Lest anyone doubt that I am a defender of legal counsel, for even the most heinous of criminals, that is not the case. I believe everyone deserves the best defense they can buy or are afforded if not our legal system is a sham. Quoting a setup line from a Larry David [Curb your Enthusiasm] script, “having said that,” legal treachery is a scourge, especially in politics. Being the political masochist that I am, I sat through 10 of the 13 hours yesterday and early this morning of motions, objections, subpoena and witness denials; alternately pounding, shaking, clinching and occasionally raising my fist to celebrate small victories for fairness.
The Trump dream team leaves a lot to be desired. Harvard law professor Alan Dershowitz who has set aside his esteemed credentials on more than one occasion to sniff the jocks of the famous: Mike Tyson, OJ Simpson, Claus von Bülow, and Patty Hearst. As further proof of his evolving mercenary attitude, Mr. Dershowitz is defending Mr. Trump by completely opposing his own views from 21 years ago in the Clinton Impeachment trial. Dershowitz who now fervently says a crime, technical or otherwise, has to be committed to warrant impeachment is in opposition to his own statement in 1998. [Impeachment] "certainly doesn't have to be a crime if you have somebody who completely corrupts the office of president and who abuses trust and who poses great danger to our liberty. You don't need a technical crime,"said Dershowitz.
Guilt by association is an unfair barometer for legal defenders but Ken Starr who was the special prosecutor in the Clinton Impeachment and eventually only found enough evidence to prove adultery and subsequently published what amounted to be an exposé worthy of the National Enquirer. Meanwhile, one of the reasons Mr. Starr’s services are available to President Trump is because of his dismissal as Baylor University president due to his alleged complicity in the coverup of multiple sexual assault allegations committed by players connected to the university’s athletic department. Jay Sekulow, lawyer, evangelical and radio host has been marred by scandals himself; allegedly family members profited personally and professionally from charitable donations to the tune of $5 million. Pam Bondi, former Florida Attorney General has a conflict with Mr. Trump that although legal would probably preclude most lawyers from participating in his defense if for nothing more than appearance sake alone. Ms. Bondi, after accepting a $25,000 donation from the future President mysteriously dropped an investigation into the business practices of Trump University. Later the so-called University was found to be a fraudulent institution and was fined 25 million dollars—mentioning Rudy Giuliani or Michael Cohen would be redundant.
As with most things Trump wrongdoing is explained away with words like “a witch-hunt” and “liberal bias.” I am not surprised that a lawless man would hire a team consisting of people who disregard ethics or directly participate in criminality thereby flouting the law. Sure the hearings are long, tedious, and frankly boring at times, but it is incumbent upon us to let Mr. Trump know we are watching. A people’s democratic/republic becomes a totalitarian state of self-dealing without our eyes.
Vote in 2020 for Change.