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Lance Khrome's avatar

"The firms, Kirkland & Ellis and Skadden Arps, were connected to the department by Mr. Trump’s personal lawyer, Boris Epshteyn, two of the people said."

Boris Epshteyn...dear god, one of the infamous "unindicted co-conspirators" from tRump's efforts to steal the 2020 election, and he's still on tRump's payroll...no doubt replacing former consigliere — now disbarred and criminally indicted — Rudy Giuliani. Roy Cohn's ghost continues to haunt tRump's inner circle.

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Michael's avatar

And he was a regular "news commenter' on Sinclair television stations. In Trump's world he's a prime candidate for elevation to the judiciary.

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Richard House's avatar

Good portrait of the abandonment of USAID by a three judge panel. It’s an example of trumper judges providing legal aid to incompetent trumper lawyers. Not enough being made of this, so thank you for pulling it out of the weeds.

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Ck's avatar
Aug 14Edited

John Roberts (years ago) started the long game to disassemble the democracy we know to create the government he prefers. With the help of Mitch McConnell, the Heritage Foundation and the Federalist Society and assorted other deplorables, they are reaching the finish line and any scruples are set aside because they are all in on their “big beautiful” gamble and will see this out to the bitter end. And if that means throwing the judicial system, fellow judges, the rule of law and the like under the bus they believe the ends justify the means. So even w solid good patriotic disciplined principled smart honest and good character judges doing the correct thing and criticism about the shadow docket, we don’t stand a chance with relying on the courts. Thank also on part to the DNC, Biden, Machin, so called moderate Rs like Collin’s/Murkowski (and said w much sorrow, RBG) and the entire Senate for facilitating the hard right’s long game. And sadly too my all time favorite Obama when his administration scuttled the Fairness Doctrine this facilitating the rise of Fox. So many places to point fingers at but back to the articles premise, we can’r rely on the courts to save us.

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Slartibartfast42's avatar

We are hostage to the two corporate political parties: evil and complicit

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Richard House's avatar

Additionally, I would also be surprised if pro bono publico services are not defined by the New York State Bar Association and more surprised if providing free work to a fully funded legal operation of a government department is, in fact, pro bono publico. Bar Association investigations should make this determination, and where appropriate institute disciplinary proceedings against the firms and members involved.

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Victoria Brown's avatar

No one is going to save

us but ourselves! We've

all seen this coming for

quite awhile. The same

held true for the

Founders of our

democracy. They didn't

cave in and run away

and there were a lot

fewer of them than there

are of us. Stand up!

Speak out! Be brave!

Protest! Resist and

persist!

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Susan Linehan's avatar

well us naive types might think that it is pretty much a primo example of waste, fraud, and abuse to redo a project already paid for. After all, cancelling a federal contract actually allows the party cancelled to recover any costs already incurred in completing the contract AND a reasonable profit on the outstanding balance. But of course, with a software contract the government has to be SURE that the developers will include a back door so the whole system can be hacked and altered for years after the current regime is out of office. 🙄🙄

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Michael's avatar

As James Taylor sang, "no one's going to stop us now" Now it's the Project 2025 crowd including the Roberts Court singing that song and you know what, they might be right. Dark times.

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