From time to time we laud the fact that the guardrails of democracy miraculously held during the Trump reign of terror. If that is the case, it is due to courageous individuals who had not lost their way but stayed true not only to their own moral compass but to the rule of law. Former U.S. attorney in Atlanta, Byung J. Pak is one of these individuals. He told the Senate Judiciary Committee Wednesday that Donald Trump said he would fire Pak unless he said that voter fraud had been widespread in Georgia. Total mob speak, total Trump. If you want to keep your job you do what I tell you. Great way to run a democracy. Separation of powers and all that. New York Times:
Mr. Pak testified that top department officials had made clear that Mr. Trump intended to fire him over his refusal to say that the results in Georgia had been undermined by voter fraud, the person said. Resigning would pre-empt a public dismissal. […]
The Senate Judiciary Committee is examining Mr. Pak’s departure as part of its broader investigation into the final weeks of the Trump administration and the White House’s efforts to pressure the Justice Department to falsely assert that the election was corrupt. The Justice Department’s inspector general is also looking at Mr. Pak’s resignation. […]
During a phone call with Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger of Georgia on Jan. 2, two days before Mr. Pak resigned, Mr. Trump asked Mr. Raffensperger to find enough votes to reverse the state’s presidential election results and described fraud allegations that Mr. Raffensperger said were not supported by facts, according to leaked audio of the call.
Mr. Pak had refused to support similar election fraud claims because of the lack of evidence, according to two people familiar with his investigation. “You have your never-Trumper U.S. attorney there,” Mr. Trump told Mr. Raffensperger during their phone call.
Audio of that call was leaked to The Washington Post on Sunday, Jan. 3, just hours before Mr. Trump met with top Justice Department officials to discuss the possibility of replacing the acting attorney general, Jeffrey A. Rosen, with Jeffrey Clark, a department leader who was willing to falsely tell Georgia officials that fraud might have affected the election outcome.
It would be interesting to know why Trump didn’t replace Jeffrey Rosen with Jeffrey Clark. That piece of information may be key. If Trump had made the replacement, Clark would have been all too happy to state that the Georgia election results were “corrupt,” as Trump had asked, and that could have been he beginning of an actual coup d’etat.
5. A potpourri of criminal provisions potentially apply.
Here's @CREWcrew's complaint which also applies 18 U.S. Code § 595 (and § 610) to facts involving the removal of Pak.https://t.co/I1KjMDWwkf pic.twitter.com/AcpnrZwkvS
— Ryan Goodman (@rgoodlaw) August 11, 2021
Trump’s criminal intent at this point is pretty blatant. Whether he will get indicted or not is the next big question. Yes, Donnie, there was a rigged election in 2020. You rigged it, or at least you tried.
“Trump’s criminal intent at this point is pretty blatant. Whether he will get indicted or not is the next big question. Yes, Donnie, there was a rigged election in 2020. You rigged it, or at least you tried.”
And prosecutions are following. Slower than many would like, but remember,
June 17 1972 Actual break-in at Watergate
August 9 1974 Nixon resignation.
September 8 1974 Nixon pardon.
January 1 1975 Guilty verdicts on the five main culprits convicted handed down, 69
government officials being charged, 48 being found guilty.
So we still have time to go, and remember, Nixon admitted the charges, Trump lies.
Back when Congress could still investigate and get people to testify.
Do you think Biden might pardon trump to avoid having a former president go to trial?
No.
No way ….
Concinnity, thanks for the historical perspective. It’s hard to wait and I’m not getting any younger. But you are right, things are moving along ever so slowly!
Trump didn’t replace Rosen because the rest of DOJ leadership said they’d resign in protest if he did that. Rosen would have been captain of a rudderless, dead ship without a team in place to run things, and this was 72 hours prior to the Certification. Given more time, Trump could’ve replaced Rosen and gotten what he wanted.
*Clark* would have had the vacant ship. Rosen would have been okay. But the former guy really was trying to get all the obstacles out of his way. We all figured Pak quit because he was asked to break the law and say Biden lost in GA.