There must be lots of frantic men furious that their secrets are likely to be revealed, sooner or later: their sexual abuse of girls, their corrupt financial links with the Trump family, their profiting off the ICE and CPB terror campaigns, their support for anti-democratic right-wing extremist groups, and more. Perhaps secrets explain why many institutional leaders are eager to cave to the regime.
In the meantime, the rest of us must do as Joyce repeatedly urges: get active, stay in the fight, be part of a larger democracy community, locally or nationally. Find good people to run for office, perhaps run for office yourself. There are more of us than them. We can do this.
I am cheered by the number of European countries now investigating certain people's ties to Epstein -- the more this becomes a global investigation the harder it will be for Bondi and Blanche to bury it at home.
lauriemcf, I, too am glad the international community is getting involved. It will be a great help in the finding of the full story, that is if they make public what they find.
I’m an elected official for my first time. This week I’m taking a local training in how to help protect folks from harm by ICE’s illegal actions. Wondering if through my official role i can help expand these trainings locally.
Liverpool, I suspect Trump and/or his cadre of sycophants in the white house toddler pool knew very well what was/is in the Kid Rock song and more than one song from what I understand. That made him the perfect star for Trump's anti-Bad Bunny show. It makes it clear to the world what this regime honors. It isn't decency, kindness, caring; it is do as much harm as possible to anyone who will not comply to Trump's toddleresque demands. So, we had better do a whole lot of defying until Trump is gone from leadership, along with the rest of the toddler pool. They have regularly betrayed the American people and now are trying to destroy our ability to vote for the people we choose. That is treason, enemies from within.
When public opinion is STRONG, Trump knows he has to back down. It's time to call Congress (202 224 3121) and the White House (202 456 1414) about ICE reform. The next 10 days are critical. Read about the 10 Democratic proposals to curb ICE.
Gislaine Maxwell—the current administration has exchanged decency for expediency. Is sexual predation now acceptable? Is a child, no longer a fetus, unworthy of protection?
Great job, Joyce Vance. Thanks for calling it out. Intimidation of the survivors. Protection of all the perps. Todd Blanche should be kicked out of his job. Bennie Thompson and Jamie Raskin: may they wipe up the floor with the slime. That is an old fashioned prayer for justice. May it roll down like thunder!
Earlier today I was listening to a broadcast from The Meidas Touch. They were discussing the 5th Amendment that Maxwell plans to take. But they brought up the point that she has already been convicted. So my question is why does she have any fifth amendment rights if she’s already been convicted of these crimes? Further she didn’t take the 5th in her “interview” with todd blanche (not capitalized on purpose to show my disrespect). So why does she have that right now?
Her counsel claims that if she were to somehow get a habeas release and there is a retrial (about as likely as her release IMO) anything she might reveal in her congressional testimony could incriminate her in connection with that trial. I guess it's as good an excuse as any when you've run out of them, and especially when you've already been charged with lying under oath (with charges dropped when she was convicted of more serious crimes). As for why she didn't assert the privilege with Blanche, the answer is straightforward --- she wasn’t concerned with possibly incriminating herself since she received limited immunity (providing she didn’t lie) and probably received the topics, if not the actual questions, in advance. The right to assert Fifth Amendment protections is variable by question and context. Although once you begin answering questions voluntarily on a specific subject, you may be deemed to have waived your right to the protections and if determined, you generally can't refuse to answer additional questions on the same subject.
She was not under oath but given limited immunity, meaning the government could not use her statements against her in any future criminal prosecution. Had she not been given what's called "proffer immunity" she could still have "taken the Fifth" even if she were not under oath.
Could she possible be trying to stay in trumps good graces by pleading the 5th in exchange for his ultimate pardon…. She’s definitely been laying groundwork that others (men!) received deals and she’s the only one that didn’t. And that does appear to be true. I could see him spinning this in her favor. Based on the many others he’s pardoned, it’s clear a good and moral conscience is not what guides him. Interesting times
Cats, I suspect she got the right because that is what we always do for Republicans and those who are willing to bow to Donald Trump even if they are with him in his criminal behavior. They would, of course never do that for Democrats, but alas, Repubs seem to have "friends in high places" who will work really hard to keep information from getting out, probably because a lot of their own are involved.
Thank you, Joyce. I am so proud of these courageous young athletes for speaking up. And I am following your advice to use my platform, albeit small, to spread the truth to counter trump’s constant deluge of lies. And I contribute all I can afford to Democratic causes and candidates. I have attended two of the three No Kings protests. We all owe you a huge debt of gratitude for your diligent fight to preserve our Democracy.
I, too, am proud of these young athletes for speaking up. I am also thankful to the international Olympic audience for supporting these athletes and recognizing, as evidenced by their response at the Opening Ceremonies, that there is a clear difference between "Americans" and "MAGA".
Can I ask, Joyce, why isn't Maureen (sp?) Comey being asked to testify? She prosecuted both Epstein & Maxwell. She could make some sense of the files & DOJ decisions. Is she able to speak about those prosecutions? Wouldn't we be able to get the minutes from those courtrooms?
There is a distinct and reasonable argument questioning the application of Fifth Amendment protections outside of formal criminal proceedings, primarily focused on limiting the scope of the "self-incrimination" clause to actual, pending criminal cases rather than civil or administrative proceedings. The pertinent clause does specify "criminal." And btw a habeas hearing is considered a civil action, although it may arise out of criminal conviction or detention. Even with the unlikely possibility of a habeas release, it is just as highly unlikely she would get a retrial (at least for the next three years) which is the reason for the blanket privilege assertion. She's been trying to get her conviction overturned for more than five years now with obviously no success. This whole business is sketchy to say the least and under normal circumstances a witness could well be held in contempt, even with a blanket assertion of the privilege, if questions that clearly are not incriminating are not answered. Under normal circumstances.
Thank you Dale, I thought I'd learned enough law in the last ten years of watching its abuse to question the invocation of the fifth. It's like being in law achool....
Oh yes, Pam Bondi appears before a committee headed by Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan! Both are so comfortable with pedophiles—Jordan worked alongside an active pedo at Ohio State, now another in Washington DC; Bondi oversaw Epstein’s sentence and let him do as he pleased. Will they trade jokes and funny stories?
Interesting how Maxwell entered the habéis corpus (motion?) in late December. Slow and improper release of the Epstein files absolutely presents as an intentional cover up by the DOJ. OMgosh, Jim Jordan on Wednesday. My blood curdles every time I hear him talk. If he was ever to be straight forward, I think his head might explode. Proud of our brave Olympians who spoke truth to power. And proud of us who are taking tangible action to resist this autocratic regime.
Thank you burning the midnight oil in service to we the people. Thank you for chickens and all the stress relievers you invited us to share. Reading all your readers’ contributions has lowered the bar enough for me to keep on keeping on. We are all in your debt,
Did Epstein really die in prison? Was he shuttled out of the country? Where is the evidence? Was the autopsy a fake? There was/is so much money involved and the White House is now full of the mobsters connected to Epstein.
It sure seems like the DOJ is deliberately intimidating victims with the illegal lack of redactions, to say nothing of the also illegal redactions of the names of folks who are in the Epstein emails. A reporter I follow who has been reviewing the files had the same observation yesterday.
Has Epstein's staff/employees/contractors--lawyers, chefs, pilots, drivers, cleaners,etc.--ever been questioned under oath regarding Epstein's/Maxwell's crime(s)?
There should be voluminous stuff like that in the files that have been released. If not, then it must be in the unreleased files, meaning more incriminating to Trump.
I came across this description of the extent to which Epstein wired his Little St. John's Island compound with electronic surveillance. https://hntrbrk.com/ubiquiti-epstein.
"The jury is out on whether Jeffrey Epstein was working with Russia. But they apparently shared a loyalty to the same wireless supplier: Ubiquiti."
I simply cannot figure out why James Comer is so dumb as to think that compelling Maxwell to testify before his sham committee is somehow going to work out well for Republicans or for Trump. Not for the first (and probably not for the last) time, GOP stupidity simply boggles my mind.
There must be lots of frantic men furious that their secrets are likely to be revealed, sooner or later: their sexual abuse of girls, their corrupt financial links with the Trump family, their profiting off the ICE and CPB terror campaigns, their support for anti-democratic right-wing extremist groups, and more. Perhaps secrets explain why many institutional leaders are eager to cave to the regime.
In the meantime, the rest of us must do as Joyce repeatedly urges: get active, stay in the fight, be part of a larger democracy community, locally or nationally. Find good people to run for office, perhaps run for office yourself. There are more of us than them. We can do this.
I am cheered by the number of European countries now investigating certain people's ties to Epstein -- the more this becomes a global investigation the harder it will be for Bondi and Blanche to bury it at home.
I agree, and I hope the international attention blows the lid off the American cabal of pedophiles, no matter who they are or where they are.
lauriemcf, I, too am glad the international community is getting involved. It will be a great help in the finding of the full story, that is if they make public what they find.
I’m an elected official for my first time. This week I’m taking a local training in how to help protect folks from harm by ICE’s illegal actions. Wondering if through my official role i can help expand these trainings locally.
Thank you!
We love you for that!
Thank you, Ruthie!
I want everyone to know that MAGA's beloved Kid Rock sang this in a song of his from 2001.
"I like 'em underage, see some say that's statutory (but I say that's mandatory),"
Yes, he did. What would TPUSA say about that?
Liverpool, I suspect Trump and/or his cadre of sycophants in the white house toddler pool knew very well what was/is in the Kid Rock song and more than one song from what I understand. That made him the perfect star for Trump's anti-Bad Bunny show. It makes it clear to the world what this regime honors. It isn't decency, kindness, caring; it is do as much harm as possible to anyone who will not comply to Trump's toddleresque demands. So, we had better do a whole lot of defying until Trump is gone from leadership, along with the rest of the toddler pool. They have regularly betrayed the American people and now are trying to destroy our ability to vote for the people we choose. That is treason, enemies from within.
Laurie, all good ideas! Thanks!
When public opinion is STRONG, Trump knows he has to back down. It's time to call Congress (202 224 3121) and the White House (202 456 1414) about ICE reform. The next 10 days are critical. Read about the 10 Democratic proposals to curb ICE.
https://kathleenweber.substack.com/p/the-most-important-thing-you-can
First order of business is to get rid of MAGA. Within a matter of hours, Hakeem Jeffries (or someone like Don Bacon) could be Speaker of the House
https://jerryweiss.substack.com/
Gislaine Maxwell—the current administration has exchanged decency for expediency. Is sexual predation now acceptable? Is a child, no longer a fetus, unworthy of protection?
That's a good question, David, reminiscent of the old saying that for Republicans life begins at conception and ends at birth.
They are pro life except for the mother who wants a baby but is dying bc something went wrong and they won't save her.
Great job, Joyce Vance. Thanks for calling it out. Intimidation of the survivors. Protection of all the perps. Todd Blanche should be kicked out of his job. Bennie Thompson and Jamie Raskin: may they wipe up the floor with the slime. That is an old fashioned prayer for justice. May it roll down like thunder!
Earlier today I was listening to a broadcast from The Meidas Touch. They were discussing the 5th Amendment that Maxwell plans to take. But they brought up the point that she has already been convicted. So my question is why does she have any fifth amendment rights if she’s already been convicted of these crimes? Further she didn’t take the 5th in her “interview” with todd blanche (not capitalized on purpose to show my disrespect). So why does she have that right now?
Her counsel claims that if she were to somehow get a habeas release and there is a retrial (about as likely as her release IMO) anything she might reveal in her congressional testimony could incriminate her in connection with that trial. I guess it's as good an excuse as any when you've run out of them, and especially when you've already been charged with lying under oath (with charges dropped when she was convicted of more serious crimes). As for why she didn't assert the privilege with Blanche, the answer is straightforward --- she wasn’t concerned with possibly incriminating herself since she received limited immunity (providing she didn’t lie) and probably received the topics, if not the actual questions, in advance. The right to assert Fifth Amendment protections is variable by question and context. Although once you begin answering questions voluntarily on a specific subject, you may be deemed to have waived your right to the protections and if determined, you generally can't refuse to answer additional questions on the same subject.
Thank you for clarifying that for us!
Thanks, I had wondered the same thing.
Was she under oath when she was interviewed by todd?? If not, she could answer (read lie) to her heart’s content and have no need to plead the 5th.
She was not under oath but given limited immunity, meaning the government could not use her statements against her in any future criminal prosecution. Had she not been given what's called "proffer immunity" she could still have "taken the Fifth" even if she were not under oath.
Could she possible be trying to stay in trumps good graces by pleading the 5th in exchange for his ultimate pardon…. She’s definitely been laying groundwork that others (men!) received deals and she’s the only one that didn’t. And that does appear to be true. I could see him spinning this in her favor. Based on the many others he’s pardoned, it’s clear a good and moral conscience is not what guides him. Interesting times
Cats, I suspect she got the right because that is what we always do for Republicans and those who are willing to bow to Donald Trump even if they are with him in his criminal behavior. They would, of course never do that for Democrats, but alas, Repubs seem to have "friends in high places" who will work really hard to keep information from getting out, probably because a lot of their own are involved.
Thank you, Joyce. I am so proud of these courageous young athletes for speaking up. And I am following your advice to use my platform, albeit small, to spread the truth to counter trump’s constant deluge of lies. And I contribute all I can afford to Democratic causes and candidates. I have attended two of the three No Kings protests. We all owe you a huge debt of gratitude for your diligent fight to preserve our Democracy.
I, too, am proud of these young athletes for speaking up. I am also thankful to the international Olympic audience for supporting these athletes and recognizing, as evidenced by their response at the Opening Ceremonies, that there is a clear difference between "Americans" and "MAGA".
Yes. I am grateful, also. Thank you. Please spend a few minutes with your chickens when you can.
Can I ask, Joyce, why isn't Maureen (sp?) Comey being asked to testify? She prosecuted both Epstein & Maxwell. She could make some sense of the files & DOJ decisions. Is she able to speak about those prosecutions? Wouldn't we be able to get the minutes from those courtrooms?
There is a distinct and reasonable argument questioning the application of Fifth Amendment protections outside of formal criminal proceedings, primarily focused on limiting the scope of the "self-incrimination" clause to actual, pending criminal cases rather than civil or administrative proceedings. The pertinent clause does specify "criminal." And btw a habeas hearing is considered a civil action, although it may arise out of criminal conviction or detention. Even with the unlikely possibility of a habeas release, it is just as highly unlikely she would get a retrial (at least for the next three years) which is the reason for the blanket privilege assertion. She's been trying to get her conviction overturned for more than five years now with obviously no success. This whole business is sketchy to say the least and under normal circumstances a witness could well be held in contempt, even with a blanket assertion of the privilege, if questions that clearly are not incriminating are not answered. Under normal circumstances.
Thank you Dale, I thought I'd learned enough law in the last ten years of watching its abuse to question the invocation of the fifth. It's like being in law achool....
Oh yes, Pam Bondi appears before a committee headed by Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan! Both are so comfortable with pedophiles—Jordan worked alongside an active pedo at Ohio State, now another in Washington DC; Bondi oversaw Epstein’s sentence and let him do as he pleased. Will they trade jokes and funny stories?
Joyce ✨I just want you to know , and Not worry about anymore;
your pardoned for your “French” in insisting that the Department of Justice
“ Do their god
damn job”
There is so so much to take in & make well & “ right” again. Thank you Joyce as always ❣️
You’re a Treasure ❤️
Interesting how Maxwell entered the habéis corpus (motion?) in late December. Slow and improper release of the Epstein files absolutely presents as an intentional cover up by the DOJ. OMgosh, Jim Jordan on Wednesday. My blood curdles every time I hear him talk. If he was ever to be straight forward, I think his head might explode. Proud of our brave Olympians who spoke truth to power. And proud of us who are taking tangible action to resist this autocratic regime.
Thank you burning the midnight oil in service to we the people. Thank you for chickens and all the stress relievers you invited us to share. Reading all your readers’ contributions has lowered the bar enough for me to keep on keeping on. We are all in your debt,
Did Epstein really die in prison? Was he shuttled out of the country? Where is the evidence? Was the autopsy a fake? There was/is so much money involved and the White House is now full of the mobsters connected to Epstein.
that's one I haven't heard before ! I just say why would "they" risk having him alive somewhere to spill
It sure seems like the DOJ is deliberately intimidating victims with the illegal lack of redactions, to say nothing of the also illegal redactions of the names of folks who are in the Epstein emails. A reporter I follow who has been reviewing the files had the same observation yesterday.
Has Epstein's staff/employees/contractors--lawyers, chefs, pilots, drivers, cleaners,etc.--ever been questioned under oath regarding Epstein's/Maxwell's crime(s)?
There should be voluminous stuff like that in the files that have been released. If not, then it must be in the unreleased files, meaning more incriminating to Trump.
I came across this description of the extent to which Epstein wired his Little St. John's Island compound with electronic surveillance. https://hntrbrk.com/ubiquiti-epstein.
"The jury is out on whether Jeffrey Epstein was working with Russia. But they apparently shared a loyalty to the same wireless supplier: Ubiquiti."
I simply cannot figure out why James Comer is so dumb as to think that compelling Maxwell to testify before his sham committee is somehow going to work out well for Republicans or for Trump. Not for the first (and probably not for the last) time, GOP stupidity simply boggles my mind.
I love that the Clintons have turned the tables on Comer - telling him to interview them publicly with the tv cameras on.