Defend Our Country Weekly:
What to Know for the Weekend
This week, the blockbuster news was that Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) was arraigned on corruption charges. The senator is accused of using his influence to receive bribes, including federal aid, weapons sales to Egypt, gold bullion, and a Mercedes-Benz convertible. Widespread calls have come for his resignation across the aisle.
Meanwhile, concerns continue to mount among scholars, security experts, law enforcement officials, and others regarding the numerous threats routinely made by former President Trump and his allies. Experts are claiming, both in Congress and in reports, that verbal attacks on election workers, prosecutors, and others are creating a security risk.
In other news, ProPublica released another report on the activities of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. Apparently, Thomas twice attended an annual donor summit organized by the conservative political network established by the billionaire industrialists Charles and David Koch.
When it comes to Trump’s trials, federal prosecutors on Thursday accused Trump’s lawyers of trying to employ an arcane law to “intentionally derail” the timing of his trial on charges of mishandling national security documents and obstructing efforts to retrieve them. And Judge Chutkan, who is overseeing Trump’s trial on charges of seeking to overturn the 2020 election, denied an attempt to disqualify her from the case for supposed bias.
Lastly, several lawsuits nationwide are challenging Republican-drawn redistricting maps in several states as Republican officials are being accused of purposely limiting the number of majority-Black districts.
Here’s what you need to know for the weekend:
Main Points for the Weekend:
1. Senator Menendez Pleads Not Guilty to Corruption Charges Amid Growing Resignation Calls
Senator Robert Menendez was arraigned on Wednesday for corruption charges. It is alleged that he and his wife used his influence to pocket hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes. He has pleaded not guilty. The details alleged in the indictment are lurid and almost fantastical, with Mendendez, his wife, and three New Jersey businessmen being accused of directing federal aid and weapons sales to Egypt in exchange for hundreds of thousands of dollars, bars of gold bullion and a Mercedes-Benz convertible.
The senator faces a deluge of calls to resign from his Independent and Democratic colleagues in the Senate and at the local level in New Jersey. Dozens of his Democratic colleagues in the Senate have called for him to step down.
Some Republicans, meanwhile, have defended Menendez. Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) urged him not to resign, even making false claims that the U.S. Justice Department can’t be trusted because it had secured two of Trump’s indictments. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) later echoed the sentiment.
On Monday, Menendez declared that he will be exonerated and that he will continue to serve in the U.S. Senate through his term.
- Top point to make: The recent allegations against Senator Menendez have raised concerns about corruption and abuse of power within the political system. Elected representatives must be accountable for their actions while in office. Cases like that of Mendenez erode the public trust, especially if there are no repercussions. It is vital, therefore, that investigations be conducted when instances of corruption become clear—and that they proceed with transparency and fairness before the American people. Open proceedings can help ensure that public confidence in the judicial system is maintained.
- If you read one thing: New York Times, 9/27/23: Menendez Pleads Not Guilty to Bribery Charges: “Senator Robert Menendez of New Jersey pleaded not guilty on Wednesday to bribery charges, standing before a magistrate judge in Manhattan federal court, his wife, Nadine, seated nearby. About three hours earlier, the Menendezes had held hands as they pushed through a crowd of journalists and entered the courthouse without answering questions. A lone protester shouted ‘Resign!’ Ms. Menendez, 56, also entered a not-guilty plea for her role in the bribery conspiracy, which prosecutors said involved weapons sales and aid to the government of Egypt. In a 39-page indictment unsealed last week, they also described efforts by Mr. Menendez, a powerful Democrat, to strong arm prosecutors in New Jersey in an attempt to influence criminal investigations.”
2. Growing Concerns Over Pervasive Threats and Harassment Aimed at Law Enforcement and Prosecutors Amidst Trump’s Escalating Attacks
Scholars, security experts, law enforcement officials, and others are worried about the effects of pervasive threats from Trump and his allies. Attorney General Garland addressed this in testimony to Congress on Wednesday. He said that while he recognized that the department’s work came with scrutiny, the demonization of career prosecutors and FBI agents was menacing not only his employees but also the rule of law.
Additionally, FBI Agents have reported concerns about harassment and threats being directed at their families. They say angry Trump supporters harass them because of what they consider to be the weaponization of the Justice Department.
Trump has also escalated his attacks on prosecutors who have charged him with 91 criminal offenses, including 17 involving his attempt to overturn his 2020 loss to Joe Biden. Congressman Jim Jordan and other Republican allies are echoing this, along with leading House investigations of key prosecutors. The effect has been chilling: the top prosecutors on the four criminal cases against Mr. Trump—two brought by the Justice Department and one each in Georgia and New York—now require round-the-clock protection.
Just last week, Trump said he would investigate media outlets like NBC News and MSNBC, according to a post on Truth Social. This followed on the heels of his suggestion that Gen. Mark Milley should be executed.
- Top point to make: In a democracy, prosecutorial independence is a cornerstone. Trump’s inflammatory rhetoric and accusations pose a significant threat not only to the legal processes but also to the safety of the professionals involved. Prosecutors have a duty to investigate and, if necessary, bring charges against individuals who may have violated the law, regardless of their political affiliations or prominence. The attacks on prosecutors by Donald Trump and his allies, therefore, are not merely criticisms. They can be seen as attempts to undermine the legal processes and erode confidence in the justice system. These attacks have real-world consequences. To defend democracy effectively, it is imperative to protect the integrity of legal proceedings and ensure that legal professionals can carry out their duties without fear or intimidation.
- If you read one thing: New York Times, 9/24/23: As Trump Prosecutions Move Forward, Threats and Concerns Increase: “At the Federal Bureau of Investigation, agents have reported concerns about harassment and threats being directed at their families amid intensifying anger among Trump supporters about what they consider to be the weaponization of the Justice Department. ‘Their children didn’t sign up for this,’ a senior F.B.I. supervisor recently testified to Congress. And the top prosecutors on the four criminal cases against Mr. Trump — two brought by the Justice Department and one each in Georgia and New York — now require round-the-clock protection.”
3. Legal Battles Heat Up Over Alleged Racially Gerrymandered Republican-Drawn Redistricting Maps
Several lawsuits around the country are challenging Republican-drawn redistricting maps. Voting rights and civil rights organizations say the maps are gerrymandered to diminish the voting power of Black voters.
A challenge to Gov. Ron DeSantis’ redistricting map headed to federal court in Tallahassee this week. Various organizations sued in federal court last year after DeSantis sliced up a North Florida district held by former U.S. Rep. Al Lawson, a Black Democrat. Plaintiffs have accused DeSantis of “intentional racial discrimination.” Weakening Floridians’ voting power on the basis of race would be a violation of the 14th and 15th Amendments. The trial could last as long as eight days and has gone before a three-judge panel.
On Tuesday, the Supreme Court refused Alabama’s request to reinstate a congressional map drawn by Republican lawmakers. The map had only one majority-Black district. Alabama’s request to keep its map was the second time in under a year that it had asked the Supreme Court to affirm a limited role of race in establishing voting districts for federal elections. If this argument were accepted, it would amount to a repudiation of lower-court rulings. The lower court found that the state had flouted its directive to create a second majority-Black district or something “close to it.”
- Top point to make: We have deep concerns for the fundamental voting rights of Floridians. The chief considerations when redistricting should never be political — especially when those political considerations violate US law. The challenge to Governor Ron DeSantis’ redistricting map in Florida, therefore, serves as a crucial test. Hopefully, greater transparency and accountability— which will be aided by this trial — will help correct this situation. The Supreme Court’s refusal to reinstate Alabama’s congressional map, meanwhile, is a victory for voting and for civil rights. Lawmakers must comply with civil rights laws that aim to prevent racial discrimination.
- If you read one thing: AP, 9/26/23: DeSantis purposely dismantled a Black congressional district, attorney says as trial over map begins: “On the same day Alabama Black voters scored a victory in the U.S. Supreme Court, a federal trial opened in Florida in which lawyers say Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis violated the U.S. Constitution by deliberately dismantling a congressional district that favored Black candidates. It’s one of several lawsuits around the country that are challenging Republican-drawn maps they say are gerrymandered to diminish the ability of Black voters to select a candidate of their choice. If successful, the lawsuits could help Democrats as they try to regain control of the House. The focus in Florida is a district that stretched more than 200 miles to connect Black voters in Jacksonville and in the majority Black county of Gadsden about 200 miles (322 kilometers) to the west. DeSantis vetoed maps the Legislature drew, which would have preserved a Black district, and forced the Legislature to approve one his staff drew.”
Expert Voices
Barb McQuade to Salon: “Trump’s comments about the FBI, the special counsel and the judge are beyond reckless. He knows that people listen to his words, and sometimes take action on them. From the pipe bomber Cesar Sayoc to the rioters on Jan. 6, some people hear Trump’s words as a call to action.”
Issue One, in their new report, “The High Cost of High Turnover”: “Issue One’s new research shows that half of the 76 million Americans who live in the western United States have a new chief local election official since the 2020 presidential election. In this 11-state region — which includes two major presidential battleground states as well as a mix of Democratic-leaning and Republican-leaning states and where elections are typically administered at the county level by a single official — more than 160 chief local election officials have left their positions since November 2020.
“This represents roughly 40% of the total chief local election officials in the region, which includes Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming, and where chief local election officials frequently hold titles such as county clerk, county recorder, county auditor, county registrar of voters, or county elections director. (In Arizona, election administration duties are typically split between two officials in each county — an elected county recorder and an appointed elections director. Issue One’s analysis includes both of these positions in Arizona’s figures. In the other 10 states, Issue One’s analysis focused on a single county-level official.)
“The brain drain associated with this exodus is real. Issue One found that these officials took with them more than 1,800 years of combined experience.”
Christina Cauterucci in Slate: “It has become a cliché of the post-pandemic zeitgeist to observe that any pre- or mid-pandemic event feels like it happened just yesterday, and also a lifetime ago. But really—isn’t that the case with the 2020 election and its immediate aftermath? Even though it’s been nearly three years since an alliance of militias, fascist organizations, and white supremacists staged a violent invasion at the seat of U.S. government in order to nullify the results of a democratic election, the wound still feels fresh. That’s in part because many prison sentences are just now being handed down to the rioters, and it was only this summer that Trump incurred federal charges for his part in the attempt to overturn the 2020 election results.”
Suzanne Pritzker, AJ Durrani, and Niloufar Hafizi for Democracy Docket: “Sweeping changes to the election process can have decades-long consequences for communities of color. In the first five years after Shelby County removed the VRA’s preclearance requirement, three Texas counties, including Harris County, each closed more polling locations than all but one other U.S. county: Maricopa County, Arizona. As the population of Harris County, the nation’s third largest county, increased by over 600,000 people between 2010 and 2020, polling locations also have not kept pace with the county’s growth. In 2022, the county’s 782 Election Day locations lagged all but one of its midterm and presidential general elections since 2010. Reactionary measures, such as removing the election administrator or reducing polling locations, ignore the needs of voters whom the VRA was written to protect. Positive, meaningful change takes time — and so does the political will to question single-story narratives and oppose changes that would take us backward.”
Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on CBS’ Face the Nation: “The situation is quite unfortunate, but I do believe that it is in the best interest for Senator Menendez to resign in this moment. Consistency matters. It shouldn’t matter if it’s a Republican or a Democrat. The details in this indictment are extremely serious. They involve the nature of not just his but all of our seats in Congress.”
