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You are here: Home / Economics / C.R.E.A.M. / Late Night We-Can-Only-Hope Open Thread: “It’s Not the Crime Bribe, It’s the Coverup… “

Late Night We-Can-Only-Hope Open Thread: “It’s Not the Crime Bribe, It’s the Coverup… “

by Anne Laurie|  September 6, 20162:00 am| 39 Comments

This post is in: C.R.E.A.M., Election 2016, Hail to the Hairpiece, Open Threads, Republican Venality, Ever Get The Feeling You've Been Cheated?

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Trump, dismissing allegations of impropriety, says donation to Fla. AG came with no strings https://t.co/vSco5Sk4YH

— Jose A. DelReal (@jdelreal) September 5, 2016

Prolly shouldn't have bragged so much about buying off politicians in all those primary debates tbh https://t.co/rEuuagkYYF

— Bob Schooley (@Rschooley) September 6, 2016

Maybe there’s some chance that the tales of real improprieties may start to filter through to the “serious” (cable TV/NYTimes) media, now that mean lady Hillary Clinton has finally let them ride in her plane?

CNBC/NYTimes reporter –

if there's "pay-for-play" fact pattern re:Clinton Foundation as clear/direct as @AP & @Fahrenthold report re:Trump/Bondi, I haven't seen it

— John Harwood (@JohnJHarwood) September 5, 2016


>>>> Trump now claims he "never spoke" to Bondi. But published reports say Bondi PERSONALLY asked for the cash! https://t.co/LFHuriKy19

— Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) September 5, 2016

That search looks for Pam Bondi NYT stories w/in last 7 days.But doesn't appear NYT EVER covered Trump/Bondi issue https://t.co/PT5o3e31cy

— Rick Hasen (@rickhasen) September 4, 2016

This is like the conversation just before Columbo pauses at the door with, "One more thing, Sir." pic.twitter.com/oKwQw5vsNm

— Bob Schooley (@Rschooley) September 5, 2016

Ivanka donated to Bondi's reelect a week before the Trump Foundation donated $25k to her PAC. Donald 2mo earlier. pic.twitter.com/1Yyqc21K6Z

— southpaw (@nycsouthpaw) September 5, 2016

Fun Trivia: Within days of asking Trump for cash, Bondi delayed an execution cuz it conflicted w campaign fundraiser https://t.co/PRXd0tzaIV

— Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) September 5, 2016

Does the NYT start covering Trump/AG stories, or do they hold out to show they can’t be pressured?

— Dana Houle (@DanaHoule) September 5, 2016

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Previous Post: « Overnight Open Thread: Pandas! Not Just Endangered Anymore
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Reader Interactions

39Comments

  1. 1.

    craigie

    September 6, 2016 at 2:03 am

    Is giving money to the DCCC the best way to make sure my cash goes where it can do the most good this cycle?

  2. 2.

    Redshift

    September 6, 2016 at 2:11 am

    Apparently Christie’s defense on a Sunday show was “it’s outrageous to make such accusations.”

    Uh-huh.

  3. 3.

    Steeplejack

    September 6, 2016 at 2:15 am

    @Redshift:

    That’s crazy talk! Next they’ll be saying that a sitting governor would screw with commuter traffic just to spite a political rival. As if!

  4. 4.

    ?BillinGlendaleCA

    September 6, 2016 at 2:37 am

    @Steeplejack: Unpossible.

  5. 5.

    craigie

    September 6, 2016 at 2:42 am

    I think I really would like to see Trump shoot someone, just to see what the coverage would be like.

  6. 6.

    Keith G

    September 6, 2016 at 2:47 am

    Speaking of Twitter: If you haven’t looked into the (not actually a) tĂȘte-Ă -tĂȘte between Martin Shkreli and Patton Oswalt, you are missing out on something way more fun than a Labor Day mattress sale.

  7. 7.

    Tissue Thin Pseudonym

    September 6, 2016 at 3:00 am

    @craigie: If he did it in Florida, Bondi would hit him up for a really big donation.

  8. 8.

    rikyrah

    September 6, 2016 at 3:03 am

    My favorite tweet is the lie quoting Ferret Head that he didn’t even KNOW Biondi, right above a picture of him and Biondi. Priceless.

  9. 9.

    piratedan

    September 6, 2016 at 3:08 am

    yeah… just because she reached out to him, soliciting a donation and just because his business was in preliminary investigation by her office and its only coincidental that four days after the check cleared that the investigation was dropped. All a happy coincidence.

    Whereas, we don’t have proof that there was any pay for play over on the Dem side which just makes it readily apparent to anyone with two brain cells that there could have been something going on… after all, there id no trail, which means that they’re incredibly competent at covering their tracks which makes us wonder what they have to hide…..

  10. 10.

    Cat48

    September 6, 2016 at 3:11 am

    Don’t forget, he also bribed/donated $35,000 to Gov Abbott after he killed the investigation on Trump U & Trump had to stop running his school in TX.

    That’s two cases they can research or not. :(

  11. 11.

    craigie

    September 6, 2016 at 3:11 am

    @piratedan: If only that were sarcasm.

  12. 12.

    jl

    September 6, 2016 at 3:13 am

    Man, I started reading Josh Marshall’s tweeter feed because his sheer journalistic integrity rage was refreshing and kept me from blood pressure spikes. I felt like someone was on the case. And he linked to good reporters doing good work so I could get to the stories (you know, for ‘balance’).

    Sometimes Marshall goes on these jags where he dares to call out our failed corporate media experiment for doing a crummy job. Glad that someone with an influential high profile platform can do that. He hits them in the face,like that wingers do (to NY times, Ithink it was ‘You blew it, chumps!’) But unlike the wingers he backs up with good reporting and facts.

    i doubt it will change things permanently. I mean look at that crook HRC, rich people ALL OVER THE WORLD contributed to the Clinton Foundaton, and the State Dept. did stuff for countries ALL OVER THE WORLD. Case closed. But the Trump foundation shenanigans will maybe shut down stupid talk about closing the Clinton Foundation.

    I don’t know what cruds like Jughead at Mornin’ Joe will say tomorrow. I will miss it unless it is a real howler and gets on BJ blog or top of the youtube list.

  13. 13.

    Tissue Thin Pseudonym

    September 6, 2016 at 3:15 am

    I hate to think about how large a check Bondi is going to have to write to herself before she’ll drop the bribery investigation of herself.

  14. 14.

    jl

    September 6, 2016 at 3:24 am

    My own personal opinion is that the corporate media bias is basically due to cowardice. The wingers will beat the crap out of them if they do honest reporting on winger BS, but Democrats won’t react much, even to the 90 percent completely bogus smears on HRC and others. The editors of many of the papers are servile corporate hacks, and sniveling cowardice, and a kiss up (to bullies), kick down (to the rest) attitude is very common among servile corporate hacks.

    So, I don’t go with the complicated theories about over compensation because most of the media reporters and editors are NOT lunatic wingers. I don’t go with obsession with balance. It is just they are miserable cowards. Though maybe the obsession with balance stems from how a coward reacts to pressure.

  15. 15.

    jl

    September 6, 2016 at 3:36 am

    Except, come to think of it, why isn’t it the bribe? Probably more front poster snark that went over my head Pretty clear they were bribes. I think TX has even produced a whistle blower who was part of the corrupt pay off, or at least, as an official, was a flunky following orders on killing the investigation, right?

  16. 16.

    Suzan

    September 6, 2016 at 4:01 am

    The most shocking thing is that Harwood seems to think it is worse than “what Clinton did”.

  17. 17.

    shomi

    September 6, 2016 at 4:35 am

    This story has been around for a long time. Why are people suddenly actiing like this is something new?

    What is this about NYT ignoring this? Am I missing something?

    Don’t get me wrong, I want to see these stories bubbling up to the surface. My guess is that this is one of many stories that news outlets have been sitting on waiting for the right time and September is probably the right time.

  18. 18.

    amk

    September 6, 2016 at 5:32 am

    for the eyes of redshirt. or not.

  19. 19.

    JGabriel

    September 6, 2016 at 5:36 am

    craigie:

    I think I really would like to see Trump shoot someone, just to see what the coverage would be like.

    Clinton Democrat Interferes With Path Of Trump Bullet, Raises Shadowy Questions Of Deliberate Intent

    NEW YORK

    A confirmed donor to Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign intercepted the bullet from a gun Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump shot today on Fifth Avenue in New York, raising suspicions as to whether Clinton or members of her staff were deliberately trying to undermine the path of the bullet in a covert attempt to distract from a 3 second coughing fit that many observers saw as a health gaffe from the Democratic nominee at a campaign rally the previous day …

  20. 20.

    ?BillinGlendaleCA

    September 6, 2016 at 5:41 am

    @JGabriel: It just shows that the Hillbeast will do anything to get elected!

  21. 21.

    JGabriel

    September 6, 2016 at 5:43 am

    @shomi:

    What is this about NYT ignoring [the Trump/Bondi story]? Am I missing something?

    From Josh Marshall @ TPM, Yesterday:

    First, a small point: In the context of chatting about this on Twitter and with colleagues, I took the step of searching The New York Times website to see how much they’d written on the Trump-Bondi story. It first got attention in March and then again in June. So I figured at least a couple short mentions. It turns out the Times, at least according to a full search of “Trump University” and “Pam Bondi”, has literallynever published anything on the topic at all.

    That seems like a real problem.

  22. 22.

    NorthLeft12

    September 6, 2016 at 6:00 am

    @JGabriel:

    That seems like a real problem.

    Apparently not to the publishers and editors of the NYT. All the news that’s fit to print indeed.

  23. 23.

    Kay

    September 6, 2016 at 6:06 am

    @amk:

    She was a huge Trump supporter so I was reading what she’s written lately. She was anti-immigrant. Period. Not anti-illegal immigrant. Opposed to all immigrants:

    When asked what is the “most pressing issue facing the country today,” Schlafly—without a moment’s pause—said, “Immigration. And that’s why Trump is doing so well. People recognize that is the biggest thing. In the first place, it’s just about destroying our schools. All of these kids, who can’t read in any language, are coming in and expecting to be taught by our English-speaking teachers. And it’s not going to work. And yet we have to babysit them all day.”
    Schlafly explained that immigration represents an existential issue for the nation: “If we don’t stop immigration—this torrent of immigrants coming in—we’re not going to be America anymore because most of the people coming in have no experience with limited government. They don’t know what that is. They look to the government to solve all of their problems, and as soon as we have a high majority of people who think that, it’s going to be a different country.”

    That would be a good story for some enterprising pundit. The difference between what Trump is promising the hard Right and what Trump tells mainstream media outlets. She makes no distinction on legality. She objected to all immigrants because they might be different than the people who are already here- spoke a different language, might have different political opinions than she did.

    This whole fake-debate on what Trump would do with undocumented is missing the point of what his biggest devotees believe- they think he’ll end all immigration.

    It’s amazing how little we know about Donald Trump- what he’s telling these hard Right activists- his most fervent supporters. I think ending all immigration is an extremely radical view, not anywhere near a majority view.

  24. 24.

    msdc

    September 6, 2016 at 6:11 am

    @craigie: I’m sure Gov. Christie would volunteer to take one in his meaty thigh.

    “ThankyousirmayIhaveanother!”

  25. 25.

    Kay

    September 6, 2016 at 6:16 am

    Schlafly also believed Trump would put Ted Cruz on the Supreme Court. That makes a lot of political sense – it would be the perfect consolation prize to far Right religious. They’ve always known how important the Supreme Court is and Ted Cruz is attractive only to the GOP base. His colleagues don’t like him. A lifetime appointment with lots of power and no accountability is ideal for him.

  26. 26.

    JGabriel

    September 6, 2016 at 6:19 am

    Phyllis Schlafly via Kay:

    All of these kids, who can’t read in any language, are coming in and expecting to be taught by our English-speaking teachers.

    My god, teaching kids to read. How evil! Those kids should already know how to read when they leave the womb.

  27. 27.

    Johannes

    September 6, 2016 at 6:47 am

    @jl: Yeah, this story and Marshall’s persistence on it finally got me to subscribe to TPM Prime. If I must pay for the NYT (la Caterina needs the crossword), I can pay for the outlet that’s doing its damned job, too.

  28. 28.

    Kay

    September 6, 2016 at 6:55 am

    @JGabriel:

    She was an appalling person, right up to the end it seems. The mother of the far Right. Nice family they got there. Schafly is the mom and Barry Goldwater is the dad. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, as Schafly herself might say.

  29. 29.

    PaulWartenberg2016

    September 6, 2016 at 6:57 am

    @craigie:

    you volunteering? I’m not. I hate bullets.

  30. 30.

    OldDave

    September 6, 2016 at 7:06 am

    On the Trump University bribery front, a recent CBS News story on Texas.

  31. 31.

    JGabriel

    September 6, 2016 at 7:13 am

    @Kay:

    She was an appalling person, right up to the end it seems.

    Yes, she truly was.

  32. 32.

    sukabi

    September 6, 2016 at 7:47 am

    @JGabriel: now be nice, I’m sure her sheets were nicely pressed.

  33. 33.

    Jeffro

    September 6, 2016 at 7:48 am

    @JGabriel: That’s excellent – nice work!

    How about if someone from the press just asks Trump, “if not to bribe her away from the case…why’d you make the donation to AG Biondi?”

  34. 34.

    Shantanu Saha

    September 6, 2016 at 8:04 am

    @Steeplejack: That’s a lie. Christie screwed with commuter traffic just to see how much damage he could cause with a couple of words.

  35. 35.

    Enhanced Voting Techniques

    September 6, 2016 at 8:41 am

    @jl:

    My own personal opinion is that the corporate media bias is basically due to cowardice.

    I gather the editors are old white guys and most of their subscribers are old white people, so. That’s the thing, it’s a failing business because it’s audience is dying.

  36. 36.

    JR in WV

    September 6, 2016 at 10:37 am

    @shomi:

    The words Pam Bondi have never appeared in the NY Times as of sometime yesterday.

    Thus writing an article about Trump bribing Pam with a mere $25K to drop her AG investigation of the Trump U fraud would be unpossible.

  37. 37.

    mapaghimagsik

    September 6, 2016 at 10:49 am

    @craigie:
    Patriot takes bullet for Trump?

  38. 38.

    Karen marie

    September 6, 2016 at 2:00 pm

    @shomi: “Waiting for the right time”? What does this even mean? The “right time” is whenever you have the facts, and the facts have been available for months yet we just hear more about Clintons and “optics.”

  39. 39.

    sukabi

    September 6, 2016 at 2:01 pm

    @Enhanced Voting Techniques: I would think that if your audience was shrinking due to die off, then you’d want to increase your demographic by reporting, investigating the things that would and attract and interest a larger segment… I don’t know, like maybe BLM and police brutality in a more cause and effect way instead of brushing off the BLM movement as a nuisance. Like our crumbling infrastructure and how and why the congress can’t / won’t fund improvements. Or anty of a thousand things that impact everyday peoples lives.

    If the “news” orgs can’t / won’t change reportage then they only have themselves to blame…

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