Public money, laundered through a fake lawsuit, paid out to a private political coalition. The grift isn’t that Trump pocketed it. The grift is that he found a way to spend it on loyalty without going through Congress.
I expected incompetence and vengefulness from Trump 2.0 but didn't expect such repeated, blatant and prodigous corruption. Looking back on it I guess I was naive.
Apparently, the addendum Blanche added also stated that the $1.776B is not taxable income to Trump. Blanche, has no authority under the Internal Revenue Code to declare what is, or isn't, taxable income. Anyone who votes for any Republican, local or national, is complicit. Any taxpayer who votes for any Republican is complicit.
Who could make millions from Trump's $1.8 Billion slush fund from stealing your tax dollars? Check this map of Jan 6th Insurrectionists, pedophiles, Trump mega donors, Clarence Thomas and White Christian Nationalists.
The "suing yourself" framing here is exactly right and it's the detail that makes everything else land. A sitting president who controls both the plaintiff and defendant isn't filing a lawsuit... he's writing a check to himself with extra steps. The legal architecture Liz Dye outlines here deserves far more mainstream coverage than it's getting.
The most underreported detail in this whole story is that the IRS's own lawyers wrote a 25-page memo urging the DOJ to fight the suit... and the DOJ ignored it. That's not how a settlement works... That's a blatant override. At what point does congressional oversight actually mean something here?
"The panel suggested that further inquiry was necessary to asses the independence of the lawyers running the DOJ’s case"
All this legal dithering is what Trump depends on. It's a straight-up smash-and-grab, and the judge could and should have put the kibosh on it immediately. Trump breaks clear cut, black-letter law. Because no one has ever had the shamelessness to do it before, let alone right out in the open, our elite legal experts all clutch their pearls and say "Can he really do that?!" Only if you let him, your Honor. And don't look now, but the horse has left the barn.
Who had it on their Declaration of Independence anniversary card that the nation would be re-enacting what it feels like to be ruled? To live under King George?
Republicans are just fine, and support rewarding, MAGA supporters who assaulted police, leading to their lifelong harassment and deaths. They are just fine with MAGA supporters who urinated, pooped, vandalized and pillaged our US Capitol.
…and Republicans are supporting this as we remember this weekend actual patriots who gave us their time and even their lives to defend our freedom.
…and Republicans support this during our 250th year as a nation.😔
To this retired atty, this looting of the treasury is profoundly revolting and electrifying. No silver linings on the horizon. Yet today's reporting is a necessary service.
Call it what it is.
Public money, laundered through a fake lawsuit, paid out to a private political coalition. The grift isn’t that Trump pocketed it. The grift is that he found a way to spend it on loyalty without going through Congress.
Johan
Yep Johan. Your description is the cold hard truth with not a touch of exaggeration or rhetorical embellishment.
He’s paying the insurrectionists so they’ll do his further bidding by going to polling places and intimidating voters he doesn’t want to vote.
CREW (Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington) has filed suit to prohibit this theft of taxpayer funds. I hope and pray they prevail.
Given the state of the supreme Court it's unlikely.😣
I expected incompetence and vengefulness from Trump 2.0 but didn't expect such repeated, blatant and prodigous corruption. Looking back on it I guess I was naive.
Apparently, the addendum Blanche added also stated that the $1.776B is not taxable income to Trump. Blanche, has no authority under the Internal Revenue Code to declare what is, or isn't, taxable income. Anyone who votes for any Republican, local or national, is complicit. Any taxpayer who votes for any Republican is complicit.
Who could make millions from Trump's $1.8 Billion slush fund from stealing your tax dollars? Check this map of Jan 6th Insurrectionists, pedophiles, Trump mega donors, Clarence Thomas and White Christian Nationalists.
https://thedemlabs.org/blog/?search=Jan%206
Are we sure Trump would even give it to anyone but himself? His family, companies, etc.?
He's enough of a wannabe mob boss to understand the concept of a payout, and more specifically a down payment for his next insurrection.
The "suing yourself" framing here is exactly right and it's the detail that makes everything else land. A sitting president who controls both the plaintiff and defendant isn't filing a lawsuit... he's writing a check to himself with extra steps. The legal architecture Liz Dye outlines here deserves far more mainstream coverage than it's getting.
The most underreported detail in this whole story is that the IRS's own lawyers wrote a 25-page memo urging the DOJ to fight the suit... and the DOJ ignored it. That's not how a settlement works... That's a blatant override. At what point does congressional oversight actually mean something here?
"The panel suggested that further inquiry was necessary to asses the independence of the lawyers running the DOJ’s case"
All this legal dithering is what Trump depends on. It's a straight-up smash-and-grab, and the judge could and should have put the kibosh on it immediately. Trump breaks clear cut, black-letter law. Because no one has ever had the shamelessness to do it before, let alone right out in the open, our elite legal experts all clutch their pearls and say "Can he really do that?!" Only if you let him, your Honor. And don't look now, but the horse has left the barn.
"We can have democracy in this country, or we can have great wealth concentrated in the hands of a few, but we can't have both."
- LOUIS D. BRANDEIS, Supreme Court Justice
Who had it on their Declaration of Independence anniversary card that the nation would be re-enacting what it feels like to be ruled? To live under King George?
Living under king George was probably less stressful. He didn't have access to nuclear weapons, for one...
Republicans are just fine, and support rewarding, MAGA supporters who assaulted police, leading to their lifelong harassment and deaths. They are just fine with MAGA supporters who urinated, pooped, vandalized and pillaged our US Capitol.
…and Republicans are supporting this as we remember this weekend actual patriots who gave us their time and even their lives to defend our freedom.
…and Republicans support this during our 250th year as a nation.😔
sharing VIDEO
🔊 'Cop beaters' slush fund'
https://substack.com/profile/323322782-ojai-ohana/note/c-262120545?r=5chxge&utm_source=notes-share-action&utm_medium=web
To this retired atty, this looting of the treasury is profoundly revolting and electrifying. No silver linings on the horizon. Yet today's reporting is a necessary service.
Messier.