Trump accused of another quid pro quo, this time with New York
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Trump accused of another quid pro quo, this time with New York
President Donald Trump appeared Thursday to link his administration's policies toward New York to a demand that the state drop investigations and lawsuits related to his administration as well as his personal business and finances.
Hours before New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo was set to meet the president at the White House, Trump tweeted that Cuomo “must understand” that National Security far exceeds politics,” a reference to his administration’s recent decision to halt New York’s access to the Global Entry and other “trusted traveler” programs that allow New Yorkers faster border crossings and shorter airport lines.
Trump continued, “New York must stop all of its unnecessary lawsuits & harrassment, start cleaning itself up, and lowering taxes.”
Trump’s invocation of “lawsuits & harrassment” was a reference to the state’s numerous lawsuits against his administration and also against Trump’s business, which is based in New York.
That prompted Rep. Val Demings (D-Fla.), one of the House managers who prosecuted Trump’s impeachment in the Senate, to accuse the president of “expanding his abuse of power to blackmailing U.S. states (threatening millions of people he supposedly works for). In this case, he's holding New York state hostage to try to stop investigations into his prior tax fraud.”
State attorney general Letitia James has subpoenaed for Trump’s financial records , and the state is pursuing multiple inquiries about the Trump Organization’s business practices. James also just secured a $2 million settlement from Trump’s now-defunct charitable foundation, which was accused of numerous violations of misuse of funds.
The settlement prompted a sharp rebuke from Trump, who tweeted on Nov. 7 that James’ suit against the foundation was for “political purposes.”
“When you stop violating the rights and liberties of all New Yorkers, we will stand down,” James said Thursday, responding to Trump’s tweet. “Until then, we have a duty and responsibility to defend the Constitution and the rule of law. BTW, I file the lawsuits, not the Governor.”
Trump’s linkage of the investigations and lawsuits to his national security-related decisions involving New York immediately called back to House Democrats’ warning that Trump — if acquitted in last week’s impeachment trial — could leverage federal resources to coerce states to take actions that benefit him personally or politically.
“An acquittal would also provide license to President Trump and his successors to use taxpayer dollars for personal political ends ... Presidents could also hold hostage federal funds earmarked for States — such as money for natural disasters, highways, and healthcare — unless and until State officials perform personal political favors,” the House wrote in its impeachment trial brief . “Any Congressional appropriation would be an opportunity for a President to solicit a favor for his personal political purposes — or for others to seek to curry favor with him. Such an outcome would be entirely incompatible with our constitutional system of self-government.”
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler drew a link between Trump’s tweet about New York and the “quid pro quo” that got him impeached: withholding millions of dollars in military aid from Ukraine while demanding that the country investigate his Democratic rivals.
“Dear @SenateGOP, This is what another quid pro quo by the President of the United States looks like,” Nadler tweeted , pointing to Trump’s comment.
Some Capitol Hill Democrats compared Trump’s tweet to his July 25 conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky when, after Zelensky referenced the U.S. provision of Javelin missiles to Ukraine, Trump pivoted to a request for the country to investigate Democrats, including former vice president Joe Biden, a political rival who had announced a 2020 challenge against him.
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Every one of these "investigations" are nothing more than political hit jobs by butt hurt liberals who still wish they can say "President Hillary".
If Trump is such a bad person, why did NY wait to do these "investigations" after he was elected. He had been a citizen of NY his entire life. It was no secret of what he did as a living.
Going after his taxes are just another losing endeavor that will never happen.
Liberals are already going to take a major hit because of the Russia hoax, the Ukraine hoax and the impeachment farce. Go ahead libs, start another investigation. There will barely be a congressional door with the letter D on it next January.
This gives the left another chance to fail miserably - just before the general election.
STUPID
Good grief ... chuckleheads have such an obsession over quid quo pro/ Trump and don't realize that many US presidents and congresspeople have used the same tactic!
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Trump has lived his life as a serial liar and thief. The con-man in chief always seems to find somebody else to take the fall for his crimes. Since he became president 14 of his close aids and advisors have been indicted or imprisoned. Talk about a swamp!
For things they did before they were associated with Trump. Got anything else?
As far as a serial liar and thief....Where are the charges for his thievery. After all, he has been doing it his whole life, according to you, so charges should have been drawn up decades ago.
Liberal "fact checkers" use their feelings to determine what they consider a lie. Emotions play a large part of the liberal lifestyle.
Anybody can file a lawsuit. Many are frivolous and only money or attention seeking. I'm sure many of those "1,000;s" fit that description.
Sure they're seeking money - money Trump owed them but refused to pay. He knows he can out-lawyer them and they'll just go broke and out of business.
He's like Leona Helmsley. Fuck the little people.
Funny how he seems to lose the big ones, like the $33 million for the fraudulent university and the $2 million for the fraudulent charity. That's the real reason he hates NY and CA so much - they made him pay for his fraud.
But you can't prove I am. Not surprised.
I never said all of the lawsuits are out to simply get money...just because. No one is denying there have been legitimate lawsuits filed.
I said many of the "1000's" of lawsuits may have been simply for money or spotlight. Don't try and argue what I never said.
What is funny is the lawsuits you cited were filed after he became president. Do you think that if he were not elected, and Hillary was, would any of these lawsuits been filed.
People with common sense say no. Most leftists say otherwise.
Trump had been sued thousands of time before he ever became president.
He's a businessman. Most large businessmen do if they are in business as long as he has been.
BTW....not all lawsuits are against Trump. I'm sure you knew that. Maybe just forgot to mention s/
OMG.
Trump could stand on the sidewalk in Times Square pondering whether or not to hail a cab and Democrats would plan on an impeachment investigation based on both why he does hail the cab or why he decides to walk instead.
thought he was looking for 5th avenue...