Steve Vladeck thread on Jeffrey Clark's draft letter to Rosen & Donoghue

[Nevilledog]

Link to tweet

Tweet text:
Steve Vladeck
@steve_vladeck
What Clark's (insane) draft letter lays bare is what so many long suspected: This was never about *good* legal (or factual) arguments; it was about using patently meritless legal and factual contentions as a thinly veiled cover for overturning the result of a democratic election.

Alex Mallin
@alex_mallin
Here’s the draft letter Jeffrey Clark wanted acting AG Rosen and Richard Donoghue to sign off on to send to officials in Georgia urging them to halt certification of Joe Biden’s election win. Rosen and Donoghue refused. https://abcn.ws/3xgKYtq
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6:55 PM · Aug 3, 2021

Unrolled thread here
https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1422738047263772673.html

What Clark's (insane) draft letter lays bare is what so many long suspected: This was never about *good* legal (or factual) arguments; it was about using patently meritless legal and factual contentions as a thinly veiled cover for overturning the result of a democratic election.






The legal arguments here are simply laughable. The factual claims had by then already been rebutted. And yet, a senior DOJ official (who may have been in line to be the Acting AG) was pushing both, for no other reason than to keep President Trump—who *lost* the election—in power.

You may say "there's nothing new here." But there is: It's evidence of just how far lawyers *inside* the administration were willing to go to effectuate a coup (yes, it would've been an "autogolpe," but you get the gist). That Clark's superiors shut this down is a relief, but...

...the fact that it even got this far drives home (1) just how close we were to things being even worse; and (2) just how much it was people *inside* the administration, and not just outside, who were trying to prevent the peaceful transition of power from actually taking place.
The draft is dated 12/28.

That's 14 days after the Electoral College voted (and voted for Biden); 17 days after #SCOTUS turned away Texas's stunt lawsuit; and 20 days after the safe harbor deadline for certifying competing slates of electors.

There was no law left; just power.



Don't know what happened to page 4

[RockRaven]

1. I love how it has a "do not distribute" watermark... but it found its way into public discourse.

It's the little things in life, you know.

[agingdem]

2. so Jeffrey Clark and Bill Barr had a lot in common

both "auditioned" for their jobs..appealing to Trump's vanity and his gnawing need for absolute obedience and servitude..may they both rot in a hell ..but what I find as unforgiving is Rosen and Donoghue ... the two guys who supposedly saved us by entertaining and then doing nothing when a delusional Trump harassed them day after day with bizarre election conspiracy bullshit...Rosen lied to Congress on Trump's behalf and Donoghue took notes..anyone have a couple of spare Boy Scout medals for bravery in a closet somewhere?...as for General Milley, thank you very much for recognizing the possibility of a realtime storming of the Capital but why the hell did you not find a camera and scream the truth?...was guarding your career more important than guarding the sanctity of the constitution and our democracy?...I've had it with high praise for these "heroes" when, in fact, the only true hero was Alexander Vindman...

[LetMyPeopleVote]

3. This letter is a piece of shit

The lawyer who wrote is an idiot

[Mr.Bill]

5. It reads like it was written in haste and under duress,

almost like a statement from a hostage. Not far from the truth, I'm sure. I would bet even money there may have been guns in the room, or some threat of violence.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

4. This letter is horrible

Link to tweet

[muriel_volestrangler]

6. Trump and Justice Dept. Lawyer Said to Have Plotted to Oust Acting Attorney General

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/22/us/politics/jeffrey-clark-trump-justice-department-election.html

WASHINGTON — The Justice Department’s top leaders listened in stunned silence this month: One of their peers, they were told, had devised a plan with President Donald J. Trump to oust Jeffrey A. Rosen as acting attorney general and wield the department’s power to force Georgia state lawmakers to overturn its presidential election results.

The unassuming lawyer who worked on the plan, Jeffrey Clark, had been devising ways to cast doubt on the election results and to bolster Mr. Trump’s continuing legal battles and the pressure on Georgia politicians. Because Mr. Rosen had refused the president’s entreaties to carry out those plans, Mr. Trump was about to decide whether to fire Mr. Rosen and replace him with Mr. Clark.

The department officials, convened on a conference call, then asked each other: What will you do if Mr. Rosen is dismissed?

The answer was unanimous. They would resign.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100214990121