Norm Eisen Profile picture
Mar 18, 2024 9 tweets 2 min read Read on X
Cannon is giving the parties in the Mar-a-Lago documents case 2 options for jury instructions on the PRA issue

As someone who oversaw PRA issues for 2 years in the White House, several things jumped out at me

1st, BOTH are wrong! 1/x Image
The PRA is totally beside the point.

Classified records are governed by a different body of law, including EO 13526, which I also worked on.

I explained in this @CNNOpinion oped 2/x

cnn.com/2023/06/10/opi…
“Trump’s claims that the Presidential Records Act (PRA) justifies his behavior doesn’t pass muster because that statute doesn’t actually have anything to do with the critical question of whether his possession of these documents was authorized — the EO covers that.” 3/x
“Yet Trump and his legal team claim that the PRA applies, arguing that the PRA, which provides in general terms for the handling of government documents by ex-presidents, allows Trump to decide unilaterally if any document is personal, and thus legally hold onto it.” 4/x
“But the statute nowhere stretches the definition… to encompass our nation’s most sensitive secrets. On the contrary, personal documents are defined as “purely private” ones which “do not relate to or have an effect upon the carrying out of the … duties of the President.”” 5/x
“Trump’s position ignores that, trying to dodge the actual law that applies — the executive order. Even though Obama was no longer in office when Trump allegedly took documents.. his executive order was and is still in effect, and nothing in the PRA contradicts it.” 6/x
So what’s going on here? 7/x
Cannon seems inclined to push the case to trial but is basically asking if she can stack the deck so Trump wins

It’s clumsy & amateurish—seems to know she’s wobbly & she’s asking the parties for help with threshold things that are normally figured out by the judge 8/x
If she persists in this course, special counsel Jack Smith can & will go to the 11th Circuit

And while he is there, this & several other recent (threatened) blunders give him ammo to have her reversed & removed

FIN/ slate.com/news-and-polit…

• • •

Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to force a refresh
 

Keep Current with Norm Eisen

Norm Eisen Profile picture

Stay in touch and get notified when new unrolls are available from this author!

Read all threads

This Thread may be Removed Anytime!

PDF

Twitter may remove this content at anytime! Save it as PDF for later use!

Try unrolling a thread yourself!

how to unroll video
  1. Follow @ThreadReaderApp to mention us!

  2. From a Twitter thread mention us with a keyword "unroll"
@threadreaderapp unroll

Practice here first or read more on our help page!

More from @NormEisen

Jun 27
My thoughts on SCOTUS' universal injunctions decision, a thread: Unfortunately there has been widespread misunderstanding of what the Roberts court did today. (1/x)
Although I certainly take exception to the majority’s decision, this is yet another compromise opinion from them that occupies a middle ground and denies the Trump administration the full extent of their lawless and authoritarian worldview. (2/x)
That is because for all the flaws in the decision, it leaves in place, it leaves in place the underlying injunctions of the blatantly unconstitutional Executive Order as to the particular plaintiffs. (3/x)
Read 9 tweets
Dec 10, 2024
BREAKING: Bless DA Bragg who is willing to continue to stand & fight Trump’s criminality

In this new motion he urges the court to reject Trump’s bogus immunity argument & PROCEED W/ SENTENCING…a thread Image
On both these points—immunity & sentencing—the brief echoes the analysis I laid out explaining why Trump’s opening brief was totally specious 👇(2/x)
First DA Bragg debunks Trump’s claim that he is entitled to a novel category of pre-presidential privileges

Bragg lays out why immunity does not apply to a president-elect👇

& next, he explains why it shld not apply here even after inauguration... (3/x) Image
Read 14 tweets
Dec 3, 2024
BREAKING: Donald Trump filed his motion 2 dismiss the 34 guilty verdicts & Manhattan prosecution

This effort to overturn the jury's verdict fails 4 many reasons...above all bc the pros wasn't based on official conduct protected by Trump v. US (1/x) Image
Trump starts off by referencing Biden's pardon of his son yesterday

Whatever u may think of that (I support it)...it has abs nothing to do w the conviction on 34 counts here

I was in court every day of the trial & the evidence was overwhelming (2/x)

cnn.com/2024/05/28/opi…
Trump analogizes the Biden's criticism of the federal prosecution, but that has nothing to do w this state prosecution

Alvin Bragg does not work for the US Department of Justice (3/x)
Read 11 tweets
Nov 6, 2024
It’s ok to just feel your feelings today—& for as long as you need

But when you are ready, here are 10 steps to protect our democracy from our Democracy Playbook

A thread👇

brookings.edu/articles/democ…
The first thing that history, social science & lived experience teach us:

Big tent coalitions save democracy!

That includes civil society, pro-democracy state actors, political opposition groups, the private sector & independent media (2/x)
So with that frame in mind, what is to be done? Here are the 10 most important 👇

(3/x) Image
Read 15 tweets
Sep 5, 2024
BREAKING: Judge Chutkan has issued her scheduling order & true to her word she is ignoring politics as we called for in our big Just Security report 👇


That means we will have a very active docket in her court over the next 60 days 1/x justsecurity.org/99693/immunity…
Image
Mark ur calendar for 9/26 when the govt's opening brief on immunity will drop

As we discussed in Just Security, the big fight will be over whether the VP Pence allegations are official or unofficial - they're official, but it will be a brawl👇2/x

justsecurity.org/99693/immunity…
Oct is gonna be dominated by that legal row w Trump's counter due on 10/17 & the govt's concluding brief due 10/29

That assures that the discussion of 1/6 & immunity will be loud in Oct 3/x Image
Read 5 tweets
Aug 30, 2024
Trump has requested that his NY case be moved to fed court in yet ANOTHER desperate attempt to delay & avoid accountability

This request should be rejected & Trump should be sentenced w/o delay

I explain below & in this thread... 1/x msnbc.com/opinion/msnbc-…
Trump is seeking removal under the federal removal statute—28 U.S.C. § 1442(a)(1)

The statute allows federal officials to remove a state prosecution to federal court—but ONLY if their alleged conduct was part of their official duties 2/x Image
But the fundamental problem with this ploy is that Trump already tried to remove the case & lost—no second bites at the apple!

Judge Hellerstein who has the case & who denied him before should shut him down on that basis alone 3/x

msnbc.com/opinion/msnbc-…
Read 17 tweets

Did Thread Reader help you today?

Support us! We are indie developers!


This site is made by just two indie developers on a laptop doing marketing, support and development! Read more about the story.

Become a Premium Member ($3/month or $30/year) and get exclusive features!

Become Premium

Don't want to be a Premium member but still want to support us?

Make a small donation by buying us coffee ($5) or help with server cost ($10)

Donate via Paypal

Or Donate anonymously using crypto!

Ethereum

0xfe58350B80634f60Fa6Dc149a72b4DFbc17D341E copy

Bitcoin

3ATGMxNzCUFzxpMCHL5sWSt4DVtS8UqXpi copy

Thank you for your support!

Follow Us!

:(