Crazy Days

Ken AshfordGeneral corruption, L'Affaire Russe, Middle East, Stormy Daniels & Karen McDougal Affairs, Trump & AdministrationLeave a Comment

It’s impossible to keep up with the news anymore. Here is just today: Donald Trump’s inauguration committee is under investigation. Apparently they managed to spend twice as much as any other recent president for an inaugural celebration that was half the size of any other recent president. Maria Butina pleaded guilty to infiltrating the NRA on behalf of Russia. Trump is now on … Read More

The Myth Of Trump As A Self-Made Man Explodes

Ken AshfordGeneral corruption, Political Scandals, Trump & AdministrationLeave a Comment

The New York Times did a thorough expose of how Trump got to be wealthy – basically through inheritance and tax fraud.  The details — sourced from over 100,000 pages of material — are fascinating but the conclusion is… meh.  I mean, didn’t we already know this pretty much?  Even Trump thinks it is old news, and his only beef … Read More

The Secret Guardian

Ken AshfordGeneral corruption, Trump & AdministrationLeave a Comment

The NY Times op-ed by an anonymous member of the Trump administration is historical: I Am Part of the Resistance Inside the Trump Administration. From the White House to executive branch departments and agencies, senior officials will privately admit their daily disbelief at the commander in chief’s comments and actions. Most are working to insulate their operations from his whims. Meetings … Read More

Trump Is Upset The DOJ Isn’t Partisan

Ken AshfordElection 2018, General corruption, Republicans, Trump & AdministrationLeave a Comment

This tweet from Trump reveals much: Obama-era investigations?  Not so much.  Details: Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-California, and Rep. Chris Collins, R-New York, were indicted within two weeks of each other last month on unrelated charges. Collins was charged with 13 counts of securities fraud, wire fraud and making false statements related to an alleged insider trading scheme.Hunter was indicted for … Read More

Breaking: McGahn Out

Ken AshfordGeneral corruption, L'Affaire Russe, Trump & AdministrationLeave a Comment

Another Trump insider leaving.  It’s made all the more interesting (to me) by this quote recently in Vanity Fair: Two sources told me that Trump continues to raise the possibility of a pardon for Manafort, his former campaign chairman. Trump has been clashing with White House counsel Don McGahn, who, sources said, is strongly against granting Manafort a pardon. (A lawyer for … Read More

The Veterans Administration Is Run By Three Guys At Mar-A-Lago. Seriously.

Ken AshfordGeneral corruption, Health Care, Military IssuesLeave a Comment

This is amazing Last February, shortly after Peter O’Rourke became chief of staff for the Department of Veterans Affairs, he received an email from Bruce Moskowitz with his input on a new mental health initiative for the VA. “Received,” O’Rourke replied. “I will begin a project plan and develop a timeline for action.” O’Rourke treated the email as an order, … Read More

Swamp Drained A Little

Ken AshfordCongress, General corruption, Political Scandals, RepublicansLeave a Comment

Congressman Chris Collins (R – NY) was arrested this morning by the FBI shortly after he was indicted for securities related fraud related to insider trading allegations. From NBC: Chris Collins, a Republican congressman from upstate New York, surrendered to the FBI on Wednesday morning on securities fraud-related charges, prosecutors said. Collins, 68, faces insider trading charges along with his son, … Read More

Trump Administration Can’t Reunify Families It Broke Apart

Ken AshfordCourts/Law, Crime, General corruption, Immigration and Xenophobia, Political Scandals, Trump & AdministrationLeave a Comment

NBC: The Justice Department asked a federal judge this afternoon to extend the court mandated deadlines for reuniting nearly 3,000 migrant children who were separated from their parents while crossing the U.S.-Mexico border. Attorneys for the U.S. government claimed the court mandate for returning all children under age 5 to their parents by July 10 and all other children by July 26 does not … Read More

Breaking: New York Attorney Files Suit Against Trump & His Kids

Ken AshfordBreaking News, General corruption, Trump & AdministrationLeave a Comment

The New York attorney general just filed suit against Trump and his three eldest children alleging “persistently illegal conduct” at the president’s personal charity, saying Trump repeatedly misused the nonprofit — to pay off his businesses’ creditors, to decorate one of his golf clubs and to stage a multimillion dollar giveaway at his 2016 campaign events. In the suit, attorney general … Read More

Trump Pardons Dinesh D’Souza

Ken AshfordCampaign Finance Reform, Crime, General corruption, Trump & AdministrationLeave a Comment

Dinesh D’Souza is a conservative “scholar” and terrible filmmaker who has said of Obama “you can take the boy out of the ghetto” ridiculed Michelle Obama as “affirmative action” Princeton student said slavery wasn’t racist, slaves were treated “pretty well” mocked Rosa Parks suggested the Charlottesville rally was staged shared a meme calling Obama a “gay Muslim” suggested Michelle Obama … Read More

Adam Serwer: It’s One Scandal

Ken AshfordGeneral corruption, L'Affaire Russe, Stormy Daniels & Karen McDougal Affairs, Trump & AdministrationLeave a Comment

The Atlantic: There are not many Trump scandals. There is one Trump scandal. Singular: the corruption of the American government by the president and his associates, who are using their official power for personal and financial gain rather than for the welfare of the American people, and their attempts to shield that corruption from political consequences, public scrutiny, or legal … Read More

Trump Discloses Financials

Ken AshfordGeneral corruption, Stormy Daniels & Karen McDougal Affairs, Trump & AdministrationLeave a Comment

As I wrote about yesterday, Trump was to disclose his financial liabilities, and there was an open question as to whether he would admit his payments to Cohen as a liability, and how much was paid.  Today the public got its answer, sort of.  I will attach only the page dealing with financial liabilities. See there at the bottom?  He is … Read More