WTF Just Happened Today

Thursday, December 7, 2023

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1/ Prosecutors in the Georgia election fraud case signaled they’re seeking prison sentences for Trump and his top allies for allegedly violating racketeering laws as part of their efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election results in Georgia despite the fact that Biden won the state. “We have a long road ahead,” Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis wrote in an email to Trump’s lawyer Steve Sadow. “Long after these folks are in jail, we will still be practicing law.” Willis’s team has reached plea deals with several co-defendants in the case, including Jenna Ellis, Sidney Powell, Kenneth Chesebro, and Scott Hall. Prosecutors, however, are not expected to offer plea agreements to Trump, Mark Meadows, or Rudy Giuliani. Fulton County prosecutors, meanwhile, listed several senior Trump administration officials, as well as and Georgia’s top elected leaders, as possible witnesses during the election interference trial, including Pence, Bill Barr, Jeffrey Rosen, Richard Donoghue, Scott Perry, Steve Bannon, Gov. Brian Kemp, Attorney General Chris Carr, Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, and former Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan. (The Guardian / Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

• ????‍♂️ Why should I care? This Georgia election fraud case is a direct challenge to the pillars of American democracy. It’s not just about Trump and his allies; it’s about preserving the sanctity of our elections and the rule of law. The case sends a clear message: no one is above the law – not even the highest officials. If we fail to hold them accountable, we risk normalizing election interference and undermining democracy as a whole. The implications are straightforward: If influential figures can overturn election results without consequence, it signals to future leaders that such actions are acceptable. As a result, the case is a litmus test for the resilience of our democratic institutions and their ability to withstand internal threats. It’s about setting a precedent that safeguards our democratic norms and ensures that future attempts to undermine the electoral process are deterred. We’re not just deciding the fate of a few individuals; we’re deciding the future of our democratic principles.
• ???? How Trump would build his loyalty-first Cabinet: Pre-vetted loyalty to him and a commitment to stretch legal and governance boundaries. (Axios)
• ???? Trump allies craft plans to give him unprecedented power if he wins the White House. “That includes more power to crack down on immigration and overhaul the Justice Department to punish opponents.” (NPR)

2/ Georgia’s Republican-controlled Legislature approved a new congressional map that likely violates a federal judge’s order requiring an additional majority-Black district. State lawmakers were order by District Judge Steve Jones to establish an additional Black-majority district to provide for fair representation of the state’s Black voters. Instead, the Republicans’ map dismantled one minority-majority district – by moving it farther into Republican territory – and then created a new court-ordered Black-majority district. Jones’ order stated that “the State cannot remedy the Section 2 violations described herein by eliminating minority opportunity districts elsewhere in the plans.” The map is expected to be signed by Gov. Brian Kemp, which would safeguard Republican control of Georgia’s General Assembly. Jones...

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