Now That's a Crime

It has been a while since I have taken to the idea of writing about my opinion.  The reason?  There have been so many things happening so fast, I couldn’t keep up, so I decided to not express an unfounded idea.  And then I thought about that very fact and said to myself, “That is a Crime”!

So, then, that is what I have found myself pondering…crime.

According to Webster’s dictionary, a crime is:

crime | krīm | noun an action or omission that constitutes an offense that may be prosecuted by the state and is punishable by law:  • illegal activities:  • an action or activity that, although not illegal, is considered to be evil, shameful, or wrong:

In the legal sense, crime is categorized as either a felony or misdemeanor.  Felony can be classified differently in individual states, as in Arizona, there are 6 categories of “felony”.  A felony is a very serious crime that, if the accused is found guilty can carry a lengthy prison sentence or even death, in the case of a murder conviction.  Conversely then, a misdemeanor is still a crime but carries a less severity of punishment.

Along with this idea of crime, comes a judicial system that relies on an assumption of  “innocent until proven guilty” which includes the premise of “beyond a reasonable doubt.”

Another portion of our legal system that is paramount is the recognition of “conflict of interest”.  A conflict of interest is a situation where an individual or organization has competing personal, financial, or professional interests. A conflict of interest doesn't mean something unethical has definitely happened, but rather that the potential for bias exists.  However, when these interests clash, it compromises the ability of those in a position to make decisions affecting the public and society to remain impartial, make objective decisions, or fulfill their duty to a third party. 
 
A conflict of interest can be found if a public official rewards a financial gain to a certain class of people with whom the public official may be associated.  It could be in the form of nepotism, as in hiring a person who is a close friend or relative to a job in which they may not have expertise.  It could be a lawyer representing two clients who have opposing viewpoints in legal argument.  Or, it could be someone accepting a bribe from someone or a company to “look the other way”.
 
Because of this, it requires a member of the judicial system, (judges, lawyers, government officials) should recuse themselves from any situation that could be determined to be a “conflict of interest” to maintain the trust of the public.

I have decided to define all of this to demonstrate what is the real point of this article.

The President has dropped his 10 billion-dollar lawsuit against the IRS in favor of establishing a “slush fund” of 1.776 billion dollars to be granted to those who have been unfairly “prosecuted” or “persecuted” if you prefer, by the Biden administration.  What remains unclear is how this taxpayer money will be distributed, how one may apply for “restitution”, and when the distribution will actually take place.  It has been reported that a committee consisting of five people will make the determination of who will receive how much.

When one speaks of a conflict of interest, this situation comes to the top of the list.  Forget that the President’s son in law is now trying to negotiate peace around the world; he has had no previous experience, nor is he an elected public official.  Forget the President has accepted gifts from foreign governments in violation of the Foreign Emoluments Clause of the Constitution (think Qatar jet).  Forget, the President has pardoned over 1500 people judged guilty by a jury of their peers for participation in the attempted insurrection of the government on January 6, 2021.

The conflict of interest in this 1.776 billion-dollar payout is right out in the open, and one doesn’t need to “connect the dots” to understand it.  However, please allow me to do so.

The IRS is part of the executive branch of the government.  The Attorney General, who supposedly negotiated this payout deal, is part of the executive branch of the government.  In fact, the interim Attorney General, did serve as the President’s personal attorney at one time, defending the President in his criminal trial in 2024. 

Who is the head of the executive branch of the government?  The answer, the President.

The President has been video-recorded as he said he knew nothing of the negotiations that took place to set up the payout scheme.  The President has disavowed having knowledge about the entire scenario…yet he is the head of the executive branch of government, and somehow, the President drops his 10 billion-dollar lawsuit in favor of a 1.776 billion-dollar payout?  Is the public supposed to believe the Attorney General did this without the consent of his boss?

Who then is expected to receive money from this payout scheme?  The President has said he will not receive any money, and neither will either of his sons.  But one has to look no further than 1500 hundred people, who were given due process, and justly found guilty for their participation in the attempted insurrection, which, in essence, was an attack on our nation’s government, a crime that could have been considered “treason”, yet pardoned by their Commander in Chief…our President.

Now that is a crime.