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It has to be serious for the DOJ to want to breach attorney-client privilege: analysis

The court rulings around Donald Trump's document scandal reveal that there was a crime committed, and that's the reason that the court agreed to breach attorney-client privilege. It's a point that Los AngelesTimes legal columnist Harry Litman said shouldn't be ignored.

"We are talking about the subpoena and the false declaration that is a crime in itself, very possibly," said Litman about the information in the classified documents scandal. "And the only reason you could find a crime-fraud exception here is because the actual communications between [Trump lawyer Evan] Corcoran and Trump are themselves evidence of a crime. Stop and think about that. What is the least it could be? This is one Corcoran is preparing to, well, actually tell Christina Bobb, 'sign this, it will be okay. We've done a diligent search and we have turned over everything.' That was a lie. That is a serious lie. And in sort of prosecutorial terms, a very clean one."

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'This may be the final blow': Political analysts sound the alarm that the Trump lawyer testimony will be damaging

In response to the reports that the appeals court ruled against Donald Trump in an effort to stop one of his lawyers from testifying in the documents scandal, political and legal analysts are sounding the alarm.

The news prompted former FBI general counsel Andrew Weissmann to note that the conversations with Trump and lawyer Evan Corcoran only protect private communications seeking legal advice, "NOT the facts client provided lawyer intended to be communicated to the government."

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Special counsel might think there are still more classified documents out there: expert

An appeals court shot down the idea of Donald Trump's lawyer not testifying about the documents scandal. It means that Trump's lawyer, Evan Corcoran, must testify about the documents.

Lawfare editor Scott R. Anderson said that folks are not "grasping how strange it is for the D.C. Circuit to have moved at lightning speed on this. Or what I think it might mean that DOJ thinks there is still classified information in the wild and Corcoran can lead them to it."

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Lawyer 'goes off like a flame thrower' on new Georgia law to remove prosecutors Republicans don't like

At the end of her Monday night show, Rachel Maddow welcomed Georgia lawyer Michael Moore to address the way in which Republicans in his state have been willing to change the laws just to protect Donald Trump from being indicted.

Fulton County has been at work for a year over those that attempted to overthrow the 2020 election in the state. While the grand jury operated for quite a while, only recently did Republicans figure out a way to act. The law hasn't been signed by Gov. Brian Kemp (R-GA) yet, but the GOP legislators are already demanding that the Fulton County D.A. be fired.

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Harvard legal expert slams Trump's 'desperate' Georgia motion

Donald Trump's lawyers attempted to undo the full report of the special grand jury in Fulton County as part of a court motion this week. But according to Harvard constitutional law professor Laurence Tribe, the motion was essentially nothing.

The motion asks that the judge "preclude any state prosecutor agency from presenting or utilizing any evidence or testimony derived by the Special Purpose Grand Jury." MSNBC host Lawrence O'Donnell noted that it goes against a Georgia state law.

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Maddow: Other arrested politicians never tried to break the rule of law the way Trump is threatening

Donald Trump spent the weekend sounding the alarm on the "witch hunt" that is after him for the hush money payments he gave to adult film star Stormy Daniels. At one point on Saturday, Trump ranted that he was to be arrested on Tuesday and that he desperately needed his supporters to show up and protest.

As of Monday afternoon, there were about five reporters per protester standing outside Trump Tower. Meanwhile, Trump's most loyal allies, like Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) were begging MAGA supporters not to enact any kind of violence.

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Mueller prosecutor asks why John Durham spent $200K on travel in six months

Donald Trump's attorney general, Bill Barr, appointed special counsel John Durham to "investigate the investigators." It was all part of Trump's demand to probe Robert Mueller's investigation into the Russia scandal that resulted in the indictment of 34 people.

Durham never found any wrongdoing in Mueller's investigation, and even his indictments were dismissed. One former FBI agent pleaded guilty to giving a false statement. He never went to prison.

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Trump ally Robert Costello reveals what he told the Manhattan grand jury

Donald Trump ally Robert Costello spoke to the grand jury on Monday as a defense witness for the former president to discredit lawyer Michael Cohen, who has been giving information to the district attorney.

Costello said that he began by handing D.A. Alvin Bragg five bundles of papers that he said should be given to the grand jury.

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Trump 'knows what’s coming': Michael Cohen

Former Watergate prosecutor Nick Akerman and Donald Trump's former lawyer Michael Cohen met on Monday on MSNBC to discuss recent comments from Trump ally Robert Costello.

Host Ari Melber played a clip of Trump's lawyer Joe Tacopina, who spoke last week to MSNBC.

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Watergate prosecutor reveals how Robert Costello just opened Trump up to even more charges

Former Watergate prosecutor Nick Akerman joined Michel Cohen on MSNBC Monday following a press conference by Donald Trump ally Bob Costello who appeared before a Manhattan grand jury.

As a possible indictment hangs over Trump, the district attorney's office asked the former president if he wanted to speak out in his defense to the grand jury. He declined but he sent Costello instead. Costello then said that he provided stacks of "evidence" about Cohen that show he was desperate and willing to do anything to get out of potential prison.

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Michael Cohen says Trump ally Robert Costello's 'making up stories' to grand jury: 'A typical Trump play'

Donald Trump's former lawyer Michael Cohen appeared on MSNBC on Monday evening after Trump ally Robert Costello spoke out about what he told the grand jury.

MSNBC's Ari Melber went line-by-line with what Costello said outside the New York court, and Cohen explained why what Costello claimed was absurd.

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Congressman slams Speaker McCarthy for weak call for peace ahead of Trump indictment

Rep. Jim Himes (D-CT) was unimpressed with Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) asking for Republicans to stay peaceful as a possible indictment of Donald Trump looms.

While at the GOP retreat in Orlando, Florida, on Monday, McCarthy held a press conference where he urged the MAGA Republicans not to be violent.

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It doesn't matter what Trump says — an indictment is really bad for him: columnist

Politico magazine reported on Monday that folks are overthinking things when they say indictments will help Donald Trump more than hurt him. While Trump will likely raise a lot of money off of playing the victim of a conspiracy, he's still being indicted personally, and he'll be the first president in history to have been indicted and booked.

"For all his unusual strengths, Trump is defined these days more by his weaknesses — personal and political deficiencies that have grown with time and now figure to undermine any attempt to exploit the criminal case against him," the column argued. "His base of support is too small, his political imagination too depleted and his instinct for self-absorption too overwhelming for him to marshal a broad, lasting backlash. His determination to look inward and backward has been a problem for his campaign, even without the indictment. It will be a bigger one if and when he’s indicted."

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