Opinion What mechanisms exist when mandated disclosures are effectively withheld?

[heloder]

Reputational damage control and political stability are no lawful justifications for withholding legally required disclosures, but in the recent release of the Epstein files by the DOJ:
-Hundreds of pages were released fully blacked out, providing zero readable content
-The release was incomplete and missed statutory deadlines
-Some documents reportedly disappeared or were altered post-release

So what happens next?
Who will react when the law is undermined?
Are the invisible powers behind this case stronger than ordinary accountability?

If the GOP can find enough spines in Congress, the administration can be impeached and convicted. Then US Marshals could forcibly remove the individuals in question. Trump would likely pitch a bitch fit and order the FBI or the military to protect him against the US Marshals. At this point, however, Trump would no longer be President. He would simply be a run of the mill cunt in orange makeup trespassing on Federal property. He would have zero authority over anybody.

Now, if for whatever reason the FBI / military stood beside Trump—that would constitute a coup.*

If the GOP can't find enough spines in Congress, then nothing happens. Then it's a matter of waiting for the midterm elections, and if the Democrats pick up enough seats, they can then impeach and remove without the GOP. Trump would almost certainly not allow this to happen, and would try to fuck with the election results (he already has) or simply tell the GOP majority to not seat the newly elected members (he already has). This would also constitute a coup.*

* Absent the military intervening on our behalf, the only path forward at that point is US citizens marching on DC and forcibly removing the offending party ourselves.

 

[Long Dark Blues]

Revolution.

 

[Popsaregood230]

The system is working exactly as intended.

 

[Source]

Sadly not much. We all know Pam Bondi won't prosecute herself.

The only meaningful venue to hold Trump's DOJ accountable is Congress. They would have to either impeach Pam Bondi, or drag her into Congress to testify and hold her in contempt.

Will they do this? I don't have much faith.

She can be impeached by congress. Which is a likely scenario if the midterms turn over congress to the dems.

 

[Alpha_T83]

She can be impeached by congress. Which is a likely scenario if the midterms turn over congress to the dems.

Supposedly Congress is mulling over impeaching Todd Blanche, Pam Bondi's deputy AG.

It's an interesting strategy. It's less of a direct attack on Trump, who might lash out to protect Bondi. Whereas if Trump & Bondi feel like the DOJ screwed up too much, they might be willing to cut Todd Blanche loose and blame him for the botched release of the files.

 

[cincymma79]

lol, no.

It's just Trump trying to protect his own ass. He can't reveal too much about other Epstein abusers, because it has been implied that there are copies of at least some of the Epstein files outside of government control. For example, if Trump burns Bill Clinton and the DOJ prosecuted him, Clinton could release his own copies of damning evidence on Trump to the media. Mutually assured destruction.

if they had anything real on trump they’d have already played that card.

 

[Alpha_T83]

if they had anything real on trump they’d have already played that card.

I'm not really convinced that's true. I think not only Bill Clinton, but other powerful Democrat donors are implicated in the files, and Trump was threatening them the same way they are threatening him.

It's mutually assured destruction.

What the Democrats are doing is playing a politics game in the media, harping on Trump not releasing the Epstein files. But in reality the democrats don't want the full files released, but they still have to play the game to make Trump look bad, because Trump controls the government and the Epstein files are still being covered up. It creates a lose-lose situation for Trump: Either he buries himself by releasing the files, or he commits an obvious cover-up. And he can't even burn the democrats like Clinton, because they will release their version of the files.

It's slimeball DC politics, but the Democrats are playing a smart game to make Trump & Republicans look bad, no matter what they do. The best choice for Republicans (who I think are "less implicated" in the files) would be to collectively say "fuck Donald Trump" and release all the files to the media and burn Trump, Clinton, and every other powerful political donor in the files. This would be a bomb, but it would benefit the republicans overall.

But then they would need to be willing to cut ties with Trump, impeach him, and force him out of office.

 

[cincymma79]

I'm not really convinced that's true. I think not only Bill Clinton, but other powerful Democrat donors are implicated in the files, and Trump was threatening them the same way they are threatening him.

It's mutually assured destruction.

What the Democrats are doing is playing a politics game in the media, harping on Trump not releasing the Epstein files. But in reality the democrats don't want the full files released, but they still have to play the game to make Trump look bad, because Trump controls the government and the Epstein files are still being covered up. It creates a lose-lose situation for Trump: Either he buries himself by releasing the files, or he commits an obvious cover-up. And he can't even burn the democrats like Clinton, because they will release their version of the files.

It's slimeball DC politics, but the Democrats are playing a smart game to make Trump & Republicans look bad, no matter what they do. The best choice for Republicans (who I think are "less implicated" in the files) would be to collectively say "fuck Donald Trump" and release all the files to the media and burn Trump, Clinton, and every other powerful political donor in the files. This would be a bomb, but it would benefit the republicans overall.

But then they would need to be willing to cut ties with Trump, impeach him, and force him out of office.

the files are looking like what i said a long time ago. it’s a mess of nothing useful. there’s no list of bill clinton likes hand jobs from colombian 13 year olds type stuff, just a zillion people who knew him and were at parties where he was. clinton did have him at the white house though. i’d argue the giver that’s him to get people together they didn’t want to be seen making deals directly with. more or less this

 

[Alpha_T83]

the files are looking like what i said a long time ago. it’s a mess of nothing useful. there’s no list of bill clinton likes hand jobs from colombian 13 year olds type stuff, just a zillion people who knew him and were at parties where he was. clinton did have him at the white house though. i’d argue the giver that’s him to get people together they didn’t want to be seen making deals directly with. more or less this

It's either one or the other. Either so many powerful people are implicated and it's mutually assured destruction, or there isn't sufficient evidence to charge anyone.

I'm not sure the latter is true, given that Epstein was a notoriously diligent records keeper.

 

[nonoob]

if they had anything real on trump they’d have already played that card.

Politicians on both sides are likely on countless felonious videos, as well as the (cough cough) "Royal Prints".

They ARE, Always Have Been & Will Be, ABC agencies protected...Untouchable.​

 

[cincymma79]

Politicians on both sides are likely on felonious videos, as well as the (cough cough) "Royal Prints".

They Remain, As They Always Are...Untouchable.​

shit some people are on that list and the diddy one

 

[kflo]

the files are looking like what i said a long time ago. it’s a mess of nothing useful. there’s no list of bill clinton likes hand jobs from colombian 13 year olds type stuff, just a zillion people who knew him and were at parties where he was. clinton did have him at the white house though. i’d argue the giver that’s him to get people together they didn’t want to be seen making deals directly with. more or less this

How can we comment on what the files are “looking like”? We aren’t getting the files…..

 

[Why did you]

How can we comment on what the files are “looking like”? We aren’t getting the files…..

Thats not correct. We got the files

 

[cincymma79]

How can we comment on what the files are “looking like”? We aren’t getting the files…..

you’ve read th hundreds of thousands released or are you utterly full of shit like normal

 

[kflo]

you’ve read th hundreds of thousands released or are you utterly full of shit like normal

so you think we have a complete sense of what’s in the files based on what’s been released? I mean, cmon. Be real. You think we have a good representative sample???

Are you good with whats been released? Satisfied?

 

[cincymma79]

so you think we have a complete sense of what’s in the files based on what’s been released? I mean, cmon. Be real. You think we have a good representative sample???

Are you good with whats been released? Satisfied?

so you’re saying you like farts

 

[kflo]

so you’re saying you like farts

Are you drunk?

 

[cincymma79]

Are you drunk?

what document wasn’t released that you want? how many of the the hundreds of thousands have your read so far?

 

[kflo]

what document wasn’t released that you want? how many of the the hundreds of thousands have your read so far?

I want them all released. I want to see the unredacted documents. Seriously. How are you ok with them NOT releasing thousands of documents? Or fully redacting hundreds, violating the law?

You’re asking what documents weren’t released? That’s not a serious question. We don’t know what documents haven’t been released or what’s in them or why they weren’t released. We don’t know why hundreds of docs have been fully redacted. How can you be comfortable with what HASN’T been released when you have no idea what’s in them or why they are being withheld?

 

[cincymma79]

I want them all released. I want to see the unredacted documents. Seriously. How are you ok with them NOT releasing thousands of documents? Or fully redacting hundreds, violating the law?

You’re asking what documents weren’t released? That’s not a serious question. We don’t know what documents haven’t been released or what’s in them or why they weren’t released. We don’t know why hundreds of docs have been fully redacted. How can you be comfortable with what HASN’T been released when you have no idea what’s in them or why they are being withheld?

none of this is an answer