First, insight from TPM:
Bill Barr’s profound corruption no longer requires explanation. He is unquestionably the most corrupt Attorney General in American history. It is in the nature of Trumpism however that the corruption and bad acting are so widespread that we are left uncertain just why this particular action took place. Something was and apparently is afoot that required Berman’s immediate removal.
We just don’t yet know what it is.
Everyone’s talking about SDNY’s prosecutions of Michael Cohen and investigation of Rudy Giuliani, as probable reasons for Barr/Trump’s “firing” of Berman.
But what if this US.A. firing has to do (as much or more) with Trump himself?
Captain Selfishness doesn’t give a flying fulcrum about Michael Cohen being jailed. He has no love for Giuliani, and is only using him to stir up stuff on TeeVee (CHAOS!!!!).
So, it makes sense to me that this US.A. firing may have more to do with Donny himself.
Donny and another Jeffrey.
Epstein.
Epstein’s death had not even slowed down SDNY’s investigation into his alleged co-conspirators:
After Mr. Epstein committed suicide last August, Mr. Berman announced that the inquiry into Mr. Epstein’s sex trafficking conspiracy would continue and that his office was committed to standing up for the “brave young women” whom Mr. Epstein had abused.
The office has been investigating several of Mr. Epstein’s alleged co-conspirators, and it has been locked in a public dispute with Prince Andrew of Britain about what Mr. Berman has depicted as the prince’s refusal to assist the investigation.
But first, let’s backup in time about 11 years. To a US Attorney for the Southern District of Florida. And to the horrendous plea-deal he made with Jeffrey Epstein at that time.
In 2007–2008, as U.S. attorney, [Alex] Acosta approved a plea deal that allowed human-trafficking ring-leader Jeffrey Epstein to plead guilty to a single state charge of solicitation, in exchange for a federal non-prosecution agreement.
After Epstein's arrest in July 2019 on sex trafficking charges, Acosta faced renewed and harsher criticism for his role in the 2008 non-prosecution agreement, as well as calls for his resignation….
Well, if you keep your mouth shut and do as you’re told, especially as pertains to Donald Trump and friend, you are eventually rewarded. In April, 2017, a mere three months into Trump’s presidency, Alex Acosta was appointed to his cabinet as Secretary of Labor. Acosta is well-known to have swept the Jeffrey Epstein underage-rape case under the Florida carpet, when he was US.A. for the Southern District of Florida.
We all know how people who “do things for Trump” tend to fail upwards.
But thanks to the surviving women of Epstein’s rapes, the #MeToo movement, and US.A. Geoffrey Berman, Acosta finally had to answer for his malfeasance (corruption to protect Trump and others?).
Epstein's arrest and Acosta's resignation
On July 6, 2019, Epstein was arrested by the FBI-NYPD Crimes Against Children Task Force on sex trafficking charges stemming from activities alleged to have occurred in 2002–2005. The search of his townhouse turned up evidence of sex trafficking and also found "hundreds – and perhaps thousands – of sexually suggestive photographs of fully – or partially – nude females". Some of the photos were confirmed as those of underage females. In a locked safe, compact discs were found with handwritten labels including the descriptions: "Young [Name] + [Name]", "Misc nudes 1", and "Girl pics nude".
Amid criticism of his mishandling of the Epstein case, Acosta resigned his role as Secretary of Labor effective July 19, 2019.
Epstein was found dead in his cell at the Metropolitan Correctional Center on August 10, 2019.
Just Wednesday, at a news conference he held to explain his role in the plea deal, Acosta had said he had an excellent relationship with Trump.
After the news conference, which Trump had directed Acosta to hold, the first reviews were lukewarm, according to senior level administration sources. One source close to the president said Trump’s initial reaction was surprised that Acosta did not say more about Epstein’s victims, however multiple sources insist the president did not want Acosta to leave his position.
For more detail, Let’s take a look at AG Barr’s own justice.gov website, shall we?
Alleged Conduct Occurred in both New York and Florida over Multiple Years, Involving Dozens of Victims
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, William F. Sweeney Jr., the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), and James P. O’Neill, Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), announced that JEFFREY EPSTEIN was arrested Saturday and charged with sex trafficking of minors and conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of minors. The indictment unsealed today alleges that, between 2002 through 2005, EPSTEIN sexually exploited and abused dozens of underage girls by enticing them to engage in sex acts with him in exchange for money.
[...]
He committed these offenses in locations including New York, New York, and Palm Beach, Florida.
Labor Secretary Alex Acosta has resigned amid controversy over his role in a 2008 plea deal with accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.
The resignation comes as ABC News has learned that nearly a dozen new alleged Epstein victims have come forward. Attorneys representing other alleged victims in the Epstein case say they’ve been contacted by the women, ABC News' Tom Llamas reported.
On Monday (7/8/19), the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Geoffrey Berman, who is overseeing the case against Epstein for alleged crimes in New York, made a public plea for any additional victims to contact his office.
Geoffrey Berman has gone far beyond anything Acosta even dreamed of doing. He’s scouring the area for EVEN MORE survivors of Epstein’s depravity.
Epstein has had many high-profile people as visitors and acquaintances: Prince Andrew - Duke of York, Woody Allen, Alan Dershowitz, and yes Bill Clinton, among others. I would assume SDNY is at least attempting to interview all of them.
But all that has to happen, is for one woman to step forward to name Donald Trump as her attacker, and his life is over.
Perhaps that’s already happened?
Perhaps the strange timing of this firing is due to the fact that Berman’s investigation had ensnared Donny, and someone then tipped off Trump?
Perhaps SEC Clayton’s #1 assignment would have been to bury any evidence of Trump’s involvement. And to threaten the positions of anyone at SDNY who knew of the investigation?
Regardless……….Rep. Nadler’s list of witnesses for Wednesday’s scheduled testimony of DOJ whistleblowers just got a bit longer.
He’s already invited Geoffrey Berman.
Nadler To Invite Berman To Testify After Barr Attempts To Fire Him In Friday Night Massacre Gone Awry
By Cristina Cabrera
House Judiciary Committee chair Jerry Nadler (D-NY) announced late Friday night that he will invite U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Geoff Berman to testify after Attorney General Bill Barr abruptly attempted to fire Berman.
“America is right to expect the worst of Bill Barr, who has repeatedly interfered in criminal investigations on Trump’s behalf,” Nadler tweeted. “We have a hearing on this topic on Wednesday. We welcome Mr. Berman’s testimony and will invite him to testify.”
More on Berman from Josh Marshall at TPM:
It is important to remember that Geoff Berman is no Deep State hanger-on. He is a former law partner of Rudy Giuliani and a campaign donor to Trump’s 2016 campaign. Indeed, the fact that he ended up being appointed formally by the judges in the district stemmed from the dubious circumstances of his original appointment. Berman served on Trump’s presidential transition team and Trump personally interviewed Berman before agreeing to nominate him to the New York position. The head of that office has jurisdiction over Trump’s literal home turf. It’s a key position.
Saturday, Jun 20, 2020 · 6:12:15 PM +00:00 · AlyoshaKaramazov
And this, from nailbender:
And there’s this, posted yesterday on Law and Crime, noting that an Epstein hearing is scheduled for this coming Wednesday, involving major Trump fluffer Derschowitz. The number of possible conflicts of interest in this situation are more and more, the more you look.
Dershowitz, who was among the attorneys who represented Epstein and secured him a controversial plea deal more than a decade ago, has repeatedly denied Giuffre’s claims, calling her a “certified, complete, total liar.” Giuffre’s defamation lawsuit asserted that Dershowitz’s statements about her claims are knowably false and maliciously designed to cover up his own wrongdoing while discrediting her claims.
Dershowitz has repeatedly denied the veracity of Giuffre’s allegations, insisting that the two have never even met.