This really is huge, they are referring their findings to the IRS for potential criminal case.
https://twitter.com/JoyceWhiteVance/status/1007280560337752064
To note: This is New York STATE, not New York CITY.
Who knew “Impeachment, the Game” had so many alternate routes! Is he going for a 100% speedrun?
Does this not mean impeachment proceedings need to happen immediately so that the criminal case can proceed?
It's overtly criminal, yes. The Republican congress will not act on it, however. The timing of this, unfortunately, coincides with the IG Report looking at FBI conduct near the end of Trump's presidency. The report concludes the following:
“We found no evidence that the conclusions by department prosecutors were affected by bias or other improper considerations. Rather, we concluded that they were based on the prosecutor’s assessment of facts, the law, and past department practice.”
However, it also highlights inappropriate breaks from departmental norms that the state propaganda machine is rolling out BIG TIME on -- despite the fact that those inappropriate breaks was what played a major last-minute role in swinging the election to Trump. People who rely on Fox for the majority of their "news" (which is most Republican voters) will barely hear a word about this lawsuit, and will be buried for the next month with further messaging about the RUSSIAN FBI DEMOCRAT WITCH HUNT. Republican legislators know this, and will thus face no pressure to act.
Basically, Trump is above the law, so long as Republicans control congress. They wholeheartedly refuse to hold him accountable for his crimes or corruption -- no matter how naked the evidence is.
With shit like Trump University where the sign-up screen was an image, this really shouldn't come as a surprise.
Quick disclaimer: the following atatement is not meant with the intent to defend Trump. He absolutely committed a crime. But, can someone who knows legalese list what actual laws were broken, as well as their penalties? The article didn't really say what laws were broken, just that they were violated.
What happens now though? Trump's lawyer has to defend against this state of new york lawsuit now?
What lawyer? Cohen is gone. Who's even left to defend him?
I actually have no idea because the other guy who might have fit that role was Ty Cobb and he already said he's quitting.
A lot of laws were broken. Here's a quick summary of the stuff they're going after:
Distributing charity funds to corporation officers and directors (N-PCL § 515(a))
Self-dealing as a private foundation (EPTL § 8-1.8(a)(2))
As a board of directors, failure to play and significant role in approving grants and failure to obtain reports regarding activities of the (Trump) Foundation (N-PCL § 519)
Failure to draft a conflict of interest policy as required by July 2014 in New York (N-PCL § 715-A; EPTL § 8-1.9(d))
Failure to draft an investment policy as required by 2010 in New York (NPCL § 552(f))
Possibly perjury as Trump—knowingly, willingly, and repeatedly—signed forms stating the Foundation was not politically involved.
As for what penalties they're pursuing, basically, here's the summary:
Trump can no longer serve as "officer, director, trustee or equivalent position of any not-for-profit or charitable organization incorporated or authorized to conduct business or solicit charitable donations in the State of New York for a period of ten years"
Trump must pay "double the amount of benefits improperly obtained through self-dealing transactions after July 1, 2014"
Everyone involved must pay restitution for misuse of charitable assets and pay damages due to failure of fiduciary duties
The remainder of the Foundation's assets must be appropriately distributed to legitimate charities as determined by the Attorney General
Completely dissolving and erasing the Foundation from existence
A very, very unfortunate public defendant.
He'll just try to pardon himself
Rudy Giuliani lol
God is it disgusting that the GOP will put the party first above allllllll else. Impeach the fucker, he's the enemy of your party, too. You still have a republican president if you do. So just do it
Trump controls the party now. A three term incumbent in Alabama was forced into a primary runoff for not supporting Trump after the access hollywood tape came out.
I can't say I'm surprised. Figures though that the Trump administration is painting this as a "politically motivated" stunt. Timing or not: This is as serious as it gets when it comes to fraud.
Knowing how things usually play out, though, this'll probably get swept under the rug like all the others. I hope Mueller is keeping a list.
Rudy `Every time I open my maw, I make my fuckbuddy's legal situation and public standing two orders of magnitude worse` Lasagni.
To be fair, it doesn't matter who represents Trump. When this goes to court, he's fucked, and he knows it. Just what's in the public sphere is enough, in the hands of a halfway competent lawyer, to secure a conviction lasting the rest of Trump's life, and it's guaranteed that Mueller has much, much more.
Given that winning in the court of law isn't possible, Trump's only chance here is trying to win in the court of public opinion. His defensive strategy is to drag this process out as long as humanly possible so that his propaganda networks can continue chipping away at public faith with lies and misinformation. His ultimate goal here is to discredit faith in the DOJ and FBI to such a degree that he can fire DOJ and FBI leadership and order the destruction of the investigation before charges are brought against him personally, and issue as many pardons as he can to anybody else who faced charges (not because he gives a shit what happens to them, only because it's necessary for his 'WITCH HUNT' narrative to pretend that they've all been unjustly convicted).
If Republican voters support this, a Republican congress will not impeach, no matter how shockingly corrupt it is.
So, for that, you don't need a good lawyer, you just need one with absolutely no integrity who doesn't mind going on national television and telling shameless lies to the public every night. Bonus points if that lawyer is also a criminal subject in the investigation, and thus doesn't care if he incriminates himself in the process, because he knows the end-game.
For that, there's almost nobody better than Giuliani.
I just don't understand how Trump of all people was the one to get the Republicans to throw away any claim to credibility or moral standing they had. Are they afraid? Desperate? Is he just a useful idiot that they can prop up to pass the laws they want? Or...is this actually what the GOP thinks we should have in a leader? More and more I'm feeling like it's the last one which scares the shit out of me.
They're terrified of their base, the diehards who still carry a torch for trump.
They let a cult leader in and now he's stolen control of the party from underneath them. Trump has a grip on GOP voters, so the party doesn't dare try and contradict him because he'll take their voter base and make a new party with them and it'll split the Right vote so bad the Left will win for a couple decades. They're basically hostages in their own party as Donald steers the show.
Obviously a far worse fate than what we're currently in for. Spineless assholes.
to be fair though you don't really want democrats to get complacent - not to say that republicans are acting in your best interests of course
Totally agreed there. The Democrats are far from perfect and would only get even more useless and lazy under those circumstances. It just wouldn't risk destabilizing our entire way of life is all. Democrats suck but they aren't total idiots.
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