The Case Against Trump: The Charges and the Facts Behind Them
The Case Against Trump: The Charges and the Facts Behind Them
Plus: ‘60 Minutes’ Was Right to Have on Marjorie Taylor Greene
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KIMBERLY WEHLE: The Case Against Trump: The Charges and the Facts Behind Them
The Manhattan grand jury’s indictment of former President Donald J. Trump was unsealed today following his historic arrest, booking, and plea of not guilty. The 34-count indictment charges Trump with falsifying business records in the first degree under New York Penal Law 175.10 involving—among other things—his alleged payment of $130,000 to adult film star Stormy Daniels to keep her quiet about his sexual relationship with her, which he denies, in the lead-up to the 2016 presidential election. Manhattan D.A. Alvin Bragg identifies multiple hush-money payments for which Trump allegedly reimbursed his former attorney Michael Cohen, plus a series of actions to hide the payments, falsely claiming in a series of records that the money paid Cohen was for legal fees.
The charging documents also outline a pressure campaign, allegedly orchestrated by Trump, to keep Cohen quiet once the FBI caught on to things in April 2018.
MONA CHAREN: Who’s Really Undermining the Rule of Law?
You hear it said in responsible quarters of the right that Democrats are undermining the rule of law by handing up an indictment of Donald Trump. Sure, they acknowledge, Trump has done terrible things, but by bringing this case, Democrats are twisting the law to get at one particular defendant, and that’s not the way things should work. Further, they argue, Democrats are inviting retaliatory lawsuits in the future and setting America on the path to banana republic status. These abuses, they urge, are just as dangerous, or perhaps more dangerous than what Republicans are saying and doing in Trump’s defense.
I beg to differ. The indictment by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg is risky, but nothing about it undermines the rule of law. The risks are political and prudential. The Republicans, by contrast, are chest-deep in contempt for law.
🎥 PODCASTS AND VIDEOS 🎧
Trump threw the anti-abortion movement under the bus after losses in the midterms — which prompted a ferocious backlash among evangelicals. He has yet to repair the damage. Apart from criminal prosecution, could the end of Roe end up spelling his political downfall? Tim Alberta joins Charlie Sykes today.
Bulwark+ members can listen to an ad-free version of these podcasts on the player of their choice. Learn more at Bulwark+ Podcast FAQ.
JOE WALSH: ‘60 Minutes’ Was Right to Have on Marjorie Taylor Greene.
There was no follow-up. Marjorie Taylor Greene believes that Democrats are “pedophiles.” Including Joe Biden. She said it. Right there on 60 Minutes on Sunday night for the whole country to hear. And when she said it, the interviewer, Leslie Stahl, responded only with “Wow,” and “Okay.”
For that response—but really for sitting down with Marjorie Taylor Greene to begin with—Leslie Stahl and 60 Minutes are getting pounded by what seems like every commentator outside of the MAGA right.
CATHY YOUNG: The Devil Was Here on Earth.
It is a year since the Kyiv region was liberated from the last of invading Russian troops. But this anniversary, which marks the first major Ukrainian success in this war, is coupled with a much more tragic occasion: A year ago, the world discovered the horrors inflicted by the invaders on the local population. One quiet suburban town gave those horrors a name: Bucha.
The first reports came in when, following the Russians forces’ hasty retreat, journalists and other observers who entered the liberated town saw the bodies: dead people, not soldiers but civilians, lying by the sidewalk or in the middle of the street, some on their back, some face down with hands tied behind the back. More than twenty such corpses were found along just one street, Yablonska Street. Later, there were more bodies, hundreds of them: in charred remnants of cars, in the front yards of homes, in parking lots, in basements—and in mass graves.
🚨OVERTIME 🚨
Happy Indicatment [sic] Day! It’s been… weird? Here is the statement of facts in Trump’s case. Here is the indictment. And here is DA Bragg’s presser. Of course, despite warnings from the judge, team Trump is ratcheting up the risk by posting pictures of the judge’s children on social media. Oh, and he’s already fundraising off of it with a fake mugshot. We hope you’ll join us tonight on Thursday Tuesday Night Bulwark where we’ll discuss all of this and Trump’s likely insane rant from Mar-a-Lago. If you’re not a member, join now so you tune in!
Fox isn’t taking this well! Bill O’Reilly’s man on the street Jesse Watters thinks that scheduled court dates are “putting his life in danger.”
Congratulations to our NCAA winners… And UCONN for winning it all and imposing some normalcy in a very chaotic tourney.
1st place: Max S., a former college basketball player from Ohio who correctly picked UCONN and got the most points. He’ll get some merch and three years of Bulwark+. And a newsletter assignment!
2nd place: Dave’s Winning Bracket. (Email me!)
3rd place: pbowman21. (Email me!)
Mike Huckabee Award: Michael W. who had the computer makes his picks. He gets a free year of Bulwark+.
As for me, I succeeded in not winning or losing my own bracket, placing 81st.
I’ve seen this face from Trump before… But it was from 33 years ago.
Roy McGrath’s spiral… From Gov. Larry Hogan’s Chief of Staff to deceased fugitive.
So that’s a hit now? Damn you Manfred for using the great Joey Votto to sell me on your horrible new rules. At least it was funny.
Bud Light’s honor besmirched? Kid Rock reacted in a total normal way to their LGBT outreach program.
Mike Pompeo sides with Ukraine… Will doing the right thing really help his longshot POTUS bid? (Likely not.)
Have Democrats lost their way on housing? Sen. Brian Schatz thinks so.
Did Stahl drop the ball? That’s what Greg Sargent argues in the Post: “Not only did Greene casually conflate “sexualizing children” with transgender care, but she also is being despicably dishonest by reducing gender-affirming care to “surgeries.” Yet this conflation of support for trans youth with pedophilia slipped by, unrebutted, to a national audience.”
"An IED in Fallujah that left a soldier permanently paralyzed does not care what your future income is…" Jack Inaker takes issue with the WaPo editorial board’s recent op-ed about the costs of disability payments for veterans.
Meanwhile, in Cleveland… A drag queen story hour drew national attention in my neck of the woods and VICE went to Geauga County to report on what actually happened.
The oddest people at the PDB? Our friend David Priess tells some tales about the weirdest cameos at the Presidential Daily Briefing.
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