Here's Republican Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick calling out the slush fund travesty.
Absolutely incredible that Blanche (on Trump's directive) won't rule out money for the violent Jan 6 offenders. There was no DOJ "weaponization" (what a crock of shit) against those thugs or the other violent criminals. Take, for example, the six scumbags who attacked DC Metropolitan Police Officer Michael Fanone. They knocked him to the ground, beat him, dragged him into the crowd, made him plead for his life and repeatedly shocked him with a Taser, causing him to lose consciousness and suffer a heart attack. He also sustained a traumatic brain injury and developed PTSD, and is permanently physically and mentally disabled.
The attackers all either pled guilty or were found guilty at trial.
Trump's pardons and commutation of sentences for these thugs were despicable. Now they're eligible for payment for almost killing a cop. F*ck them, Trump and anyone who thinks this is ok.
Trust between citizens is the bedrock of the American social contract which Trump is annihilating with every foul-breathed utterance and self-aggrandizing misdeed.
"Recent presidents have stayed away from trading stocks in companies whose fortunes they could lift or scuttle with the stroke of a pen, but Donald Trump smashed that precedent in the first quarter of this year with more than 3,600 buy and sell orders, many of them involving companies whose profits have been directly impacted by his decisions as head of the government."
He's even gotten richer off his war. "His portfolio also scooped up stocks of several U.S. military suppliers impacted by the Iran war, including Lockheed Martin, General Dynamics and Northrop Grumman."
"Since he became president again, the Trump Organization has taken in tens of millions in upfront fees from overseas developers that want to put his name on resorts and hundreds of millions from cryptocurrency sales, mostly anonymous, making it impossible to know if the purchaser were trying to curry favor with the president."
"All recent U.S. presidents [prior to Trump] have dumped their stocks before assuming office, put their money in broadly diversified funds or set up a blind trust so they couldn’t even know what they owned.
The blind trust route was taken by George H.W. Bush, then Bill Clinton. George W. Bush, the son, dumped his stocks. Barack Obama was in broadly diversified mutual funds. Joe Biden didn’t trade."
Self-dealing, self-interest, increasing his personal wealth. That's always been his driver. But now he's profiting off the presidency (he's made almost $2 billion just since his November 2024 election) in unprecedented ways and likely putting our national security at risk.
Trump's portfolio made trades in Nvidia, Apple and other big companies, filing shows | AP News
Comey and Hillary should apply for these funds.
just sayin’
Comey and Hillary should apply for these funds.
I think you're on to something.
I believe there are only two ways to have this slush fund shut down - - either Congress takes action, or there's litigation.
Regarding congressional action, Senate Republicans John Curtis and John Thune have indicated they're not fans of the fund. Others, including Moran, Collins and Murkowski, seem to be very skeptical. In the House, Republican Brian Fitzpatrick wants to shut it down and it's likely there are others as well. Maybe there will be enough opposition to get something done.
With respect to litigation, two of the J6 police victims have filed suit. The problem, though, is that they probably lack standing. In order to establish standing, they have to show that they've been harmed in some way by the slush fund. Their arguments related to harm are probably too speculative to constitute actual standing. So it may be necessary, then, for someone to file a claim against the fund and then have the claim denied. Someone like Comey, Letitia James or John Bolton. Trump/Blanche could drag their feet, though, in denying the claim. Also, litigation takes time. Funds would likely already be disbursed before the resolution of any suit.
I think the best chance is with Congress. Hopefully enough congressional Republicans will step up, do the right thing and stop this abomination.
We are finding out drip by drip that the democrats have lied more, cost all of us more, and stole more than Trump ever could have.
Covid
The Border
AGW
Medicare, Medicaid, and other bennies
TPPS
Refugees
Iran
Green new Deal
Inflation reduction Act
All lies and inextricably intertwined with paybacks, kickbacks, fraud, and theft.
@co-hoosier these the most disjointed article ever. The claim is OPT is stealing jobs from Americans since those employees aren't subject to FICA.... But then says they are phantom jobs from "suspect employers" that don't really exist. Uh what....?
So, Americans are losing out on jobs to foreign students that actually are fake jobs. I'm not sure what incentive there is for an employer to sign up a student in an OPT job position, for a job that doesn't exist.
We are finding out drip by drip that the democrats have lied more, cost all of us more, and stole more than Trump ever could have.
Covid
The Border
AGW
Medicare, Medicaid, and other bennies
TPPS
Refugees
Iran
Green new Deal
Inflation reduction Act
All lies and inextricably intertwined with paybacks, kickbacks, fraud, and theft.
You're the King of False Equivalences.
There's never been a taxpayer-funded slush fund like Trump's $1.776 billion travesty.
What's the legal justification for the fund? You cool with cop-beaters and other violent offenders tapping into the fund? Answer those two questions without mentioning "Biden" or "Dems." Bet you can't do it.
We are finding out drip by drip that the democrats have lied more, cost all of us more, and stole more than Trump ever could have.
Covid
The Border
AGW
Medicare, Medicaid, and other bennies
TPPS
Refugees
Iran
Green new Deal
Inflation reduction Act
All lies and inextricably intertwined with paybacks, kickbacks, fraud, and theft.
You are comparing the "lies" of an entire party to the lies of one man. Trump absolutely has lied more than any single politician in the modern era (which is the statement that big ryan is making). If you want to do a proper comparison, we can pull up every lie Joe Biden has uttered, but I don't think you are going to like the results. Even if only because it's a numbers / percentage game that Trump makes nearly 100 public statements a day compared to Biden who would have a dozen on a good day.
If you want to go party vs. party, you've got a stronger argument, but with the number of other Republicans that always have to scramble and come up with some pretzel logic to justify the lies that Trump has spewed, I don't think that result would be much better.
We are finding out drip by drip that the democrats have lied more, cost all of us more, and stole more than Trump ever could have.
Covid
The Border
AGW
Medicare, Medicaid, and other bennies
TPPS
Refugees
Iran
Green new Deal
Inflation reduction Act
All lies and inextricably intertwined with paybacks, kickbacks, fraud, and theft.
Iran?
.
@big-ryan honestly the slush fund isn't nearly as bad as teh agreement for the irs not to pursue him personally for prior filings etc. that's just blatant graft. @hurryinghoosiers graft hickory. not grift. they mean different things. your lesson for the day. we're going to educate you where the school system failed
He must have missed the day they covered graft vs. grift. Of course, that's a daily lesson in law school.@big-ryan honestly the slush fund isn't nearly as bad as teh agreement for the irs not to pursue him personally for prior filings etc. that's just blatant graft. @hurryinghoosiers graft hickory. not grift. they mean different things. your lesson for the day. we're going to educate you where the school system failed
.
@bulk-vh shiiiiiiiiiiiiit if law professors knew the difference they wouldn't be law professors