Aug 16, 2023

Today's Beau

Today I Learned
  • Information Warfare 101: Take something mundane, make it sound suspicious, and use it to rile up the rubes
And
  • Make your state inhospitable (eg: no abortions, no gay or trans rights, etc)
  • Wonder why the US military doesn't want to move a base to your state, or assign any of their people to a base in your state
  • Try to make the military knuckle under by holding confirmable officers hostage
 Beau Of The Fifth Column

By The Numbers



The often startling numbers behind Trump’s indictment in Georgia

The indictment of former president Donald Trump, his former lawyer Rudy Giuliani and others in Georgia is the biggest of all the indictments against Trump, at least by volume.

Below are some remarkable and instructive numbers behind the indictment brought by Fulton County District Attorney Fani T. Willis (D).

19
The number of people charged, including Trump. Each is accused of racketeering and at least one related crime.

41
The number of individual counts in the indictment, many of which involve multiple people.

13
The number of counts faced by both Trump and Giuliani, tied for the most among the defendants.

5 of 6
The number of unnamed individuals identified as unindicted co-conspirators in special counsel Jack Smith’s indictment of Trump who have been charged in Georgia: Giuliani, John Eastman, Sidney Powell, Kenneth Chesebro and Jeffrey Clark. (The identity of the sixth unindicted co-conspirator in Smith’s case has not been confirmed but doesn’t appear to match those indicted in Georgia.)

30
The number of unindicted and unnamed alleged co-conspirators in the Georgia indictment. As occurred after Smith presented his indictment, efforts to identify the co-conspirators and glean who might have cooperated in the investigation began almost immediately Monday night.

3
The number of Trump lawyers present at the infamous Nov. 19, 2020, Republican National Committee news conference who are now indicted: Giuliani, Powell and Jenna Ellis. The news conference featured bizarre stolen-election conspiracy theories involving Venezuela, Cuba and China. RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel later remarked (presciently) that she was concerned about legal liability arising from the event.

2
The number of Trump lawyers now charged with crimes that they focused extensively on proving that others had committed. Giuliani was a pioneer of pursuing federal racketeering cases when he was a prosecutor and is now charged under a Georgia racketeering statute. Powell falsely claimed to have proof of widespread election fraud in 2020 and is now charged with conspiracy to commit election fraud in an alleged voting machine breach in Coffee County, Ga.

161
The number of overt acts listed as being part of the racketeering conspiracy. Overt acts aren’t necessarily crimes in and of themselves — many sound innocuous, while others are charged as crimes — but instead demonstrate the furtherance of an alleged crime.
(To make a racketeering case, prosecutors must prove at least two “predicate” crimes and establish a pattern of activity geared to the advancement of the alleged criminal enterprise.)

127
The number of times “false statement” is mentioned in the indictment. Georgia law has a broad prohibition on making “a false, fictitious, or fraudulent statement or representation … in any matter within the jurisdiction of any department or agency of state government.”

13
The number of false statements Trump is accused of making to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger (R) in their Jan. 2, 2021, phone call alone.

1
The number of Trump White House officials charged. Chief of Staff Mark Meadows becomes the first, for his participation in the Raffensperger call.

12
The number of Trump tweets the indictment lists as overt acts by the former president. Trump’s unwieldy social media persona has long been viewed as a potential legal liability, and his tweets have been used against him in legal proceedings. The tweets cited include those making false claims of voter fraud, urging people to watch a hearing featuring Giuliani’s false claims, applying pressure on Raffensperger and Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R), and urging then-Vice President Pence ahead of the Jan. 6 certification in Congress to help overturn the election.

2
The number of state Republican Party chairs who have been indicted. Former Georgia GOP chairman David Shafer joins former Michigan GOP co-chairwoman Meshawn Maddock, an alternate elector who was indicted in that state last month. Alternate Trump electors in Arizona, including former state GOP chairwoman Kelli Ward, also are facing legal scrutiny.

3 of 16
The number of alternate electors charged: Shafer, Shawn Still and Cathy Latham. In Michigan, all 16 alternate electors were charged with crimes including forgery, but in Georgia, some took immunity deals to cooperate with prosecutors.

91
The total number of felony counts Trump now faces in his four indictments.

With Bated Breath

  • Evidence Obama spied on his campaign = flop
  • Healthcare plan = dud
  • Infrastructure = fizzle
  • Steel & coal jobs = face plant
  • COVID = splat
  • The wall = pffft


This time for sure!

Aug 15, 2023

They're Losing

We're nowhere near out of the woods or on the road to recovery, but there are some encouraging signs of progress here and there.


What They're After


Authoritarian rule, and theocracy, and business management mesh nicely because it's always top-down, do what I tell ya, and keep your tater trap shut kinda shit.

Especially that religion thing: Compliance is obligatory on pain of death.

Nothing fits better with what we've been seeing from the MAGA gang lately, as the puppeteers and plutocrats who're funding them keep us distracted just enough to let a tiny little doubt sneak into our brains if we start to think maybe this whole fascist thing is in process right now.


Indictment #4

Trump has now been charged with 91 felony violations.


DONALD JOHN TRUMP
13 Counts
1, 5, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, 27-29, 38, 39

RUDOLPH WILLIAM LOUIS GIULIANI
13 Counts
1-3, 6-7, 9 , 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, 23-24

JOHN CHARLES EASTMAN
9 Counts 1-2, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, 27

MARK RANDALL MEADOWS
2 Counts
1, 28

KENNETH JOHN CHESEBRO
7 Counts
1, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19

JEFFREY BOSSERT CLARK
2 Counts
1, 22

JENNA LYNN ELLIS
2 Counts
1, 2

RAY STALLINGS SMITH III
12 Counts
1, 2, 4, 6, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, 23, 25

ROBERT DAVID CHEELEY
10 Counts
1, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, 23, 26, 41

MICHAEL A.ROMAN
7 Counts
1, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19

DAVID JAMES SHAFER
8 Counts
1, 8 , 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 40

SHAWN MICAH TRESHER STILL
7 Counts
1, 8, 10, 12, 14,16, 18

STEPHEN CLIFFGARD LEE
5 Counts
1, 20, 21, 30, 31

HARRISON WILLIAM PRESCOTT FLOYD
3 Counts 1, 30, 31

TREVIAN C.KUTTI
3 Counts
1, 30, 31

SIDNEY KATHERINE POWELL
7 Counts 1, 32-37

CATHLEEN ALSTON LATHAM
11 Counts 1, 8 , 10, 12, 14, 32-37

SCOTT GRAHAM HALL
7 Counts 1, 32-37

MISTY HAMPTON (AKA EMILY MISTY HAYES)
7 Counts 1, 32-37


What to know about Trump's 4 indictments and the criminal charges

As former President Donald Trump pushes forward with his 2024 campaign, incidents from before, during and after his term in office are under intense legal scrutiny. He has now been indicted in four separate criminal cases.

Here's where the investigations, led by two state prosecutors and a federal special counsel, stand:

Indicted: Manhattan "hush money" probe

A New York grand jury investigating the circumstances surrounding a "hush money" payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels in 2016 voted to indict Donald Trump on March 30, making him the first former president in U.S. history to face criminal charges.

He was charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree, and pleaded not guilty to all charges on April 4. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg defended the decision to charge Trump in a press conference.

"Under New York state law, it is a felony to falsify business records with intent to defraud and intent to conceal another crime," Bragg told reporters. "That is exactly what this case is about: 34 false statements made to cover up other crimes."

The case stems from a payment made just days before Trump was elected president in 2016. His former attorney, Michael Cohen, arranged a wire transfer of $130,000 to Daniels in exchange for her silence about an alleged affair. Prosecutors were investigating potential falsification of business records related to reimbursements made to Cohen. Trump has denied having a sexual encounter with Daniels, and vehemently denied wrongdoing in this case.

In the weeks before the grand jury decision, a steady stream of former Trump employees and White House staffers were seen entering Bragg's offices, including Trump's former White House counselor and campaign manager Kellyanne Conway, former director of strategic communications Hope Hicks, and his former lawyer and "fixer" Michael Cohen.

Cohen, who went to prison on federal charges related to the $130,000 payment to Daniels, has met repeatedly with prosecutors this year — more than a half-dozen times since mid-January.

He appeared before the grand jury twice.

In his memoir "Disloyal," Cohen described an intense effort in October 2016 — just before the presidential election — to prevent the actress from speaking publicly about an alleged affair with Trump. Ultimately, Cohen wired the money through a newly created limited liability company, and both Cohen and Daniels have claimed she and Trump signed a non-disclosure agreement using the aliases David Dennison and Peggy Peterson.

Trump, a Republican who is running once again for president, has repeatedly denied allegations of wrongdoing, and lashed out at Bragg, a Democrat, calling the case a "political persecution."

In ruling against an effort by Trump to have the case moved from state to federal jurisdiction Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein addressed Trump's accusation that the indictment was politically motivated.

"Trump argues that a 'politically motivated' district attorney who 'disfavored [Trump's] acts and policies as president' caused the grand jury to indict. Trump fails to show, however, that the grand jury lacked a rational basis for the indictment," Hellerstein wrote.

Hellerstein also faulted another argument made on Trump's behalf, that he is immune from prosecution because the payments were made while he was president.

"Reimbursing Cohen for advancing hush money to Stephanie Clifford cannot be considered the performance of a constitutional duty," Hellerstein wrote. "Falsifying business records to hide such reimbursement, and to transform the reimbursement into a business expense for Trump and income to Cohen, likewise does not relate to a presidential duty."

The case is scheduled to go on trial in March 2024.

Indicted: Special counsel's Mar-a-Lago documents case

Trump became the first former president charged with federal crimes when he was indicted June 8 on 37 felony counts related to alleged "willful retention" of national security information after leaving the White House. He pleaded not guilty.

An aide to Trump, Waltine Nauta, was also charged in the case and has entered a not guilty plea.

Three additional charges against Trump, and two more charges against Nauta, were filed in a superseding indictment on July 27, when prosecutors also introduced charges against Mar-a-Lago property manager Carlos De Oliveira. Trump has pleaded not guilty to those counts as well.

The case was brought by special counsel Jack Smith, who was appointed in November to oversee two Justice Department's criminal investigations into Trump.

The indictment accuses Trump of storing boxes containing classified documents "in various locations at The Mar-a-Lago Club including in a ballroom, a bathroom and shower, an office space, his bedroom, and a storage room." Trump lives at Mar-a-Lago, a private Palm Beach, Florida, country club owned by his company.

The indictment also alleges conspiracy to obstruct justice, corruptly concealing a document or record, a "scheme to conceal," and making false statements and representations.

Trump has defended his handling of classified information, and accused Smith of pursuing the case out of political bias, calling Smith a "radical."

The judge in the case, Aileen Cannon, has scheduled the trial for May 2024, which would place it toward the end of the Republican presidential primary season.

Indicted: Special counsel's Jan. 6 investigation

Smith's office has also been investigating alleged efforts to interfere with the peaceful transfer of power after Trump lost the 2020 election to Joe Biden, including the attack on the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. The grand jury hearing evidence in this case indicted Trump on Aug. 1.

Trump faces four charges in this indictment: conspiracy to defraud the United States; conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding; obstruction of and attempt to obstruct an official proceeding; and conspiracy against rights.

The indictment lists six unnamed co-conspirators. Prosecutors allege they were "enlisted" to assist Trump in "his criminal efforts to overturn" the election "and retain power."

"The attack on our nation's Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, was an unprecedented assault on the seat of American democracy," Smith said in a brief remarks after the release of the 45-page indictment outlining the charges. "As described in the indictment, it was fueled by lies. Lies by the defendant targeted at obstructing a bedrock function of the U.S. government: the nation's process of collecting, counting and certifying the results of the presidential election."

Trump has vehemently denied allegations of wrongdoing related to his efforts to overturn the election results, and accused the special counsel of political bias.

"Why didn't they bring this ridiculous case 2.5 years ago? They wanted it right in the middle of my campaign, that's why!" Trump said in a post on his social media site, Truth Social.

Indicted: Election interference case in Fulton County, Georgia

The Fulton County district attorney's investigation into Trump's conduct following the 2020 election began in February 2021 — spurred by an infamous recorded Jan. 2, 2021, phone call to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger in which Trump pressed him "to find 11,780 votes."

The probe grew in size and scope over the next two years, ultimately leading to the creation of a special purpose grand jury — tasked with investigating not only Trump but also alleged efforts of numerous allies to thwart the outcome Georgia's election, which President Joe Biden won. The special purpose grand jury had subpoena power, but could not issue indictments. The panel of 23 Georgians interviewed 75 witnesses in 2022, and completed a report in January, which was provided to Fulton County D.A. Fani Willis.

Among those interviewed by the special purpose grand jury were many Trump allies, including his former attorney, Rudy Giuliani; South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham; and former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows. It also interviewed Georgia officials who are among Trump's political critics, such as Raffensperger and Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp.

In February, a judge ordered a small portion of the report to be made public. The grand jurors wrote that they found "no widespread fraud took place in the Georgia 2020 presidential election," and that a ""majority of the Grand Jury believes that perjury may have been committed by one or more witnesses testifying before it."

A grand jury was impaneled over the summer, and on Aug. 14, it returned an indictment against Trump and 18 allies on charges of election fraud, racketeering and other counts related to alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election.

Those charged include Giuliani and Meadows as well as John Eastman, a conservative lawyer; Jeffrey Clark, a Trump Justice Department official; and Sidney Powell and Jenna Ellis, lawyers who pushed baseless claims of voter fraud.

Georgia's Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, better known as RICO, allows the group to be charged for criminal acts that are alleged to have taken place both in Georgia or outside the state in furtherance of the conspiracy to overturn the outcome of the presidential election in Georgia.

The 98-page indictment lists 41 total counts, including 13 against Trump, and notes there are 30 unindicted co-conspirators.

The indictment describes several schemes allegedly used by Trump and his co-defendants to attempt to reverse his electoral loss, including making false statements to state legislatures and top state officials; creating fake Electoral College documents and recruiting supporters to cast false votes at the Georgia Capitol; harassing Fulton County election worker Ruby Freeman; and "corruptly" soliciting senior Justice Department officials and then-Vice President Mike Pence.

It also accuses members of the "enterprise" of stealing data, including ballot images, voting equipment software and personal voter information, from Coffee County, Georgia, and making false statements to government investigators.

Trump has repeatedly denied wrongdoing. In a statement following the indictment, attorneys for Trump criticized the investigation, saying "this one-sided grand jury presentation relied on witnesses who harbor their own personal and political interests."

"We look forward to a detailed review of this indictment which is undoubtedly just as flawed and unconstitutional as this entire process has been," said the attorneys, Drew Findling, Jennifer Little and Marissa Goldberg.

In a statement to CBS News, Giuliani said the indictment "is an affront to American Democracy and does permanent, irrevocable harm to our justice system."

Hypocrisy Check


Tanya Chutkan's appointment to the federal bench was confirmed in the US Senate by a unanimous vote.


IMO, Republicans who bitch about Trump being tried in DC, or who whine about him being persecuted by a vengeful Biden administration - or whatever shit they pull outa their asses during any given wingnut media show - are fully in favor of burning Trump to the water line, but they have to be cute about it. They can't afford to lose the support of those rubes, so they pretend to be outraged. It's all they've got.

Aug 14, 2023

Today's Tweext


Retrospect

Because we (progressives, liberals, etc) don't tune in to DumFux News, we don't hear what guys like Lindsey Graham say. And so we don't hear the threats.



Daddy State Awareness Guide - rule 3:
Every prediction of some dire consequence is a veiled threat.
Whatever terrible thing they're "warning" us about is something they intend to make happen - usually in an attempt to coerce us into doing something they want.



 

Aug 13, 2023

Today's Tweext


There's no mistaking what these assholes intend to do if given the chance.