Trump Faces Possible Insider Trading Probe

 

Generally speaking, if it's shady, unethical, corrupt, and/ or illegal, the convicted felon Malignant Fascist will be in the middle of it.  Therefore, we would put none of this past him:

State prosecutors in New York are looking into whether the Trump administration engaged in insider trading, according to a report.

The office of New York Attorney General Letitia James told CNN on Monday it is looking into potential insider trading by officials and associates after Trump announced — then paused — broad tariffs for 90 days.

The review is still early and is not a full investigation, according to the report. It wasn't immediately clear if the review would result in finding evidence of any wrongdoing.

The Trump administration faced insider trading questions last week due to the timing of Trump's public statements and policy actions regarding tariffs, which coincided with roller-coaster stock market movements.

Trump posted on his Truth Social platform on April 9, "THIS IS A GREAT TIME TO BUY!" minutes after the market opened. Hours later, he announced a 90-day pause on tariffs for most countries and increased tariffs on Chinese imports. The head-turning reverberated through financial markets, leading to a sharp rebound in the stock market, with the S&P 500 surging by 9.5 percent after a steep nosedive.

Democratic lawmakers and market observers expressed concerns about possible insider trading and market manipulation, with Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA) and others calling for investigations.

The White House has denied that Trump's post was meant to manipulate the market and insisted he was trying to ease concerns about markets and uncertainty.

Our sense is that the Malignant Fascist was acting on the basis of his economic illiteracy, his own feelings of unchecked power, and his psychological need to dominate ("they're kissing my ass") when he imposed his economically insipid, harmful tariffs. Then, once he saw the stock market tanking, it's entirely possible the Malignant Fascist's lizard brain kicked in and "bought the dip" in order to cash in, because why let the suffering of others stop you from making a tidy profit, amirite?

Would that more Democratic elected officials had the courage and aggressiveness as NY Attorney General James.  Keep punching, Ms. James!

(Image:  AP/ Getty Images)

"I Believe These 11 Women"

Just a short time ago, New York State Attorney General Letitia James announced the findings of an investigation into allegations by 11 women that New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo engaged in sexual harassment of current and former State employees. The report can be found here.  Here's what the Executive Summary has to say:

"We, the investigators appointed to conduct an investigation into allegations of sexual harassment by Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, conclude that the Governor engaged in conduct constituting sexual harassment under federal and New York State law. Specifically, we find that the Governor sexually harassed a number of current and former New York State employees by, among other things, engaging in unwelcome and nonconsensual touching, as well as making numerous offensive comments of a suggestive and sexual nature that created a hostile work environment for women. Our investigation revealed that the Governor’s sexually harassing behavior was not limited to members of his own staff, but extended to other State employees, including a State Trooper on his protective detail and members of the public. We also conclude that the Executive Chamber’s culture—one filled with fear and intimidation, while at the same time normalizing the Governor’s frequent flirtations and gender-based comments—contributed to the conditions that allowed the sexual harassment to occur and persist. That culture also influenced the improper and inadequate ways in which the Executive Chamber has responded to allegations of harassment."  (our emphasis)

In her news conference, Attorney General James repeatedly stated that "I believe the women" after a lengthy investigation in which 179 people were interviewed and 74,000 pieces of evidence were produced. James would not speculate on actions that some might take going forward, including censure or impeachment by the State Legislature (whose investigation is sure to be energized by James' findings), but it should mark the end of the political career of Gov. Cuomo, who was contemplating running for a fourth term.

As an aside, can you imagine a current-day Republican Attorney General, whether at the state or Federal level, bringing forth a report of this kind against a Republican Governor or President?

(photo: James, flanked by investigators Anne L. Clark and Joon H. Kim. Dave Sanders / New York Times)