You have questions, we have answers about Trump's slush fund a Miami judge just trashed
News and commentary to make you the smartest person in the room--or the Zoom
By J.C. Bruce
We interrupted your email inbox yesterday with the breaking news regarding a Miami federal judge’s decision eviscerating the sweetheart deal Donald Trump and his acting attorney general cooked up to further enrich our 47th president.
There are so many questions about this, we thought we would devote today’s column to sorting some of the larger issues.
Judge Kathleen Williams pretty much said that President Donald Trump and Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche conspired to rip off the American people for billions of dollars. That Trump was both the defendant and the plaintiff in his bogus suit against the IRS, and that he was, essentially, suing himself, except the taxpayers would pick up the tab. Can Blanche be disbarred for that, and can Trump be impeached?
Yes, to both questions. Any president can be impeached, of course. Trump has been impeached twice already, although the Republican majority in the Senate refused to convict.
Blanche’s conduct has been referred to the New York Bar. Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward Jr. to the D.C. Bar. And lawyer Alejandro Brito to the Florida Bar.
There is a possibility that Judge Williams might also impose monetary sanctions and require that the attorney’s fees for those individuals and organizations that argued against this travesty—including dozens of former federal judges— also be picked up.
In her 56-page scorcher of a ruling, Judge Williams trashed Trump’s absurd $1.776 billion slush fund, but how about the immunity from tax audits that his buddy Blanche also ordered?
That bit of absurdity also ended up in the wood chipper, thankfully.
Isn’t Florida Sen. Ashley Moody one of the 12 Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee that will be considering Todd Blanche’s nomination to become the permanent attorney general, and isn’t she just a rubber stamp for his confirmation?
There are 22 members of the Judiciary Committee, 12 Republicans (of which Moody is one) and 10 Democrats. One Republican member of the committee will not be able to make it on account of being unalive—Lindsey Graham.
Moody is not an automatic confirmation vote. She is an automatic vote for whatever Trump tells her to do. If Trump told her to go snorkeling in the Reflecting Pool, she’d do it, no questions asked.
A remote, but nonetheless open, question as this is being written is this: Is there any chance at all that Trump will change his mind about Blanche’s nomination now? Seems unlikely, but who knows what he might post on social media at 4 a.m.
Are there any good arguments at all for Blanche to be confirmed as our next attorney general?
Yes. If you are a Republican looking to keep your job, you don’t want to cross Trump. You will rationalize a vote for Blanche as a vote for supporting Trump’s “agenda,” as if he had one besides grifting his way into further power and riches.
So, what are the arguments against?
Too many to list here, but just the highlights would include:
Not understanding that the attorney general is not the president’s personal lawyer (of course, Blanche WAS Trump’s personal lawyer, but it looks like he never stopped). That would, of course, include his utter lack of morals and judgment in this slush fund debacle.
Arranging a cushy deal for Trump’s close friend and Jeffrey Epstein’s pimp, Ghislaine Maxwell, that resulted in her transfer from a Florida prison to a comfy federal encampment with puppy therapy and yoga classes.
Violating the Epstein Files Transparency Act.
Out of respect for Epstein’s victims, several of whom oppose his confirmation.
Weaponizing the Justice Department to go after Trump’s political enemies.
Stripping the Department of Justice of talent—specifically lawyers who would not bend to Trump’s will.
Whitewashing the convictions of the January 6 insurrectionists and cop beaters.
The guy has the morals of a rabid weasel. Isn’t that enough? After all, how low can you go?
We’re talking about Washington, D.C. In the era of Trump. There is no bottom.
Earlier stories:
BREAKING NEWS: Miami federal judge rebukes Trump’s self-dealing slush fund
Could Trump’s slush fund be in trouble? A Miami federal judge could decide
Trump announces brazen $1.7 billion ‘settlement’ through his new Ministry of Grift
Thanks for your support
It’s easy to feel overwhelmed if you are a rational person living in the “Free” State of Florida, but there are plenty of smart, reasonable people just like you here. The purpose of this newsletter and the Tropic Press website is to provide a source of news and commentary that shines a light through this irrational fog.
Thank you for your support as a subscriber. It is invaluable. This is especially so for those of you who have chosen to upgrade to paid subscriptions. Your contributions are making this possible.
J.C. Bruce
Like! Comment! Share!
As this newsletter was written, Tropic Press was reaching more than 700,000 subscribers in Florida and elsewhere. But there are literally millions of Florida Democrats and independents we are not reaching yet.
That’s a problem you can help solve.
With mid-term elections on the horizon, the more people we reach, the more effective we can be in helping turn our state and this country around. You can play a vital role in that effort by liking, sharing and commenting on this newsletter.
If you are reading this as an email, simply forward it. Or you can use the link below. Thanks.
As absurd as the idea that a president can arrange for himself and his family never to be investigated for fraud and similar wrongdoing while committing fraud and similar wrongdoing, is the thought that they believed it would work.
While I still have hope that there will be a shift away from at least some republicans, it is a dim hope. tRump has gotten away with sooo much because his sycophants have all lost their minds, their values and their souls... hence, to date, he/they have gotten away with so much, I am concerned that they will still try to appeal this ruling and somehow continue to raid the Treasury cookie jar... after all, if tRump could bankrupt his own casinos, he is well on the way to bankrupting our country... financially as well as morally... I am doing my best to keep hope alive so that despair will NOT get the last word...