Trump hit with new election charges in Georgia

41-count indictment includes 18 other defendants

Also in today’s ‘Regular Order’ for August 15, 2023:

• House GOP tries to plot spending strategy.

• Biden takes flak for ‘No comment’ on Hawaii damage.

• Alabama judges review new Congressional map.

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GEORGIA. Former President Donald Trump and 18 others were charged last night with engaging in a ‘criminal enterprise’ to illegally overturn the results of the 2020 election in the state of Georgia. It is the fourth indictment of Trump this year - an absolutely unprecedented political and legal situation. You can read the indictment at this link.

• DEFENSE. Led by the Speaker of the House, a group of Trump die-hards in Congress denounced the latest indictment and tried to lay some of the blame on President Biden. "Now a radical DA in Georgia is following Biden’s lead by attacking President Trump," said Speaker Kevin McCarthy. "He did nothing wrong," Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) said of Trump.

• PEACH STATE. GOP lawmakers in Congress from Georgia savaged the charges against Trump, as well as the local prosecutor. "Fani Willis is giving Stacey Abrams a run for her money with this shameless quest for fame and fortune," said Rep. Mike Collins (R-GA). "She must be removed, disbarred, and prosecuted for a criminal conspiracy of her own," said Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA).

• PERFECT CALL. One charge covers Trump's Jan. 2, 2021 phone call where he pressured Georgia elections officials to give him enough votes to win. "All I want to do is this," Trump said. "I just want to find 11,780 votes.” Prosecutors listed 13 different Trump lies from that phone call, part of his firehose of false claims of election fraud in 2020.

• BIG NAMES. Also indicted last night were well known Trump allies like Rudy Giuliani, former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, and Trump lawyer Sidney Powell of 'Kraken' fame. Former Georgia GOP Chair David Shafer was also hit with felony charges related to the fake GOP electors from that state.

• MIKE ROMAN. One name popped up in the Georgia indictment which is very familiar on Capitol Hill - Trump operative Mike Roman. Roman was involved in the fake GOP elector scheme on a national scale, helping to coordinate that work in a series of states where Trump wanted to overturn the 2020 election.

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DEMS. For Democrats, the charges against Trump and his allies were long overdue. "This latest indictment details how Mr. Trump led a months-long plot pushing the Big Lie to steal an election, undermine our democracy, and overturn the will of the people of Georgia," said the top two Democrats in Congress, Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY).

• ATLANTA. Georgia Democrats blasted Trump. "The failed former President attempted to disenfranchise Georgia voters because he didn’t like the result," said Rep. Nikema Williams (D-GA). "Now, Donald Trump is facing the consequences of his actions. Too bad for him, in Fulton County we apply the law equally to everyone.”

• DATE. The Georgia indictment alleges that Trump was planning to claim voter fraud even before Election Day 2020. "On or about October 31, 2020, DONALD JOHN TRUMP discussed a draft speech with unindicted co-conspirator Individual 1…that falsely declared victory and falsely claimed voter fraud."

• CO-CONSPIRATORS. The federal Jan. 6 indictment had six unnamed co-conspirators. This Georgia indictment has thirty - yes, 30 - unindicted co-conspirators who are not identified. That should prompt a lot of guessing online in the coming days and weeks.

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REMINDER. All of what you just read is not normal. One indictment of a former President would be a really big deal. Instead, we have now had four indictments of Donald Trump - five if you want to count the superseding indictment in the classified materials case. And somehow, Trump remains the overwhelming favorite in the GOP race for President in 2024.

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SPENDING. In a conference call for House Republicans last night, Speaker Kevin McCarthy acknowledged to GOP lawmakers that work won't be finished by September 30 on a dozen government funding bills for Fiscal Year 2024. That means Congress will need to approve a temporary funding plan before October 1 to avoid a government shutdown.

• STOPGAP. Frankly, I have no idea how McCarthy is going to push through a temporary funding plan to avert a shutdown. I find it hard to believe that Freedom Caucus members will agree to that, and it will mean that McCarthy will need support from Democrats - which could cause GOP dissension.

• FISCAL MADNESS. The reality did not sit well with some Republicans. "It’s clear President Biden and Speaker McCarthy want a government shutdown, so that’s what Congress will do after we return in September," said Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-TX). "Everyone should plan accordingly."

• SUMMER BREAK. I have no sympathy for lawmakers in either party on this spending situation. The House left town on July 29, and isn't due back on Capitol Hill until September 12. When you take off six weeks, you don't get your work done, and that includes passing the dozen bills to fund the government.

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HAWAII AID. Some Republicans are starting to use the recovery needs after the wildfires in Hawaii to attack President Biden's call for more military aid in Ukraine. "It's unfortunate to see an American President continue to prioritize sending aid to foreign countries," said Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL).

• AID. The President last week asked for $12 billion to refill FEMA's Disaster Relief Fund. That was packaged with $24 billion in aid for Ukraine and $4 billion for resources along the southern border with Mexico. It's still not clear how House GOP leaders will handle that supplemental spending plan.

• NO COMMENT. Meanwhile, Republicans ridiculed Biden for telling reporters 'no comment,' when asked about the Hawaii recovery situation on Sunday. "How could the President of the United States not have a comment on the unfolding tragedy there?" said Rep. Wesley Hunt (R-TX).

• BRIEFING. The White House bristled at such criticism, noting the repeated briefings Biden has had over the past four days from FEMA officials who are in Hawaii. "You’ll hear from the President," said White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre. "You’ve heard from him already on Thursday."

• DISASTER POLITICS. Remember - any natural disaster can have political implications. It can be a lack of needed aid. A President throwing paper towels into a crowd. Or a seemingly disinterested comment, too.

• BADGER STATE. Any remarks by Mr. Biden on Hawaii today will come as the President goes to Wisconsin, where he will tout the clean energy manufacturing gains under the Inflation Reduction Act.

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NOMINATIONS. Pentagon leaders and Democrats slammed Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) on Monday, as another top military position went vacant, with the scheduled retirement of the Navy's top officer. "Three of our military services are operating without Senate confirmed leaders," said Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. "This is unprecedented, it is unnecessary, and it is unsafe."

• TUBERVILLE. The Alabama Republican has been blocking all military nominations and senior officer promotions for months, angered by new rules which give women active-duty soldiers time off and travel money if they need to get abortion services.

• SENATE DEMS. "His culture war plays are impeding the U.S. military's real-world ability," said Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI). "It's past time the former football coach ends this reckless blockade."

• HOUSE DEMS. "The only service Tommy Tuberville knows is to himself," said Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ). "He’s playing political games with our national security – that’s unacceptable."

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YELLOWHAMMER. A special three judge panel heard arguments in Alabama on Monday on a new Congressional district map produced by the GOP-led state legislature. The map does not follow the orders of the U.S. Supreme Court, which ruled that Alabama must have two Black-majority districts. Lawmakers approved only one.

• DEMS. "It's very obvious that the judges were kind of frustrated with the state of Alabama in the legislature for not necessarily complying with their order and their guidance," said Alabama House Democratic Leader Anthony Daniels. "They chose defiance over compliance."

• JUDGES. The judges - two appointed by Trump, and one by Clinton - did not like the new map from the legislature. News organizations reported that U.S. District Judge Terry Moorer all but accused the state legislature of 'deliberately' disregarding court orders to draw two Black majority districts.

• GOP. More than anything else, Republicans in the state legislature are avoiding a decision on which GOP lawmaker in Congress is going to get pushed overboard. There are six Republicans in the state's delegation - one of them will likely get thrown into a district that's drawn to elect a Democrat.

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SOCIAL MEDIA. Sometimes, members of Congress can make a pithy post on social media which gets a lot of applause and laughter. Other times, lawmakers say something which is roundly ridiculed. That's where we find Rep. Jeff Duncan (R-SC), who took a shot at former Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan of Georgia on Monday.

• DUNCAN. "The fake Geoff Duncan from Georgia is making the news again," Rep. Jeff Duncan of South Carolina tweeted, assuring everyone it was not him. "Here's how you tell us apart," the Congressman said. "I'm conservative and support Donald Trump."

• EN FUEGO. The replies were just deadly for Rep. Jeff. "So the one who ain't a traitor is testifying," one person wrote. "We'd never mistake him for you," added another. "Oh you mean the one with a spine," remarked a third poster.

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HACKING. Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE) said Tuesday that he had been notified by the FBI that his personal and campaign email accounts were hacked by China earlier this year. "The CCP hackers utilized a vulnerability in the Microsoft software," Bacon said, noting that the hack did not occur because of a 'user error.'

• DEETS. If there was another member of Congress who fell victim to the same hack, Bacon did not reveal that in a pair of tweets last night. He simply said, 'there were other victims in this cyber operation,' as he blamed the Communist Chinese regime.

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RAP SHEET. An Illinois man has been sentenced to 12 months in prison for his actions on Jan. 6. 61-year-old James McNamara attacked police officers outside as they dealt with rioters, and then used a bike rack to try to crash through a set of doors to get into the Capitol.

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MUSE OF HISTORY.  August 15, 1973.  Hours after a special Senate panel wrapped up extensive hearings on the Watergate scandal, President Nixon told Americans it was time to move on.  In a speech from the Oval Office, Nixon said the 'backward looking obsession with Watergate is causing this nation to neglect matters of far greater importance to all of the American people.'  Nixon cast himself as having no advance knowledge of the Watergate break-in or efforts to cover it up.  He would resign August 9, 1974.

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LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM:

The House next has votes on September 12.

The Senate next has votes on September 5.

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Email me at jamiedupree@substack.com

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