Timestamp: Saturday morning September 17, 2022. The timestamp is necessary because this is a dynamic situation. Measured in “ink” expended and threats to both national security and democracy it is also the biggest story of (by the time this is published) the week just ended.

Of course, I refer to the actions of Federal Judge Aileen Cannon with relation to the documents found at Mar-a-Lago. Her initial ruling was laughable, (I’m being kind), and her subsequent “clarification” is a comedy hall of fame exhibit in waiting.

 

She actually questions whether documents seized at Mar-a-Lago are classified. You know the ones with classified warnings across the top of every page. In conflict with several Supreme Court rulings, she is also open to the argument that Donald Trump may well have executive privilege claims over some or all of the other documents including the classified (although not to her) ones.

Over several decades the right via the Republican party has worked to pack/take over the courts. Cannon’s appointment was certainly one of those moves and it appears that for the moment anyway it is paying dividends.

The Justice Department bent over backwards to offer Cannon an off ramp and she refused to take it. Reputation be damned, she is more concerned with staying in Trump’s good graces. The only logical assumption is that she feels Trump will return to power and a promotion is in the wings for her when he does.

Trump’s main strategy is to delay. That has been his legal strategy for decades. Despite a history of being litigious, his won/lost record in courts is abysmal. He is also hoping for an upset win (upsetting legal precedent) at the Supreme Court level and with the Fascist Five, you never know. That is where I predict this case is headed and that means the clock keeps running; just what the man child wants.

Justice is trying to make the best of a bad situation and get to an end game as quickly as possible in the interest of national security. Cannon, just as Trump dictated, ordered a special master. Her intial ruling was for each side to submit suggestions. The Trump side suggested two and Justice agreed to the only one of them who was remotely qualified thereby expediting the process. (He is a Reagan appointee. Will we ever be able to rid ourselves of the evil of that administration?) Hidden from cursory view is the fact that Cannon’s ruling allows lawyers from both sides to view any disputed documents. Now just picture this almost inevitable scenario: among the documents the special master declares as government property are documents that are highly classified and containing sensitive information that a foreign government would pay for. Do you trust say a Rudy Giuliani with such information? I certainly don’t and if I were a covert agent (American or of an allied nation) I wouldn’t want to have to bet my life on someone like that! For that matter I don’t trust Trump with that information.

Taking over the courts is a basic in the fascist/authoritarian playbook. We can thank Mitch McConnell, Leonard Leo and Donald Trump for judges like Cannon. Leo, via the Federalist Society, was the brains, McConnell was the operations guy and Trump was the useful idiot. Note a useful idiot is first and foremost an idiot.

Cannon took Trump’s fictional good reputation over American and global security. She may well have bet your life on her ruling. That is if Trump hasn’t already let this information fall into the hands of bad actor via his carelessness, an ego driven “slip of the tongue” or a sale.

Cannon proved where her loyalty lies – with Trump, not America!

This article is the property of tellthetruthonthem.com and its content may not be used without citing the source. It may not be reproduced without the permission of Larry Marciniak.