impending arrest
Trump’s bloodhound bares his teeth
By Roland Peters
03/23/2023 9:57 p.m
The wiry MP Jim Jordan, chairman of a dubious committee, wants to prove in his own way that an arrest of ex-President Trump would be politically motivated. For years, Jordan has acted as Trump’s political bloodhound.
The case of hush money payment to model Stormy Daniels. The top-secret documents illegally stored at his residence in Mar-a-Lago. Investigations in the state of Georgia into its attempts to rig the result of the lost 2020 presidential election. Various courts could soon indict Donald Trump. It would be the first time in US history that this has happened against a former leader.
An indictment and temporary arrest of former President Donald Trump would have far-reaching consequences. Not just for him, but possibly for Republican factionalism and the party’s prospects for the White House in next year’s election. So far, Trump is next to Ron DeSantis the most promising candidate for the Conservative candidacy. That can change.
Has problems with investigations against him: Ex-US President Donald Trump.
(Photo: via REUTERS)
As soon as it goes against Trump, one Republican becomes particularly snappy: Jim Jordan. The Republican from Ohio chairs the House Judiciary Committee and a committee on the “weaponization of government,” the Democratic government that allegedly uses its power as a weapon against opposition Republicans. Jordan called prosecutor Alvin Bragg’s investigation a “politically motivated decision” and an “unprecedented abuse of the position of prosecutor.” The White House, however, calls the whole committee a “political stunt” that abuses Congress. But no matter how loud he gets, his attacks can only build up indirect pressure on the investigators and are therefore relatively toothless.
Jordan is a conservative hardliner and has been Trump’s political bloodhound for years. In the two impeachment proceedings, he defended the then president particularly loudly and vehemently, clearly considering media effectiveness. He is against abortions, pro-guns, does not want to recognize the 2020 election result and voted against Biden’s aid package in the Covid pandemic, among other things. Now he has taken up the fight against Bragg and his investigations. Trump announced last week that he expects to be arrested in the Stormy Daniels case. That sounds more dramatic than it is; Hardly anyone expects Trump to be handcuffed or even put behind bars.
Key witness Cohen
Jordan asked Bragg’s former associates, Carey Dunne and Mark Pomerantz, to testify by March 27. He also requested that all documents and communications relating to the investigation into Trump be handed over to the Judiciary Committee. Dunne and Pomerantz had quit working with the prosecutor last year because he didn’t want to accuse Trump personally. Pomerantz made this public in a letter to the New York Times. Jordan’s now proclaimed thesis: You would have pilloried Bragg and shamed him so much that he will definitely sue Trump, regardless of the facts.
bittersweet wrote In his letter from a year ago that Trump was “guilty of numerous criminal violations of criminal law,” he did not refer explicitly to the Stormy Daniels case, but to his tax returns in general. Since then, the Trump Organization has been convicted of tax fraud at Bragg’s instigation. Daniels is said to have received $130,000 in hush money for an affair from Trump through his former attorney Michael Cohen, who hid it ahead of the 2016 presidential election and may have violated campaign finance laws. Cohen has renounced Trump and is the key witness in the case.
Jordan and other Republicans also demanded that Bragg turn over all documents and communications. After all, the facts have not changed, so why an indictment after all? The prosecutor names the demands for an “unprecedented illegal move”; after all, the investigation was still ongoing and not the responsibility of Congress. Trump’s announcement of an impending arrest would have fueled “false expectations”. So far no decision has been made. The next time this could happen on Monday.
Other case much more dangerous
The countermeasures taken by Trump and his allies have so far not borne fruit. The ex-president continues to deny he even had an affair with Stormy Daniels. At the Georgia court tried him with a 483-page document outlawing the investigation against him; A decision is pending. Another court this week lifted attorney-client privilege to get records of secret documents in Trump’s possession.
For days, the US media has been discussing the possible effects of indictment against Trump. First of all, nothing, he can still run for the Republican nomination, theoretically also a candidate and be sworn in as President. On the other hand, if he is found guilty of illegally destroying records in the secret documents case, he could lose his right to hold public office. Trump’s political career would be over.
For Jordan, the real reason for Bragg’s alleged change of heart is that Trump wants to be president again. If he emerges unharmed from all investigations against him, he still has to win a primary and an election. Just activating your own followers will not be enough. Trump’s loyal base has shrunk. It wasn’t enough for Republicans to defend the 2018 congressional majority. It didn’t deliver a win against Joe Biden in 2020. Just a few months ago, the party was disappointed in the 2022 midterm elections. Even Jim Jordan couldn’t prevent it.