The Fora: A Higher Education Community

If he were as deeply involved in 1/6 events as his young, female aide suggests, what was in it for him?

Anticipation of a future financial windfall?

I think Trump probably has files on everyone he wants to work for him, or develops them, and never lets up on the extortionary pressure.

It can't all be ideology and vote-getting.

Kompromat, I believe it's called.

Someone needs to do a serious look for wherever he's got them stashed and loose all those chained souls.

Then we might get someplace.

M.

Either Trump casts a spell on the people in his orbit or they see him as a useful idiot and just let things get out of hand. I lean toward the latter.

I think that Rudy will be the scapegoat/mastermind behind most of this. Trump will be able to skate by because he wasn't the active planner, he just agreed with the crazy scheme. For Meadows, it looks like realized he was in true crazy town right before the riot (when he called into the planning meeting?), and tried to keep his distance as best he could at that point.

Can someone tell me what courts have jurisdiction over these events? I saw that the Justice Dept wants to prosecute someone. But still, in which court? Would it depend on where the arrest is made?

The Jan 6 hearings have made clear the extent to which there was a plot to subvert the democrating process. At the time, I did think it was just a bunch of crazy Trump supporters getting out of control. So the hearings educated me.

But none of the info seems to change anything politically. Those who dare to challenge Trump inside the GOP, like Pence is thinking about, mostly veer to the right of Trump.

As for Meadows, isn't the basic answer that Trump is the only game in town for Republicans, so if you are not with him, you are in the wilderness?

There was a piece in the NYT today about the Trump cult might be losing hold on its followers, and they will quietly move on. But it was void of any evidence for its claims.

Justice Dept could bring some charges, but my guess is that they won't charge Trump himself on the basis that it would be too divisive (and there's a good chance he'd be pardoned anyway). Georgia could also bring some charges for "find me ~12000" votes, but they are moving slowly and I doubt anything will come of it. But I do think all of this hurts Trump's chances of winning the nomination - and other Republicans look like they're gearing up to run regardless of Trump's decision, so there is clearly the smell of blood in the water.

All that said, Trump and the people around him are clearly seditionists who tried to overturn the results of a free and fair election and there is a good case to be made that they should all be charge. These hearings confirm that for the historical record and I suppose that has some value.

He's a crook and a bully and he doesn't deserve any more kid-gloves treatment.

I know an abusive male when I see one.

M.

In terms of Trump alternatives. Watch Ron DeSantis very closely. The bumper stickers are already out there "Make America Florida".

Quote from: Sun_Worshiper on June 29, 2022, 11:21:15 AM
Justice Dept could bring some charges, but my guess is that they won't charge Trump himself on the basis that it would be too divisive (and there's a good chance he'd be pardoned anyway). Georgia could also bring some charges for "find me ~12000" votes, but they are moving slowly and I doubt anything will come of it. But I do think all of this hurts Trump's chances of winning the nomination - and other Republicans look like they're gearing up to run regardless of Trump's decision, so there is clearly the smell of blood in the water.

All that said, Trump and the people around him are clearly seditionists who tried to overturn the results of a free and fair election and there is a good case to be made that they should all be charge. These hearings confirm that for the historical record and I suppose that has some value.

There's plenty of precedent of people getting away with the really big things. Nixon getting pardoned, the Business Plot, Andrew Johnson's pardoning of many Confederate bigshots, etc.

Didn't Trump give Meadows $1,000,000 from the $250,000,000 take on the big lie grift?  I thought I heard chatter about this boon mentioned today.  I can find no sources supporting this claim, though. 

As to Meadows, he is a long time bully and blow hard out of the Tea Party.  He's apparently close to Jim Jordan of screaming and prevarication fame.  Nuff said. 

Quote from: downer on June 29, 2022, 10:18:51 AM
Can someone tell me what courts have jurisdiction over these events? I saw that the Justice Dept wants to prosecute someone. But still, in which court? Would it depend on where the arrest is made?

Given that the events in question took place in the District of Columbia, and given that the court of first instance for matters involving high officials in the executive branch is usually the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, I'm imagining that's where these charges will be brought. Maybe others with legal training can help here, but what I've been thinking is that, if criminal charges are brought and a jury trial is in order, a trial in the DC Federal Court could be very interesting because one might imagine that the jury pool from DC itself is not likely to view key members of the regime very favorably.

While we're here, I'd like to know if somehow someone can be charged under the RICO statute.

And here it is https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/trump-gave-1m-meadows-nonprofit-weeks-after-jan-6-panel-n1288334

The funds were shifted from one nonprofit to another nonprofit.  Since Trump has a good history with nonprofits.

Quote from: Antiphon1 on June 29, 2022, 08:29:54 PM
And here it is https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/trump-gave-1m-meadows-nonprofit-weeks-after-jan-6-panel-n1288334

The funds were shifted from one nonprofit to another nonprofit.  Since Trump has a good history with nonprofits.

Time to dust off the RICO statute. At the current pace, though, I don't think DOJ is up to charging any of these people with anything more substantial than throwing a pizza box in a recycling bin.

According to the NY Times, both the DoJ and the House are running parallel, and sometimes competing investigations. For various legal and bureaucratic and political reasons they are not sharing research with one another.

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/29/us/politics/jan-6-committee-justice-department-trump.html