We have not heard a lot about Robert Mueller’s investigation into “Russia-gate” or whatever one chooses to call Trump and the Trump campaign’s association with Russia in the past few days. Trump’s response, or better put, a lack of appropriate response, to the Charlottesville tragedy has taken over. Is his “response” to the Charlottesville tragedy meant as a distraction from Mueller’s investigation?
AlterNet — MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow spent the opening of her Friday show doing a deep dive into the “extraordinary flim-flammery” of President Donald Trump’s past financial dealings.
As it turns out, the president once short-changed New York City to the tune of $2.8 million in a deal designed to avoid paying upwards of $150 million in property taxes.
Rachel Maddow presents a very interesting backstory as to a very possible motivation for why Trump did not want to release his tax returns like previous presidential candidates have done.
The second video explores the issue with journalist David Cay Johnston founder of DCReports.org .
I think both Rachel and David Cay Johnston make a very good argument as to why Trump does not want his financial records available for scrutiny by Mueller or anyone else for that matter. And what about Trump’s ability to pardon himself or anyone else involved in criminal dealings with Russia or Russians? The US Constitution, Article II, Section 2, Clause 1 states in part (Wikipedia) “… and he shall have Power to grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offenses against the United States, except in Cases of Impeachment.” So Trump could pardon his kids or anyone else if they are convicted of a crime but he could not pardon himself if he is impeached. However, were he to be impeached, he would be succeeded by VP Pence who likely would pardon him. This is what happened with Richard Nixon . . . Gerald Ford, who succeeded Nixon as president, pardoned Nixon on 08 September 1974. What are your thoughts?
24 Responses to “Can you smell Trump’s fear?”
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Rachel – I did see this, and felt that there’s not much in it that everyone here didn’t already know in our guts. It is noteworthy how much proof there is. Two sets of books – classic embezzlement technique, and no other explanation. With regard to pardons, there are just too many possibilities. Yes, Nixon is a precedent, but remember, the succeeding Vice President at that time was NOT the one he had campaigned with, who had been forced to resign due to evidence of corruption. Does anyone think this is an impossibility with Pence? Nixon was essentially forced to appoint Ford because the Senate would not have accepted anyone else. Would the current Senate unite on refusing to accept at least some niminations for Vice President? I think so.
But I must point out that the President may, except in Cases of Impeachment (which I take to mean that conviction is not required), pardon FEDERAL offenses (offenses against the United States.) The legal profession agrees with one voice that he cannot pardon charges brough by a State (or a county or a city). The circumstances of Trump’s creative bookkeeping were such that any charges based on it would have to be brought by the State of New York. And he could not pardon himself for those, nor could Pence or any other succeeding Vice President pardon him.
Eric Schneiderman is our friend.
JD, it would not surprise me at all to find that Pence is in the centre of trouble with Drumpf. He certainly supports him vocally even when Drumpf’s words or positions are indefensible. He also has a lot to gain if Drumpf goes down, but I wonder if Drumpf might spill his own can of beans with the idea of saving himself some prison time. Thanks for pointing out that the pardoning is for federal crimes only. I rewrote some of this several times and managed to leave that out on the final edit. Mea culpa.
Amen to your comment about Eric Schneiderman.
dt is certainly a distraction (to himself), but since watching/listening to him, he’s like a worm on the end of a stick.He doesn’t deserve any pardons, he deserves jail time!
I had viewed Rachel’s videos the other day, and I believe that he’s using other ‘things’ to distract folks from the real deal coming from Mueller’s investigation(s). I certainly hope (and pray) that NY can investigate his misdeeds there also. I also have faith that justice will prevail, and will be served up to dt.
Watched Parts I and Part II of Zembla, a couple moths ago. The dubious friends of DT: The Russians/King of Diamonds. It’s on YT, if anyone is interested.
Thanks, Lynn for post.
I hope NY can investigate his misdeeds there too. With the current Republican dominated Congress, I am losing hope for an impeachment. But getting him on state charges would be good too.
I read an article where one of his business associates has informed his family that he is going to prison along with Drumpf. It sounded like this developer and Drumpf helped launder money for the Russian oligarchs through real estate. I wish I could remember where I read this.
Wouldn’t Drumpf look good in an orange jumpsuit!
I know I do not want to smell Drumpf’s fear as I might get so nauseated from his fumes and pass out from them. lol.
Pence, most likely, would “pardon” Drumpf. But State of New York would not pardon Drumpf is my guess. Drumpf would have to cut a “flimflam” deal with the State of New York to avoid going to prison if he could.
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Good one Squatch! I fully agree with you!
Thanks boss!
YVW!
I wondered what that putrefying, fetid odor was.
Joanne is correct, Trump can NOT pardon himself from impeachment. This issue was raised back in the Nixon/Watergate day, and the Office of Legal Counsel issued a statement addressing that issue (which you noted):
Pursuant to Article II, Section 2 of the Constitution, the “Power to grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offenses against the United States, except in Cases of Impeachment.”
https://www.justice.gov/file/20856/download
Legal scholars pretty much unanimously agree that he could NOT pardon himself in any other matter because that would be a clear conflict of interest.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/21/us/politics/trump-pardon-himself-presidential-clemency.html
But as others have noted, his pardoning powers extend ONLY to federal offenses – states & DC can still raise their own criminal charges. And New York, DC and Delaware all have promising matters before them.
http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/jurisprudence/2017/07/no_matter_who_he_fires_or_pardons_trump_won_t_be_able_to_escape_state_attorneys.html
An excellent analysis, and much more comprehensive than I did or could have done. Thank you. And great links, too.
“putrefying, fetid odor” and more! TC after a week of hot weather and limited bath time in a SSW wind is sweeter to this Canuck chick!
Rumpy’s highly vaunted “business acumen,” is a total myth. He has always been a sick puppy, but now he’s a sick puppy with power way beyond his ken!
AMEN!
And sadly, we’re ALL going to pay the price.
So true Mitch!
And Nameless is spot on with “… we’re ALL going to pay the price.” . . . even those of us that live outside the US!
My internet connection won’t allow me to view some videos but not Rachel’s, but that doesn’t mean I can’t smell Drumpf’s fear; I’ve been smelling it for days and the stench is getting stronger by the day. Sadly it’s not only the smell that’s getting putrid, so are Drumpf’s panicked actions. He’s losing it, and we can only hope that his so called advisers can keep him under control enough to prevent him from going literally ballistic in order to divert attention away from Mueller’s army of lawyers circling ever closer around Drumpfs White House castle.
In two weeks of his “working holiday” he’s tried to provoke a war with North Korea and threatened Venezuela with military intervention. He’s still playing around with pardoning, testing the water by suggesting he may grant a pardon to former Sheriff Joe Arpaio following his recent conviction in federal court, and now is rallying the alt-right to take on the rest of America, all to draw attention away from his felonies, crimes and general failing as a human being.
If Pence is left standing after Drumpf’s short era is brought to a peaceful end by impeachment, I have no doubt he’ll pardon Drumpf for the federal convictions that will follow soon thereafter. Because if he doesn’t he can be sure vindictive Drumpf will go after him and take him down with him. Hmmm, come to think of it, vindictive Drumpf probably will do so even if Pence pardons him.
I had not seen anything about the possible Arpaio pardon. WOW!!! Seems about right for a racist Drumpf to pardon a racist Arpaio but oh so WRONG for the country!!!
Those who want a deep dive into Donald’s finances and lifelong criminal ties will learn a lot from my book The Making of Donald Trump, which Rachel took note of when I was her guest. It is based on my almost 30 years of knowing him and my collection of Trump records, which I am pretty sure is the largest in the world. The Making of Donald Trump includes more than 40 pages of source notes. And its written in plain English.
No one who has read my book, available around the world in ten languages, has shown a single factual error. To facilitate scrutiny I included my email in the book and invited critical comments and proposed corrections.
How many people here know about Trump and his years of close dealings with a major drug trafficker? And his inexplicable behavior with that three-time felon? That troubling story is laid out in my book.
There is more in my 1992 book Temples of Chance, an expose of the casino industry and how Trump and others benefitted from New Jersey creating the appearance of tough regulation by going after little people while looking the other way at egregious misconduct by Trump and other owners. That book also tells about the only time a casino in AC was known to be cheating gamblers and why a judge threw out the case against Trump Castle even though the written evidence of cheating was indisputable.
If you want to understand Donald it will take you four to five hours to read The Making of Donald Trump, full of public record material my peers failed to report on during the campaign despite my writing numerous pieces aimed at my fellow national journalists pointing the way to facts Donald didn’t want journalists to report on.
For ongoing coverage of what Trump is doing to our government, as opposed to what he says, sign up for the free nonprofit news service some fellow journalists and I created: DCReport.org
Welcome David.
I am a frequent visitor at DC Report and have used excerpts from your writing in my articles here on many occasions. I’m afraid it will be almost a year and three more eye surgeries, before I’ll be reading books again, but if you dictate it for Audible.com, I’ll be buying it.
Come back soon!
Thanks. There is a CD version and the ebook can be read to you for a charge of a couple bucks more via Audible.
Cool! I will order it on Audible in the morning!
Done!
I echo TC”s welcome. Since you have invited us to your site, I hope it’s OK that I made it into a live link.
Hello David!
Welcome! After first hearing this particular interview with Rachel, I ordered your book and am looking forward to reading it.
I hope you’ll drop by again and add to our discussions.
Thanks all!