Sunday, July 6, 2025
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Sunday, July 6, 2025

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Jack Smith Interferes in the 2024 Election by Indicting Trump – Yes, Again

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Before we start throwing political opponents in jail like some banana republic based on legal stretches or theories, trust the voters to sort it out. Remember them?

Reading the third Trump indictment (yes, third!), one is reminded of the Durham report into the Russia hoax. Remember that? It disappeared after barely a blip in the elite media.

In his report, Special Counsel John Durham slammed the FBI for launching an investigation into President Donald Trump and Russia based on uncorroborated, thin intelligence, for ignoring or downplaying information that countered the narrative, and for treating accusations against Hillary Clinton and her campaign differently.

He outlined a mendacious scheme, funded by the Clinton campaign, to interfere in a presidential election by feeding misinformation and lies (the fake dossier) into a weaponized FBI and compliant media to distract from Hillary’s email scandal.

However, critically, Durham did not issue criminal charges against most of the principal actors involved, such as Hillary Clinton herself. Although many conservatives were upset by this, Durham explained:

The law does not always make a person’s bad judgment, even horribly bad judgment, standing alone, a crime. Nor does the law criminalize all unseemly or unethical conduct that political campaigns might undertake for tactical advantage, absent a violation of a particular federal criminal statute. Finally, in almost all cases, the government is required to prove a person’s actual criminal intent – not mere negligence or recklessness- before that person’s fellow citizens can lawfully find
him or her guilty of a crime. The Office’s adherence to these principles explains, in numerous instances, why conduct deserving of censure or disciplinary action did not lead the Office to seek criminal charges.

Now take Durham’s explanation, and flip it on its head, and you get Special Counsel Jack Smith’s latest Trump indictment. He’s the anti-Durham, the stereotype of the rabid prosecutor determined to throw enough at the wall until something sticks and to hell with the effect it has on the country.

In contrast to Durham, Smith is criminalizing misinformation (or closely held belief, even if wrong), weak legal theory, free speech, and unsavory campaign strategy. He faces a major hurdle in proving intent (getting past Trump’s sincere belief that there was fraud.) He tries to get around this problem by outlining all of the officials who told Trump he was wrong on election fraud, but that doesn’t mean that Trump believed them.

In fact, Smith charged Trump with two of the same charges that Durham considered but rejected: 8 U .S.C. § 241 makes it a crime to conspire to deprive a person of his or her civil rights and a conspiracy count under 18 U.S.C. § 371. Smith hit Trump with the civil rights charge under a statute designed to protect blacks after the Civil War. It dates to 1870!

Worse, Smith is bringing this indictment, his second, in the MIDDLE of a presidential election against the (by far) leading Republican candidate in the polls, in an election where that candidate (Trump) is neck-and-neck with his political opponent (President Joe Biden), the man whose appointee appointed Smith. Of course, Smith wants a speedy trial (translation: before voters have a chance to weigh in).

Legal analyst Jonathan Turley said he was astonished by the latest indictment. He tweeted, “Special Counsel Jack Smith just issued the first criminal indictment of alleged disinformation in my view. If you take a red pen to all of the material presumptively protected by the First Amendment, you can reduce much of the indictment to haiku. I felt that the Mar-a-Lago indictment was strong. This is the inverse. This is closer to the case against former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell where Smith was overturned by an unanimous Supreme Court.”

He added, “The press conference held by Smith only deepened the unease for some of us. Smith railed against the January 6th riot and made it sound like he was indicting Trump on incitement. He didn’t. The disconnect was glaring and concerning.”

There is no credible way to argue that Smith’s indictment accusing Trump of trying to criminally interfere in the 2020 election is not interfering in the 2024 presidential election. In addition to the stain of criminal charges, this indictment (and the others) make it harder for Trump to get good legal representation (since the latest goes after his attorneys as unindicted co-conspirators), drain his campaign coffers to fund mounting legal expenses, distracts from his message, divert his energy and time, and could land him in prison for the rest of his natural life.

How about letting voters sort it out? It seems obvious that this prosecution – and the other two – tear at the fabric of this country and, thus, imperil Democracy by destroying citizens’ belief in their government; in short, they accomplish everything Trump is accused of doing. Funny how that works out. Half of this country no longer has faith in the impartiality of key federal institutions, like the DOJ and FBI. Trump’s election nonsense fueled some of that mistrust; Democrats are overreacting and exacerbating it.

This is exceptionally damaging to the country, and that makes Trump not just any defendant. As a result, it would seem that cases based on novel legal theory or legal stretches should not be brought against leading political candidates by their opponents’ appointees in the middle of hotly contested elections. Only a case so prima facie obviously deserving of charges (like a candidate shooting someone) should be brought in the middle of a hotly contested election. If there won’t be almost universal agreement that the charges are warranted, the damage to the country outweighs the gain. Look, the fake elector scheme was a ridiculous idea. However, it had no legal impact (note to Josh Kaul; the indictment alleges that Wisconsin’s fake electors were tricked by the Trump campaign, so back off).

Many voters believe there is a two-tiered justice system in this country. And these are voters who normally trust authority and law enforcement! After all, a confidential informant made serious bribery accusations against Joe Biden, and the information was withheld from IRS investigators and not thoroughly investigated. Hillary’s emails, the Russian hoax, it goes on and on. We’re supposed to believe that Joe Biden was just speaking with Hunter’s foreign business partners about the weather. Right. IRS whistleblowers implicate the same DOJ signing off on these charges as complicit in the cover-up. As a result, the prosecutions are being brought by institutions that have already accrued incredible damage upon themselves and make it harder for them to achieve the public credibility necessary for such an extremely unprecedented set of prosecutions.

There are plenty of videos showing Democrats questioning election results. They spent the entire Trump presidency trying to undermine its legitimacy with the Russian hoax!

The three prosecutions against Trump are not created equal. The Alvin Bragg prosecution is universally mocked as a joke even by the liberal media, the classified documents case is the strongest (what was Trump thinking??), and the latest reads like a flustered New York Times op-ed. It’s full of hyperbole and colorful invective but weak on law. Put together, it’s a terrible overreach. We didn’t know we lived in a country where people signed off on the arrests of their political opponents based on weak legal theory.

To be sure, Trump is his own worst enemy. Knowing Damocles’ sword was hanging over his head, he engaged in reckless and, at times, arguably dishonest and certainly incorrigible behavior. The 2020 election-was-stolen nonsense needed to stop a long time ago. Sidney Powell never produced the kraken (whatever that was), election machines weren’t being programmed with secret algorithms, it’s not okay that people attacked cops on January 6, and, no, Trump didn’t win the 2020 election, although Democrats did seize on COVID to loosen voter rules and, at times, allegedly operated above the law (see Racine County Sheriff Christopher Schmaling’s investigation into special voting deputies and Wisconsin’s WEC.)

We’ve argued for months that Trump should move on from this 2020 election narrative and focus on a vision for the future. That’s what voters are seeking. They don’t elect people over past grievances. His road to victory is by focusing on Biden’s economy: Supply chain shortages and prices at the gas pump and grocery store.

However, that doesn’t make Trump’s behavior criminal or warranting prosecution. When it comes to presidential conduct, impeachment was the proper forum. Trump was not convicted in the Senate of January 6 related behavior (it’s interesting that Smith chose not to charge him with anything relating to the January 6 riots). That means that, even if convicted, Trump could still serve as president.

We are a country that, by necessity, revolves around the rule of law. Many voters’ trust in that has been deeply challenged.

Compounding the perception of unfairness, this latest case will be handled by an Obama-appointed judge in a jurisdiction that leans extremely left. It may take the U.S. Supreme Court stepping in to stop it.

As much as conservatives didn’t like Durham’s approach, it strikes us as the correct one. Before we start throwing political opponents in jail like some banana republic based on legal stretches or theories, trust the voters to sort it out. Remember them?

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2026 GOP Candidate Josh Schoemann Challenges Evers’ Budget Approach

(The Center Square) – Josh Schoemann, the only Republican currently in the race for governor next year, is criticizing Gov. Tony Evers’ approach to the next state budget by comparing it to his plans in Washington County.

“In Washington County our budget cycle starts right now, and it’s not due until November. We will propose our budget goals to the County Board in the next couple of months. We will share ‘This is what we’re thinking.’ It gives them months of time to think those through, give us feedback, and [have] that kind of dialogue,” Schoemann explained in an interview on News Talk 1130 WISN.

Schoemann said that is far better than the approach Evers is taking again this year.

“That’s not how government is supposed to work,” Schoemann said. “It’s not the vision of the governor. It’s not the vision of any one person.”

Evers and the Republican legislative leaders who will write the budget have been involved in on-again, off-again budget talks this month. On Thursday, the governor’s office said those talks were off once again because of gridlock in the Senate.

“Ultimately, the Senate needs to decide whether they were elected to govern and get things done or not,” Evers spokesperson Britt Cudaback said in a post on X.

Schoemann’s criticism of Evers is nothing new. He has long been a critic of the governor and has turned that criticism up since launching his campaign for governor.

But the recent criticism was also aimed at other Republicans who may jump into the 20206 governor’s race later this year.

“Nobody else in this race on the Republican side, being rumored to this point, has the executive leadership of skills and history to be able to show ‘This is how I’ve done it before, and here’s how we’ll do it Madison,’” Schoemann said. “The results in Washington County speak for themselves.”

Northwoods Congressman Tom Tiffany is also rumored to be looking to get into the Republican race. Before he went to Congress, Tiffany was a Republican lawmaker in Madison.

Businessman and veteran Bill Berrien is also on the short list of likely GOP candidates for 2026.

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Wisconsin Budget Negotiations Reach Impasse Between Evers, Legislature

(The Center Square) – Wisconsin budget negotiations have reached an impasse with both sides pointing fingers at the other in Wednesday afternoon statements.

Democratic Gov. Tony Evers said Republican Legislative leaders backed out of negotiations after he agreed to “an income tax cut targeting Wisconsin’s middle-class and working families and eliminating income taxes for certain retirees.” He said Republican leaders would not agree to “meaningful increased investments in child care, K-12 schools, and the University of Wisconsin System.”

Republican Assembly leaders said the two sides were "far apart. Senate leaders say Evers’ desires “extend beyond what taxpayers can afford.”

“The Joint Committee on Finance will continue using our long-established practices of crafting a state budget that contains meaningful tax relief and responsible spending levels with the goal of finishing on time,” said a statement from Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, and Assembly Finance Co-Chairman Mark Born, R-Beaver Dam.

Evers said that there were meetings between the sides every day this week before the impasse.

“I told Republicans I’d support their half of the deal and their top tax priorities – even though they’re very similar to bills I previously vetoed – because I believe that’s how compromise is supposed to work, and I was ready to make that concession in order to get important things done for Wisconsin’s kids,” Evers said.

Senate Republican leadership said that good faith negotiations have occurred since April on a budget compromise.

“Both sides of these negotiations worked to find compromise and do what is best for the state of Wisconsin,” said a statement from Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu, R-Oostburg, and Senate Joint Finance Co-Chairman Howard Marklein, R-Spring Green.

In early May, the Joint Committee on Finance took 612 items out of Gov. Tony Evers’ budget proposal, including Medicaid expansion in the state, department creations and tax exemptions.

Born previously estimated that Evers’ budget proposal would lead to $3 billion in tax increases over the two-year span.

Wisconsin Policy Forum estimated that the proposal would spend down more than $4 billion of the state’s expected $4.3 billion surplus if it is enacted.

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DOJ Begins California Title IX Investigation Over ‘Trans’ Boys Dominating Girls’ Sports

The U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division announced it is investigating California for violating Title IX by allowing males to participate in female student sports.

“Title IX exists to protect women and girls in education,” said Harmeet K. Dhillon, assistant attorney general for Civil Rights. “It is perverse to allow males to compete against girls, invade their private spaces, and take their trophies.”

In February, President Donald Trump signed an executive order banning males from participating in female student sports, and he has threatened to block California's federal funding for continuing to defy his order. With California facing deficits in the tens of billions of dollars each year, it's unclear how the state would offset any losses or pauses in federal funding.

Notably, California Gov. Gavin Newsom hosted conservative pundit Charlie Kirk on his podcast and told Kirk that he thinks it’s “deeply unfair” that boys are participating in girls’ sports.

When asked later at a press conference what this means for state policy, Newsom demurred, painting the matter as a marginal, non-issue not worth his time.

“You're talking about a very small number of people, a very small number of athletes, and my responsibility is to address the pressing issues of our time,” said Newsom.

The California Interscholastic Federation, which governs student sports in California, has since responded to Trump’s threat by announcing a new pilot program to allow girls who otherwise would have qualified for sports finals had the finalist spots in girls’ sports not been taken by transgender-identifying boys to participate in said finals.

Title IX was signed into law by President Richard Nixon in 1972 to ensure that schools could not discriminate against female students. It requires they be provided with equal opportunities to engage in athletics, extracurriculars and education.

DOJ’s letter of interest says it is investigating whether California’s Assembly Bill 1266, which requires transgender-identifying students to be allowed to participate in sports consistent with their gender identities, violates Title IX.

“As a result of CIF’s policy, California’s top-ranked girls’ triple jumper, and second-ranked girls’ long-jumper, is a boy,” wrote the DOJ. “As recently as May 17, this male athlete was allowed to take winning titles that rightfully belong to female athletes in both events.”

“This male athlete will now be allowed to compete against those female athletes again for a state title in long, triple, and high jump,” continued the DOJ. “Other high school female athletes have alleged that they were likewise robbed of podium positions and spots on their teams after they were forced to compete against males.”

Should the DOJ find California is in violation of Title IX, it says it will “take appropriate action to eliminate that discrimination, including seeking injunctive relief.”