Spartz, Biden has a “failed policy … with its supply chain … and subsidizing corporations very close to the government in trying to control financial markets.” Spartz continued to ramble on with her unfounded complaints. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) plans to reintroduce the bill rejected earlier this year by Republicans who want to campaign on the premise that Democrats aren’t trying to solve border security.

Despite the International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s arrest for war crimes, Speaker MAGA Mike Johnson (R-LA) plans to invite the PM to speak to Congress. He’s waiting for Schumer to join him in the invitation but will do it himself if Schumer doesn’t go along with the plan. Schumer said he thinks “Netanyahu has lost his way by allowing his political survival to take precedence over the best interests of Israel.” Rep. Mark Pocan (D-WI) said he would help the ICC serve the warrant if Netanyahu addresses Congress. Because the U.S. did not sign the Rome Statute to empower the ICC to prosecute individuals for war crimes, the country is not obligated to arrest the prime minister.

Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) said filibuster reform is possible if Democrats hold the Senate. He pointed out that members possibly not returning next year, Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Kirsten Sinema (I-AZ), joined Republicans in supporting the “no-effort obstruction, as opposed to the talking filibuster,” but those who remain want the Senate to work again. Arizona’s moderate Democrat Mark Kelly, a former astronaut, said:

“I’ve been here just over three years, and I’ve never seen an organization with rules like the United States Senate. If NASA had these rules, the rocket ship would never leave the launchpad. So as changes to the rules come up, I’ll evaluate it based on the merits.”

Willis, McAfee Winners:

Republicans hoped that they could get rid of the Fulton County (GA) RICO case by voting out DA Fani Willis who started the case and Judge Scott McAfee who has been hearing it. Voters in the heavily Democratic district thwarted the GOP by electing the two of them in Tuesday’s primary. They run in the November election and keep their offices at least until the end of the year.

DDT Trial Day 20: In a move surprising no one, DDT did not testify in the New York criminal trial, and the defense has rested. Judge Juan Merchan released the jury until Tuesday, May 28 when they will hear the summations. He added that they will “hear my jury charge” and begin “deliberations at some point on Wednesday.”

Merchan spent the afternoon hearing requests and complaints from both sides, including debates of his language in discussing the specific crimes DDT is charged with and describing laws that DDT is accused of violating. The judge rejected requests from DDT’s lawyers to direct the jury that hush-money payments aren’t inherently illegal and others regarding political bias against Trump.

On Tuesday morning, DDT ally Robert Costello continued his testimony, arguing that he was Michael Cohen’s lawyer but finally admitting that Cohen had never signed a retainer. The DDT camp had sent Costello to reign in Cohen; instead, Cohen related the entire story about Stormy Daniels’ payoff and coverup. Under oath, Costello called Cohen a liar for saying he had never signed a retainer or agreed to retain Costello, something for which he has no proof. Prosecution accused Costello of working with DDT’s former lawyer Rudy Giuliani when they tried to keep Cohen loyal to DDT, and Costello again became adversarial and sarcastic. Costello had trouble supporting his lies with his email to his law partner put into evidence:

“Our issue is to get Cohen on the right page without giving him the appearance that we are following instructions from Giuliani or the President.”

Not all Congressional Republicans plan to support DDT even if he is convicted of business fraud. Sen. James Lankford (R-OK), whose bipartisan bill was killed by DDT in a campaign scam, would only say, “I want to be able to have people that are role models.” He added that “the policy issues are going to matter significantly.”

With a bachelor’s degree in finance and marketing, Rep. Byron Donalds told Fox host Maria Bartiromo that after “examining Biden, he believes the president is receiving a secret medication making him appear to be sharp-witted and completely “coherent.” Donalds is on DDT’s vice-presidential shortlist. Caught in agreeing to debates with Biden, DDT is now demanding a drug test for Biden before the events, and another VP wannabe, Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) predicted that Biden will be “jacked up for those debates,” that “he was high as a kite” at his State of the Union address in March. Rep. Greg Murphy, a urologist, told Bartiromo that Biden was drugged, that Murphy had “a little bit of good knowledge that that had captained—that that had happened.” Bartiromo said, “You’ll show me what?” DDT sycophants repeated DDT’s lies about drugged Biden 2020 and Hillary Clinton in 2016.

Politics from the Week

The pet judge of Deposed Donald Trump (DDT), Aileen Cannon, made a decision today—sort of—about his bid to reject the charges for his allegedly mishandling documents because the Espionage Act is unfairly vague against a former president. The “sort of” comes from her dismissal “without prejudice,” meaning the argument can return if DDT’s attorneys raise the argument again. Cannon used the hearing, which DDT attended, as a stall. Scores of defendants, however, have been convicted by the Espionage Act. Cannon also didn’t address the motion that the Presidential Records Act allowed DDT to have all the classified documents he wants. Joyce Vance explains the finer points.

DDT’s lawyers argued that laws applying to others don’t apply to DDT.  Cannon’s decision block an appeal to the 11^th Circuit Court which might have overturned the “without prejudice.” Authorities described the ruling as kicking the can down the road. Two weeks ago, Cannon held a hearing to determine when the jury trial would begin but has made no announcement. Expert legal authorities theorize that Cannon hopes for a Supreme Court appointment with a DDT administration after Clarence Thomas is bribed to leave the court.

February’s inflation rate rose faster, with 0.4 percent in the month for 3.2 percent annually, up from 3.1 percent in January. Over 60 percent of February increase came from gasoline and shelter. For the first time in almost a year, food prices stayed flat.

The departure of Rep. Ken Buck (R-CO) at the end of next week leaves the GOP majority at 218-213, creating more problems for Speaker MAGA Mike Johnson. The Speaker said he knew nothing about it, but Buck said he left a message for Johnson and talked about his plans with other leadership members. Buck was disturbed by GOP colleagues who still believed in the lie of the stolen election and the impeachment of President Joe Biden with no evidence. He also said he received death threats from conservatives for not supporting Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) for Speaker.

Buck also voted against impeaching Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. The House is expected to keep holding onto the articles of impeachment against Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas until after government funding is wrapped up, which could be another few weeks. Until those articles are delivered to the Senate, no trial of Mayorkas can begin (and when it does, it is expected to get dispensed of quickly, with no conviction).

Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO), running for the district Buck represents, is upset about his early departure. State law requires a special election to replace him, and Boebert will be running against an incumbent in November because she currently states she won’t compete in the June 25 election because she would be forced to vacate her seat in another Colorado congressional district.

Boebert ranted that “the uniparty is trying to do everything that they can to stop my candidacy, to rig the election in Colorado” because Buck resigned. The MAGA theory of a “uniparty” is that too many Democrats are allied with Republicans, a problem blaming the far-right’s failures to accomplish their gains.

Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee dismissed six felony charges out of 41 against DDT and five other co-defendants soliciting the violation of Georgia officials’ oath of office. McAfee ruled the language of the charges was too broad, and DA Fani Willis didn’t specify which parts of the state constitution were referenced. The judge said the DA can re-indict the charges to correct the flaws or ask an appeals court to review his decision. McAfee bolstered her indictment by denying the defense’s motion to quash the “overt acts” in count 1 of the indictment. McAfee has yet to rule after Willis’ conflict of interest disqualification hearing.

Justice Samuel Alito extended the temporary stay on a new Texas law permitting state police to arrest anyone suspected of legally crossing the southern border to March 18. The administration claims that the law violates the U.S. Constitution and federal law in interfering with immigration regulation. Alito or the Supreme Court could take action before Alito’s deadline. A federal judge agreed with the administration, but the 5^th Circuit Court blocked the judge’s ruling to let the law take effect on March 10 until an emergency request took the case to the high court that halted the lower court and the law on March 4.

Republicans continue to stall on any funding for Ukraine, but Biden found $300 million for the country from savings made in weapons contracts, only enough to last weeks. He said the amount wasn’t nearly enough and Congress needs to pass additional funding. He said that “as Poland remembers, Russia won’t stop at Ukraine.” Reluctant to use its funding, the Pentagon has about $4 billion in drawdown authority for Ukraine with no replenishment money to refill U.S. inventories. The House would likely pass funding for Ukraine, but Speaker Johnson won’t permit a vote.

House Democrats and centrists Republicans have separate efforts to force a vote on Ukrainian aid after Speaker Johnson refuses to allow a vote on the issue. Democrats are gathering signatures to force a floor vote on the Senate’s $95 billion package of aid for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan with a “discharge petition” to circumvent the Speaker’s control over bills receiving a vote. Republicans are collecting signatures trimming the amount to $66 billion, mostly for military aid, that includes southern border provisions. Both petitions must have signatures from a majority of members, 218, meaning that Republicans would need to sign onto the Democrats’ petition. With an initial 86 signatures, a total of 169 congressional members signed on by the end of the day.  

Foreign policy David Rothknopf warned that “there is no Russian battlefield commander nor aide to Putin who is doing more to help Russia defeat Ukraine and put the rest of Europe in peril than Donald Trump or Mike Johnson.”

Playing God, Speaker Johnson also refuses to put a bill protecting in vitro fertilization (IVF) up for a vote. Usually avoiding the GOP sin of regulations, the conservative Heritage Foundation advises GOP lawmakers to create laws about IVF.

A new policy for federal courts may restrict judge shopping friendly to a point of view such as the case blocking the use of the abortion medication mifepristone by federal judge Matthew Kacsmaryk in Amarillo (TX). The 26-member Judicial Conference of the U.S. led by SCOTUS Chief Justice John Roberts rules guaranteed random assignment of civil suits even where locally filed cases went before a single judge. Republican lawmakers, however, object to the random assignment GOP lawmakers. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) wants them to reconsider and, with other Republicans, urged Kacsmaryk to ignore the rules.

Montana’s primary is June 4, under three months away, but Rep. Matt Rosendale (R-MT) announced he is leaving his nine-day reelection campaign for representative after departing his under one-week campaign for U.S. Senate last month. He claimed he suffered from a death threat and rumors that he “impregnated a 20-year-old staff person.” Republicans are grateful that he has bowed out of both campaigns especially after DDT endorsed opponent Tim Sheehy. Other Republicans had already filed for Rosendale’s House position when he said he was running for Senate, hoping to avenge his loss to Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT) in 2018.

The DDT-owned RNC has already fired at least 60 people including data, political, and communications staffers. Co-chair Mike Whatley said the RNC “will work hand in glove with President Trump’s campaign.” The group also added another DDT sycophant: former DDT lawyer Christina Bobb is the group’s Senior Counsel for Election Integrity. On the far-right One America News (OAN) network, she spread election denying claims and financially supported the circus audit of ballots in Maricopa County (AZ). Bobb had also signed a letter in 2022 that no government documents were at Mar-a-Lago two months before the FBI execution of a search warrant found hundreds of them. In addition, the RNC closed its minority outreach program and closed community centers to encourage Black, Latino, Asian and Native American voters to join the party.

The wannabe third party No Labels funded by wealthy Republicans pretends it’s in the center while it smears Biden with lies. Conservative columnist Jennifer Rubin pointed out that two of its lies are that Biden wants “open borders” and that he’s captive to a “far left” that “wants to abandon Israel” and is “sympathetic to Hamas.” The left continually criticized Biden for not attacking Republicans and the DOJ. Co-chair Pat McCrory, former GOP governor of North Carolina, has left the group.  

Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC), who says she has been raped, has an excuse for endorsing rapist DDT. She told George Stephanopoulos:

“He was not found guilty in a civil—in a criminal court of law. It was a civil—it was sexual abuse. It wasn’t actually rape, by the way.”  (Technically it was, according to a recent New York law that updated the definition.)

The 117^th Congress picked green for the background of pins that House members wear as symbol and proof of their membership. Republicans wouldn’t wear pins looking like the environment and paid $40,000 for pins with a dark blue. Bryan Steil (R-WI) said that members not wearing the pins “puts a challenge on the police force” because they need to identify House members.

Courts Keep Churning

Judge Aileen Cannon isn’t giving Deposed Donald Trump (DDT) the SCIF he wants at Mar-a-Lago; he wants to can stay home to look through classified documents. DDT asked for a sensitive compartment information facility (SCIF) at his Palm Beach estate. Her 16-page protective order conforms with general practices of federal courts by noting that DDT’s lawyers don’t have full security clearances yet. Cannon also ordered the appointment of a classified information security officer, responsible for ensuring lawyers have access to national security information and handle it carefully. She didn’t specify where the SCIF would be, but they are typically in or near federal courthouses. Prosecutors can ask that some audiences be kept off-limits to the documents. Access to classified information is more restricted to DDT’s co-defendants in the case, Walt Nauta and Carlos De Oliveira. Specific court orders will be required for sharing classified information with Nauta.

Fulton County (GA) Judge Scott McAfee determined that DA Fani Willis’ 19 RICO codefendants do not have to participate in the same trial: Kenneth Chesebro and Sidney Powell will be tried on October 23, and the others can wait. McAfee didn’t give a trial date for DDT and his other 16 co-defendants. Chesebro’s attorneys also want to question grand jury members who approved the indictments, questioning the legitimacy of their actions. An assistant Fulton County district attorney disagreed, maintaining that attorneys cannot question grand jurors about their deliberations. McAfee has not ruled on the request, indicating that the jurors would have to be willing and pointing out the threats and doxing for many of them after the indictments.

In a harbinger of things to come, reporters stated that “tensions ran high” during this week’s hearing, complete with “snide comments,” raised voices, and “accusations” from both sides. One defense attorney said he should be permitted to continue his argument because the hearing was being “broadcast live.” Powell’s attorney wants prosecutors’ arguments in writing so that he can preview them before coming to court.

Chesebro’s attorney accused the assistant DA of having “lied to the court” about existing case law regarding his right to talk with grand jurors. McAfee asked him to stop his heated response, but the defense attorney’s justification was that the proceedings are being “broadcast live.” Legal expert Lisa Rubin said the attorneys were inappropriate in requesting to question grand jurors. She said that the defense attorneys had neither the facts nor the law on their side so they threaten “the DA’s team with prosecutorial conduct.”

McAfee also shut down the defense attorney’s arguments after he accused the assistant DA of firing “personal attacks” and “[impugning] the reputation” of his colleague. The attorney also complained that the state’s presentation of a PowerPoint was “not an efficient use of the court’s time.” McAfee said that his complaint “is not part of the record right now” because “this is not part of the consideration, and if you want to handle that outside of [court] we will do that.”

Chesebro also wants transcripts to be unsealed from the first special grand jury that recommended charges but did not vote on the indictments. McAfee said he will hold weekly hearings to deal with Chesebro’s and Powell’s motions so that they don’t build up.

The 11^th Circuit Court will consider an appeal from former chief of staff Mark Meadows after Judge Steve Jones turned down his request to move his RICO charges from Fulton County (GA) to a federal court. Oral arguments are scheduled Friday if the court determines they are “warranted.” Meadows withdrew his request for an emergency stay because the court promised to expedite its ruling. Meadows is indicted for participating in eight “overt acts in furtherance of the conspiracy”; his attorney stated “nothing Mr. Meadows is alleged in the indictment to have done is criminal.”

For the second time, anti-immigrant federal Judge Andrew Hanen in Texas ruled the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) immigration program unlawful but didn’t terminate deportation protections and work permits for 580,000 immigrant “Dreamers.” Last year, the 5^th Circuit Court also declared DACA illegal, and the case may go to the Supreme Court. By the end of March, 578,680 immigrants, who illegally came to the U.S. as children, live in the U.S.—over half of them in California, Texas, Illinois, and New York—because they meet the requirements of the executive order. DDT tried to terminate the 2011 law in 2017, but the policy has been moving through the courts. A appeal will go to the highly conservative 5^th Circuit Court.

In a case about removing DDT’s name from the state election from 14^th Amendment language, a federal judge in Colorado dismissed DDT ’s attempt to move the case to a federal court and declare voters bringing the case lacked standing. Judge Philip Bremmer, appointed by George W. Bush, called the case “defective” because Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold, also named in the lawsuit, didn’t want to move the case from state court. A similar lawsuit was filed in Minnesota’s state court this week by registered voters.

New Hampshire’s GOP Secretary of State David Scanlon has stated that he has no legal basis to disqualify DDT or any other candidate as it relates to the 14^th Amendment. His announcement came the day after DDT’s campaign sent him a letter signed by dozens of GOP state lawmakers urging him to refuse the quest to disqualify DDT.

In a case about the House Freedom Caucus leader, Scott Perry (PA), the D.C. Circuit Court ruled that his communications with lawmakers to overturn the 2020 election are off-limits to special counsel Jack Smith. The three-judge panel, two of them appointed by DDT and third by George H.W. Bush, ordered a judge to individually review almost 2,000 documents with a stricter standard. Perry tried to help DDT replace the DOJ AG after the 2020 election with Jeffrey Clark who would get the agency to reverse its finding that President Joe Biden had been fairly elected.

On the seventh day, the Texas House rested its impeachment case against suspended state AG Ken Paxton after failing to call a star witness and fighting with defense attorneys about allegations that real estate developer bribed Paxton.  House lawyer Rusty Hardin also realized that he made his announcement for resting the case too soon, cutting off further questioning of the current witness by either side. The defense attorney motioned for a directed verdict, requesting a dismissal of the articles of impeachment from lack of evidence, causing more problems. Jurors met behind closed doors for 45 minutes; when they returned, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, acting as judge, told them the defense had withdrawn its motion.

Laura Olson, Paxton’s mistress, also backed down from testifying after agreeing she would be a witness because she hadn’t received a 24-hour notice. When they returned, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, acting as judge, told them the defense had withdrawn its motion. By late afternoon, Olson was eligible to testify, but both sides agreed she could leave without taking the stand. She had been planning to assert her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. Instead, prosecutors called Drew Wicker, Paxton’s personal assistant. Both sides will give closing arguments on Friday before the jury determines a verdict. 

Throughout the trial, defense lawyers attacked the witnesses for their disloyalty toward their employer and lack of documentation for the FBI when they reported Paxton. All the witnesses described how they told Paxton that he was creating problems for himself through excessive favors for Nate Paul, the real estate developer.

Paxton must still stand trial for state securities fraud charges dating to 2015. Although he has pled guilty to that case, his lawyers said a successful impeachment might encourage him to a plea agreement. The FBI, investigating Paxton since 2020, may be “monitoring” the trial for the testimony of eight whistleblowers about Paxton’s alleged crimes. It could lead to a federal indictment.

Paxton’s wife, a senator, sat through the proceedings including the recent testimony of Paxton’s infidelity, part of the catalyst for his other crimes. She won’t be able to vote, but she must be present to increase the number of votes to impeach him. In essence, her presence creates a “no” vote.

Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders is facing a lawsuit for withholding information about her travel at the same time she’s trying to change the state’s public records law. To remove transparency, the law would make information about travel for the governor and other “constitutional officers” exempt from the law—and be retroactive to before Sanders took office.  

The law would also block release of records “reflecting communications” between the governor’s office and her Cabinet secretaries, after a previous version more broadly blocked the release of state agencies’ “deliberative process.” Even Republicans in the state question GOP lawmakers’ support for the law, and the former state police director, who served under Mike Huckabee—Sanders’ father—condemned a retroactive change, stating it shows admission of wrongdoing.

Google is facing a DOJ trial about its policies and deals with other industry companies, accusing Google of an illegal monopoly in the search market that harms innovation. Questions:

• Are Google’s deals with Apple and other providers exclusive?
• Does Google limit online ad competition through search?
• Is Google’s dominance limiting search innovation?
• Who counts as Google’s competitors in search?
• Who is expected to testify?

And the biggest case for the day—the felony indictment of Hunter Biden, the president’s son, for lying when he bought a gun in 2018 which he kept for 11 days. But that’s a much longer story.