Orange Duce

[cradleandshoot]

Exiting Duce raises $150,000,000 since the election by falsely claiming foul play and fraud, and prying the dollars out of small donors. As usual, a complete disgrace:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics ... story.html

"President Trump’s political operation has raised more than $150 million since Election Day, using a blizzard of misleading appeals about the election to shatter fundraising records set during the campaign, according to people with knowledge of the contributions.

The influx of political donations is one reason Trump and some allies are inclined to continue a legal onslaught and public affairs blitz focused on baseless claims of election fraud, even as their attempts have repeatedly failed in court and as key states continue to certify wins for President-elect Joe Biden.

Much of the money raised since the election is likely to go into an account for the president to use on political activities after he leaves office, while some of the contributions will go toward what’s left of the legal fight.

The people with knowledge of the fundraising amounts spoke on the condition of anonymity to disclose internal numbers. The Trump campaign declined to comment.

The surge of donations is largely from small-dollar donors, campaign officials say, tapping into the president’s base of loyal and fervent donors who tend to contribute the most when they feel the president is under siege or facing unfair political attacks. The campaign has sent about 500 post-election fundraising pitches to donors, often with hyperbolic language about voter fraud and the like.

“I need you now more than ever,” says one recent email that claims to be from the president. “The Recount Results were BOGUS,” another email subject line reads.

“Our democracy and freedom is at risk like never before, which is why I’m reaching out to you now with an URGENT request,” reads an email to donors from Vice President Pence. “President Trump and I need our STRONGEST supporters, like YOU, to join the Election Defense Task Force. This group will be responsible for DEFENDING the Election from voter fraud, and we really need you to step up to the front lines of this battle.”

The donations are purportedly being solicited for the Official Election Defense Fund, which is blazed in all red across the Trump campaign’s website, with an ominous picture of the president outside the White House.

There is no such account, however. The fundraising requests are being made by the Trump Make America Great Again Committee, a joint fundraising committee that raises money for the Trump campaign and the Republican National Committee. As of Nov. 18, that committee also shares its funds with Save America, a new leadership PAC that Trump set up in early November and which he can use to fund his post-presidency activities.

The money raised since Nov. 3 is a massive haul for such a short period, especially after the election, when losing campaigns typically ramp down their fundraising operation. By comparison, the Trump Make America Great Again Committee raised $125 million in the second quarter of 2020, according to federal records. The campaign account’s best single month was September, when it raised $81 million, according to available data.

The contributions, from thousands of grass-roots donors across the country, are split into several accounts, including the leadership PAC that is loosely regulated and could be used to personally benefit the president after he leaves the White House.

According to the fine print in the latest fundraising appeals, 75 percent of each contribution to the joint fundraising committee would first go toward the Save America leadership PAC and the rest would be shared with the party committee, to help with the party’s operating expenses. This effectively means that the vast majority of low-dollar donations under the current agreement would go toward financing the president’s new leadership PAC, instead of efforts to support the party or to finance voting lawsuits.

“Small donors who give to Trump thinking they are financing an ‘official election defense fund’ are in fact helping pay down the Trump campaign’s debt or funding his post-presidential political operation,” said Brendan Fischer, who directs federal regulatory work at the Campaign Legal Center, which supports greater restrictions on the role of money in politics. “The average donor who gives in response to Trump’s appeal for funds to ‘stop the fraud’ likely doesn’t realize that their money is actually retiring Trump’s debt or funding his leadership PAC.”

Fischer said that “only bigger donors who’ve maxed-out to Trump’s campaign or the RNC will see any portion of their contribution go to dedicated recount or legal funds.”

“The RNC has spent tens of millions of dollars over the last two years funding legal efforts in multiple states, and we continue the fight for election integrity across the country,” RNC spokesperson Mike Reed said.

The leadership PAC could be spent, for example, to pay for events at his own properties, or to finance his travel or personal expenses. There are very few limitations on how money going to the group can be spent.

On Nov. 18, the Trump Make America Great Again Committee struck a formal agreement with Save America, the Trump campaign and the RNC to raise money together through the joint fundraising committee and share the funds, according to federal records. By Nov. 19, the contribution share to Save America PAC had changed to 75 percent from 60 percent as it had been for more than a week, according to a review of the fundraising appeals.

Leadership PACs do not face the same restrictions on “personal use” expenses as candidate committees do. They were established to allow members of Congress to raise money for their allies on Capitol Hill through fundraising vehicles separate from their campaign committees. The money is often used for what is called donor cultivation: feting wealthy supporters in the hopes that they will write big checks back to the leadership PAC and other committees.

Over the years, leadership PACs have become must-have accessories on Capitol Hill, as well as among former elected officials who want to retain their political influence by helping other candidates raise money or by raising money on their behalf.

One person with knowledge of the contributions said many were repeat donors, and that emails with dire language about the president potentially losing tended to ratchet up the contributions. The person said the campaign had a plan before Election Day to dial up requests for money if the result wasn’t immediately clear.

“Trump is making hay while the sun is shining. He’s taking advantage of all the free media coverage to pay off his campaign debt and fill his coffers for whatever comes next,” said Dan Eberhart, a Republican donor. He added: “I would rather give to Romney 2012 than Trump 2020 at this point.”

In an interview earlier this month, Texas donor Doug Deason said “some people are writing big checks because they are fired up.”

On Monday, the final day of the monthly fundraising period, Trump was on track to reach 500 fundraising emails. In November, the Trump operation set a record for monthly fundraising requests from the campaign, according to a tally by @TrumpEmail, a Twitter account that has tracked the president’s fundraising requests since January 2018.

The campaign had struggled some with finances earlier this fall, officials said, with campaign manager Bill Stepien deciding to cut TV spending because he feared they could run out of money. Officials said that some money was wasted on unnecessary expenditures, such as a pricey Super Bowl commercial and blimps flying over the skylines of states. But some Trump advisers said the money that has come in after the election was a reason the campaign should have never made the cuts."

" A fool and his money are soon parted"

[seacoaster]

Forty million fools? Would love to add up the donor list.

See this:

https://twitter.com/gtconway3d/status/1 ... 5129244672

[Kismet]

Rick Reilly on DOPUS cheating at golf (get comfortable its 20 minutes of various recollections) - If you play golf you'll likely be appalled



A few other stories about Clinton on the links - he is a weasel, too (not as bad as DOPUS) - I was once given a golf ball with his picture on it inscribed "SLICK WILLIE - A good lie guaranteed"

Reilly's book is entitled Commander In Cheat

[cradleandshoot]

Forty million fools? Would love to add up the donor list.

See this:

https://twitter.com/gtconway3d/status/1 ... 5129244672

IMO this is trumps attempt to take control of the republican party. The very sad fact is that he might succeed in doing so. trump is like a cockroach for the republican party, it starts with one or two and before you know it you have to call an exterminator. trump is not and never has been a republican. The republican party has to look at trump as a venereal disease that a shot of penicillin may not clear up anymore.

[Farfromgeneva]

Rick Reilly on DOPUS cheating at golf (get comfortable its 20 minutes of various recollections) - If you play golf you'll likely be appalled



A few other stories about Clinton on the links - he is a weasel, too (not as bad as DOPUS)

Commander In Cheat

As the great humanitarian and ditch digger industry advocate Judge Smails once remarked “yeees, winter rules”

[Brooklyn]

Sum total of the tRUMP era:







And it's his own terms. How anyone can be so stupid as to defend this POS is beyond all sense.

[njbill]

Rudy wants one of them Flynn pardons.

Of course he does.

https://news.yahoo.com/rudy-giuliani-ta ... 10672.html

[seacoaster]

Shocker:

https://mobile.twitter.com/JohnJHarwood ... 7042701316

[Matnum PI]

Seacoaster, agreed. Not surprising and still, wow.

RT @JohnJHarwood: BREAKING from CNN:  
“The Justice Department is investigating a potential crime related to funneling money to the White House in exchange for a presidential pardon, according to a court record unsealed on Tuesday by the chief judge of the DC District Court.”

[Brooklyn]

Donald Trump has raised $170 million since Election Day by targeting supporters with appeal for his 'defense fund' - which can actually be used to pay his personal expenses when he leaves White House
Three-quarters of every contribution goes to his new 'Save America' fund
Also used to retire campaign debt
Funds can be used for future election run or to help other candidates
Few spending limitations on such leadership PACs
Trump's legal team has racked up a series of defeats in court
Lawyer Rudy Giuliani held another hearing-style event Monday claiming


https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/articl ... -fund.html



President Donald Trump's constant appeals for funds to help his 'defense fund' amid his own charges of fraud have raked in millions that can be used to fund future political activities or boost political candidates he favors.

In fact, according to the fine print in the drumbeat of solicitations, three quarters of every contribution goes to Trump's new PAC, the 'Save America' fund.

Requests to supporters, many of whom already funded Trump's unsuccessful campaign, have frequently stressed 'MASSIVE' voting problems, claiming the campaign was 'robbed' and seeking contributions of as little as $10.

It offers 'matching' awards of up to 1,000 percent, with no verification or disclosure of who might be making it.

A quarter of the take goes to the Republican National Committee, and there is no guarantee it goes to Trump's continued efforts to overturn the election results.

The total raised since Election Day has reached about $170 million, the New York Times reports.

Most of the money came in during the initial week after Election Day. But the appeals have persisted – a sign that the president's bid to contest the results continues to be a cash cow.





That's the real reason for all these appeals - tRUMP profits from them. Further proof that reich wingism is delusionalism.

[3rdPersonPlural]

Maria "Trump" Bartiromo's display Sunday showed exactly how irrelevant she is....sad. Respected the hell out of her when she was in her financial reporter lane.

She becomes part of the complicit horde, in the disgraceful, un-democratic escapades of this injured little boy:

https://www.nationalreview.com/2020/11/ ... l-endgame/

(redacted)

Seacoaster, I am not a lawyer and this legal wrangling makes me nervous because sometimes crazy stuff happens.

I encountered this guy on the you tube recently, and he made me feel better informed (and thus more comfy) with the windmill tilting that Giuliani et al. are trying.

IANAL, but he is good. Giuliani and Powell might have better luck actually tilting at windmills...

IAAL, and have many many federal civil actions under my belt, and this guy does a very nice job explaining why the can of Judicial Whoop Ass has been spraying all over Rudy and Jenna. Thanks 3PP.

Yeah, even people like me whose attention span is and has always been too short for me to ever (or even earn the right to) type IAAL can stay riveted with this guy. LAW FOR THE GREAT UNWASHED!

I'm glad you enjoyed it Seacoaster. The folks on this thread are my litmus test.....

[njbill]

Shocker:

https://mobile.twitter.com/JohnJHarwood ... 7042701316

This one could get VERY interesting very fast.

While much of the opinion is redacted, there are some interesting tidbits. It seems DOJ obtained some 50 devices (iPhones, iPads, etc.) pursuant to search warrants. To get a search warrant, you must convince a judge that there is probable cause a crime was committed. Sounds like the crime was bribery: money in exchange for a pardon.

If I were going to offer big bucks for a pardon, I would want to make darn sure that the president is on board, either from a direct conversation with him or a conversation with someone who could speak for him with pretty much 100% certainty.

Also sounds like the person who wanted the pardon was or had been incarcerated. Two key people who would qualify would be Manafort and Cohen. No idea if it is one of them or if it is someone else, maybe someone unknown to the public.

One person who pretty much has to be very closely involved is T**** because he is the only one who can grant a pardon.

The government evidently uncovered a lot of communications from the devices that conceivably could be protected by attorney-client privilege. So they petitioned the court for a ruling. The court ruled that some number of the communications are not privileged because they were sent to, sent by, or copied to non-attorneys in circumstances that negated the conclusion that the communications were privileged.

The judge’s decision was rendered on August 28. She held it for 90 days, however, and now it has been released with pretty heavy reductions.

If people were lining up to pay money to T**** in exchange for pardons this past summer, how long is the line now?

[seacoaster]

Maria "Trump" Bartiromo's display Sunday showed exactly how irrelevant she is....sad. Respected the hell out of her when she was in her financial reporter lane.

She becomes part of the complicit horde, in the disgraceful, un-democratic escapades of this injured little boy:

https://www.nationalreview.com/2020/11/ ... l-endgame/

(redacted)

Seacoaster, I am not a lawyer and this legal wrangling makes me nervous because sometimes crazy stuff happens.

I encountered this guy on the you tube recently, and he made me feel better informed (and thus more comfy) with the windmill tilting that Giuliani et al. are trying.

IANAL, but he is good. Giuliani and Powell might have better luck actually tilting at windmills...

IAAL, and have many many federal civil actions under my belt, and this guy does a very nice job explaining why the can of Judicial Whoop Ass has been spraying all over Rudy and Jenna. Thanks 3PP.

Yeah, even people like me whose attention span is and has always been too short for me to ever (or even earn the right to) type IAAL can stay riveted with this guy. LAW FOR THE GREAT UNWASHED!

I'm glad you enjoyed it Seacoaster. The folks on this thread are my litmus test.....

Glad you posted it 3PP; really enjoyed the narrator. Thanks.

[Matnum PI]

Trump Has Discussed With Advisers Pardons for His 3 Eldest Children and Giuliani https://nyti.ms/37t9cWe

[Matnum PI]

January 2019.

SEN. LEAHY: Do you believe a president could lawfully issue a pardon in exchange for the recipient's promise to not incriminate him?
BILL BARR: No, that would be a crime.

[ggait]

Also sounds like the person who wanted the pardon was or had been incarcerated. Two key people who would qualify would be Manafort and Cohen. No idea if it is one of them or if it is someone else, maybe someone unknown to the public.

Doesn't sound like Manafort or Cohen, since the potential bribe was a big campaign contribution. Not silence, loyalty or cooperation.

Sounds more like some super-wealthy guy who could afford to stroke a 7 figure check and who also had been sentenced to jail time. Since Trump can only pardon for federal crimes, I'd guess something like a hedge fund guy convicted of insider trading. Probably not someone close to Trump.

[Typical Lax Dad]

Trump Has Discussed With Advisers Pardons for His 3 Eldest Children and Giuliani https://nyti.ms/37t9cWe

You think he would pardon Hunter Biden while he is at it?

[njbill]

Also sounds like the person who wanted the pardon was or had been incarcerated. Two key people who would qualify would be Manafort and Cohen. No idea if it is one of them or if it is someone else, maybe someone unknown to the public.

Doesn't sound like Manafort or Cohen, since the potential bribe was a big campaign contribution. Not silence, loyalty or cooperation.

Sounds more like some super-wealthy guy who could afford to stroke a 7 figure check and who also had been sentenced to jail time. Since Trump can only pardon for federal crimes, I'd guess something like a hedge fund guy convicted of insider trading. Probably not someone close to Trump.

Agree it probably isn’t either Manafort or Cohen. If one of the two, more likely to be Manafort, but reports are he is financially strapped.

Might not be somebody close to T****, but I would be pretty surprised if he wasn’t aware of the proposed quid pro quo.

DOJ got a search warrant so they were able to persuade a judge that there was probable cause that a crime had been committed. The redacted opinion does not say what the crime was, but it sure sounds like it was bribery.

The fact that there was probable cause suggests to me that the scheme was somewhat well advanced. My money says T**** knew about it and maybe had even given his approval, or at least had entered into a negotiation about the amount. Perhaps the bribe was even paid on the understanding that T**** would grant the pardon after the election, win or lose.

[njbill]

The talk of T**** pardoning himself has been heating up.

If he does so, then I think the Biden DOJ absolutely must indict him on at least some federal charges. If he isn’t indicted, then the self pardon issue will not be tested. And it absolutely must be decided by the Supreme Court.

[DocBarrister]

While the bribe-for-pardon scandal works its way through the system, there is this pathetic news:

There is “preliminary planning” underway for a Jan. 20 event to kick off a new Trump bid, the people familiar with the discussions said, though it’s possible the president could make the announcement earlier as no final decisions have been made.

Regardless of the timing of a campaign announcement, Trump is not expected to attend the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden, according to the people familiar with the discussions. He also does not plan to invite Biden to the White House or even call him, they said.

Biden transition officials said Trump’s attendance at the inauguration, or lack thereof, won’t affect their plans.

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2020-e ... y-n1249595

Those of you who have supported Trump should be embarrassed and begging for forgiveness.

And no, we (rational, reasonable, sensible people) won’t be forgiving.

DocBarrister