diff --git a/_posts/2025/09/2025-09-03-TrumpsJusticeDeptLostCredibilityFedJudges.md b/_posts/2025/09/2025-09-03-TrumpsJusticeDeptLostCredibilityFedJudges.md index 09b5069b1..84703fb41 100644 --- a/_posts/2025/09/2025-09-03-TrumpsJusticeDeptLostCredibilityFedJudges.md +++ b/_posts/2025/09/2025-09-03-TrumpsJusticeDeptLostCredibilityFedJudges.md @@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ Subscribe to the [Deadline: Legal Newsletter](https://link.msnbc.com/join/5ck/ms - [President Donald Trump (47)](https://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/donald-j-trump/) - [President Trump (47) Administration](https://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/) - [President Trump (47) Cabinet](https://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/the-cabinet/) - - [Pam Bondi](https://www.justice.gov/ag/staff-profile/meet-us-attorney/) + - [Pam Bondi](https://www.justice.gov/ag/staff-profile/meet-attorney-general) - federal judges - US Courts - Justice Department diff --git a/_posts/2025/09/2025-09-22-HateSpeechIsFreeSpeechBondi.md b/_posts/2025/09/2025-09-22-HateSpeechIsFreeSpeechBondi.md index a8e36786a..d5dd5e38f 100644 --- a/_posts/2025/09/2025-09-22-HateSpeechIsFreeSpeechBondi.md +++ b/_posts/2025/09/2025-09-22-HateSpeechIsFreeSpeechBondi.md @@ -20,9 +20,9 @@ By Thomas Berry, director of the Robert A. Levy Center for Constitution Studies On Monday, [Attorney General Pamela Bondi](https://www.msnbc.com/morning-joe/watch/ag-bondi-faces-backlash-from-conservatives-after-threatening-to-go-after-hate-speech-247669317811) warned that this administration “will absolutely target you, go after you, if you are targeting anyone with hate speech.” -But [that is simply not allowed under the First Amendment](https://www.msnbc.com/deadline-white-house/deadline-legal-blog/pam-bondi-hate-speech-first-amendment-rcna231590), at least as the [Supreme Court](https://www.supremecourt.gov/) has applied it for more than half a century. The nation’s chief law enforcement officer [should know better](https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/bondi-opens-provocative-door-vows-target-believes-pushed-hate-speech-rcna231682). There is no “hate speech” exception to the [First Amendment](https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/amendment-1/). Not surprisingly, after a fierce backlash from many of the [Trump](https://www.donaldjtrump.com/) administration’s allies, [Bondi](https://www.justice.gov/ag/staff-profile/meet-us-attorney/) has since attempted to walk back her statement, [claiming that she was](https://x.com/AGPamBondi/status/1967913066554630181) speaking only of “hate speech that crosses the line into threats of violence.” +But [that is simply not allowed under the First Amendment](https://www.msnbc.com/deadline-white-house/deadline-legal-blog/pam-bondi-hate-speech-first-amendment-rcna231590), at least as the [Supreme Court](https://www.supremecourt.gov/) has applied it for more than half a century. The nation’s chief law enforcement officer [should know better](https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/bondi-opens-provocative-door-vows-target-believes-pushed-hate-speech-rcna231682). There is no “hate speech” exception to the [First Amendment](https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/amendment-1/). Not surprisingly, after a fierce backlash from many of the [Trump](https://www.donaldjtrump.com/) administration’s allies, [Bondi](https://www.justice.gov/ag/staff-profile/meet-attorney-general) has since attempted to walk back her statement, [claiming that she was](https://x.com/AGPamBondi/status/1967913066554630181) speaking only of “hate speech that crosses the line into threats of violence.” -[Bondi](https://www.justice.gov/ag/staff-profile/meet-us-attorney/)’s comments came [in the wake of the murder of Charlie Kirk,](https://www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnbc-opinion/charlie-kirk-shooting-trump-free-speech-maga-rcna231489), to which some have reacted by saying Kirk was not worthy of being mourned. As distasteful as [Bondi](https://www.justice.gov/ag/staff-profile/meet-us-attorney/) and many others may find these comments, they are constitutionally protected. Even celebrations of [Kirk](https://www.charliekirk.com/)’s murder could not be punished by the government. The [Supreme Court](https://www.supremecourt.gov/) made that clear in a case that similarly dealt with disrespect of the dead. +[Bondi](https://www.justice.gov/ag/staff-profile/meet-attorney-general)’s comments came [in the wake of the murder of Charlie Kirk,](https://www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnbc-opinion/charlie-kirk-shooting-trump-free-speech-maga-rcna231489), to which some have reacted by saying Kirk was not worthy of being mourned. As distasteful as [Bondi](https://www.justice.gov/ag/staff-profile/meet-attorney-general) and many others may find these comments, they are constitutionally protected. Even celebrations of [Kirk](https://www.charliekirk.com/)’s murder could not be punished by the government. The [Supreme Court](https://www.supremecourt.gov/) made that clear in a case that similarly dealt with disrespect of the dead. > *It would be dangerous to allow the government to become the arbiter for what speech is tasteful and inbounds.* diff --git a/_posts/2025/09/2025-09-26-DOJFindsLawyerIndictComey.md b/_posts/2025/09/2025-09-26-DOJFindsLawyerIndictComey.md index 9e9aefb40..e54c60df4 100644 --- a/_posts/2025/09/2025-09-26-DOJFindsLawyerIndictComey.md +++ b/_posts/2025/09/2025-09-26-DOJFindsLawyerIndictComey.md @@ -1,8 +1,8 @@ --- layout: post tags: [media, MSNBC News - Breaking News and News Today / Latest News, Ken Dilanian, Carol Leonnig, political parties, Democrat Party, Trumpian Party, organizations, universities, companies, foreign governments, state local governments, federal government, Constitution of the United States, U.S. Constitution - Article I / Library of Congress, U.S. Constitution - Article II / Library of Congress, U.S. Constitution - Article III / Library of Congress, U.S. Constitution - Article IV / Library of Congress, U.S. Constitution - Article V / Library of Congress, U.S. Constitution - Article VI / Library of Congress, U.S. Constitution - Article VII / Library of Congress, Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS), US Courts, Department of Justice (DOJ), Eastern District of Virginia / Eastern District of Virginia, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), James Comey, Federal Reserve, Federal Reserve Board - Federal Reserve Act, U.S. Department of the Treasury, Federal Election Commission (FEC), 2020 Presidential Election Results – Federal Election Commission (FEC), Congress, Senate, House of Representatives, President of the United States (POTUS), White House (WH), Trump autocracy, Donald J Trump, President Donald Trump (45), President Donald Trump (47), President Trump (47) Administration, President Trump (47) Cabinet, press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, Pam Bondi, Office of the Deputy Attorney General / Office of the Deputy Attorney General, Todd Blanche / LinkedIn, Lindsey Halligan, Kash Patel, Deputy Director Dan Bongino — FBI, grifter, self-dealing, corruption, con artist, crime, cryptocurrency, criminal associates, criminal businesses, criminal media, criminal organizations, criminal partners] -categories: [Donald Trump, Department of Justice (DOJ), Pam Bondi, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), James Comey, weaponization] -date: 2025-09-26 18:23 +categories: [Donald Trump, Department of Justice (DOJ), Pam Bondi, Lindsey Halligan, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), James Comey, weaponization] +ate: 2025-09-26 18:23 excerpt: '' #image: 'BASEURL/assets/blog/img/.png' #description: diff --git a/_posts/2025/09/2025-09-27-TrumpCorruptionEvidentComeyIndictment.md b/_posts/2025/09/2025-09-27-TrumpCorruptionEvidentComeyIndictment.md index 5930a52a8..955ab16f4 100644 --- a/_posts/2025/09/2025-09-27-TrumpCorruptionEvidentComeyIndictment.md +++ b/_posts/2025/09/2025-09-27-TrumpCorruptionEvidentComeyIndictment.md @@ -1,7 +1,7 @@ --- layout: post tags: [media, MSNBC News - Breaking News and News Today / Latest News, Steve Benen, The Rachel Maddow Show, MaddowBlog, “Ministry of Truth – Democracy Reality and the Republicans’ War on the Recent Past.”, The New York Times (NYT) - Breaking News US News World News and Videos, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) - Breaking News Business Financial & Economic News World News and Video, organizations, political parties, Democrat Party, Trumpian Party, universities, University of Minnesota Twin Cities, Home / University of Minnesota Law School, Rozenshtein Alan / University of Minnesota Law School, companies, foreign governments, state local governments, federal government, Constitution of the United States, U.S. Constitution - Article I / Library of Congress, U.S. Constitution - Article II / Library of Congress, U.S. Constitution - Article III / Library of Congress, U.S. Constitution - Article IV / Library of Congress, U.S. Constitution - Article V / Library of Congress, U.S. Constitution - Article VI / Library of Congress, U.S. Constitution - Article VII / Library of Congress, Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS), US Courts, Department of Justice (DOJ), Eastern District of Virginia / Eastern District of Virginia, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), James Comey, Federal Reserve, Federal Reserve Board - Federal Reserve Act, U.S. Department of the Treasury, Congress, Senate, House of Representatives, President of the United States (POTUS), White House (WH), Trump autocracy, Donald J Trump, President Donald Trump (45), President Donald Trump (47), President Trump (47) Administration, President Trump (47) Cabinet, press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, Pam Bondi, Office of the Deputy Attorney General / Office of the Deputy Attorney General, Todd Blanche / LinkedIn, Lindsey Halligan, Kash Patel, Deputy Director Dan Bongino — FBI, grifter, self-dealing, corruption, con artist, crime, cryptocurrency, criminal associates, criminal businesses, criminal media, criminal organizations, criminal partners] -categories: [Donald Trump, Department of Justice (DOJ), Pam Bondi, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), James Comey, weaponization] +categories: [Donald Trump, Department of Justice (DOJ), Pam Bondi, Lindsey Halligan, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), James Comey, weaponization] date: 2025-09-27 16:12 excerpt: '' #image: 'BASEURL/assets/blog/img/.png' @@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ It took seven years, but the [president](https://www.whitehouse.gov/) finally ma > *A federal grand jury in[Virginia](https://www.virginia.gov/) on Thursday formally charged former [FBI](https://www.fbi.gov/) [Director James Comey](https://www.fbi.gov/history/directors/james-b-comey) with lying to [Congress](https://www.congress.gov/) and obstruction of a congressional proceeding, days after [President](https://www.whitehouse.gov/) [Donald Trump](https://www.donaldjtrump.com/) forced out the U.S. attorney who had opposed bringing the case and publicly urged his attorney general to prosecute it.* -Erik Siebert, the [.Trump](https://www.donaldjtrump.com/)-nominated U.S. attorney for the [Eastern District of Virginia](https://www.justice.gov/usao-edva), [refused to pursue this case](https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/forcing-disobedient-prosecutor-trumps-new-nominee-makes-matters-worse-rcna232922), insisting that it lacked merit. Career prosecutors explained [in detail and in writing](https://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/news/former-fbi-director-james-comey-facing-imminent-indictment-threat-rcna233539) that the evidence didn’t support charging [Comey](https://www.fbi.gov/history/directors/james-b-comey). By some accounts, [Attorney General](https://www.justice.gov/) [Pam Bondi](https://www.justice.gov/ag/staff-profile/meet-us-attorney/) herself was [not](https://www.wsj.com/us-news/law/justice-department-officials-race-to-charge-james-comey-as-deadline-looms-4da7c71f?mod=hp_lead_pos2) on [board](https://politicalwire.com/2025/09/25/pam-bondi-has-concerns-over-indicting-james-comey/) with this indictment and voiced concerns behind the scenes. +Erik Siebert, the [.Trump](https://www.donaldjtrump.com/)-nominated U.S. attorney for the [Eastern District of Virginia](https://www.justice.gov/usao-edva), [refused to pursue this case](https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/forcing-disobedient-prosecutor-trumps-new-nominee-makes-matters-worse-rcna232922), insisting that it lacked merit. Career prosecutors explained [in detail and in writing](https://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/news/former-fbi-director-james-comey-facing-imminent-indictment-threat-rcna233539) that the evidence didn’t support charging [Comey](https://www.fbi.gov/history/directors/james-b-comey). By some accounts, [Attorney General](https://www.justice.gov/) [Pam Bondi](https://www.justice.gov/ag/staff-profile/meet-attorney-general) herself was [not](https://www.wsj.com/us-news/law/justice-department-officials-race-to-charge-james-comey-as-deadline-looms-4da7c71f?mod=hp_lead_pos2) on [board](https://politicalwire.com/2025/09/25/pam-bondi-has-concerns-over-indicting-james-comey/) with this indictment and voiced concerns behind the scenes. Even John Durham, a [Trump](https://www.donaldjtrump.com/)-appointed special counsel, reviewed the allegations and [opted not to follow through](https://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/news/james-comey-indictment-congress-fbi-director-rcna233691) on them. diff --git a/_posts/2025/09/2025-09-28-PersecutingComeyCouldBecomeMartyr.md b/_posts/2025/09/2025-09-28-PersecutingComeyCouldBecomeMartyr.md new file mode 100644 index 000000000..4bc052590 --- /dev/null +++ b/_posts/2025/09/2025-09-28-PersecutingComeyCouldBecomeMartyr.md @@ -0,0 +1,109 @@ +--- +layout: post +tags: [media, MSNBC News - Breaking News and News Today / Latest News, Morning Joe / MSNBC Morning Joe Live with Joe Scarborough, Joe Scarborough, Mika Brzezinski, ‘Prosecute’ vs. ‘Persecute’ – Merriam-Webster, organizations, political parties, Democrat Party, Trumpian Party, universities, companies, foreign governments, state local governments, MyFlorida.gov - The Official Portal of the State of Florida (FL), Governor Ron DeSantis / Executive Office of the Governor, Ron DeSantis / Executive Office of the Governor, federal government, Constitution of the United States, U.S. Constitution - Article I / Library of Congress, U.S. Constitution - Article II / Library of Congress, U.S. Constitution - Article III / Library of Congress, U.S. Constitution - Article IV / Library of Congress, U.S. Constitution - Article V / Library of Congress, U.S. Constitution - Article VI / Library of Congress, U.S. Constitution - Article VII / Library of Congress, Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS), US Courts, Department of Justice (DOJ), Eastern District of Virginia / Eastern District of Virginia, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Federal Reserve, Federal Reserve Board - Federal Reserve Act, U.S. Department of the Treasury, Congress, Senate, House of Representatives, President of the United States (POTUS), White House (WH), Trump autocracy, Donald J Trump, President Donald Trump (45), President Donald Trump (47), President Trump (47) Administration, President Trump (47) Cabinet, press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, Pam Bondi, Office of the Deputy Attorney General / Office of the Deputy Attorney General, Todd Blanche / LinkedIn, Lindsey Halligan, Kash Patel, Deputy Director Dan Bongino — FBI, grifter, self-dealing, corruption, con artist, crime, cryptocurrency, criminal associates, criminal businesses, criminal media, criminal organizations, criminal partners] +categories: [Donald Trump, Department of Justice (DOJ), Pam Bondi, Lindsey Halligan, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), James Comey, weaponization] +date: 2025-09-28 22:48 +excerpt: '' +#image: 'BASEURL/assets/blog/img/.png' +#description: +#permalink: +title: "Persecuting James Comey Could Make Him a Martyr" +--- + + +- ['Prosecute' vs. 'Persecute' – Merriam-Webster](https://www.merriam-webster.com/grammar/prosecuted-vs-persecuted-usage) + - “One you do in court, the other you do if you're a jerk.” + +## [Joe Scarborough: Trump just made James Comey ‘a political and a legal martyr’](https://www.msnbc.com/top-stories/latest/trump-james-comey-indictment-political-martyr-rcna233902) + +*The MSNBC host said [Trump](https://www.donaldjtrump.com/) should know better, given that during the 2024 presidential campaign his criminal charges helped rally his GOP base.* + +Sept. 26, 2025, 2:25 PM EDT +By [Allison Detzel](https://www.msnbc.com/author/allison-detzel-ncpn1310186) + +[MSNBC](https://www.msnbc.com/)host Joe Scarborough says [Donald Trump](https://www.msnbc.com/donald-trump)’s effort to indict [James Comey](https://www.fbi.gov/history/directors/james-b-comey/) could turn out to be a huge political miscalculation. + +On Thursday, a grand jury in the [Eastern District of Virginia](https://www.justice.gov/usao-edva/) [indicted the former FBI director](https://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/news/james-comey-indictment-congress-fbi-director-rcna233691) on two counts: making a false statement to [Congress](https://www.congress.gov/) and obstruction of a congressional proceeding. The indictment came just days after the [president](https://www.whitehouse.gov/) [publicly asked](https://www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnbc-opinion/trump-pam-bondi-truth-social-enemies-post-threat-rcna232991) his [attorney general](https://www.justice.gov/), [Pam Bondi](https://www.justice.gov/ag/staff-profile/meet-attorney-general), to prosecute his political enemies, including [Comey](https://www.fbi.gov/history/directors/james-b-comey/). + +Reacting to the indictment on Friday’s [“Morning Joe,”](https://www.msnbc.com/morning-joe) Scarborough said the [Justice Department](https://www.justice.gov/)’s move could backfire on the [president](https://www.whitehouse.gov/): “You do this, you turn the person you hate into a martyr. You make them bigger than ever.” + +He added: “That will be the first line in his obituary — that he was an [FBI](https://www.fbi.gov/) director, but that he became a martyr because a [president](https://www.whitehouse.gov/) said on social media to an attorney general, ‘Go and arrest this guy.’” + +Scarborough also said that by [indicting Comey](https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/trump-orchestrates-james-comey-indictment-fbi-justice-corruption-rcna233857), [Trump](https://www.donaldjtrump.com/) could “unite” people behind the former [FBI](https://www.fbi.gov/) director. + +“Now the world looks at [James Comey](https://www.fbi.gov/history/directors/james-b-comey/), and they see that he’s a political and a legal martyr,” he said. “Nobody thought that way yesterday, but they sure as hell are going to think that way today and tomorrow and into the future.” + +Scarborough said [Trump](https://www.donaldjtrump.com/) should know better, given that during the [2024 presidential campaign](https://www.msnbc.com/deadline-white-house/watch/-the-final-battle-inside-donald-trump-s-2024-presidential-campaign-of-vengeance-and-martyrdom-196973637917) his [criminal charges](https://www.msnbc.com/katie-phang/watch/justice-delayed-justice-denied-trump-s-criminal-cases-fade-after-election-win-225846853880) helped rally his [Republican](https://www.gop.com/) base. + +“Just go back to the 2024 campaign and look how the [Republican Party](https://www.gop.com/) was ready to move on to a certain [Florida](https://www.myflorida.gov/) [governor](https://www.flgov.com/),” Scarborough said, referring to [Gov.](https://www.flgov.com/eog/) [Ron DeSantis](https://www.flgov.com/eog/leadership/people/ron-desantis). “And then the indictments started coming down against [Donald Trump](https://www.donaldjtrump.com/), and that brought the [Republican Party](https://www.gop.com/) together behind him, and eventually led him to be elected the next [president](https://www.whitehouse.gov/) of the United States.” + +You can watch Scarborough’s full remarks in the clip at the top of the page. + +Allison Detzel is an editor/producer for [MSNBC Digital](https://www.msnbc.com/). + +---- +- media +- [MSNBC News - Breaking News and News Today / Latest News](https://www.msnbc.com/) + - [Morning Joe / MSNBC Morning Joe Live with Joe Scarborough](https://www.msnbc.com/morning-joe) + - [Joe Scarborough](https://www.msnbc.com/morning-joe/joe-scarborough-biography-n1157586) + - [Mika Brzezinski](https://www.msnbc.com/morning-joe/mika-brzezinski-biography-n1156481) +- ['Prosecute' vs. 'Persecute' – Merriam-Webster](https://www.merriam-webster.com/grammar/prosecuted-vs-persecuted-usage) +- organizations +- political parties +- [Democrat Party](https://www.democrats.org/) +- [Trumpian Party](https://www.gop.com/) +- universities +- companies +- foreign governments +- state, local governments +- [MyFlorida.gov - The Official Portal of the State of Florida (FL)](https://www.myflorida.gov/) + - [Governor Ron DeSantis / Executive Office of the Governor](https://www.flgov.com/eog/home) + - [Ron DeSantis / Executive Office of the Governor](https://www.flgov.com/eog/leadership/people/ron-desantis) +- federal government +- [Constitution of the United States](https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/) + - [U.S. Constitution - Article I / Library of Congress](https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/article-1/) + - [U.S. Constitution - Article II / Library of Congress](https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/article-2/) + - [U.S. Constitution - Article III / Library of Congress](https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/article-3/) + - [U.S. Constitution - Article IV / Library of Congress](https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/article-4/) + - [U.S. Constitution - Article V / Library of Congress](https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/article-5/) + - [U.S. Constitution - Article VI / Library of Congress](https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/article-6/) + - [U.S. Constitution - Article VII / Library of Congress](https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/article-7/) + - [Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS)](https://www.supremecourt.gov/) + - [US Courts](https://www.uscourts.gov/) + - [Department of Justice (DOJ)](https://www.justice.gov/) + - [Eastern District of Virginia / Eastern District of Virginia](https://www.justice.gov/usao-edva) + - [Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)](https://www.fbi.gov/) + - [Federal Reserve](https;//www.federalreserve.gov/) + - [Federal Reserve Board - Federal Reserve Act](https://www.federalreserve.gov/aboutthefed/fract.htm) + - [U.S. Department of the Treasury](https://home.treasury.gov/) + - [Congress](https://www.congress.gov/) + - [Senate](https://www.senate.gov/) + - [House of Representatives](https://www.house.gov/) + - [President of the United States (POTUS)](https://www.whitehouse.gov/) + - [White House (WH)](https://www.whitehouse.gov/) +- Trump autocracy + - [Donald J Trump](https://www.donaldjtrump.com/) + - [President Donald Trump (45)](https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/) + - [President Donald Trump (47)](https://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/donald-j-trump/) + - [President Trump (47) Administration](https://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/) + - [President Trump (47) Cabinet](https://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/the-cabinet/) + - press secretary + - Karoline Leavitt + - [Pam Bondi](https://www.justice.gov/ag/staff-profile/meet-attorney-general) + - [Office of the Deputy Attorney General / Office of the Deputy Attorney General](https://www.justice.gov/dag) + - [Todd Blanche / LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddblanche/) + - Lindsey Halligan + - [Kash Patel](https://www.fbi.gov/about/leadership-and-structure/director-patel) + - [Deputy Director Dan Bongino — FBI](https://www.fbi.gov/about/leadership-and-structure/deputy-director-dan-bongino) +- grifter +- self-dealing +- corruption +- con artist +- crime +- cryptocurrency +- criminal associates +- criminal businesses +- criminal media +- criminal organizations +- criminal partners +{% include TrumpWeaponization.html %} diff --git a/_posts/2025/09/2025-09-28-TrumpOrderingBondiToIndictComeyEvidence.md b/_posts/2025/09/2025-09-28-TrumpOrderingBondiToIndictComeyEvidence.md new file mode 100644 index 000000000..ac270e45b --- /dev/null +++ b/_posts/2025/09/2025-09-28-TrumpOrderingBondiToIndictComeyEvidence.md @@ -0,0 +1,108 @@ +--- +layout: post +tags: [media, MSNBC, Deadline – Legal Blog, Jordan Rubin, organizations, political parties, Democrat Party, Trumpian Party, universities, companies, foreign governments, state local governments, federal government, Constitution of the United States, U.S. Constitution - Article I / Library of Congress, U.S. Constitution - Article II / Library of Congress, U.S. Constitution - Article III / Library of Congress, U.S. Constitution - Article IV / Library of Congress, U.S. Constitution - Article V / Library of Congress, U.S. Constitution - Article VI / Library of Congress, U.S. Constitution - Article VII / Library of Congress, Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS), US Courts, Department of Justice (DOJ), Eastern District of Virginia / Eastern District of Virginia, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Federal Reserve, Federal Reserve Board - Federal Reserve Act, U.S. Department of the Treasury, Congress, Senate, House of Representatives, President of the United States (POTUS), White House (WH), Trump autocracy, Donald J Trump, President Donald Trump (45), President Donald Trump (47), President Trump (47) Administration, President Trump (47) Cabinet, press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, Pam Bondi, Office of the Deputy Attorney General / Office of the Deputy Attorney General, Todd Blanche / LinkedIn, Lindsey Halligan, Kash Patel, Deputy Director Dan Bongino — FBI, grifter, self-dealing, corruption, con artist, crime, cryptocurrency, criminal associates, criminal businesses, criminal media, criminal organizations, criminal partners] +categories: [Donald Trump, Department of Justice (DOJ), Pam Bondi, Lindsey Halligan, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), James Comey, weaponization] +date: 2025-09-28 21:39 +excerpt: '' +#image: 'BASEURL/assets/blog/img/.png' +#description: +#permalink: +title: "Trump’s Order to His Personal Attorney, Pam Bondi, to Indict Former FBI Director, James Comey, Could Backfire" +--- + + +- ['Prosecute' vs. 'Persecute' – Merriam-Webster](https://www.merriam-webster.com/grammar/prosecuted-vs-persecuted-usage) + - “One you do in court, the other you do if you're a jerk.” + +## [How Trump’s demand to charge Comey could surface in his legal defense](https://www.msnbc.com/deadline-white-house/deadline-legal-blog/james-comey-charges-fbi-donald-trump-rcna233662) + +*The [administration](https://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/) singled [Comey](https://www.fbi.gov/history/directors/james-b-comey/) out at [Trump](https://www.donaldjtrump.com/)’s behest. But getting the case dismissed on those grounds alone is more complicated than it might seem.* + +Sept. 26, 2025, 1:59 PM EDT +By [Jordan Rubin](https://www.msnbc.com/author/jordan-rubin-ncpn1301611) + +If the [Trump administration](https://www.msnbc.com/deadline-white-house/deadline-legal-blog/read-full-text-james-comey-indictment-pdf-rcna233818)’s prosecution of [James Comey](https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/trump-orchestrates-james-comey-indictment-fbi-justice-corruption-rcna233857) isn’t “selective” and “vindictive,” then those words have lost all meaning. But in the law, those words carry technical implications beyond their straightforward dictionary definitions and commonsense usages. So it’s worth keeping in mind that [Comey](https://www.fbi.gov/history/directors/james-b-comey/)’s case won’t automatically be dismissed on those grounds if his lawyers raise them, even if they do manage ultimately to get the case tossed. + +Defense motions to dismiss for selective and vindictive prosecution are difficult to win, as [President](https://www.whitehouse.gov/) [Donald Trump](https://www.donaldjtrump.com/) himself learned when he [lost such a motion](https://www.msnbc.com/deadline-white-house/deadline-legal-blog/judge-chutkan-trump-election-interference-case-rcna165135) in one of his federal criminal cases — which he nonetheless [got dismissed](https://www.msnbc.com/deadline-white-house/deadline-legal-blog/jack-smith-trump-federal-election-interference-case-dismiss-rcna181669) by winning the 2024 election. But he and the [Justice Department](https://www.justice.gov/) officials doing his bidding have given [Comey](https://www.fbi.gov/history/directors/james-b-comey/) and his legal team some material to work with in this new case, which could wind up being a rare example of one that gets tossed out pretrial. + +To be sure, the former [FBI](https://www.fbi.gov/) director reacted to his indictment on charges of lying to [Congress](https://www.congress.gov/) and obstruction [by maintaining his innocence and saying](https://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/james-comey-responds-after-trump-indictment-let-s-have-a-trial-248377925835), **“Let’s have a trial.”** But if his lawyers first seek to get the case dismissed — and it would be weird if they don’t try — then vindictive and selective prosecution could be among their pretrial arguments. + +Before turning to the law, let’s recap some of the recent facts that led to Thursday’s indictment. The [president](https://www.whitehouse.gov/) publicly complained that [Comey](https://www.fbi.gov/history/directors/james-b-comey/), whom he fired in his first term and who has since spoken out against the [president](https://www.whitehouse.gov/), hadn’t been criminally charged yet by his [administration](https://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/). The federal prosecutor overseeing the Virginia office that was investigating [Comey](https://www.fbi.gov/history/directors/james-b-comey/) [resigned after raising concerns](https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/19/us/politics/erik-siebert-comey-letitia-james.html) about such a prosecution. The [administration](https://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/) then installed a former [Trump](https://www.donaldjtrump.com/) personal lawyer without prosecutorial experience, [Lindsey Halligan](https://www.justice.gov/usao-edva/), who presented the case [to the grand jury herself,](https://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/news/trump-james-comey-indictment-us-attorney-lindsey-halligan-rcna233853) over the objection of experienced prosecutors, leading to [Comey](https://www.fbi.gov/history/directors/james-b-comey/)’s indictment. + +That all sounds “selective” and “vindictive” as those words are commonly understood. But let’s look at how this could play out in court, mindful that selective prosecution and vindictive prosecution are two separate legal claims. + +Starting with selective prosecution, defendants bringing such motions [must show that](https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=8588485846461271912&q=%22selective+prosecution%22+&hl=en&as_sdt=4,109,124&as_ylo=2016) they were singled out among “similarly situated” people who weren’t charged, and that they were charged for discriminatory reasons such as race, religion or other arbitrary classification, such as having exercised their legal rights. If [Comey](https://www.fbi.gov/history/directors/james-b-comey/)’s lawyers bring such a motion, then they might focus on that last category and argue that he was targeted for speaking out against [Trump](https://www.donaldjtrump.com/) or for engaging in some other legally protected activity. They would also need to show that other “similarly situated” people haven’t been charged. + +Turning to vindictive prosecution, [defendants must show](https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=13776528258147641111&q=+262+F.3d+305&hl=en&as_sdt=2006&authuser=1) that the prosecutor acted with genuine animus toward the defendant and that the defendant was prosecuted because of that animus. That seems to describe what happened here, with [Halligan](https://www.justice.gov/usao-edva/) being a [Trump](https://www.donaldjtrump.com/) loyalist pursuing [his longstanding grudge](https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/26/us/trump-comey-relationship-timeline.html) against [Comey](https://www.fbi.gov/history/directors/james-b-comey/), despite experienced [prosecutors’ own dim view](https://newrepublic.com/post/200911/trump-attorney-evidence-james-comey-indictment) of the case — but again, the legal standard is favorable to the government in giving prosecutors great deference, especially for their charging decisions. + +With that in mind, as farcical as such an argument would be, [Halligan](https://www.justice.gov/usao-edva/) might claim she made an independent judgment to bring the case (over the objection of people who have prosecuted many cases before and who aren’t politically beholden to the [president](https://www.whitehouse.gov/) — and, she might add, [a grand jury agreed](https://www.msnbc.com/deadline-white-house/deadline-legal-blog/read-full-text-james-comey-indictment-pdf-rcna233818) agreed there was probable cause to go forward on two of the three charges she presented. + +Remember, too, that all of this is grounded in a legal presumption of broad prosecutorial discretion and the notion that the government generally acts lawfully. It’s a presumption that the [Trump](https://www.donaldjtrump.com/) [DOJ](https://www.justice.gov/) [has shown it does not deserve](https://www.msnbc.com/deadline-white-house/deadline-legal-blog/trump-justice-department-lost-benefit-doubt-judges-rcna228763), and this case is a prime example of why. If [Comey](https://www.fbi.gov/history/directors/james-b-comey/)’s lawyers raise such a motion on selective or vindictive grounds, then an initial question could be whether the judge will pierce that unwarranted presumption and permit discovery into the matter. The [administration](https://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/) didn’t bring this case to put itself on trial, but that could be one result of having brought this case and all but invited such a defense motion. Even getting discovery on such a claim would be a defense win, regardless of the outcome. + +In the end, [Comey](https://www.fbi.gov/history/directors/james-b-comey/)’s lawyers could prevail on these rare grounds, but despite the almost comically corrupt circumstances leading to this indictment, success wouldn’t be guaranteed. His arraignment is set for Oct. 9, so we could learn more about his defense plans in the coming days and weeks. + +Subscribe to the [Deadline: Legal Newsletter](https://link.msnbc.com/join/5ck/msnbc-deadlinelegal-signup-inline) for expert analysis on the top legal stories of the week, including updates from the [Supreme Court](https://www.supremecourt.gov/) and developments in the [Trump](https://www.donaldjtrump.com/) [administration](https://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/)’s legal cases. + +[Jordan Rubin](https://www.msnbc.com/author/jordan-rubin-ncpn1301611) is the [Deadline: Legal Blog](https://www.msnbc.com/deadline-white-house) writer. He was a prosecutor for the [New York County District Attorney’s Office](https://manhattanda.org/) in [Manhattan](https://manhattanda.org/) and is the author of “Bizarro," a book about the secret war on synthetic drugs. Before he joined [MSNBC](https://www.msnbc.com/), he was a legal reporter for [Bloomberg Law](https://pro.bloomberglaw.com/). + +---- +- media +- [MSNBC](https://www.msnbc.com/) + - [Deadline: Legal Blog](https://www.msnbc.com/deadline-white-house) + - [Jordan Rubin](https://www.msnbc.com/author/jordan-rubin-ncpn1301611) +- organizations +- political parties +- [Democrat Party](https://www.democrats.org/) +- [Trumpian Party](https://www.gop.com/) +- universities +- companies +- foreign governments +- state, local governments +- federal government +- [Constitution of the United States](https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/) + - [U.S. Constitution - Article I / Library of Congress](https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/article-1/) + - [U.S. Constitution - Article II / Library of Congress](https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/article-2/) + - [U.S. Constitution - Article III / Library of Congress](https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/article-3/) + - [U.S. Constitution - Article IV / Library of Congress](https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/article-4/) + - [U.S. Constitution - Article V / Library of Congress](https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/article-5/) + - [U.S. Constitution - Article VI / Library of Congress](https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/article-6/) + - [U.S. Constitution - Article VII / Library of Congress](https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/article-7/) + - [Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS)](https://www.supremecourt.gov/) + - [US Courts](https://www.uscourts.gov/) + - [Department of Justice (DOJ)](https://www.justice.gov/) + - [Eastern District of Virginia / Eastern District of Virginia](https://www.justice.gov/usao-edva) + - [Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)](https://www.fbi.gov/) + - [Federal Reserve](https;//www.federalreserve.gov/) + - [Federal Reserve Board - Federal Reserve Act](https://www.federalreserve.gov/aboutthefed/fract.htm) + - [U.S. Department of the Treasury](https://home.treasury.gov/) + - [Congress](https://www.congress.gov/) + - [Senate](https://www.senate.gov/) + - [House of Representatives](https://www.house.gov/) + - [President of the United States (POTUS)](https://www.whitehouse.gov/) + - [White House (WH)](https://www.whitehouse.gov/) +- Trump autocracy + - [Donald J Trump](https://www.donaldjtrump.com/) + - [President Donald Trump (45)](https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/) + - [President Donald Trump (47)](https://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/donald-j-trump/) + - [President Trump (47) Administration](https://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/) + - [President Trump (47) Cabinet](https://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/the-cabinet/) + - press secretary + - Karoline Leavitt + - [Pam Bondi](https://www.justice.gov/ag/staff-profile/meet-attorney-general) + - [Office of the Deputy Attorney General / Office of the Deputy Attorney General](https://www.justice.gov/dag) + - [Todd Blanche / LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddblanche/) + - Lindsey Halligan + - [Kash Patel](https://www.fbi.gov/about/leadership-and-structure/director-patel) + - [Deputy Director Dan Bongino — FBI](https://www.fbi.gov/about/leadership-and-structure/deputy-director-dan-bongino) +- grifter +- self-dealing +- corruption +- con artist +- crime +- cryptocurrency +- criminal associates +- criminal businesses +- criminal media +- criminal organizations +- criminal partners +{% include TrumpWeaponization.html %} diff --git a/_posts/2025/09/2025-09-28-TrumpSetsSightOtherPerceivedEnemies.md b/_posts/2025/09/2025-09-28-TrumpSetsSightOtherPerceivedEnemies.md index 8397fa1fd..80c80c3b3 100644 --- a/_posts/2025/09/2025-09-28-TrumpSetsSightOtherPerceivedEnemies.md +++ b/_posts/2025/09/2025-09-28-TrumpSetsSightOtherPerceivedEnemies.md @@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ Obviously, this was largely gibberish. Neither the [president](https://www.white The [president](https://www.whitehouse.gov/) added that the case against the former [FBI](https://www.fbi.gov/) director is “not revenge.” No serious person could believe such an absurdity. -Indeed, [we’ve discussed](https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/trump-orchestrates-james-comey-indictment-fbi-justice-corruption-rcna233857), Erik Siebert, the [Trump](https://www.donaldjtrump.com/)-nominated U.S. attorney for the [Eastern District of Virginia](https://www.justice.gov/usao-edva/), [refused to pursue this case](https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/forcing-disobedient-prosecutor-trumps-new-nominee-makes-matters-worse-rcna232922), insisting that it lacked merit. Career prosecutors explained [in detail and in writing](https://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/news/former-fbi-director-james-comey-facing-imminent-indictment-threat-rcna233539) that the evidence didn’t support charging [Comey](https://www.fbi.gov/history/directors/james-b-comey/). By some accounts, [Attorney General](https://www.justice.gov/) [Pam Bondi](https://www.justice.gov/ag/staff-profile/meet-us-attorney/) herself was [not](https://www.wsj.com/us-news/law/justice-department-officials-race-to-charge-james-comey-as-deadline-looms-4da7c71f?mod=hp_lead_pos2) on [board](https://politicalwire.com/2025/09/25/pam-bondi-has-concerns-over-indicting-james-comey/) with this indictment and voiced concerns behind the scenes. +Indeed, [we’ve discussed](https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/trump-orchestrates-james-comey-indictment-fbi-justice-corruption-rcna233857), Erik Siebert, the [Trump](https://www.donaldjtrump.com/)-nominated U.S. attorney for the [Eastern District of Virginia](https://www.justice.gov/usao-edva/), [refused to pursue this case](https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/forcing-disobedient-prosecutor-trumps-new-nominee-makes-matters-worse-rcna232922), insisting that it lacked merit. Career prosecutors explained [in detail and in writing](https://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/news/former-fbi-director-james-comey-facing-imminent-indictment-threat-rcna233539) that the evidence didn’t support charging [Comey](https://www.fbi.gov/history/directors/james-b-comey/). By some accounts, [Attorney General](https://www.justice.gov/) [Pam Bondi](https://www.justice.gov/ag/staff-profile/meet-attorney-general) herself was [not](https://www.wsj.com/us-news/law/justice-department-officials-race-to-charge-james-comey-as-deadline-looms-4da7c71f?mod=hp_lead_pos2) on [board](https://politicalwire.com/2025/09/25/pam-bondi-has-concerns-over-indicting-james-comey/) with this indictment and voiced concerns behind the scenes. Even John Durham, a [Trump](https://www.donaldjtrump.com/)-appointed special counsel, reviewed the allegations and [opted not to follow through](https://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/news/james-comey-indictment-congress-fbi-director-rcna233691).