Posted by Skye on December 4, 2025, 9:17 am Valued Poster
Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) tore into President Donald Trump's recent string of pardons for powerful and well-connected criminals and criminal defendants — and suggested there is something much more sinister going on below the surface.
Specifically, he argued to MS NOW's Chris Hayes on Wednesday, there is a whole lobbying network at play that has set up a cash-for-pardons pipeline to the White House.
"I mean, he has made a series of what would seem to be audaciously politically toxic pardons," said Hayes. "I mean, a man convicted and sentenced for 40 years for trafficking cocaine into the U.S., someone convicted of an enormous fraud enterprise and defrauding investors. I think today he's now pardoning someone who is indicted by his own Justice Department this July. And when he's asked about it, he says, I don't know who they are. What are we supposed to make of that?"
"Yeah, I mean, my sense is that somebody is getting rich ultimately, that there is a cabal of administration officials and MAGA-friendly lobbyists that are in league together," said Murphy. "They all huddle together at these elite restaurants and clubs in Washington, D.C. and they likely hatch deals in which if somebody pays a MAGA-affiliated lobbyist a couple hundred thousand dollars, then maybe you'll be able to get a pardon and somehow, you know, that deal will be consummated down the line."
"The Binance owner, the owner of one of these big crypto companies, was pardoned," said Murphy. "And this is a bad, bad guy. He pled guilty. I mean, it wasn't like he was contesting the charges. He had essentially set up a company that was being used to launder money for terrorists and for child sex predators, and he got a pardon pretty explicitly because his company had chosen to give Trump's crypto coin advantage in the marketplace."
"And remember, that's not just Trump making money," he added. "That's anybody that gets inside information from Trump on when he's going to boost the cryptocurrency. If they get just two minutes notice of that, they can make millions of dollars and so on. The cryptocurrency stuff, there's clearly a whole group of people around him that are making millions of dollars, and they're handing out favors to folks in the form of pardons in order to make sure that they get their pockets lined."
"I mean, that's like just bread and butter corruption," said Murphy. "And it's kind of wild that Trump doesn't know anything about it, that it's happening behind his back."
Russian presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev, U.S. President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner attend a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, December 2, 2025.
President Donald Trump's son-in-law likely broke the law this week, one analyst wrote Wednesday.
Jared Kushner traveled to Moscow on Tuesday to participate in high-stakes foreign policy negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin over a potential peace deal with Ukraine. The U.S. delegation consisted of Kushner, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, and an interpreter.
"Kushner’s participation in the Moscow meeting — and the similar role he played in the Gaza negotiations — likely violates the law," wrote Judd Legum for Popular Information.
As a representative of the Trump administration, he technically qualifies as a Special Government Employee — a designation that requires specific legal guidelines.
However, "Trump has not named Kushner an SGE," noted Legum, even though a 1977 Department of Justice opinion suggests that performing governmental functions under presidential direction can constitute an official capacity.
"Here, Kushner is engaged in activities that can only be conducted by government officials," wrote Legum.
Private citizens are banned from unauthorized foreign negotiations under the Logan Act. Furthermore, accepting payments from foreign governments is restricted under the Foreign Emoluments Clause. But since leaving the White House four years ago, Kushner has raised nearly $5 billion for his private equity firm. Nearly 99% of that funding has come from foreign sources.
"As a de facto SGE with substantial authority, the Foreign Emoluments Clause of the Constitution prohibits Kushner from accepting 'any present, Emolument, Office, or Title, of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince, or foreign State,' noted Legum.
The Saudi government pays Kushner about $25 million a year, while other investors, such as the governments of Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, pay up to 2% a year.
"Kushner is continuing to collect these fees as he serves in a top foreign policy role for the Trump administration. This is precisely the kind of behavior the Foreign Emoluments Clause was designed to prevent," he said.
Kushner notably pledged last year that he would not resume a foreign policy role in a potential second Trump administration. He stressed his commitment to being a private investor and keeping away from governmental affairs."
The GOP Congress approved his appointments like he and they are all honorable. The felon lives down to why hw is an unrepentant convicted felon.
Look at the number and locations of illegal judges and prosecutors he appointed. Every appointment he made needs to be reviewed and removed.You can look away from a painting, but you can't listen away from a symphony
Where is the outrage?
Posted by Skye on December 4, 2025, 2:04 pm, in reply to "It takes one to know one" Valued Poster
I'm having a really hard time forgiving all those who continue to allow, ignore or justify these criminals who rape, steal, tear down, and destroy this country and the rule of law, while calling law-abiding people "garbage."
You can't forgive those who refuse to repent, and continue their criminal misconduct
Posted by Pikes Peak 14115 on December 4, 2025, 5:13 pm, in reply to "Where is the outrage?" ADMIN
Criminal because they trample rights of other in pursuit of their so called goals and enrichment. That's why we have laws.
This president and THIS administration through Pjct 2025 is weaponiziing their control of government into the biggest organized crime organization in history. Those who go along with him and it aid and abett their criminal misconduct, and are themselves criminals, or crime enablers.
I realized he is what an EBD child becomes when they don't have proper intervention in school during childhood.
He was expelled as a first grader from NY public school. Expulsion of young children that age is very rare, and indicates he was an incorrigible danger to other children.
He was probably a biter.
The military boarding school to which he was removed likely had almost no special education program, so he learned to threaten, intimidate, and bully other children. The behavior was either tolerated, or punished with severe and ineffective intervention. Instead of correcting his misbehavior, intervention made it worse.
I understand son Baron became an outcast at NYU for his fondness for talking about torturing small animals. EBD inherited from his father, and possible Melania too. I believe she is a psychopath too. You can look away from a painting, but you can't listen away from a symphony
on December 4, 2025, 9:17 am
