Tag: 2020 Election

Leaked Audio: Before Election Day, Bannon Said Trump Planned to Falsely Claim Victory

Ms. Cat

On the evening of October 31, 2020, Steve Bannon told a group of associates that President Donald Trump had a plan to declare victory on election night—even if he was losing. Trump knew that the slow counting of Democratic-leaning mail-in ballots meant the returns would show early leads for him in key states. His “strategy” was to use this fact to assert that he had won, while claiming that the inevitable shifts in vote totals toward Joe Biden must be the result of fraud, Bannon explained.

Leaked Audio: Before Election Day, Bannon Said Trump Planned to Falsely Claim Victory

Steve Bannon’s Lawyer Robert Costello Seeks to Withdraw from Contempt of Court Case, Claiming He May Be a Witness

Ms. Cat

One of Steve Bannon’s attorneys asked to withdraw from representing the ex-Donald Trump strategist, claiming that he may need to act as a witness at Bannon’s upcoming contempt of Congress trial.

Steve Bannon’s Lawyer Robert Costello Seeks to Withdraw from Contempt of Court Case, Claiming He May Be a Witness

Related:

‘This Whole Thing Is a Joke’: Toobin Reacts to Story About Trump Waiving Executive Privilege for Steve Bannon

Trump considers waiving claim of executive privilege for Steve Bannon

Trump swindles the deplorables

Ms. Cat

As much as I’m enjoying the January 6th committee’s careful assembly of evidence proving former President Trump is a [douchebag]. I wasn’t seeing much in the way of a criminal offense until this week’s underreported story about how Trump used his “STOP THE STEAL” fundraising appeals to grift his supporters out of $250 million, none of which was, in fact, used to fight election fraud.

Ann Coulter: Trump swindles the deplorables

Related:

Trump’s $250 million grift: Calling Attorney General Leslie Rutledge to enforce Deceptive Trade Practices Act:

But there was also this, from the New York Times account, which bears closer scrutiny:

Investigators went further on Monday, detailing how the Trump campaign and its Republican allies used claims of a rigged election that they knew were false to mislead small donors and raise as much as $250 million for an entity they called the Official Election Defense Fund, which top campaign aides testified never existed.

“Not only was there the big lie,” said Representative Zoe Lofgren, a California Democrat who played a key role in the hearing, “there was the big rip-off.”

Money ostensibly raised to “stop the steal” instead went to Mr. Trump and his allies, including, the investigation found, $1 million for a charitable foundation run by Mark Meadows, his chief of staff; $1 million to a political group run by several of his former staff members, including Stephen Miller, the architect of Mr. Trump’s immigration agenda; more than $200,000 to Trump hotels; and $5 million to Event Strategies Inc., which ran the Jan. 6 rally that preceded the Capitol riot.

Aides said Kimberly Guilfoyle, the girlfriend of Mr. Trump’s son Donald Trump Jr., was paid $60,000 to speak at that event, a speech that lasted less than three minutes.

“It is clear that he intentionally misled his donors, asked them to donate to a fund that didn’t exist and used the money raised for something other than what he said,” Ms. Lofgren said of Mr. Trump.

The Dangers of Praising Mike Pence and Liz Cheney

Ms. Cat

Republican enemies of Donald Trump are not your friend. In fact, they may represent an even more dangerous form of far-right politics, because they put a respectable veneer on theocracy, climate denial, and warmongering. Democrats need to stop praising horrible neoconservatives.

The Dangers of Praising Mike Pence and Liz Cheney
My reaction to Robert Reich’s suggestion!

I’d much prefer Rand Paul, if we were to have a right-winger as President! I don’t care for all of his economic policies but, at least, we might have less wars and legalized marijuana!

Steve Bannon just lost his bid to toss criminal charges over his defiance of House January 6 committee

Ms. Cat

A federal judge on Wednesday refused to throw out criminal contempt of Congress charges against Steve Bannon, greenlighting the July jury trial to proceed against the onetime Trump advisor over his defiance of the House committee investigating the January 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol.

Steve Bannon just lost his bid to toss criminal charges over his defiance of House January 6 committee

Democrats challenge nominating papers of Trump-backed Republican governor candidate Tim Michels

Ms. Cat

Democrats challenge nominating papers of Trump-backed Republican governor candidate Tim Michels

Related:

Donald Trump endorses Tim Michels for Wisconsin governor, inserting himself into competitive GOP primary:

The backing of Michels from Trump comes a week after Michels adopted a more aggressive stance toward the 2020 election, reversing himself and calling for the abolition of the Wisconsin Elections Commission.

Tim Michels Says He ‘Always Spent 183 Days’ a Year in Wisconsin

Tim Michels Home: $17 Million Connecticut Mansion, New York Penthouse Raise Residency Questions:

[Tim] Michels’ wealth was largely accumulated through public projects and taxpayer money, including more than $1 billion from the State of Wisconsin; his company builds roads and pipelines. Some contracts have been controversial, including alleged double bidding.

…

The couple purchased a New York penthouse while the subway project was happening. However, the subway project had ended before the LLC we’ve tied to them purchased two Connecticut homes worth millions. Their daughter and youngest son graduated from high schools out east after the subway project’s completion.

…

The campaign has painted Michels as a blue-collar figure rooted in Wisconsin who baled hay as a kid, graduated from small-town Lomira High School, joined the Army, and then worked for the family company headquartered in Brownsville, Wisconsin. In his announcement speech, Michels stood before red utility vehicles and posed with construction workers. An east coast lifestyle full of yachting and polo clubs is clearly not the image the campaign is after.