No. of Recommendations: 13
A Cataract of Corruption by Charlie Sykes
On Monday, there was undoubtedly some joy (or at least grim satisfaction) in the far reaches of Hell Purgatory, where Warren Harding and Richard Nixon could be secure in the knowledge that they would never again be remembered as “the most corrupt president ever.” To be sure, Donald Trump had long since usurped that crown, but on Monday he stood in the middle of Fifth Avenue and said Fuq It.
Let’s quickly review.
Trump fired the head of the Office of Government Ethics, who had just recently begun his five-year term.
Trump also fired the head of the whistleblower-protecting Office of Special Counsel (who was at least temporarily reinstated by a federal judge).
On Wednesday, we learned that Trump’s DOJ had also dropped a criminal probe into WWE boss and Trump crony Vince McMahon. “The revelation comes as appeals judges on Friday revealed that a grand jury had considered whether the 78-year-old billionaire broke the law by hiding allegations of sexual misconduct from two female former employees, whom he ended up paying $10.5 million to keep quiet.”
Trump ended enforcement of the 1977 Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, the law banning bribery of foreign officials. And speaking of bribery…
Trump pardoned former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, who went to prison for eight years for trying to sell Barack Obama’s senate seat.
He also shut down the federal bribery case against NYC Mayor Eric Adams. The NYT described the directive from Acting Deputy AG Emil Bove to the Manhattan U.S. Attorney’s Office as raising “urgent questions about the administration of justice during Mr. Trump’s second term and the independence of federal prosecutors.” But actually, there are no questions…. because we just got the answer.Add to that-the mass firing of IGs and the shuttering of the Consumer Financial Protection
Bureau and shutting down key anti-crime units at the FBI.
It’s almost as if Trump just lit up a “Welcome Criminals!” sign under the one that reads “I Am The Law & Order President”
At least you have to admire the chutzpah of the guy.
(For those unaware, the classic example of “chutzpah” is the guy who murders his parents and then throws himself on the mercy of the court as an orphan)
Public Service Announcement: Keep your eyes on what the other hand is doing over here:
https://www.axios.com/2025/02/12/fdic-insurance-tr... 