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David Kurtz @davidkurtz.bsky.social · 23h

In later cross examination of the admin official, AG's lawyer asked for the sum and substance of his conversation w/ WH Homeland Security Council (which is run by Stephen Miller) about the decision to send AG to Uganda. DOJ invokes presidential communication privilege: bsky.app/profile/rpar...

Roger Parloff @rparloff.bsky.social · 1d

R: may i be heard?
J: yes
sidebar

[so DOJ invoking presidential communication privilege suggests this decision about where to send Abrego is getting pretty high up]

/120

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Reposted by David Kurtz

Ryan J. Reilly “paints a vivid and urgent portrait of… disarray” @ryanjreilly.com · 1d

“Based on the government’s allegations, James has paid about $594 less in interest per year, or roughly $50 less a month, over the last five years than she would have paid had she characterized the purchase as an investment property.” www.nbcnews.com/politics/jus...

Grand jury indicts N.Y. Attorney General Letitia James, a Trump opponent, on bank fraud charges

James, a Democrat, has clashed with President Donald Trump after she brought civil charges against him in New York.

www.nbcnews.com

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David Kurtz @davidkurtz.bsky.social · 1d

The Trump DOJ has insisted for months that the third country removal of Abrego Garcia would be handled like any other case. Now an admin official testifies that the White House was directly involved in picking Uganda. I believe this is the first confirmation of White House involvement in AG's case.

Adam Klasfeld @klasfeldreports.com · 1d

Schultz: "We were notified that Uganda was the country."

Q: Who notified you?

A: So I was told from the [White House] Homeland Security Council?

Asked whom, Schultz says: "I spoke to Matt Ochoa."

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David Kurtz @davidkurtz.bsky.social · 1d

But to Harry's larger point, I had a financial institution client years ago that had been clearly defrauded and my job was to try to get the FBI to give enough of a shit about the case to investigate it and present it to prosecutors. It was a struggle, and the loss was ... in the mid-six figures.

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David Kurtz @davidkurtz.bsky.social · 1d

A clarification that reinforces Harry's point: No one took an $18K loss. The loss was zero. James didn't default on the loan, afaik. The indictment pretzels itself to get to an $18K ill-gotten "gain" from James allegedly paying lower financing costs. That's not the same as a lender taking a loss.

Harry Litman @harrylitman.bsky.social · 1d

United States attorneys offices all have prosecutorial guidelines – amounts of financial loss or property damage, etc. below which they won’t bring a case. I’ve never heard of a financial fraud guideline loss threshold anywhere near as low as 18 K, which is the amount of loss in the James case.

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David Kurtz @davidkurtz.bsky.social · 1d

Morning Memo, chronicling the Trump II depredations each weekday: morningmemo.talkingpointsmemo.com

Morning Memo | TPM | Substack

The essential political news roundup from David Kurtz and the team at TPM. Click to read Morning Memo, a Substack publication with tens of thousands of subscribers.

morningmemo.talkingpointsmemo.com

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David Kurtz @davidkurtz.bsky.social · 1d

One White House official “stressed that the organizations were not necessarily potential targets,” Reuters reported.

President Trump has previously targeted Soros and Reid Hoffman by name.

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David Kurtz @davidkurtz.bsky.social · 1d

The White House provided Reuters with a list of “liberal groups, donors or fundraising organizations that it said helped finance or plan protests where the violent incidents occurred”:

Open Society Foundations
ActBlue
Indivisible
Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights
IfNotNow
Jewish Voice for Peace

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David Kurtz @davidkurtz.bsky.social · 1d

As TPM’s Josh Kovensky reported earlier this week, the threat of baseless federal investigations under the spurious umbrella of “domestic terrorism” is already having an effect on advocacy groups exercising their First Amendment rights.

talkingpointsmemo.com/news/the-tru...

The Trump Admin’s Mostly Unnoticed Move to Crack Down on the Opposition

Last month, the White House issued two executive orders that direct federal...

talkingpointsmemo.com

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David Kurtz @davidkurtz.bsky.social · 1d

Who has Trump's ear on the investigations? It's Miller:

"The official said Miller is Trump’s chief adviser on the issue and is receiving regular updates from the joint terrorism task force – a coalition of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies tasked with investigating terrorism."

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David Kurtz @davidkurtz.bsky.social · 1d

"Miller is taking a “hands-on” role in investigating the funding of nonprofits and educational institutions and is sharing recommendations from Attorney General Pam Bondi and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent with Trump and other top advisers, the first White House official said."

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David Kurtz @davidkurtz.bsky.social · 1d

In the Trump administration’s lawless investigation of liberal groups and their finances, deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller is “playing a central role," White House officials told Reuters:

talkingpointsmemo.com/morning-memo...

Stephen Miller Has ‘Central Role’ Probing Liberal Groups

A lot of things happened. Here are some of the things. This...

talkingpointsmemo.com

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Reposted by David Kurtz

emptywheel @emptywheel.bsky.social · 2d

Really good piece on someone everyone should be tracking, Greg Bovino.

"Bovino combines Bull Connor’s aggression with Don King’s showmanship:"

TPM @talkingpointsmemo.com · 2d

In Los Angeles and now Chicago, the White House's aggressive deportation operations have one hype man: Greg Bovino.
talkingpointsmemo.com/news/greg-bo...

Greg Bovino Emerges as Trump’s Man For Conjuring Up a Blue-City Insurrection

Elected officials, activists, and at least one former high-ranking Department of Homeland...

talkingpointsmemo.com

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David Kurtz @davidkurtz.bsky.social · 2d

Greg Bovino Emerges as Trump’s Man For Conjuring Up a Blue-City Insurrection talkingpointsmemo.com/news/greg-bo...

Greg Bovino Emerges as Trump’s Man For Conjuring Up a Blue-City Insurrection

Elected officials, activists, and at least one former high-ranking Department of Homeland...

talkingpointsmemo.com

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David Kurtz @davidkurtz.bsky.social · 2d

Morning Memo, your weekday chronicle of the depredation of the Trump II presidency:

morningmemo.talkingpointsmemo.com

Morning Memo | TPM | Substack

The essential political news roundup from David Kurtz and the team at TPM. Click to read Morning Memo, a Substack publication with tens of thousands of subscribers.

morningmemo.talkingpointsmemo.com

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David Kurtz @davidkurtz.bsky.social · 2d

As w/ all things in the Trump era, the absurdism is an inextricable part of the corruption, retribution, and destruction. As historically significant as the ruination of the DOJ is and as seriously as we must take it, it’s important to remember it’s been gutted by clowns and imbeciles. Absurdly.

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David Kurtz @davidkurtz.bsky.social · 2d

"He works from an office dubbed the 'Freedom Suite' on one end of a hallway on the deputy attorney general’s fourth floor, which visitors have described as being decorated with oversize photos of Trump and a small cup of holy water on the wall."

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David Kurtz @davidkurtz.bsky.social · 2d

“This summer, Pulte visited the White House and gave Trump an elaborate presentation with visuals that included why the New York attorney general should be charged.”

PLUS: No story on the absurdist Trump DOJ is complete without a cameo from Ed Martin:

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David Kurtz @davidkurtz.bsky.social · 2d

~ Federal Housing Finance Agency director Bill Pulte, who has ginned up the mortgage fraud allegations against New York AG Letitia James and Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA), went farther than previously reported in getting the bogus allegations in front of Trump:

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David Kurtz @davidkurtz.bsky.social · 2d

That's one of several absurdist nuggets from a WSJ story on the Trump DOJ:

~ Officials confirmed that Trump’s social media post demanding that Bondi hurry up and indict former FBI Director Jim Comey already was meant to be a direct message to her and not intended to put her on public blast.

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David Kurtz @davidkurtz.bsky.social · 2d

Say what you want about disgraced AG John Mitchell, but he never made Richard Nixon’s hand bleed w/ his wedding ring: "Trump occasionally reminds aides about an incident last year in which Trump cut his hand on Bondi’s large wedding ring, causing him to bleed."
talkingpointsmemo.com/morning-memo...

Bondi’s Wedding Ring Made Trump Bleed … And Other DOJ Absurdities

A lot of things happened. Here are some of the things. This...

talkingpointsmemo.com

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David Kurtz @davidkurtz.bsky.social · 3d

Exceptional essay from @brianbeutler.bsky.social:

"If the politics of tyranny were self-discrediting, we wouldn't need mantras like 'never again.'"

"Despotism doesn’t impose itself on everyone all at once. It creeps inward from the margins of society."

www.offmessage.net/p/the-median...

The Median Experience Of Tyranny

If the politics of tyranny were self-discrediting, we wouldn't need mantras like "never again."

www.offmessage.net

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David Kurtz @davidkurtz.bsky.social · 3d

Inside Stephen Miller’s Secret Plan to Normalize Trump’s Dictator Rule newrepublic.com/article/2014... via @newrepublic.com

Inside Stephen Miller’s Secret Plan to Normalize Trump’s Dictator Rule

He wants to supercharge searing civil tensions to get low-information voters to embrace their inner authoritarian. Exactly two Democrats appear to fully grasp this.

newrepublic.com

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David Kurtz @davidkurtz.bsky.social · 3d

Morning Memo, chronicling the Trump II depredations each weekday:

morningmemo.talkingpointsmemo.com

Morning Memo | TPM | Substack

The essential political news roundup from David Kurtz and the team at TPM. Click to read Morning Memo, a Substack publication with tens of thousands of subscribers.

morningmemo.talkingpointsmemo.com

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David Kurtz @davidkurtz.bsky.social · 3d

Final point: Halligan is still likely to face a challenge to the validity of her appointment as interim USA, same as Trump interim USAs in NJ and NV. If Comey or another EDVA defendant wins, it would likely nullify the Comey indictment that Halligan personally presented to the grand jury.

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