Category: Scandals

Trump Pay-to-Play

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Trump Pay-to-Play

D. S. Mitchell

Story Lines

Sometimes, I don’t find a story that calls to me.  I may wander around after researching all day and still not have a firm story subject. But, Friday, Rachel Maddow reminded me of the Florida Attorney General scandal. And that  story’s lingering entanglement to President Donald Trump.

Campaign Clamor

This is the story of Pam Bondi. Bondi is a Florida Republican politician. In 2013 she accepted a $25,000 donation to one of her campaign support groups, by The Donald J. Trump Foundation.  That year Ms Bondi was running unopposed as incumbent Attorney General.  Then Governor Rick Scott and Bondi had both been clamoring for faster executions in their state.

Campaign Convenience

With that “faster execution policy” ringing in the ears of Floridians, Governor Rick Scott granted a request by Bondi to postpone an execution. The execution of convicted rapist/murderer, Marshall Gore, was postponed to accommodate Bondi’s “long-planned” re-election campaign kick-off. It seems to me and many other commentators, no matter what your stand on the death penalty, it is not okay to postpone executions to accommodate political fund-raising. The reason I bring this up as a preface to the Trump-Bondi story, is that it says something about the character of the people involved. Read on, and decide for yourself.

Trump Thinking

In September 2016, candidate Donald Trump paid an IRS fine of $2,500 for an illegal political donation. That fine was for his foundations donation Bondi’s re-election group. It is illegal for tax exempt charitable groups to make political contributions, thus the fine. Trump earlier in his career talked about political campaign contributions.  He said, “I’m a businessman, and a very substantial donor to very important people.  When you give, they do whatever you want them to do.”

Cynicism In Practice

Pretty cynical, but it fits into this whole scheme of getting your money’s worth. What you give to a candidate, and what you demand from that candidate in exchange for your donation money is  ‘Pay to Play’. Segue back to 2013. In her role as top Florida law enforcement officer, Pam Bondi was deciding whether Florida should join in a multi-state probe into Trump University. Trump University was a bogus program that con man Trump used to scam a bunch of folks out of their money.  It was a real estate seminar program with lots of lies, promises, and no benefit to the consumer.

Expectations

While Bondi’s Justice Department was considering jumping into the Trump University investigation, Pam Bondi called Donald Trump. She introduced herself and asked for Trump to appear at a fund-raising event. She then asked for a campaign donation. From this point I’m going to speculate. Trump, knew  Florida was considering joining the multi-state probe into the Trump University. The cynical Trump promptly turned the phone call to his advantage. Obviously, Bondi knew what Trump wanted in return for the donation.  The Miami Herald commented that “this was not the behavior of an ethical prosecutor.” And continued, “If Ms Bondi promised to back off  a Trump University suit, in exchange for a campaign donation, that could be a crime.”

All The Cases All The Time

Later, Bondi would claim she had “no idea” there was a case being reviewed by her office against Trump University.  Seems damn strange to me.  Before I was a rebel journalist, I was an RN.  I was a Charge Nurse, meaning I ran the unit.   As a  Charge Nurse, I needed to know the condition of ALL of the patients at ALL times. When you head a judicial agency, you should know about every potential case. Especially one involving a high-profile celebrity. So, if I had my Sherlock Holmes cap on, I’d suggest Ms Bondi and President Trump have lied to us, about their actions and their motives.

An Inquiry Long Past Due

The Miami Herald, pushed for an inquiry, which to the best of my knowledge has never happened.  The actions of the Florida Justice Department were vigorously defended by attorney Carlos Muniz, Bondi’s chief of staff. What brings this story back to the forefront is Carlos Muniz. Muniz has now been tapped by President Trump to become General Counsel for the Department of Education. The web of scandal and corruption entangling these people is mind-boggling. I’d say that $25,000 bought more than one politician.

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STALLED INVESTIGATION

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Stalled Investigation

D. S. Mitchell

My Hackles Are Up

We have our hackles up here at Calamity News and Politics. The sanctity of our institutions are at risk. Our U.S. political system is sliding into the sewer. It is looking really bad around the White House, like a great sink hole is opening up at the end of Pennsylvania Avenue. The lies, the deflection, the distractions are centering themselves, now around Representative Devin Nunes (R-CA). Devin Nunes is the Chairman of the House Intel Committee. Nunes has created a firestorm over the last week.

Recusal Time

Mr. Nunes was part of the Trump transition team. That fact alone should require him to recuse himself from investigating possible collusion between the Russian government and the Donald J. Trump Presidential Campaign.  Nunes says that his personal connection with Trump and his staff will have no effect on his committee’s investigation. Because he says he was involved “after the campaign”.

Investigation

My thought on his explanation is, bull shit.  Nunes has a relationship with Trump and his associates, most of whom were involved in both the campaign and the transition team. Having a close relationship with those being investigated spells bad news.  It wouldn’t surprise me if Nunes doesn’t find himself thrown off that  big Trump bus, anytime he’s no longer useful.

Morphing Accusations

Approximately three weeks ago, Donald Trump, President of the U.S, accused his predecessor, Barack Obama, of “wiretapping Trump Tower” (a felony) in a 6:00 a.m. tweet rant.  All the intelligence agencies called the accusations false.  Trump keeps blurring the lines of what he meant by “wiretapping”.  Each day it has morphed slightly. The accusations now include spying microwaves and television sets, surveillance photos, telephone conversations between foreign entities where names of American citizens were illegally unmasked.

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Pulling the Scab Off

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Pulling The Scab Off

D. S. Mitchell

Morning Coffee

I’m ready this morning to have a cup of coffee, eat an apple and reflect on why the American people would pick a man like Donald Trump to lead this country?  Calamity News and Politics is a progressive political blog, written from my home office at Surf Pines, Oregon. My intent is to point out bits and pieces of the ever evolving political scene to curious readers. From the last several days I’ve scratched these juicy, gossipy, tidbits on Trump from several sources.

The Habit Of Corruption

Trump is no stranger to corruption. He has been embedded in it for many  years. As President, he’s just taken it to a new level. The Trump administration is without a doubt the most corrupt presidency in American history. No wonder he keeps screaming “fake news”.  DJT has so much to hide.  If the public believed even a small amount of the truth that the press publishes every day  the White House would be surrounded with torches and pitchforks. Truth matters, and Trump couldn’t find truth with both hands. Just to refresh the reader on Trump’s history:

1.) Donald and his father blatantly participated in housing discrimination against people of color and they were sued by the Justice Department.
2.) The Mafia and Donald worked together through the construction trades in N.Y.C.
3.) He hired undocumented Polish workers to rehab the Trump Tower and then refused to pay them.
4.) Trump was fined $750,000 for anti-trust violations during his attempt to take over a rival casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

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A WHITE HOUSE MOST FOUL

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A White House Most Foul

By D. S. Mitchell

As you most know, I started the Calamity Politics political blog to vent my frustrations and keep from losing my frigging liberal mind. I try to focus on news and facts and also try to support my statements with at least two sources. With this post, I’ve thrown all those established behaviors to the wind.

1.)  Images of the newly emboldened and empowered ICE agents, handcuffing and loading people into vans, without access to legal representation, reminds me of the Nazi’s rounding up the Jews seventy five years ago in Germany.  Obviously, hate lives on.

2.)  I had a husband once.  He believed, “if you repeat a lie,  enough times, most people believe it.”  I am more of the,  “You can fool all the people some of the time.  You can fool some of the people, part of the time,  but you can never fool all the people, all of the time.”  I believe we are about to find out which theory holds water.  I’ve got my fingers crossed.  There’s a lot at stake here, 240 years of our constitutional democracy.

3.)  There is a stench rising out of  Washington, D.C. that is so foul it has reached me here on the West Coast.  I have never smelled anything so disgusting, except the odor that hovers over a rendering plant in mid-August.  The possibility that a presidential candidate would co-operate with a foreign power, one that our country has sanctions against, is truly sickening.  That despicable cloud of corruption now hangs over the entire United States,  extending from coast to coast.  Republican investigating chairmen (Nunes and Burr), admitted yesterday, that they had, at White House urging, attempted to divert media attention from the Russian investigation.

Right here, right now, I want the world to know, that I personally believe the appointment of an Independent Prosecutor is essential.

4.)  The unrelenting attacks and insults against the media, by President Trump, are inexcusable and dangerous.  A little contention is good, but what is going on is unprecedented.  Since when does the top liar in the country have the right to accuse anyone of being “fake.”  The fabricated accusations by Trump are disgusting and unnecessary.  Trump’s assault against the fourth estate must stop. I’m not a great fan of George W, but let me tell you, I was so damned glad to hear him discuss this issue on the Today show yesterday, you would have thought he was a Democrat.   I was nearly cheering.  Fuck, yeah!  “The press in an indispensable part of our democracy”.  Go George, go.  Thank you, 43.** As an aside, Mr. Bush,  I had no idea you were such a talented artist.  The several paintings I’ve seen recently are amazing.  Beautiful work.

5.) “Who knew, health care was so complicated?” President Trump expressed Monday, February 27, 2017.    OMG.  Well, at least now, he admits, not everything can be solved with a tweet.  We are number 42 on the world health care service effectiveness list.  That’s a pathetic placement.  “42”?  That means 41  other countries in the world are doing it better than we are.  Seriously, 41 other countries provide both  better and cheaper health care for their citizens than we do here in the United States.  Has anyone thought to go to the  number 1 country, or number  2 country; and see how they do it?  Boy, that’s where I’d start, if I really wanted the best for the American people.  Let’s find out how to do it right.  We can still learn.

6.)  In 1973, Richard Nixon declared, “there can be no whitewash at the White House.”

After, protests and investigations, Nixon finally resigned, before impeachment.  I wonder if President Trump will resign, or whether he will order military defense of his position.  Don’t laugh.  Just because it hasn’t happened, doesn’t mean it can’t, or won’t.  Thank you Founding Fathers, for the Second Amendment.

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Dar

8 Donald Trump Mind Benders

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8 Donald Trump Mind Benders

By D. S. Mitchell

Face Slamming

For me, staying on track, with so many political news stories slamming me in the face, seemingly every minute, is a bit hard. My primary intention with Calamity News and Politics/Calamity Politics, is to be a voice for the progressive political agenda. I believe everything is political, so you will see articles on health care, housing, homelessness, suicide, struggling families, criminal ‘injustice’, and the overall inequality of our existing system. I hope to do that through sensible reporting, comment, opinion and conversation.

Objectivity?

Although, my agenda is progressive, I want to stay as objective as the facts allow me to be. I attempt to use a minimum of two sources for each story. I know my personality, so I expect I am likely to drop a commentary bomb somewhere in almost every post. However, my goal is to give you news. When writing an Editorial, however, I am more likely to go on a screaming tirade.

Outbursts

I will do my best to restrain those outbursts when posting my regular posts.  If you want to watch me eviscerate the powerful, look for posts labeled Editorial.  If I deviate from that set goal, I give my readers permission to remind me of my shortcomings. My central goal is to empower the powerless, encourage the weak and motivate the involvement of the many. When you read Calamity News and Politics it is the same as reading Calamity Politics, you just got to the site using a different URL. I am on Twitter, but find I do not have the energy it requires to be as visible as I would like.  I hate Facebook. Because of that bias I am there only by social media arm twisting. Lastly, you can find CP posts on Pinterest.

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14 Emerging Trump Scandals

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14 Emerging Trump Scandals

By D.S. Mitchell

Calamity Politics is a progressive political blog. Our intention here at Calamity Politics is to shed light on the events of the day. We will look at the U.S. political hot button issues, and see if our behind the scenes investigations can offer insight, relevance and engaging conversation.

I was planning on talking about media overload today.  I have been wondering if the American public would tire of having the orange gorilla in their living room every single minute of every single day.  As of this morning, I am convinced that I need not worry about such an event.

Instead, I believe we are going to see a growing crowd assemble.  You know how it is, the train is approaching the collapsed bridge, and you just can’t take your eyes away.  Some of us will be cheering and some will be crying.  That’s politics for you.  I’m just praying, the Republic can survive.

The Scandals

    1. Resignation of retired General Mike Flynn, as National Security Advisor due to his association with Russian government.
    2. Trump’s link to election interventions by Russia.
    3. Resignation of Manafort and his Russian association.
    4. Trump’s bungled Executive Order: “Muslim” Travel Ban.
    5. Kellyanne Conway selling/promoting Ivanka’s fashion line on TV from the White House Briefing Room.
    6. Trump’s refusal to divulge his income taxes.
    7. Trump’s illegal use of his foundation.
    8. Melania Trump’s immigration file.  Possible, felonies and misdemeanors.  Some people are saying she was a call girl?
    9. Trump is an “Unreviewable” President, states White House counselor, Stephen Miller.
    10. Lawsuits against Trump University continue in several states.
    11. President Trump’s lease/contract on the Washington, D.C. Trump hotel.
    12. Trump loading the White House Cabinet with billionaires.
    13. FBI Director Comey and New York FBI office associates of Rudi Giuliani and the  revelation of Clinton emails on Anthony Weiner’s PC.
    14. President Trump’s refusal to divest himself of his worldwide business interests.

So, there you are folks, the down and dirty on the boiling scandals miring this new administration. So, because of Trump’s ridiculous conspiracy theories and his outright lies regarding 3,000,000 illegal voters swinging the popular vote to Hillary Clinton, along with preposterous statements as to the size of his Inaugural crowd size, his vicious and near constant attacks on the press, have convinced me, that we are in for a very bumpy ride. Journalists, bloggers, media outlets I believe President Trump he will do, and say anything, because he knows that the 24/7 news cycle is amenable to short term attention by the audience. So, here we go on the political ride of our lives. I think it will get damn dirty.

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