Cross-posted from “A Federal Judge Is on the Brink of Criminally Prosecuting Trump Officials for Contempt” by @remington@beehaw.org in !politics@beehaw.org
In a thundering opinion on Wednesday, U.S. District Judge James Boasberg announced that he had found probable cause to hold the Trump administration in criminal contempt for defiance of his orders. It is “obvious,” Boasberg wrote, that government officials “deliberately flouted” his commands by deporting Venezuelan migrants to a Salvadoran prison on March 15 under President Donald Trump’s invocation of the Alien Enemies Act of 1798. And now they must answer for their unlawful conduct. “The Constitution,” he declared, “does not tolerate willful disobedience of judicial orders—especially by officials of a coordinate branch who have sworn an oath to uphold it.”
This is as fast a just court can go. If you want it done more quickly, we’ll need Republicans in Congress to find their spines.
They only have until the 23rd to substantiate their defense before Boasberg charges them. He also states that if Trump’s DoJ refuses to comply, he will appoint an attorney to do so.
Dems too.
That’s assuming people actually turn out to the primaries. At least they’re doing what they can to oppose this compared to the Republican enablers.
And honest, extant primaries.
Congressional primaries are honest, they’re just not attended. The average Democratic congressional primary turnout is ~20%. You know who always shows for primaries? Old people, and lots of ‘em.
Jessica Cisneros did not face an honest primary. Neither did Cori Bush, nor Jamaal Bowman.
They faced a party that is openly hostile to progressives, and one that absolutely plays favorites.
What was the turnout in their districts?
For the primaries or for the general? Which voters are you looking to blame?
You said the primaries were unfair in response to my statement that they are often unattended. The average turnout is ~20% for a congressional primary. The overwhelmingly largest demographic are retirees. I’m asking what the turnout was in the specific primaries you deemed unfair.
Look at the voting records since j20.
I have. What vote are you challenging? The CR was not the leverage people say it was. A shutdown would permit Trump to terminate non-essential workers under the lack of funding portion of his emergency executive order. None of the other votes are problematic in that they passed with simple majority and Democrats have minority.
They did, however, take every opportunity to confirm Biden’s pending judge appointments when Republican attendance was low, prompting Johnson’s push for proxy voting. They also mandated a 15-day vote against Trump’s emergency EO, which prompted Republicans to redefine the congressional calendar to avoid holding. They’re also the ones partnering with the ACLU to bring these cases to the courts, and are now flying to El Salvador to press Bukele into compliance.
They did a lot of public performance, for sure. They also voted yes on confirmation hearings and iirc a couple of other things. But establishment Dems are not our friends. Take what you need, leave the rest.
The ones where they all block voted no, the ties were broken by Vance. Like I said, they haven’t tipped a vote that Republicans wouldn’t have won.
I’m not a fan of centrist Democrats, but there are many progressives in Congress now, and they’re doing what they can to stop this. Branding them all as the worst of them is ignorant.