Hundreds Of Jan. 6 Rioters May Ultimately Avoid The Law
INSIDE: Donald Trump ... Jerome Powell ... Susie Wiles
A lot of things happened. Here are some of the things. This is TPM’s Morning Memo.
It’s Not Just Trump Who Will Get Off Scot-Free
While the Justice Department reportedly seeks to end its prosecutions of Donald Trump before his inauguration and Trump promises to pardon the convicted Jan. 6 rioters, another group from that fateful day may end up paying no price: the Jan. 6 rioters who have yet to be apprehended.
As Politico’s Kyle Cheney reports:
The Justice Department has spent nearly four years seeking to identify and prosecute virtually everyone who participated in the attack that threatened to derail the transfer of power that day. But the nationwide manhunt, which prosecutors have dubbed the largest and most complex in American history, is expected to come to an abrupt conclusion once Trump takes over.
In its latest update this week on the Jan. 6 cases, the Justice Department reported that 1,561 people have been criminally charged in the Capitol attack. That represents as little as half of the estimated number of participants who committed crimes.
It’s unlikely that the Justice Department will be able to find and charge a substantial number of rioters still at large before Trump returns to office. Either way, a Trump DOJ will almost certainly not pursue any new cases and may seek to unwind pending cases, separate and apart from any Trump pardons.
Who Bears The Brunt Of Trump’s Victory?
The impacts of Trump’s win do not fall evenly. Among those carrying the greatest weight:
Grim
“Donald Trump’s allies and some in the private sector have been quietly preparing to detain and deport migrants residing in the United States on a large scale, according to four sources familiar with the discussions.”–CNN
Sums It Up
“In a burst of hate and misogyny, MAGA militants cheered the return of a president they consider an ally.”–WaPo
FBI Investigating Blitz Of Racist Texts
“A wave of racist text messages summoning Black people to report for slavery showed up on phones across the United States, prompting the scrutiny of the F.B.I.”–NYT
Putin Calls Trump ‘Manly’
I just threw up in my mouth.
Fed Chair Throws Down Gauntlet
Taking a strong stand for the independence of the the Federal Reserve, Chairman Jerome Powell told reporters that Trump does not have the power as president to fire or demote him and that he would refuse to resign if Trump asked him to.
First Woman As White House Of Chief
Trump named his campaign adviser Susie Wiles as his new White House chief of staff. (TIL: Wiles is the daughter of the late NFL placekicker and longtime sports broadcaster Pat Summerall.)
Trump On Track to Win All 7 Swing States
Trump wound up carrying all three Blue Wall states, and is on track to carry all four Sun Belt swing states. The AP has not yet called Nevada or Arizona, but he leads in both states.
House Still Too Close To Call
It will be a few more days before the key California races are decided, but it’s looking like the GOP will hold its narrow majority with an equally narrow majority.
GOP Likely To End Up With 53-47 Senate Advantage
The AP called the Pennsylvania Senate race for Republican David McCormick, denying Sen. Bob Casey a fourth term. With the Democratic candidates leading in the yet-to-be-called Arizona and Nevada Senate races, the GOP looks likely to wind up with a 53-47 majority.
Election Aftermath
Politico: The 14 Places That Explain Trump’s Victory
The Latino Vote
Benjy Sarlin: The 2024 election should end the ‘demographics are destiny’ era of politics
WSJ: Trump’s Huge Latino Gains Put a Big Crack in Democratic Coalition
NYT: ‘An Earthquake’ Along the Border: Trump Flipped Hispanic South Texas
Federal Judge Slams Deadbeat Rudy
“A federal judge on Thursday threatened to hold Rudy Giuliani in contempt after the former New York City mayor missed a court-imposed deadline to surrender his assets to two Georgia election workers he defamed.”–Politico
Chinese Hackers Access Trump Attorney’s Phone
“In the run-up to Tuesday’s presidential election, the Chinese cyber-spies who targeted cellphones associated with the Trump and Harris campaigns hacked into the main cellphone used by Donald Trump’s lead criminal defense attorney, Todd Blanche, multiple sources familiar with the matter told ABC News.”–ABC News
Neera Tanden Formally Accused Of Hatch Act Violations
“A government ethics watchdog agency has formally accused White House domestic policy chief Neera Tanden of repeatedly violating the Hatch Act by soliciting political contributions on social media in the months before the election.”–Politico
Leaker Of RBG’s Health Info Gets 2-Year Sentence
“A former medical worker who was convicted of illegally accessing Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s hospital records as she underwent cancer treatment in 2019 was sentenced Thursday to two years in prison after a judge excoriated his “truly despicable conduct” and “stunning lack of empathy.”–WaPo
Old-School Political Corruption Seems Almost Quaint Now
“The mayor of Jackson, Miss., a City Council member and the local district attorney have been indicted on federal corruption charges, with court documents unsealed on Thursday detailing a scheme in which F.B.I. agents posing as real estate developers paid tens of thousands of dollars in bribes to city officials.”–NYT
Have A Restful Long Weekend
I’ll be trying to get the TPM staff out a little early today and urging them to unplug as much as they can over the holiday weekend. I hope you can, too. See you back here Tuesday.
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Even if these criminals are pardoned, they should be sued for civil damages. It’s probable that this is already being pursued. Having been convicted, the evidence against them proves their actions beyond a reasonable doubt, which far exceeds that required for a civil judgment. Collection of such a judgment might be difficult, but it will haunt them long after their prison terms have ended or would have ended. At least some of them are employed and their wages can be garnished. It’s weak sauce for the injured parties, but it would give some satisfaction. Trump can’t pardon them from their trampling of their civil responsibilities.
In this blame game, “Who bears the brunt of Trump victory?”, I find the analysis by Robert Reich most HELPFUL:
https://open.substack.com/pub/robertreich/p/the-lesson?r=e989i&utm_medium=ios