Does it bother Americans that Trump has damaged our trust in the DoJ and its ability to pursue JUSTICE, not Trump's vendettas?
- Federal judges appointed by both Republican and Democratic presidents have increasingly criticized Justice Department lawyers for misleading courts, misrepresenting facts, and engaging in unseemly or unethical conduct. [1, 2, 3]
- Courts have openly questioned the traditional "presumption of regularity"—the baseline assumption that government attorneys act truthfully and follow standard procedures in good faith. [1, 2, 3]
- Judges have accused department officials of using the grand jury and subpoena processes improperly to target political rivals or advance administration ag
"Friday’s dismissal of the Department of Justice case against David Hearn for vandalism of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool came days after Hearn’s lawyers asked for transcripts of the grand jury proceedings that led to the indictment. The lawyers noted that the government’s only witness testified that the pool was already damaged before Hearn went near it, and that the witness could not quantify the cost of any damage Hearn might have done over and above the cost of repairing the existing damage. The lawyers told the court there were “irregularities in the government’s presentation of the evidence to the grand jury” that “call into question whether the grand jury was misled.”
The Department of Justice has been caught repeatedly misleading grand juries or committing misconduct in getting indictments. Hearn’s lawyers were suggesting that the Department of Justice engaged in the same misconduct in the indictment of David Hearn for damaging the bottom of the reflecting pool.
In their filing, they noted that a judge and former federal prosecutor in the District of Columbia had recently stated that “[g]enerations of presidential administrations and public officials” have reinforced the idea, called the “presumption of regularity,” that public officials do their jobs properly, operate in good faith, and follow correct procedures. But, the judge noted, “In just six months, the President of the United States may have forfeited the right to such a presumption.”
On July 28, J. David McSwane, Pratheek Rebala, and Carla Astudillo of ProPublica reported that judges across the country are calling out lawyers for the Department of Justice, questioning whether they can be trusted to tell the truth and whether they are operating according to centuries-old norms. Judges have called behavior by Department of Justice lawyers “unlawful,” “unethical,” “unseemly,” and otherwise dishonest.
The degradation of the Department of Justice, which is charged with defending the rule of law for the American people, into an instrument of Trump’s political wrath has been illustrated in the fight over the confirmation of Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche to attorney general.
Before going to the Department of Justice, Blanche was Trump’s personal attorney. He led Trump’s criminal defense team in the case of falsifying records to cover up hush-money payments to adult film actress Stormy Daniels, as well as his defense against the two cases brought by special counsel Jack Smith: the one indicting him for trying to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election and the one indicting him for retaining classified documents after leaving office.
Since he took over for former attorney general Pam Bondi, Blanche has openly flouted the law in order to do Trump’s bidding. He secured indictments against people Trump perceives to be enemies, including former FBI director James Comey for posting on Instagram a picture of seashells arranged to form the number “8647.”
28 comments:
For decades the DOJ and the courts have operated under a system and concept known as the "presumption of regularity."
Under this, federal judges historically operate on the baseline assumption that government officials, including lawyers representing the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), are acting lawfully, in good faith, and are discharging their duties with institutional truthfulness and accuracy.
For some reason, since the Trump Admin has been bringing cases to the federal bench, courts have said the government no longer deserves the "presumption of regularity."
I would ask why, but let's just save time... it's because the Trump Admin lawyers at all levels of the DOJ are going into federal court and lying. They know it, we know it and the courts know it.
But hey, thank God we don't have "sleepy joe" or Kamala, right?
Good points, Dave. the courts were perfectly legal under Biden and no doubt
would have been under Kamala. Yet we are stuck with the Funny Farm of
vengeance and incompetence. A very sorry chapter in the history of a great
nation. Progeny, please accept our apologies.
Presumption of Regularity? Like raiding the homes of ex-US Presidents instead of getting permission, first?
Did the SWAT team raid Biden's Rehoboth House?
Federal law enforcement did not use a search warrant for Joe Biden's properties; instead, the FBI conducted planned, consensual searches coordinated voluntarily by the president's legal team. A Special Counsel later concluded that no criminal charges were warranted.
Lies, hate, and corruption go hand in hand with thugs and fascists at every level. Why hasn't America learned this? (Yeah, I know...)
The fish rots from the head down. This nation is witnessing this on a regular daily basis since trump 2.0.
One should fully expect acceleration of the deeping rot unless trump's syncophants in congress are soundly defeated in 2026 an again 2028. As well as beyond.
The republican party has become nothing more than a cheerleading squad for the ignorant pathologivmal liar and malignant narcissist.
The FBI had formal legal permission to search Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate.On August 8, 2022, federal agents executed a judicially authorized search warrant signed by a federal magistrate judge.
The Legal Authority Behind the Search
Judicial Approval: A federal magistrate judge reviewed a detailed affidavit submitted by the Department of Justice and determined there was probable cause to believe federal crimes had been committed.
Statutory Violations: The search warrant authorized agents to look for evidence regarding potential violations of three federal laws: the Espionage Act, obstruction of justice, and the unlawful removal or destruction of government records.
Scope of the Warrant: The court-approved permission allowed the FBI to search specific storage rooms, offices, and other areas used by Trump and his staff where presidential documents could be stored."
The FBI search at Mar-a-Largo was completely legal. Unlike the obvious illegality of the DoJ and its bogus charges against David Hearn and the Reflecting Pool vandalism. Trump's own DoJ and the Dept. of the Interior admitted to fact that there was no vandalism.
The damage to the Reflecting Pool was the result of shoddy work done by a crappy contractor who is Trump's pal who belongs to his Mar-a-Largo club.
The corruption stinks to high heaven. This is what happens when uninformed voters decide to put a convicted criminal in charge of the country.
Ignorance is incurable. trump's MAGA is Ignorance, therefore incurable.
Well -FJ, the "presumption of regularity" applies to actions, words and pleas within the courthouse, the place where you must show evidence and speak truthfully. The Biden Admin had one isolated case. The Trump Admin has already had four cases.
I'm not sure how your examples affect the presumption of regularity. But kudos for trying once again hijack the thread with unrelated BS.
So how many novel legal theories were tested against Trump during the Biden Administration. How many falsified FISA warrants were needed to investigate him during his first term? When you PRESUME regularity, you make an ASS of U and ME.
Reminds us of 'The Nightmare Years' Correspondent William L. Shirer
spent 1930-1940 in Nazi Germany and wrote the book. We also note
the less erudite, but spot on observation of Yogi Berra's deja vu all over
again....
First of all, the word you mean is "assume," not "presume." "ASS of U and ME" only works with "ass u me."
Secondly, your comment is a "whataboutism." While individual misconduct (such as the alteration of a key email by an FBI lawyer) and severe procedural failures occurred within the FBI during the 2016–2017 FISA process, the Biden administration itself did not exist at the time and was not responsible for falsifying FISA warrants.
And thirdly, the country and the world just witnessed Trump trying to place the blame for his incompetence on an innocent American (who could have gone to prison for up to 10 years) because he hired a shoddy contractor to pretty-up the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.
That is what's happening NOW, as he refuses to see what his own DoJ and Dept. of the Interior admitted really happened. Trump claims there are videos of the vandals cutting up the lining of the pool, and yet he won't produce those videos. Do you wonder why? I don't. Trump is a pathological liar and a man who NEVER admits a mistake, ever, even if it means throwing an innocent person in jail to cover up his stupidity and ineptitude.
When the hell are you and your fellow MAGA going to face the fact that Trump is a sick, sick narcissist whose criminality is staggering.
And all you have as a rebuttal is "WHATABOUTISM."
Our friends in England, Spain, Italy, and France can't understand why we Americans tolerate Trump's corruption and stupidity.
I have no answers for them.
The only answer, and its a straight forward two pronged, is wilfull ignorance and apathy.
Once again -FJ, Thersites, Joe C, and all the rest of your personalities, you're just as comical as the Three Amigos sitting on a wall saying "Look over there".
The presumption of regularity is not some "novel legal theory" made up for or foisted on the American people. It is a foundational legal doctrine, adopted by the US in 1816, dictating that courts must assume public officials have properly, lawfully, and in good faith discharged their official duties unless there is clear evidence to the contrary or that they have not done so.
In a nutshell... US Federal Courts give the benefit of the doubt to the US Government unless the government has shown they cannot be trusted, lie, file BS charges, etc.
All of which the US Government under Trump seems to do everyday they enter court. The latest example being the SLAPP suit brought by the DOJ, since withdrawn, against a former US Olympian.
It should be noted, the DOJ withdrew the charges, which Trump ordered filed, so they would not have to show the Grand Jury testimony which everyone involved agrees has no evidence of wrong doing.
But you keep pitching.
So all those posted videos were fake? Who knew? Was the 86 47 lawn damage fake too?
... or was it all just shoddy gardening/ lawn mowing by the US Park Service?
BB... Such a great book. Thanks for reminding me of it.
At this point, why should any American believe what comes out of Trump’s DoJ? We don’t know who or what organization mowed the numbers “ 86 47” on the lawn. No proof of anything has been produced, so we can predict that this is just another lie, like the one against the Olympian, David Hearn, produced by the corrupt DOJ.
The release of the Epstein Files, which contain Trump’s name THOUSANDS of times, is STILL incomplete, which is another example of the corrupt DoJ under Trump defying the law, in order to protect Trump, a convicted felon and adjudicated sexual assaulter/ rapist ( judge’s term), and who is on record bragging about bursting into the dressing rooms during a teen beauty pageant and ogling, half naked, underage girls..
There are reasons Trump‘s corrupt DOJ wants to keep the Epstein files away from the eyes of the public.
So where was the honest DOJ when the FBI was investigating parent groups? Where was the DOJ when the IRS was going after right leaning organizations? Where was the DOJ when classified documents were found in the garage of a senile president?
Ms. Shaw, I have an answer to your question for all your friends, because Americans have always been stupid about government corruption and when someone tried to clean it up the corrupt media and politicians went berserk because they might be exposed.
-FJ still thinks 86 47 is a death threat, no doubt. If Trump says so, it MUST be true.
This is the MAGA version of "critical thinking".
You win -FJ.
"...when the FBI was investigating parent groups?"
This is misleading and willfully ignores the facts:
"During the Biden administration, the FBI did not investigate parent advocacy groups or parents simply for protesting or speaking out at local school board meetings. However, the Justice Department did track and investigate specific individuals who made credible threats of violence against school administrators and teachers.
The controversy stemmed from an October 2021 memorandum and subsequent internal FBI tracking mechanisms, which led to sharply conflicting interpretations between congressional investigators and federal agencies.
The NSBA Letter: In September 2021, the National School Boards Association (NSBA) sent a letter to President Biden stating that a rise in malicious threats and physical violence against school officials could be classified as "domestic terrorism". The NSBA later apologized for this phrasing.
On October 4, 2021, Attorney General Merrick Garland issued an official Department of Justice (DOJ) directive. It instructed the FBI and federal prosecutors to coordinate with local law enforcement to address a "disturbing spike in harassment, intimidation, and threats of violence" directed at school staff."
"...when the IRS was going after right leaning organizations?"
"There is no official evidence or finding that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) under President Biden systematically targeted or went after right-leaning or conservative groups for political reasons.
While Republican lawmakers and conservative commentators frequently raised concerns—especially following the passage of the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, which provided the IRS with substantial multi-year funding—investigations and oversight reports did not substantiate claims of a politically motivated crackdown on conservative nonprofits or taxpayers by the Biden administration.
The Biden administration's push to bolster IRS resources focused publicly on closing the "tax gap" by increasing audits on high-income earners, large corporations, and complex partnerships."
"Where was the DOJ when classified documents were found in the garage of a senile president?"
Those who do not get their information from inaccurate propagandist sources know this:
"President Joe Biden fully cooperated with the FBI and the Department of Justice (DOJ) when classified documents were discovered at his home and private office. When Biden’s personal lawyers first discovered a small number of classified documents in a private office space, they proactively notified the National Archives and Records Administration and the DOJ the same day.
Biden’s legal team actively invited federal authorities to search his properties. The FBI conducted planned, consensual searches of his primary residence in Wilmington, Delaware, and his vacation home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. Because these searches were voluntary, the FBI did not need to obtain a search warrant."
Trump IGNORED requests by the FBI to search his Mar-a-Largo home for the hundreds and hundreds of classified documents he illegally took with him when he left office in 2021. That's why the FBI use legally obtained search warrants to search the premises at Mar-a-Largo.
Your entire response to my post is "WHATABOUTISM!" Which, IMO, is no response at all.
So where was Skud when he sucked up all the fascist lies and talking points?
He and his fellow radical Right propagandist -FJ can be counted on to lie and disinform. Is willful ignorance entirely to blame?
I'm convinced it is. They truly do not want to learn what they don't want to know. They are closed-minded bigots who need to endlessly scapegoat and lie.
Not once have these authoritarian personalities ever conceded a point where they were demonstrably WRONG! This mass far right madness is ripping our country apart and shredding our values.
-FJ will NEVER admit Trump is a sick, sick narcissist whose criminality is staggering.
His loyalty to his Felonious Fuhrer is so extreme he STILL can't tell us who won the 2020 election.
This isn't delusional mental illness. It is blatant dishonesty thinly disguised as hate from sociopaths. This is the entire fascist Republican Party now.
Proof that conservatives are more interested in reified feelings rather than documented truths and proofs.
As it relates to conservative groups being targeted by the IRS...
When it was announced this happened, the IRS Head was fired. Plain and simple. BTW, this was under Obama and they also flagged liberal groups for using certain keywords also.
Right? Wrong? IDK. But the IRS does have a responsibility to thoroughly vet all 501C3 applications to make sure the groups are legit. No serious non profit leader has a problem with that. We all want the system to work, work effectively and be transparent.
As for the documents, Skud, we've all been over this a 100 times. All you want from us is this... VP Biden purposefully took, for the purpose of personally making money, US government papers, some of which were classified, and which he was not allowed to take. He broke the law. The DOJ found out. And he got special treatment because he's a Dem. He should be in jail rotting his last senile days away, trying to get to the bathroom every hour as his prostate cancer gets worse. Because he scum.
Now you have it.
Post a Comment