[NOTE TO READERS: I will return to my series on the Betty Van Patter case tomorrow.]
(Wiki Commons)
“If we are to survive as a nation of laws and democracy, this can never happen again.” — Rep. Bennie Thompson, chair of the House Jan 6th committee.
***
For the first time in U.S. history, a Congressional committee has recommended that criminal charges be brought against a former President.
If tried and convicted of the four charges referred by the committee, Donald J. Trump would never be allowed to hold office again.
The committee’s final hearing on the U.S. Capitol attack lasted just over an hour and can be viewed on C-span.
I watched all of the committee hearings end-to-end. They were fair and non-partisan and extremely restrained, given the gravity of the matter.
But let’s face the facts: It will be very difficult for the Justice Department to obtain a conviction of Trump, though the prosecution of his lieutenants like John Eastman and Rudy Giuliani should be easier.
Trump’s allegedly criminal actions include the speech he gave on Jan. 6th urging his supporters to go to the Capitol. He may be able to claim this was merely a political speech regarding a political matter, and that he didn't encourage them to use violence to overthrow the results of the election.
He also will no doubt claim “executive privilege” to protect many of his other communications that are relevant to this case.
In any event, many legal steps remain. First the Justice Department has to indict Trump, then try him, then convict him. All of that will take time.
And even if he is eventually let off on what would be essentially technicalities by the criminal justice system, Trump will forever be viewed by history for what he most definitely is— a traitor.
LINKS:
Read the full 4,155-page, $1.7 trillion government funding bill released by Congress (The Hill)
Justice Is Coming for Donald Trump (Atlantic)
What's next for Trump legally and politically (BBC)
How Trump has responded to the Jan. 6 committee (ABC)
Jan. 6 panel refers McCarthy, three other Republicans for ethics violations (Politico)
Magnitude 6.4 earthquake causes widespread damage in Northern California (LAT)
Harvey Weinstein is convicted of 3 of 7 charges, including rape, in his Los Angeles sexual assault trial (CNN)
Failed Republican candidate for Arizona governor Kari Lake hinted at violence to a crowd of thousands of conservative activists Sunday. Lake has sued elections administrators alleging fraud, saying the system was a "house of cards." "We're going to burn it to the ground," she said, to chants of "Kari! Kari!" [HuffPost]
How Trump jettisoned restraints at Mar-a-Lago and prompted legal peril (WP)
‘THE central issue’: How the fall of Roe v. Wade shook the 2022 election (Politico)
Russian drone barrage damages Kyiv critical infrastructure facility (CNN)
Russian President Vladimir Putin headed for Belarus on Monday, fueling Ukrainian fears he intends to pressure his ally to join a new offensive. (Reuters)
Night-time drone attack hits Kyiv as Putin heads to Belarus (AP)
Ukraine Says Russia Is Training Soldiers for Possible New Offensive (NYT)
Potential Pre-Christmas Bomb Cyclone Could Bring Blizzard Conditions In Great Lakes, High Winds In East (Weather Channel)
Winter Storm and Bitter Cold Could Disrupt Holiday Travel, Forecasters Say (NYT)
The pandemic-era rule known as Title 42 ends Wednesday and Texas border cities are preparing for as many as 5,000 new migrants a day across the U.S.-Mexico border. El Paso County Judge Ricardo Samaniego said the region was coordinating with NGOs and other cities and requested humanitarian help. Temperatures in the region are set to drop below freezing this week. [AP]
Both Republican and Democrat lawmakers pressed President Joe Biden to take action to manage an expected wave of asylum seekers at America's southern border when COVID-era restrictions are set to end this week. (Reuters)
US border cities strained ahead of expected migrant surge (AP)
U.S. Congress aims to pack additional measures into government funding bill (Reuters)
Twitter owner Elon Musk tweeted a poll asking users if he should step down as CEO of the social media company and they said "yes." As the poll ended this morning, 57.5% of respondents said Musk should give himself the boot. The billionaire continued a streak of erratic decisions over the weekend, making and taking away policy seemingly on a whim. [HuffPost]
Elon Musk’s future as Twitter CEO uncertain as poll is set to close (WP)
Twitter Users Say Elon Musk Should Quit as Boss (NYT)
UN human rights chief calls on Musk to respect free speech (The Hill)
Tesla’s Direct Sales Model Helps It Thwart Customer Lawsuits (NYT)
Two Nearby Earth-Like Worlds Found in The Sweet Spot For Life to Survive (ScienceAlert)
Nations promise to protect 30 percent of planet to stem extinction (WP)
Mystery Nevada fossil site could be ancient maternity ward (AP)
‘Sea monster’ graveyard mystery solved? Fossils offer signs of 230-million-year-old migration. (WP)
Area Man Stops Self After Eating 3 Advent Calendars (The Onion)
No comments:
Post a Comment