This is Eve. I know this may be unpopular with some, but I feel compelled to point out a few things that are symptomatic of how partisan news coverage has become, especially when it comes to Trump.
First, Trump has a right to due process. Procedural battles, including trying to get seemingly unreasonable arguments heard, are a part of litigation. If you want a graduate course in motion filing, check out the numerous posts about the Kentucky Retirement System lawsuit. The lawsuit was filed in late 2017, Not yet discovered (The defendants are seeking an interlocutory appeal, even though a judge in that court recently cleared what appeared to be the last major hurdle.) Even in the minor litigation to which I am unfortunately a party, the allegations resulting in delays are so pervasive that they are difficult to characterize as unusual or irregular, whether the delays are an intended result or an undesirable by-product.
Second, the source of this confusion is that the appeals court set a hearing date in October regarding the conflict between Trump’s lawsuit and Fani Willis’ continuing role as Fulton County prosecutor in Trump’s case. If the appeals court appeared to be deliberately giving Trump a late time frame relative to the current case record, that would be a legitimate basis for considerable criticism. But there is no indication in the following description that the court set the hearing later than would be expected in the normal course of events.
So why the fuss? Because this outcome undermines the political timing of getting this case tried early. It’s likely driven by two political motives that were present in the New York criminal case Trump just lost: keeping Trump on the court and unable to campaign, and hopefully securing a victory that would weaken his chances of reelection.
Who hasn’t heard the proverb, “The wheels of justice turn slowly, but with great precision?” Did you miss the “slowly” part?
Third, I am not keen on defending Willis. She failed to make required disclosures about gifts from her boyfriend. At CalPERS in California alone, that failure to disclose is believed to have contributed to the recent resignation of Chief Investment Officer Nicole Musico and the scandal surrounding Board member Theresa Taylor (who unfortunately condoned it, despite a record that makes it unlikely that her oversight was accidental). Even if the failure to disclose was not the basis for Trump’s actions,1that is serious misconduct.
And when it comes to allegations of inappropriate conduct, since when has the White House become involved in state prosecutions? From Fox News:
…The filing by Trump’s co-defendants includes attached invoices addressed to the Law Offices of Nathan J. Wade (Willis’ former co-counsel). One invoice lists the “Fulton County District Attorney’s Office.”
Wade sent an invoice to the county for an event titled “Travel to Athens, Meeting with White House Counsel” on May 23, 2022. Wade billed $2,000 for eight hours at $250 per hour.
A few months later, Wade billed for a “DC/White House Interview” on Nov. 18, 2022. According to the documents, Wade again billed $2,000 for eight hours at $250 per hour.
There is no explanation for this: either Wade defrauded Fulton County by billing for a meeting that never took place, or White House counsel had meaningful assistance in the case.
It is very sad to see how coverage of Trump’s case has been hyper-partisan and that attempts to counter it have all too often been demonised on tribal grounds.
By Brett Wilkins. A common dream