Tristan Snell Profile picture
Lawyer, legal commentator, fighter for democracy. Prosecuted Trump University @ NY AG. Commentator, MSNBC. Creator of book/podcast/newsletter TAKING DOWN TRUMP.
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Nov 22 9 tweets 2 min read
The REAL story on Pam Bondi, Trump University, and Trump's $25,000 payment to Bondi:

1/ In August 2013, I was at the NY AG, and Bondi was Florida AG.

On August 24, 2013, I filed the NY AG's prosecution of Trump University and Donald Trump, for $42 million in fraud. 🧵 2/ Our case made national headlines for several days after.

Unbeknownst to us, on August 28, 2013, Trump's assistant, Rhona Graff, had an email exchange with Bondi's campaign finance director, to obtain the payment info to send a $25,000 donation to one of Bondi's PACs.
Sep 16 6 tweets 2 min read
BREAKING: At least 2 women died in Georgia after being denied emergency care because of abortion ban

Amber Nicole Thurman had a 6-year-old son, a career as a medical assistant, aspirations to become a nurse -- and died of sepsis and organ failure

THESE LAWS MUST BE REPEALED NOW ProPublica does heroic work yet again, in breaking this story.

The doctors and staff appears to have been paralyzed; they waited for Thurman's condition to worsen, then finally operated, but it was too late, and she died in the ORpropublica.org/article/georgi…
Jul 1 10 tweets 2 min read
WTF is going to happen now in the DC case after the Supreme Court immunity ruling?

There is a silver lining here.

Judge Chutkan now takes back over - with a "fact-specific analysis" on whether Trump's actions were "official acts" or not.

This could be brutal for Trump. 🧵 The case now gets remanded back to the District Court, where Judge Chutkan is in charge. She's been ordered to engage in proceedings to determine whether Trump's actions were "official acts" of the office of the President, or "unofficial acts" of a candidate or citizen.
Apr 1 5 tweets 2 min read
BREAKING -- I'm done here.

I'm tired of being subject to an opaque algorithm and an erratic, right-lurching billionaire, determining which posts you get to see.

You should be able to see EVERY post I do. And we should have a direct connection to one another.

So I'm out. ✌️ You can come find me at

This is where I'll have all the new analysis on legal and political news, bonus content from Taking Down Trump, audio and video content, Q&As, and an amazing pro-democracy community of fighters like you.

See you there.tristansnell.com
Mar 1 4 tweets 1 min read
MASSIVE NEWS - DOJ says 60-day rule does NOT apply to Trump trials, because he’s already been indicted

So the Trump federal trials CAN happen even if they run into September/October

Drastically increases odds that Trump is tried — and convicted — before the election in November This was stated by DOJ in the documents case, to Judge Cannon, regarding the trial calendar

It applies equally to the DC January 6 case before Judge Chutkan
Jan 31 4 tweets 1 min read
BREAKING: Judge Engoron decision on NY AG civil fraud case will likely NOT be released today.

Word I'm hearing is that the Court is aiming for early next week. Subject to change, could be later, or sooner.

Court had previously said they were aiming for decision by end of Jan. So, while we're disappointed not to be getting the news today -- this is not a significant delay by any means. A few days, in all likelihood.

What will the decision contain? My bet: Trump to pay $200-370 million. Plus Court already ordered cancellation of corporate charters.
Jan 4 4 tweets 1 min read
Here are all of the allegations against Alan Dershowitz in the Jeffrey Epstein documents:

1) Dershowitz came to Epstein's island "pretty often"

2) Epstein forced one underage victim to have sex with Dershowitz repeatedly, in FL, NY, NM, Virgin Islands, and on private jets 3) Dershowitz also witnessed Epstein and his co-conspirators sexual assaulting other victims

4) Dershowitz did all of this while also serving as Epstein's lawyer and negotiating a sweetheart deal that also gave immunity to "any potential co-conspirators of Epstein," e.g. himself
May 16, 2023 5 tweets 1 min read
BREAKING: Lindsay Graham misallocated $350,000 of campaign money on apparently PERSONAL legal expenses -- trying to evade a subpoena to testify before the Fulton County, Georgia grand jury on attempting to overthrow the 2020 election.

Graham must be investigated ASAP. Why? Such misallocation is ILLEGAL under federal campaign finance laws.

A politician can spend campaign money on legal expenses arising from his campaign or Senate work.

But the Courts specifically held that Graham had to testify because of his conduct OUTSIDE his official work
May 10, 2023 4 tweets 1 min read
BREAKING: George Santos indictment alleges:

- He created a phony 501c4 that could supposedly take unlimited "soft money" donations for independent expenditures

- Then he took that money and spent it on HIMSELF, for "luxury designer clothing, credit card payments," etc.

1/
- He fraudulently applied for and received unemployment benefits in 2020 during the lockdowns, even though he was employed at that time, defrauding the government out of another 25,000

- So half of his supposed 55,000 salary in 2020 was actually fraudulently obtained govt money
May 9, 2023 4 tweets 1 min read
BREAKING -- Trump LOSES E. Jean Carroll case, is LIABLE for sexual abuse and defamation.

Jury awards Carroll at least $2 MILLION.

More updates coming. Jury: Trump must pay total of $5 MILLION to Carroll.
Apr 4, 2023 5 tweets 2 min read
MOST IMPORTANT Trump-related legal news today?

Not the Manhattan DA case.

Nope. DC Circuit DENIED Trump's attempt to delay his top aides from testifying to federal grand jury about January 6.

So Mark Meadows, Stephen Miller, Dan Scavino and others have to testify. What happened?

The DC district court ruled that the aides have to testify. Trump filed a Motion to Stay, pending appeal. In the past, these kind of motions have succeeded for Trump.

This time, it didn't. This is a VERY bad sign for Trump.
Apr 2, 2023 5 tweets 2 min read
BREAKING: Trump himself hid documents at Mar-a-Lago, and DOJ has proof, including witness testimony, texts, and video footage.

AFTER getting the grand jury subpoena, Trump went through docs personally — and then they were moved elsewhere at Mar-a-Lago (including his office). Trump also directed his staff to lie to the National Archives about the documents.

That itself may not be a crime - it was prior to the grand jury subpoena - but it may show evidence of Trump’s intent to commit obstruction of justice.
Mar 30, 2023 4 tweets 2 min read
BREAKING from CNN: 34 counts in Trump indictment.

This is WAY more than expected. If this is correct, it could mean that the indictment covers FAR more than the Stormy Daniels hush money -- like Karen McDougal hush money or other hush money/catch-and-kill cases. Good time to note that David Pecker, head of the company that owns the National Enquirer and a longtime Trump ally, testified TWICE to the grand jury.

And reports out today indicate that witnesses in the case were questioned about McDougal, who got $150,000 hush money from Trump
Mar 22, 2023 7 tweets 3 min read
BREAKING: Potential earthquake coming in Mar-a-Lago documents case. DC Circuit sets unprecedented schedule requiring Trump counsel to submit filing by midnight TONIGHT and then DOJ to reply by 6 a.m. tomorrow morning.

Did the court see evidence of national security threats? What happened? DC district court ordered Trump lawyer Evan Corcoran to testify before the grand jury hearing the documents case.

Normally lawyers can’t be compelled to testify against their clients. But the primary exception is for cases of crime or fraud.
Mar 9, 2023 4 tweets 1 min read
BREAKING: Manhattan DA signals Trump will be indicted, gives him chance to appear in front of grand jury next week.

The criminal investigation had seemed stalled for a year - and now it suddenly accelerates.

And from what I'm hearing in NYC, this is not a drill. It's happening. What is this for? The $130,000 hush money to Stormy Daniels, arguing that the fake business records to Michael Cohen were to cover up an illegal payment from Trump to his campaign (or some other crime).

There could be other crimes charged, though. We don't know yet.
Mar 8, 2023 6 tweets 1 min read
Anatomy of the Big Lie -- and a massive defamation?

11/3/20 - Fox News calls Arizona for Biden

11/6/20 - Fox News Decision Desk concludes Biden has won Nevada, but network president Jay Wallace overrules them

11/7/20 - Other networks call election for Biden; Fox News is last 11/9/20 - Tucker Carlson texts with Fox News CEO Suzanne Scott about damage to the network's brand because of viewers' anger over the Arizona call; others fret about Newsmax

11/12/20 - Lou Dobbs gives Rudy Giuliani air time to lay out the Dominion conspiracy theories
Feb 27, 2023 4 tweets 2 min read
BREAKING: Biden Admin cracking down on child labor after New York Times story reveals massive exploitation of migrant children, including by companies behind Frito-Lay, Cheerios, J.Crew, Walmart, Target, Ben & Jerry's, Fruit of the Loom, Ford, and GM. The new efforts announced:

- Beefed up enforcement by Department of Labor

- Enforcement of "hot goods" law that lets DOL stop goods from crossing state lines if child labor was found in the supply chain

- Going to Congress for increased penalties for violators (only $15k now)
Feb 9, 2023 5 tweets 1 min read
More on Pence and Jack Smith:

DOJ has been working to get Pence's docs and testimony for months, so Pence has been at least partially amenable to complying.

So why the subpoena? For cover. Witnesses often ASK to be subpoenaed, so they can say they were forced to comply. Why the months of negotiations? Because Pence did not want to look like he rolled over and sacrificed Trump -- nor does he want to get in trouble with other investigators (like in the House) -- so he has likely posed all sorts of executive privilege issues.
Jan 18, 2023 5 tweets 3 min read
BREAKING: In 2016, George Santos set up a GoFundMe for a veteran's dog who needed lifesaving cancer surgery to remove a tumor; Santos took the $3,000 and ghosted, and the dog died, according to the veteran.

The more we learn about Santos, the worse he gets. Full story on Santos's alleged GoFundMe scam:

patch.com/new-york/oyste…
Jan 12, 2023 7 tweets 2 min read
Looks like George Santos's $700,000 donation to his own campaign may've been laundered money from a Ponzi scheme called "Harbor City Capital," which defrauded investors, selling them fake stocks, totaling over $17 million. New reporting from the Washington Post reveals that Santos received payment from Harbor City as late as April 2021.

On April 20, 2021, the SEC filed a complaint against Harbor City accusing it of fraud.

On May 11, 2021, Santos formed the "Devolder Organization."
Dec 13, 2022 4 tweets 1 min read
TODAY: Brad Raffensperger gets subpoena from DOJ Special Counsel Jack Smith, to produce all communications, or records reflecting communications, with 19 Trump conspirators:

Kenneth Chesebro
Justin Clark
Joe DiGenova
John Eastman
Jenna Ellis
Boris Epshteyn
Rudy Giuliani

(cont.) (Trump list, continued:)

Bernard Kerik
Bruce Marks
Cleta Mitchell
Matthew Morgan
Kurt Olsen
William Olson
Stefan Passantino
Sidney Powell
William “Bill” Stepien
Victoria Toensing
James Troupis
L. Lin Wood, Jr.