BLUF:
[ZERO] Judge Noreika smelled a rat. She understood that the lawyers were trying to paint her into a corner and hide the ball. Instead, she backed DOJ and Hunter's lawyers into a corner by pulling all the details out into the open and then indicating that she wasn't going to approve a deal as broad as what she had discovered.
DOJ, attempting to save face and save its case, then stated on the record that the investigation into Hunter was ongoing and that Hunter remained susceptible to prosecution under FARA. Hunter's lawyers exploded. They clearly believed that FARA was covered under the deal, because as written, the pretrial diversion agreement language was broad enough to cover it. They blew up the deal, Hunter pled not guilty, and that's the current state of play.
And so here we are. Hunter's lawyers and DOJ are going to go off and try to pull together a new set of agreements, likely narrower, to satisfy Judge Noreika. Fortunately, I doubt if FARA or any charges related to Hunter's foreign influence peddling will be included, which leaves open the possibility of further investigations leading to further prosecutions.
Basically, Hunter's lawyers tried to get him immunized against any future prosecutions related to his foreign influence peddling, and they failed, at least for now, thanks to an honest judge.
#4
I'm pretty sure that there's an appeals court justice somewhere that just got told to override this.
Just guessing here...
Posted by: ed in texas ||
07/28/2023 8:25 Comments ||
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#5
I would also like to be immunized against any future prosecutions. Where do I go to get this deal?
Posted by: Tom ||
07/28/2023 11:43 Comments ||
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#6
Bet they wished they had the court of a Hawaiian Judge
Posted by: Frank G ||
07/28/2023 12:35 Comments ||
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#7
I don’t think Hunter will end up serving time. The DOJ and Hunter’s lawyers are both working together on this against our interests. They will figure out a different solution that the judge can’t stop. Their collective goal is to give the appearance of Hunter being held accountable - i.e. there is no two-tiered system of Justice. A new plea is also important for the Bidens in and out of government to provide a stronger basis for the argument that there was nothing on the laptop except consensual and non-consensual nudes. This case is not about justice; it is about talking points. Surrogates need to be able to say that Hunter has accepted responsibility and been punished. Let’s move on.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
07/28/2023 14:32 Comments ||
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#8
^ 328 months "supervised release"
Posted by: M. Murcek ||
07/28/2023 14:36 Comments ||
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#9
Kunstler's Friday article has a couple of remarkable thoughts, a worthy read today:
"It’s rumored that the rascally, discarded plea deal was cooked up by alpha blobette, Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco herself, the Blob’s consiglieri. Nice try, Sugar, but no cigar."
"...Ms. Monaco has chiefly served as Barack Obama’s “fixer,” the clean-up gal who makes problems magically go away. The problem here is that sooner or later news will enter some legal channel that Mr. Obama was not unaware of all the grifting going on around his vice-president’s family, and might himself be inculpated as an accessory to acts of treason."
" A later report said that Mr. Obama might have been present at the estate that evening without Michelle. Was he Mr. Tafari’s paddle-board companion? Did he make the 911 call? Mr. Tafari was reportedly no longer in the Obama’s employ and was writing a book about his experiences as the first family’s cook. One reported morsel attributed to the book is that Barack and Michele Obama almost never had meals together."
[Daily Mail, where America gets its news] Martha's Vineyard police left the reason for the 911 call reporting Obama private chef Tafari Campbell's drowning blank in official logs from the night of the accident, DailyMail.com can reveal.
Tafari, 45, fell into the water on Sunday night while paddle boarding on Great Edgartown Pond. He was not on the water alone, but police refuse to name the person he was with.
At 7.46pm, a 911 call was made to report that he had fallen in and could not make it back to the surface. It was only 8' deep, reportedly
That call is noted in Edgartown Police Department's logs, but the reason behind it is left noticeably blank. The reason for every other call for that night is given.
The origin of the call is also listed as Wilson's Landing - a paddle board launch site, some two miles from the Obamas' house on Turkeyland Cove, where Massachusetts State Police say the first call came from.
It's unclear if Sasha and Malia - who were also in town - were at home, or out with friends or their parents.
#6
Big Mike did a cannonball and the wave swamped him...
Posted by: M. Murcek ||
07/28/2023 11:31 Comments ||
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#7
Can drown in 3" of water if incapacitated.
That being said:
At the time 19:46 there should still be a good hour of light left before needing artificial lighting to do search and rescue. An' diff ur low cal fire de part mint can do that, Martha's Vinyard, especially considering location, can do it.
There's an old saying in the restaurant business: the best chefs are alcoholics or gay. Or both.
That call is noted in Edgartown Police Department's logs, but the reason behind it is left noticeably blank. The reason for every other call for that night is given.
To me, this screams USSS and a PPD detail with juice enough to suppress the log entry. Who else has a boat on call there, on a brine lake NOT connected to the ocean, that early in the morning?
From the PostMillenial artice:
" It was confirmed that Campbell had a companion on the water, another paddle boarder. Additionally, the initial 911 call, made by a female, indicated that she was on a boat, actively searching for Campbell, going "back and forth" in her efforts to find him."
#10
Baraq in the picture at #1 is wearing a leash on his ankle that attaches to the paddle board. That way, if you fall off the board and into the water, you can pull the board to yourself and grab it. Safe to assume Campbell was wearing such a leash as well because it's standard equipment. So that and the missing reason on the call log and things keep getting curiouser and curiouser.
It doesn't matter if the water was eight feet deep. You can drown in eight inches if you are incapacitated. Was he incapacitated? Did he drown? Accidentally or on purpose? Was the cause of death some other reason? Or will this story disappear down the memory hole?
Posted by: Abu Uluque ||
07/28/2023 11:55 Comments ||
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#11
Big Mike did a cannonball and the wave swamped him...
Somebody's on a roll this morning.
Posted by: Abu Uluque ||
07/28/2023 11:59 Comments ||
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#12
It would not have been Barak or his detail would have gone too. I suspect that they are protecting one of the kids.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
07/28/2023 12:31 Comments ||
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#5
Even thought I knew I was doing the right thing not voting for a communist, I am still having difficulty accepting the fact that I voted for her father.
#6
You would think Meggie Moo would refrain from discussing lapdogs
Posted by: Frank G ||
07/28/2023 8:57 Comments ||
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#7
Sorry, "the Bidens are gonna get it now" is up there with "the walls are closing in on Trump." Yes, always. In a Zeno's paradox sorta way...
Posted by: M. Murcek ||
07/28/2023 9:00 Comments ||
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#8
M. Murcek, I agree. I remember years ago when I was forced to watch CNN and saw Adam Schitt for brains saying "Things just went from bad to very bad for Trump." This was over some nothingburger.
Until I see people being led away in orange jumpsuits, this is all just kabuki theater.
Posted by: Rambler in Virginia ||
07/28/2023 9:14 Comments ||
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#9
It takes a lot to break through the media protection racket but even last summer a lot of people thought the FBI had thugs protecting Biden and that the FBI director was one of them. Probably more think that now. Keep up the investigations until Biden/Harris become unelectable and a drag on the down ticket.
Posted by: lord garth ||
07/28/2023 10:00 Comments ||
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#10
Ref #9: I absolutely concur. The impeachment of Biden will create discovery. Removal from office, probably not. But discovery could certainly be useful for Pub campaign purposes and future BCF (Biden Crime Family) legal proceedings.
#12
All I hear from CBS and ABC is about the heat wave. They've been leading with the heat wave every night for the past couple of weeks. I usually leave the room before they get past that so I don't know if they're talking about Hunter or not.
Posted by: Abu Uluque ||
07/28/2023 12:34 Comments ||
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#3
If God is real and he’s had enough, but He still wants people to have the freedom to believe in Him or not, this is what it would look like. Mitch needs to retire. The third strike is not going to be a hangnail.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
07/28/2023 7:00 Comments ||
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#4
He and Feinstein are what we get with a 50/50 split in the Senate. Neither side can afford to lose one proxy vote. The commies can't wait to destroy the courts now, next will be the state representatives of the Senate in their lust for power. They whine why should someplace like Wyoming have the same standing as a populous state like California. Cause it was and is a union of States. No states, no union.
[Epoch Times] The U.S. Supreme Court on July 27 allowed Equitrans Midstream Corp. to resume the building of the Mountain Valley Pipeline by lifting a lower-court order that blocked work on the project.
"Although the Court does not reach applicant’s suggestion that it treat the application as a petition for a writ of mandamus at this time, that determination is without prejudice to further consideration in light of subsequent developments," it said.
"The application to vacate stays presented to The Chief Justice and by him referred to the Court is granted," the Supreme Court added. It didn’t provide any explanation of its decision.
The decision went against the Wilderness Society and other environmental groups that sought an injunction to halt construction. Those groups argued in court that the Mountain Valley Pipeline construction would negatively affect endangered species and said that the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management violated environmental statutes by approving its construction.
Mountain Valley Pipeline said the work is largely complete, except for a 3-mile section that cuts through the Jefferson National Forest. The $6.6 billion project is designed to meet growing energy demands in the South and Mid-Atlantic by transporting gas from the Marcellus and Utica fields in Pennsylvania and Ohio.
Posted by: Bobby ||
07/28/2023 09:22 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[11126 views]
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[NationalPulse] Charges DROPPED Against Dem Megadonor Sam Bankman-Fried
The Department of Justice (DOJ) has dropped campaign finance charges against alleged ‘crypto scammer’ Sam Bankman-Fried, who was accused of misusing customer deposits and who made $90 million in campaign contributions to around 300 predominantly left-wing political candidates or action committees (PACs).
Prosecutors argued the United States “mishandled” the process of extraditing Bankman-Fried from the Bahamas, writing a letter stating, “In keeping with its treaty obligations to the Bahamas, the government does not intend to proceed to trial on the campaign contributions count.”
Bankman-Fried, who had a net worth of around $26.5 billion at his peak, ranked behind only George Soros in donations to the Democrats last year. He also donated to some Republicans through what he described as ‘dark’ channels. He said in an interview:
“Reporters freak the f*** out if you donate to a Republican, because they’re all super liberal. And I didn’t want to have that fight, so I just made all the Republican [donations] ones dark.”
Bankman-Fried was the founder and former CEO of cryptocurrency exchange FTX but resigned last November after the company’s collapse, costing customers and lenders billions of dollars. He was subsequently arrested and released after paying a $250 million bond: the largest in American history.
He is due to face seven charges in October this year, including accusations that he defrauded customers and lenders to FTX.
[GEO.TV] A significant development has occurred in the investigation of the Trump Mar-a-Lago document case as a third individual, Carlos De Oliveira, now faces charges.
This follows the previous charges brought against former President Donald Trump ...Perhaps no man has ever had as much fun being president of the US... and his associate, Walt Nauta, who have both pleaded not guilty "Wudn't me." De Oliveira, a worker at the Mar-a-Lago resort, is accused of assisting Nauta in moving secret papers when the Justice Department requested them earlier this year. Surveillance footage handed over to the authorities showed Nauta and De Oliveira moving boxes around the resort just before Trump's lawyer, Evan Corcoran, conducted a search for the classified documents. The Justice Department suspects that more than 100 government records were hidden and taken from a storage room at Mar-a-Lago.
In August, the FBI conducted a search at Mar-a-Lago, and during the search, they retrieved additional classified documents from both the storage room and Trump's office. The Justice Department later revealed in court that they suspect "government records were likely concealed and removed from the Storage Room."
Carlos De Oliveira has already cooperated with Sherlocks, and his phone has been taken for further examination. CNN ...formerly the Cable News Network, now who know what it might stand for... said it tried to reach De Oliveira's attorney for a statement, but there was no response.
A spokesperson for Trump issued a statement dismissing the charges as "nothing more than a continued desperate and flailing attempt by the Biden Crime Family and their Department of Justice to harass President Trump and those around him."
As the investigation unfolds and now with a third individual charged, questions continue to emerge about the handling of classified documents at Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort. The case remains under intense scrutiny.
#2
Given how well SS did with JFK and RFK, should RFK Jr. even want them around?
Posted by: M. Murcek ||
07/28/2023 11:58 Comments ||
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#3
Biden is not campaigning. I suspect the plan was to do the candidate swap at the Convention. It is problematic if there is another candidate with significant delegates.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
07/28/2023 12:36 Comments ||
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#4
Super Hose I think they are planning on Gavin Newsom.
Posted by: Deacon Blues ||
07/28/2023 14:07 Comments ||
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#5
I heard Roger Stone make the case that Michelle would have to be the one to supplant Kamala for optics. I don’t think she could be injected sooner because she could not do the full campaign marathon. She could likely make it through an abbreviated sprint. I did not think she would run. Under those conditions I believe she would.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
07/28/2023 14:38 Comments ||
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#6
Yes, the dem way of "thinking" means that the VP slot is now and forevermore a "black" seat and a "woman" seat. Of course, black can be just about anything they decide and woman they have trouble defining.
Posted by: M. Murcek ||
07/28/2023 14:50 Comments ||
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#7
I was thinking of trying the Dems to nominate Rachael Levine but he is already 66 yr old.
However, AOCortez will be 35 in October 2024 so she would be perfect for the Dems.
Rashida Tlaib will be 48 at that time - another great choice
Posted by: lord garth ||
07/28/2023 16:27 Comments ||
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#8
I’ll bring the pain if single cell on Cheryl Hines is harmed, to hell with RFK, Jr
[GEO.TV] Senator Dianne Feinstein ...Dem Senator-for-Life from Caliphornica. She has been a politician since about the time she was weaned. Feinstein was the author of the 1994 Federal Assault Weapons Ban, and tried it a second time in 2012. Feinstein has chaired the Select Committee on Intelligence since 2009. At age 90, Feinstein is the oldest currently serving United States Senator.... , a Democratic representative from Caliphornia, an impregnable bastion of the Democratic Party,, faced confusion during a Senate vote on a defense appropriations bill.
Instead of saying a simple "aye" or "nay," she started giving a speech expressing her support for the measure, prompting Senate Appropriations Chairwoman Patty Murray ... Senator-for-life (D) from Washington state, reputedly not the sharpest intellect to be found in the World's Greatest Deliberative Body. To hear Patty tell it, if we'd built roads and bridges like Osama bin Laden had 9-11 never would have happened... to intervene and repeatedly urge her to "just say aye." After some back-and-forth, Feinstein finally cast her vote with an "aye."
A spokesperson for Senator Feinstein attributed the confusion to the chaotic nature of the hearing, saying, "The senator was preoccupied, didn't realise debate had just ended and a vote was called. She started to give a statement, was informed it was a vote and then cast her vote."
The incident has raised further questions about the senator's ability to continue serving in office, given her age and previous health complications. Feinstein, who is 90 years old, missed several votes earlier in the year due to a severe case of shingles, leading to concerns about delays in advancing President Joe The Big Guy Biden ...46th president of the U.S. We hold these truths to be self-evident. All men and women created ... by the — you know — you know, the thing... 's judicial nominees.
Despite calls from some California Democrats for her to step down, Feinstein has remained steadfast in her decision to continue serving. However, if you can't be a good example, then you'll just have to be a horrible warning... her voting mishap and other instances of confusion during Senate hearings have put her ability to fulfill her responsibilities under scrutiny.
Feinstein has previously announced that she will not seek reelection and plans to retire from Congress at the end of 2024, after serving in the Senate for three decades.
It is essential to consider the senator's health and fitness for office, especially given her crucial role on the Senate Appropriations Committee, where legislation providing funding for major federal departments and agencies is discussed.
In light of these recent incidents, concerns about Feinstein's ability to effectively carry out her duties as the oldest member of the Senate are likely to remain a topic of discussion among both Democrats and Republicans on Capitol Hill.
#3
How about a mandatory Retirement Age Cap of say 70-75?
Or at least a random semi-annually required independently conducted Drug and Mental Senility test for all elected and management level appointed Federal Office holders?.
Remember these people have access to some pretty serious stuff .... like the Launch codes.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.