Playing the delay game

by Dave

An innocent defendant pushes a prosecutor to have a speedy trial and get rid of the allegations of wrong doing. Trump is guilty of taking classified documents and hiding them in unsecure locations and then when it was requested they be returned, moving them around his residence/club at Mar-a-Lago in Florida. He does not want his day in court.

Donald Trump game plan is simple – delay the classified documents case until after the election, and then have the Justice Department dismiss the case. His accomplice in this delay game is a biased judge by the name of Aileen Cannon, who is not ruling on the pre-trial motions, but is scheduling hearings in June, and will drag out the start of the trial just as long as possible.

I have read through a dozen or so, opinions on Judge Cannon’s order of May 7, 2024. They all conclude that the judge is simply siding with Trump on every issue. Here’s part of the Washington Post opinion:

“Of the indictments Trump faces, the case in Florida was often regarded as the most clear-cut. And then it was assigned to Judge Aileen M. Cannon.”

Washington Post Link: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/05/08/judge-trump-classified-documents-trial-date/

What scares both Donald Trump and Judge Cannon is the speed at which the Hush Money case is proceeding. It means that in late May, or early June, the Hush Money case will conclude. Then, Trump has no real basis for delaying the start of Classified Documents case.

The sole excuse not to start the trial at the conclusion of the Hush Money case will be Judge Cannon’s acquiescence to schedule hearings in Trump’s many motions. In this way, she does not have to rule until after the hearing. So, Trump wins in the delay game.

CNN Link: https://www.cnn.com/2024/05/07/politics/judge-postpones-trump-classified-documents-trial/index.html

Legal experts are able to quickly identify frivolous motions to dismiss, which can be ruled on without a hearing. See CNN link below:

https://www.cnn.com/2024/05/07/politics/video/trump-classified-documents-trial-postponed-judge-scheindlin-sitroom-digvid

So, it will be a long and frustrating road for the Special Prosecutor. The January 6 case is on hold pending the Supreme Court judgement. So, none of the three other cases pending against Trump has a trial date set.

Equal justice for all? Not in Judge Cannon’s court room.

Stay tuned,

Dave

judge-aileen-cannon-may-7-orderDownload

Intelligence Surveillance and FISA 702

by Dave

The US Congress approved an extension of FISA 702 for a period of two years and it was signed into law on April 20, 2024. What is remarkable about this issue, is that both very notable Republicans and Democrats tried to defeat this bill, in both the House and Senate, and they failed. Trump wanted it either the bill voted down or made much less effective, by requiring warrants. FISA stands for Federal Intelligence Surveillance Act, which was first enacted in 1978 and has been amended multiple times.

I believe the Congress and President Biden made the right decision, but the two year extension is far too short, because the threats from outside the US are not going to be gone in two years. ‘ If Trump is elected, he will not allow the act to renew. See section on Politics at the end.

Details of Section 702 can be found in Department of National Intelligence brochure:

https://www.dni.gov/files/icotr/Section702-Basics-Infographic.pdf

(1) The Centralists verses Right and Left Ideologies.

There was both bipartisan support and against this bill in the House and Senate. Ultimately the bill passed after the extension was shortened to 2 years. This extension is based more on pragmatism than principle. Through provisions in the bill, the intelligence community can conduct electronic communication surveillance, while at the same time, there are some restrictions of what agents can do through the internal approval process.

Attorney General Merrick Garland praised the reauthorization and reiterated how “indispensable” the tool is to the Justice Department.

“This reauthorization of Section 702 gives the U.S. the authority to continue to collect foreign intelligence information about non-U.S. persons located outside the United States, while at the same time codifying important reforms the Justice Department has adopted to ensure the protection of Americans’ privacy and civil liberties,” Garland said in a statement Saturday.

NBC News, Senate passes bill renewing key FISA surveillance power moments after it expires

Intelligence agents have far more liberties to conduct surveillance if the targets are outside of the US. I give George Bush credit for recognizing that after the September 11, 2001 attack, we had to either get a lot smarter and coordinated in our fight against terrorists or live in fear of them. It is a difficult balancing act – giving the intelligence agencies the tools they need, and preserving individual’s civil liberties.

(2) We already have the data- now we can query it

FBI Release: https://www.fbi.gov/news/speeches/director-wrays-remarks-at-the-aba-standing-committee-on-law-and-national-security

See the above link. Per the DNI link:

“Querying information the intelligence community already possesses, which is less intrusive than other investigative techniques, can rule out potential subjects and eliminate the need for further investigation.”

So, the tactic is right for finding the proverbial “needle in the haystack.” Cast a large net, do it quickly and cull out only what appears to be worthy of more follow-up measures. Often times, it is not terrorist threats that are discovered, but money laundering and drug smuggling activities. Cyber crimes will likely be on the rise, and this can be particularly destructive if hackers gain access to vital information.

What the Justice Department is going after, is highly organized and well financed crime, supported by governments and organizations hostile to the US.

(3) Why a pressing need today?

I am very concerned about election interference from China and Russia in the 2024 election. Six swing states* will likely determine our next president. Control of the House and Senate may be determined in the next election. The ads on social media and television need massive funding. See swing state list in Note 1.

Drugs are coming into the US, not carried by illegal immigrants, but smuggled in through trucks, ships and planes. Sometimes it a case of following the money to catch the smugglers.

And terrorist attacks are real, from many parts of the world. ISIS claimed responsibility for the March 22 bombing in a concert hall in Moscow, which killed 130 concertgoers. See Note 2.

(4) Politics

The support and opposition to Section 702 surveillance were bipartisan, which was pretty unusual to see. MAGA Republicans with almost blind allegiance to Donald Trump and the big lie than the election was stolen, like Representatives Andy Biggs, voted against the bill or sought to amend it.

“Prior to passing the bill, the House voted 212-212 on bipartisan amendment proposed by a rare left-right coalition designed to rein in the government’s use of warrantless surveillance of U.S. persons. The tie vote meant the amendment failed. In addition to Biggs, it was championed by Progressive Caucus Chair Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash.; Rep. Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y.; Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif.; Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio; and Davidson.”

NBC News: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/house-votes-renew-fisa-spying-tool-earlier-republican-revolt-rcna147557

Rep. Matt Gaetz, conservative Republican from Florida, explained how passing a bad bill, could help Donald Trump, because if elected, he would have the opportunity to veto its renewal. “Now President Trump gets an at bat to fix the system that victimized him more than any other American.”

The term “times at bat” comes from baseball, which counts how many times a batter is up against a pitcher.

(5) Trump playing the victim card in the FISA debate

Trump likes to be in control of the narrative. Truth is unimportant, except as a lead in to his lies. Russia did attempt to interfere in the 2016 election, a fact Trump refuses to accept, because it would diminish his winning in a fair election. So, this is why he will never renew the Section 702. He and other politicians might need help from unsavory sources in the future. Democrats included, like Senator Bob Menendez included in these activities. Per the NY Times (see link below):

Mr. McMaster did not offer an explanation of why Mr. Trump appeared to be so deferential to Mr. Putin. But he did say that the president “conflates” three separate issues: whether Russia interfered in the election four years ago, whether that meddling was on Mr. Trump’s behalf, as the intelligence agencies concluded, and whether those efforts affected the outcome.

NY Times, McMaster, Mostly Silent Until Now, Says Trump Is ‘Aiding and Abetting Putin’s Efforts’

FISA surveillance using warrants did play a role in the Russian interference investigation. See note 3.

Summary:

I am glad the bill was passed into law. I wish the FBI and CIA success in finding the drug smugglers, money launderers, and those who collude with foreign agents to affect our elections. Cyber crime with organization expert in hacking can undermine everyone’s security. And perhaps they can early on, identify would be terrorists and begin monitoring them before they can create violence wherever they find an opportunity – like a concert hall.

Be pragmatic! Governments around the world recognize how interconnected our world has become. We should be aware that “what goes around, comes around.” It is a very short distance between a bomb going off in Moscow, or Paris or in any place in the US.

Stay tuned,

Dave

Notes:

(1) Swing states: AZ, GA, MI, NV, PA, WI. Some would include NC.

    (2) The Moscow Attack Showed Terrorism Is Asia’s Problem Now
    Increased geopolitical rivalry is allowing extremist groups to thrive—and threaten everyone.

    (3) FISA warrants did play a role in the Russian interference investigation. A FISA warrant was issued in 2016 on Carter Page, an advisor to the campaign in foreign affairs, to wiretap his calls. A lot of controversy surrounded how easy it was to renew a warrant after the initial 90 days ended. The DOJ determined that the last two renewals were invalid. Section 702 concerns surveillance without warrants, which is legal for communication with foreign nationals.

    Finally, the Hush Money case begins this Monday

    by Dave

    Opening arguments lay out the basics of the case for the jury from both the prosecution and defense side. Of course, from the defense side, Trump is innocent. The jury will hear two months of evidence and then decide.

    So, everyone has their job. The judge, prosecutors and defense lawyers know their job. But the jury doesn’t unless they have served on a jury before. It is basically weird. They are the deciders, but they can’t solve this problem like any others. They can’t go into Google. They can’t talk it over with the others in the jury. They can’t talk to their spouse or neighbors. Lots of can nots.

    And they are not going to know what laws Trump is accused of breaking until the very end. My experience on juries, is in general, that the people act very conscientiously, they respect each other, and obey the orders of the judge. Some are more engaged than others, but they all play by the rules.

    So, the system is working. Hardly headline news, but it should be. The delay tactics of Trump failed. Every defendant has a right to a speedy trial so they can clear their names. In this case, Trump wants just the opposite, namely indefinite postponements. If he can slow down this trial, the ones that follow, particularly the Classified Documents case, will also get pushed back.

    Judge Cannon, in the Classified Documents case, has now ruled against Trump on a motion to dismiss. Apparently, there are many more motions pending, and she’ll have to rule on these soon. If she can do this expeditiously, then just perhaps in July, the documents case can begin. Trump’s team is trying to use the Hush Money case, and the need for his lawyers in NY, to further push back the Document case. No start date has been scheduled.

    The Jan 6 case is awaiting a decision on the immunity claim by Trump. Oral arguments will be held in the Supreme Court. This will be interesting, because the appellate court ruled against him, and legal experts do not expect this will go well for Trump on Thursday.

    Court reporters are will get no break, as they go from Manhattan, NY to Ft. Pierce, FL (Documents Case), Atlanta, GA (Election Conspiracy Case) and Washington, DC (Jan 6 election interference case).

    Stay tuned,

    Dave

    The “Get Out of Jail Free” Card

    by Dave

    Trump would like to have this card, but he needs the acceptance of the Supreme Court. We will know around the end of June or perhaps sooner, if they accept or deny his appeal for absolute immunity for actions taken as President.

    The Special Counsel, Jack Smith, has submitted his brief of why Trump’s appeal should be denied. He states that there is no basis for immunity based on the history, text, and structure of the Constitution. Certainly, his supporters would like to see the Supreme Court affirm his appeal, so criminal cases involving January 6 (Georgia case and Federal January 6 case) could just disappear.

    Most legal experts believe that the appeal will be denied. If Trump’s appeal is denied, the Jan 6 trial could begin in July.

    Yet, this immunity case is for a former President. If Trump succeeds in being re-elected, he can claim immunity that he once enjoyed as a sitting President. At the same time, he will install loyalists in the Department of Justice, who will not only dismiss the charges against him, but use the DOJ to launch partisan attacks on Democrats including Hunter Biden.

    This is the retribution plan, and it should never be allowed. It is a basic misunderstanding of government, that when a president yells “jump”, the only response is “How high?”. Yes, CEO’s can demand loyalty from their employees, but government, especially the DOJ must operate independently when investigating criminal matters involving other prior politicians.

    So, I believe both the Supreme Court and the electorate must do their jobs to ensure accountability. You can not elect someone with 91 pending criminal charges as head of the executive branch with the obligation to faithfully enforce the laws of our country. One can not pick and choose which laws to obey.

    With absolute immunity, while every law applies to the rest of us, Trump can do what he wants. Seems pretty much like a monarch. Except of course he is no longer president, and the electorate should not return him to power. His next term will be far worse.

    Stay tuned,

    Dave

    Globalism and Radical Republicans

    by Dave

    Global problems need global solutions. NATO is a real solution to Russian expansion under Putin. Ukraine must not be the next victim to Russia’s invasion. Climate change is real. The hard evidence is many more extreme weather events. We’ve seen the melting of the polar caps and the rise in sea levels. Nuclear disarmament is critical to world peace. Again, global solutions can work. Unilateral actions or no actions will fail.

    Global solutions are very difficult to accomplish. No one country will be given credit, if Putin gives up in Ukraine. It is not the Republican party in general that wants to cut aid to Ukraine, but a small group of radical Republicans, who put political gain ahead of what’s best for the country and the world.

    With this small group of Republicans, there is no room for compromise. The opinion below, singles out Marjorie Taylor Greene, as the leader in the anti-Ukraine aid campaign. But, the driving force is a disengagement into world affairs, at a time where alliances are critical.

    The best way to defeat Rep. Greene and others is at the polls in November.

    See CNN link: Opinion: If Marjorie Taylor Greene wins on Ukraine aid, we’re headed for dangerous territory

    Stay tuned,

    Dave

    Hush Money Trial to begin, other court case issues to be resolved slowly

    by Dave

    On April 15, the Hush Money case begins. Finally Trump’s delay schemes got him only an extra 20 days. I’m glad. Could end in mid June. The judge will not put up with other ways to delay this case. My prediction – Trump will be sentenced to jail time, but this will be stayed pending his appeal. The other cases have definitely gotten bogged down.

    The Supreme Court knows they control the timing of the federal January 6 trial with the presidential immunity case and they don’t seem anxious to fast track this case. The court traditionally releases the most controversial decision at the end of the term, so it could be decided from June to early July. Almost every legal expert expects Trump to lose on this one.

    Trump lawyers are filing dozens of pre-trial motions in the Classified Documents case. The Special Counsel suggested a July start date, while Trump’s team hopes to push this off to next year, obviously in hopes that Trump would win the Presidency. The Special Counsel is especially concerned that Judge Cannon will allow the list of witnesses to be made public before trial. Also they object to needless hearings related to dismissal of the case.

    They [Trump’s lawyers] want the judge to hold a hearing to force the government to produce evidence of what they say is a “selective and vindictive” prosecution. Prosecutors say no such evidence exists and that it would be unprecedented to grant a hearing in the matter.

    See link: Trump’s trial over classified documents in Florida could start as soon as this summer

    Many legal experts, are critical of Judge Cannon’s decisions, saying they are not legally sound and result in complicating and delaying the trial. See link below:

    Salon: “Very, very troubling”: Ex-judges worry Judge Cannon’s pro-Trump rulings “clearly suggest bias”

    The Special Counsel can appeal a wrong decision, but this can take months.

    There are both legal and practical aspects in some court decisions. I can understand the practical aspects a lot easier. I stated from a practical perspective, the voters decide elections, not the courts. So, I was glad the Supreme Court decided in Trump’s favor on the disqualification case.

    The second one happened yesterday, with the bond in the civil business fraud case being lowered to 175 million from 464 million dollars, and giving Trump an extra 10 days to secure the bond. The appellate court did not explain their reasoning, but since the entire case is under review by the appellate court, it seemed unnecessary to force liquidation of Trump’s assets at this point. I was glad because Trump could not whine about how they [the DA’s office] were stealing his hotels.

    So, New York Appellate Court was nice to Trump on the bond issue. Didn’t help, as he made some comments about how terrible NY was treating him, as follows:

    Fact check: Trump tells ‘mind-bogglingly nonsensical’ story about the New York Stock Exchange

    Now, once the Appellate Court rules, then it is a new ball game. Trump must pay up or his assets can be liquidated. And if it comes to this, it is going to be slow and messy.

    The Georgia case is also going slow, as Judge McAfee tossed out 6 charges, as not being fully explained in legal terms. DA Willis can file briefs to get the charges restored. No trial date has been scheduled.

    Stay tuned,

    Dave

    Biden is the right choice for democracy

    by Dave

    This election is extremely important. All candidates talk big about democracy and the rule of law. But, Trump proved to the American people he only believes in democracy when he wins an election. The “Stop the Steal” effort by Trump and his supporters, post 2020 election, is a sad chapter in our history. Donald Trump encouraged the mob that ransacked our capitol, because he thought he was more important than the country.

    “Anyone who puts himself over the Constitution should never be president of the United States … President Trump demanded that I choose between him and the Constitution.” Mike Pence, Former Vice President of the United States.

    “He will always put his own interests and gratifying his own ego, ahead of everything else, including the country’s interest.” Bill Barr, former Attorney General under Trump.

    Trump urged his supporters to leave the Capitol only after hours of rioting, dozens of security police had been injured and five people had died. It could have been far worse. There was a huge arsenal of weapons, stored in a hotel room in Virginia, by the Oath Keepers. Their leader made the decision not to bring these weapons to the Capitol as it could tip off the police on his plans. We were perilously close to a massacre of elected officials in our Capitol. Number 1 target would have been Mike Pence, because he was in charge of counting the votes, as he was obligated to do as Vice President and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi.

    The core group of attackers planned, by any means possible, to overcome the security forces and break the windows and doors of the Capitol building. By their testimony and Trump’s promise that he would join them on the morning before the attack, they felt like they were part of Trump’s army, to restore their leader to power. I’ve seen this before in other countries, where leaders or candidates for office blatantly disregard the rule of law, but never in my country.

    Link: Capitol Rioters Were Armed to the Teeth and Ready for War

    Trump would not condemn the attackers. He called those who participated in January 6 as patriots. To me, the real patriots were the Capitol police and many were injured as they tried to protect the elected officials.

    In fact, Trump has stated he would pardon many of the rioters if re-elected.

    Link: Trump vows to ‘free’ Jan. 6 defendants as one of his first acts if elect (Story updated March 12, 2024)

    It is consistent with his claim that the US Department of Justice, under Biden, is corrupt. Of course, in the chaos of the riot, the investigation by the FBI of the many individuals responsible took time. Credit should be given to the many individual agents who poured over videos both outside and inside the Capitol.

    A lot of credit goes to FBI Director, Chris Wray, a Trump appointee. In so many areas, ranging from cybercrimes to combating the influx of drugs, Director Wray has done an excellent job.

    If elected, I think Trump will likely fire FBI Director Wray, because the FBI conducted a court approved search of Mar-a-Lago. He’ll find some pre-text to fire Wray. But the search was very personal.

    Link: The GOP’s war on the FBI is paying off for Trump

    Take Trump seriously. He is looking for revenge.

    “The depths of his dishonesty is just astonishing to me… He is the most flawed person I have ever met in my life.” John Kelly, Secretary of Homeland Security and White House Chief of Staff

    Biden will keep our country strong, by his leadership. Remember, Christopher Wray was Trump’s choice to lead the FBI for the next 10 years. And Biden kept him on. Democracy is built around a peaceful transfer of power through elections. The people at the ballot box decide, not a mob attacking the Capitol.

    Stay tuned,

    Dave

    Hush Money Trial: A case destined for a guilty verdict

    by Dave

    It will begin on March 25, 2024. The legal name is The People of the State of New York v. Donald J. Trump. The indictment from the Grand Jury lists 34 counts of falsifying business records by Trump. Trump will be found guilty, probably in early May. The exact charges might not be known until the end of the trial and this is the difference between paying a fine or serving time. No matter what, it will be appealed.

    Trump will have his defenders. It is more of a campaign to minimize the damage and deflect this away from Trump.

    First, commentators on Fox News and conservative media sites will explain how during a campaign, funds can get misappropriated, and generally this is handled by a fine. Also, the amount of money, $130,000 to Stormy Daniels, is next to nothing during a campaign doling out millions of dollars every day. Strategy #1 is this is selective prosecution for a minor campaign funds misappropriation and grossly overcharging Trump.

    PR strategy #2 will be the conspiracy angle, for those particularly gullible. Deflect, deflect and lie. Biden, DOJ and yes, George Soros, are involved in a scheme to stop Trump from winning the election. These accusations are nearly two years old, and have been debunked by just about every fact checking site. I won’t go into details, because it is nonsense. Like all conspiracy stuff, they take the 1% that is true, and build on. The old game of connecting the dots that don’t exist. Those who want to find out what’s not true, what “they” say on Facebook, Youtube, etc, you can search Soros, Mathew Colangelo, DOJ and Hush Money case and get a ton of baseless conspiracy stuff.

    I note that George Soros is 93 years old philanthropist, who donates money for worthwhile causes. He has never donated a cent to Alvin Bragg, but charitable organizations which he helps have. Who will conspiracy theorists blame for the world’s problems, if he passes. Seriously!

    On the legal front, Trump’s team will vigorously argue that this should be a misdemeanor charge, not a felony. Legal experts acknowledge they may prevail on this argument, so Trump just pays a fine. But, if not, then they will appeal. That’s when this case becomes really interesting.

    There is also the gag order issue, which should be resolved by the judge very soon. Other minor legal issues involve questions that can be asked of jurors to identify bias towards Trump. This will all be resolved by the judge.

    — Is it a felony or misdemeanor?

    Every time a payment was made, it was recorded as a legal expense to the campaign. The indictment alleges Donald Trump was aware of these false entries, so he is charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records. But if it is a misdemeanor, there will be just fines; no jail time. See explanation from AP News (link provided at bottom):

    “Falsifying business records can be charged as a misdemeanor, a lower-level crime that would not normally result in prison time. It rises to a felony — which carries up to four years behind bars — if there was an intent to commit or conceal a second crime. Bragg said his office routinely brings felony false business records cases.

    In Trump’s case, Bragg said the phony business records were designed to cover up alleged state and federal election law violations. The $130,000 payment to Daniels exceeded the federal cap on campaign contributions, Bragg said. He also cited a New York election law that makes it a crime to promote a candidate by unlawful means.

    “That is what this defendant did when he falsified business records in order to conceal unlawful efforts to promote his candidacy, and that is why we are here,” one of the case prosecutors, Chris Conroy, told the judge Tuesday.”

    Wikipedia has similar comments:

    “The indictment raises novel and complex legal issues. Legal experts contacted by the New York Times said that the indictment combines business records charges with state election law in a way that had never previously been done in a case involving a federal campaign.”

    The decision of whether to charge Trump with committing misdemeanors or felonies will be up to the judge. Legal experts have stated that this may be done at the end of the trial. If Trump is found guilty of felonies, he will appeal.

    Links:

    AP Analysis: Trump hush money case raises thorny legal issues

    Wikipedia: Prosecution of Trump in New York

    Wikipedia usually updates their articles as the trial progresses.

    — Bottom Line

    DA Alvin Bragg is doing his job of enforcing the laws of New York. No one is above the law. Not Trump nor Bob Menendez, a Democrat. In these cases, those accused have plenty of resources, to hire the finest defense lawyers. They have the right to appeal.

    And it is entirely possible, after all the evidence is heard, the charge is reduced to a misdemeanor if DA Bragg fails to make the case of a felony. So, I can see only two outcomes, guilty of 34 misdemeanors and Trump pays a fine, and guilty of 34 felonies, and Trump appeals his sentence. I don’t see any chance of not guilty.

    Stay tuned,

    Dave

    Trump Legal Issues Update including Calendar Wars

    by Dave

    The big question is what comes after the Hush Money case. I call this “calendar wars.” I really tried to adhere to the axiom, “Everything should be made as simple as possible but not simpler” often attributed to Einstein.

    — Calendar Wars

    The Hush Money trial starts March 25 and may go through mid-May, which would allow another criminal trial to begin. It is unclear which one – Documents or Jan 6 case. Trump’s team would like both delayed to post-November, but they could opt to accept a pre-election start date for the Documents case so they can push the more damaging Jan 6 case to after the election. For political purposes, always the less embarrassing case goes first. The Jan 6 case could be put on hold by the Supreme Court.

    It is also been suggested by commentators that Judge Cannon might be more lenient to Trump’s delaying tactics with frivolous motions than Judge Chutkan. It looks hopeless that the Georgia trial case will start prior to 2025. But, we shall see.

    Hush Money Case: There will be a lot of commentary connected with this trial. Republicans will certainly down play this case, claiming it should be a misdemeanor charge, rather than a felony.

    Prosecutors have asked Judge Juan Merchan to order a partial gag order barring Trump from making or directing others to make public statements about potential witnesses, prospective jurors and members of the prosecution team and their families other than District Attorney Alvin Bragg. Trump can blast away at DA Bragg all he wants and has already made a lot of false statements. See link below:

    CNN Fact check: Trump makes false and evidence-free claims at Manhattan courthouse

    DA Alvin Bragg has described the case in terms of 2016 election interference, which I believe is correct. The secret payments to Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal were done, so his election prospects wouldn’t be hurt by knowledge of these affairs. His reported sexual encounter with Stormy Daniels (Stefanie Clifford) was just one time. He suggested to her, that she could be on his show, “Celebrity Apprentice” but this never happened. She claims he tried to keep the affair alive but she rejected this. The affair with Karen McDougal lasted 9 months.

    There has been a lot of contentious issues of who should be allowed to testify and what evidence is material to this case. Donald Trump will absolutely appeal any conviction and these pre-trial motions will be a part of his appeal. See link:

    Link: Trump seeks to block Stormy Daniels, Michael Cohen from testifying at NY hush money trial

    Jan 6 Case: Trump’s ex-presidential immunity case is now pending in the Supreme Court. What his lawyers want, is to put a hold on the start of the January 6 election obstruction trial. The Special Counsel urges the Supreme Court to either allow the Appellate court ruling to stand, and begin trial as soon as possible or to hear the case on a highly expediated schedule.

    Most experts predict that Trump is destined to lose the case, so the issue is whether he can delay it to after the election. So far, no decision. Conservatives on the bench can hand Trump a victory, simply by taking up the case, and then pushing it to the next term to be decided. The three liberals probably have heard enough on this subject, and would be ready to rule against Trump immediately.

    Documents case: Pre-trial motions keep going back and forth. Judge Cannon ordered documents unsealed so Trump’s team could know potential witnesses that could be called by the prosecution. Smith request a reconsideration of the order, and he may file an appeal if Cannon doesn’t reverse herself. Legal experts have generally sided with the prosecution, as it gives Trump’s team time to find ways of intimidating witnesses. Trump is well known for his attacks on just about everyone involved in a case against him.

    Trump also filed a lengthy “motion to dismiss” brief, and Cannon wants separate briefs for each issue. The Rolling Stone’s lyric, “Makes a grown man cry” is probably resonating in the Smith’s office as Judge Cannon seems reluctant to rule against Trump. Presidential immunity is part of the motion to dismiss, and I’m thinking it is the quickest way to put the whole trial on hold. As discussed in “Calendar Wars” a lengthy hold on the Documents case could disadvantage Trump, as the more damaging January 6 case becomes the likely successor to the Hush Money case.

    Judge Cannon has scheduled a hearing on March 1 to review delays in the trial date. The Special Counsel would like the trial to begin on May 20, 2024, but legal experts suggest this date is unrealistic.

    Link: The Trump Docket: Jack Smith and Mar-a-Lago judge set for major showdown over protecting witnesses in documents case

    Georgia Election Interference Case: We will know soon if DA Fani Willis affair with Nathan Wade will end in her disqualification. The entire conspiracy case disappears at this point! Just as I was ready to post this, Judge McAfee ordered Terrence Bradley, who was Nathan Wade’s partner and divorce lawyer, to answer additional questions, ruling that attorney-client privileges do not extend as far as he allowed before in the hearing.

    Michael Roman and several other co-defendants in Trump’s election case are seeking Willis’ disqualification from the case on the grounds that she benefited financially from a “personal, romantic relationship” with Wade, who she hired for the case.

    Judge has scheduled a hearing on March 1 on the Willis/Wade romance. I am hoping this does not derail the case.

    No date has been set for conspiracy trial. It will be televised and a bit of a circus with all the lawyers defending 15 defendants. For this reason, I believe the Jan 6 federal case is, with the sole focus on obstruction of justice and interference in election proceedings by Trump, is still the most damaging. If Trump gets re-elected, the January 6 case will be sure be dismissed but the Georgia case will continue.

    This sums up the four criminal cases. In related cases, Trump needs to come up with bond for the civil cases, which have been appealed. This is a very fluid story of what is possible. There’s the Colorado Disqualification case in the Supreme Court, which may rule in Trump’s favor. I would like this, as voters not judges, need to decide elections.

    Stay tuned,

    Dave

    What Rigged Elections look like

    by Dave

    Pictured above is an extremely brave woman. The photo is from the Associated Press. It may have been a photo from 2020, when massive protests broke out after the last rigged election. The flag with one red stripe, was used by Belarus before the only free and fair election in 1994.

    Belarus declared independence from the Soviet Union in July 1990. Elections in 2001, 2006, 2010, 2015 and 2020 to reelect Alexander Lukashenko were completely fraudulent. This year will be on February 25, 2024 will be no different.

    Per AP reporting: “President Alexander Lukashenko, who has ruled Belarus for nearly 30 years, charged that the West will try to use ‘new triggers to destabilize the society’ after the Feb. 25 vote.” So, the autocratic leader of Belarus has to point to the West for all the discontent.

    As Lukashenko has brutally suppressed human rights, including taking thousands of political prisoners, western countries imposed economic sanctions. His centralized economy has been a disaster.

    Political parties must be registered in Belarus. They must support Alexander Lukashenko. I particularly like the name of one political party, The Republican Party of Labor and Justice, which will continue the support the injustices under Lukashenko.

    Alexander Lukashenko has systematically destroyed democracy and human rights in Belarus. He has remained in power with the support of Russia. They may have declared independence from Russia nearly 30 years ago, but they grow more dependent on favorable treatment from Putin’s Russia every year. (see links on economic links to Russia)

    So Lukashenko will win the election, not because he is popular with the electorate but he has outlawed the opposition parties and suppressed free expression. If mass demonstrations occur following the 2024 elections, it will be bloody.

    I applaud the very brave and patriotic lady lifting the flag in defiance of Alexander Lukashenko.

    Stay tuned,

    Dave

    Links:

    AP: As Belarus votes in tightly controlled elections, its leader accuses the West of fueling unrest

    Wikipedia: Belarus

    Center for Eastern Studies: A crisis rather than a disaster. The Belarusian economy a year into Russia’s war against Ukraine

    Wikipedia: Human Rights in Belarus

    US State Department Travel Advisory

    (Level 4: Do not travel, US Citizens advised to leave as of 2022).

    The Biden-Ukraine Conspiracy Theory

    by Dave

    Today’s CNN Headline: Indicted ex-FBI informant told investigators he got Hunter Biden dirt from Russian intelligence officials

    See link: Indicted ex-FBI informant told investigators he got Hunter Biden dirt from Russian intelligence officials

    Wow, that’s a lot to unpack. This happened yesterday in a courthouse in Las Vegas, where Alexander Smirnov, the indicted informant was being held. The Special Counsel’s office wanted Alexander Smirnov held without bail. The Judge rejected this and released Smirnov with an ankle bracelet and restricted travel.

    The Biden-Ukraine conspiracy was being kept alive in four places, Donald Trump’s campaign rallies, House of Representatives, Fox News and social media websites. It was just good fodder for Republicans who bought into the “Biden crime family” nonsense.

    From Wikipedia’s website: Since early 2015 Hunter and his father Joe Biden have been the subjects of false and baseless claims of corrupt activities in a Biden–Ukraine conspiracy theory pushed by then-U.S. President Donald Trump and his allies.”

    It was pushed by many Republicans, particularly chairmen of three House Committees. Representative James Comer, head of the House Oversight Committee really went on the attack:

    “Unless U.S. Attorney Weiss investigates everyone involved in the Bidens’ fraud schemes and influence peddling, it will be clear President Biden’s DOJ is protecting Hunter Biden and the big guy,” Comer wrote, referencing the president as “the big guy.”

    This conspiracy theory was permanently put to rest, with the arrest of Alexander Smirnov on February 14, 2024. He was an incredible con artist and was able to convince the FBI that he had some information of corruption worth listening to in the FBI offices of Pittsburgh. James Comer probably regrets he told the Special Counsel to dig deeper into the FBI investigation because the actions of Smirnov went from useless leads to criminal activity of lying and falsifying reports.

    At the bail hearing, it was revealed that Smirnov had a US and an Israel passport, over 6 million dollars in liquid assets, and admitted to being in contact with Russian military intelligence officers, late last year.

    As I will explain, the conspiracy promoted by Republicans died, but it spawned a whole new series of allegations of Russia’s attempt to hurt Biden’s campaign. Of course, this all is based on the statements of a lying FBI informant, which I am certain is being checked out by the FBI right now.

    The false narrative: Hunter Biden secured a very high paying job working for Burisma energy company in Ukraine beginning 2014 at the same time that Biden was Vice President. The actual value of the contract varied, but it has been reported that some months, he made $50,000. It was alleged that VP Biden received a 5 million dollar bribe from Burisma, and in return was able to pressure the Ukrainian government to fire their general prosecutor, Vitor Shokin in March 2016, to stop an investigation of corruption within Burisma. It was also alleged that Hunter Biden also received a 5 million dollar bribe for his help.

    ******

    Now the truth. There were no bribes. Not one penny ever exchanged hands between the president of Burisma, Mykola Zlochevsky, to either Hunter or Joe Biden for “favors.” This false narrative was at the foundation of Biden impeachment inquiry as launched in the House Oversight Committee, chaired by Representative James Comer. The House Judiciary Committee and the House Ways and Means committee were to be part of this inquiry.

    It was an inquiry based on nothing. It was pure circus, put on for purposes of helping Republicans in the election. “It’s very clear that they’ve all been dupes to a Russian disinformation propaganda effort” says Rep. Jamie Raskin on Republicans falling for the claims made by the now-indicted “informant” with ties to foreign intelligence agencies.

    Burisma paid Hunter Biden very well to be on the Board of Directors of Burisma from 2014 to 2019. Also, VP Biden stated that as a condition of loan guarantees to Ukraine, the Ukrainian government had to take steps to reduce corruption by replacing their general prosecutor, Vitor Shokin. Both the US and EU wanted Shokin fired as he was an ineffective in fighting corruption. Vitor Shokin was fired in March 2015.

    ****

    The Oversight Committee which overlooks the truth and looks for scandal for political purposes

    Devon Archer had worked with Hunter Biden in Ukraine, so he was subpoenaed by the Oversight committee. He denied there was any bribes, but Representative Comer took statements out of context, to imply that there was a working relations between Hunter and Joe Biden, when Biden was Vice President. On occasion, Hunter Biden had his father say hello and exchange pleasantries with contacts. Hunter Biden was to appear in a closed door committee hearing. He wanted to appear in an open session so his testimony would not be cherry picked, as was the case with Devon Archer.

    Representative Chuck Grassley released a unverified FBI form, called a FD 1023, which contained Alexander Smirnov’s fabricated story of bribery between Hunter Biden and Ukraine officials on July 20, 2023. Smirnov detailed a meeting he attended in Vienna with Burisma’s president, Mykola Zlochevsky, in which Zlochevsky stated he paid 5 million dollars to Hunter Biden and other 5 million dollars to “the big guy.” The FBI released the form to Grassley after he threaten to hold the FBI in contempt of Congress.

    Grassley releases internal FBI document about unverified Biden bribery allegations

    More documentation on events that just not happen. The FBI did everything possible to stop the release of this misinformation by Congress and interfering with a legitimate investigation. Prior to the release of the FD 1023, an arrested associates of Rudy Giuliani, Lev Parnas, testified that there was no bribe, and Giuliani became very upset on hearing this news and told Parnas not to tell anyone.

    Every bit of information supporting bribery just seemed to be falling apart, but Republicans didn’t care. The conspiracy was already told many times on Fox News, particularly that Biden was taking bribes from an Ukrainian business as Vice President. The bribery scheme was promoted more than 80 times by Sean Hannity on Fox News. As we just learned, it may just be he was promoting Russian propaganda. Still too early in the new investigation. See links below.

    A final twist is Hunter Biden, through his lawyers, is stating that a factor why his plea deal fell apart, what because of the false reports from the FBI informant. Seems like a long shot and he may lose on this issue. The judge ultimately rejected the deal, and had no information about false reports from the FBI.

    This is a very fast evolving story, so I can only report today’s news.

    What’s next

    On February 14, 2024, FBI informant Alexander Smirnov was indicted for lying to the FBI and creating false reports on multiple occasions. At his bond hearing, it was stated by prosecutors that he was a flight risk and had 6 million dollars in liquid assets. He was released with an ankle bracelet and restricted in his movements. I am certain at this point, he is being carefully monitored and protected so he is available for trial. (This isn’t Russia).

    The FBI and Justice Department are doing their job. Hunter Biden will go on trial for falsifying a gun purchase form and tax related charges. There will likely be more information on Alexander Smirnov. The indictment states he was never in direct contact with Mykola Zlochevsky and all contacts were well after the period when Joe Biden was not Vice President.

    The Impeachment inquiry of Joe Biden by the House Committee on Oversight should “pack up their tents and go home” as Jamie Raskin suggests, because the circus is over. I agree. The House Republicans control the committees, and will not have open hearings that show they were duped and likely promoted Russian propaganda to help Donald Trump.

    Republicans likely will try to salvage the inquiry, from what is left. The only way the full story will be revealed, is after the election, if Democrats can take back the House. Sean Hannity and Donald Trump will not apologize for spreading fake news. Only in my dreams.

    I suspect there may be more charges against Alexander Smirnov and others as the FBI follows the money trail. The Special Counsel David Weiss investigation just widened into the framing of Hunter and Joe Biden, based on fraudulent reports and possibly involving Russian agents (GRU ?).

    That’s something that James Comer really didn’t see coming when he implored Weiss to broaden his investigation.

    Stay tuned,

    Dave

    Links:

    Facts first, Ouster of Vitor Shokin

    CNN Link: House Republicans seek to downplay FBI informant charges that undermine Biden impeachment inquiry

    I don’t have an exact date on this summary. The Republicans control the House Oversight and Accountability Committee, so this was prepared by Democrats sometime after July 2023.

    fact-sheet-re-firing-of-viktor-shokinDownload

    Democracies at risk

    by Dave

    Ukraine is fighting a war that experts thought they could never win. The Russian military is so much more superior. The reason for the attack is easy: Vladimir Putin. And with the murder of Alexei Navalny, while he was prisoner in Russia, the whole world sees what a monster Putin is.

    I posted about how Chechnya had lost its independence to Russia through a corrupt and repressive leader, Ramzan Kadyrov and is today subservient to Moscow.

    The US commitment to Ukraine should be rock solid. Unfortunately, the Republican party which used to be the most vocal against the expansion of totalitarian extremists, like Putin, are frustrating the military aid package. Our support for NATO should also be beyond question.

    Putin will not be satisfied with just Ukraine. I posted about the inroads to Moldova and Transnistria, by Russia. And, there will be more. Belarus is another example of a country under Russian control. They had no problem of allowing their country to be the staging ground for the initial attack on Ukraine.

    Putin is joined by other power hungry dictators around the globe. It may not be same form as the repressive communist regimes of Stalin and Khrushchev in Russia’s past, but they are equally repressive and can not tolerate any dissent. Chechnya President Kadyrov arrests not only dissenters but in 2022, he arrested approximately 50 family members as well. Kadyrov sent his military to fight with Russia. Why? Just to show his loyalty to Putin. Thousands of Chechen soldiers died in the initial attack of Kyiv. In return, Kadyrov became a rich man.

    It is pretty obvious why Finland desperately wanted to be part of NATO as it shares a 830 mile long border with Russia. They also closed their border to Russia because of the illegal border crossing. Finland accused Russia of purposely transporting migrants to the Finnish border (see links at end). There is nothing Russia would like better than Russian community within Finland, as a pretext to attack Finland. I am very glad to see Finland a part of NATO.

    The Esequibo dispute alarmed me. The build up along the border of Venezuela alarmed me, and I posted about the potential of an invasion of Guyana along their border. The Madura regime can’t stand to see the democratic state of Guyana prosper as their economy goes down the tubes.

    Any where around the world there is instability, you will find Russia or their foreign military intelligence agents (“the GRU”). This includes the US, with intelligence agents focused on cyberattacks. Fortunately, the Department of Justice cooperates with agencies around the world and was able in 2020 to arrest six GRU agents. (see link at end)

    So, every day, democracies around the world are under attack. Our democratic institutions are fine, but we can not live in isolation. If there is any take away from World War II, it is that global problems require global solutions. The death of the Putin’s critic Alexei Navalny who dared to expose him is tragic and demonstrates Putin’s brutality. The complete surrender of Chechnya to Russia is real. The Ukrainians are the real heroes. As a result of their resistance to the Russian invasion, approximately 125,000 Ukrainians have died.

    I admire the Majority Leader Senator Chuck Schumer standing up on the Senate floor, with a photo of Alexei Navalny, and pleading with the House Speaker Mike Johnson to pass the Ukraine military and humanitarian aid bill.

    Donald Trump has been attacking NATO. His latest remarks on Alexei Navalny are reprehensible and undercut his legacy. On the other hand, Donald Trump has invested millions to buy the best lawyers so he doesn’t have to answer the charges leveled against him. It didn’t work in the business fraud case, and his luck is running out. I share Nikki Haley’s disgust at what he said, comparing himself to Navalny.

    This is not a Republican verses Democrat issue. It is an American issue and what we support. It is the right of nations to be secure in their own borders. It is the right of millions to chose their government and enjoy basic human liberties such as freedom of speech, the right to assembly and to run for political office.

    Democracies are under attack, and we must be part of the defense, here and abroad. Support Ukraine!

    Stay tuned,

    Dave

    Links:

    Wikipedia, Alexei Navalny

    Department of Justice: Six Russian GRU Officers Charged in Connection with Worldwide Deployment of Destructive Malware and Other Disruptive Actions in Cyberspace

    ABC News: Trump uses brief comment on Navalny’s death to claim his own political persecution

    Opinion from “The Hill”, Press: Honor Navalny, pass the Ukraine aid bill

    Closure of Russia-Finland Border Heralds End of Pragmatic Cooperation

    I mention prior blogs on Moldova: https://newsandviews.net/2023/02/24/moldova-and-transnistria/

    and Chechnya: https://newsandviews.net/2022/04/11/ramzan-kadyrov-russias-well-paid-puppet-leader-in-chechnya/

    Use the search box to find more.

    Esequibo Dispute: A frightening situation between Guyana and Venezuela

    by Dave

    In May 2015, Exxon-Mobil discovered oil offshore Guyana with the drilling and testing of Liza-1 well. Guyana was a Dutch colony from 1667-1815, then a British colony until independence in 1966.  But, the Liza-1 well in the Stabroek block changed Guyana forever, with the prospect of billions pouring into Guyana. Exxon has a 45% interest in the block, Hess oil has a 30% interest and CNOOC has 25% interest. Guyana now has approximately 11 billion barrel equivalent of known oil resources. It is the fourth wealthiest country in the Americans on a per capita basis, with US, Canada and the Bahamas ranked as #1, 2 and 3.

    A 630 mile Esequibo river divides Guyana into east and west sections. There are different spellings for this river including Essequibo river. Venezuela claims all land on the west side of the river which would include 15.8% of the population and approximately two-thirds of Guyana. 

    The border disputes has been going on for decades. Venezuela appears to be preparing for an attack. Exxon has stated that all their wells are located very south of the disputed Eastern territorial waters claimed by Venezuela. See link below:

    Venezuela defends military buildup

    Per link above, “Guyana has taken the issue to the World Court in the Netherlands for a definitive ruling, while Venezuela has said it prefers direct bilateral talks as the way forward. On Friday, the Venezuelan defense ministry accused Guyana of threatening the St. Vincent agreement by irresponsible actions and media deception, maintaining that the ’Essequibo is ours.'”

    The hostile rhetoric from Venezuela’s Defense minister, Vladimir Padrino, is coupled with increased expansion of military bases along the Guyana-Venezuela border, in violation of agreements signed in December 2023.  See the very detailed recent reporting from the Center for Strategic International Studies, which includes satellite photos detailing the buildup of bases and equipment.

    CSIS Link

    At the same time, Exxon-Mobil are continuing field development projects, aimed at boosting oil production to 1.2 million barrels of oil per day by 2027 approximately double current production rates. These are deep water wells, which will produce to large FPSO’s or Floating Production Storage and Offloading vessels. By 2027, current development plans call for seven vessels. This means no tank farms located onshore, making any attack of oil facilities themselves much more difficult as it would be observable from the sky.

    My guess is Venezuela sees an initial ground assault, which puts them close to Georgetown, the capital.

    See link below:

    Exxon Mobil starts production through Payara FPSO offshore Guyana

    The potential of an invasion by Venezuela is high. The pretext will be the government of Guyana, is illegally contracting with Exxon-Mobil, a US company, to steal Venezuela’s oil. 

    Definitely scary stuff.  I’m worried Venezuela may find backers to fund its invasion, like Cuba or even worse, Russia.

    Stay tuned,

    Dave

    Ukraine aid and tougher border security

    by Dave

    “We still need to secure America’s borders before sending another dime overseas,” Republican Sen. Mike Lee of Utah wrote in a post on X.

    Linking a border security bill to Ukraine aid sounded like a good selling point.  Both were popular bills among both parties in Congress. The bill also contained billions of dollars in humanitarian aid to Ukraine and Israel. The Republicans insisted on one bill with both Ukraine aid and border security provisions. 

    A bipartisan committee set at work, to make this happen. It took four months of negotiations between Republicans and Democrats before the final bill was ready.

    All agreed that this bill would make security at the southern border much stronger. The military aid to Ukraine is absolutely essential to defending Ukraine from its invasion from Russia. The Russians are ready for a long war, and we must be part of the support for a free and independent Ukraine. As long as they are willing to fight, and lose their own citizens to defend Ukraine, we must support them.

    Senator Krysten Sinema, from Arizona, summed it so well:

    Finally, it seemed we had the opportunity to solve the nightmare my state has lived for over 40 years,” she said, scolding Republicans for using the border for “campaign photo ops” but rejecting the chance to enact law. “Turns out they want all talk and no action,” she said. “It turns out border security is not a risk to our national security. It’s just a talking point for the election.”

    In particular, it was Donald Trump. It was not going to look good if President Biden signed into law a bill that would toughen the border security, give aid to those suffering in Gaza and help Ukraine to defend its country.

    So, to keep the issue of border security alive during the next 12 months to help Trump win, Republicans are willing to let the crisis continue. The majority leader, Senator Chuck Schumer, argued that Republicans tanked the bill to meet Trump’s demands for “chaos” at the border before the election.

    Do not vote for Trump. Please. The Senators were elected to do what is best for the country. The Democrats voted for tougher border security, and it is the Republicans who are simply playing political games. I exclude from this group of Republicans, just 4 great Senators, James Lankford, OK, Susan Collins, MA, Lisa Markowski, AK, and Mitt Romney, UT. 

    Stay tuned,

    Dave

    Trump’s legal woes: The scheduling is clarified, sort of

    by Dave

    The art of a deal, is in true form. It is the art of delaying the start of four criminal trials until after the elections in November. If this were a game of bowling, four cases delayed to after the election would count as a strike.

    The Jan 6 federal case start date of March 4 has been postponed indefinitely. The immunity case is in the Appellate court and Fischer is in the Supreme Court. The Fischer case is not directly tied to Trump’s court case, but the application of the Sarbanes-Oxley law, is the basis of two of the four counts against Trump. I expect these impediments will be gone before the end of the Supreme Court term in July.  

    This clears the schedule for the Hush Money case to begin on March 20, 2024, so that pretty much fills up April. I don’t think Trump’s team can delay this one. So, one of the four pins are still standing.

    So, all eyes turn to the Classified Documents case, to be held in Ft. Pierce, FL as the logical successor, with a start date of May 20, 2024. The charges are 31 counts of willful retention of national defense information. 

    On February 2, 2024, the DOJ filed a 67-page brief stating that they had fully complied with discovery in the documents case. The first reporting of the DOJ filing is on Feb 2 at 10:30 pm by NBC news. The brief begins:

    “The defendants have received substantial, timely, and thorough discovery in this case. By early September 2023, the Government had provided the defendants with over 1.28 million pages of unclassified discovery and all of the CCTV footage obtained in the investigation; since then, the Government has supplemented its production as necessary. This production not only complies with the Government’s constitutional and rule-based discovery obligations; it goes far beyond. The Government recognizes its discovery obligations, has complied with them, and will continue to do so. The defendants have nevertheless filed a lengthy motion to compel in which they seek abstract rulings on the scope of the prosecution team and various directives that the Government provide them with a range of additional material.”

    Obvious, Trump’s team wants this case to start after the election. Can Trump’s team finagle delays in this case? Yes, if Judge Cannon makes a ruling in favor of Trump on discovery issues, then DOJ will appeal to the 11th Circuit. But it is abundantly clear from the brief, that Trump’s team has really opened the barn door on what could be relevant in this trial, including “selective prosecution.”  Discussion begins on page 37 of brief. 

    “Defendants might suggest to the jury that they should be acquitted based on a theory of selective prosecution, that would plainly be inappropriate.”

    Can Trump’s team finagle delays in this case? Yes, if Judge Cannon makes a ruling in favor of Trump on discovery issues, then DOJ appeals to the 11th Circuit. 

    See link: Prosecutors hit back at Trump’s accusations of political bias in classified documents case

    Judge Aileen Cannon has scheduled a hearing date of March 1, 2024 to review the start date of May 20, 2024. The Republican Party Convention would be July 15 -18, 2024. I am certain she doesn’t look forward in scheduling a trial as Trump is completing the primary campaign. 

    Selective prosecution is not a defense in the courtroom, but is one to add to House Republican’s attack on Biden with impeachment, Rep. Jim Jordan’s committee investigating the weaponization of government, and the radical MAGA Republicans. Any trial, in any courtroom from now until election day, will be blamed on President Biden.

    If Trump is elected, there will be no Special Counsel, and no prosecution of Trump for the January 6 attack or the Classified Document’s case. He can avoid the Georgia conspiracy trial, because he is the sitting president. So, now as an ex-president, he likely will lose the claim of immunity, but once president, he will not stand trial in Georgia. 

    I said the scheduling has been clarified, as it looks like the Hush Money goes first. What should follow is any one of the remaining 3 cases. 

    The Special Counsel’s brief asking Judge Cannon to reject the need for additional documents sought by Trump’s legal team is given below. I believe Trump lawyers may file a reply brief. I fear Trump’s lawyers are winning at the delay game.

    Stay tuned,

    Dave

    aa-trumps-document-case-discovery-filingDownload