[tomder55]

Brazil's version goes like this . Luiz Lulu da Silva was the leftist establishment President of Brazil . He lost the Presidency to the Liberal Party candidate Jair Bolsonaro in 2019 . He began a process of economic reforms .That led to him being labeled a right wing threat to democracy.

They faced off again in 2022 . Lulu won a close election. That is normal elections in a free nation. But that is not where it ends . Bolsonaro is charged with plotting to stage a coup. Scores of his supporters were jailed after they rioted believing the election was stolen (sound familiar ?) . He is also charged with falsifying of vaccine records related to him travelling during covid.

After last year's riots, Latin America's most populous democracy tries to piece itself together | AP News

Bolsonaro presented plan to reverse 2022 election, Brazilian military leaders say | AP News

Jair Bolsonaro: Brazil's former president denies coup allegations (bbc.com)

Brazil Police Recommend Criminal Charges Against Bolsonaro - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

Brazil’s former President Jair Bolsonaro indicted for allegedly falsifying Covid vaccination data | CNN

But that is 3rd world politics . That can't happen here . Right ?

Navarro becomes first Trump White House official to report to prison over Jan. 6 | The Hill

Navaro is in jail because he stood for the long standing principle of executive privilege ; that President's advisors cannot be forced to testify to Congress about the advise they give to the President .

But what happened when Eric Holder refused to testify to Congress during the emperor's reign over the decision to send weapons to Mexican cartels ?

No criminal prosecution of Holder for contempt | CNN Politics




What happened when Hunter Biden refused ?

Hunter Biden declines House committee invitation to testify publicly - The Washington Post

One definition of lawfare could be the asymmetrical application of the law favoring one faction over the other .

General Mike Flynn's life was destroyed for allegedly lying to the FBI . Charges he was compelled to plea guilty of under the threat of his son being charged . But acting FBI director Andrew Mccalib admitted lying

Michael Flynn Is Reportedly Worried His Son Could Get Wrapped up in the Russia Investigation (businessinsider.com)


Andrew McCabe, Ex-F.B.I. Official, Will Not Be Charged in Lying Case - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

Same thing with John Brennan and James Clapper

In 2011, then Homeland Security Advisor to President Obama, John Brennan, swore before Congress that drone-targeted assassination missions near the Pakistani border had not led to “a single collateral death.”
That was an obvious lie with grave consequences, given that Brennan was sworn under oath and was one of the top officials in the US national security community. Yet there were no subsequent repercussions.

In fact, the opposite occurred. Brennan was subsequently rewarded with a 2013 appointment as CIA Director.
But the next year, once again, Brennan lied to Congress, assuring the Senate Intelligence Committee that his CIA had not secretly accessed senate staffers’ computers. Again, there were no consequences for his repeated lies. Instead, Brennan, upon retirement, went on to be an MSNBC/NBC analyst who helped to promulgate the Russian collusion/laptop disinformation hoaxes.
In 2013, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper also lied under oath to Congress when he laughably stated that the National Security Agency did not spy on American citizens. Later, when called out by senators, Clapper fudged in a televised interview. “I responded in what I thought was the most truthful, or least untruthful, manner by saying no.” Try that contortion with the IRS.
Some members of Congress referred a criminal complaint of perjury against Brennan to then Attorney General Eric Holder. Nothing happened. Again, one of the chiefs of the American national security community was exempted after lying to members of Congress.
Clapper went on to a lucrative position as a CNN national security analyst, and at one point he claimed that Trump was a Putin “asset.”

Guilty! -- But Not Really Guilty? | Frontpage Mag



James Comey lied ;saying he could not recall or remember 245 times.

James Comey ‘can’t recall’ squat – Boston Herald

The administrative states compels you to think correctly or face the consequences.

You will face criminal penalty or financial ruin.

Quid Pro Joe admits to taking classified documents and disclosing their content to a ghost writer . But Robert Hur decides to not prosecute . Evita destroys documents ;computers ;evidence and obstructs justice.... and Comey decided to not prosecute. But Trump faces charges for much less offenses.


Trump had to pay out almost $90 million to E Jean Carrol for alleged sexual abuse . Clueless Joe was accused of sexual assault by Tara Reade . The compliant press spun a tale of her being manipulative and deceitful . They made Joe the victim. They destroyed Reade .

‘Manipulative, deceitful, user’: Tara Reade left a trail of aggrieved acquaintances - POLITICO

New Evidence Supports Credibility of Tara Reade’s Allegation Against Biden (theintercept.com)

Trump has to pay out over $500 million for the right to appeal a verdict against him(in direct disregard to his 8th Amendment protection against excessive fines ) in a case where a prosecutor campaigned on the promise to get Trump...in a case where a leftist judge made the call without a jury ....for charges of defrauding victims who not only did not complain about fraud ;but testified in court that Trump used standard practices in his dealings with them. They all made money on the deal.

Deutsche Bank Executive Testifies Loan to Trump Wasn't Unusual - Bloomberg


I could go on but you get the point . Is lawfare the new normal ;and will it be the REAL reason democracy is destroyed ?

[tomder55]

No one has ever posted a half $billion bond before . On top of that the lenders are afraid of getting on the bad side of the NY justice system. So when Eric Trump went seeking a lender to post the bond ;he says he was laughed at .

Every single person when I came to them saying, 'Hey, can I get a half-billion-dollar bond?' Maria, they were laughing. They were laughing. Top executives of the largest surety companies had never seen anything of this size. What, they’re going to start seizing assets if he can’t put up something that’s not available in the United States?"

Well yeah that is exactly what Letitia James and Judge Engoron have in mind.

NY attorney general takes step toward seizing Trump assets | The Hill

No one has ever posted a half $billion bond before . On top of that the lenders are afraid of getting on the bad side of the NY justice system. So when Eric Trump went seeking a lender to post the bond ;he says he was laughed at .

Every single person when I came to them saying, 'Hey, can I get a half-billion-dollar bond?' Maria, they were laughing. They were laughing. Top executives of the largest surety companies had never seen anything of this size. What, they’re going to start seizing assets if he can’t put up something that’s not available in the United States?"

Well yeah that is exactly what Letitia James and Judge Engoron have in mind.

NY attorney general takes step toward seizing Trump assets | The Hill


An insurance broker they consulted, Gary Giulietti, wrote in an affidavit that a company like the Trump Organization has most of its assets invested in real estate, making obtaining an appeal bond in the judgment’s full amount “a practical impossibility.”

[tomder55]

An appeals court in NY reduced Trump's bond to $175 million. That he can pay and proceed to the appeal . I think he will get the decision reversed in appeal . He will increase his wealth by $3 billion with the completion of the Truth Social deal .

Trump's social media app Truth Social will start trading on Tuesday : NPR

The Stormy Daniels case is set to begin April 15 . Seems to me that this case could've been concluded any time in the last 4 years . It is still timed to have an impact on the 2024 campaign.

[jlisenbe]

I was listening to the Joe Paggs show today and made a pertinent observation to the effect that if they can do these things to Trump, then they can do it to anyone. It's just another symptom of an out of control fed government that needs to be reduced in size by more than a little.

[tomder55]

Good thing his Truth Social IPO is doing well.

Trump Media stock ticker DJT debuts after DWAC merger (cnbc.com)

It was either that or he would have to sell bibles to make ends meet .

Trump selling $60 'God Bless the U.S.A.' Bibles with Lee Greenwood (cnbc.com)

[tomder55]

The first part of the Stormy Daniels ' hush money or non-disclosure agreement is a campaign finance violation ' case that may or may not be enforceable by local law ... will be jury selection .

Someone needs to explain how an impartial NYC jury can be found . Trump's influence on the city began decades before he became an international celebrity ;politician ;and President . There is zero chance you can find an eligible juror who has not heard about Trump ;and has not formed an unbiased opinion .

Flashback 2015 . Bombs had been detonated at the Boston Marathon . Everyone knew that the accused ;Dzhokhar Tsarnaev ,and his dead brother had done it . Everyone in the city experienced the lockdowns during the manhunt. 2 months after jury selection had begun a jury was sworn in. Of the 12 jurors 4 admitted during their interview that they believed he was guilty. They made the cut anyway because they said that they could put their beliefs aside. (the other 8 were probably either lying or were too stupid to have been eligible )

After Two Months Of Jury Selection, Panel Chosen In Boston Bombing Trial : NPR

The decision to seat those jurors is still having an impact.

Appeals court orders judge to investigate juror bias claims in Boston bomber's trial - CBS News

Tsarnaev is not as well known as Trump and certainly everyone in NY has an opinion of Trump .

Martha Stewart was put on trial. It took a month to find a jury. The judge tried to prevent a media circus by barring reporters from the court during selection. 17 news organizations sued. The appeals court agreed their 1st amendment rights were violated . But since the trial had already concluded ,their opinion did not impact the trial.
ABC, Inc. v. Stewart, 360 F.3d 90 | Casetext Search + Citator

But that ruling could impact this case. Already judge Juan Merchan has slapped Trump with a gag order .
Judge Hits Trump With Gag Order in Stormy Daniels Case (newsweek.com)

I expect Trump to challenge that . Since he apparently will be spending a lot of time in court rooms instead of the campaign trail; he probably thinks it's important that he be given the right to speak out.


OJ Simpson was put on trial .It took 2 months to find a jury.

Michael Jackson was put on trial Jury selection took weeks and was postponed twice when a lawyer had a family member die ;and when Jackson got the flu . Finally after a 4 month trial Jackson was found not guilty .

None of the cases above comes close to the impact that this Trump trial will have .

[tomder55]

Meanwhile in Georgia ;Trump's lawyer Steve Sadow argued the charges against Trump should be dismissed because Trump was exercising his 1st amendment freedom of speech when he challenged the legitimacy of the Georgia election results in 2020.

The prosecution contends that what Trump said was part of a criminal conspiracy to overturn the results . Trump's co defendants have tried the 1st amendment card already and were denied. That will be one of the bases for later appeals.

[jlisenbe]

One thing has certainly become clear. In a measure of brainpower between F Willis and Trump's lawyers, Willis falls far short. I still think team Trump will be wise to keep her on the case. She is basically a temperamental buffoon. I think most lawyers have better sense than to hire the boyfriend.