Criminals, Attorney General and Investigations – “The Sunday Political Brunch”
Mark Curtis, MINDSETTER™
Criminals, Attorney General and Investigations – “The Sunday Political Brunch”
“What Says Ghislaine?" – To that end, some of the Department of Justice files in the case were released late Friday afternoon, including a recent interview with convicted child sex trafficking offender Ghislaine Maxwell and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. Maxwell basically exonerated President Donald Trump, an Epstein friend, of any wrongdoing. Maxwell said, “I actually never saw the President in any type of massage setting.” According to the transcript, Maxwell said, “I never witnessed the President in any inappropriate setting in any way. The President was never inappropriate with anybody. In the times that I was with him, he was a gentleman in all respects.” Maxwell also said she saw nothing sexually inappropriate involving former President Bill Clinton or British Prince Andrew, both of whom witnesses have tied to Epstein. This isn’t over.
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“Files Blocked for Now” – Federal Judge Richard Berman in New York denied the release of grand jury transcripts and testimony in the Jeffrey Epstein sex case. But he did so with a very titillating quote, saying the information contained in the Epstein grand jury transcripts, “pales in comparison to the Epstein investigative information and materials in the hands of the Department of Justice.” So, DOJ has the goods? Release it. If it doesn’t, it appears Congress will.
“Trolling Bolton” – I’ll get back to the Epstein matter in a moment, but there was other big political news Friday. The Maryland home and DC office of former National Security Advisor John Bolton were raided by the FBI on Friday. Agents were seen carting out boxes of unknown material. Bolton was fired” in the first Trump administration, and Trump has often pondered whether Bolton kept classified materials and used them to write a critical book about Trump. When reporters questioned Trump about the raid Friday, he declined comment saying he, “didn’t want to know about it.” Bolton did not comment recently, but back in January, said, “Anybody who ever disagrees with Trump has to worry about retribution. It’s a pretty long list.” One wonders if this is just “get even” time.
“Rhode Island AG Arrest” – The Ocean State stays pretty quiet on the national radar screen, but this week, that all changed. The arrest of Assistant Attorney General Devon Hogan made national headlines, after the video of her arrest was made public by GoLocal and went viral. She was involved in a disturbance at Newport restaurant, and after being warned, was arrested and handcuffed. “You’re going to regret this,” she said as she berated officers who were wearing body cameras. She also told them, “I’m an A.G.,” perhaps trying to use her position of authority to not be arrested. It didn’t work. It also underscores the problem of some people in positions of authority, demanding special treatment that ordinary citizens don’t get. She’s now on leave from her job.
“Barr Bars Comments” - Former U.S. Attorney General Bill Barr gave a closed-door deposition this past week to the House Oversight Committee, which is investigating the sex trafficking scandal involving Epstein and his girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell. Reporters peppered him with questions as he walked the hall. “What’s the message that you have for the committee today?” Barr did not respond. Another reporter asked, “Was your Department of Justice transparent about everything with Jeffrey Epstein?” Again, no response as a stone-faced Barr walked into the committee room.
“The Witness List” – Bill Barr, back in 2019 when he was Attorney General, described the suicide of Epstein in federal custody as, “A perfect storm of screw-ups.” Committee Chairman James Comer (R), Kentucky, criticized the efforts to watch Epstein while he was in jail, saying, “There were blind spots in the cameras.” Comer added, “It’s unfortunate… there weren’t people in there watching because this is such a high-profile case.” So, we are getting dribs and drabs here rather than an avalanche of blockbuster evidence. But more depositions are coming, including those potentially of former President Bill Clinton and his wife, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. They were friends of Epstein and Maxwell, who visited the Clinton White House 17 times according the guest logs.
“The Bipartisan Probe” -- Democrats who support the Republican-led hearings want more documents and evidence as the White House promised. Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D), Texas, said, “Listen, this is a promise, I will tell you, that was not made by Kamala Harris. It’s not a promise that was made by Joe Biden. This was a promise that was made by Donald Trump.” After Barr testified, Chairman Comer told reporters, “Barr says that he’s never seen any information that showed that he (Trump) was in the files. And that he would be shocked if there was anything pertaining to President Trump that was negative that the Biden Administration would have leaked out, prior to the presidential election.” Comer also reported that Barr said there was no Epstein “client list” in Department of Justice files.
“The Files are Coming; The Files are Coming!” – The House Oversight Committee began receiving some of the Epstein files from the Department of Justice on Friday. Chairman Comer promises to release them publicly at an unspecified date. A committee spokesperson said, “The Committee intends to make the records public after thorough review to ensure all victims’ identification and child sexual abuse material are redacted. The Committee will also consult with the DOJ to ensure any documents released do not negatively impact ongoing criminal cases and investigations.” So, this is slow progress, but redacting the names of sex crime victims, especially minors, is standard procedure. I anticipate some rather compelling evidence will come out. I think that federal judge in New York threw down the gauntlet, suggesting the most salacious information is in the DOJ files.
“Zelenskyy – Trump” – Well, it certainly was a more of civil meeting than last time in the Oval Office. You’ll recall the initial meeting months ago blew up into a shouting match between President Donald Trump, Vice President Vance, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, all while the cameras were rolling live. It was ugly. This past week, their reunion was courteous and cordial. There is still no peace deal in place, but two things are clear. Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin must sit down at the same table and negotiate, perhaps with U.S. diplomatic guidance. Trump also said no U.S. troops would be posted in Ukraine. On a political front, a peace deal would help the chances that Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio have to succeed Trump in the White House. Both were front and center on the couch at this meeting.
“Just Dance Vance” – The battlelines are already forming for the 2028 presidential campaign. Right now, Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) of California leads in Democrat polls, while Vice President JD Vance leads in Republican polls. Neither is a slam-dunk for the nomination yet, but Newsom is perhaps expecting the head-to-head battle. On social media, he is now referring to his potential foe as “Just Dance Vance.” The insinuation is that Vance will “dance” in agreement with any policy or statement from President Trump. It’s also in retaliation for Trump calling the California Governor “New-scum” on social media. The war of words is officially underway.
“Redistricting Wars” – Texas Democrats are back in the legislature this week, as the Republican majority and Gov. Greg Abbott (R) Texas move ahead to redraw Congressional district lines. President Trump supports the plan, which could give Republicans five more seats in the U.S. House. Abbott said, "While Democrats shirked their duty, in futility, and ran away to other states, Republicans stayed the course, stayed at work, and stayed true to Texas. I will sign this bill once it passes the Senate.” Now, Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) California says he will do the same to advantage Democrats in his state. Newsom said, “This is a new Democratic Party, this is a new day, this is new energy out there all across this country.” He added, “And we’re going to fight fire with fire.” Other states, such as Illinois and New York, threaten to do the same. This could get chaotic. Traditionally, states only redraw district boundaries after every 10-year census.
“Trump Wins in Another Court” – There are so many legal matters, past, present, and future involving Trump, you need a scorecard to keep track. Trump and his family companies were found guilty of civil fraud, and a $500 million fine was issued. Now, the New York State Court of Appeals has vacated that fine, calling it “excessive” and said the fine violated Trump’s rights under the Eighth Amendment. New York Attorney General Letitia James says she will appeal. She happens to be under investigation from the Trump Justice Department, which critics call a “tit for tat” move.
“Sheriff Trump?” – In a bit of political theater, President Trump walked some streets of Washington, DC, Thursday night, along with law enforcement and National Guard troops. He ordered a federal takeover of the Metropolitan Police Department two weeks ago, citing excessive crime. City leaders disagree, arguing that crime has dropped over the past few years. Trump told the crowd his plan was working. He said, "We've had some incredible results and results have come out and it's like a different place. It's like a different city." The takeover will last a total of 30 days, unless Congress grants an extension. I worried his appearance was a dangerous mistake, since it was announced a day in advance. As we saw in Pennsylvania a year ago, it just takes once crazy nut to nearly complete an assassination.
“MSNBC Name Change” – The Microsoft NBC network, better known as MSNBC, is changing its name. The new name will be MS NOW, which stands for My Source News Opinion World. This comes as it breaks away from the NBC family of networks and goes solo. MSNBC has always been a ratings bottom-feeder. MSNBC President Rebecca Kutler told staff in a memo, “During this time of transition, NBC Universal decided that our brand requires a new, separate identity.” She added. “This decision now allows us to set our own course and assert our independence as we continue to build our own modern newsgathering organization.” MSNOW will continue with its liberal slant. Conservative detractors gave it a variety of deriding nicknames, including PMSNBC and BSNBC. Many of the hosts will stay. The change comes later this year.
“RFK Jr. Says ‘No’ to 2028” – Last week, I reported on a recent presidential preference poll for 2028. On the Republican side, it was not surprising that the Vice President JD Vance led with 40 percent. But the runner-up was Health Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr., polling at 10 percent. While that number may be relatively small, it still put him ahead of better-known Republicans Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) Florida and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Kennedy seemed as shocked as everyone else. Kennedy then said on a social media post, “Let me be clear: I am not running for president in 2028.” While Kennedy is saying “no” for now, I’ve learned that people always “sleep with one eye open” in the world of politics. Never say never!