Yeah, yeah. You’ve heard this before, Rep. Adam Schiff says there is enough evidence being referred from Congress to DOJ to prosecute Trump. A lot of this is semantics, given that DOJ has worked out a deal where they have access to all of the Committee’s evidence almost as soon as it’s collected. Additionally, the DOJ has been hauling witness after witness in front of its own grand jury (Jack Smith just empaneled another grand jury for 90 days, which is a bit disconcerting that Smith cannot “use the one that DOJ had been using” (though they can use transcripts from previous testimony). But there is one element that we should all remember.
The last public committee hearing was in October. If anything, the Committee went into hyperdrive in collecting evidence since then. It is possible that the Committee has evidence that we haven’t heard, stuff that DOJ wanted to be kept under wraps. We saw the Meadows’ texts, but no one said we saw all of them, nor did anyone say that there wasn’t more from others. Whatever else there might be, Schiff promised us today that in his opinion, there’s enough evidence to prosecute:
The Guardian reports:
California congressman Adam Schiff said Sunday that he believes there is “sufficient evidence” to criminally charge Donald Trump in relation to his efforts to overturn the 2020 election.
Schiff’s dramatic statement on CNN’s State of the Union came one day before the House January 6 select committee to which he belongs is poised to release an outline of its extensive investigative report on the US Capitol attack, which has been linked to nine deaths, including the suicides of traumatized law enforcement officers.
“I think that the evidence is there that Trump committed criminal offenses in connection with his efforts to overturn the election,” said Schiff. “And viewing it as a former prosecutor, I think there’s sufficient evidence to charge the former president.”
Awfully dry wording. “Sufficient.” Yes, the evidence is there, but we’d prefer words like “compelling,” though Schiff has been down this road before. After two impeachments and this committee, he has likely learned to keep some cereal in the box.
More importantly, it just “feels” like there is a will out there that has coalesced into “It’s time.” Trump is weak. Even the MAGAs are leaving en masse over Nazi dinners, the termination of the Constitution, and major announcements about cheap trading cards of “super heroes.” If there was ever a time to try for the “shot,” this is it.
Congress can only make “referrals.” DOJ must ultimately decide what it’s going to do. (I don’t know if the referral goes to DOJ and stays at DOJ or goes to Jack Smith). But a recommendation from a Congressional Committee is highly significant, as we’ve seen already from the contempt of Congress charges. It is not definitive, of course, but it’s more than a call from a constituent.
Most importantly, we don’t know all of the evidence that Schiff may have gathered, along with DOJ, but we do know that Trump is weaker than he’s been in six years. Most of the MAGAs have moved on to DeSantis. Yes, some will rebel, some violently, but not as many as previously thought.
Some might simply look at the evidence. Schiff says it is there. It is time to trust him, and it’s time to move.
[email protected], @JasonMiciak, Substack: “IS Joe Tired of all This Winning? No… Seriously… Talk 2024″
This whole ‘we need to worry about these magats’ IS the problem. Fuck those nazi bastards. That’s the problem with the law. It claims to be impartial and we see clearly that’s just bullshit. Prosecutors, judges, and sheriff’s are POLITICIANS. Ever see a prosecutor go to jail for knowingly withholding evidence that sent an innocent person to prison? Ever? Nope. The system is corrupt. Just ask the American Indians, the black folks or the political prisoners arrested under unjustifiable cannabis laws put in place by a criminal president. Cue up the usual excuses. When the Law actually does live up to its motto maybe things will change. Hypocrisy backed by guns is no path to justice. No justice? No peace.
No one will argue that, at least not with me.
There is only one consideration. All prosecutors all the time have discretion about bringing a case and if one thought it would ignite civil war, it at least ought to give them pause. It shouldn’t be definitive, and won’t be. But the weaker Trump is, the easier it is. That’s just reality. It’s not my fault and I don’t say I believe in it.
It’s not news that the justice system has a long, sordid history of treating people with money and/or power with kid gloves. Of granting considerations to them you or I would be laughed out of court were we to ask for even one of them. Two separate systems – one for the rich/powerful and one for the rest of us. So in that context we shouldn’t be at all surprised that DOJ is taking time to make sure they’ve got Trump dead to rights. But add in his trying (as Nixon did only far more openly/blatantly) to claim an extra layer of protection, that Presidents (or former ones) are special cases and can’t be prosecuted at all and it gets even weirder. DOJ has gotten public corruption convictions plenty of times BUT they took their time building their cases and still gulped at taking the leap from building a solid case to actually filing charges. For all their perceived toughness federal prosecutors are for the most part timid – afraid to go into court without a slam-dunk case where the defendant is begging to be taken before a jury to confess their crime(s) from the witness box! With evidence!
Still, in the end I think charges will be filed. The documents case might and probably would have slid by except there are highly classified documents involved. DOJ has no choice on this one. They’ve got Trump cold. The tougher question is whether they proceed with that one right away (which they can and should do) or wait to try and mix in some additional charges? That’s a tougher question. I’m for keeping things simple. If you’ve got a strong, ready to go case (the documents) get to court and make it. That doesn’t stop other prosecutors from continuing to build other cases. And for those who worry about the “piling on” thing after Trump is convicted (and he’d be tried in DC where it would be much harder to slip a MAGAt on to the jury) but DOJ is going to face all manner of hate and criticism no matter what. So they might as well go ahead.
All prosecutors are extremely selective in what cases they bring. AGs and DAs are elected officials and they know their job depends on “being tough on crime” and that means having g a good record of wins. It is why they offer plea deals or choose not to.prosecute cases that they don’t think they can win.
It is why so few rape cases are tried: Ultimately most of them come down to he said/she said. rapists generally don’t rape in front of witnesses nor do they film it on their phone. Jurors often want more than circumstancial.evidence, and won’t vote to send someone to prison without it.
Let’s not forget that Schiff was a federal prosecutor for nearly six years (out of the US Attorney’s office in Los Angeles).
There may be an outbreak of violence when TFG is indicted but it will be squelched and we can finally move on. Without an indictment, orange slime will continue to spew his vitriol, lies and dog whistles, which will create even more violence the longer he’s able to do it. That man needs to be muzzled and the sooner the better and as far as I can tell, behind bars is the only way that will happen.
He’s going to shrink like jack Nicholson in Witches of Eastwick. He turned from a charming debonair womanizer to reveal what he really was…a grotesque insect with evil intentions.