Why is he being singled out?
Um, the dude has lied about virtually every aspect of his life.
He not only didn't graduate from college like he claimed to, but he claimed he was on a volleyball scholarship. I mean look at him. Pick a lie that works.
He not only was spending his campaign money on Botox and Sephora, HE STOLE THE IDENTIES OF HIS campaign contributors and then STOLE MORE MONEY FROM THEM
From his indictment
The Credit Card Fraud Scheme
In addition, between approximately December 2021 and August 2022, Santos devised and executed a fraudulent scheme to steal the personal identity and financial information of contributors to his campaign. He then charged contributors’ credit cards repeatedly, without their authorization. Because of these unauthorized transactions, funds were transferred to Santos’s campaign, to the campaigns of other candidates for elected office, and to his own bank account. To conceal the true source of these funds and to circumvent campaign contribution limits, Santos falsely represented that some of the campaign contributions were made by other persons, such as his relatives or associates, rather than the true cardholders. Santos did not have authorization to use their names in this way.
There's a difference between walking up to the line or putting a toe over the line and taking a dump on it and setting off a flare gun.
Not sure whats more alarming, this info, or the fact that someone is claiming to own digital ID and indexed IP information on everyone
My first thought was this guy is lying.
also JJ??
I think any question of standing would have addressed a while back, this case has been going on for years.
In NY the AG has broad authority to investigate fraud. under a 100 year old law called the Martin Act. It's a "bluesky" anti-fraud law, it allows the AG to bring actions like this law suit to fight fraud it in the marketplace.
40 states have bluesky laws, but NY's is quite broad. This article is paywalled, but the summary gives a hint.
The AG has a tremendous amount of power under the Martin Act and Executive Law and has a low threshold to use these various tools on behalf of the public.
Many people say there is no state attorney general in the country with as much power as the New York State Attorney General (AG). There are two laws, in particular, that give the AG’s Office its power—the Martin Act and the Executive Law.
Other cases it's been used in
Cryptocurrency exchange pays $1.8 million https://www.reuters.com/legal/coinex-accepts-new-york-ban-pay-18-mln-resolve-attorney-general-lawsuit-2023-06-15/
Former AIG head admits role in $500M accounting fraud https://www.cbsnews.com/news/aig-maurice-hank-greenberg-accounting-fraud-settlement/ https://law.justia.com/cases/new-york/court-of-appeals/2016/90.html
Another NY Law that is explicitly named in the lawsuit is the Executive Law part of which give the AG the power to cancel the business certificates of business engaged in fraud..
Whenever any person shall engage in repeated fraudulent or illegal acts or otherwise demonstrate persistent fraud or illegality in the carrying on, conducting or transaction of business, the attorney general may apply, in the name of the people of the state of New York, to the supreme court of the state of New York, on notice of five days, for an order enjoining the continuance of such business activity or of any fraudulent or illegal acts, directing restitution and damages and, in an appropriate case, cancelling any certificate filed
Here's the report
https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/24169355-report-on-ethics-george-santos
The Committee also unanimously voted, pursuant to Committee Rule 28, to refer to the Department of Justice (DOJ) substantial evidence that Representative Santos: knowingly caused his campaign committee to file false or incomplete reports with the Federal Election Commission; used campaign funds for personal purposes; engaged in fraudulent conduct in connection with RedStone Strategies LLC; and engaged in knowing and willful violations of the Ethics in Government Act as it relates to his Financial Disclosure (FD) Statements filed with the House.
Santos report came out says he committed even more crimes. Santos announces he will not run for reelection.
House investigators on Thursday released a highly-anticipated ethics report on embattled Rep. George Santos, concluding there is “substantial evidence” that the New York Republican knowingly violated a litany of ethics and criminal laws.
The explosive report by the House Ethics Committee following a months-long investigation found that Santos spent campaign funds on Botox treatments, designer goods, OnlyFans, and lavish Atlantic City trips with his husband. It also details his purported attempts to obfuscate his financial transactions, suggesting a deliberate effort to construct a misleading and “fictional” financial narrative within official records.
Shortly after the report was released, Santos announced that he would not seek reelection.
So the lawsuit is about
accusing them of violating his Fourth Amendment right to protection from unreasonable searches and seizures when they tried to obtain Patel's personal records.
This type of search would require judge signing off on a search warrant to subpoena the records. So I would guess before he can get Wray's and Rosenstein's depositions, Patel would have to prove his 4th Amendment rights were actually violated. I think this would involve working his way up before he gets to the big fish.
To get a search warrant an FBI agent has to provide an affidavit to a judge. So I think this affidavit would need to be looked at to see if there were 4th Amendment violations.
The timing of this in suggests the DOJ may have been looking into leaks of classified information
In 2021, it was revealed that a leak investigation subpoenaed a bunch of folks including Congressmen.
All told, the records of at least a dozen people tied to the committee were seized in 2017 and early 2018, including those of Representative Adam B. Schiff of California, then the panel’s top Democrat and now its chairman, according to committee officials and two other people briefed on the inquiry. Representative Eric Swalwell of California said in an interview Thursday night that he had also been notified that his data had been subpoenaed.
The Democrats got all pissed off about this and supposedly the Inspector General is looking into this.
The Horns of the Ram are turning Cold.
The Eagle circles but makes noSound
Bill Barr too and the two other top DOJ folks.
The system is not collapsing
Good Lord.
He's retweeting a tiktoker
ChatGPT can't admit anything.
That's just a complete misunderstanding of what it is
In this case it could open him up to criminal charges, disbarrment, sanctions, etc.
This needs a big IANAL tag.
President Trump thought (correctly) that the election had been stolen, and he was looking into ways to prove that.
You can only use legal means to do that.
Like if I have $1,000 in a bank and the bank makes a mistake and says I dont. I can't just go down there with a gun and demand $1,000 that still occurring
Jonathan Miller, counsel for Misty Hampton, announces that he released the videos to one media outlet. (He did not say which outlet).
One leaker identified.
There a hearing on this right now. DA wants a protective order for this
Jonathan Miller, counsel for Misty Hampton, announces that he released the videos to one media outlet. (He did not say which outlet).
This is not the GA case
This is a Jack Smith case.
GA is going to be televised.
Like nothing matters?
Or it will all wash out in the end?
AG gets to file a reply.
From Twitter
Engoron addresses the new Trump filings, elliptically:
This motion, the defendants filed a proposed order to show cause, correct?
Kise:
Mistrial motion.
The judge invites the AG to file an opposition, before moving back to witness testimony.
I think you might be misjudging the dynamics here.
What do you mean? Why would this be an out for the judge?
Did they put that in the complaint?
Here's the Info from when Dubinsky was sanctioned
https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sm1232
Treasury Takes Further Action Against Russian-linked Actors January 11, 2021 WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) took additional action against seven individuals and four entities that are part of a Russia-linked foreign influence network associated with Andrii Derkach. Russian agent Derkach was designated on September 10, 2020, pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13848, for his attempt to influence the 2020 U.S. presidential election.
“Russian disinformation campaigns targeting American citizens are a threat to our democracy,” said Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin. “The United States will continue to aggressively defend the integrity of our election systems and processes.”
If you read their "demand," you might not think so
It's much more of a Troll, than a legal request.
I have feeling. We'll get a ruling today.
Meanwhile testimony is still going on.
Trump's best witness so far is testifying.
An accounting expert.
Civil suits are often a way to address crimes like fraud.
The NY AG is asserting there is an injured party. Her assertion is, and they had a witness testify to this, that the Trump organization saved huge amounts of amount by getting cheaper loans.
The argument is something like if I lie on my mortgage application and get 2% loan when I qualify for a 6% or 8% loan, I've committed mortgage fraud. Even if I paid the mortgage off.
Trump is going to have to put on a defense against this. They are going to call his banker at Deutsch Bank. One of the issues in this trial is how much Trump will have to pay in what they call disgorgement. The AG put an investment banker on the stand to testify to $$$