GET THE APP
Support
Thursday, April 25, 2024
Just now
Jack Montgomery
Lawfare

Here’s What SCOTUS Might Say on Trump’s Immunity Claim Today.

The Supreme Court is set to hear arguments on Thursday morning as to whether Donald Trump is immune from prosecution on charges related to alleged election misconduct. The justices’ decision will likely set a new precedent on the boundaries of presidential power and could significantly impact the pace of the 2024 presidential election campaign.

Reports claim that most legal analysts do not believe that the justices will decide that Trump has absolute immunity, but they may decide that he has partial immunity. This could require Joe Biden‘s Justice Department and special prosecutor Jack Smith to revisit some aspects of their prosecution. The justices could also refer elements of the case back to the lower courts so they can rule on the extent of any partial immunity.

If the Supreme Court takes a month to arrive at its decision, a possible trial date for the former president would be pushed to around autumn, deep into the presidential race. A later ruling, towards the end of June, could mean it has to be delayed until after the election in November.

This could deny Biden’s Justice Department the opportunity to brand Trump a felon before voters head to the polls or even imprison him. Trump could also direct the Justice Department to drop the charges or possibly issue himself a pardon if he wins.

PANDORA’S BOX.

Regarding the merits of Trump’s case, his lawyer, D. John Sauer, argues that authorizing “the prosecution of a president for official acts would open a Pandora’s box from which this nation may never recover.”

“If a president has to look over his shoulder or her shoulder every time he or she has to make a controversial decision and wonder if ‘after I leave office, am I going to jail for this when my political opponents take power?’ that inevitably dampens the ability of the president,” he explained.

While Trump’s prosecutors and political enemies have characterized this as an argument that presidents are “above the law,” Trump’s lawyers say the constitutionally proper way for presidents to be held to account for official acts is via Congress, through impeachment and a Senate trial.

Trump was acquitted of inciting an insurrection by the Senate in 2021. His lawyers also argue that attempting to try him for further offenses related to January 6 violates the double jeopardy clause of the Fifth Amendment.

show less
The Supreme Court is set to hear arguments on Thursday morning as to whether Donald Trump is immune from prosecution on charges related to alleged election misconduct. The justices' decision will likely set a new precedent on the boundaries of presidential power and could significantly impact the pace of the 2024 presidential election campaign. show more
Source
Discuss
47 minutes ago
William Upton
Lawfare

Trump, Meadows, and Giuliani Named As ‘Unindicted Co-Conspirators’ In Michigan Elector Case.

An investigator for Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel testified in a state court on Wednesday that former President Donald Trump, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, and former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows are “unindicted co-conspirators” in state prosecution of alternative 2020 electors. In two days of testimony, Howard Shock — a special agent in the Attorney General‘s office — has identified at least 11 individuals as alleged co-conspirators despite no charges being filed against them. Mike Roman, the director of the Trump campaign’s election-day operations, was also listed.

In July of last year, Nessel secured indictments against 16 individuals — alleging eight felonies — her office says engaged in forgery as part of a plot to falsely claim Trump won the 2020 Michigan presidential election. While the Attorney General’s office says the investigation into their allegations remains ongoing, preliminary examinations in the prosecution began last week. Shock revealed the identities of the unindicted co-conspirators while being questioned by Duane Silverthorn, who represents one of the defendants.

Among the other uncharged alleged co-conspirators named by Shock are former Michigan GOP chairwoman Laura Cox, former state House Speaker Tom Leonard, the Speaker’s wife Jenell Leonard, and Republican consultant Stu Sandler. Details regarding each co-conspirator’s alleged involvement were not revealed to the court.

“I stand by the sound legal advice I gave, and these partisan lawfare prosecutions have to stop,” Sandler said, responding to the revelations he was listed as an unindicted co-conspirator. He added: “Why in five years of Dana Nessel are only Republicans the continuing targets of these partisan lawfare prosecutions?”

With the preliminary examination concluding on Wednesday, Ingham County District Court Judge Kristen Simmons will now weigh whether Nessel presented enough evidence indicating probable cause that a crime had been committed.

show less
An investigator for Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel testified in a state court on Wednesday that former President Donald Trump, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, and former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows are "unindicted co-conspirators" in state prosecution of alternative 2020 electors. In two days of testimony, Howard Shock — a special agent in the Attorney General's office — has identified at least 11 individuals as alleged co-conspirators despite no charges being filed against them. Mike Roman, the director of the Trump campaign's election-day operations, was also listed. show more
Source
Discuss
Footer Ad
Footer Ad
1 hour ago
NatSec

Evidence Contradicts Pentagon Account of Afghan Withdrawal Attack.

New evidence has emerged challenging the Pentagon‘s account of an ISIS-K suicide attack at Kabul airport’s Abbey Gate during the American troop withdrawal in August 2021. The attack resulted in the loss of 13 U.S. service members and an estimated 170 Afghans.

Two separate Pentagon reports, one of which was released last week, assert that the deaths were caused solely by the explosion. The Pentagon insisted that troops’ reports of coming under fire were the result of confusion in the chaos following the blast. However, newly uncovered GoPro footage from a Marine’s camera contradicts this claim, showing more gunfire than ever reported by the Pentagon.

“The 2021-2022 Abbey Gate Investigation thoroughly investigated the allegations of a complex attack, as well as allegations of outgoing fire from U.S. and coalition forces following the blast. The Supplemental Review found no new evidence of a complex attack, and uncovered no new assertions of outgoing fire post-blast,” said Army Lt. Col. Rob Lodewick, a Pentagon public affairs adviser.

However, the Marine’s GoPro footage reveals 11 instances of gunfire, including one sustained burst of around 17 shots roughly 30 seconds after the explosion. The footage also shows Marines running for cover from the gunfire. In addition to the new video evidence, Afghan doctor Sayeed Ahmadi told CNN that he personally extracted bullets from the wounded and that he and his staff identified dozens of Afghans who died from gunshot wounds.

The new footage and Dr. Ahmadi’s testimony directly contradict the Pentagon’s official report of the incident.

The Abbey Gate attack was the bloody crescendo of the Biden regime’s botched Afghanistan withdrawal. One historian described the fiasco as the United States’ “greatest humiliation since Saigon.”

show less
New evidence has emerged challenging the Pentagon's account of an ISIS-K suicide attack at Kabul airport's Abbey Gate during the American troop withdrawal in August 2021. The attack resulted in the loss of 13 U.S. service members and an estimated 170 Afghans. show more
Source
Discuss

Editor’s Notes

Behind-the-scenes political intrigue exclusively for Pulse+ subscribers.

RAHEEM J. KASSAM Editor-in-Chief
September 10th, 2021
for exclusive members-only insights
September 10th, 2021 show more
for exclusive members-only insights
Solomon Galligan
2 hours ago
Crime

‘Trans’ Sex Offender Attempted Kidnapping at Elementary School.

Solomon Galligan, a 33-year-old transgender registered sex offender, was recently apprehended by authorities after allegedly attempting a child abduction at Black Forest Hills Elementary School in Aurora, Colorado.

The act was caught on the school’s surveillance video, where Galligan is seen approaching a group of students who reportedly scattered and began screaming “stranger danger” as Galligan allegedly tried to restrain one of the children. Reports note that Galligan was identified as male in his arrest affidavit. Galligan publicly shared his transition journey on social media in 2011.

“So im starting my hormone shots and i relly cant wait im on my hormone pills ive been on them for almost 4 months i wake up all depressed and crying but in the end its gonna be totally worth it you know what io mean im really excited my measurements are already changing and im super thrilled,” Galligan wrote.

The same year he announced his transition, Galligan was convicted of non-consensual sexual contact. Details surrounding the unsolicited sexual contact incident in 2011 remain undisclosed. Currently held at an Aurora jail, Galligan faces legal proceedings on Thursday, with bail set at $25,000.

The attempted kidnapping is the latest high-profile incident of a transgender individual being linked to crimes against children. Earlier this month, a man claiming to be a transgender ‘vampire‘ was convicted of the sexual assault of a 16-year-old. In March, Doritos was forced to drop a transgender ‘brand ambassador’ after it emerged he had a history of posting pedophilic content online.

show less
Solomon Galligan, a 33-year-old transgender registered sex offender, was recently apprehended by authorities after allegedly attempting a child abduction at Black Forest Hills Elementary School in Aurora, Colorado. show more
Source
Discuss
Footer Ad
Footer Ad
12 hours ago
Raheem J. Kassam
Election 2024

UPDATED: AZ’s Dem AG Indicts Giuliani, Meadows, Ward, Eastman, Epshteyn In Major New Election Interference Attempt.

This story has been updated with a statement from John Eastman’s lawyer, highlighted in orange below.

An Arizona grand jury has indicted a group of individuals on charges related to their adoption of the role of alternate electors in the 2020 Presidential election. The group included Kelli Ward, then Arizona GOP chair, who disputed the legitimacy of the election results. Notably, the indictment names former President Donald Trump as “Unindicted Coconspirator 1”, although no charges have been filed against him.

The Washington Post reported other indicted individuals as “former Trump White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, attorneys Rudy Giuliani, Jenna Ellis, John Eastman and Christina Bobb, top campaign adviser Boris Epshteyn and former campaign aide Mike Roman.”

Given the ongoing roles of Meadows, Giuliani, Eastman, Epsteyn, and Bobb in campaigning for and working with the Trump campaign and the Republican National Committee it is impossible to view the new round of indictments as anything more than further banana republic-style election interference.

Charles Burnham, an attorney for John Eastman, told The National Pulse on Wednesday evening: “The phenomenon of partisan lawfare grows more troubling by the day.  Professor Eastman is innocent of criminal conduct in Arizona or any other place and will fight these charges as he has all the other unjust accusations leveled against him.”

The indictment comes under the leadership of Democratic Attorney General Kris Mayes, who took over the position from Republican Mark Brnovich in November 2022. Brnovich had previously clashed with Trump over allegations of voting irregularities in Arizona.

This indictment marks yet another chapter in the ongoing legal battles since the 2020 election, with disputes flaring in several other states. Arizona joins Nevada, Georgia, and Michigan in filing charges against those who championed alternative electors.

show less
This story has been updated with a statement from John Eastman's lawyer, highlighted in orange below. show more
Source
Discuss