Trump accused of another quid pro quo, this time with New York
Category: News & Politics
Via: tessylo • 4 years ago • 73 commentsBy: By Kyle Cheney Politico
Politics
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.
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 is a one-trick-pony. Bully, bluster, blackmail and bribe is all he does.
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.
These investigations have been ongoing bugs
These investigations have been ongoing since tRump has always been a gangster, thief, liar, cheat, grifter, thug, thief, mobster his whole corrupt life.
The only ones sucking ass are tRumps' supporters
These investigations have been ongoing, and ramped up, since it became clear that Trump was a serious threat against Hillary in the 2016 election. The far left Obama prosecutors thought that these lawsuits would scare Trump away from the election, paving the way for an easy Hillary victory.
By your accusations of what you think Trump is, you have far more evidence than even the leftist prosecutors have. Maybe you should give them your proof, or maybe you can be charged with "obstruction".
You wouldn't want that, would you, or are your accusations just plain BS?
No, I favor the truth, reality has always had a liberal bias.
Your opinions only, and have no basis in reality.
they are stuck on stupid.
Did you just type that with a straight face?
So you think the courts dissolving his so called charity and ordering them to pay close to two mil was fake? A wrong endeavor?
Sounds to me like you all are making excuses for what he is doing.
So you think he has a right to withhold things or stop the state from being able to participate in things just for retribution? Or to tell the state to lower taxes?
I swear, there is no line you all will not let him cross.
Amazing how the party of small government has turned into the party that supports autocracy. Never thought I'd see this day.
And they gleefully defend the practice.
Not to mention his fraudulent university - he had to pony up $33 million for that fraud.
And yet they defend him, endlessly.
Plus defrauding charities, cancer charities, children with cancer charities.
His supporters don't even care that his university was a sham from the beginning and that his steak and wine companies had such inferior products that they both went bust.
This gives the left another chance to fail miserably - just before the general election.
They're still getting a raise...how can that be a cut?
DUH!
DUH!
how can the 'best' economy, be in simultaneous 'economic hardship'...?
Democrat playbook that's how. Happens every damned time budgets come up. When appropriations are less than what was asked for, liberals scream "He's cutting (read reducing) their budget" when indeed nothing is being cut as they want you to define it.
We heard this shit when the Benghazi screw up hit the fan. Remember? "But they (GOP in Congress) cut the security budget!!" when indeed it just wasn't as big as they wanted. There was STILL more than the previous year.
What, you were expecting Trump to tell the truth about something?
Talk about cronyism. How are they going to take part of the pay budget to give to a select few? Sounds to me like some will not get a raise in order from several to decide who and when someone would get a bonus. That will go over well. And who decides who is worthy....someones buddy?
You think that doesn't happen in private business? It is not just a public phenomenon.
You really think there will be no cronyism and the money will be distributed to the right people?
I have seen people in authority positions that reward people that shouldn't be and I have never held a public position.
I had to deal with a scenario like that a few years back. Had an employee (or two neither of which were in my direct charge) who, especially on a Friday, say "man I'm ready to go home". Replied "Well why not just go if you aren't busy?" The response was indicative of why I advocate for a fair and honest assessment and putting people on a salary (non-exempt) commensurate with the "contribution" that their position makes in the scheme of things based on a 45 hour work week. The response..............."I have to get my hours in." meaning the paycheck, and not the actual job, was first and foremost. While I understand personal finances need to be a priority, seemed like a waste of their time and the companies best interest.............but, I have always been a bit of a work-a-holic
We know XD - the whole world is based on your experiences alone.
We know Jim - the whole world is based on your experiences alone.
Don't you wish you had some highlights of experiences to share? Of course you do. [Deleted]
Envious of what?
It's not just on FB. It's very easy to google.Trump clearly has been bragging about how awesome "his" economy is doing, while also claiming economic hardship as the reason to reduce the raise that was proposed.
Agreed. Across the board raises don't do squat for the people who work the hardest and perform the best.
I remember years ago, asking for a healthy "out of cycle" raise. I brought proof of how much more work I was performing than most employees, and emails from people thanking me for doing such a great job for them. It worked - but if I had been a Federal employee, that wouldn't have happened.
Stop with the hysterics. Maybe you should have bothered to look up the actual White House statement to Congress. Maybe Fox has made you forget that there are actual journalists out there, who research things.
TDS is a real thing. Trump Denial Syndrome.
He made a personal comment in his statement to Congress that specifically stated he was using that Federal code as his justification for reducing the raise. This means he's claiming that there are national emergency or serious economic conditions affecting the general welfare of our country. Even Trump worshippers can't spin this one any other way.
I got more than a few grand that time.
I've been a government contractor before, and you're right - it is virtually impossible to get rid of bad Fed employees once they're off probation. One of my Feds wanted to get rid of a guy who did absolutely no work (he even bragged to my face that he hadn't done any work in 20 years and wasn't about to start now) - but the process was so onerous that he wouldn't have been able to get his own work done if he jumped through all those hoops.
Then there was the Fed who went out to her car several times a day to fill up her soda cup with liquor ...
But these people get the same raises as the Feds who bust their asses every day.
Sound familiar? Sorry had to..............well not really but hey.
Federal civilian workers make far more than their military counterparts. This is clearly not the way it should be.
They are getting a pay raise, no matter what. Many civilians, not in government, get raises between 1 and 2 percent. The increase for government civilians is only being put in line with their civilian counterparts.
High level Federal employees make less than their private industry counterparts. You're a scientist, or a CIO, or a lawyer - or a high level manager - you can make much more in private industry.
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!
[deleted]
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.
How about all the 1,000's of lawsuits against him?
DUH!
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.
I'm sure you're wrong.
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...