AN INTERESTING INTERVIEW: Richard Miniter chats about the history of “journalism” and the unsurprisingly ancient history of media manipulation. From the comments:
“If liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear.” – George Orwell
SAY ANYTHING: I thought lawyers were the only ones to operate on the principle of “for enough money, I’ll say anything.” Apparently, Jack Smith and Christopher Wray seem to think this is appropriate. Just The News is reporting that:
“The Biden-era FBI made more than $100,000 in payments to informants who were members of an anonymous group of tech sleuths known as the “Sedition Hunters” to gather and analyze video evidence in the January 6 Capitol riot — echoing the bureau’s reliance on paid FBI informant and British ex-spy Christopher Steele in 2016.”
Did the FBI disclose that their “informants” were often foreign based and paid? That’s one of those “rhetorical” questions I keep hearing about.
BREAKING: Just the News is reporting that “Iran security forces have killed at least 490 people as opposition protests continue.”
“A crackdown on nationwide protests in Iran has killed at least 538 people and even more are feared dead, activists said Sunday, while Tehran warned that the U.S. military and Israel would be “legitimate targets” if America uses force to protect demonstrators.”
Sadly, I fear this will get worse before it gets better.
“UH-OH, THAT’S NOT GOOD”: As a reasonably experienced litigator, I can tell you I’ve researched enough cases where an “informant” or “source” was paid. That tends to be a credibility bomb.
In McCoy v. Hearst Corp., for example, Lowell Bergman (of “60 Minutes” and “The Insider” fame) was sued in libel for relying on a convict-source to whom he allegedly promised free legal help on his own appeal in return for telling him bad things about a local prosecutor.
The lower court was somewhat incredulous, asking what wouldn’t a convicted prisoner say to a reporter to get something. (Duh).
The judgment against Bergman was overturned on other grounds.
So, that brings us to Jack Smith. Just the News published a bombshell this morning: “Jack Smith team approved $20k payment to informant to snitch on Trump team during Arctic Frost probe.”
I can just imagine in my fevered, crazy, right-wing lunatic brain that believes in the rule of law, Biden’s people saying: “So? We paid him. That doesn’t mean he was lying.”
BACKING BARI: Ooops, I said stuff on Jeff Norman’s podcast. Honestly, the whole thing stinks. As I said in the clip:
That’s some cheap-jack sh*t, right there.
I’M NOT HOLDING MY BREATH, BUT: JustTheNews is reporting that John Brennan’s lawyers confirm he is ‘target’ of Florida grand jury probe:
“Former CIA Director John Brennan’s lawyers have taken the extraordinary step of confirming their client is a “target” of a criminal grand jury investigation in Florida and are asking the chief federal judge in Miami to stop the proceedings on the grounds that the Justice Department is “judge shopping.”
I have little doubt this will all be spun by media stenographers as “retribution” or “vindictiveness,” (as did Comey) but at the end of the day, any case — if even brought — will face the most extreme Due Process scrutiny lawyers can muster.
Flounder (from Animal House) put it best:
“Oh boy is this great!”
Just the News reporting that “Justice Department releases first batch of Epstein files.”
BREAKING: The Daily Caller News Foundation is reporting an exclusive that “Jasmine Crockett Once Rented Car With Convicted Robber — It Didn’t End Well”
“Democratic Texas Rep. Jasmine Crockett co-rented a car in 2006 with a previously convicted robber whose car crash caused her to be sued for damages at the start of her law career, records obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation show.”
I suppose I’m not surprised, perhaps only at the depths of crazy from which this woman springs…
BREAKING: HOLLYWOOD ICON ROB REINER, WIFE FOUND DEAD IN APPARENT HOMICIDE
Wtf?
THERE: I FIXED IT. From Ed Driscoll’s earlier posting, I’m surpised they didn’t catch this.
Oh, wait…no I’m not.
IT’S ALWAYS PROJECTION WITH THESE PEOPLE: Just the News does a deep dive into what Matt Taibbi called “a stunt”, namely, the plea to U.S. military servicemembers to join the “Resistance” against Trump.
It’s one thing to say that POTUS is issuing “illegal orders,” but if you say that, you need to be able to show what you’re talking about. But Just the News pointed out that Democrats had made the allegation, but when asked for an example, whiffed badly:
“When asked to give an example of a current illegal order by Trump, [Rep.] Crow did not give one, saying, “He has a history of doing this, and if we wait until the moment that he gives a manifestly unlawful order to a young soldier, then we have failed them. We have to start that conversation now and get people thinking about the distinction, which is exactly what we did.”
Crow wasn’t the only Democrat to make the baseless allegation and then later admit they had no idea what they were talking about:
“[Rep.] Slotkin said on Sunday on This Week on ABC “to my knowledge, I — I am not aware of things that are illegal” that had been ordered by Trump, “but certainly there are some legal gymnastics that are going on with these Caribbean strikes and everything related to Venezuela.”
The methodology of mendacity seems to have permeated the mindset of Democrats for quite a while. I’m reminded of the episode when then Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid flat-out lied, claiming that Mitt Romney “never paid taxes.”
When caught out, The Washington Post noted that Reid expressed no contrition, and glibly replied: “Romney didn’t win, did he?”
No action is immoral if it obstructs Bad Orange Man.
I KNOW, YOUR “SHOCKED” FACE IS GETTING TIRED: Just the News moved a story this morning that gets to the heart of the sh*tshow that is Obamacare.
“The 42-day federal shutdown forced by Democrats thrust the economics of Obamacare into the limelight, and exposed an uncomfortable truth: An insurance industry whose executives are increasingly liberal donors has seen its earnings soar with the injection of taxpayer-funded subsidies that propped up Barack Obama’s signature health program from collapse.”
The gaslighting and laziness of mainstream media is a stunningly bad combination.
Bad Orange Man wants to starve children!
Since when did the Dems become the Wu-Tang Clan?
PRETTY GOOD HEADLINE, SO I’LL ALLOW IT: “Whoa: 2nd Circuit Issues Stunning Decision on Trump’s NY Criminal Case.”
RedState’s Susie Moore writes a nicely wrapped file about the reversal and remand on the question of removal of NY criminal cases against him to federal court.
I can’t remember having dealt with Judge Hellerstein, and he’s been around for quite a while, and is too old to care about being reversed. That said, if Trump’s papers are well laid-out I’d say 75/25% chance Hellerstein reverses himself. But he doesn’t have to.
A MERE OBSERVATION: As the hooligans and heartthrobs coagulate ever more thickly until that Glorious Day of Election, we shall be bombarded with all manner of b’legs and emails for money.
OK, Fine.
But without doing any research, I’d bet very good money that no politician of any stripe has ever sent out communications saying:
“STOP! We reached our goal. Don’t send us more money!
Ever. Not even Eugene Debs.
When we are “shocked” by someone’s outrageous comments, sometimes a look at their history says it all.
JustTheNews reports on the details of Jay Jones:
“Jones pushed for police reforms which echoed the “Defund the Police” mantra of BLM, and repeatedly claimed that he personally felt the knee on his neck and the bullets in his back when watching videos of Floyd and Blake. Jones frequently spoke of the “systemic racism” and the “remnants” of Jim Crow in Virginia, and pushed to get a Virginia cop fired for donating to the legal defense fund for Kyle Rittenhouse.”
Here’s hoping that “Vote for me because I’m a member of an aggrieved group” has run its course.
BREAKING: YouTube agrees to pay $24 million settlement in Trump lawsuit over suspension.
I’m sure it was just him “bullying” the media. /sarc/
THIS JUST IN — BREAKING: Just the News is reporting that they have a suspect in Charlie’s killing. To be updated.
Authorities detain person of interest in Charlie Kirk killing.
BREAKING NEWS: New York Post reporting “Charlie Kirk shooter is of ‘college age,’ used since-recovered high-powered bolt-action rifle”
More TK.
ANY RED-PILLED YOUNG LAWYERS IN THE NYC AREA?: I get these job alerts from the NYCBar, and I thought this one was hilarious. I’m not tight with O’Keefe or Varitas, but I swear to god that a red-pilled white would have two chances at this: slim and none. If they got to the interview stage, that would be a scream.
Also, (and no, I don’t have the time to do this) if legal, someone should make two applications: one all CRT-based from a Black kid and the other a Crimlaw-based white guy.
Bets on what would happen?
FUN FACT: The screaming woman arrested in Newport (h/t Ed Driscoll) who accompanied that Democratic “AG” who insisted that “police are required to turn off their body cams upon request” while she was being filmed tossed out of a restaurant, is carrying a Chloé Woody Medium Canvas Tote.
It sells for $1,390.00 at Bloomingdale’s.
She apparently claims to be some kind of “Diversity” champion.
“Nice work if you can get it…and you can get it if you try.”
I’M TIRED OF THE WORD “BOMBSHELL,” BUT… JustTheNews breaking an outstanding story evolving from info gleaned from IRS Whistleblower suits.
“Years after the FBI was forced to shut down multiple corruption probes of Bill and Hillary Clinton’s charity, the IRS under President Donald Trump began a criminal tax investigation into the Clinton Foundation and its dealings with other players on the global charity stage, but then abruptly stopped working with whistleblowers in spring 2019, according to IRS memos and internal emails reviewed by Just the News.”
The net-net is that for years, IRS agents all over the country seriously considered and looked into allegations of monkey business at the Clinton Foundation. At one point an IRS agent reportedly described the Clinton Foundadtion as a “fraudulent enterprise.”
Then suddenly, the entire investigation was roadblocked from somewhere at the top.
Most notably, after participating with whistleblowers for quite some time, the medium to top level dogs at the IRS suddenly said “We cannot talk about the CF” referring to the Clinton Foundation.
We can guess at who ordered what, but guessing ain’t reporting. The whistleblowers’ case is a bit complicated, and the Trump admin is moving to dismiss on procedural and administrative grounds — not the merits — but the insiders say the Tax Court judge is inclined to let the case continue as the feds were not forthcoming on discovery.
We shall see what we shall see.
OBAMA’S DOJ ON INVESTIGATION INTO CLINTON FOUNDATION: “SHUT IT DOWN:” I supposed I’m required to make a “shocked face” reference here, but would rather let the facts speak for themselves. JustTheNews is reporting details about the Clinton Foundation and Obama’s DOJ handcuffing (or just outright suffocating) proper investigations.
“The effort by the IRS to thwart the whistleblower case from going to trial was filed the same week Just the News reported that a bombshell memo recently uncovered by FBI Director Kash Patel shows the Obama Justice Department and former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe roadblocked three separate probes into possible pay-to-play corruption allegations against the Clinton Foundation.
“Shut it down,” Obama Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates was quoted as saying in March 2016 in the memos.”
To be sure, there is a bit of irony in the fact that the current DOJ is opposing the whistleblowers’ lawsuit. But as a litigator, IMHO the opposition is not based on any weird motive to “save” Hillary, but instead arguing that because the IRS and DOJ never followed through on investigations (on the direct orders of Sally Yates and Andy McCabe) procedurally, the case is not yet ripe for review.
To me, the important thing is that there will sooner or later be a reckoning of the allegations made against the Clinton Foundation:
“The company has not registered under FARA and receives funds from and works on behalf of foreign governments,” one of the summary documents from the IRS’s initial review stated […] Another allegation the IRS memos mentioned for investigation was that the Clinton Foundation contributed to activities not allowed by its tax-exempt status, including abortions overseas. The ability of U.S. charities to fund abortions overseas is limited by a patchwork of U.S. laws and policies, particularly the Helms Amendment and the Mexico City Policy.”
To quote a great historian: “Oh, boy, is this great!”
ORANGE JUMPSUIT FOR SHIFTY? PJ Media published an item today that raises the question of Adam Schiff’s potential criminal liability for playing games with mortage applications. Most notably, the story mentions Sen. Cornyn’s proposed bill:
“Sen. John Cornyn has introduced the Law Enforcement Tools to Interdict Troubling Investments in Abodes—or the LETITIA Act, pointedly named after the New York AG herself. But this isn’t just a symbolic jab. The bill represents a serious move to expand criminal liability and, more importantly, stiffen penalties for public officials who abuse their positions for personal gain—specifically through shady dealings like mortgage or tax fraud.”
I’m not a criminal defense lawyer, and as much as I’d love to see that weasel in the pokey, I have to wonder out loud whether applying it to that disgusting slime ball would be an ex post facto application. I suppose if the fraud is ongoing, that might solve the issue, but (again, not being a criminal defense lawyer) if the law contains a “scienter” requirement (that’s “knowingly” for laypeople) it would seem that he can’t be held liable for crimes that weren’t really crimes at the time he fudged his mortage app.
Of course, it seems to me there’s pretty good evidence rising to probable cause that he’s already broken laws such as mortgage fraud and wire fraud, but I leave that to sharper minds…
PROFESSOR VOLOKH SAYS: “N.Y. Appellate Court Rejects Addictive Design Theory in Lawsuit Against Social Media Defendants Over Buffalo Shootings“
I’m so old, I remember (different context, of course) “The Twinkie Defense.”
That didn’t go so well, either, IIRC.
InstaPundit is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.