Recently, we have been hearing Republicans and independents talk about the need to defeat Donald Trump, vowing to put country over party. It has led them to endorse the Harris-Walz ticket.
And, for the last many years, we have heard Donald Trump and his MAGA supporters complain relentlessly that his multiple indictments in different jurisdictions for sexual harassment, libel, corrupt business practices, the theft of official documents, and his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election have all been politically motivated and orchestrated by Democratic President Joe Biden and Attorney General Merrick Garland.
For example, Bloomberg Law reported:
Donald Trump rolled out a new, multi-pronged attack on the federal election obstruction case against him in Washington, arguing he’s a victim of ‘selective prosecution’ by the Biden administration, that the indictment violates his free-speech rights, and that the charges in the indictment are legally unsound.
On June 4, 2024, the Associated Press reported:
In the days since Donald Trump was convicted of 34 felonies in his criminal hush money trial, Republicans who view the case as politically motivated have coalesced around a new rallying cry: Prosecute the left. Candidates, officeholders and members of the former president’s family have amplified Trump’s calls for retribution against political enemies and urged their fellow Republicans to start charging Democrats with crimes …
And the former president on Tuesday suggested he might try to retaliate against Hillary Clinton, his 2016 opponent, if he returns to the White House. ‘Wouldn’t it be terrible to throw the president’s wife and the former secretary of state, think of it, the former secretary of state, but the president’s wife, into jail? … It’s a terrible, terrible path that they’re leading us to. And it’s very possible that it’s going to have to happen to them.’
The calls to weaponize the judicial system against Democrats are a degree more intense than some other suggestions for retaliation that Republicans have made since the guilty verdict, such as calls to investigate the prosecutors in the Manhattan case or for voters to give their own verdict by sending Trump back to the White House in November.
The outcry comes as Trump and other Republicans have claimed, without evidence, that Biden and his administration were pulling the strings behind the New York trial. The case was led by a state-level prosecutor, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. Biden addressed Trump’s attacks on the judicial system during a fundraiser Monday night in Connecticut, calling them ‘dangerous for American democracy,’ and noted that the former president was convicted in a state case rather than a federal one. Attorney General Merrick Garland criticized the idea that the federal government was involved as a conspiracy theory during an appearance Tuesday before the House Judiciary Committee, calling it an attack on the judicial process. ‘We do not control the Manhattan district attorney,’ Garland said Tuesday. The Manhattan district attorney does not report to us. The Manhattan district attorney makes its own decisions about cases that he wants to bring under his state law.’
Rather than shunning Trump’s escalating authoritarian language or ensuring they will provide checks and balances for a second Trump term, the Republican senators and representatives are upturning longstanding faith in U.S. governance, and setting the stage for what they plan to do if Trump regains power.
On Friday, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, demanded the prosecutors Alvin Bragg and Matthew Colangelo appear for a June hearing on the ‘weaponization of the federal government’ and ‘the unprecedented political prosecution’ of Trump — despite the fact that Biden, as president, has no authority over the state courts in New York.
And then there is U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene:
I’ll be voting for President Trump on November 5th whether he is a free man or a prisoner of the Biden regime.
My support for President Trump has never been stronger!
MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! pic.twitter.com/FVVzSEozRx
— Marjorie Taylor Greene 🇺🇸 (@mtgreenee) May 30, 2024
It seems that no one has escaped blame: Trump has gone after prosecutors like Fani Willis, Jack Smith, Letitia James and Alvin Bragg. Manhattan District Attorney Bragg, in case you have forgotten, charged Donald Trump with falsifying business records to keep his payment to adult film start Stormy Daniels from the voters:
Here is what Donald Trump had to say about the indictment:
Judges Arthur Engoron, Tanya Chutkan, and Juan Merchan—and even Judge Merchan’s daughter—were the targets of extended abuse:
The case was decided on April 5, 2024, and ABC News reported:
Donald Trump, the second-generation New York business mogul who led one of the most consequential right-wing populist movements and changed the face of presidential politics, was found guilty of 34 felonies in his home city Thursday, becoming the first president in American history to be criminally convicted.
It took the jury 10 hours to come to their decision. Trump, who was impeached twice while in office, faced four indictments as he geared up for the 2024 race. The case in Manhattan dealt with a hush money payment to a porn star and his attempt to hid salacious information from voters to boost his electoral prospects in the 2016 presidential election.
Then, on May 31, 2024, ABC News wrote:
Former President Trump, speaking from Trump Tower the morning after his historic felony conviction, slammed witness Michael Cohen while calling the judge in the case a ‘tyrant.’ … ‘We’re going to be appealing in many different things. He wouldn’t allow us to have witnesses, he wouldn’t allow us to talk, he wouldn’t allow us to do anything,’ Trump said of Judge Juan Merchan. ‘The judge was a tyrant.’
Trump always reserved some of his greatest rage for Attorney General Merrick Garland, the Biden Department of Justice (DOJ), and the appointment of Special Counsel Jack Smith. On July 23, 2023, Donald Trump had taken to his Truth Social to denounce pretty much everyone involved in his indictments:
A month later, Donald Trump went several steps further by reposting Mark Levin’s charge that both the attorney general and the special prosecutor had committed crimes:
This Truth Social post from April 15, 2024, combines some of his oft-repeated catch phrases to once again attack Merrick Garland:
Along the way, Donald Trump has shared his vision of American justice, or as he insists, the lack thereof, with countless millions of us. And he has convinced enough voters that he is once again the victim of a series of unfair Biden-led prosecutions to move closer to another term as president.
But lest you think Donald Trump was the only voice screaming foul, Republican after Republican joined the fray, one more indignant than the other, horrified that Garland and the Department of Justice and uppity prosecutors in Georgia and even New York City had found compelling reasons to indict.
On June 13, 2023, Katty Kay reported for BBC News on the Mar-a-Lago documents case: “Most Republicans have reacted to Donald Trump’s latest indictment by defending the former president and denouncing the prosecution. But dig a little deeper, and the language they use to defend him is revealing.”
Kay noted that several of those running against Donald Trump in the Republican primary focused “on the suggestion that the law isn’t being fairly applied since Joe Biden, when he was vice-president, also took classified documents as he left office. The current president is still being investigated, but a key difference is that he returned the files.”
Kay quoted Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis who stated, “The weaponization of federal law enforcement represents a mortal threat to a free society.”
Kay continued: “Another presidential hopeful, South Carolina Senator Tim Scott, said that the charges in the indictment were an example of ‘a justice system where the scales are weighted.’”
As for other loyal Trump supporters: “‘It is unconscionable for a President to indict the leading candidate opposing him,’ House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy said.”
Here is U.S. Rep. Andy Biggs of Arizona:
We have now reached a war phase.
Eye for an eye.
— Rep Andy Biggs (@RepAndyBiggsAZ) June 9, 2023
Yes, a Republican member of Congress actually decided the indictment of Donald Trump was best met by a declaration of war. Even a year later, some Republicans like U.S. Rep. Mike Collins of Georgia, while not quite ready to declare war, did think it was time for revenge:
Time for Red State AGs and DAs to get busy.
— Rep. Mike Collins (@RepMikeCollins) May 30, 2024
So much anger, so much vitriol, such unwillingness to acknowledge the need to sometimes investigate, and if the evidence justifies it, to bring charges. But the reality is that Donald Trump and those who vociferously joined the attack never properly looked at the evidence. Because, if they had undertaken any objective analysis of the recent work of the Department of Justice, they would have realized that the Department of Justice is an equal-opportunity indicter.
Let’s look at the prosecutions of Hunter Biden, the son of the sitting Democratic president; the prosecution of Democratic Sen. Robert Menendez from New Jersey; and the recent indictment of the Democratic New York City Mayor Eric Adams.
On June 11, 2024, CNN reported:
A federal jury has convicted Hunter Biden on all three federal felony gun charges he faced, concluding that he violated laws meant to prevent drug addicts from owning firearms. The conviction marks the first time a president’s immediate family member has been found guilty of a crime during their father’s term in office, though his crimes predate Joe Biden’s tenure as president.
CNN continued:
The jury, which deliberated for just under three hours, returned guilty verdicts on all three charges, which stemmed from a revolver Hunter Biden bought in October 2018 at a Delaware gun shop. The first two counts were for lying about his drug use on a federal background check form, and the third count was for possessing a gun while addicted to, or using, illegal drugs.
Hunter Biden could face up to 25 years in prison and a fine of up to $750,000 at sentencing, though he likely will receive far less than the maximum as a first-time offender … Special counsel David Weiss told reporters that the conviction was about the ‘illegal choices the defendant made while in the throes of addiction,’ as he stressed that ‘no one in this country is above the law.’
Here is the official Department of Justice press release:
If there was ever a case to prompt political interference on the part of the attorney general and the Democratic president who appointed him, it would certainly be the indictment of the president’s son during the midst of a reelection campaign. But the prosecution continued until conviction.
As for perseverance and vigilance, the Department of Justice’s Southern District of New York issued the second indictment of New Jersey Sen. Robert Menendez, a very powerful Democrat.
PBS reports [LINK https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/read-the-full-indictment-against-sen-menendez-and-his-wife-for-alleged-gold-bar-bribery-scheme] that “Sen. Bob Menendez was charged Friday with secretly aiding the authoritarian regime of Egypt and trying to thwart the criminal prosecution of a friend in exchange for gold bars and cash as prosecutors unsealed a corruption indictment that accuses him of using his foreign affairs influence for personal gain …
This corrupt relationship resulted in ROBERT MENENDEZ, the defendant, promising to take and taking a series of official acts and breaches of official duty in exchange for bribes that benefitted him both directly, and indirectly through NADINE MENENDEZ, a/k/a Nadine Arslanian, the defendant. First, MENENDEZ promised to and did use his influence and power and breach his official duty in ways that benefited the Government of Egypt and WAEL HANA, a/k/a Will Hana, the defendant, an Egyptian-American businessman, among others. Among other actions, MENENDEZ provided sensitive U.S. Government information and took other steps that secretly aided the Government of Egypt.
“MENENDEZ also improperly advised and pressured an official at the United States Department of Agriculture for the purpose of protecting a business monopoly granted to HANA by Egypt and used in part to fund the bribes being paid to MENENDEZ through NADINE MENENDEZ. Second, MENENDEZ promised to and did use his influence and power and breach his official duty to seek to disrupt a criminal investigation and prosecution undertaken by the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office related to JOSE URIBE, the defendant, and his associates. Third, MENENDEZ promised to and did use his influence and power and breach his official duty to recommend that the President nominate an individual as U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey who MENENDEZ believed could be influenced by MENENDEZ with respect to the federal criminal prosecution of FRED DAIBES, the defendant, and to seek to disrupt that same prosecution.”
According to the indictment, Menendez’s actions resulted in significant pay-offs:
In or about June 2022, federal agents executed search warrants on the New Jersey home and the safe deposit box of ROBERT MENENDEZ and NADINE MENENDEZ, a/k/a Nadine Arslanian, the defendants. In conducting these court-authorized searches, agents found certain of the fruits of MENENDEZ’s and NADINE MENENDEZ’s corrupt bribery agreement with WAEL HANA, a/k/a Will Hana, JOSE URIBE, and FRED DAIBES, the defendants, including cash, gold, the luxury vehicle, and home furnishings. Over $480,000 in cash much of it stuffed into envelopes and hidden in clothing, closets, and a safe – was discovered in the home, along with over $ 70,000 in NADINE MENENDEZ’s safe deposit box. Some of the envelopes contained the fingerprints and/or DNA of DAIBES or his driver …
The Department of Justice describes its mission this way:
The mission of the Department of Justice is to uphold the rule of law, to keep our country safe, and to protect civil rights.
Our Values:
Independence and Impartiality. We work each day to earn the public’s trust by following the facts and the law wherever they may lead, without prejudice or improper influence.
Honesty and Integrity. Our employees adhere to the highest standards of ethical behavior, mindful that, as public servants, we must work to earn the trust of, and inspire confidence in, the public we serve.
Respect. Our employees value differences in people and in ideas and treat everyone with fairness, dignity, and compassion.
It is interesting to note the reaction of Democrats to the Menendez case. MSNBC writes:
The asymmetry between Democratic and Republican reactions to Bob Menendez’s and Donald Trump’s indictments speaks volumes about the state of the parties. In the wake of his highly provocative criminal indictment, Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey has faced resignation calls from 31 of his Democratic colleagues in the chamber. They have plenty of company: His home state’s Democratic governor has called for him to step aside, as have many other party officials at multiple levels of government …
MSBC noted:
A Public Policy Polling survey in New Jersey found the incumbent senator trailing Rep. Andy Kim by 53 points in a hypothetical Democratic primary match-up. A Data for Progress poll, meanwhile, also found Menendez struggling to reach double-digit support among Democratic voters in his own state.
An October 5, 2023, analysis in The Washington Post noted: “Democrats are happy to boot Menendez as Republicans defend Trump … Democrats are happy to see Menendez leave in the face of allegations. Republicans are happy to give Trump a pass despite losing a court determination.”
Lastly, I want to turn to the recent indictment of the Democratic mayor of New York City.
The indictment continues:
ERIC ADAMS, the defendant, sought and accepted illegal campaign contributions in the form of ‘nominee’ or ‘straw’ contributions, meaning that the true contributors conveyed their money through nominal donors, who falsely certified they were contributing their own money. By smuggling their contributions to ADAMS through U.S.-based straw donors, ADAMS’s overseas contributors defeated federal laws that serve to prevent foreign influence on U.S. elections. Wealthy individuals evaded laws designed to limit their power over elected officials by restricting the amount any one person can donate to a candidate. And businesses circumvented New York City’s ban on corporate contributions by funneling their donations through multiple employees, frustrating a law that seeks to reduce corporate power in politics. ADAMS increased his fundraising by accepting these concealed, illegal donations — at the cost of giving his secret patrons the undue influence over him that the law tries to prevent.
ERIC ADAMS, the defendant, compounded his gains from the straw contributions by using them to defraud New York City and steal public funds. New York City has a matching funds program that matches small-dollar contributions from individual City residents with up to eight times their amount in public funds, to give New Yorkers a greater voice in elections. ADAMS’s campaigns applied for matching funds based on known straw donations, fraudulently obtaining as much as $2,000 in public funds for each illegal contribution. ADAMS and those working at his direction falsely certified compliance with applicable campaign finance regulations despite ADAMS’s repeated acceptance of straw donations, relying on the concealed nature of these illegal contributions to falsely portray his campaigns as law-abiding. As a result of those false certifications, ADAMS’s 2021 mayoral campaign received more than $10,000,000 in public funds.
ERIC ADAMS, the defendant, also sought and received other improper benefits from some of the same co-conspirators who funneled straw donations to his campaigns. In particular, a senior official in the Turkish diplomatic establishment (the ‘Turkish Official’), who facilitated many straw donations to ADAMS, also arranged for ADAMS and his companions to receive free or discounted travel on Turkey’s national airline (the ‘Turkish Airline’), which is owned in significant part by the Turkish government, to destinations including France, China, Sri Lanka, India, Hungary, and Turkey itself. The Turkish Official and other Turkish nationals further arranged for ADAMS and his companions to receive, among other things, free rooms at opulent hotels, free meals at high-end restaurants, and free luxurious entertainment while in Turkey.
For years now, the right has made the case that the Department of Justice, under direction from the Democrats, has used its power to unfairly prosecute “innocent” Republicans. Not surprisingly, when the facts contradict the story, these critics are silent, pretending the Department of Justice hasn’t actually done what it has done.
Again, with the indictment of Adams, it is interesting to see how the political parties respond to the efforts to prosecute corruption. The Washington Post writes: “A growing number of New York Democrats are calling on Mayor Eric Adams (D) to resign, broadly stating that his federal criminal indictment will hinder his ability to run the city.”
I do not see how Mayor Adams can continue governing New York City.
The flood of resignations and vacancies are threatening gov function. Nonstop investigations will make it impossible to recruit and retain a qualified administration.
For the good of the city, he should resign.…
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) September 25, 2024
The Post continues:
The New York City Council’s Progressive Caucus, which represents 19 of the council’s 51 members, called for Adams to resign. ‘This is a crisis of [Adams’s] own making, a reflection of poor decision-making, failed leadership, and disregard for the rule of law that he expounds,’ a caucus statement said. ‘No amount of scapegoating can distract from the serious and thorough nature of the federal investigation. Mayor Adams must resign.’ Council member Lincoln Restler (D), who is part of the progressive caucus, said in an earlier statement that if Adams refuses to resign ‘he must be removed from office as prescribed by the charter.’ … At least two New York Republicans in the House, Reps. Nicole Malliotakis and Elise Stefanik, joined Democrats in calling for Adams’s resignation.
It is folly to imagine that greed and the arrogant abuse of power are the province of any one political party. It does a great disservice to pretend otherwise. And, it is worse to take and extend that pretense and turn it into a political crusade.
The recent record of the Department of Justice reveals a commitment to root out corruption wherever they find it. And sadly, corruption seems always with us. Too many of those in power seem never to hesitate to take what isn’t theirs, never troubled by conscience, and always convinced they somehow deserve it. As Brutus remarks in Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar: “Th’ abuse of greatness is when it disjoins remorse from power.”
For these politicians seeking power are committed to grift and graft above party.
