Oh, Come On, We Suspected It All Along.
The New York Times is reporting that Trump’s former lawyer John Dowd contacted the lawyers for Mike Flynn and Paul Manafort “floated the possibility” that Trump may pardon both of them.
Dowd resigned last week, but apparently not before he let it be known among writ twits that if Dowd and Flynn didn’t flip on Trump, there would be a pardon in the offering. Dowd denies it. Of damn course.
I’m not a lawyer. I am, however, married to one. I also gave birth to one, who also married one, whose mother and father are both lawyers. They all kept telling me that this kind of crapola was happening because anybody who would lawyer for Trump has to be unencumbered by ethics.
Legal experts are divided about whether a pardon offer, even if given in exchange for continued loyalty, can be considered obstruction of justice. Presidents have constitutional authority to pardon people who face or were convicted of federal charges.
This is how screwy DeeCee lawyers are. Regular people cannot offer anything to a potential witness. However, apparently there are those who think a Washington DeeCee lawyer can. I wonder why the hell that is? Because they are full of crap, that’s why.
As it was pointed out recently…their incessant “deep state” sneers is correctly translated as their contempt for “the rule of law.”
When Trump announced he was running for office I told anyone who would listen that the only reason he wants to be Pres is get rid of the laws and regulations he’s been sued and/or fined for breaking. That personal agenda has been on track.
FYI: Kansas Repub Senator Schwab who advocated for ‘tort reform’ to limit how much victims could be awarded in legal cases by those dang deep state judges ….just won the largest court settlement in his state’s history: $20 million was awarded to him as a result of his son’s death on a water slide.
1It’s OK If You Are A Rich Republican. There are laws for average Americans and apparently they don’t apply to Trump & Co.
2Don’t know much more blatant these attempts at shutting up witnesses could be, but Dow and Trump’s other lawyers should be indicted themselves and my well be, once Mueller ties things up.
Sorry, should be Dowd!
3How many of these sleazebags can be prosecuted in New York (or other states)? It’s time to push that scenario. I hope they are building their cases there.
4Mueller’s leverage can trump Trump’s.
So Trump pardons Manafort or whomever. Mueller then puts them before a grand jury, asks them the same questions previously asked plus other searching questions, and convinces the grand jury to hold them in contempt if they do not answer, and they go away to prison. Better than a pardon by Trump, for Manafort and Flynn, is complete immunity from prosecution, which Mueller can give them if they cooperate.
5Why is it that *every* expectation of “they won’t go there” due to precedent (of decency & civility) is being trashed. Bottom line: shameless…
6Don’t the VA Secretary, and others (Pompeo, etc) have to be confirmed by the senate?
7Interesting articles on the subject of pardons:
https://www.justsecurity.org/54356/dangling-pardon-obstruction-justice-even-pardon-power-absolute/
https://www.justsecurity.org/52775/trump-associates-decline-offer-pardon/
8Yes, Linda, they do. So call, tweet, email, snail mail, carrier pigeon or pony express every Senator you can find to vote “NO”! We the voters can become we the lobbiests.
9Make you voice and opinion heard. Those varmints want you vote. Let them know what you want. The number of big dollar donors is very small. The number of voters is in the millions.
The issue Isee of demented donnie using pardon power to protect himself is that it was used for precisely that reason and no one said boo.
Hence a precedent.
The time when perjurer poppa was getting run out of D.C. and to avoid prosecution for perjury he pardoned all those who could testify as to his perjury. Cap weinbrenner and other low lifes. )
This was widely known at the time and I remember short news play in part because of disatrous balance sheet left behind, waco seige in progress (the perjurer started it), ans Somalia fiasco poppa liar left behind.
Couple that with the d’s self destructive urge not to hold any thuglican responsible for anything ever. Same mistake Obama did too.
So now there is a modern historical event whether it raises to level of having any legal standing is beyond my limited knowledge. What I fear if they get one of the thuglican political hacks that are now on federal bench to hear this and if it reaches the slime scotus we all know they will protect their political godfather above all else and this unchallenged record might just give them a wedge to drive a truck through the US legal system.
List of the perjurers pardons that kept him out of jail Pardoned after he lost the election before inaugration day. (Wikipedia)
Caspar W. Weinberger (1988 Several counts of perjury, See Iran-Contra Affair)
10Elliott Abrams (1988 Two counts of unlawfully withholding information. See Iran-Contra Affair)
Duane R. Clarridge (1991 Seven counts of perjury and false statements, See Iran-Contra Affair)
Alan D. Fiers (1991 Two misdemeanor counts of withholding information from the Congress, See Iran-Contra Affair)
Clair George
(1991 Ten counts of perjury, false statements and obstruction)
(1992 two felony charges of false statements and perjury before Congress — see Iran-Contra Affair)
Robert C. McFarlane (1988 See Iran-Contra Affair)
Mike on Morning Joe echoes my sentiments exactly when it comes to Trump’s lawyers:”I wouldn’t let one of them defend my hamster!”
11That was Mika, not Mike! Damn spell check!
Also, Susan on the Left Coast, was that the guy who lost his son on a defective water slide? That was a big story when it happened. Its bigger yet because the Number 1 guy at the company that built the damn thing has been arrested for murder.
12maggie,
Yes, the KS Schlitterbahn park case.
Schlitterbahn is based in New Braunfels, TX, where the first park has been located for many years (don’t get me started on NB, food, etc., one of my hometowns).
Schlitterbahn built another water park on South Padre Island some years ago (lived in SPI/PI too).
The KS Schlitterbahn co-owner, a Mr. Henry, was arrested there and arraigned in the Cameron County Courthouse in Brownsville (the courtroom I saw on TV news clip looked familiar, could have been the one I got divorced in, heh, with ol’ hangin’ Judge Hester long ago).
The miserable irony of this case is that the father of the boy killed in the accident is a rabid KS Rethuglican who holds a high public office.
One of his initiatives has been to severely limit courtroom liability judgments in KS.
BUT NOT BEFORE he was recently awarded $20 million in his son’s Schlitterbahn case.
IOW’s, another weaselly hypocritical scumbag like our TX Governor Abbott.
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/3/28/1752722/-A-Reminder-Trusting-Business-To-Regulate-Itself-May-Be-Hazardous-To-Your-Health
https://www.ksat.com/search?searchTerm=Schlitterbahn
https://www.ksat.com/news/schlitterbahn
http://www.kens5.com/search?q=Schlitterbahn
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