To be sure, the federal courts have become the guardrails we need in Trump 2.0. But, sadly, Trump is prone to whine for emergency relief from SCOTUS … where he is much better received … nigh unto near immunity.
Pretty sure even SCOTUS can’t fix this one. It’s hardly an official act. It’s clearly fraud. I just hope the judge takes this all the way. Donny and Todd have stepped in it.
Per the dissents of Justices Kagan, Jackson and Sotomayor, it has been noted that the conservative six - with the tacit consent of the Chief Justice - find too often for their politics, not the law.
Even the Gang of Six (make that Four --- since Alito and Thomas would almost certainly dissent) would be hard pressed not to react harshly, especially if Judge Williams finds a fraud was committed on her court. So, very likely because the lawsuit lacked a true case or controversy (a constitutional requirement) and was tainted by fraud on the court, everything would be voided including any settlements. Any settlement filed is automatically void because a federal court cannot approve or enforce a settlement in a case it had no constitutional power to hear and in this situation there was no jurisdiction because there was no case. If Judge Williams ultimately finds there was never a real case, then the federal court always retained the power to control, review, and unwind any settlement, no matter that the parties filed a voluntary dismissal. No case=no settlement.
Oh, I agree. We’ll see. I just don’t trust this court. After all, they gave Trump near total immunity, even in the face of credible federal charges against him (Trump v. U. S.).
[Judge Williams] could open an inquiry, under a federal rule that allows judges to sanction parties who bring frivolous cases or motions, into whether the lawsuit was a sham, designed to get a court to legitimize Trump’s slush fund."
Can "sanctions" include prison sentences? Or, for poetic justice, immediate IRS audits?
It's long past time for some hard-core accountability for this thief.
Let's hope that the real law rules on this. If not we all need to fail to pay taxes. If the leader of our country is forgiven millions in tax debt then why can't those of us who pay more be given a free pass. Totally unacceptable.
The highly partisan majority will contort itself into a legal pretzel to enable Trump to do whatever he wants. Let's not forget that Mitch McConnell has his fingers all over this and that Chuck Grassley has seamlessly stepped up to continue it.
And Iowans - Grassley is a real and unrestrained partisan.
Can't wait to see the size of hairball the former DOJ coughs up in response to Judge Williams's demand it explain why the original bogus IRS "case" shouldn't be reopened because of it perpetrating a fraud on the court.
Thing to keep in mind is that even though the case caption includes “President Donald J. Trump,” that reflects his title, not the legal capacity in which he sued. The plaintiffs were Demento, his sons, and the Trump Organization — all as private parties alleging personal harm from the IRS leak (which itself has been adjudicated). So, not only can Judge Williams sanction the former DOJ for bringing a collusive and meritless suit, but Demento and his co-plaintiffs as well. No presidential immunity involved. Federal courts have sanctioned sitting presidents before: Clinton was sanctioned for false testimony, and courts have compelled sitting presidents to comply with subpoenas (United States v. Nixon; Clinton v. Jones; Trump v. Vance). Presidential immunity is a shield, not a sword. It protects a president from being sued for official acts. It does not: give him special advantages when he sues others, insulate him from sanctions, or limit the court’s power to police misconduct. Once Demento voluntarily invoked the court’s jurisdiction, he became a regular civil litigant for all procedural purposes. And the thing is, being a sitting president actually strengthens the argument that the lawsuit may have been collusive, because he controlled both the plaintiff side (himself) and the defendant side (DOJ/IRS). Get your popcorn ready.
... and he commented, more than once, about the fact that he controlled both sides of the case. His comments aside, it seems to be true, still, that you can only put your ass in one saddle at a time.
Thank you Joyce to you and your team who research and write and edit. I am delighted to be a paying subscriber, and I do appreciate that for those who are unable to afford to pay, that you allow most of what your write to be available, because we need a knowledgeable public to hold criminal regimes to account and you help to that end
The PRESS should STOP REPEATING TRUMP & BLANCHE LIES about the “weaponization slush fund.”
1. There was NO SETTLEMENT. The judge who dismissed the case said there was no settlement.
2. The precedent case of Keepsake v. Vilsack involved JUDICIAL OVERSIGHT of a fund that compensated farmers who had been victims of government discrimination. BUT HERE, BLANCHE’S slush fund has NO JUDICIAL OVERSIGHT and no public accountability.
3. There’s no crime or tort called “weaponization.” At best, Jan 6 convicted criminals are claiming “malicious prosecution.” And Blanche is simply refusing to defend the US and the public interest. He is not requiring them to prove their claims in court. He is just GIVING AWAY TAXPAYER MONEY. He should be impeached for refusing to do his constitutional duties.
4. Why does anyone set up a “fund” to distribute taxpayer dollars without judicial oversight? Because it’s easier to commit fraud and collusion.
5. Why is “presidential immunity” needed? Only a criminal needs to have immunity from criminal prosecution.
6. Why does Trump want the IRS to NOT AUDIT him? Only a tax cheat needs immunity from IRS audits. Especially someone who can gain over a $100 million dollars from being “audit-free.”
I totally agree. I also cringe. And I can imagine how the Judge Williams feels — being defrauded into allowing a case to be dismissed voluntarily when it should have been dismissed with prejudice for multiple legal reasons. The “fair” press is clearly being taken advantage of — because they have to report what Trump & Blanche say about the case. But the press needs to emphasize factual truths — even if they have a duty to report Trump’s misleading statements. This entire FRAUD is based on Trump counting on the public thinking that “if you file a lawsuit, then it must be true.” Fraud succeeds because stupid people believe con artists. In addition, this attempt to steal $1.776 billion from the government is happening because liars and criminals are running the government.
The thing is, when they’re reporting on the issue, they could refer to it as “the agreement,” rather than “the settlement.” Or say the whole title, “the settlement agreement.” They shortened it to “settlement,” which I believe was what Trump and Blanche had hoped would happen.
Everyone with a working brain (or even half of a working brain) KNOWS that REAL inflation is up right around 8% this year over last year. All one has to do is compare expenses incurred last year to expenses incurred this year. It is not rocket science, it is not brain surgery, it is simple math.
That said, who are the idiots and morons who believe the LIES coming out of Trump and administration officials who are telling the (gullible) American public that inflation is only around 3.5%?
Send a copy of this to your Republican representatives! Ask THEM….”why the lies?”
Maybe we should have a box where every citizen can put their sakes receipts and then send the boxes by UPS to our blind senators and that fool who keeps talking about the economy just being slightly bad....aka the guy that woukd look like he is smiling even if he was in a bla,ing building.
Judge Kathleen Williams MUST pursue the matter further! There is ample evidence of collusion and fraud by Trump and Blanche. Our system of justice cannot turn a blind eye to Trump and Blanche COMMITTING a Fraud On The Court. Our entire democracy will be severely damaged if they are not held to account.
I was in DC on saturday outside the Kennedy Centerand was interviewed by a news reporter from CBS. Question was what do I think about Trumps name being on the the Kennedy Center and being removed. I said a few things. What they aired was me saying: he is like a dog that has to mark everything.. Shocked thats what thay chose to air
not only does hegseth demonstrate his animus toward trans people, but yesterday it was reported that he has blocked the promotions of several black and female members of the military. He is on record saying he wants white men as his "warriors". Such a blatantly bigoted misogynist. How did he ever get confirmed? Oh right.... the sock puppets in the senate too afraid to vote on the evidence of his unfitness for this position.
Omg. The court really did write this: 'Unless we are going to fall for the old Groucho Marx line—“who are you going to believe, me or your lying eyes?”—we have direct evidence in this case that animus motivated the classifications in the Hegseth Policy...' I thought Joyce was, er, pencilling between the lines. But Nope. Hey, not to be all doom and gloom but Trumpy Judge Justin Walker dissented and Trump has 2 more years to continue packing the courts.
You’re so funny. All the president’s men. You look too young to remember this. We’re going to get through this. I am literally on my knees praying for our country. How on earth have we come to this? Thank you for your strident input. We can do this!
Should she formally reopen the Trump-IRS case, Judge Williams doesn’t need to “prove” collusion the way a prosecutor proves a crime. She only needs to find evidence in the record showing the parties were not truly adverse. If she makes that finding, Article III jurisdiction collapses (no case) and the settlement is voided, including the immunity from federal tax audits which apparently is still on the table as an element of the settlement despite Demento and his personal law firm (presumably --- "for now") backing off of the $1.8B slush fund.
To be sure, the federal courts have become the guardrails we need in Trump 2.0. But, sadly, Trump is prone to whine for emergency relief from SCOTUS … where he is much better received … nigh unto near immunity.
Pretty sure even SCOTUS can’t fix this one. It’s hardly an official act. It’s clearly fraud. I just hope the judge takes this all the way. Donny and Todd have stepped in it.
Per the dissents of Justices Kagan, Jackson and Sotomayor, it has been noted that the conservative six - with the tacit consent of the Chief Justice - find too often for their politics, not the law.
Even the Gang of Six (make that Four --- since Alito and Thomas would almost certainly dissent) would be hard pressed not to react harshly, especially if Judge Williams finds a fraud was committed on her court. So, very likely because the lawsuit lacked a true case or controversy (a constitutional requirement) and was tainted by fraud on the court, everything would be voided including any settlements. Any settlement filed is automatically void because a federal court cannot approve or enforce a settlement in a case it had no constitutional power to hear and in this situation there was no jurisdiction because there was no case. If Judge Williams ultimately finds there was never a real case, then the federal court always retained the power to control, review, and unwind any settlement, no matter that the parties filed a voluntary dismissal. No case=no settlement.
One hopes. But those Six do tend to ignore the findings of lower courts if inconvenient. I just do not find them trustworthy.
Impossible to ignore the Article III constitutional issue, assuming there is evidence of collusion (no real case).
Oh, I agree. We’ll see. I just don’t trust this court. After all, they gave Trump near total immunity, even in the face of credible federal charges against him (Trump v. U. S.).
Duly noted but dude, do you have to wreck my dreams?!?!
Perhaps a little poetry will help:
Donny and Jeffy sitting in a tree
K I S S I N G
First comes love, then comes marriage,
Then comes ______ with a baby carriage …
I haven't heard that for 70+ years 😂
Creepy Stevie Miller with a baby carriage! Ewwwww!!!!
But he already has the right haircut!
Your exchange with Dale is a good one.
[Judge Williams] could open an inquiry, under a federal rule that allows judges to sanction parties who bring frivolous cases or motions, into whether the lawsuit was a sham, designed to get a court to legitimize Trump’s slush fund."
Can "sanctions" include prison sentences? Or, for poetic justice, immediate IRS audits?
It's long past time for some hard-core accountability for this thief.
Let's hope that the real law rules on this. If not we all need to fail to pay taxes. If the leader of our country is forgiven millions in tax debt then why can't those of us who pay more be given a free pass. Totally unacceptable.
True enough, but let's get this fraud on the record first, and let SCOTUS tell us that fraud is OK. After all, IOKIYAR.
The highly partisan majority will contort itself into a legal pretzel to enable Trump to do whatever he wants. Let's not forget that Mitch McConnell has his fingers all over this and that Chuck Grassley has seamlessly stepped up to continue it.
And Iowans - Grassley is a real and unrestrained partisan.
Agree
Can't wait to see the size of hairball the former DOJ coughs up in response to Judge Williams's demand it explain why the original bogus IRS "case" shouldn't be reopened because of it perpetrating a fraud on the court.
Thing to keep in mind is that even though the case caption includes “President Donald J. Trump,” that reflects his title, not the legal capacity in which he sued. The plaintiffs were Demento, his sons, and the Trump Organization — all as private parties alleging personal harm from the IRS leak (which itself has been adjudicated). So, not only can Judge Williams sanction the former DOJ for bringing a collusive and meritless suit, but Demento and his co-plaintiffs as well. No presidential immunity involved. Federal courts have sanctioned sitting presidents before: Clinton was sanctioned for false testimony, and courts have compelled sitting presidents to comply with subpoenas (United States v. Nixon; Clinton v. Jones; Trump v. Vance). Presidential immunity is a shield, not a sword. It protects a president from being sued for official acts. It does not: give him special advantages when he sues others, insulate him from sanctions, or limit the court’s power to police misconduct. Once Demento voluntarily invoked the court’s jurisdiction, he became a regular civil litigant for all procedural purposes. And the thing is, being a sitting president actually strengthens the argument that the lawsuit may have been collusive, because he controlled both the plaintiff side (himself) and the defendant side (DOJ/IRS). Get your popcorn ready.
... and he commented, more than once, about the fact that he controlled both sides of the case. His comments aside, it seems to be true, still, that you can only put your ass in one saddle at a time.
"....put your ass in one saddle at a time.". Thank you, Mr. Rubin.
Thank you Joyce to you and your team who research and write and edit. I am delighted to be a paying subscriber, and I do appreciate that for those who are unable to afford to pay, that you allow most of what your write to be available, because we need a knowledgeable public to hold criminal regimes to account and you help to that end
Yes, deepest thanks!
The PRESS should STOP REPEATING TRUMP & BLANCHE LIES about the “weaponization slush fund.”
1. There was NO SETTLEMENT. The judge who dismissed the case said there was no settlement.
2. The precedent case of Keepsake v. Vilsack involved JUDICIAL OVERSIGHT of a fund that compensated farmers who had been victims of government discrimination. BUT HERE, BLANCHE’S slush fund has NO JUDICIAL OVERSIGHT and no public accountability.
3. There’s no crime or tort called “weaponization.” At best, Jan 6 convicted criminals are claiming “malicious prosecution.” And Blanche is simply refusing to defend the US and the public interest. He is not requiring them to prove their claims in court. He is just GIVING AWAY TAXPAYER MONEY. He should be impeached for refusing to do his constitutional duties.
4. Why does anyone set up a “fund” to distribute taxpayer dollars without judicial oversight? Because it’s easier to commit fraud and collusion.
5. Why is “presidential immunity” needed? Only a criminal needs to have immunity from criminal prosecution.
6. Why does Trump want the IRS to NOT AUDIT him? Only a tax cheat needs immunity from IRS audits. Especially someone who can gain over a $100 million dollars from being “audit-free.”
Still he’s scamming all of us
I cringe (understatement) every time I hear the press reference this wink-wink agreement as a “settlement.” They know better.
I totally agree. I also cringe. And I can imagine how the Judge Williams feels — being defrauded into allowing a case to be dismissed voluntarily when it should have been dismissed with prejudice for multiple legal reasons. The “fair” press is clearly being taken advantage of — because they have to report what Trump & Blanche say about the case. But the press needs to emphasize factual truths — even if they have a duty to report Trump’s misleading statements. This entire FRAUD is based on Trump counting on the public thinking that “if you file a lawsuit, then it must be true.” Fraud succeeds because stupid people believe con artists. In addition, this attempt to steal $1.776 billion from the government is happening because liars and criminals are running the government.
The thing is, when they’re reporting on the issue, they could refer to it as “the agreement,” rather than “the settlement.” Or say the whole title, “the settlement agreement.” They shortened it to “settlement,” which I believe was what Trump and Blanche had hoped would happen.
What little good news we get these days comes from the courts. Thank goodness there are still some judges for whom the law still matters.
Excellent job on TRMS today! Here's hoping the dam is breaking.
How do you spell trump?
L * O * S * E * R !!!
💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩
or D*U* M*P !!!
Everyone with a working brain (or even half of a working brain) KNOWS that REAL inflation is up right around 8% this year over last year. All one has to do is compare expenses incurred last year to expenses incurred this year. It is not rocket science, it is not brain surgery, it is simple math.
That said, who are the idiots and morons who believe the LIES coming out of Trump and administration officials who are telling the (gullible) American public that inflation is only around 3.5%?
Send a copy of this to your Republican representatives! Ask THEM….”why the lies?”
Maybe we should have a box where every citizen can put their sakes receipts and then send the boxes by UPS to our blind senators and that fool who keeps talking about the economy just being slightly bad....aka the guy that woukd look like he is smiling even if he was in a bla,ing building.
Judge Kathleen Williams MUST pursue the matter further! There is ample evidence of collusion and fraud by Trump and Blanche. Our system of justice cannot turn a blind eye to Trump and Blanche COMMITTING a Fraud On The Court. Our entire democracy will be severely damaged if they are not held to account.
I was in DC on saturday outside the Kennedy Centerand was interviewed by a news reporter from CBS. Question was what do I think about Trumps name being on the the Kennedy Center and being removed. I said a few things. What they aired was me saying: he is like a dog that has to mark everything.. Shocked thats what thay chose to air
he is though !
Very well said. Exactly.
Thank you, Professor. I am proud of Mr. Eisen standing firm as a lawyer to defend this case, against Trump. Vain is going to hurt him badly.
not only does hegseth demonstrate his animus toward trans people, but yesterday it was reported that he has blocked the promotions of several black and female members of the military. He is on record saying he wants white men as his "warriors". Such a blatantly bigoted misogynist. How did he ever get confirmed? Oh right.... the sock puppets in the senate too afraid to vote on the evidence of his unfitness for this position.
exactly ! who would put a fox news ass in charge of the most powerful military in the world ??? oh that's right...
Omg. The court really did write this: 'Unless we are going to fall for the old Groucho Marx line—“who are you going to believe, me or your lying eyes?”—we have direct evidence in this case that animus motivated the classifications in the Hegseth Policy...' I thought Joyce was, er, pencilling between the lines. But Nope. Hey, not to be all doom and gloom but Trumpy Judge Justin Walker dissented and Trump has 2 more years to continue packing the courts.
Kudos to the real keepers of the law.
Beat down.
You’re so funny. All the president’s men. You look too young to remember this. We’re going to get through this. I am literally on my knees praying for our country. How on earth have we come to this? Thank you for your strident input. We can do this!
I just keep crying. How on earth can we endure this? I am glad that there are people like you.
Should she formally reopen the Trump-IRS case, Judge Williams doesn’t need to “prove” collusion the way a prosecutor proves a crime. She only needs to find evidence in the record showing the parties were not truly adverse. If she makes that finding, Article III jurisdiction collapses (no case) and the settlement is voided, including the immunity from federal tax audits which apparently is still on the table as an element of the settlement despite Demento and his personal law firm (presumably --- "for now") backing off of the $1.8B slush fund.