memeorandum: David Weiss Is a Direct Witness to the Crimes on Which He Indicted Alexander Smirnov (emptywheel)

3:20 PM ET, February 17, 2024

Top Items:

Trump Allies Plan New Sweeping Abortion Restrictions — His supporters are seeking to attack abortion rights and abortion access from a variety of angles should he regain the White House, including using a long-dormant law from 1873. — Allies of former President Donald J. Trump and officials …

Discussion: UPI, New York Magazine, Diane Ravitch's blog, DNyuz, Associated Press, Democrats, Forbes, Mother Jones, The Hill, Bloomberg, New Republic, USA Today, Politico, Digby's Hullabaloo, Mediaite, NBC News and HuffPost

Erica Orden / Politico:

Can Trump pay? What if he doesn't? Here's what to know about Trump's massive civil judgments. — He's now on the hook for nearly a half-billion dollars across three civil cases. These are the rules for when and how he must pay. — NEW YORK — A seven-figure verdict, an eight-figure verdict and, now, a nine-figure verdict.

Discussion: PoliticusUSA, New York Daily News, Joe.My.God., Lawyers, Guns & Money, Raw Story, The Hill, DNyuz, Mock Paper Scissors, Associated Press, Business Insider, BizPac Review and Political Wire

Dan Pfeiffer / The Message Box:

How to Make Trump's Fraud Verdict Matter to Voters — The verdict in the civil fraud case should cost Trump more than money. — Yesterday, a New York City judge fined Donald Trump more than $350 million for falsely inflating the value of assets to secure better terms from lenders and insurers.

Discussion: Bloomberg, Washington Post, Politico, Benzinga, The Hill, ABC News, Business Insider, Breitbart, DNyuz, The Guardian, BizPac Review, Mercury News, The Atlantic, Raw Story, LGBTQ Nation, New Republic, HuffPost, Associated Press and ABC7

Sidney Blumenthal / The Guardian:

Trump's hubris has brought about the downfall of his family's business empire — Even the giant fortune Trump inherited from his father did not stop him from steering the family's dynasty on to the rocks — Judge Arthur Engoron's ruling on Friday concludes the nearly century-long history …

Discussion: Raw Story, DNyuz and PoliticusUSA

James Poniewozik / New York Times:

For Donald Trump, the Recriminations Will Be Televised — The former president's trials aren't being aired. That isn't stopping him from turning them into a political reality show. — The civil-fraud case against Donald J. Trump's businesses in New York, in which he was ordered to pay a penalty of $355 million, was not televised.

Discussion: No More Mister Nice Blog and Althouse

Olivia Alafriz / Politico:

Haley: RNC shouldn't be Trump's ‘piggy bank’ — Yesterday's civil fraud trial verdict, along with interest and his other civil judgments, means Trump is on the hook for over $500 million. — Nikki Haley said she is less concerned about Donald Trump's legal troubles than how the former president planned …

Discussion: Fox News, BizPac Review and DNyuz

Lauren Irwin / The Hill:
Haley warns Trump could try to use RNC as ‘piggy bank’ if reelected

Discussion: DNyuz, Mediaite and Joe.My.God.

Associated Press:
Trump's legal debts top a half-billion dollars. Will he have to pay?

Discussion: Sky Dancing, Raw Story, Associated Press, The Guardian, Outside the Beltway, USA Today, Los Angeles Times, Bloomberg, DNyuz, Slate, Deadline, CBS News, Forbes, The Hill, NBC News and The Sun

Bloomberg:
Zelenskiy Invites Trump to Observe ‘Real War’ at Frontlines

Discussion: Reuters, The Hill, Fox News, New York Post, Radio Free Europe/Radio …, Politico, Modern Diplomacy and The Guardian

Abdallah Fayyad / Vox:
Trump is suddenly in need of a lot of cash. That's everyone's problem.

Discussion: Washington Post, The Hill, BizPac Review, DNyuz, The Guardian, Raw Story and New York Times

Slate:
Trump and His Family Are Fined $355 Million for Fraud—and a Lack of Remorse That “Borders on Pathological”

Reuters:
Trump hit with $354.9 million penalty, 3-year ban in NY civil fraud case

New York Post:

Lyin' expelled ex-Rep. George Santos makes Jimmy Kimmel's ‘wishes come true’ by suing host over misusing Cameo clips — This is no laughing matter. — Expelled ex-Rep. George Santos is suing television host Jimmy Kimmel for allegedly misusing his Cameo clips on his show, The Post has learned.

Discussion: NBC News, Joe.My.God., Trending Politics Conservative, MeidasTouch and Consequence

Amanda Yen / The Daily Beast:

George Santos Sues Jimmy Kimmel for Pranking Him on Cameo — The Republican fraudster wants at least $750,000 in damages. — “Put up or shut up,” former congressman George Santos likes to tell his haters. Now, he's adding late night host Jimmy Kimmel to that list.

Ken Dilanian / NBC News:

National security experts criticize Biden's handling of classified documents — The disclosure that Biden told his ghostwriter he discovered classified documents in his Virginia home in 2017 but did not return them troubles some national security experts. — The controversy …

Discussion: Washington Examiner, HotAir, Resolute Square and New York Magazine

Steve Benen / MSNBC:
GOP suffers ‘most spectacular embarrassment imaginable’ in anti-Biden case

Discussion: Slate, The Daily Caller, Raw Story, New York Post, The Hill, Mediaite, New Republic, NPR, PoliticusUSA, Joe.My.God., New York Times, CBS News and Newsweek

Philip Bump / Washington Post:
Which came first, the Biden age concerns or the coverage of them?

Discussion: Breitbart, New Republic, Fox News, The Daily Beast, Media Matters for America and The Hill

US Department of Justice:

Justice Department Transfers Approximately $500,000 in Forfeited Russian Funds to Estonia for Benefit of Ukraine — For Immediate Release — Estonia to Support Ukraine Using Funds Forfeited by United States After Interception of Sophisticated Military-Grade Machinery Bound for Russia; Defendant in Scheme Separately Pleads Guilty

Discussion: Politico, Euromaidan Press and Bloomberg, more at Techmeme »

Tara Suter / The Hill:

Haley presses Trump to call out Putin amid silence after Navalny death — GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley pressed former President Trump to call out Russian President Vladimir Putin in the wake of opposition leader Alexei Navalny's death, while arguing that his silence is “a problem.”

Discussion: RedState, Benzinga, DNyuz, Politico, Washington Examiner, The Guardian, New York Times, USA Today, New York Daily News, Reuters, National Review and Washington Post

Maura Reynolds / Politico:
'I Have to Say Goodbye. But I Don't Want to Go to Jail.' — One of Navalny's closest friends mourns …

Douglas MacKinnon / The Hill:

Raise your privileged hand if you're willing to ‘fight to the last Ukrainian’ — Hey, what's a million-plus dead and wounded when you live thousands of miles away in a bubble of arrogant privilege? — In August 2023, U.S. officials estimated that approximately 500,000 Russian and Ukrainian troops …

Coral Davenport / New York Times:

Biden Administration Is Said to Slow Early Stage of Shift to Electric Cars — The change to planned rules was an election-year concession to labor unions and auto executives, according to people familiar with the plan. — In a concession to automakers and labor unions …

Discussion: Washington Examiner, The Daily Caller and Electrek

Ryan Lizza / Politico:

‘All Hell Broke Loose’: How Congress Blabbed About Russia's Space Nukes — On Tuesday night, Rep. Mike Turner, the chair of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, showed Rep. Jim Himes, the committee's ranking Democrat, a short statement that he wanted to release.

Washington Post:

‘Star witness’ mostly silent in hearing to disqualify Fani Willis — ATLANTA — A man billed as the “star witness” in the case to disqualify Fulton County District Attorney Fani T. Willis (D) took the stand Friday and acknowledged he exchanged text messages about Willis with the defense attorney …

Ken Tran / USA Today:

Ex-FBI official sentenced to over two years for hiding payment from Albanian businessman — WASHINGTON - A former top FBI counterintelligence official was sentenced on Friday to 28 months in prison for concealing at least $225,000 he took from an Albanian businessperson with ties to the Albanian government.

Discussion: US Department of Justice, Associated Press, Washington Examiner and CBS News