Trump's 'retribution tour'

[bannork]

Trump has ordered the investigation of two of his former political appointees turned critics: Chris Krebs, who ran Trump’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, and former senior Department of Homeland Security official Miles Taylor.

In an executive order Trump removed their security clearances and directed the Justice Department to open federal investigations of their tenures.

CNN's Elie Honig noted the order strips security clearances not only from Krebs and Taylor, but also from the places where they work.

Krebs works for a private cybersecurity firm whilst Miles Taylor works at the University of Pennsylvania

 Honig stressed this really threatens their livelihood.

Honig pointed out that The Department of Justice has a long-standing policy prohibiting investigations begun for political or personal reasons.

Honig asked rhetorically what federal crimes either Krebs or Taylor are suspected of committing.

Trump's 'retribution tour' just took a 'particularly dangerous' turn: CNN legal expert

 

[FritsSikkink]

Welcome to the land of the free. 

[bannork]

Yale Law School professors Harold Hongju Koh and Fred Halbhuber, along with Yale Law J.D. candidate Inbar Pe'er, point to recent assertions made by Trump DOJ lawyers in court that the United States Constitution does not prohibit President Donald Trump from issuing bills of attainder, which are orders that impose "a punishment on a specific person or group of people without first going through a trial."

 Judge Beryl Howell asked the Trump DOJ if such orders could be considered bills of attainder, which the United States Constitution explicitly prohibits.

The government's answer was: "as a pure constitutional matter... the bill of attainder restriction is only on Article I and not on Article II [of the Constitution], and so it doesn’t apply to the president."

The three Yale Law experts went on to just how unprecedented this demonstration of authority is, not just in American history but in the history of British monarchies.

"Even under the most tyrannical monarchs, the king never asserted unilateral authority to issue bills of attainder—a power the president now asserts for himself," they contend.

Trump's assumption of such powers is clearly well outside the bounds of constitutional law, they asserted.

Trump asserting powers 'even the most tyrannical monarchs' didn't have: analysis

[still kicking]

Donald Trump signs order to ‘make America’s showers great again’ and protect his ‘beautiful head of hair’

Donald Trump signs order to ‘make America’s showers great again’ and protect his ‘beautiful head of hair’ | PerthNow

 

[blaze master]

You start a scary number of threads. Yikes. 

[thaibeachlovers]

2 people does not constitute a "tour".

As for the 2 accused, boo hoo, they turned against the man that promoted them, and they are getting what they so richly deserve for turncoats.

[thaibeachlovers]

5 hours ago, bannork said:

Trump asserting powers 'even the most tyrannical monarchs' didn't have: analysis

BS. Trump can't order anyone to be executed just because.

[bannork]

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg should file a case for extortion against Trump, wrote Jonathan Zasloff for Slate.

"He compelled the firm to cease engaging in legal activity that it had a right to engage in (practicing law on behalf of its clients) by threatening damage to Paul, Weiss’ property — its business — and by threatening to abuse his position, denying the firm security clearances and blocking their access to federal property.

 Zasloff argued  that Bragg should take the case to a grand jury, and if it indicts, it indicts.

If Trump then argues that he can’t be indicted, or that Trump v. United States allows him to use the power of the federal government on a vendetta against his political enemies, and the Supreme Court agrees, then at least we will have some confirmation that the Constitution is a dead letter and the rule of law has all but perished.

'No time to wait': Manhattan DA urged to seek criminal charges on Trump 'extortion racket'

 

[bannork]

11 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

2 people does not constitute a "tour".

As for the 2 accused, boo hoo, they turned against the man that promoted them, and they are getting what they so richly deserve for turncoats.

 

Trump's Executive Order (EO) signed yesterday demanding criminal investigations into Chris Krebs and Miles Taylor and his public statement that Taylor is a “traitor” guilty of “treason” isn't just about settling personal scores; it's a calculated move to instill fear, silence dissent, and dismantle the very foundations of US democratic institutions.

What did Chris Kebs and Miles Taylor do?

Chris Krebs, the former director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) refuted Trump’s baseless lies of fraud in the 2020 election.

Miles Taylor, who served as Chief of Staff at the Department of Homeland Security, opposed the administration's  policies and wrote a book.

By weaponizing the Department of Justice to pursue these individuals, Trump is not only abusing presidential power but also sending a chilling message to current and future whistle blowers: “Cross me, and you’ll pay.” This is the actions of an autocrat, not a democratically elected leader.

Even worse, Trump's persecuting the very institutions that safeguard our legal system and might defend Taylor and Krebs.

Law firms like Perkins Coie, WilmerHale, and Jenner & Block are being targeted with punitive measures — revoked security clearances, terminated federal contracts, and restricted access to federal buildings including courthouses — all because they’ve dared to represent clients such as the above who have challenged Trump’s excesses.

This orchestrated campaign of intimidation is designed to deter legal professionals from defending those who dare to speak truth to power.

 Under Trump, the Department of Justice is being used to settle political scores in ways Richard Nixon could only have dreamed of.

The First Amendment guarantees freedom of speech and the right to petition the government for a redress of grievances. Trump’s actions are a direct assault on these freedoms, aiming to silence opposition and consolidate power.

Thankfully over 500 law firms have collectively decided to challenge these types of executive orders, recognizing them as a grave threat to US constitutional governance.

Is this the moment American democracy finally broke? | Opinion

[thaibeachlovers]

14 hours ago, bannork said:

 

Trump's Executive Order (EO) signed yesterday demanding criminal investigations into Chris Krebs and Miles Taylor and his public statement that Taylor is a “traitor” guilty of “treason” isn't just about settling personal scores; it's a calculated move to instill fear, silence dissent, and dismantle the very foundations of US democratic institutions.

What did Chris Kebs and Miles Taylor do?

Chris Krebs, the former director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) refuted Trump’s baseless lies of fraud in the 2020 election.

Miles Taylor, who served as Chief of Staff at the Department of Homeland Security, opposed the administration's  policies and wrote a book.

By weaponizing the Department of Justice to pursue these individuals, Trump is not only abusing presidential power but also sending a chilling message to current and future whistle blowers: “Cross me, and you’ll pay.” This is the actions of an autocrat, not a democratically elected leader.

Even worse, Trump's persecuting the very institutions that safeguard our legal system and might defend Taylor and Krebs.

Law firms like Perkins Coie, WilmerHale, and Jenner & Block are being targeted with punitive measures — revoked security clearances, terminated federal contracts, and restricted access to federal buildings including courthouses — all because they’ve dared to represent clients such as the above who have challenged Trump’s excesses.

This orchestrated campaign of intimidation is designed to deter legal professionals from defending those who dare to speak truth to power.

 Under Trump, the Department of Justice is being used to settle political scores in ways Richard Nixon could only have dreamed of.

The First Amendment guarantees freedom of speech and the right to petition the government for a redress of grievances. Trump’s actions are a direct assault on these freedoms, aiming to silence opposition and consolidate power.

Thankfully over 500 law firms have collectively decided to challenge these types of executive orders, recognizing them as a grave threat to US constitutional governance.

Is this the moment American democracy finally broke? | Opinion

Seems to me you are opposing things that Trump does while similar were excused by your side when they were used against Trump.

It's either wrong for everyone, or right for everyone. You can't tailor such depending on your preferences.

 

I'm not speaking as a Trump supporter, as I'm not any longer, but government has to be the same way for everyone.

[bannork]

 

Under Trump's executive orders, law firms known for representing Trump's political opponents  are to be blacklisted by the federal government.

Attorneys who work at such law firms can be stripped of their security clearances and banned from entering federal buildings

The firms themselves can have their existing contracts terminated while federal agencies are prohibited from entering into any further contracts with them.

In response, some law firms have agreed to provide Trump  with millions of dollars of free work in exchange for no more harassment, while others have fought back.

Could there be a more sinister move behind Trump's persecution of these law firms?

Former U.S. Attorney Barbara McQuade suggested that Trump could be recruiting these firms in an attempt to rewrite the history of the 2020 election. She indicated that through their agreements to do pro bono work on behalf of the administration, these law firms may now be legally bound to "advance Trump’s disinformation campaign" to legitimize his false claims that the 2020 election was stolen from him.

"These firms, which Trump said have agreed to pay from $40 million to $125 million each, are allowing themselves to be used as pawns in Trump’s game to change public perception about his own legal troubles," McQuade wrote. "He is characterizing the enormous payouts as concessions; proof that he has been a victim of what White House aide Will Scharf referred to as 'lawfare.'"

 However, not all law firms are caving in to Trump.

Perkins Coie, Wilmer Hale and Jenner & Block all sued Trump successfully, winning temporary restraining orders allowing them to keep their contracts, security clearances and access to federal buildings.

McQuade stated when defending attorneys' right to do their work uninhibited by the administration, "there is no right and left. There is only right and wrong."