QOTD -- Count Four

 

"...Reading the indictment carefully, you find yourself drawn inexorably toward Count Four — the charge that the former president engaged in a conspiracy against the rights of voters. This is the one that's based on a provision of the Enforcement Act passed in 1870, a law aimed to enforce the Civil Rights Act of 1868, aka The Ku Klux Klan Act. This is the one that has set much of the MAGA set howling about the unfairness of it all. But it also is the count that sums up the other three. All of the various plots and schemes set out in the other three counts of the indictment all come down to a massive conspiracy to deny the effective franchise to voters in Georgia and Arizona, and Michigan and Wisconsin and Pennsylvania. In a way, Smith has arraigned the entire voter-suppression program that the conservative movement has put the Republican party behind. Here, Count Four says, here is where all the tricks and traps set out in state laws inevitably lead...." (our emphasis) -- Charles P. Pierce, writing in Esquire, noting how the Malignant Loser's massive plot to deny voters' rights is basically the Christofascist Republican Party's state- by- state voter suppression project on steroids.  Simply put, the Malignant Loser and his cult/ party want to choose what voters (theirs) to count.

And, no, much as Republicans and their media enablers would like to have it, this indictment is NOT about the First Amendment.  Full stop.

QOTD -- The Most Important Indictment

 

"Forget hush money payments to porn stars hidden as business expenses. Forget showing off classified documents about Iran attack plans to visitors, and then ordering the pool guy to erase the security tapes revealing that he was still holding onto documents that he had promised to return. Forget even corrupt attempts to interfere with election results in Georgia in 2020.

"The federal indictment just handed down by special counsel Jack Smith is not only the most important indictment by far of former President Donald Trump. It is perhaps the most important indictment ever handed down to safeguard American democracy and the rule of law in any U.S. court against anyone..." (our emphasis) -- Rick Hasen, leading off a column in Slate with an observation that should be obvious to all but the most benighted MAGAt and the Malignant Loser's in- for- a- dime- in- for- a- dollar  Christofascist enablers in Republican Party.  Filter out the "weaponization"/ Hunter Biden noise from the Malignant Loser's media apparatus and the likes of Squeaker McCarthy and the House coup caucus.  There will be a trial whose timing and rules will be set by a judge who's not a Malignant Loser whisperer.  According to one of the Malignant Loser's former counsels, there will only be about four hours of proof needed at trial from Special Counsel Jack Smith.  That tells us justice is finally coming, and not a moment too soon.

 

Jan. 6 Prosecution "Off to a Strong Start"

 

Randall Eliason, George Washington University law professor and former head of the fraud and corruption section of the U.S. Attorney's office for Washington D.C., details in his column in this morning's New York Times each of the four counts in Special Counsel Jack Smith's indictment of the Malignant Loser yesterday. For those wanting to see the charge of seditious conspiracy, Eliason believes that Smith has charged the Malignant Loser with the felonies that are more certain to produce convictions. He concludes his column with this:

"There will be those who say any case that does not charge Mr. Trump with insurrection or sedition is a whitewash that fails to hold him properly accountable. I think those critics are wrong. These charges will allow prosecutors to present the sweeping, multistate scheme to overturn the election, with all its different aspects, to the jury and the public. They are serious felony charges that carry hefty penalties.

Although it might have been psychologically gratifying to see Mr. Trump charged with sedition, the name of the legal charge is less important than the facts that will make up the government’s case.

This indictment presents detailed and overwhelming allegations. It reflects sound legal and tactical decisions that should allow the government to move quickly and put on a powerful case. The most significant prosecution of Mr. Trump is off to a strong start."  (our emphasis)

Please take time to read the indictment, here. As the other cases brought against the Malignant Loser, there will be opportunities for superseding indictments if new evidence of his crimes emerges. For now, we owe Jack Smith and his team of attorneys and investigators a world of thanks for bringing this indictment against the most dangerous threat to America's democracy. 

Trump Indicted On Four Counts In January 6 Coup Case

 

From Associated Press, breaking news:

"Donald Trump was charged Tuesday in a Justice Department investigation into his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election in the run-up to the violent riot by his supporters at the U.S. Capitol.

The charges include conspiracy to defraud the United States government and witness tampering.

The indictment, the third criminal case brought against the former president as he seeks to reclaim the White House in 2024, follows a long-running federal investigation into schemes by Trump and his allies to subvert the peaceful transfer of power and keep him in office despite a decisive loss to Joe Biden."

The counts in the indictment are conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, obstruction of and attempt to obstruct an official proceeding, and conspiracy against civil rights.

The Malignant Loser received a target letter two weeks ago, and the grand jury in this case convened and voted the indictment against the twice impeached disgraced Malignant Loser. CNN reports that there are also six unindicted co-conspirators listed:

"Special Counsel Jack Smith included six unindicted and unnamed co-conspirators in his indictment against Donald Trump as part of the federal 2020 election subversion probe.  

Among the six are four unnamed attorneys who allegedly aided Trump in his effort to subvert the 2020 election results.

Also included is one unnamed Justice Department official who 'attempted to use the Justice Department to open sham election crime investigations and influence state legislatures with knowingly false claims of election fraud.'  

Smith also mentions an unnamed 'political consultant who helped implement a plan to submit fraudulent slates of presidential electors to obstruct the certification proceeding.'” 

That last "consultant" may well be corrupt, delusional Rudy "Toot Toot" Giuliani. The Malignant Loser has been summoned to appear before a magistrate on Thursday in Washington, D.C.

You can read the indictment here.