Summary

Special Counsel Jack Smith’s report concluded that Donald Trump avoided prosecution for January 6-related charges due to his reelection.

The DOJ determined that prosecuting a sitting president violated constitutional protections, despite evidence strong enough to secure a conviction.

Smith noted that Trump’s return to office directly halted legal action and criticized existing DOJ policies and judicial interpretations, which shielded presidents from accountability.

The report underscores how voters, by reinstating Trump, indirectly prevented his criminal prosecution for actions threatening democratic institutions.

  • kreskin@lemmy.world
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    8 hours ago

    Ah I see it wasnt Merrick Garland and 4 years of not getting a prosecution done. Its as usual all to be blamed on “the voters”. Eff you, Esquire magazine.

    • rishado@lemmy.world
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      3 days ago

      If it makes you feel any better, they would’ve found some other reason if he lost the election.

    • IMongoose@lemmy.world
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      3 days ago

      I actually believe that this is how it should be. If it was a tyrannical government (but it’s not) citizens could vote in a president that was falsely accused or imprisoned (he is 100% guilty of that and much more).

      I do want to clarify that I also believe Trump and the GOP will either destroy or renew (through third party actions) the USA as we know it and if they didn’t constantly break the law this could be a good precedent.

      But the people voted and he got both popular and electoral votes. The people want the grifter. If it turns out low elo meddled with the results, well, see that third party actions comment.

      • Furbag@lemmy.world
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        3 days ago

        I understand the desire of people who don’t want to see accusations like this be used as a political weapon, but the pendulum is swinging too far in the opposite direction here. Trump is using his status as a political candidate and now president-elect to sidestep the judicial process entirely.

        It’s one thing to say you can be president even from a prison cell if the electorate so wills it. It’s another to say that because he was voted to be president, we can’t even put him up for a trial to determine guilt or innocence by a jury of his peers.

        And now we’ll probably never know the answer to that.

        • IMongoose@lemmy.world
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          3 days ago

          It’s a completely fucked up situation to be sure. He was already found guilty of 34/34 felonies he was charged with. MAGA reaction? Put a bumper sticker on their car that says “I’m voting for the felon” right next to their thin blue line sticker. These insurrection charges should have been brought up years ago, but I’m not sure it would have changed anyone’s opinion. Like you said, we’ll never know.

  • GiddyGap@lemm.ee
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    3 days ago

    In the US, if you have money and power, you can get away with anything. Land of the free (If you’re rich).

    • octopus_ink@lemmy.ml
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      2 days ago

      Since finding this 17 year old song linked somewhere on the fediverse awhile back I continue to be amazed how it just gets right to the root of nearly every problem we have. Start to finish, if you are angry at the current state of things (and not a maga), pretty good chance this song nails it for you.

      Welcome to the United Snakes

      Land of the thief, home of the slave

      The grand imperial guard where the dollar is sacred and power is God

      (and it turned me into a bit of a Brother Ali fan)

        • octopus_ink@lemmy.ml
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          3 days ago

          It really does. It’s a banger anyway just based on how it sounds, and ON TOP OF THAT I want to shout every word from the rooftops. I damn near can’t stop playing it.

          Thanks for saying something, I feel a little spammy when I link it sometimes.

  • dx1@lemmy.world
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    3 days ago

    The fact that they didn’t secure a conviction for four years tells you all you need to know. Complete sham. Guilty as sin, but they wouldn’t put him in jail.

    • Podunk@lemmy.world
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      3 days ago

      To be fair, that was not jack smith’s fault. He did his job exactly as well as he was allowed. Blame the system, but in this instance, do not blame the man.

      • dx1@lemmy.world
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        3 days ago

        Why not? He folded up everything as soon as the election was over. What the hell kind of integrity is that?

        • Soulg@sh.itjust.works
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          3 days ago

          Because it was obvious that it would all be thrown out and he would be fired. Nothing would have changed if he kept going. Garland is at fault for waiting years to even appoint Smith.

          • dx1@lemmy.world
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            3 days ago

            Again - what the hell kind of integrity is that? Even if it’s going to be thrown out, you push towards the finish line.

        • Podunk@lemmy.world
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          3 days ago

          He had a job. He did the job. His run down of how things go does not exist in a vacvuum. Where do his responsibilities start and where do they stop?

          He did his job right. The follow-up is on someone else. And they failed. On epic levels. But dont blame him. He already paid the piper. The man gets credit for what he did. His report being ignored is no fault of his own.

            • T00l_shed@lemmy.world
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              2 days ago

              If he was judge, jury and executioner then it’s not done. No he did his job as prosecutor

    • Huschke@lemmy.world
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      3 days ago

      True, if anything he somehow would have dragged everything out until he was bed-ridden at which point he would have gotten house arrest which is laughable considering the size of his mansions.

  • DogPeePoo@lemm.ee
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    3 days ago

    And by “voters” he means democratic city polling place bomb threats, Elon Musk & Starlink, and a 2 year Merrick Garland delay.

  • rayyy@lemmy.world
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    3 days ago

    Wrong. His LIES, Russia, China, Iran, nutcases and the corrupt Republican party save him.

    • SoftTeeth@lemmy.world
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      3 days ago

      And about 10mil white/hispanic men who stayed home despite voting for a democrat in the last election.

  • CharlesDarwin@lemmy.world
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    3 days ago

    I’m glad to hear this guy skates because a whole lot of low-info voters made protest votes, sat out, or even voted for donvict because “both sides” or other stupid narratives.

  • painfulasterisk1@lemmy.ml
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    3 days ago

    He’s from Mary Geoise. He will not spend a day in prison regardless of whether he became president or not during this current term.

  • SuperCub@sh.itjust.works
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    3 days ago

    Pretty sure that was you, Jack, by dragging your feet for as long as possible with that investigation.

    • MegaUltraChicken@lemmy.world
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      3 days ago

      Listen, we can give a ton of people shit on this. Jack Smith isn’t one of them. The people Jack Smith works for are the ones who failed here.

    • zenitsu@sh.itjust.works
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      3 days ago

      Yeah, it’s the fault of Jack Smith who was appointed only towards the end of 2022 lmao. Not the traitor republicans in the supreme court for slow walking the baffling immunity decision or a Trump appointed judge (Aileen Canon) being blatantly and shamelessly biased on the documents case, or finally the braindead voters who re-elected him.