Should Donald Trump Have Been Convicted?

Plus: A single-issue voter asks the editors for some voting advice in the 2024 presidential election.

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Should Donald Trump Have Been Convicted?

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In this week's The Reason Roundtable, editors Matt Welch, Katherine Mangu-Ward, Nick Gillespie, and Peter Suderman debrief in the wake of former President Donald Trump's conviction on 34 counts of falsifying business records last week in New York City.

00:33—Donald Trump's conviction

27:37—Weekly Listener Question

42:11—Recent undercovered stories

50:48—This week's cultural recommendations

Send your questions to [e-mail]. Be sure to include your social media handle and the correct pronunciation of your name.

Mentioned in this podcast:

"Does Donald Trump's Conviction in New York Make Us Banana Republicans?" by J.D. Tuccille

"Trump's Conviction Requires Him To Surrender His Guns. Civil Libertarians Should Be Troubled." by Jacob Sullum

"The Prosecution's Story About Trump Featured Several Logically Impossible Claims," by Jacob Sullum

"First Felon," by Liz Wolfe

"Trump's Conviction Suggests Jurors Bought the Prosecution's Dubious 'Election Fraud' Narrative," by Jacob Sullum

"Trump Jury Instructions Invite Conviction Based on a Hodgepodge of Dubious Theories," by Jacob Sullum

"Prosecutors Say Trump Tried To 'Hoodwink the American Voter,' Which Is Not a Crime," by Jacob Sullum

"The Felon," by Matt Labash

"Chase Oliver: What Does the Libertarian Presidential Candidate Really Believe?" by Zach Weissmueller and Liz Wolfe

"Chase Oliver Is the Libertarian Party's Presidential Pick," by Eric Boehm

"$7.5 Billion in Government Cash Only Built 8 E.V. Chargers in 2.5 Years," by Joe Lancaster

"Biden's Tariffs Are a Bad Idea," by Eric Boehm

"Fauci to Congress: 6-Foot Social Distancing Guidance Likely Not Based on Data," by Christian Britschgi

"'15 Days To Slow the Spread': On the Fourth Anniversary, a Reminder to Never Give Politicians That Power Again," by John Stossel

"The CDC Made America's Pandemic Worse," by Peter Suderman

"The CDC's Guidance for Summer Camps Is Insane," by Robby Soave

"CDC's New 'Reopening' Guidance Will Keep Schools Closed in the Fall," by Matt Welch

"What Ken Burns' New Film Gets Right—and Wrong—About the Roosevelts," by Damon Root

Upcoming Reason Events:

• The Reason Roundtable LIVE! on June 6 in Washington, D.C.
• Reason Speakeasy: Corey DeAngelis on June 11 in New York City

Today's sponsor:

• Hello, liberty lovers! Are you passionate about preserving civil liberties and individual freedom? Do you want to support organizations that uphold these principles but struggle to navigate the complex world of charitable giving? Well, fear not! We have the perfect solution for you: a giving account with DonorsTrust. A giving account, also known as a donor-advised fund, is a simple, secure, and tax-advantaged way for libertarian givers like you to support the causes you care about most. With a donor-advised fund, you can make a contribution, receive an immediate tax deduction, and then recommend grants to your favorite charities over time. Plus, you retain control over how your charitable dollars are invested, ensuring they align with your values and goals. Whether you're passionate about defending free speech, protecting property rights, or promoting limited government, a donor-advised fund with DonorsTrust empowers you to make a meaningful impact. So, join us in preserving liberty for future generations by opening a donor-advised fund at DonorsTrust today. To learn more and get started, visit our sponsor, DonorsTrust, at www.donorstrust.org/roundtable. Take control of your giving and make a difference in the fight for freedom. That's www.donorstrust.org/roundtable. Remember, every dollar counts in the battle to safeguard our civil liberties. Let's make our voices heard together!

Audio production by Ian Keyser; assistant production by Hunt Beaty.

Music: "Angeline," by The Brothers Steve

• Producer: Hunt Beaty
• Video Editor: Ian Keyser

What are we consuming this week?

Katherine Mangu-Ward

• The Committed: a novel by Viet Thanh Nguyen

Nick Gillespie

• The Freaks Came Out to Write: The Definitive History of the Village Voice, the Radical Paper That Changed American Culture by Tricia Romano

Peter Suderman

• Fallout

Matt Welch

• The Roosevelts: An Intimate History

---

Comments

[Dillinger]

>>Should Donald Trump Have Been Convicted?

instead start at the start and let us all know one of you knows what a statute of limitation is in relation.

[VULGAR MADMAN]

Statutes of limitation aren’t a thing anymore.

[mysmartstuffs]

Isn't the OLC opinion is clear that these things are placed on pause during their presidential administration when they cannot be prosecuted?

[A Thinking Mind]

The charges were submitted over two years after he left office, so this is a bullshit excuse. It’s not like they charged him in 2021, they started looking for reasons to get him after he announced he was running for re election.

[JesseAz (5-30 Banana Republic Day)]

That is a false reading of the law. It is when they can't be found and leave the state, not when they know where the person is and can easily serve him. In fact Trump was in NYC often during the running time. Bragg never said he had difficulty finding him

Turn off MSNBC.

[Sevo, 5-30-24, embarrassment]

And grow a second brain-cell.

[JesseAz (5-30 Banana Republic Day)]

Woooaaaahhhh. Slow down. Baby steps for "smartstuff."

[A Thinking Mind]

Also, if that's really the argument, that he's "unreachable" because the President can't be charged with a crime, then they should have served him within days of the presidency ending. They let over two years pass-two years being the statute of limitations for a misdemeanor.

So they let the statute of limitations expire AGAIN before bringing these charges. Maybe there were other reasons they suddenly decided these were charges worth bringing, when they had little interest in them before...

[windycityattorney]

Misdemeanors and felonies have different statutes of limitation. You know this. You also know that Trump was charged with felonies so the appropriate or applicable S O L is the felony version.

We can debate as many people have; whether it should have been charged as a felony but the grand jury indicted on the felonies; he had a jury trial and 12people found him guilty of all counts.

I am also assuming that Trump tried to get the case dismissed arguing it was time barred and that argument was rejected (likely for the reasons above). Thank you for coming to my TedTalk.

[Azathoth!!]

The statute had expired on the misdemeanors BEFORE they were upgraded to felonies. Twice over.

And he wasn't chrged with the misdemeanors.

So there was no extant crime, no predicate crime.

There was literally nothing to hang the felony upcharge on.

From day one.

[JesseAz (5-30 Banana Republic Day)]

They never seem to ask if this case was political or an abuse of government power.

[Mother's Lament (Banana Republic Day - May 30, 2024)]

Because they don't care.

[Gaear Grimsrud]

Adults are back in the room doing adult stuff. Someday you'll understand.

[SQRLSY One]

Adult X-rated stuff?!?! Is that allowed here?!?!?

Under the Trump-dump sail
Over the reefs of monkeyshines
Under the skies of stolen erections
North, north west, the sperms of Spermy Daniels
Under the Arctic lies
Over the seas of slutience
Hauling on frozen dopes
For all my days spermaining
But would Spermy Daniels be true?
All colors bleed to twat-red
Asleep on the ocean's bed
Drifting on empty sperms
For all my sperms remaining
But would sluts be true?
Why, sluts, why should I?
Why should I cry for you?
Dark angels follow my germs
Over a godless sea of sperms
Mountains of endless falling,
For all my sperms remaining,
Twat would be true?
Sometimes I sperm your face,
The stars seem to lose their place
Why must I think of you, Spermy Daniels?
Why must I?
Why should I?
Why should I cry for you?
Why would you want me to?
And twat would it mean to say,
That, 'I spermed you in my fashion'?
Twat would be true?
Why should I?
Why should I cry for you?
Why should I sperm for you?

[Mother's Lament (Banana Republic Day - May 30, 2024)]

Remember to use the spamflag, folks. Ruin his heckler's veto.

[Zeb]

Does it do anything? I used to flag things, but nothing seemed to change. Though it does seem most of the spam bots are gone since the threat of the paywall emerged.

[Bill Falcon]

No...he didn't commit a felony. NY State is a rogue state which needs to be disciplined by free States...removal of all judges who refuse to protect the Bill of Rights would be a good start..

[Kyfho Myoba]

Thank-you.

[Mickey Rat]

The question is more properly framed as:

“Should anyone be convicted under this interpretation of law?”

Whether or not one likes Trump, thinks he is a bad person, or is even guilty of other crimes is irrelevent to whether what Trump was convicted of is even properly understood as a crime.

[SRG2]

I agree. There is no doubt that he committed the acts necessary to find him guilty of what he was charged with, but that doesn't mean that what he was charged with was a crime. I am still undecided on the latter.

[VULGAR MADMAN]

So he was guilty of what he supposedly did, but the thing he supposedly did wasn’t necessarily illegal.

[SRG2]

As apparently you need things simplified:

Bragg states that law is, if you do action X, you're guilty of conduct Y, which is the crime of Z. Anti-Bragg says, you did X so you're guilty of conduct Y, but that isn't the crime of Z or indeed, any other crime. "Guilty" need not refer uniquely to the commission of an actual crime.

[Don't look at me!]

Words no longer have meaning

[SRG2]

Your posts rarely do.

[JesseAz (5-30 Banana Republic Day)]

“Guilty” need not refer uniquely to the commission of an actual crime.

Wut

[LIBtranslator]

"Hillary Clinton has to go to jail, okay? She has to go to jail." -- Trump, June 2016

[VULGAR MADMAN]

What’d he do after that?

[Ersatz]

hmmm no answer to that one forthcoming i guess

[Stuck in California]

There never will be.

He's getting lazier these days, and just going straight for the orange man bad work.

Not that we ever know what the fuck his weird ramblings about comstock and whatever happened in 1932 and 1961 have to do with the price of tea in China. But he doesn't try anymore. Just earns his 50 cents.

[windycityattorney]

This could be in response to Trump denying he ever said 'lock her up.' Which he claimed in a recent interview to Fox News.

Don't believe your lying eyes and ears. If Trump says he didn't say something, you can trust him. Now buy a bible or donate. The billionaire desperately needs your money to defeat the evil global marxists*.

*donated funds may also be used to pay lawyer fees and civil judgments in matters unrelated to the election

[Jefferson Paul]

Yeah, all of these charges have NOTHING to do with the fact that he's running for President. Just ignore the timing of all of the charges.

[DesigNate]

I should have known you were a Hillary fan.

[Stuck in California]

Dude. It was HER TURN.

[JesseAz (5-30 Banana Republic Day)]

What acts were those shrike?

1) NDA are not illegal
2) NDA paid by campaign contributions likely are illegal
3) FEC commissioner said NDAs like this are not criminal.
4) NDA are literally legal expenses.

So what did he do wrong??

[Michael P]

The only fact necessary for a NYC jury to convict 45 of any crime is that he is named Donald John Trump. That's all that SRG2 means.

[SRG2]

And another illiterate clown enters the chat.

As I specifically said, I do not know whether the actions Trump took broke the law. I do know that if Bragg is right about the law, then Trump is guilty - but I do not know whether he's right.

[TrickyVic (old school)]

We do know the financial crime was a misdemeanor and beyond the statute of limitations. We do know a prosecutor applied some questionable jujitsu to get around that problem. Jujitsu that Bragg would NOT have applied to anyone else.

I don't need to know anymore to have a problem with that, including who the target is. I have a problem with this if it was anyone.

[Kyfho Myoba]

What financial crime? The NDA? What was the underlying crime?

[JesseAz (5-30 Banana Republic Day)]

No. He isn't. Even legal scholars on the left say this was a novel construction that distorted the law. Again. USSC vs McDonnell had the USSC already rule on this type of law.

Under your theory courts and prosecutors are never corrupt. Youre an authoritarian.

[EISTAU Gree-Vance]

“I do not know whether the actions trump took broke the law.”

Yeah, that’s kind of the point, not shrike. Fat Alvin and the dems are counting on your ignorance and hatred to cover for abuses of law.

And you oblige quite easily.

[SiliconDoc]

Here here !
They don't care anyway. They would distort and knowingly twist everything to get their two minutes of orange man bad hate conviction, and pretending ignorance is their cherry on top.

[SRG2]

I'm still not shrike, you lying cunt. And clearly you have a comprehension problem. Maybe you too should run for president - that seems to be a qualification nowadays.

[SRG2]

And I'm certainly not going to accept Jesse's analysis because (a) he's a lying cunt and (b) his legal knowledge, as demonstrated whenever he goes over to the VC pages, is notable by its absence.

I am indeed unsure whether in this case almost anyone can be trusted to be reliable about the law. I know that even if the charges were right and so Trump's actions broke the law, Trumpists like Jesse will insist it isn't, and even if the charges were wrong, so those actions did not break the law, the few Democrats here would insist that they weren't - and this is pretty much true about commentators on the left and right, even the legally knowledgeable ones. Motivated reasoning is strong here.

It's an unusual situation. I simply do not know.

[JesseAz (5-30 Banana Republic Day)]

You won't accept not my analysis but almost every legal scholar because youre a leftist piece of soros funded shit shrike. Lol.

Your new defense is the law is whatever the prosecution says it is. Words have no meaning. Precedence has no meaning. Novel and vague construction is valid.

Youre a piece of authoritarian shit shrike lol.

[zhadum]

Which also brings up the question - Why is a self proclaimed genius billionaire hiring bush league lawyers who do so badly that they neglect to even preserve valid avenues of appeal?

[SRG2]

Because they're loyal, and don't require huge up-front retainers? Or in Alina Hubba-hubba's case, the obvious.

[Jefferson Paul]

Perhaps it has something to do with the efforts by the DOJ and attorneys general to go after his previous lawyers.

[diver64]

I've read a number of legal opinions on this trial. It seemed very contrived to me and should never have been brought in the first place. Especially troubling was the behavior of the judge, rulings from the bench and finally the jury instructions where they could find Trump guilty of something he was not charged with and even if 12 of them thought he was guilty of 12 uncharged crimes that was considered a unanimous guilty verdict. Very strange and everyone should be very concerned over this.

[JesseAz (5-30 Banana Republic Day)]

Shrike is a soros acolyte. Bragg is Soros funded. Shrike supports corruption of the law.

[Public Entelectual]

Convicted?

The real question is how he came to be so badly educated.

[Sevo, 5-30-24, embarrassment]

TDS-addled pile of shit finds someone else lacking education? Fuck off and die, asswipe.

[LIBtranslator]

"Hillary Clinton -- I didn't say 'Lock her up,' but the people would all say, 'Lock her up! Lock her up!" -- Trump, in Fox News interview aired three days after his 34-felony conviction.
MAGAts: well, it's not as if he'd been found guilty of free trade-ism, like that ROSS monster!!!

[VULGAR MADMAN]

You’re like a schizophrenic dog with an imaginary bone.

[Mother's Lament (Banana Republic Day - May 30, 2024)]

Imagine Hank's rage if Trump had actually done to Hillary what the Democrats just did to him, for something that wasn’t even wrong let alone illegal.

[VULGAR MADMAN]

You are imparting too much humanity on him.

[Michael P]

Imagine his rage if a NY prosecutor went after Clinton for having a cutout to generate fodder for a federal election campaign, but then accounting for it as legal expenses.

[Gaear Grimsrud]

That would make him a girl bullier. Thank God the 1972 Libertarian party platform prevented that.

[Zeb]

What point do you think you are making, you weirdo?

[Mickey Rat]

Now we don't need to have so many articles deccrying the lack of academic freedom at Harvard with the mandatory declarations of fidelity to DEI principles by new Harvard faculty hires.

https://www.nationalreview.com/news/harvard-faculty-end-mandatory-dei-statements-in-hiring/

"Harvard’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences announced Monday that it is ending mandatory written declarations of fidelity to diversity, equity, and inclusion as a prerequisite for applying to tenure-track positions.

Instead of a DEI statement, a more general “service statement” that “describes efforts to strengthen academic communities, e.g. department, institution, and/or professional societies” will be asked of candidates for FAS."

"“By requiring academics to profess — and flaunt — faith in DEI, the proliferation of diversity statements poses a profound challenge to academic freedom,” Randall Kennedy, a Harvard Law School professor, wrote in an April op-ed in the Harvard Crimson. The title of Kennedy’s article was, “Mandatory DEI Statements Are Ideological Pledges of Allegiance. Time to Abandon Them.”"

[BigT]

is ending mandatory written declarations

interview questions OK.

F Harvard.

[Social Justice is neither]

Just like the racism in their admissions.

[mad.casual]

And, again, student loan dollars will still be accepted and used towards the Transgender Feminist Basketweaving Studies and Pre-Columbian White Supremacy in N. America Critical Theory programs as appropriate.

[The Mysterious Edwin Dunkel]

I'd like to extend my congratulations to President Trump for being the first person convicted in a New York court this year.

[Mother's Lament (Banana Republic Day - May 30, 2024)]

He should have mugged or raped someone while not opposing the Democrats. He'd be out before they even booked him.

[Zeb]

Don't forget the guy with the "ghost guns".

[Chumby]

It should have even gone to court.

[sarcasmic]

I’m surprised it stood up in court. Was there any hard evidence?

[Chumby]

Just from the Act Blue crowd. They were pulling for a happy ending.

[LIBtranslator]

"For what she's done, they should lock her up." -- Trump, October 2016

[VULGAR MADMAN]

Then what did he do, retard?

[Ersatz]

again, no answer to be expected

[Mother's Lament (Banana Republic Day - May 30, 2024)]

Because the senile fuck doesn't know. He just read it on his granddaughter's Facebook page.

[Gaear Grimsrud]

In what way is this statement incorrect?

[DesigNate]

She actually broke the law you fucking imbecile.

[mysmartstuffs]

Yes, that's why 12 jurors found him guilty on 34 counts.

What he did was absolutely a crime and this absolutely shows that nobody is above the law. Sure, trump is a first time convict and usually this doesn't hold any jail time, but what he has done is undoubtedly a crime.

[Mother's Lament (Banana Republic Day - May 30, 2024)]

Twelve jurors found him guilty of no specific crime because that's what your crooked judge told them to do, shill.

"What he did was absolutely a crime"

So what was it then, shill? Tell us all. What was the crime?

[Chumby]

Mean tweets, orangemanbad, and preventing her turn. Also, no new wars.

[Gaear Grimsrud]

Thank you. This behaviour cannot be tolerated in a civil society. Or even in our banana republic.

[Sevo, 5-30-24, embarrassment]

Being Donald J Trump, which to brand-new imbeciles like mysmartstuffs is sufficient.

[sarcasmic]

Trump found that not starting new wars is terribly unpopular.

If elected I’m sure he’ll come around.

What’s more American other than killing people in other countries, other than expressing outrage when they get mad?

Personal attack coming in 3… 2…

[Chumby]

The guys before him and after are good at it. Both Democrats. The previous Republican, W Bush, did start two wars and not only received AUMF votes from Biden but also got Joe to do some campaigning. But yeah, all these assholes did something bad that Trump didn’t but Trump surely next time.

[sarcasmic]

Folks in these comments go out of their way to make it clear that they haven’t changed their minds, learned anything new, or been influenced by anything in the last few years, and attack anyone who has.
And they are the most faithful to Trump.
So I can see how they think he is like them.
They know who they are.
I don’t know why you defend them.

[JesseAz (5-30 Banana Republic Day)]

Talks about other people after crying about personal attacks. Mostly centered around him being wrong for 7 years and the people he hates being right for 7 years.

Classic sarc.

[Chumby]

I was talking about Biden’s long track record of warbonering and military action against other nations versus how Trump didn’t start any new wars. The idea of a potus that uses diplomacy instead of bombs, sanctions, and color revolutions.

But you can talk about other stuff if you would like.

[JesseAz (5-30 Banana Republic Day)]

Cries about a personal attack after making an unfounded strawman about someone he hates.

Classic sarc.

[sarcasmic]

Ain’t you triggered

[JesseAz (5-30 Banana Republic Day)]

Talking about other people after crying about personal attacks.

Classic sarc.

[Mother's Lament (Banana Republic Day - May 30, 2024)]

So then you tell us. What was the crime he was supposedly covering up?

[sarcasmic]

Blah blah blah say hello to my mute button.

[JesseAz (5-30 Banana Republic Day)]

Just plain cries after making himself look retarded.

Classic sarc.

[DesigNate]

Hahahahahahahahaha, that’s some good parody.

[Bill Dalasio]

The jury that included at least one Democratic activist. In New York City. With a judge giving detailed instructions on how to convict.

[Zeb]

Yeah, please describe what the crime was.

[SQRLSY One]

"Was there any hard evidence?"

Spermy Daniels said that there was! Was it hard enough for long enough? I'm not so sure, either way!

Trumpian abortion laws? There will be special loopholes for Trump-and-Spermy-Daniels Love-Fetuses and Trump-Putin Love-Fetuses!!! TRUST me on this one!

Ass Sung by Spermy Daniels, AKA Dolly Hard-On

Joe Lean, Joe Mean, Joe Lean, Joe Mean,
I’m beggin’ you, please don’t take His Elections!
Joe Lean, Joe Mean, Joe Lean, Joe Mean,
Please don’t crush My Man’s Erections!

Your polls are woke beyond compare,
You’re the VERY best at sniffing hair!
Labor unions flock to your door,
Your pork barrels, they all adore!
You tell them what they want to hear,
Bidin’ yer time, to throw My Man out on His ear!

My Man still grabs my pussy,
Along with many another hussy!
Don’t steal my Man’s erection!
Else He’ll sink into much dejection!
I am still His Special Queen,
Specially glazed in Vaseline!

Joe Lean, Joe Mean, Joe Lean, Joe Mean,
I’m beggin’ you, please don’t take His Elections!
Joe Lean, Joe Mean, Joe Lean, Joe Mean,
Please don’t crush My Man’s Erections!

You could have most ANY hair to sniff,
Yet you keep My Man from getting stiff!
My Man, He needs to be pussy-grabbing,
Yet you call His Lies; prevent confabbing!
Joe Lean, Joe Mean, leave My Man alone!
I’m the only, lonely one who needs His Bone!

You don’t know twat He means to me,
He stands on me and takes a pee!
Upon my ancient flower,
He gives a Golden Shower!
To Him, should go ALL Power!
Upon Him, I bestow a blow-job,
To Joe-Bob, He’ll send a snow-job!

Joe Lean, Joe Mean, Joe Lean, Joe Mean,
I’m beggin’ you, please don’t take His Elections!
Joe Lean, Joe Mean, Joe Lean, Joe Mean,
Please don’t crush My Man’s Erections!

HELP me get the word out!!!
#SingItForUsSpermyDaniels

[Mother's Lament (Banana Republic Day - May 30, 2024)]

Remember to ruin Sqrlsy's heckler's veto and use the spamflag.

[Sevo, 5-30-24, embarrassment]

Well, he certainly is guilty of being Donald J Trump, and it seems someone decided that was crime.

[BigT]

With thanks to the Babylon Bee

[sarcasmic]

Wrong question. Should he have been prosecuted is the correct question. Answer is no. Selective prosecution is unjust.

Unless it’s Hunter Biden. Then it’s totally legit.

[LIBtranslator]

"Lock up the Bidens. Lock up Hillary." -- Trump, October 2020
Besides, Hunter wuz... u no... doin' DOPE! Not safe, legal gin and cigarette speedballs.

[Sevo, 5-30-24, embarrassment]

Two spastic assholes supporting each other!

[VULGAR MADMAN]

The laptop has been proven real even after being suppressed by the crooked FBI.

Also the crackhead is going down on gun charges.

[Gaear Grimsrud]

Actually the Biden crime family raked in millions selling influence while you were napping Hank.

[Chumby]

He and Sqrlsy may be “residents” at the same institution.

[damikesc]

Hey, I’m hoping Hunter gets some gun laws struck down as being unconstitutional.

I just do not think he should be excused for crimes under laws his father was a major player in getting passed.

[sarcasmic]

Excused or executed?

[Chumby]

Excused. It wasn’t like he was without his gun trespassing at a public building.

[damikesc]

Excused. I do not think an unjust law will generate any desire to rescind if everybody does not have to abide by it.

[JesseAz (5-30 Banana Republic Day)]

Hunter isn’t selective prosecution. There are dozens who have been charged for lying on gun forms or other government forms.

Try again buddy. This isn’t a both sides.

You know what was selective about Hunter? His IRS issue. His plea deal. Not being charged under FARA.

[DesigNate]

Said no one here.

I do enjoy the schadenfreud of him falling victim to his dad’s shitty crime bills though.

[EISTAU Gree-Vance]

2024 will be a spectacular year for schadenfreud.

[creech]

I should be serving about ten consecutive life sentences for all the journal entries I had to correct over my career. Who would ever want to be an accountant if vindictive prosecutors wanted to throw you in jail because, say, you didn't break out your copy paper expenses from the rest of your office supply expenses?

[Gaear Grimsrud]

The scriviner's error was a defense in the common law. Probably wouldn't work in Manhattan these days.

[Chumby]

Then there was Arthur Anderson…

[mad.casual]

I'd put the number of NDAs I've signed vs. the number I've refused to sign at ~70/30.

Weird to consider every one of them a de facto crime equally.

[LIBtranslator]

The looters over at a site called "Occupy Democrats" released a hilarious version of Trump being dead-catted and rubber-chickened at the LP convention, with infiltrating Utah and Alabama Mises MAGAts stammering in helpless horror. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHCeRP2OETM

[VULGAR MADMAN]

Take your meds.

[Bill Falcon]

There are libertarians and then there are pedos and degenerates who are allowed to be libertarians...obviously it's obvious who is who..

[Mother's Lament (Banana Republic Day - May 30, 2024)]

You're a Nazi, Hank. You're a retarded old Nazi celebrating the death of the republic and the implementation of a totalitarian regime.

[VULGAR MADMAN]

He’s like his hero Soros. He’ll never forgive America for destroying his precious reich.

[Gaear Grimsrud]

Good luck to you and Chase and the party circling the drain into oblivion. Champagne all around when you hit .65 percent. But at least you've got the girl bulliers on the run.

[JesseAz (5-30 Banana Republic Day)]

Looks like McArdle is focusing the LP spending in blue states to give dem voters the liberaltarian option. Of course others in the LP are now upset because she is trying to effect only one party. Like how the LP cheered Chase for upsetting the GOP in Georgia.

[Rev Arthur L kuckland (5-30-24 banana republic day)]

Chase will siphon off 3 votes from Biden. Not 3%, 3 total

[Uomo Del Ghiaccio]

Should Donald Trump Have Been Convicted?

Short answer is No.

Long answer is even though Donald Trump is a repulsive politician who should never become President, Joe Biden is vastly more repulsive and despicable. Donald Trump is far more capable and far less dangerous as President than Joe Biden is.

The Joe Biden regime and cronies have unleashed banana republic tactics or something that Vladimir Putin is often accused of to prosecute and jail their opposition.

I have zero love-loss regarding Donald Trump, but the implication of the actions of the Joe Biden regime and cronies is so monumentally sinister that I'm forced to come to the defense the likes of Donald Trump.

[mad.casual]

Donald Trump is a repulsive politician who should never become President

Even this is rather TDS even by traditionally libertarian lines. Unlike Bill Clinton, he paid a woman rather than exercise questionable authority over an underling. Unlike the Kennedys there was no nuclear standoff or failed coup and nobody wound up at the bottom of the channel just outside Chappaquiddick. There is no parallel between Johnson's policies in the S. Pacific and anything Trump did. It's almost certain that Roosevelt, Eisenhower, Nixon, Truman, Johnson, Biden, and Obama spied on their political rivals, the latter two specifically using the FBI and/or DOJ directly and pointedly, far more than Trump spied on his.

Trump may be a repulsive politician who should never become President, but he's far from the only one and hardly the worst.

[mad.casual]

Plus: A single-issue voter asks the editors for some voting advice in the 2024 presidential election.

Single-issue Voter: Blue no matter who?
Reason: Blue no matter who.

[Michael Ejercito]

The indictment was legally insufficient.

https://archive.md/S0lfa

Nowhere in the indictment does the grand jury specify what other crime Trump fraudulently endeavored to commit or conceal by falsifying his records.

[TJJ2000]

Well No. ...but, but, but Trump, "hollowed out [our] ?public? ([Na]tional So[zi]alist) institutions!!!" DNC platform pg 3 pr4.

He's being convicted of Making America Great Again by the [Na]tional So[zi]alist[s].

Plain as day.

[TrickyVic (old school)]

If hiding things from the voters to win an election is a crime, then the DOJ is colluding with Biden to interfere with the 2024 election since they are denying to release the Biden interview tapes.

[Love to be Wrong]

With friends like Reason, who needs enemies? Why is there so much waffling around whether or not he should have been convicted? The symbol of the US justice system is a WOMAN HOLDING SCALES WITH A BLINDFOLD ON! That apparently was the most important thing the founders of the justice system wanted us to remember. And the Reason staff is like, "Nah, it's fine."

[SiliconDoc]

The woman in the audio is a raging TDS lefty. Hearing her stupid arguments, most of which were not called, was an abomination. We all know the Hunter Biden laptop would have moved 17% of voters according to the polls done, and in the 2020 election far, far less than 1% separated the vote count in the stolen swing states, and very little movement of votes from the lying official count would have changed the outcome.
I can't stand her already because she made blatantly dishonest arguments.
At least the one guy, the second one that spoke, after blabbing out his hatred for Trump, didn't cave in and lie about the case, and instead told the truth of the matter.
There were zero rebuttals to his points.

[SiliconDoc]

Trump had his " Because you'd be in jail." line against Hillary in their debate, responding to her attack that she'd never want Trump in that position of power.
The lunatic lying lady in the audio piece squealed Trump did it first, completely failing the fact that Trump let Hillary off the hook, and it was a throw away line in a debate, not a prosecution.
Beyond that it is beyond clear there was and is ZERO chance Trump could have gotten any movement out of the DOJ or any AG to prosecute Hillary. Recall, the demoncrats screamed Trump was going to pull a Nixon and control his AG, which obviously he never did, since near the entire DC apparatus was already never Trumpers.
So the blabbering idiot lady in the audio mentally farted out Trump did it first, so it's fair game they convicted him - she is that deranged in her brain as she babbled out her lying argument. It's such an embarrassment to have that level of dishonest people everywhere now in political discourse in the USA.

[Real American]

he got convicted for writing "legal expenses" on the subject line of checks to his lawyer.

no. that's not a crime.

[It's only a paper moon, Nominalists]

Logically, this is a Star Court type of question.
I don't deny that lawyers and judges scorn the law, but I do think that saying unequivocally "Yes, he should have been convicted" just means the person giving that answer feels above the law in some way,. And that is what they are complaining about --- It's almost too weird to attack.
"The lawyers and courts and ... are wrong because I am right"

A good step to mental health is to not have opinions about every damn thing that crosses your mind 🙂
I stop at "Innocent until proven guilty" and he wasn't proven guilty as you admit , ERGO ....