A REMINDER OF THE COST OF LETTING SOCIOPATH LAWYERS RUN FOR ELECTIVE OFFICE
White House Turns to Legally Dubious Tactics To Boost McAuliffe for Virginia Gov
VP Harris, press sec Psaki face criticism over questionable electioneering actions
As President Joe Biden looks to avoid a high-profile loss in Virginia, the White House has turned to legally dubious tactics aimed at boosting Democratic gubernatorial nominee Terry McAuliffe.
Liberal watchdog Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) launched a complaint against press secretary Jen Psaki for violating the Hatch Act, which prevents administration officials from engaging in political activity. During a Thursday press briefing, Psaki said the Biden administration will "do everything we can to help former Governor McAuliffe" and "believe[s] in the agenda he's representing." Psaki later acknowledged her statement's impropriety in an interview with CNN.
The Biden administration just hours later released a video that features Vice President Kamala Harris, who urged viewers to vote for her "friend Terry McAuliffe." While the Hatch Act does not apply to the president and vice president, Harris's video—filmed for hundreds of churches across Virginia—could run afoul of IRS law, which explicitly prohibits churches and other tax-exempt 501(c)3 organizations from "engaging in any political campaign activity."
The Biden administration's questionable campaign tactics come as McAuliffe slips in the polls against Republican opponent Glenn Youngkin—a development that has spooked Biden officials, who worry that a loss in Virginia will spell trouble for Democrats in 2022. While Biden won Virginia by double digits, an October Trafalgar Group poll shows McAuliffe trailing Youngkin by 1 point. McAuliffe has blamed his struggles in part on Biden's unpopularity in the state.
Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust executive director Kendra Arnold called the IRS law related to Harris's church video "abundantly clear," noting "there's no question that the churches cannot engage in political activity, including the publishing and distributing of statements on behalf of any campaign." Arnold argued that while Harris was legally allowed to support McAuliffe in the video, she may not be in the clear from a legal perspective.
"I think there's an ethical question on whether or not our elected officials, for political purposes, can engage with another entity and essentially get them to break the law," Arnold told the Washington Free Beacon. "I would argue that it is not ethical to engage in activities that break the law, whether you're breaking it or enticing someone else to break it."
CREW president Noah Bookbinder, meanwhile, in his Thursday complaint admonished Psaki, writing that the press secretary mixed "official government business with support of a candidate for partisan political office in the weeks before the election" and engaged in "political activity while on duty." Psaki addressed the controversy during a Friday CNN interview, during which she pledged to "be more careful with my words next time." Penalties for Hatch Act violations include removal from federal service suspension and a civil penalty.
The White House did not return a request for comment.
In addition to Psaki and Harris, McAuliffe's liberal allies have employed controversial schemes to hurt Youngkin and promote Democrats. Liberal dark money operative David Brock, for example, has used his "pseudo-news outlet" to send Virginia voters unsolicited mailers that attack Youngkin with debunked claims, including one page that falsely contends Youngkin has a plan to "eliminate the state income tax." The move sparked concern among ethics experts, as Brock's "progressive news" outlet is not subject to campaign finance laws that require political groups to disclose where their funding comes from.
Democratic operatives have also targeted Youngkin through a shadowy political action committee that runs ads designed to look like they came from a Republican outfit. That PAC, Accountability Virginia, took at least $250,000 from Virginia utility company Dominion Energy and went on to release social media spots that question Youngkin's support for the Second Amendment. Dominion CEO Robert Blue asked for the PAC to refund the company's donation on Monday, saying he "failed to vet" the group's "intended activities."
McAuliffe, who took tens of thousands of dollars from Dominion during his 2013 gubernatorial campaign, did not return a request for comment.
With Biden, one set of laws for them, another set for us
By Jack Hellner
Twenty-one students at three universities were charged with participation in a massive drug ring.
Total proceeds were $1.5 million over a few years. No, they shouldn't have done it. But the penalties for them are draconian: They are in huge lifetime trouble with the law. Their lives will be destroyed, and several will probably go to prison.
Twenty-one people have been charged with dealing drugs on and around college campuses after federal officials uncovered a massive drug ring involving students at three North Carolina universities, authorities announced Thursday.
Martin said that over several years the suspects allegedly moved more than a thousand of pounds of marijuana and hundreds of kilograms of cocaine and other drugs through their supply chain. The drug proceeds exceeded $1.5 million, according to the DEA.
Contrast the students’ treatment with terrorists being let off scot-free by the Obama administration Justice department after Obama dictatorially instructed bureaucrats to drop the years-long investigation into a billion-dollar-a -year drug ring, all to appease Iran.
You see, terrorists are special when Obama/Biden and John Kerry want to appease dictators who pledge death to America as they work on their legacy.
Where were the whistleblowers at the Justice department in 2008, calling out this pure abuse of power by Obama? Where were the congressional hearings and articles of impeachment?
From Politico in 2017:
In its determination to secure a nuclear deal with Iran, the Obama administration derailed an ambitious law enforcement campaign targeting drug trafficking by the Iranian-backed terrorist group Hezbollah, even as it was funneling cocaine into the United States, according to a POLITICO investigation.
The campaign, dubbed Project Cassandra, was launched in 2008 after the Drug Enforcement Administration amassed evidence that Hezbollah had transformed itself from a Middle East-focused military and political organization into an international crime syndicate that some investigators believed was collecting $1 billion a year from drug and weapons trafficking, money laundering and other criminal activities.
The media and other Democrats claim they care about all deaths from drugs, so why don’t they care about all the deaths from terrorism and drug overdoses because of Obama’s actions?
The Justice department, the media, and the politicians of both parties go after pharmaceutical companies for their contribution to the drug crisis, so why didn’t they go after Obama -- and China, the terrorists and Iran, for their major contribution to the problem?
This is what is going on now in San Francisco
According to the Associated Press, 621 people have died in San Francisco of drug overdoses thus far this year, a staggering number that equates to nearly two deaths per day.
On the other hand, just 173 San Fransisco residents have died of COVID-19.
It is an absolute joke to watch Biden and the media claim that the new administration will not interfere at the Justice department when they know how the Obama/Biden administration completely politicized the Justice department throughout their eight years.
When they say that no one is above the law and there will be equal treatment under the law, they are plainly lying.
They not only let terrorists off scot free, IRS bureaucrats who targeted Obama opponents, obstructed justice, destroyed computers and lied to Congress were also above the law.
Hillary Clinton, her aides, and officials throughout government, including Obama, could violate the nation's security laws, could destroy computers, hide documents, and repeatedly lie and they were above the law.
The Justice department could shake down corporations, establish a slush fund, and give kickbacks to political supporters such as ACORN or whatever they call themselves now, and few cared.
Eric Holder, James Clapper, James Comey, John Brennan, Andrew McCabe and others could repeatedly lie to Congress and/or the FBI and they were all above the law.
Bureaucrats could use a fake dossier from a foreign source, paid for by the DNC and Hillary campaign, and lie to the FISA court as they targeted Trump and his supporters, and they, too, were above the law.
Bureaucrats within the Obama/Biden Administration illegally spied on thousands of Americans throughout their eight years in office and they were all above the law. Remember this?
Newly declassified memos detail extent of improper Obama-era NSA spying
The Obama/Biden Justice department refused to enforce immigration laws. Politicians and bureaucrats in sanctuary cities and states were above the law.
The Clinton and Biden families were allowed to use their powerful government positions to solicit massive kickbacks for themselves and their families from foreign sources, and they were and are above the law.
Democrats not only didn’t care about the kickbacks, they impeached Trump for wanting an investigation into the Biden corruption.
While members of the Obama/Biden crime syndicate could violate as many laws as they liked, they were also targeting innocent people like Gen. Michael Flynn and energy expert Carter Page for destruction.
It is no wonder there is so much corruption and criminal activity among politicians and bureaucrats thrives throughout the United States when the press is coopted, asleep, or just don’t care. They frequently bury the stories and actively campaign for the corrupt criminals. It is sad that they support putting corrupt criminals in the White House. They support anyone who seeks to make the government run by leftists more powerful.
Meanwhile, they will seek to destroy anyone who wants to give the power, purse, and freedom back to the people as fast as possible. They don’t care about how many fake stories, such as Russian collusion, they have to peddle in their efforts to defeat political opponents. Evidence and the truth are not important. Anonymous sources are treated as evidence. Only victory for leftists matters and that truly makes the media an existential threat to our survival as a great country.
Image credit: Pixabay public domain
JUDICIAL WATCH’S TEN MOST CORRUPT LIST
President Barack Obama: During his presidential campaign, President Obama promised to run an ethical and transparent administration. However, in his first year in office, the President has delivered corruption and secrecy, bringing Chicago-style political corruption to the White House. JUDICIAL WATCH
“Attorney General Eric Holder's tenure was a low point even within the disgraceful scandal-ridden Obama years.” DANIEL GREENFIELD / FRONTPAGE MAG
During his presidency, Obama bragged that his administration was “the only thing between [Wall Street] and the pitchforks.”
In fact, Obama handed the robber barons and outright criminals responsible for the 2008–09 financial crisis a multi-trillion-dollar bailout. His administration oversaw the largest redistribution of wealth in history from the bottom to the top one percent, spearheading the attack on the living standards of teachers and autoworkers.
The Republican staff of the US House Committee on Financial Services released a report Monday presenting its findings on why the Obama Justice Department and then-Attorney General Eric Holder chose not to prosecute the British-based HSBC bank for laundering billions of dollars for Mexican and Colombian drug cartels.
“This was not because of difficulties in securing indictments or convictions. On the contrary, Attorney General Eric Holder told a Senate committee in March of 2013 that the Obama administration chose not to prosecute the big banks or their CEOs because to do so might “have a negative impact on the national economy.”
“Judicial Watch’s records request is designed to expose how California state legislators are wasting tax dollars to take care of another corrupt politician – Eric Holder – under the guise of resisting the rule of law on immigration and other matters,” stated Judicial Watch president Tom Fitton. “His record at the Clinton and Obama Justice Departments demonstrates a willingness to bend the law in order to protect his political patrons.”
Elizabeth Warren says she wants to get rid of corruption, but not once have I heard her complain about the massive corruption during the Obama years or at her precious CFPB, so she really doesn't care. JACK HELLNER
And it all got much, much worse after 2008, when the schemes collapsed and, as Lemann points out, Barack Obama did not aggressively rein in Wall Street as Roosevelt had done, instead restoring the status quo ante even when it meant ignoring a staggering white-collar crime spree. RYAN COOPER
The moral decay of the US comes in part from the media
By Jack Hellner
When President Obama was elected, he pledged
to remake America. It is a shame he did so
much damage to the fabric of America in eight
short years.
The Obama/Biden was the most corrupt, criminal
administration any of us has ever seen, yet the
media cheered or covered up all the abuse of
power, obstruction of Justice and other crimes.
Pollak: Barack Obama Himself Was the Threat to the Rule of Law
Former President Barack Obama warned Friday that the “rule of law is at risk” because former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn will no longer be prosecuted.
Obama’s remarks, leaked from a private conference call with members of something called the “Obama Alumni Association,” show a breathtaking lack of self-awareness.
Obama himself was the threat to the rule of law, both during his presidency and as it ended.
As Breitbart News has previously noted, Obama routinely violated the Constitution’s separation of powers, challenging America’s constitutional foundation in a way no president before him had done in peacetime.
“I’ve got a pen, and I’ve got a phone,” Obama said, threatening to use — and abuse — his executive power — rather than allow the constitutional process of legislation to proceed.
Here are just a few of Obama’s more egregious violations:
· Refusing to submit the Iran deal to the Senate for ratification
· Declaring the Senate in recess when it was not (struck down, later, in a 9-0 Supreme Court decision)
· Defying the courts when told to renew oil and gas activity in the Gulf of Mexico, or to stop giving amnesty to illegal aliens
· Threatening the Supreme Court after Citizens United, and before the Obamacare decision
· Altering Obamacare’s statutory deadline unilaterally
· Creating the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and Deferred Action for Parents of Americans (DAPA) programs after admitting it was unconstitutional
· Trying to wipe out the coal industry
Moreover, the Flynn investigation itself undermined the rule of law by targeting a man the government knew was innocent of any crime. Similarly, Obama’s own effort to protect Hillary Clinton, and his administration’s attempt to undermine Trump through false allegations of “Russia collusion,” also violated the rule of law.
Last week it emerged that it was Obama himself who told then-Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates about Flynn’s lawful conversation with the Russian ambassador, which set the investigative wheels in motion.
Obama’s phony protest suggests he is feeling desperate as attention turns, finally, to his own role in the affair.
Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News and the host of Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot on Sunday evenings from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET (4 p.m. to 7 p.m. PT). His new book, RED NOVEMBER, is available for pre-order. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.
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