In regards to former President Donald Trump being found guilty on all 34 counts of "falsifying business records," the outcome was decided before a jury was even selected. You don't need to be a legal expert to reach the conclusion that this was a proverbial witch hunt. After all, New York Attorney General Leticia James as well as Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, the prosecutor in the Trump case, both campaigned on "bringing Trump to justice." In prog speak, that means contorting the law to fit the outcome you desire.
Conservative commentator and former elections law lawyer Erick Erickson conveyed why this verdict should be overturned on appeal.
The crime is a documentary fraud that had its statute of limitations extended by tying it to a larger crime. Even after the verdict yesterday, Alvin Bragg tied it again to the 2016 election. But those federal election crimes are not prosecutable by the several states and I continue to believe a federal court will not allow the state to use a federal campaign finance violation as a way to extend a state statute of limitations.
My contention from the outset was that a conviction was not even Bragg's top goal (though he'll gleefully accept that result if it's upheld). No, the main objective was to make public Trump's general sleaziness, specifically his banging a porn star while new wife Melania was home caring for their infant son. However, Trump's amoral behavior isn't exactly a secret. The idea that something like this would be a death knell for Trump's 2024 campaign would suggest that Bragg et al have clearly not been paying attention to the things he has said and done lo these past few decades.
But a much larger issue has reared its ugly head, which Erickson also notes in his piece.
One of the things that really gets me with all of this is the continued self-righteousness of the Democrats on this. They refuse to see the Rubicon they have taken the country across and they really do believe the ends justify the means. They want to stop Donald Trump at any cost and they care nothing for justice if justice requires fairness to Trump. The consequences of this are going to be deeply destructive long term, but they will justify it, defend it, and excuse everything right up until the moment someone from the right reciprocates all because they believe he got what he deserves.
I think they might have just helped Trump because of that. A significant portion of the country already thought this case was a matter of lawfare. Trump has a particular grievance that a Democrat judge and Democrat DA in a Democrat city would never give him a fair trial.
A lot of partisans of the right will now seek to delegitimize the entire constitutional system just as the left is doing. Some were already trying. It will pick up steam. Both sides have decided that the country is post-constitutional and might makes right.
Indeed, I've already seen a number of conservative talking heads (particularly at The Federalist) suggesting that if the political right doesn't respond with the exact same tactics, then we're merely a "controlled opposition." It's this general sentiment that has been permeating much of the right wing since 2015 when Trump announced he would run for POTUS (Not so coincidentally, it's also the time frame when I personally moved on from grassroots Republican party activity). If this is truly how we intend to govern from here forward, then you no longer get to complain about the left's authoritarian nature.
In the end, I appreciate what Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis had to say in response to the Trump verdict.
Today’s verdict represents the culmination of a legal process that has been bent to the political will of the actors involved: a leftist prosecutor, a partisan judge and a jury reflective of one of the most liberal enclaves in America—all in an effort to “get” Donald Trump.
That this case—involving alleged misdemeanor business records violations from nearly a decade ago—was even brought is a testament to the political debasement of the justice system in places like New York City. This is especially true considering this same district attorney routinely excuses criminal conduct in a way that has endangered law-abiding citizens in his jurisdiction.
It is often said that no one is above the law, but it is also true that no one is below the law. If the defendant were not Donald Trump, this case would never have been brought, the judge would have never issued similar rulings, and the jury would have never returned a guilty verdict.
In America, the rule of law should be applied in a dispassionate, even-handed manner, not become captive to the political agenda of some kangaroo court.
DeSantis was the chief rival to Trump in the 2024 GOP presidential race. Despite Trump and his surrogates openly lying about DeSantis' record as well as launching despicable personal attacks, the Florida governor put forth a dignified and substantive statement. He could have easily gone with a polite "I told you so" in regards to Republican voters' decision to forth a presidential candidate with tons of baggage and little fundraising prowess. Instead, DeSantis' beloved country was first and foremost on his mind when conveying such a principled statement. I can guarantee that if the roles were reversed, Trump absolutely would not have given DeSantis that same courtesy (though to be fair, Trump doesn't have any principles).
Is the sun finally setting in America?
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