The fallout from Trump’s assault on democracy is obviously at the top of our concerns as he is metaphorically dragged kicking and screaming from the White House but let’s not forget about the rampant corruption during his term.
CREW put together some nice graphics illustrating what we know about. (There is likely a whole lot we don’t…)
To think Republicans had the nerve to push bogus corruption scandals around “the appearance of conflict” when wealthy people gave money to Clinton’s global charity even as they cheered on this criminal in the White House pocketing every dime he could steal.
I don’t know if there will ever be an accounting for his corruption. Probably not. And it’s hard to imagine anyone quite this crudely corrupt seizing power any time soon. (They’ll be more discreet in the future.) But I do know that it will serve to tie Democrats in knots because Republicans will gleefully and smugly hold Democrats to a previously unarticulated standard, and calling them hypocrites if they try to explain that. Allies will attack them as well, making it clear that they should always foresee changing standards and hold themselves to them in advance. Republicans will benefit from Trump’s corruption and Democrats will pay the price.
On the other hand, having one party that is held to ethical standards is better than none.
Update — Speaking of corruption:
An associate of Rudy Giuliani told a former CIA officer a presidential pardon was “going to cost $2m”, the New York Times reported on Sunday in the latest bombshell to break across the last, chaotic days of Donald Trump’s presidency.
The report detailed widespread and in some cases lucrative lobbying involving people seeking a pardon as Trump’s time in office winds down. The 45th president, impeached twice, will leave power on Wednesday with the inauguration of Joe Biden.
The former CIA officer John Kiriakou, who was jailed in 2012 for leaking the identity of an operative involved in torture, told the Times he laughed at the remark from the associate of Giuliani, the former New York mayor who as Trump’s personal attorney is reportedly a possible pardon recipient himself.
“Two million bucks – are you out of your mind?” Kiriakou reportedly said. “Even if I had two million bucks, I wouldn’t spend it to recover a $700,000 pension.”
An associate of Kiriakou reported the conversation to the FBI, the Times said.
This is legal, apparently. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t corrupt.