At this point (2:40 MST), the WaPo still doesn’t have this story on their site.
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They’re all in there, just not sure yet which is which.
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The smart thing would be to ignore it and focus on his two big boogiemen for the election: immigration and the economy. Let this latest development quietly slide off the news cycle in a few days.
So of course instead, he will post a series of rants about Biden’s corrupt and weaponized DOJ persecuting him like nobody has ever seen before, forcing everyone to pay attention to it. Go Donnie! Go!
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Later, the same operative told the person: “make them riot”…
I can already hear the defense: “I didn’t say ‘make them riot.’ I said ‘make them right.’ It just sounded like ‘riot’ because of the Aussie accent I picked up on my many trips to Outback Steakhouse.”
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“He said the sheriff is near!”
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“With private co-conspirators, the defendant launched a series of increasingly desperate plans to overturn the legitimate election results in seven states that he had lost—Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin (the “targeted states”). His effortsincluded lying to state officials in order to induce them to ignore true vote counts; manufacturing fraudulent electoral votes in the targeted states; attempting to enlist Vice President Michael R.Pence, in his role as President of the Senate, to obstruct Congress’s certification of the election by using the defendant’s fraudulent electoral votes; and when all else had failed, on January 6, 2021, directing an angry crowd of supporters to the United States Capitol to obstruct the congressional certification. The throughline of these efforts was deceit: the defendant’s and co-conspirators’ knowingly false claims of election fraud. They used these lies in furtherance of three conspiracies: 1) a conspiracy to interfere with the federal government function by which the nation collects and counts election results, which is set forth in the Constitution and the Electoral Count Act (ECA); 2) a conspiracy to obstruct the official proceeding in which Congress certifies the legitimate results of the presidential election; and 3) a conspiracy against the rights of millions of Americans to vote and have their vote counted.”
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Here’s a capsulation of the brief “bombshells” as suggested by AI:
1. Denial of Presidential Immunity:
- One of the most significant revelations in this filing is the government’s firm stance that Trump cannot claim presidential immunity for his actions related to overturning the election. The document emphasizes that Trump’s post-election efforts were not part of his official duties as president but instead were personal actions taken as a candidate seeking re-election. This rejection of immunity could be a major blow to Trump’s legal defense strategy, as it positions his actions as criminal conduct, separate from his role as president.
2. Clear Designation of Trump’s Actions as Criminal:
- The filing offers detailed descriptions of how Trump’s behavior, such as his role in pressuring state officials and orchestrating false slates of electors, constituted criminal actions, not just political maneuvering. This is pivotal because it sets a legal precedent for charging a former president with crimes related to undermining democracy.
- By labeling his conduct “private” and not “official,” the government aims to strip away any constitutional protections he might claim, making him vulnerable to criminal prosecution like any other citizen.
3. Focus on the Vice President’s Role:
- The filing makes a pointed case that Trump’s efforts to pressure Vice President Mike Pence to reject electoral votes were not only improper but entirely outside the scope of presidential powers. The government argues that Trump’s actions in trying to influence Pence in the certification process were a deliberate attempt to misuse the office of the vice presidency, underscoring the constitutional breach involved.
- It also highlights how Trump continued to fuel the January 6 insurrection even after it became clear that Pence had refused to overturn the election.
4. Involvement in Alternate Elector Schemes:
- The document sheds light on Trump’s direct involvement in the plan to create fake electors in swing states he lost. This scheme aimed to submit fraudulent electoral slates to Congress and Pence during the certification process, representing a significant escalation of Trump’s attempts to overturn the election results.
- The filing reveals that Trump’s coordination with private attorneys and campaign aides in executing this illegal plan demonstrates pre-meditation and a clear intention to subvert the democratic process.
5. Detailed Evidence of Trump’s Knowledge and Intent:
- The government lays out detailed evidence showing that Trump knew his claims of election fraud were false. Despite this, he deliberately continued to promote lies about the election results in order to mislead the public and justify his actions.
- The evidence also indicates that Trump was fully aware that his efforts to overturn the election, including his communications with state officials and Pence, were baseless and illegal. This intentional deceit plays a critical role in proving criminal intent, which is essential for prosecution.
6. Pressure Campaign Against State Officials:
- The motion provides new insight into Trump’s personal pressure campaign against state officials, including the well-known call with Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. It goes further, revealing other instances where Trump attempted to get officials to falsify election results or ignore legitimate vote counts in his favor.
- This paints a broader picture of how widespread and coordinated Trump’s efforts were, reaching across multiple states and involving multiple actors at various levels of government.
7. Potential New Revelations About Co-Conspirators:
- Although much of the focus has been on individuals like Rudy Giuliani, John Eastman, and Sidney Powell, the filing may contain revelations about other figures (like Co-Conspirator 6, potentially Boris Epshteyn) who played critical but less-publicized roles. This could expand the scope of the conspiracy beyond what has been publicly known, offering new details about Trump’s inner circle and their coordination in the efforts to subvert the election.
8. January 6 Riot Link to Trump’s Direct Actions:
- The filing links Trump’s public statements and Tweets (especially those attacking Pence) directly to the violent actions of his supporters on January 6. It highlights how Trump incited the riot, knowing that the crowd was already primed for violence, and then failed to act to stop it in real-time.
- This could be one of the most explosive parts of the case, as it ties the riot directly to Trump’s reckless disregard for the safety of the country and democratic institutions.
9. Evidence of Trump’s Continued Defiance:
- The document notes Trump’s ongoing refusal to accept responsibility for January 6 and his continued attempts to rewrite the events of that day. This underscores his lack of remorse and highlights the ongoing threat he poses to the rule of law, which could be a bombshell in terms of public perception and legal accountability.
Conclusion:
The major bombshells in this filing center around the clear delineation of Trump’s actions as criminal, not protected by presidential immunity, his direct involvement in illegal schemes like the false electors, and the detailed evidence showing that he acted with full knowledge that his claims of election fraud were false. These revelations set the stage for a landmark trial that could have significant consequences for Trump and the broader political landscape.
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Sara Longworthy: I don’t care how slick a debater JD Vance is. That he could not say that Trump lost the 2020 election is absolutely disqualifying.
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Best not be downwind.
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I see where Boris Johnson got his styling cues from…
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Ah, but the cat’s out of the bag, the evidence damning, the genie can’t be put back in her bottle.
I’m all for trying this case in the court of public opinion.
And, as a jurist, I find the defendant, Don Trump, guilty as charged.
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lol!
I actually heard them play at the US Festival in 1983. I was too cool to actually pay attention when they were playing, but now when I watch video of their performance I realize what a stupid dbag I was. They were great.
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Yep… and doing so while is in the district’s hands
So SC can only watch right now…
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And some catnip, too
[ETA: Kitty treats!! Where are my manners? I may be a little giddy]
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Thank you for this summary.
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What we’ve already seen blows me away!
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