Tag Archives: DOJ

We Don’t Need To See The Epstein Files.

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We already have more than enough evidence to know one of the prominent names listed: Donald J. Trump. Certainly, much of the evidence is circumstantial. But there are thousands of people in prisons who were convicted on less evidence, including many of those currently languishing in detention after being captured by the ICEstapo.

The circumstantial evidence includes dozens, if not hundreds, of photos and videos of Trump and Epstein leering at girls and young women. There is testimony from many who have called Trump and Epstein best friends. There is testimony that Epstein introduced Trump to his future wife, Melania. There is testimony that Trump frequently flew on Epstein’s private plane and even had sex with Melania for the first time on the plane. There is evidence that Epstein was a long-time member of Mar-a-Lago. There are Trump’s connections with several of Epstein’s victims. And, of course, there’s the infamous incident with a porn star and hush money that led to Michael Cohen’s prison time.

But that’s not the most damning evidence.

There is testimony from E. Jean Carroll’s defamation and sexual assault case that Trump raped her – enough evidence for a jury to award Carroll $83.3 million in damages and for the judge to state that her claim of rape was “substantially true.” In addition to a previous wife who claimed marital rape, more than 26 women have made credible claims of sexual harassment and sexual assault against Trump – 16 of them prior to and during Trump’s first run for the White House. Most of them claim the incidents occurred when they were young.

There are undoubtedly many more who felt victimized by a celebrity and powerful person and were afraid to file charges for fear of being humiliated and punished or killed. And for most, if not all, the statute of limitations has now run out.

And then there are Trump’s own words. In 2002, he called Jeffrey Epstein a “terrific guy,” and added, “It is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side.”

Trump even admitted to a pattern of sexual misconduct in an Access Hollywood tape recorded in 2005: “I’ve got to use some Tic Tacs, just in case I start kissing her. You know I’m automatically attracted to beautiful — I just start kissing them. It’s like a magnet. I just kiss. I don’t even wait. And when you’re a star, they let you do it. You can do anything. Grab them by the pussy. You can do anything.” On Howard Stern’s show in 2006, Trump said he had no real age limit for dating. Moreover, contestants in Trump’s Miss Teen Universe reported that, on numerous occasions, he barged into the dressing room unannounced when the teenagers (many of them as young as 14) were naked. He even boasted about it!

As for further proof of Trump’s role in child sex trafficking, it’s unlikely a full release of the Epstein files will be reliable. There are reports that Trump’s loyalists in the DOJ and FBI have tasked more than a thousand FBI agents with purging any mention of Trump from the files. So, of course, Trump will continue to deny any knowledge or involvement in Epstein’s crimes. Further, after meeting with a Trump representative, Ghislaine Maxwell has been moved to a “Club Fed” prison for the rest of her sentence, likely in return for a promise of silence. {She may have even been promised a pardon.) And, given what happened to Epstein, she almost certainly fears for her life.

About that: Despite FBI assurances, Epstein’s death is highly suspicious. Epstein is known to have had many wealthy and powerful clients, including Trump, who could not afford to have their names come out. Some of them, like Trump, associated with oligarchs and mobsters known for making enemies die in mysterious ways or suddenly commit suicide.

Further, a highly experienced pathologist hired to watch the autopsy by Epstein’s brother insists that he did not die by suicide. He cites three fractures of the thyroid cartilage and a fracture to the hyoid bone, which indicate homicide. Additionally, he noted contusions on both wrists, an abrasion on the left forearm, deep muscle hemorrhaging in the left shoulder muscle, a cut on the lip and an injection mark in his arm, though the last two injuries may have been the result of efforts to resuscitate Epstein.

There are also “coincidences.” Though Epstein was on suicide watch, both regular guards had the night off and their replacements did not check on him as ordered – they even falsified records stating that they had. Only two cameras were recording in the area of the Epstein cell. Neither captured footage of Epstein’s cell. And there are now conflicting reports on whether there are gaps in the videos.

Given all of this, the Trump regime can release the files, they can put Maxwell in front of panels and cameras to deny Trump’s involvement, they can try to confuse, deflect and distract. But most Americans will forever believe in a coverup and conspiracy.

I believe they should.

How Political Extremism Becomes Self-Sustaining.

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When economic and societal problems go unaddressed, dissatisfaction with government grows. Far right extremists use that dissatisfaction to get elected. Then, when they’re in the office, they ignore the problems to pursue their own ideological agendas. After all, it’s not in their self-interest to solve issues they can use in their campaigns for re-election. Indeed, they may even pass legislation to make the problems worse. (Remember the Trump tax cuts for the wealthy and large corporations that exploded the federal deficit? Or how about their cuts to the IRS which made it virtually impossible to audit the tax returns of the wealthy?).

To cover their deceit, the extremists blame others for the problems. They distract voters and create fear by vilifying minorities, such as people of color, immigrants, non-Christians, and the LGBTQ community. Meanwhile, real world problems such as the climate crisis, immigration reform, corporate consolidation, and wealth disparity worsen.

It’s a cycle that has inspired some voters to embrace autocrats in the hope that a strong man unencumbered by democracy can make the desired changes. Indeed, that pattern has led reasonable people to embrace the world’s worst dictators: Adolph Hitler, Benito Mussolini, Mao Zedong, and others.

Once the autocrats are in power, they attack and dismantle the institutions of democracy. They vilify the free press by calling it the enemy of the people and they replace it with propaganda outlets. To protect themselves, they undermine the judicial system by packing it with loyalists. They appoint loyalists in positions of authority throughout the government giving it the veneer of respectability while, in effect, turning it into a useful tool against any opposition. And they create doubt in the electoral process by claiming interference by the opposition and limiting those who are allowed to vote.

If all this seems a bit familiar, it is exactly how Donald J. Trump and his Republican allies operated. When enough voters recognized the attempt to destroy our democracy, Trump and his allies attempted a coup by challenging electors and encouraging violence resulting in the January 6 insurrection.

When the insurrection failed, they turned to propaganda to accuse Biden of inflationary policies and used the courts to drag out investigations long enough to gain a slim majority in the House. Given control of the federal purse strings and oversight committees, they are now in a position to investigate the investigators. Moreover, they can use their positions of power to create a flurry of propaganda and misinformation to further their cause – to replace democracy with the form of white Christian autocracy envisioned by their sponsors.

That much should be obvious to even the most casual political observers. The question is: Will ordinary Americans care enough to prevent it?

Black Lives Matter! A Primer For White People.

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When it became evident that an increasing number of black people were being killed by police despite being unarmed and often innocent, some activists formed Black Lives Matter. Given the obvious nature of their complaints, it’s unlikely that the founders thought the organization would be seen as particularly controversial. Yet many white people seemed to miss the point or, more likely, willfully ignored it. In response, they proclaimed that all lives matter.

Of course all lives matter! So do white lives and blue (police) lives. But such statements ignore the issue. The BLM organizers weren’t saying that black lives matter more than others. After reeling from police killings of unarmed black people: Eric Garner, Michael Brown, John Crawford, Tamir Rice, Sandra Bland – the list is depressingly long – the activists were simply saying that black lives should matter as much as others! But the ongoing police murders of unarmed black people, black children, black people with their hands up in a clear sign of surrender, and black people in police custody clearly demonstrated to them that many police seem to assign a lesser value to black lives.

What the activists were really saying is that black lives matter, too! And the reason they took offense at the responses of All Lives Matter, Blue Lives Matter and White Lives Matter is that those slogans entirely ignored the issue. They showed a lack of empathy and understanding of racism, even if the responses are well-intended.

Even when the Department of Justice (DOJ) released its scathing report on the Ferguson Police Department, many Americans failed to get the point. They again showed a lack of understanding when the DOJ released an equally scathing report on policing in Baltimore. Even as the officers who killed unarmed black people continued to escape charges or were acquitted for their actions, many white Americans either ignored the developments or chose to demonize the members of Black Lives Matter as engaging in reverse racism. We continue to see signs and chants of Blue Lives Matter, All Lives Matter, White Lives Matter.

The backlash reached a crescendo when Colin Kaepernick refused to stand for the National Anthem prior to a NFL exhibition game (an anthem which, by the way, was written by a slave-owner and includes racist text in its second verse). Kaepernick was quickly dismissed as un-American and many accused him of disrespecting veterans who fought for our country. Of course, he was doing neither. He was exercising his First Amendment right to call attention to the disparity in policing of blacks and whites. In doing so, he was trying to improve the country; to make it live up to its promise for all Americans.

Here’s the thing: Until the police, the white supremacists and the clueless supporters of Donald Trump pull their heads out of their collective behinds, the BLM movement will grow.

What will it take to make Black Lives Matter end the demonstrations? That’s simple. The answer is for law enforcement officers and the justice system to end the unequal treatment of minorities. That will require higher standards and more intensive training for police. No more 16-week wonders who trade in their police academy books for guns. No more militarized police departments who treat policing as war. No more bullies with badges.

Police Chiefs must be tasked with identifying the bad apples within their departments and firing them. More important, the good police officers (and there are many of them) must end the practice of covering up for the racist and incompetent officers. Likewise, the police unions must hold their members accountable. When bad cops are allowed to continue to dispense street justice in a disproportionate way, everyone loses, including the good officers who place their lives on the line to ensure public safety for all of the people in their communities.

Finally, the state Attorneys General and the DOJ should track arrests and the penalties meted out in all communities across the nation. When they discover disparities they must hold the cities responsible to correct the issues or lose their state and federal funding.

No group of people should be allowed to think that their lives matter less than others. Black Lives Matter, too!