New Developments III

[Sabin]

This should be fun.

https://www.cnn.com/2021/04/28/politics ... index.html

Federal agents execute search warrant on Rudy Giuliani's apartment
By Erica Orden, CNN

Updated 1:58 PM ET, Wed April 28, 2021

(CNN)Federal agents executed a search warrant Wednesday at the Manhattan apartment of Rudy Giuliani, advancing a criminal investigation by federal prosecutors that has been underway for more than two years, according to two people familiar with the matter.

Giuliani, who served as former President Donald Trump's personal lawyer, has been the focus of an investigation concerning his activities in Ukraine, including whether he conducted illegal lobbying for Ukrainian officials while he pursued an investigation linked to Trump's primary political rival, President Joe Biden, CNN has reported. Giuliani hasn't been charged and has denied wrongdoing.

It is unusual for prosecutors to execute a search warrant on a lawyer, although Manhattan federal prosecutors have done so before, most notably in recent years against another former lawyer for Trump, Michael Cohen.

Giuliani's lawyer Robert Costello did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
A spokesman for the Manhattan US Attorney's office declined to comment. The New York Times was first to report the search.

A search warrant for a lawyer like Giuliani would require sign-off by the highest levels of the Department of Justice, likely by Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco, according to departmental guidelines.
The Times reported that investigators seized Giuliani's electronic devices, according to one person with knowledge of the matter.

The New York federal prosecutors leading the investigation into Giuliani have previously sought a search warrant for him, raising the prospect last year of seeking one for his communications, but they were met at the time with resistance from Justice Department officials in Washington over the strength of their evidence, CNN has previously reported.

Then-Deputy Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen, along with other officials at Justice headquarters and the US attorney's office in Manhattan, decided not to make a final decision, CNN reported, in part because there would soon be a change in the administration.

The New York federal prosecutors wanted to seize Giuliani's devices when they first sought to execute the search warrant last year, CNN previously reported.

Giuliani has been under scrutiny by Manhattan federal prosecutors since early 2019. The inquiry has explored whether Giuliani may have been engaged in undisclosed foreign lobbying for Ukrainian officials when he sought the ouster of the US ambassador to Ukraine as well as an investigation into the Bidens for his own personal benefit at the same time he was pursuing those efforts as Trump's attorney.

In 2019, two Giuliani associates, Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman, were indicted on campaign finance charges stemming from an alleged straw donor scheme. Parnas and Fruman met with Giuliani, helping introduce him to Ukrainian officials. They have pleaded not guilty.

Guilinani is also facing other legal exposure for his role in the 2020 election. The election technology company Dominon sued Giuliani in January for defamation after he spread baseless conspiracy theories about election fraud on his podcast and during TV appearances. In the lawsuit, the company focused on how Giuliani continued to claim without evidence that Dominion aided election fraud even after he received a cease-and-desist letter. Guiliani said at the time he would "investigate a countersuit against" Dominion.

Guiliani is also likely to face scrutiny from Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, who is investigating Trump's efforts to influence Georgia's election results. While the crux of Willis' investigation is Trump's efforts to meddle in the state's election, she is also examining Trump allies who may have assisted him in those efforts. One area Willis is exploring: whether Giuliani may have violated the law by making false statements about voting in Georgia in front of the state legislature, according to a person familiar with the investigation.

This story has been updated with additional information.
CNN's Evan Perez, Katelyn Polantz, Sara Murray, and Jason Morris contributed to this report.

[Sabin]

Not to take away from this remarkable moment of accountability, re: the Derek Chauvin case, but George W. Bush is talking again.

GEORGE W. BUSH: "Y'know, what's really troubling is how much misinformation there is. And the capacity for people to spread all kinds of untruth."

True, George W. Bush was discussing the impact of social media, and true Hoda Kotb co-hosts with a Bush daughter, but still shocking Hoda Kotb's immediate follow-up wasn't "You lied us into war, bro."

[Sabin]

Big Magilla wrote
If you're referring to her thanking George Floyd for sacrificing his life for justice, I agree, but she did walk her comments back a half hour ago, saying that he should be alive today.

I don't care if she walked it back. Maxine Waters' comments before the verdict were very misguided but what Nancy Pelosi said was just weird.


This case is just awful though.
https://www.cnn.com/2021/04/15/us/adam- ... index.html

[Big Magilla]

Is Nancy Pelosi well? What a bizarre thing to say.

If you're referring to her thanking George Floyd for sacrificing his life for justice, I agree, but she did walk her comments back a half hour ago, saying that he should be alive today.

[Sabin]

Is Nancy Pelosi well? What a bizarre thing to say.

[Mister Tee]

It's pathetic we have to feel so grateful about someone so obviously guilty being found guilty -- but, big exhale.

[Sabin]

Derek Chauvin has been found guilty of murder and manslaughter.

[Sabin]

Okri wrote
Atlantic article on him

Excellent article. Thank you.

[Okri]

This is a very interesting Twitter thread on Manchin's actions this week, and what it might portend regarding the filibuster and voting rights (and, eventually, minimum wage). I'm not saying I fully agree with it, but it makes a not-obvious case.

https://twitter.com/AtticusGF/status/13 ... 3371731969

Atlantic article on him

[criddic3]

All we have to do is defend our six seats, which is a scary prospect. But we have mail-in ballots and a newly-winning get out the vote strategy.

Of course that's if voting rights aren't totally stripped away by then in some states.

[Okri]

How much money do you think Warner Bros (?) could grift if it announced that it would stop making copies of Gone with the Wind?

[Mister Tee]

This is a very interesting Twitter thread on Manchin's actions this week, and what it might portend regarding the filibuster and voting rights (and, eventually, minimum wage). I'm not saying I fully agree with it, but it makes a not-obvious case.

https://twitter.com/AtticusGF/status/13 ... 3371731969

[Greg]

Joe Manchin just said he would consider requiring all filibusters to be talking filibusters, as filibusters should be "painful."

[Sabin]

Okri wrote
Here's something I'll post from Twitter

"Whilst Republican senators staggered off to sleep after a pointless all nighter for the covid relief bill, Schumer briefly had a 2/3rds majority and called cloture on Merrick Garland!."

Oh, I saw that too. Truly remarkable and he did it with a smile.

As rumors of Mitch McConnell's early retirement continue and more and more Senators tip their hat to the same (Pat Toomey, Ron Johnson) this party looks more and more powerless as it pertains to those in government. Outside government, we know who really owns the party.

[Okri]

Here's something I'll post from Twitter

"Whilst Republican senators staggered off to sleep after a pointless all nighter for the covid relief bill, Schummer briefly had a 2/3rds majority and called cloture on Merrick Garland!."