Trump

[IdleRich]

This also today, merits a mention although I'm sure there will be another appeal https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/20/...es-cyrus-vance.html?smid=tw-nytimes&smtyp=cur

OK so I'm trying to follow this story. I get that numerous people have attempted to subpoena Trump's tax returns, this is a Manhattan DA called Vance or something who wants to see them as part of an investigation into his business affairs. Trump has fought this subpoena every step of the way with it going through a number of courts and up to the Supreme Court - he's lost on every occasion but the SC did say he could appeal it in a lower court which he did where he was defeated yet again yesterday. Immediately his lawyers demanded a stay on the returns going to Vance so that they could put together some kind of appeal to another court (I think - I'm getting a bit hazy on this now). But today the judge refused that request.
Now Trump's lawyers have six days to appeal the lack of a delay so that they have time to appeal against the subpoena again. I think.
Is that right? Anyone....


One thing I can conclude is that (despite his promises while campaigning) Trump is utterly desperate to prevent anyone at all getting a peak at his tax returns.

 

[vimothy]

big fan of Steve Bannon - hes great

 

[vimothy]

love his dual shirts

 

[Leo]

jared Kushner hates him. an example of how the enemy of my enemy is my friend doesn't always apply.

 

[vimothy]

Kushner doesnt have a signature style like banon, probably jealously

 

[IdleRich]

In fact. Regarding what I was saying earlier about convictions of powerful people and so on, it does feel that the US is going through an incredibly dark and shit time, but, there is some will to fight back against this and there has been a kind of mopping up of loads of these Trump associates who helped cheat in the election, collude with Russia, sabotage Clinton and generally destroy the rule of law. Contrast that with the UK where the Brexit vote was equally corrupted (in some cases by the same people eg Bannon) and nothing whatsoever has been done - the leadership have got what they wanted and have been able to block every investigation and so on.
In other words, right about now, the future for the US looks more hopeful to me than that of the UK - also of course cos Trump is temporary (in theory) and Brexit is designed to be permanent.

 

[vimothy]

it doesn't end with trump

 

[IdleRich]

Of course but the fact that so many powerful people who thought they were untouchable have been indicted reflects well on the system even though large parts of it have been shown not to work.

 

[IdleRich]

Relatively well. Compared to the UK I mean.

 

[vimothy]

which ofc was the whole point CONSPIRACY

 

[Mr. Tea]

the rest of the world could easily blow up America if we agreed to work together.

This could be a great project for us all to work on with our own unique skills. You could use your guru-like rabble-rousing charisma and McLuhan-derived knowledge of mass media to create a huge cult following, ready to do your every bidding. I'll revise my undergraduate notes on how to build nuclear weapons. Woops can compose a stirring anthem for us, poetix can use his mad computer skills to encode a subliminal algorithmic mind-control sequence, and then Idle can organise parties and radio shows to bring it to the masses. Barty can recruit an elite cadre of fanatical and sexy female assassins, Craner can call in a few favours from his Mossad buddies, vim can do likewise with Al-Qaeda and third can finally fulfil his lifelong dream of being a suicide bomber.

 

[vimothy]

good idea, I respect Islamists remember, theyll be instantly won over by that

 

[Mr. Tea]

good idea, I respect Islamists remember, theyll be instantly won over by that

Yes but for the purposes of Dissensus mythology, you literally are one, and a high-ranking one at that.

 

[Mr. Tea]

Oh, I forgot that we might need to spike everyone's food with droid's pristine truffles in order to soften their minds up to be maximally receptive to luka's rousing speeches and woops's killer tune with poetix's mind-virus encoded into the bleeps and wurbles.

 

[Leo]

Kushner doesnt have a signature style like banon, probably jealously

his uniform is the dark slim-cut suit that went out of style six years ago, with white shirt and narrow tie.

Bannon is passionate gusto, unshaven with unruly wavy hair and wrinkled chinos. Kushner is repressed aloofness, pre-pubescent lack of facial hair, balls in a jar on Ivanka's night table.

 

[IdleRich]

When Trump got into an elevator during the construction of his NYC Tower he said “what are all those bumps by the buttons” it was explained to him they were braille numbers so the blind could operate it. He said “remove them, blind people won’t be living here.”

What a guy.

 

[IdleRich]

So Vance has agreed not to enforce the subpoena until 3rd Sep or something. I think that means Trump can squeeze in one more desperate appeal and then he will demand the tax returns. It's still not exactly clear precisely what he's investigating but the filings suggest it's not just Trump but, in fact, the Trump Organisation.

 

[Leo]

yeah, I believe it's aspects of the trump organization as a fraudulent enterprise. I believe it was something about provided conflicting information to the IRS and banks: claimed much lower income/profits to IRS in order to pay lower taxes, while at the same time claimed inflated income/profits when applying to banks for loans. the numbers apparently don't add up.

 

[IdleRich]

I mean to say that the filing to court doesn't say, but that sounds like a good guess. I agree that the tax returns in themselves should surely appear solid or the IRS would have picked something up (well, you would hope so) - but people who keep saying that are missing the point, it seems most likely that the tax returns are going to be compared to other data from other sources which Vance already has and which will show some discrepancy between how he reported things to different organisations and which will reveal a financial crime.
There are a number of reasons why Trump might be so desperate to release his tax returns (despite saying that he would have no problem doing so);
Could be he's not nearly as wealthy as he claims
Could be that they will reveal tax evasion
Could show that he owes huge debts to Russian organisations or individuals
Could show some other form of criminality as discussed above
Could be several or even all of the above.

 

[IdleRich]

Ooh, right on cue!

6m ago18:56

More on lawsuits facing the Trump organization – New York state Attorney General Letitia James has filed a lawsuit investigating whether Trump inflated the valuations of certain assets.