David Edwards has spent over a decade reporting on social justice, human rights and politics for Raw Story. He also writes Crooks and Liars. He has a background in enterprise resource planning and previously managed the network infrastructure for the North Carolina Department of Correction.
Embattled Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) on Wednesday charged that CNN is "fake news" because the media company has begun interviewing his former staffers.
After allegations came to light that Jordan was aware of sexual molestation while coaching wrestlers at OSU, CNN sought to interview over 100 "former staffers and interns," Jordan said.
Conducting interviews is considered to be a normal part of the news gathering process.
But the former OSU assistant coach expressed his outrage in a tweet on Wednesday.
"Now @CNN is contacting all 100+ of our former staff and interns asking for dirt on me," he complained. "Getting desperate! How can you ever trust such #fakenews?"
Now @CNN is contacting all 100+ of our former staff and interns asking for dirt on me. Getting desperate! How can y… https://t.co/YgKU5NF5m6
The recorded evidence is music to Jack Smith's ears.
Pro-Trump attorney Kenneth Chesebro was recorded discussing how miffed he is over being left holding the consequential bag and touched on the hasty efforts to allegedly secure fake electors' with paperwork in key battleground states in the wake of the incumbent president's 2020 election loss, according to CNN.
The material is something that former federal prosecutor Elliot Williams believes could add fuel to Smith's body of evidence against the 45th president in his criminal election subversion case.
"It's one thing for a jury to read a transcript or even hear someone talk about things they hurt somebody else day, it is another thing to hear voices to have sort of an evocative effect, that is more valuable and powerful," he said during an appearance on the network.
The Trump team is described by Chesebro as trying to deliver critical "phony certificates" to these supposed propped-up electors in multiple states and D.C.
Williams said that the furious attempts to move these ballots across state lines "could be introduced as evidence showing the state mind of not just of the former president, or people around him who knew what they were doing and attempting to take all efforts to get these fake or alternate, their argument is, ballots to Washington, D.C.., it can speak to intent."
Chesebro, who pleaded guilty in October to felony conspiracy in Fulton County Georgia tied to the alternate electors' scheme, has been questioned by prosecutors investigating potential post-election crimes committed in other states including Michigan, Nevada, and Wisconsin.
"I don’t have a really warm feeling toward, at least, the top Trump lawyers that did this, hid from me what they were doing and then lied to Congress about me. So, it’s been really difficult,” he said in the recordings.
Chesebro resents being the scapegoat when he claims many others shunned him.
"I have the three top campaign lawyers in interviews with Congress claim they pulled out of this on Dec. 11 and I ran off and did it with Giuliani when in fact they were day-to-day coordinating the efforts of more than a dozen people with the GOP and with the Trump campaign."
"For them to basically say they had nothing to do with it and it's because of me and Giuliani that's what really rankles."
Speaking to former Homeland Security adviser to Mike Pence, Olivia Troye, Gill explained that if the Supreme Court doesn't weigh in on the case in time, the Colorado Supreme Court said that Donald Trump must appear on the ballot anyway, despite its ruling.
However, the Colorado GOP said that they would withdraw from all primary elections entirely and go to a primary caucus if Trump is banned from the ballot.
The case is being watched closely as Maine is trying to decide whether Trump qualifies for its ballot as well, as Lawfare's Roger Parloff explained this week in a social media thread. The secretary of state there could use the ruling of the Colorado state Supreme Court to justify not putting Trump on its ballot. There's currently no litigation in the state, but if the top election official there decides to remove Trump from the ballot, there likely will be.
Gill told Raw Story via direct message that there are 16 states to watch on the matter.
During the podcast, she explained that there are some debates over whether the 14th Amendment is about someone running for office or taking office. Another legal debate includes questioning whether the presidency is considered to officially be a constitutional office.
Troye cited more moderate Republicans who are using the excuse that the litigation is taking away the will of the voters. They want to ignore the 14th Amendment entirely and hand it over to the voters.
"I look at the Supreme Court and I don't know what they'll do," she confessed. "What I am concerned about is that it seems like bad things somehow help the Trump campaign. He did something bad, these are things that potentially keep him off the ballot. And some are like, this is a step in the right direction, hopefully. Anything to keep him out of the Oval Office. I'm always in favor of that because I don't think he should be anywhere near the Oval Office."
Troye explained that on the flip side, it "galvanizes" the Trump campaign.
"And I just hate the fact that they're — I mean I'm already seeing the talking points. I'm really curious to see how much they've fundraised off of that. They've sent out an email on it already. I just wonder how this plays out in the general public," she continued. "Not that we should fear that in the judicial process, because justice should be justice. And there is something here to be said about let's look at the Constitution and really make a ruling on this."
GOP Rep. Lauren Boebert's decision to ditch her home district won't solve a problem likely to haunt the Colorado Republican like Beetlejuice, according to a new political analysis.
The Independent's John Bowden argued on Thursday that the firebrand's flight to Colorado's District 4 — and away from two well-funded competitors in District 3 — does not mean Boebert will face an easy campaign in 2024.
"She’s the only incumbent House member running (so far?), giving her an advantage in name recognition and an established base of support in the state," Bowden writes. "Those advantages are not ironclad by any means."
Boebert may be the only incumbent House member running so far, but the name recognition she brings comes with its own burdens, Bowden argues.
"The congresswoman’s undignified exit from a live-action performance of Beetlejuice earlier this year earned her viral ridicule on an entirely new level," writes Bowden, "including a round of mockery from America’s late-night hosts."
Boebert is opting to run for the seat currently occupied by Republican colleague, Ken Buck, who has announced he will retire. In an online video statement, Boebert said she did not arrive at the decision easily.
“A lot of prayer, a lot of tough conversations and a lot of perspective convinced me that this is the best way I can continue to fight for Colorado, for the conservative movement and for my children’s future,” she said.
