'Literally nuts' Sidney Powell slammed for thinking she could get away with making up Trump election conspiracies
In his column for the Daily Beast, conservative Matt Lewis stated that attorney Sidney Powell is deserving of all the legal difficulties she is being swamped with -- including being sued for $1.3 billion by Dominion Voting Systems for defamation -- in the service of former president Donald Trump.
As Lewis notes, Powell's latest legal defense responding to the lawsuit that she wasn't to be taken seriously is 'literally nuts."
Pointing out that words matter, the conservative pointed out that Powell isn't going to be allowed off the hook for her comments as Dominion comes after her, Rudy Giuliani and Fox News for defaming the company and damaging them economically.
Writing, "Many average Americans (reasonable or not) seriously believed the kinds of lies Powell was intent on spreading," Lewis added, "It is true that Powell was merely one of the voices pushing bogus claims and conspiracy theories, but her voice was one of the most prominent. A quick refresher is in order. Prior to taking on this cause, Powell represented former Trump National Security Adviser Michael Flynn. Prominent conservatives like past FEC chairman Trey Trainor personally vouched for her honesty. She was also considered to be part of an "elite strike force" of Trump lawyers (as Trump tweeted, a 'truly great team'). Newsmax also identified her as such."
With all of that on her resume, the columnist asserted, Powell can hardly expect that she will get a pass for her claims that received national attention.
"This is all to say that, although you and I might have always seen Powell as a crank, she had (on paper) solid professional and mainstream conservative credentials—not to mention the imprimatur of the Republican National Committee, America's Mayor, and the President of the United States of America," He wrote. "The reality is, you can't have it both ways. You can't claim to be a serious person engaging in the serious world of politics and ideas, spread toxic poison with a megaphone that reaches millions, and then cry 'just kidding' when your attempts to actually overthrow an election fail."
"Ideas have consequences, and the ideas we are dealing with now are deadly serious—including the notion that the election was stolen in a coup and that American democracy is in jeopardy," he continued before adding, "It will likely take a lawsuit from a private company to discourage future demagogues and their accomplices from pursuing perverse incentives. Lawsuits may be the only effective mechanism left to hold irresponsible and dangerous actors accountable for their actions. I guess it's better than nothing."
You can read more here.