NY AG 11:30 press conf re Trump Org

[Deleted]

It has to do with Trump Organization, presumably related to Deutche Bank records. It's going to be livestreamed on NY AG's website. I think, but don't know because I haven't seen it mentioned anywhere, that it's going to be shown on major networks and cable news.

Who's heard and has more info? And a link?

[Tennesseer]

If missed this morning it will probably be available on YouTube later in the day.

[Deleted]

I found this link  It's up on my screen but says the event hasn't started yet.

[swamp]

ag.ny.gov/livestream

[Deleted]

Wayne LaPierre and the NRA. Apparently nothing (at least so far) about trump org. My speakers gave out! DD is watching it on her phone.

[mollyanna58]

www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/nra-lawsuit-ny-attorney-general-accuses-wayne-lapierre-other-execs-of-64m-fraud-scheme/ar-BB17EAjO

I thought the NRA was pretty well bankrupt. Maybe these allegations are why.

[happyhoix]

Apparently LaPierre and his buddies have been illegally funneling NRA
Money into their personal accounts for years.

Trump suggested the NRA should move to Texas where I guess embezzlement is celebrated. 😡

[Tennesseer]

Aug 6, 2020 17:59:36 GMT -5 happyhoix said:

Apparently LaPierre and his buddies have been illegally funneling NRA
Money into their personal accounts for years.

Trump suggested the NRA should move to Texas where I guess embezzlement is celebrated. 😡

Also at 721 Fifth Avenue New York City and 1100 S Ocean Blvd, Palm Beach, FL 33480

[Deleted]

I have to admit that I was disappointed that it wasn't about the trump org. I was pleased that it was the NRA, though. 

[happyhoix]

Kind of surprised the NRA hasn’t collapsed on itself. LaPierre has had some internal challengers who don’t like his 10000 suits and expensive trips to tourist locales.

[bean29]

If I had funded all that extravagance I would be outraged.  I hope the NRA members choose to start a new organization rather than continue to support the corruption of their leaders.

[thyme4change]

Aug 7, 2020 10:04:11 GMT -5 bean29 said:

If I had funded all that extravagance I would be outraged.  I hope the NRA members choose to start a new organization rather than continue to support the corruption of their leaders.

That would be some independent thinking!!

Our whole culture around "charitable organizations" is fucked up. It needs an overhaul. There is a reason that charities like the Clinton foundation has been suspected of trickery. The Trump foundation doesn't seem to be changing the world, except for the Trump family. Churches (some not all) can really drain stupid people of their money. Businesses like Scientology can parade as a church and do nothing charitable. Political organizations are being subsidized by the tax code, further corrupting the system. Organizations like Goodwill are criticized as only benefitting the executives running it. It is all crap.

We should have reporting that you have to prove the dollars you have spent to make the world better, and then there is a maximum amount of admin as a percentage of the amount spent, and a maximum amount that can be added to the trust. Everything else is taxed at 75%.

[bean29]

Aug 7, 2020 12:29:03 GMT -5 thyme4change said:

Aug 7, 2020 10:04:11 GMT -5 bean29 said:

If I had funded all that extravagance I would be outraged.  I hope the NRA members choose to start a new organization rather than continue to support the corruption of their leaders.

That would be some independent thinking!!

Our whole culture around "charitable organizations" is fucked up. It needs an overhaul. There is a reason that charities like the Clinton foundation has been suspected of trickery. The Trump foundation doesn't seem to be changing the world, except for the Trump family. Churches (some not all) can really drain stupid people of their money. Businesses like Scientology can parade as a church and do nothing charitable. Political organizations are being subsidized by the tax code, further corrupting the system. Organizations like Goodwill are criticized as only benefitting the executives running it. It is all crap.

We should have reporting that you have to prove the dollars you have spent to make the world better, and then there is a maximum amount of admin as a percentage of the amount spent, and a maximum amount that can be added to the trust. Everything else is taxed at 75%.

This works for me, but they can't even agree on the next CARES II package.  I don't think this will ever happen.

I really wish they would negotiate for real - I would like to see the two proposals meet in the middle.  People who are not working should not be earning more than essential workers/people who are still working.  They could do something for landlords/Rent assistance.  Force states like WI to expand Medicaid etc. Use a needs test or means testing to identify companies/businesses who need additional help.  

[thyme4change]

Aug 7, 2020 14:28:48 GMT -5 bean29 said:

Aug 7, 2020 12:29:03 GMT -5 thyme4change said:

That would be some independent thinking!!

Our whole culture around "charitable organizations" is fucked up. It needs an overhaul. There is a reason that charities like the Clinton foundation has been suspected of trickery. The Trump foundation doesn't seem to be changing the world, except for the Trump family. Churches (some not all) can really drain stupid people of their money. Businesses like Scientology can parade as a church and do nothing charitable. Political organizations are being subsidized by the tax code, further corrupting the system. Organizations like Goodwill are criticized as only benefitting the executives running it. It is all crap.

We should have reporting that you have to prove the dollars you have spent to make the world better, and then there is a maximum amount of admin as a percentage of the amount spent, and a maximum amount that can be added to the trust. Everything else is taxed at 75%.

This works for me, but they can't even agree on the next CARES II package.  I don't think this will ever happen.

I really wish they would negotiate for real - I would like to see the two proposals meet in the middle.  People who are not working should not be earning more than essential workers/people who are still working.  They could do something for landlords/Rent assistance.  Force states like WI to expand Medicaid etc. Use a needs test or means testing to identify companies/businesses who need additional help.  

I wonder which party would benefit more / piss off more constituents by clamping down on irresponsible charities. It isn't something that has been politicized, at least not that I can recall. I could see a lot of bleeding heart liberala saying that the government is trying to overburden charities. I could also see evangelicals being super pissed about the government diddling around in their churches. I could also see the flip side, that people on both sides would like to pick out the "bad" charities of their choice and watch them wither under harsher rules. If the politicians wanted to find middle ground, they just need to have the same goal and different talking points.

[Tennesseer]

U.S. judge tosses NRA bankruptcy bid, letting New York seek dissolution

(Reuters) -A federal judge in Dallas ruled on Tuesday that the National Rifle Association cannot use bankruptcy to reorganize in gun-friendly Texas, a serious blow to the gun rights group's effort to avoid a lawsuit in New York seeking its dissolution.

U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Harlin Hale said the NRA did not file for Chapter 11 in good faith, but instead filed to avoid oversight by New York Attorney General Letitia James and gain an "unfair litigation advantage" over her.

James sued to shut down the NRA in August, accusing it of diverting millions of dollars to fund luxuries for officials including longtime Chief Executive Wayne LaPierre, no-show contracts for associates and other questionable expenses.

Closely aligned with Republicans including former President Donald Trump, the NRA has long been instrumental in thwarting Democratic-backed gun control measures in the U.S. Congress.

Ruling after a 12-day trial that ended on May 3, Hale said some details that came out about the NRA were "cringeworthy."

He singled out LaPierre for criticism, including the "surreptitious manner" he used to obtain sole authority to put the NRA into bankruptcy in January.

"Excluding so many people from the process of deciding to file for bankruptcy, including the vast majority of the board of directors, the chief financial officer and the general counsel, is nothing less than shocking," Hale wrote.

"The question the court is faced with is whether the existential threat facing the NRA is the type of threat that the Bankruptcy Code is meant to protect against," Hale added. "The court believes it is not."

U.S. judge tosses NRA bankruptcy bid, letting New York seek dissolution

[djAdvocate]

I have never seen the term "no show contracts" used.
I assume that this is straight up grifting in the form of a commitment?

[happyhoix]

So what is a dissolution and how is it different from a bankruptcy? Is it where they take the thing apart and sell it for parts rather than forgiving your debts and letting you regroup and continue? 

[thyme4change]

I **think** (but so not sure of this) that the dissolution lawsuit by the New York Attorney General is based on laws around charities. I think NY is saying that the organization and people are so corrupt, the only option is to revoke their charter and shut the whole operation down and ban the people from serving on another charity.

There is a bankruptcy where they dissolve the organization and sell it for parts - I am not sure what kind of BK they were filing.

A bankruptcy filing halts other legal action. (For example, if your house is in the foreclosure process and you file BK, the foreclosure stops and becomes part of the BK process.) So, any legal action investigating and litigating financial crimes were stopped when the NRA declared BK. If the BK had gone forward, it may have tied the hands of State of NY from getting restitution from the main perpetrators. The bankruptcy judge did not allow the NRA to use the BK process to evade the NYAG suit.

I think- maybe Swamp can tidy up my summary.

[swamp]

Swamp knows jack shit about bankruptcy.

I THINK the deal was the NRA wasn’t following the rules for charitable organizations in NY and they were so corrupt she ask for dissolution. Bankruptcy would give them the chance to hold the NY suit and reorganize in TX. The TX bankruptcy court saw it for the sham it is especially because the board of directors did not authorize the suit.

[swamp]

Dissolution is when you are either forced or choose to shut down.

Bankruptcy is a plan to pay off creditors with or without dissolution

[thyme4change]

May 12, 2021 11:24:35 GMT -5 swamp said:

Swamp knows jack shit about bankruptcy.

I THINK the deal was the NRA wasn’t following the rules for charitable organizations in NY and they were so corrupt she ask for dissolution. Bankruptcy would give them the chance to hold the NY suit and reorganize in TX. The TX bankruptcy court saw it for the sham it is especially because the board of directors did not authorize the suit.

I only know because DH is a talker, and he doesn't test me on my knowledge, so I could be wrong.

However - Swamp and Thyme seem to be triangulating the situation and seem to be in the same general understanding of the situation.

[swamp]

Well, if swamp and thyme agree, it must be right!!

[Tennesseer]

Nice try: Why any attempt to shield Trump from Florida extradition is doomed

A series of sensational news reports on Thursday suggested that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis — who many view as a contender for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination — could potentially try to interfere if a New York grand jury indicts former President Donald Trump and seeks his extradition from Florida, where he’s currently residing.

Whereas many international extradition treaties require the underlying crime to be prohibited by both the requesting and receiving countries, federal law does not

Citing an obscure provision of Florida law that allows the governor, upon receiving an extradition request from another state, to investigate "whether the person ought to be surrendered,” the argument goes that this provision gives DeSantis the chance to play hero with the former president’s supporters by dragging his feet.

The legal reality is decidedly to the contrary. If Trump is indicted in New York, both the U.S. Constitution and a federal statute dating to 1793 require DeSantis (or the governor of whatever state Trump is in at the time) to hand him over. And if DeSantis still refuses, a 1987 Supreme Court decision makes clear that federal courts can order him to comply. Unlike in cases of international extradition, where treaties often leave significant room for political and diplomatic machinations and maneuvering, the law of interstate extradition is both clear and straightforward.

Let’s start with the Constitution itself. The Extradition Clause of Article IV provides that “a person charged in any state with treason, felony, or other crime, who shall flee from justice, and be found in another state, shall on demand of the executive authority of the state from which he fled, be delivered up, to be removed to the state having jurisdiction of the crime.” The provision contemplates no discretion on the part of the state receiving the request, but speaks instead of a mandate to return the prisoner.

Congress reinforced that understanding of the clause in 1793 when it enacted the Extradition Act, which identifies no circumstances in which a governor receiving an extradition request has the right to refuse to comply. And whereas many international extradition treaties require the underlying crime to be prohibited by both the requesting and receiving countries (the “double criminality” principle), federal law does not — as the Supreme Court expressly held in 1861.

Compete article here: link

[Tennesseer]

Trump Organization probe by state AG becomes criminal investigation

The New York attorney general’s office has pivoted from a civil to a criminal investigation of the Trump Organization.

State AG Letitia James’ office spokesperson, Fabien Levy, offered a brief announcement Tuesday night, CNN first reported.

“We have informed the Trump Organization that our investigation into the Organization is no longer purely civil in nature,” Levy stated. “We are now actively investigating the Trump Organization in a criminal capacity, along with the Manhattan DA.”

In a court filing over the summer, James’ office said it was investigating whether the Trump Organization wrongfully assessed the value of real estate holdings, including 40 Wall St. in Manhattan and the Seven Springs Estate in nearby Westchester County.

Meanwhile, the Manhattan district attorney’s office has been chasing a criminal probe into the Trump Organization for almost two years, focusing on “possibly extensive and protracted criminal conduct,” including bank and insurance fraud.

Manhattan DA Cy Vance Jr. began looking into Trump’s finances after the ex-president’s former lawyer, Michael Cohen, paid off a pair of women to keep mum about claims of sexual encounters with the “Apprentice” star ahead of the 2016 election.

Cohen pleaded guilty to federal tax-evasion and campaign-finance violations in 2018 and has been cooperating with prosecutors since.

Vance’s office obtained copies of Trump’s tax records, which he refused to make public while in the White House, in February after the U.S. Supreme Court rejected a last-ditch effort to prevent them from being handed over.

Mark Pomerantz, a federal prosecutor who ran the team that convicted Gambino crime boss John A. “Junior” Gotti, was brought on as a special assistant district attorney to assist in the probe of Trump’s finances.

James’ office also marked a win earlier this year when a Manhattan state judge ordered the law firm of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius to turn over documents related to its representation of the Trump Organization. The judge ruled that the firm had wrongly claimed some of its communications with Trump’s business were privileged.

The initial complaint from James’ office, filed last year, said Morgan Lewis withheld or redacted over 3,000 documents and “refused to produce substantive communications about any topic between (the firm) and key employees of the Trump Org.”

Last month, The Washington Post reported that James’ office had also gathered personal financial records of Allen Weisselberg, the longtime chief financial officer of the Trump Organization.

Complete article here: link

[happyhoix]

I think it’s poetic, if Trump goes down, that he goes in the same way Al Capone did - tax fraud.

[happyhoix]

Interesting article speculating on why Trump’s golf courses consistently lose millions - incompetence, vanity, or something darker? 

www.businessinsider.com/why-do-trump-golf-resorts-lose-millions-dollars-every-year-2021-5

I pick the sinister reason, but realize we can’t disregard the possibility of sheer incompetence. 

[Tiny]

On the golf courses - I'd go with something other incompetence. If it was incompetence I suspect the Golf Courses would no longer be in existence (or would be run down or have lost any cache/reputation).

Vanity would assume they were a "pet project" or a "passion" of trump's. As such I would imagine he would visit them regularly and have a interest in the daily running of them. I don't think trump has that kind of interest in them.

I'm guessing the Golf courses serve some other purpose for trump and how ever his financials are set up. He's had one of the courses since 2008 and the other since 2014.  These properties are obviously fulfilling some purpose.  

I'd guess it has something to do with money laundering or taxes or could it be a way to shelter money or preserve money in the case of bankruptcy?

Is trump using them to pay people (who are, um, employed by the parent company of the course or the actual course? )   Are these properties ways to "give" his kids money?   or ways to "give" money to people he needs to "pay back"??

[happyhoix]

May 19, 2021 8:53:06 GMT -5 Tiny said:

On the golf courses - I'd go with something other incompetence. If it was incompetence I suspect the Golf Courses would no longer be in existence (or would be run down or have lost any cache/reputation).

Vanity would assume they were a "pet project" or a "passion" of trump's. As such I would imagine he would visit them regularly and have a interest in the daily running of them. I don't think trump has that kind of interest in them.

I'm guessing the Golf courses serve some other purpose for trump and how ever his financials are set up. He's had one of the courses since 2008 and the other since 2014.  These properties are obviously fulfilling some purpose.  

I'd guess it has something to do with money laundering or taxes or could it be a way to shelter money or preserve money in the case of bankruptcy?

Is trump using them to pay people (who are, um, employed by the parent company of the course or the actual course? )   Are these properties ways to "give" his kids money?   or ways to "give" money to people he needs to "pay back"??

Trump has always bragged about how he does everything on borrowed money. Yet when he bought his Scottish course he paid cash for it, at a time when, due to his multiple bankruptcies, American banks wouldn’t lend him money. Where did he so much cash? Maybe his buddy Manafort told him about how Deutschbank could hook Trump up with Russian oligarchs who need to launder money. (Manafort and Deutschbank both got in trouble for laundering money).

Maybe that’s why Eric Trump bragged to a room full of investors that Trump inc could get as much money as they wanted from Russia.

Or possibly the Russian oligarchs were just handing Trump cash because they like the cut of his jib. I’ve heard Russians are fun that way. 🙄

Trump should never have run for POTUS because he should have known all the laser focus that would be on him, not just for what he did as POTUS but for everything he and his company ever did. Not with this trail of tax avoidance and possible money laundering that he leaves wherever he goes. His vanity got the better of him.

[happyhoix]

Fox News is taking the time to point out all the officials behind this investigation are Democrats. So - witch hunt!

[djAdvocate]

May 19, 2021 13:08:33 GMT -5 happyhoix said:

Fox News is taking the time to point out all the officials behind this investigation are Democrats. So - witch hunt!

they had the same complaint about Whitewater, I am sure.