DL Open Thread: Friday, May 5, 2023
If you read only one Open Thread today, make it this one! Because the tides are turning (in one case, literally), and it’s beginning to feel like Watergate Summer. As in drip, drip, drip. Starting with the rusty orange drip:
A New ‘Deep Throat’ Threatens Trump On Hiding Of Classified Documents:
Federal prosecutors investigating former President Donald J. Trump’s handling of classified documents have obtained the confidential cooperation of a person who has worked for him at Mar-a-Lago, part of an intensifying effort to determine whether Mr. Trump ordered boxes containing sensitive material moved out of a storage room there as the government sought to recover it last year, multiple people familiar with the inquiry said.
Through a wave of new subpoenas and grand jury testimony, the Justice Department is moving aggressively to develop a fuller picture of how the documents Mr. Trump took with him from the White House were stored, who had access to them, how the security camera system at Mar-a-Lago works and what Mr. Trump told aides and his lawyers about what material he had and where it was, the people said.
At the heart of the inquiry is whether Mr. Trump sought to hide some documents after the Justice Department issued a subpoena last May demanding their return.
The existence of an insider witness, whose identity has not been disclosed, could be a significant step in the investigation, which is being overseen by Jack Smith, the special counsel appointed by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. The witness is said to have provided investigators with a picture of the storage room where the material had been held.
There will inevitably be new revelations all the time, thanks, in part, to journalists doing what they do best.
Leonard Leo. Ginni Thomas. Kellyanne Conway. What could possibly go wrong? I can’t make this stuff up:
Leo, a key figure in a network of nonprofits that has worked to support the nominations of conservative judges, told Conwaythat he wanted her to “give” Ginni Thomas “another $25K,” the documents show. He emphasized that the paperwork should have “No mention of Ginni, of course.”
The arrangement reveals that Leo, a longtime Federalist Society leader and friend of the Thomases, has functioned not only as an ideological ally of Clarence Thomas’s but also has worked to provide financial remuneration to his family. And it shows Leo arranging for the money to be drawn from a nonprofit that soon would have an interest before the court.
So. The Federalist Society isn’t a group of learned jurists sitting around discussing the law, kinda like the Rabbis who are memorialized at Passover Seders. Who knew?
G-D Visits Plagues On Florida. Hurricanes, condos crumbling to the ground, and now this. Did I mention something about tides?:
From Montego to Miami, an influx of algae called sargassum is leaving stinky brown carpets over what was once prime tourist sand. It’s the most sargassum researchers have tracked this early in the year.
No word yet on when DeSantis will truck this stuff to Disney World.
MAGAts Convicted Of Sedition. They each face up to 50 years in prison. So much winning!
If You’re Not Tired Of Winning Yet…you might want to give just one more contribution to Helen Gym, who is running as a progressive for Mayor of Philadelphia. She has a legit shot at winning, and she has by far the best grassroots campaign organization. I ponied up a little more last night. You can too. Right here.
Headline Of The Day: “Massive Penis Is Mowed Into Lawn At King Charles Coronation Party Venue”.
This seems as good a place to stop as any.
What do you want to talk about?
Zoe Patchell mentioned the name of Cynthia Ferguson, who founded NORML in Delaware, during the Rev’s latest podcast.
I remember Cynthia for her community volunteer work in Browntown. She’s my kind of people. Glad to hear her get some well-deserved recognition.
El, this is truly a magnum opus on your part. That, and the strong case presented by E. Jean and her team, make me feel the most optimistic in a long time. Can’t wait to hear more from Deep Drip!!
Didja see his exchange with a reporter from one of his golf courses in, I think, Ireland? About how he was gonna have to cut his vacation short to head back to NYC to confront his accuser. Which he couldn’t do b/c the case has gone to closing arguments after the defense put on no case.
W-wait. The judge has called Trump’s bluff. Gives him until 5 pm Sunday to decide whether he will testify. This, after Trump’s attorney has insisted that Trump won’t testify.
Pleasepleaseplease…
Why do so many people bend over backward for that penny-ante school yard bully. Grrrrr
No, I think it’s great. He’ll either show up and get torched, or he won’t show up and won’t have the excuse that he wasn’t given a chance to testify.
If Ginni Thomas was paid that money ostensibly for consulting work, did she report the income on her taxes? Assuming the answer is No, let’s get her prosecuted for tax fraud….
Any DOJ investigation of the Thomases will politically require a special prosecutor.
I expect the Supremes or the Senate to put out some wishy-washy rules that don’t change anything, to head off more serious action. But any ethics code that allows Thomas to stay on the court is a failure.
But Ginni isn’t a Supreme. She has to have a special prosecutor?
Yeah, just like Whitewater.
Or if the investigation tries to limit itself to just Ginni, the minute Clarence’s involvement is uncovered (which will likely happen in the first week) political reality will cause the White House, DOJ, and Congressional Dems to insist on a special prosecutor.
I was hoping Ginni Gate and all the rest would spell serious reform for the court, as ever I suspect cowardice will carry the day and little of any worth will get done. But I think we’ll see more games played by the court revealed, and not just the Thomas’s. And I agree with Puck, wishy washy will rule the day.
The sooner one of Trump’s many cases makes it to the supreme court, the sooner the Justices can declare Trump king for life and the sooner we can all start turning our “off the grid living” daydreams into reality.
And the great thing about these scandals is that I honestly don’t care if they’re revealed about “liberal” justices either. I doubt there will be, but if so, that’s fine! All the more reason to reform the entire Supreme Court.
Real ethics guidelines. Congressional oversight. Term limits. It’s all so obvious.
Related:
https://www.theonion.com/amy-coney-barrett-pissed-she-s-been-doing-whatever-cons-1850409448?utm_campaign=TheOnion&utm_content=1683310409&utm_medium=SocialMarketing&utm_source=twitter
The Onion: “Amy Coney Barrett Pissed She’s Been Doing Whatever Conservative Donors Want For 30 Bucks”
WASHINGTON—Expressing annoyance for failing to ask earlier what her colleagues were receiving from benefactors, Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett was reportedly pissed Friday that she’s been doing whatever conservative donors want for just 30 bucks. “I can’t believe no one told me that I could have gotten a lot more for my court votes than a couple of Panera vouchers and a gift card to Target,” said Coney Barrett, who was furious that neither Gorsuch or Thomas let her know that she could have asked for a million-dollar offer on her property or taken a luxury trip to the South Pacific instead of accepting a bag of nickels and a scented candle to overturn Dobbs. “I would have much rather had donors paying for my kids’ tuition in exchange for ruling in their favor instead of the stupid ass thank-you card. Next time Larry Ellison tries to give me an I.O.U. for $20 because he’s short on cash, I’m gonna insist on equal bribery.” At press time, Coney Barrett was satisfied after successfully demanding a slightly nicer bottle of wine from a GOP donor to gut immigration rights.
The Onion nails it, as usual.
Andrew C: LOLOL. I have loathed her ever since she exposed her 7 kids and everybody else to Covid
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/fauci-calls-amy-coney-barrett-ceremony-rose-garden-superspreader-event-n1242781
Geez I almost forgot about that. All around clown shit.