Home Blog Page 67

Judge Judy Labels Trump Hush Money Case ‘Nonsense’

2
Donald Trump via Gage Skidmore Flickr

A waste of time and taxpayer dollars…

“Judge Judy” Sheindlin called Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s (D) hush money case against former President Trump “nonsense” in a recent interview.

“You gotta twist yourself into a pretzel to figure out what the crime was. [Bragg] doesn’t like him — New York City didn’t like him for a while,” Sheindlin said of Trump in a “Who’s Talking to Chris Wallace?” interview streaming Friday on Max.

“I would be happier, as someone who owns property in Manhattan, if the district attorney of New York County would take care of criminals who were making it impossible for citizens to walk in the streets and use the subway, to use his efforts to keep those people off the street, than to spend $5 million or $10 million of taxpayers’ money trying Donald Trump on this nonsense,” the longtime TV judge told Wallace.

Watch:

“I, as a taxpayer in this country, resent using the system for your own personal self-aggrandizement,” the “Judy Justice” personality said of Bragg.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Asked by the CNN anchor what she thought of Trump, the 81-year-old former Manhattan Family Court judge replied, “I think he was a good businessman, a real estate guy. And he was certainly terrific on ‘The Apprentice.’”

The celebrity judge’s comments come as the Manhattan DA seeks an extension of the restraining order against former President Donald Trump. (RELATED: Manhattan DA Seeks Extended Gag Order Against Trump Amid Death Threats To Bragg)

They argue that Trump’s public statements have increased tensions and led to threats against Bragg and his team before Trump’s July 11 sentencing.

The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office charged Trump with 34 counts of falsifying business records as part of a hush-money scheme to prevent porn star Stormy Daniels from speaking out about her alleged extramarital affair before the 2016 presidential election.

Before Trump, no sitting or former president ever faced criminal charges. This is the lowest level felony in New York, any potential sentence will more than likely be served after the 2024 election.

As The New York Times reports:

The order, issued before Mr. Trump’s Manhattan criminal trial began in mid-April, bars him from attacking witnesses, jurors, court staff and relatives of the judge who presided over the trial, Juan M. Merchan.

Mr. Trump’s lawyers have sought to have the order lifted since Mr. Trump’s conviction in late May. But in a 19-page filing on Friday, prosecutors argued that while Justice Merchan no longer needed to enforce the portion of the gag order relating to trial witnesses, he should keep in place the provisions protecting jurors, prosecutors, court staff and their families.

Article Published With The Permission of American Liberty News

Billionaire Makes Massive Political Contribution To Trump

1
Image via Pixabay free images

One of the largest single disclosed gifts ever…

A reclusive billionaire from a storied American family with a legacy dating back to the Gilded Age has made one of the largest political contributions in the history of American politics.

Timothy Mellon, heir to the Mellon banking fortune, made a $50 million contribution to the pro-Trump super PAC, Make America Great Again Inc.

At the end of April, the organization had only $34.5 million.

In a memo following Mellon’s donation, the PAC announced it had reserved $100 million in advertising through Labor Day.

The New York Times continues:

Mr. Mellon is now the first donor to give $100 million in disclosed federal contributions in this year’s election. He was already the single largest contributor to super PACs supporting both Mr. Trump and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who is running as an independent. Mr. Mellon has previously given $25 million to both.

Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

Democrats have sought to portray Mr. Kennedy as a spoiler supported by Republicans, in part by emphasizing Mr. Mellon’s dual contributions and seemingly split loyalties. The pro-Kennedy super PAC has distributed quotations from the hard-to-reach Mr. Mellon, and for a blurb that appears on the cover of Mr. Mellon’s upcoming book, Mr. Kennedy called the billionaire a “maverick entrepreneur.”

It is not clear what Mr. Mellon’s mega-donation means for his support of Mr. Kennedy going forward. He has so far toggled between giving to support both candidates. His most recent donation to Mr. Kennedy’s super PAC was a $5 million contribution in April.

But Mr. Mellon’s $50 million gift will significantly help pro-Trump forces narrow the financial advantage that President Biden and his allies have enjoyed so far. Miriam Adelson, the casino billionaire and widow of Sheldon G. Adelson, who died in 2021, has also made plans to fund a pro-Trump super PAC with at least as much money as the $90 million that her family gave in the 2020 campaign, although much of the cash has yet to arrive.

Mellon’s contributions follow Donald Trump‘s conviction in a hush money trial.

Critics argue that the case is politically motivated and based on an overly broad interpretation of campaign finance laws. They add that such payments are common among public figures seeking to avoid public scrutiny.

The Mellon family‘s wealth started when an Irish immigrant named Thomas Mellon founded T. Mellon & Sons’ Bank in Pittsburgh in 1869. His sons, Andrew W. Mellon and Richard B. Mellon, later grew the bank into a strong financial institution. This bank eventually became Mellon Financial Corporation, one of the largest banking institutions in the United States.

During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Andrew Mellon played a crucial role in financing and supporting key industries such as aluminum, oil, and steel, contributing to the growth of major corporations, such as Gulf Oil, and Union Steel. As secretary of the Treasury from 1921 to 1932, his influence shaped the economic policies of the 1920s, known as the Mellon Plan, which contributed to the economic boom of the decade.

National Photo Company Collection, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

In 2007, Mellon Financial Corporation merged with The Bank of New York to form BNY Mellon, one of the world’s largest asset management and securities services companies, preserving their 150-year legacy in banking and finance.

Article Published With The Permission of American Liberty News

Manhattan DA Seeks Extended Gag Order Against Trump

    1
    Gage Skidmore Flickr

    The Manhattan District Attorney’s office is seeking an extension of the restraining order against former President Donald Trump, citing increased death threats against DA Alvin Bragg.

    They argue that Trump’s public statements have increased tensions and led to threats against Bragg and his team before Trump’s July 11 sentencing on 34 felony counts.

    As The New York Times reports:

    The order, issued before Mr. Trump’s Manhattan criminal trial began in mid-April, bars him from attacking witnesses, jurors, court staff and relatives of the judge who presided over the trial, Juan M. Merchan.

    Mr. Trump’s lawyers have sought to have the order lifted since Mr. Trump’s conviction in late May. But in a 19-page filing on Friday, prosecutors argued that while Justice Merchan no longer needed to enforce the portion of the gag order relating to trial witnesses, he should keep in place the provisions protecting jurors, prosecutors, court staff and their families.

    Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

    The New York Police Department has logged 56 “actionable threats” since the beginning of April directed against Alvin L. Bragg, the Manhattan district attorney who brought the case, and against his family and employees, according to an affidavit provided with the filing.

    Prosecutors said the 56 logged complaints did not include numerous “threatening emails and phone calls,” which the NYPD are “not tracking as threat cases.”

    Mr. Trump was convicted on May 30 of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records related to a $130,000 payoff made to the porn star Stormy Daniels. The money was meant to cover up a sexual tryst she says she had with Mr. Trump in 2006, a decade before he was elected president. (Mr. Trump, 78, has continued to deny ever having had sex with Ms. Daniels.)

    In April, the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office reported receiving two envelopes containing a white, powdery substance intended for DA Alvin Bragg.

    One of the envelopes reportedly contained a letter that used an expletive to refer to Bragg’s weight.

    Another contained an explicit message to Bragg, “ALVIN: I AM GOING TO KILL YOU,” followed by 13 exclamation points.

    Investigators determined the substances in both cases weren’t harmful.

    Trump is potentially facing up to four years in prison or alternative sanctions, including home confinement.

    Article Published With The Permission of American Liberty News

    Steve Bannon Asks Supreme Court to Intervene in Effort to Avoid Prison

    3
    Duncan Lock, Dflock, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

    He’s pulling out all the stops…

    Steve Bannon filed an Emergency Application with the Supreme Court asking for intervention in his four-month prison term for defying a Congressional subpoena from the House Select Committee investigation of the events of January 6th.

    The application comes just hours after an appeals court denied his request for a bid to delay his prison sentence.

    Bannon’s legal team argued the sentence would impede his role as a top adviser to Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign. Prosecutors dismissed this claim and said Bannon’s “role in political discourse” is irrelevant to the case, stressing the principle of “equal justice under the law.”

    “There is no dispute that Mr. Bannon ‘is not likely to flee or pose a danger to the safety of any other person or the community if released’—indeed, he has been out on release for years now without incident.” reported CBS’s Scott McFarlane who read the application.

    American Liberty News has more:

    “There is also no denying the fact that the government seeks to imprison Mr. Bannon for the four-month period immediately preceding the November presidential election,” McCotter added. “There is no reason for that outcome in a case that presents substantial legal issues.”

    Late Thursday, a federal appeals panel denied Bannon’s efforts to stay out of jail in a 2-1 decision. The majority opined that Bannon “knew what the subpoena required yet intentionally refused to appear or to produce any of the requested documents.”

    In a dissenting opinion, Judge Justin Walker — an appointee of former President Trump — wrote that Bannon should not be incarcerated before the Supreme Court considers the appeal of his conviction.

    “Applicant Mr. Bannon seeks the narrow relief of continued bail pending completion of his further appeals—relief that Judge Walker would have granted below, as explained in his dissent,” McCotter wrote. 

    This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.

    Judge Weighs Removing Jack Smith in Trump Classified Documents Case

      1
      Gavel via Wikimedia Commons Image

      Florida Judge Aileen Cannon is currently holding a hearing to consider whether the appointment of U.S. Special Counsel Jack Smith and the funding of his investigations is “unlawful.”

      Upon postponing the classified documents trial, Cannon scheduled deadlines for reports on June 10 and 17 and a hearing on a motion to dismiss on Friday, “based on unlawful appointment and funding of special counsel.” 

      Cannon expanded Friday’s hearing to allow amici to argue before the court, as well as Trump defense attorneys and federal prosecutors according to Fox News.

      Former Attorney General Ed Meese, who served under former President Reagan, filed an amicus brief in the case, in which he argues that Attorney General Merrick Garland’s appointment of Smith as special counsel – a private citizen at the time – violates the appointments clause of the Constitution. 

      Garland appointed Smith as special counsel on Nov. 18, 2022, mere days after Trump announced he would run for president in 2024. 

      Meese argues that the “illegality” of Smith’s appointment is “sufficient to sink Smith’s petition, and the Court should deny review.” 

      Meese and company noted in the brief that Smith was appointed “to conduct the ongoing investigation into whether any person or entity [including former President Trump] violated the law in connection with efforts to interfere with the lawful transfer of power following the 2020 presidential election or the certification of the Electoral College vote held on or about January 6, 2021.”

      Earlier this month, Garland defended his move during a hearing on Capitol Hill, arguing that “there are regulations under which the attorney general appoint special counsel. They have been in effect for 30 years, maybe longer, under both parties.” 

      Meese, however, in his briefs filed in several points in the Trump cases, argued that “none of those statutes, nor any other statutory or constitutional provisions, remotely authorized the appointment by the Attorney General of a private citizen to receive extraordinary criminal law enforcement power under the title of Special Counsel.”

      Meese’s brief was even mentioned in a question by Justice Clarence Thomas in the Supreme Court oral arguments over Trump’s presidential immunity in Smith’s other case regarding 2020 election interference, which the high court is expected to decide this month.

      Presenting arguments on June 21 in Florida on behalf of Meese will be Gene Schaerr; Josh Blackman on behalf of Professor Seth Barrett Tillman; and Matthew Seligman on behalf of constitutional lawyers, former government officials, and “State Democracy Defenders Action.”

      This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.

      Illinois Republican Party Leader Resigns

      2

      The chairman of the Illinois Republican Party has called it quits.

      On Wednesday, state GOP chair Don Tracy said in his resignation notice that party infighting is largely to blame for his decision.

      “When I took on this full-time volunteer job in February, 2021, I thought I would be spending most of my time fighting Democrats, helping elect Republicans, raising money to pay for more Party infrastructure, and advocating for Party unity,” state GOP chair Don Tracy wrote in his resignation notice.  

      “Unfortunately, however, I have had to spend far too much time dealing with intra party power struggles, and local intra party animosities that continued after primaries and County Chair elections,” he continued.  

      Tracy also noted the recent controversy involving former vice chair Mark Shaw at the Republican National Committee (RNC) election which resulted in his ouster.

      “Recent events including the RNC Committeeman election, immediately followed by the retribution sacking of the losing candidate Vice-Chair Mark Shaw, a long time State Party leader and worker, without due process and without taking any step to disciplining others for alleged or admitted Convention misconduct, portends a direction of the State Party I am not comfortable with,” Tracy wrote.  

      Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

      Tracy’s resignation comes less than a month before the Republican National Convention will be held in Milwaukee

      In his letter, Tracy refuted claims that his resignation had already been reported by a Chicago Tribune story published the day before, where anonymous sources suggested to the news outlet that Tracy could soon see himself removed as well.  

      “My resignation has nothing to do with today’s anonymously sourced Chicago Tribue article. I made my decision to resign early yesterday morning, communicated it to Matt Janes before our 10am staff call yesterday, and began drafting this notice yesterday shortly before or after the staff call,” Tracy wrote. 

      Article Published With The Permission of American Liberty News.

      Supreme Court Upholds Trump-Era Tax

      1
      Duncan Lock, Dflock, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

      The Supreme Court upheld a Trump-era tax on overseas investments Thursday morning, marking what CNN is calling a win for the Biden administration.

      In a 7-2 decision, the court rejected arguments from a Washington state couple that threatened existing tax provisions and hindered Democratic ambitions of instituting a wealth tax:

      At issue in the closely watched tax case was whether the government could levy a tax on investment proceeds that had not yet been received. Charles and Kathleen Moore, a Washington state couple, challenged a $15,000 tax bill they received because of their investment in an India-based company. The profit at issue, the Moores claimed, were reinvested and never distributed to them.

      The tax involved was enacted by Congress in 2017 as part of a larger package signed by former President Donald Trump. The one-time mandatory repatriation tax was levied on shareholders on undistributed profits accrued between 1986 and the end of 2017 by certain foreign corporations that are majority owned by Americans. The provision was expected to raise $340 billion over a decade.

      Some conservative groups warned that a win for the government could open the door to a federal tax on wealth, which President Joe Biden and several congressional Democrats have eyed in recent years. But during oral arguments in December both conservative and liberal justices appeared to be looking for a narrow outcome that wouldn’t undermine current taxes or dip into the debate over a wealth tax. And Kavanaugh repeatedly said the ruling shouldn’t impact the debate.

      Kavanaugh authored the majority opinion, emphasizing that the ruling was “narrow” and did not address the broader debate. “Those are potential issues for another day, and we do not address or resolve any of those issues here,” the justice explained.

      Justice Clarence Thomas wrote the dissent.

      Aside from the legal issues involved, Moore v. US drew attention to the Supreme Court for other reasons. Democrats on Capitol Hill had called for Justice Samuel Alito to recuse himself because one of the lawyers representing the Moores co-authored two favorable opinion pieces about the justice in the Wall Street Journal last year.

      Here is a general outline of what a wealth tax in the United States might look like, based on past proposals from lawmakers:

      • Tax Rate: Often proposed rates range from 1% to 3% annually on wealth exceeding certain thresholds.
      • Threshold: The tax typically targets ultra-wealthy individuals, with thresholds starting at $50 million in net worth.
      • Assets Included: The tax would apply to a wide range of assets, including stocks, bonds, real estate, and personal property.
      • Exemptions: Primary residences and certain retirement accounts may be exempt or subject to different rates.
      • Administration: Proposals often include measures to ensure proper valuation and reporting of assets to prevent evasion.
      • Revenue Use: Revenue generated would be intended for social programs, infrastructure, and reducing economic inequality.

      Surveys conducted in recent years generally show majority support for higher taxes on the wealthy, with specific support for a wealth tax varying by poll but often in the range of 50-60%.

      Article Published With The Permission of American Liberty News.

      Biden Wins Debate Coin Toss, Trump To Deliver Closing Remarks

      2
      CNN Headquarters via Wikimedia Commons

      One more week…

      The first presidential debate is nearly here and the details are being finalized.

      On Thursday, CNN announced former President Trump will have the final word in next week’s first presidential debate after Joe Biden won the coin toss.

      The Biden campaign won the coin toss, selecting tails, and choosing to pick the president’s standing position instead of reserving a speaking slot. Biden will stand on the right side of the stage from the viewer’s perspective, and Trump on the left.

      Trump’s campaign decided to select to speak last, meaning Biden would be the first to give his closing argument.

      Biden and Trump will be the only two candidates on the debate stage next Thursday night in Atlanta, CNN announced. Anchors Dana Bash and Jake Tapper have been selected as the moderators. Independent Robert F. Kennedy Jr. did not qualify for the debate stage

      It’s the first of two debates agreed to by the candidates and will feature a number of new rules.

      CNN said there will be two commercial breaks during the debate, and candidates will not be allowed to consult with other members of their campaign during that time.

      The network also noted that candidates’ podiums and positions will be determined by a coin flip, their mics will be muted outside of speaking time, and they will only be provided with a pen, a notepad and a bottle of water.

      There will be no opening statements. President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump will each have two minutes to answer questions — followed by one-minute rebuttals and responses to the rebuttals. Red lights visible to the candidates will flash when they have five seconds left, and turn solid red when time has expired. And each man’s microphone will be muted when it is not his turn to speak.

      Candidates will not be allowed to bring props or prepared notes.

      Additionally, for the first time in recent history, the debate between presidential contenders won’t have a studio audience.

      Trump Demands Fox Remove Ex-Lawmaker Board Member

        6
        The White House from Washington, DC, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

        There’s bad blood between Fox News and Donald Trump…

        Donald Trump took aim Wednesday at Fox News board member and former GOP House Speaker Paul Ryan on social media.

        Trump tore into “a very disloyal” Ryan on Truth Social, citing the infamous former House Speaker as the reason why “nobody can ever trust Fox News.”

        “Nobody can ever trust Fox News, and I am one of them, with the weak and ineffective RINO, Paul Ryan, on its Board of Directors,” Trump wrote. “He’s a total lightweight, a failed and pathetic Speaker of the House, and a very disloyal person. Romney was bad, but Paul Ryan made him look worse. As a team, they never had a chance. Rupert and Lachlan, get that dog off your Board – You don’t need him. ALL YOU NEED IS TRUMP. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”

        Ryan called Trump “unfit for office” during a June 11 interview with Fox News’ Neil Cavuto. When Cavuto asked Ryan about viewers who disliked him and believed he was “pulling the strings” at Fox, Ryan responded he had “been in politics a long time” and had “really thick skin.”

        Ryan made clear in early May that he would write in a different candidate’s name because “character is too important.” The anti-Trump Republican also said, “Everyone knows we will well lose the election if we nominate this guy again.”

        Trump attacked the 2012 vice presidential candidate’s choice to back a different candidate in November.

        “Rupert Murdoch should fire pathetic RINO Paul Ryan from the Board of Fox. Ryan is a loser, always has been, and always will be,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “He was the WEAKEST & MOST INCOMPETENT Speaker of the House in its History. Fox will sink to the absolute bottom of the pack if Paul Ryan has anything to do with it!”

        Report: Team Biden Exiling ‘Disloyal’ Aides As Campaign Struggles

        3
        Photo via Gage Skidmore Flickr

        There’s trouble with Team Biden…

        According to a recent report from Axios, the Biden campaign is exiling aides who dare to question its strategy as the President continues to slide backward in polls.

        The report notes that senior Democrats have expressed concerns that Biden’s path to victory “relies on voter concerns about Jan. 6, political violence, democracy and Donald Trump’s character.”

        Crowd of Trump supporters marching on the US Capitol on 6 January 2021, ultimately leading the building being breached and several deaths. [Photo Credit: TapTheForwardAssist, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons]

        “It is unclear to many of us watching from the outside whether the president and his core team realize how dire the situation is right now, and whether they even have a plan to fix it,” one Democrat operative told Axios. “That is scary.”

        Axios has more:

        People close to the president told Axios they worry about raising concerns in meetings because Biden’s group of longtime loyal aides can exile dissenters.

        “Even for those close to the center, there is a hesitance to raise skepticism or doubt about the current path, for fear of being viewed as disloyal,” a person in Biden’s orbit told Axios, speaking on condition of anonymity because of those dynamics. “There is not a discussion that a change of course is needed.”

        The source of the enforced enthusiasm on the Biden campaign is reportedly top political aide Mike Donilon, who tells colleagues that “voters will do the right thing” and “Joe Biden is a great president, and great presidents get reelected.”

        A 2022 Democrat campaign aide asserted that “2022 was a classic case of running away from a president, and their takeaway was, ‘Wow people really like us.’”

        Fox News reported that an aggregate of network polls found dwindling support for President Biden among Black voters, down to 70% in 2024 from 86% in 2020. Trump, meanwhile, has cut into Biden’s coalition, according to polling, tripling his support from Black voters over the last four years, from 7% in 2020 to 21% in 2024.