quote:

Originally posted by PASig:
If someone leaked Grandpa Joe or the Krimson Kenyan's tax records, they would also get a sweetheart deal/slap on the wrist...right? Right?

Former IRS contractor Charles Edward Littlejohn, who stole and helped publicize the confidential tax records of Donald Trump and an estimated 7,500 other wealthy Americans, could face little or no jail time when he's sentenced later this month, because the DOJ allowed him to plead guilty to a single felony count.

Ex-IRS contractor who leaked Trump's tax records sentenced to 5 years in prison

Littlejohn, 38, will have 3 years of supervised release after serving his sentence.

https://justthenews.com/nation..._campaign=newsletter

Former Internal Revenue Service contractor Charles Littlejohn was sentenced Monday to 5 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to leaking former President Donald Trump's tax records, as well as those of some of the nation's wealthiest people.

After serving his sentence, Littlejohn, 38, will have 3 years of supervised release. He will also have to pay a $5,000 fine, according to CBS News.

More at link

more details on Littlejohn

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news...entenced/ar-BB1hr8bl

The Internal Revenue Service contractor who pleaded guilty to leaking the federal tax records of former President Donald Trump and some of the nation's wealthiest individuals was sentenced Monday to 5 years in prison, 3 years supervised release and a $5,000 fine. The sentence brings to an end to a criminal case that exposed the source of a number of high-profile tax information leaks in recent years.

Charles Littlejohn, 38, pleaded guilty to one count of unauthorized disclosure of tax returns and return information in October and faced a maximum sentence of 5 years in prison. Investigators said he used his position as a contractor with the nation's tax collector to illegally obtain and then disperse the financial records of the former president, which resulted in "numerous articles" based on the information.

Before sentencing Littlejohn on Monday, federal District Judge Ana Reyes called his conduct "an attack on our constitutional democracy."

"He targeted the sitting president of the United States of America, and that is exceptional by any measure," Judge Reyes said. "It cannot be open season on our elected officials."

Littlejohn made a brief statement before the court, acknowledging that "I alone am responsible for this crime." He said he was driven by a desire for transparency, but was also aware of the potential consequences of his actions.

"I made my decision with full knowledge that I would likely end up in a courtroom to answer for my serious crime," he said. "I used my skills to systematically violate the privacy of thousands of people."

Littlejohn's explanations did not appear to sway the court's sentencing decision. Reyes said courts must be an "unbreakable bulwark" for American democracy in the face of increased threats.
The court's job, the judge said, was to make sure that others never viewed "this type of conduct as acceptable or justifiable or worth the trade-off…We are a nation of laws."

In a filing ahead of Monday's hearing, prosecutors said that over a two-year time period, Littlejohn "abused his position" and "weaponized his access to unmasked taxpayer data to further his own personal, political agenda, believing that he was above the law."

Government attorneys urged the judge to impose the statutory maximum prison sentence against him, saying in court Monday that "he sought to influence an election and reshape the nation's political discourse" in one of the "most serious" crimes in IRS history.

Charging records did not name Trump as the high-ranking government official alleged by investigators to have been victimized by Littlejohn's conduct, but a person familiar with the matter confirmed to CBS News at the time that it was the former president. One of Trump's attorneys attended a plea hearing last year to read an impact statement on the former president's behalf.

Prosecutors wrote in their sentencing memo this month that Littlejohn — who had previously worked at the IRS contracting company — returned to a position working with the IRS "with the hope and expectation" of gaining access to Trump's tax records . They alleged he "exploited a loophole" in the computing system to upload the stolen data to a private website and then stored the information on a personal device before leaking Trump's tax returns to an unnamed news organization six months later.

A person familiar with the investigation confirmed to CBS News that Littlejohn had leaked Trump's tax information to the New York Times, which declined to comment when Littlejohn was charged. The Times reported that in 2016, when Trump won the presidency, he paid just $750 in federal income taxes, and he paid $750 again in 2021, his first year in the presidency.

When the Times published its extensive reporting on Trump's tax returns in September 2020, then-editor Dean Baquet wrote in an editor's note, "Some will raise questions about publishing the president's personal tax information. But the Supreme Court has repeatedly ruled that the First Amendment allows the press to publish newsworthy information that was legally obtained by reporters even when those in power fight to keep it hidden. That powerful principle of the First Amendment applies here."

The Justice Department's court filing revealed that the other tax returns Littlejohn admitted to acquiring dated as far back as 15 years, and they belonged to thousands of the nation's wealthiest Americans . Investigators alleged he mailed a storage device containing the information to another unnamed news organization, identified by CBS News as ProPublica.

At the time that Littlejohn was charged, the publication declined to comment and said it "doesn't know the identity of the source who provided this trove of information on the taxes paid by the wealthiest Americans."

The information contained in the data, according to prosecutors, went beyond tax returns and included sensitive information like stock trades, gambling winnings, and audit determinations. His goal, they wrote, was to "catch the attention of the public with more salacious details than mere tax returns might provide," noting that the alleged harm he caused continues as press reports from the leaked data continue to emerge.

"He executed his disclosure scheme over the course of multiple years, plotting and calculating carefully at each step to minimize the risk of detection and maximize the impact of his disclosures," the Justice Department wrote. "Indeed, he reorganized his entire life around this crime."

Florida Senator Rick Scott sent a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland last week revealing that the Florida Republican had been a victim of Littljohn's admitted scheme. He criticized the plea deal on the single charge and delivered a statement in court, calling Littlejohn's agreement with the Justice Department as the "plea deal of the century."

"Every American is a victim here," Scott said, explaining his family would be affected by the leak for years to come. He argued the plea agreement was representative of a politicized process. Judge Reyes notably interrupted the senator's statement in court after warning that political statements would not be permitted.

The judge appeared frustrated at times with prosecutors as she wrestled with a guideline sentencing range of just 18 months and a crime that she said warranted serious punishment and deterrence. Reyes asked prosecutor Jonathan Jacobson for information on any additional charges Littlejohn may have faced if he had opted not to enter the guilty plea, but the government attorney did not provide further detail.

"The fact that he did what he did and he is facing one felony count, I have no words for," the judge said, with exasperation in her voice.

Prosecutors argued Monday the sentence of 60 months that they sought would be adequate punishment and a deterrent for others who might seek to repeat his actions.

"They need to see, and they understand, your honor, that the consequences will be serious," prosecutors said.

Littlejohn's defense attorney urged Judge Reyes in a recent court filing to reject the maximum sentence of 5 years that the Justice Department sought, writing a months-long period of incarceration fit the crime.

"He committed this offense out of a deep, moral belief that the American people had a right to know the information and sharing it was the only way to effect change," the defense team argued. "He did what he thought was right at the time, but now fully acknowledges that he was wrong."

Replete with supportive comments and testaments to his character from family and friends — including personal details and journal entries focused on his interests in tax burdens — Littlejohn's court filing asked for leniency and noted his past education, work accomplishments as an IRS contractor, and lack of criminal history.

According to court documents that worked to justify his actions as motivated by a desire for financial equality, Littlejohn initially struggled with his decision to release the records he accessed but ultimately opted to do so.

"He understood that the New York Times would take similar precautions to its prior reporting on the subject — securely maintain the data, would not publish the records themselves, and would use the information solely for journalistic purposes," the defense wrote.

"He greatly regrets the theft of these records and having disclosed them to the media," the defense wrote of Trump's tax data.

On Monday, defense attorney Lisa Manning continued to press for a shorter sentence and said prosecutors have asked the court to "throw away the law" in far exceeding the sentencing guidelines. He had accepted responsibility and spoke with investigators about the extent of his crimes, she argued.

Judge Reyes ordered Littlejohn to turn himself in by April 30.

Wow, Ana Reyes! A judge that actually cares about our Constitution and the rule of law!

I know the firing squad is out for this vigilante fascist, but I hope each day and each hour of his time in prison is as miserable as possible.

On a related note, can Trump get her for the appeal of the kangaroo court judge in Manhattan?


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quote:

Originally posted by TigerDore:
... I hope each day and each hour of his time in prison is as miserable as possible.

And that won't be the end of it. He'll never be able to get a job with any access to any sensitive information ever again.

quote:

Originally posted by ensigmatic:
And that won't be the end of it. He'll never be able to get a job with any access to any sensitive information ever again.

I don't know. Since he's a Leftist, I am not as confident as you on this point. I can picture him becoming a woman after he leaves prison(he will probably feel like one anyway), changing his name and getting hired all over again.

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was a bit surprised by the decision of Judge Ana Reyes. Who is she ?


She has only been a judge for one year. Appointed by Biden.

A longtime Williams & Connolly litigator

First Latina and openly LGBTQ person on the federal district court in Washington.

In 2018, Reyes was part of the legal team challenging the Trump administration's restrictions on refugees entering the United States through ports of entry

But she made a good call here.

Last week, when questioned about his VP choice, Donald Trump said "He's a good one."

https://twitter.com/bennyjohns.../1751996180832092351

quote:

Originally posted by TigerDore:

quote:

Originally posted by ensigmatic:
And that won't be the end of it. He'll never be able to get a job with any access to any sensitive information ever again.

I don't know. Since he's a Leftist, I am not as confident as you on this point. I can picture him becoming a woman after he leaves prison(he will probably feel like one anyway), changing his name and getting hired all over again.

Maybe so, but, no matter what he does, these felony convictions will follow him the rest of his life. Even if somebody was so irresponsible as to hire him into a sensitive position, he'll never acquire any kind of security clearance.

^^^ Little fucker will land a job as an expert on something on PMSNBC. No need for security clearance.

https://www.breitbart.com/poli...battleground-states/

Turning Point Action, the political arm of conservative movement leader Charlie Kirk’s Turning Point USA, has identified more than 4.5 million so-called “disengaged” Republican voters in several battleground states around the country, enough to more than swing the 2024 presidential election’s results from 2020.

The group is holding its first-ever Restoring National Confidence event at the Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino on the Las Vegas Strip on Monday and Tuesday, flying in county GOP chairs from 75 of the top 100 battleground counties across the country. The event—contrasting the Republican National Committee (RNC) winter meetings, which will happen from January 30 to February 3 in the same city—is designed, as Breitbart News has reported, to show things the event organizers, which include some of the 168 members of the RNC, should be doing. The counter event’s name—Restoring National Confidence—even trolls the RNC with the same acronym as the national Republican Party committee.

“It’s a turnout game,” Kirk, who leads Turning Point, told Breitbart News. “It’s the exact opposite of what people would have believed. I’m very, very focused and have been for quite some time and will continue to be on these numbers. I believe it’s all going to come down to three states. Trump is going to win Iowa. He’ll win Ohio. He’ll win North Carolina by a little bit—it’s not going to be a blowout. He’ll win Florida by a million votes, so I don’t think Trump should even actively campaign in Iowa, Ohio, and Florida. It’s got to be all in on Arizona, Georgia, and Wisconsin. Georgia, I’m feeling better and better about. Republicans are really coming home. They’re outpacing Democrats 1.5 to one in voter registration. Arizona, I think we’re beginning to get our act together. We’re headquartered there. We have a great new state party chair who really knows what she’s doing. Wisconsin, I’m worried about. The problem is, when I talk to some of these people, they say, ‘Oh my goodness, maybe Pennsylvania.’ I’m not that bullish on Pennsylvania. It’s a big state. If Pennsylvania falls, that means Wisconsin also falls. Look, it’s a turnout election. I really believe that, and it comes down to: Can we really turn out another 50,000 to 60,000 more Republican voters?”

The numbers, which Turning Point Action provided to Breitbart News exclusively, are stunning. Across ten battleground states, the group identified 4,571,210 disengaged GOP voters who did not vote in 2016 or 2020. The ten states counted are Florida, Iowa, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Georgia, Ohio, Michigan, Arizona, North Carolina, and Nevada. While Trump won Florida, Iowa, Ohio, and North Carolina in 2020, Democrat President Joe Biden took the other six states—and in each one, the disengaged GOP voters total was more than the margin of Biden’s victory over Trump.

For instance, in Pennsylvania, the margin between Trump and Biden was 80,555. The number of disengaged GOP voters was, per Turning Point Action’s analysis, 589,350—more than seven times the margin. In Michigan, the margin was 154,188 votes by which Biden beat Trump. Turning Point Action found 490,630 disengaged GOP voters there, more than three times the margin.

It was even more profound in places like Wisconsin, Arizona, and Georgia. In Georgia, the margin was 11,779—and the number of disengaged GOP voters was, per Turning Point Action, 539,480—more than 45 times the margin. In Arizona, the margin between Trump and Biden was 10,457—and Turning Point Action identified 286,440 disengaged GOP voters there, more than 27 times the margin. In Wisconsin, 20,682 votes separated Trump and Biden—and Turning Point identified 542,720 disengaged GOP voters there. That is more than 26 times the margin.

In Nevada, where this conference is taking place, the margin between Biden and Trump in 2020 was 33,596 votes—and Turning Point Action has identified 140,540 disengaged GOP voters in the Silver State, more than four times the margin.

Trump told the judge and jury that this woman is a loony toon and they ignored him out of their hatred.

She done messed up.

https://pjmedia.com/matt-margo...arroll-case-n4925953

Last week, a jury awarded E. Jean Carroll a ridiculous $83.3 million in damages for alleged defamation by Donald Trump after she made dubious allegations that he sexually assaulted her in the 1990s.

Trump’s antics in the courtroom have been widely reported, but so have the judge’s rather bizarre orders that essentially hamstrung Trump and his defense, forbidding him to present exculpatory evidence or defend himself.

There may be a reason why Trump wasn’t given the opportunity to adequately defend himself. It appears that Judge Lewis A. Kaplan, who presided over the case, may have a major conflict of interest.

The New York Post has learned that Kaplan was once a “mentor” to Carroll’s lawyer, Roberta Kaplan. The two aren’t related, but they worked together in the early 1990s at the law firm Paul, Weiss, Rifkin, Wharton & Garrison in Midtown.

In a letter filed on Monday, Trump’s lawyer, Alina Habba, demanded answers:

"If Your Honor truly worked with Ms. Kaplan in any capacity—especially if there was a mentor/mentee relationship—that fact should have been disclosed before any case involving these parties was permitted to proceed forward. This issue is particularly concerning since Plaintiff’s other lead counsel, Shawn Crowley, served as Your Honor’s law clerk, and we were previously advised that Your Honor co-officiated her wedding. 28 U.S.C. Section 455(a) states that “[a]ny… judge … of the United States shall disqualify himself in any proceeding in which his impartiality might reasonably be questioned.”

It appears the judge in this case, Lewis A. Kaplan, worked with Carroll’s lawyer, Roberta Kaplan, and officiated at her wedding. Carroll’s other lawyer was also a law clerk for Judge Lewis A. Kaplan. That Lewis Kaplan didn’t reveal these conflicts of interest is enough for him to face major consequences, but clearly, he should have recused himself from the case.

Habba is calling on the judge to confirm or deny the associations.

“We believe, and will argue on appeal, that the Court was overtly hostile towards defense counsel and President Trump, and displayed preferential treatment towards Plaintiff’s counsel,” Habba said. “Indeed, the rulings, tone, and demeanor of the bench raised significant concerns even before the New York Post’s investigative journalism unearthed these new facts."

In addition to aiding Trump's appeal, this news most certainly will reinforce his claims that the legal system has been weaponized against him, and it will motivate his supporters even more.

Another example of why this country needs Star Chambers. If we want Justice, we’re not going to get it with the system that is currently in place.

quote:

First Latina and openly LGBTQ person on the federal district court in Washington.

Checks the right boxes.

Fani Willis and Nathan Wade dodge giving testimony


https://townhall.com/tipsheet/...les-divorce-n2634397


Special prosecutor Nathan Wade conveniently reached a settlement in his divorce case Tuesday, sparing him in the eleventh hour from testifying about his alleged affair with Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, who had hired the underqualified private-practice attorney—despite his little prosecutorial experience—to prosecute former President Donald Trump.

Wade temporarily settled matters with his estranged wife, Jocelyn, on the eve of his much-anticipated testimony, according to a temporary order granted by Cobb County Superior Court Judge Henry Thompson. Wednesday's hearing, where Wade was set to answer questions under oath regarding reports of his "clandestine" relations with Willis, was thereby automatically canceled.

His last-minute salvation arrived shortly before 5 p.m. in the hours leading up to Wade's questioning Wednesday morning.

"The parties [...] agree that the necessity for hearing set for January 31st, 2024, is hereby resolved by this Consent Temporary Order and, as such, there is no need for said hearing," the two-page court document decrees, noting that Wade and Jocelyn have formally agreed to the resolution's terms. However, the conditions will be kept private and may not ever be made public.

"All of the issues we pled for temporary support and attorneys fees have been resolved by this agreement," one of Jocelyn's attorneys, Andrea Hastings, told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution in a statement. "The case is not resolved on a final basis. We still have a lot of work to do to be able to resolve this case through either a final settlement or a trial," Jocelyn's counsel added.

quote:

Originally posted by sdy:
Fani Willis and Nathan Wade dodge giving testimony

So Nathan, the philanderer who fondled fascist, phony Fani's fanny for fallacious favored fees, has finessed a fortunate foregoing of justice.

.

Funny, but not funny.

DA Fani Willis, alleged lover Nathan Wade hit with subpoenas to testify in Trump election case

https://nypost.com/2024/01/31/...trump-election-case/

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis and her alleged lover and lead prosecutor on the Trump election fraud case in Georgia have been hit with subpoenas to testify at a court hearing later this month, according to a report.

The lawyers for Donald Trump co-defendant Michael Roman are seeking to have criminal charges against their client thrown out over the alleged “clandestine” affair between Willis and special prosecutor Nathan Wade — a claim which will be fleshed out at a Feb. 15 hearing where Willis and Wade have been subpoenaed to testify, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.

Roman’s lawyer Ashleigh Merchant filed suit Tuesday against the DA’s office, claiming it has been stonewalling on turning over information the lawyer sought via the Open Records act in order to be ready for the hearing in two weeks.

“It is disappointing to have to file lawsuits to obtain access to records that the public is entitled to,” Merchant told the AJC Wednesday. “We believe that transparency is vital to an open and responsible government and we hope that this can be resolved quickly so that we can get the public documents we are entitled to receive.”

The DA’s office on Friday told Merchant her suit was “disingenuous” as it had already complied with her request for the information.

It clarified that some of the records Merchant was seeking are still being compiled for her, some the office doesn’t have, and others have already been turned over to her.

Merchant disclosed in the suit that she was seeking Willis’ and Wade’s testimony — though it’s unclear if the duo will try to get out of testifying publicly.

Separately on Tuesday, nonprofit watchdog group the Judicial Watch filed suit for all records related to Wade’s hiring, with the group’s president claiming Willis may have “something to hide,” Law & Crime reported.

That suit claims the group was given the runaround in its public records request from Jan. 11 for all information related to Wade’s appointment spanning from Jan. 1, 2021, to Jan. 11, 2024.

“Fani Willis’ politicized and unprecedented prosecution of former President Trump has been further compromised by credible allegations of personal corruption tied to the hiring of Nathan Wade as special prosecutor!” Judicial Watch president Tom Fitton said on X Tuesday. “That Judicial Watch had to file a lawsuit to try to get records about this scandal further suggests that there is something to hide.”

The group received an email on Jan. 18 notifying it to check its account as a letter was posted there responding to the records request, when in fact no letter was there, the filing claims.

That same day, the group emailed the Fulton County Records Center and later called and left a voicemail with the agency, but to date, no one has responded, the suit claims.

This all while, “Plaintiff has a clear legal right to the records requested and Defendant has a duty to provide them,” alleges the suit against at Fulton County, first reported by Law & Crime.

More at link

Sorry guys, Been sick again, dealing with family issues.

Joey D
1/22/24



Joey D
1/29/24