BIDEN calls Hunter’s case “selective prosecution” instigated by his political adversaries. Not exactly the ringing endorsement of the special counsel process his DOJ has long made.
Biden says “raw politics” infected the case, causing a “miscarriage of justice.”
WOW: This pardon is sweeping. Anything crimes he committed or “may have committed for an 11 year period.
NEW: Donald Trump hasn’t said a word since the election about his intent to pardon Jan. 6 defendants. It’s prompted some anxiety among supporters and a raging debate about his intentions.
That debate has been compounded by the replacement of Matt Gaetz — a fervent ally of Jan. 6 defendants — with Pam Bondi, who has maintained radio silence on the issue for four years. politico.com/news/2024/11/3…
Trump’s transition team exacerbated the issue by vowing Trump would consider pardons “case by case,” a signal that he might not implement the sweeping blanket pardon many J6 defenders have called for. politico.com/news/2024/11/3…
NEW: Few people have been more integrally linked to Donald Trump’s Jan. 6 gambit than Matt Gaetz.
Now, a man who has done as much as anyone to rewrite the history of that effort, could lead the prosecutors who have called it a stain on our democracy. politico.com/news/2024/11/1…
Before Jan. 6, Gaetz fomented false claims of voter fraud, then joined strategy sessions with Trump and other GOP lawmakers about overturning the election. He was in a meeting with Pence before Jan. 6. politico.com/news/2024/11/1…
GAETZ would later ask repeatedly for a pardon, one Eric Herschmann described as so broad and unbounded it would be unworkable. politico.com/news/2024/11/1…
Already, DOJ was goin to struggle to charge the roughly 2,500-3,000 people estimated to be susceptible to charges by a Jan. 6, 2025 statute of limitations.
MORE: For now, DOJ appears poisted to press forward with new cases through Inauguration Day. It's prompting alarm from some Jan. 6 defendants who are urging Trump to call on the department to press pause *today.* politico.com/news/2024/11/0…
HAPPENING NOW: A federal judge in Georgia has thrown out the RNC's claim that Georgia counties broke the law by accepting absentee ballots over the weekend.
The judge says their complaint lacked a "basic level of statutory review and reading comprehension." Details TK
The judge says the RNC's argument that the counties somehow prevented poll watchers from being present during weekend hours is a "red herring" and that some of these counties have done this perfectly legal and well known process for years.
WOW: Judge Baker shreds the RNC for what he says was a cynical attempt to invalidate votes only in Democratic counties even though other counties were able to use the same procedures. Doing what the party wanted would violate state law, the constitution and "my oath," Baker said.
👀 The 5th Circuit just ruled that ballots must be received by Election Day and state laws allowing them to arrive later are preempted by federal law.
IMPORTANT: Though the circuit decision *could* theoretically impact this election cycle significantly, the panel left the decision on whether to apply it to this election cycle up to the district court judge who initally ruled the other way.
NEW: A judge threatened to order Merrick Garland and Jim Jordan into her courtroom next week if the House and DOJ couldn't resolve a subpoena dispute related to Hunter Biden.
The ultimatum led the House to back off — likely for good.
"Don't test me on this...I'm not bluffing," Judge Reyes, a Biden appointee warned the House and DOJ about her threat to force Garland/Jordan to attend court next week.
The fight is over a House subpoena to 2 DOJ line attorneys involved in Hunter probe. politico.com/news/2024/10/2…
NOTABLE: Reyes trapped House counsel Matthew Berry into appearing to concede that Jim Jordan's public reasons for blowing of the Jan. 6 committee's subpoena were not acceptable. politico.com/news/2024/10/2…