Injustice for All is a weekly sequence about how the Trump administration is making an attempt to weaponize the justice system—and the people who find themselves combating again.
Trump is a snowflake, and his unhappy emotions are value $20 billion
In what’s now apparently a development, Paramount has provided Donald Trump hundreds of thousands of {dollars} to settle a lawsuit that has no benefit. However Paramount’s proposed bribe of $15 million to a sitting president simply wasn’t sufficient for Trump, who desires $25 million and an apology from CBS for the imagined slights he suffered
Right here’s the factor: At the perfect, all Trump can level to is that “60 Minutes” could have engaged in some gentle modifying of an interview with Kamala Harris, which, final time we regarded, was neither against the law nor value $25 million. However media firms have realized that they should bribe Trump or they’ll face harassing investigations by the Federal Communications Fee or see their mergers blocked. And Paramount simply occurs to have a merger pending that requires approval.
Whereas Paramount is making an attempt to provide you with a quantity sufficiently big to fulfill Trump, the lawsuit is continuing. A part of Trump’s argument in opposition to Paramount’s movement to dismiss the lawsuit is that he suffered “psychological anguish” and his function as a “content material creator” was broken. Oh, and that’s value $20 billion.
Sure, the large robust president, king of the “Fuck your emotions” crowd, primarily introduced a participation trophy lawsuit. He desires cash from Paramount as a result of CBS made him unhappy. It’s precisely the kind of lawsuit conservatives faux to abhor. However with regards to Trump, no quantity of tenderness—or money—is sufficient.
DOJ’s Civil Rights Division will ensure racist Christian nationalists can thrive
Nicely, no less than we all know which civil rights the administration is curious about combating for.
On the request of devoted Christian nationalist Matt Meyer, the federal authorities has sued town of Troy, Idaho, with a view to power town to let Meyer open a church in its downtown enterprise district, though Troy’s ordinance prohibits all church buildings in that district, not simply Meyer’s Christ Church. Nonetheless, the administration’s lawsuit alleges Troy violated the Non secular Land Use and Institutionalized Individuals Act of 2000 by not waiving its zoning necessities for the church.
Associated | Rubio tells his workers to snitch on ‘anti-Christian’ colleagues
So, what sort of church is Christ Church? Regrettably, simply the sort this administration would adore. It’s led by Doug Wilson, who loves Christian nationalism and has outright stated that Moscow, Idaho, is an efficient place for a biblical takeover as a result of “We must always need America to be a Christian nation.” Wilson is fairly adamant he’s neither racist nor sexist, a declare that’s undercut by his actions. He wrote a ebook defending slavery and he speaks at Accomplice “heritage” conferences. He thinks girls have to give up to males and be “led with a agency hand.”
Dunno, buddy. That sounds lots like racism and sexism.
The administration’s swimsuit towards Troy makes no point out of the church’s beliefs however does have a protracted part of quotes from random individuals who stated imply issues concerning the church. Completely regular submitting, yesiree.
Get to know a low-profile scumbag: Judd Stone
Nicely, you really most likely do know who Judd Stone is now, although most likely not for the explanations he needs.
Information broke earlier this week that in 2023, Stone had had resigned his gig as solicitor normal of Texas after a number of sexual harassment complaints from colleagues as a result of Stone wouldn’t cease speaking about his fantasy of … an asteroid raping his colleague?
We realized about this solely as a result of one of many girls he allegedly harassed filed a lawsuit with all the main points you want you by no means knew about Stone’s extraordinarily odd and extremely particular model of sexual harassment. It additionally alleges that Texas Lawyer Normal Ken Paxton let Stone resign after he realized of the misconduct allegations, as did Sen. Ted Cruz over comparable allegations when Stone labored in Cruz’s workplace.
Stone’s identify won’t have rung a bell earlier than this, however he was the Lone Star State’s high appellate lawyer. He’s argued earlier than the Supreme Court docket eight instances, together with defending the state’s abortion ban that enables non-public residents to sue over another person’s abortion. Stone’s argument? That simply being conscious of another person’s abortion may trigger them “psychological hurt” from their “excessive outrage” over abortion.
You understand what really causes psychological hurt? Graphically describing your anal rape fantasies to your subordinates at work.
Stone has been in non-public follow now for a few years, the place he has chosen to characterize precisely the kind of individual you assume he would: He’s the lawyer for X in Elon Musk’s vendetta towards Media Issues.
In a standard world, the allegations towards Stone would imply his high-flying authorized profession was over. Within the Trump period, he’ll most likely get a judgeship as a substitute.
Talking of judges
Trump’s first slate of judicial nominees is out and, as per common, he’s picked some actual winners.
We already knew that Trump was nominating Emil Bove, his former legal protection lawyer and present high-level bully on the DOJ, for a seat on the Third Circuit Court docket of Appeals. However what about a number of the lesser lights Trump desires to placed on the bench? Listed here are a pair.
You won’t have heard of Joshua Divine, the present solicitor normal for Missouri, however given his views, you’re most likely going to listen to lots from him if he will get a lifetime seat on the federal courtroom within the Present Me State. In 2010, Divine wrote a university op-ed arguing that individuals needs to be required to move literacy exams earlier than they may vote.
You do not want to be a authorized scholar or a Trump judicial nominee to see that that is straight-up racist Jim Crow stuff. It’s the explanation we’ve got a Voting Rights Act!
Certainly one of Divine’s colleagues, Maria Lanahan, has additionally been nominated for a seat on the Missouri federal bench. Because the principal deputy solicitor normal within the Missouri Lawyer Normal’s Workplace, Lanahan co-authored Missouri’s unhinged criticism that’s a part of an general conservative technique to get the abortion tablet, mifepristone, banned totally.
A few of Lanahan and Divine’s top-notch and completely true arguments? That the abortion tablet “starves the child within the womb” and that entry to abortion creates “diminishment of political illustration,” which might result in “lack of federal funds.”
In case you don’t converse fluent anti-choice, right here’s a translation: Their argument is that the state is harmed by not forcing extra folks to have youngsters, as a result of the state desires a better inhabitants to extend its political may and federal funding.
Can’t wait to see nice arguments like this in judicial opinions.
Trump’s Workplace of Particular Counsel appointee has no thought what that workplace is, however will be horrible regardless
The Workplace of Particular Counsel is a kind of tiny federal businesses that is essential, however one you possible have by no means heard of until you’re a federal worker or a whistleblower. Nevertheless, we now stay in a world the place Trump and fellow megalomaniac Elon Musk let untamed youngsters run amok by the federal authorities, so we’re all now deeply conscious of those types of issues.
The OSC protects federal workers from reprisal, notably for whistleblowing, and serves as a safe channel for federal whistleblowers to report wrongdoing. Trump illegally pushed out the earlier head, Hampton Dellinger, with out trigger, however the courts didn’t cease him, so right here we’re.
Let’s take a fast detour right here to speak about why Dellinger received that job. Earlier than being appointed head of the OSC, Dellinger represented whistleblowers, served as deputy lawyer normal in North Carolina, and was chief authorized counsel to the North Carolina governor, the place he investigated Medicaid fraud and political corruption.
Now, let’s speak concerning the credentials of Trump’s choose Paul Ingrassia, who appears to assume his new job within the OSC is about “eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse within the federal workforce and revitalize the Rule of Legislation and Equity in Hatch Act enforcement.”
It’s not stunning Ingrassia wouldn’t know something concerning the job he’s getting, as a result of his earlier authorized work contains representing infamous skilled misogynist Andrew Tate, with type of an oopsie the place he stated he was an lawyer greater than a 12 months earlier than he was admitted to the bar. This may tip you off that Ingrassia has not precisely had a protracted authorized profession, having graduated regulation faculty in 2022.
In his function as White Home liaison official for the Division of Justice, he was instrumental in getting the journey ban towards Tate and his brother, Tristan, lifted. He’s additionally an enormous fan {of professional} racist Nick Fuentes.
Ingrassia’s different work contains writing for the Gateway Pundit and internet hosting a far-right podcast, that are undoubtedly issues that qualify you to run a federal company specializing in whistleblowing and the safety of federal workers.
Trump described him as a “extremely revered lawyer, author, and Constitutional Scholar,” however he’s objectively none of these issues. Even for those who assume Trump is nice and Ingrassia is terrific, nothing about his meager expertise provides as much as “extremely revered lawyer” or “Constitutional Scholar.” However hey! Not less than the “author” half is appropriate—for those who depend stanning for Trump on the worst weblog conceivable.
