Yet another pretty kettle of fish! This is for someone who is facing some pretty serious charges. He just … stopped speaking when he was on the stand, and this, yikes, this is bad. Very bad. He stopped speaking when he was, as might be expected, about to answer, and then wouldn’t talk. Uh oh. This is not good news when you are testifying under oath and have to give answers when you are in that seat. It is not a good meaning, any meaning, when he is silent. It makes him culpable, and that is the last choice one would think he would make.
He did not plead the Fifth. He just gave the prosecution complete silence. Well, it would have to be complete, because silence is complete. It means everything and nothing. Even in the room of legality, even in the courtroom where every word should count. Silence counts, too. There is no way to find out what is behind that silence.
Any of us could have chosen to be silent on something, whether in a courtroom or not, and we are the ones who know why we are silent. But only one person, or no one, knows the background of something. Being silent in a courtroom, well, this guy probably made people uneasy with it, especially considering he is being sued for a nasty, potentially bombshell of a truth. With respect for Raw Story:
A Republican state lawmaker in Florida went silent after he was questioned about accusations that he drugged and raped a former intern, according to reports Wednesday. Republican State Rep. Fabian Basabe, 48, took the stand in a Florida courtroom — he is being sued by two former employees. And in the trial that started this week, Basabe is being sued for sexually harassing his former Florida House legislative intern and aide, and later defaming the aide’s mother.
These are not small charges. These are not ridiculous charges. “Me Too” gave women the ability to have not just us but America, the ability to see the deeds of our molesters and to tell others it’s okay to come forward. We tell each other we are strong. And we are strong. The accuser of the man above has sued him for his actions. We don’t yet know what the result will be, but we are here for those who need us. That includes the plaintiffs.
Film director and political commentator Bill Corben described the “stunning moment” in a post on X. “Basabe sat SILENT for TEN SECONDS on the stand in front of a shocked Leon County courtroom in Tallahassee, not answering a question from plaintiffs’ attorney Katherine Viker,” Corben wrote.
Basabe, who is not an attorney and has not attended law school, has been representing himself in what the Miami Herald reported as a “chaotic” trial. Judge J. Lee Marsh has admonished Basabe for “violating court orders … at least five times.” Basabe has denied the allegations. He testified that the former aide “was always a loser,” according to the Miami Herald. He is currently up for re-election.
This dick is up for re-election and has a lawsuit for sexual harassment aimed at him. He is defending himself with no legal experience. He has been bad-mouthing the plaintiff and defaming another person. Could they sue again for the defamation coming out of this trial? It worked once. Perhaps they need to confer with E. Jean Carroll’s lawyers. They could get some good tips. Anything would be helpful to take this guy down.
Okay, argh, let’s be generous: he may be innocent, but the comments and answers, together with that damning silence for this when he was under oath, are pretty blatant. But there is no lawyer here for information for him. It’s what we infer from the evidence given us from whatever sort, and we have to hope that the Miami Herald is correct. The actions of Basabe come from the information in the courtroom. Silence. We shall see what happens.
Aaaaand just found out this story is a couple of days old, which is somewhat annoying considering all the work I put into it. Discovered through a picture lookup that BaSA was found liable for sexual harassment, battery, and defamation. Hot damn!
See you soon!
Friends, I know everybody begs you for money. I promise you that, of all the outlets bugging you for spare change, we are the smallest and the hardest-working. We’re a bunch of old, disabled people, except for one writer in his mid-50s. But the rest of us are in our sixties and seventies, and this is a labor of love. All we’re asking for is the ability to continue our quest to tell the truth about Trump and help ensure democracy survives. If you can help, please do. Thank you. Ursula
