Donald Trump in Hot Water

[MFS62]

This is what baffles me. If I ran the FBI, I'd have them checking every toilet tank and golf bag at Bedminster, twice.

I'd have them do a body cavity search, just for the heck of it. Violate him like he violated the law.
Later

[batmagadanleadoff]

This is what baffles me. If I ran the FBI, I'd have them checking every toilet tank and golf bag at Bedminster, twice.

He was probably selling national secrets all throughout his presidency. It was a lot easier being that back then, he had the right to possess that info. That's who he is: when he sees those docs, he doesn't see national secrets -- he sees dollar signs.

[Edgy MD]

I'm just now noticing that (a) the shower curtain rod is torsion rod, but not deployed as such, and is instead being precariously balanced on top of the window frame and the border of the tiles, and (b) there are actually boxes stacked inside the shower, peaking out over the top of the curtain rod.

[batmagadanleadoff]

If Trump had time to get one of those classified docs over to his NJ Bedminister club, you can bet there are many, many more in Jersey. I'm sure he had copies made and intended to sell them. He probably already made money off of the classified docs he kept ilegally. Just imagine the worst things Trump could have done with those docs and that's probably exactly what he already did. He's a 24/7 crime wave. I doubt he was motivated solely by ego and narcissism when he stole those classified docs. National security? This scumbag gave his bunt fraud daughter, Ivanka, a top-level security clearance.

This is what baffles me. If I ran the FBI, I'd have them checking every toilet tank and golf bag at Bedminster, twice.

He was probably selling national secrets all throughout his presidency. It was a lot easier being that back then, he had the right to possess that info. That's who he is: when he sees those docs, he doesn't see national secrets -- he sees dollar signs.

https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing ... -doj-docs/

Cohen suggested on Saturday that Trump could have other documents stored away elsewhere.

“You need to sort of play that game. Where’s Waldo? Except it’s not Where’s Waldo. It’s Where’s Donald? And where are the top secret documents? he quipped. “Every single location that Donald went to, from the time that he left the White House to today needs to be examined.”

This is so obvious, isn't it?

[Frayed Knot]

"They're solid counts. If even half of what they have is true he's toast" -- Former AG Bill Barr on today's FOX Sunday morning news show

[Lefty Specialist]

If they had searched Bedminster, tRump would be bellyaching about it on Doof Social. So I have to assume the place is unchecked.

[Edgy MD]

It's the FBI, baby. There's no telling whether the place has been turned over without the ex-president's knowledge.

"They're solid counts. If even half of what they have is true he's toast" -- Former AG Bill Barr on today's FOX Sunday morning news show

Of course, there's a good chance that he'd already be toast, based on what Director Mueller had on him, if not for Attorney General Barr running interference. So there's every chance he could get a fixer in the Justice Department to clear him again.

Keep your foot on the gas, America.

[MFS62]

The GOP talking points about the indictments, totally shredded by humor:
https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/ ... 307577007/

Later

[Edgy MD]

The main problem with the indictment — which is the same main problem as the New York indictment — is that the cases hinge on witness testimony and evidence garnered from his former attorneys. A good prosecutor should be able to get past an attorney-client privilege claim by citing the crime fraud exception and all of its precedents, but attorney-client privilege-based motions should provide plenty of grounds for a string of defense motions, possibly allowing the defense to save their client through endless delay.

And with a sympathetic judge, an elderly client, and a client that is seeking to re-don the armor of privilege that the presidency affords, that's a workable strategy.

[batmagadanleadoff]

Wow the stuff that is coming out is just unreal ,I know for me at least it is hard to be shocked with any revelation, but wow

With Trump, there's no bottom. The evidence presented is damning. The question is- how does he wiggle out of this like he's wiggled out of everything else in his misbegotten life?

Because if Cannon remains the judge, you can bet your life that there wont be any jail time no matter what the jury decides. The judge doles out the sentence, not the jury. And if he's convicted, the sentence will only last until the next Republican President, who'll pardon Trump. Our Constitution is so outdated that Trump himself could pardon himself. Also, Cannon could outright dismiss the case. The government is not allowed to appeal most criminal law rulings. Of course, Trump can delay the trial with so many motions that Cannon would be happy to sleep on, that the DOJ might pause the trial because of stupid policies, not laws, about prosecuting candidates. And should Trump win in 2024 before there's a verdict, he'll dismantle this version of the DOJ and the trial itself.


But I agree with the part about there being no bottom to Trump. He is a profoundly corrupt individual who's been so all his life. He needs to be destroyed because of the danger that he poses.

Unless there's a Federal sentencing guideline mandatory minimum jail sentence for the charges against Trump. Then she'd have to jail him if the jury returned a guilty verdict. But I've convinced myself that if Cannon remains the judge on this case, Trump will escape. She's totally in the bag, I think.

[batmagadanleadoff]

With Trump, there's no bottom. The evidence presented is damning. The question is- how does he wiggle out of this like he's wiggled out of everything else in his misbegotten life?

Because if Cannon remains the judge, you can bet your life that there wont be any jail time no matter what the jury decides. The judge doles out the sentence, not the jury. And if he's convicted, the sentence will only last until the next Republican President, who'll pardon Trump. Our Constitution is so outdated that Trump himself could pardon himself. Also, Cannon could outright dismiss the case. The government is not allowed to appeal most criminal law rulings. Of course, Trump can delay the trial with so many motions that Cannon would be happy to sleep on, that the DOJ might pause the trial because of stupid policies, not laws, about prosecuting candidates. And should Trump win in 2024 before there's a verdict, he'll dismantle this version of the DOJ and the trial itself.


But I agree with the part about there being no bottom to Trump. He is a profoundly corrupt individual who's been so all his life. He needs to be destroyed because of the danger that he poses.

Unless there's a Federal sentencing guideline mandatory minimum jail sentence for the charges against Trump. Then she'd have to jail him if the jury returned a guilty verdict. But I've convinced myself that if Cannon remains the judge on this case, Trump will escape. She's totally in the bag, I think.

Lawrence O'Donnell, MSNBC, reports on live TV that there is no minimum mandatory sentencing for the Florida charges against Trump. So I'm gonna guess that if Judge Cannon remains on the case, she'll torpedo it one way or another, and if she doesn't and there's a guilty jury verdict down the line, she won't jail Trump.

[Edgy MD]

I'd rather not trust Lawrence O'Donnell.

If the judge is intentionally going to make herself or himself useful to a defendant, it usually won't come by offering a light sentence, but by ruling favorably to admissibility motions and the like.

[batmagadanleadoff]

I'd rather not trust Lawrence O'Donnell.

If the judge is intentionally going to make herself or himself useful to a defendant, it usually won't come by offering a light sentence, but by ruling favorably to admissibility motions and the like.

Yes, she's got a zillion tools in her toolbox to unfairly help Trump. I even named many of them a few posts above. She has enormous powers and if she doesn't give a shit about the fallout, she is, in many ways, operating without checks or balances because in most instances, the government cannot appeal criminal law rulings; only the defendant can.

But you don't trust O'Donnell on whether or not there's a mandatory minimum sentence for the charges? I mean, presumably, he's not exactly going rogue on the air. He's got all kinds of smart behind the scenes top talent researching and fact-checking the copy. I'm no MSNBC staffer but I myself spent a few days looking to see if there was a mandatory minimum sentence guideline applicable here and came up empty.

[Edgy MD]

He's gone rogue before.

I'd discourage ever looking to commentators for the last word on facts.

That's not to state that he's wrong here, but commentators are for commentary.

[batmagadanleadoff]

I dunno. These are straight facts O'Donnell's reporting on, not opinion. There's gotta be a Federal statute or a regulation on point.

[Edgy MD]

He's probably right, but he's not a reporter.

[batmagadanleadoff]

If Trump were convicted on each of the 37 counts, the maximum punishment he could face is 400 years in prison and $9.5 million in fines. But that’s unlikely to happen, as federal judges typically set a defendant’s sentences on separate crimes to run concurrently, or at the same time. The most serious counts Trump is facing — those of conspiring to obstruct justice and those of withholding, corruptly concealing, and concealing classified documents — each carry a maximum prison term of 20 years and a fine of up to $250,000.


Trump does not face any mandatory minimum sentences, meaning that a judge is not necessarily obligated to send him to prison.

https://www.inquirer.com/news/donald-tr ... 30612.html

I think O'Donnell opines and reports. He does both. In this case, he probably just flipped a coin and if it came up heads, he would've opined that there is a mandatory minimum sentence, but if the coin came up tails, he would opine that there wasn't a mandatory minimum sentence. And nobody at MSNBC ever fact-checked whatever it was that O'Donnell, based on the coin flip, decided to claim or opine about mandatory minimum sentencing applicable to the Florida indictment. He was gonna wing it. He wouldn't even show the coin to Rachel Maddow. For all anybody knew, that coin couldve been a two-tailed coin.

[MFS62]

Maybe they'll find his tax returns in one of the boxes.

Later

[Edgy MD]

President Trump now under arrest.

[MFS62]

Too bad this judge (I use the term loosely) won't invoke a gag order on him.
Later

[Fman99]

It's progress. I am now more optimistic that he'll be indicted twice more, once federally for the January 6 events and once in Georgia for racketeering, and that four separate trials across four venues mid-campaign will be too much to have to deal with for all but the most brainwashed GOP sheep.

I'd love for the guy to serve time but I'm less confident that that will happen.

[kcmets]

I've probably said this before, aging men oft repeat themselves again
and again, but I don't really care if he goes to jail.

JUST GO AWAY, ALREADY!!!

[kcmets]

I had the news on when his Trump Jet was taxiing and taking off from
EWR and I was hoping he'd instruct the pilot to keep going and take him
to Cuba to seek asylum.

[Benjamin Grimm]

North Korea is probably more his speed.

[Lefty Specialist]

Russia is definitely his speed. A nice dacha in Sochi near Vladimir, I'd bet.