Acosta has stepped down as SecLab.
NY Mag finds hedge fund managers who don't think Epstein managed a real hedge fund. Their guess: he blackmailed his clients. Well, call it 'blackmail-lite' - investors pay Epstein, say, 2% per year and he puts the money in Treasuries and index funds. Epstein raises $1 billion, pockets $20 million a year, lives the life. If the fees are higher but the clients are paying for regular access to the young ladies, well, more money for Epstein. Of course, that is a lot less like blackmail and a lot more like a disguised fee for service. This theory also works with the idea that Epstein was pals with some wealthy Saudis and was shaking down the sheiks for cash and intelligence (hence Epstein's ownership by US intel), as reportedly claimed by Acosta during his Trump transition interviews).
A waving red flag that libs are worried about just who was being protected is this ludicrously framed article by Dahlia Lithwick at Slate:
How Alex Acosta Got Away With It for So Long
Acosta got away with it? What was in it for him? And why (as Ms. Lithwick eventually acknowledges in the hundredth paragraph) were so many other of the high and mighty also abetting Epstein? Why, for example, did Manhattan DA Cyrus Vance go easy on Epstein? Acosta's reach extended that far? Please.
The real question is why did the system protect Epstein. And on that point, I have yet to see any reporting describing the prosecutor's case files down in the Southern District of Florida. Unless the DoJ is unique in the history of bureaucracies, I expect there is surviving paperwork documenting the charging decision. The Miami Herald, in their exhaustive Epstein investigation, claimed access to other documents but nothing from the SD FL (my emphasis):
Not only would Epstein serve just 13 months in the county jail, but the deal — called a non-prosecution agreement — essentially shut down an ongoing FBI probe into whether there were more victims and other powerful people who took part in Epstein’s sex crimes, according to a Miami Herald examination of thousands of emails, court documents and FBI records.
There is also the odd aspect that the plea agreement bars pursuit of Epstein's co-conspirators. Isn't that a bit of clue that maybe the point was to protect people other than Epstein?
Well. My Frequently Unasked Questions: Would there normally be contemporaneous DoJ paperwork on a typical case? Is there paperwork for the Epstein case or did the dog eat it? If there is paperwork, shouldn't the DoJ Inspector General and Congressional overseers have access to it?
We heard Acosta's rationalizations on Wednesday, but is there contemporaneous support for it? Or some other explanation, such as a note citing a senior DoJ official telling Acosta that the intelligence community has asked them to back away?
Where are the leaks??? Or is this a situation where the usual media suspects have been advised that "I'd tell you but then you'd want to kill yourself"?
Ext, I hope we see more of things like the booing of Joel at the mention of Clintons.
We sorely need to de-politicize the culture.
Posted by: Another Bob | July 13, 2019 at 09:34 AM
https://www.newsbusters.org/blogs/nb/tim-graham/2019/07/13/rush-limbaugh-fox-aoc-pelosi-feud-funny-its-not-real-story
This has a partial transcript of his appearance on Fox and Friends yesterday.
Posted by: MissMarple2 | July 13, 2019 at 09:34 AM
I agree with anonamom. To me, TomR is a troll or moby and comes here to stir up trouble. I believe ignoring him would reduce his impact. Just my 2 cents as a daily lurker of 15 years.
Posted by: Account Deleted | July 13, 2019 at 09:42 AM
A Virgin Islands Senator (D) asking for investigation of Epstein related corruption in the territory.
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2019/07/12/eexclusive-u-s-virgin-islands-senator-on-epstein-widespread-corruption-in-territory-he-has-people-on-his-payroll/
Posted by: henry | July 13, 2019 at 09:45 AM
Haha! Now the feud is spreading into the presidential candidates! Video at the link.
Posted by: MissMarple2 | July 13, 2019 at 09:45 AM
Emergency resupply of Depends needed in Illinois!!!
@RayLong
Feds raid home of second Speaker Madigan ally, ex-Ald. Mike Zalewski
https://twitter.com/raylong/status/1149879681073573888?s=21
Posted by: henry | July 13, 2019 at 09:48 AM
If o'Rourke fell in the woods, would we know it, and what's this cultural appropriation, you're Bobby o'rourke
Posted by: Narciso79 | July 13, 2019 at 09:49 AM
Face it, the Democrats know they are going to lose the 2020 election.
This scrap? This is about who will control the party in the run-up to 2024 when they will have flushed the Clinton's and (they hope) figured out who is running "the yard," so to speak.
The crazy far-left is outfoxing the stupid leftwingers right now.
But . . . does our President have a plan to deal with the crazy far-left ??? It's hard to believe he doesn't. But first? The crazy far-left has to win this battle over the stupid leftwingers . . . right?
Gotta run; back later today.
Posted by: RattlerGator | July 13, 2019 at 09:54 AM
https://www.frontpagemag.com/fpm/274269/democrat-who-let-jeffrey-epstein-get-away-daniel-greenfield
Posted by: MissMarple2 | July 13, 2019 at 09:58 AM
So the times is focusing with a laser focus on the dalton school and the Barr family,
Posted by: Narciso79 | July 13, 2019 at 09:58 AM
henry,
That raid on a Madigan ally came out of left field. I didn't know there was any sort of investigation there at all!
Posted by: MissMarple2 | July 13, 2019 at 10:01 AM
Probably came out of the raids on burke and other Deutsche bank connected pals, remember the dark knight
Posted by: Narciso79 | July 13, 2019 at 10:04 AM
Take a look at this! Congressional Candidate NY11!
https://twitter.com/JoeySalads/status/1148288318381133825
Posted by: MissMarple2 | July 13, 2019 at 10:15 AM
Good Morning! It is a busy campaign week-end in New Hampshire. The Manchester and Portsmouth media focused on Mayor Pete and Biden in Dover,NH yesterday. Mayor Pete held a rally at a park in Dover with almost 900 people in attendance. Biden's venue was at a restaurant with 200 people. Why is Biden's campaign staff holding small events? The upstart Mayor Pete had many people excited to listen to him,according to media reports. The Democrat activists are taking him seriously. The former VP is drawing small crowds and the unknown mayor of a midwest city is drawing much larger crowds. Something is wrong with this picture.
Posted by: Marlene | July 13, 2019 at 10:16 AM
Boy that is pitiful, if trump drew 900 they'd fire the organizer.
Posted by: Narciso79 | July 13, 2019 at 10:20 AM
Biden's venue was at a restaurant with 200 people. Why is Biden's campaign staff holding small events?
Because they can't afford to buy dinner for 300:)
Posted by: Buckeye | July 13, 2019 at 10:22 AM
Hey this has been my shtick:
https://mobile.twitter.com/HotlineJosh/status/1149884245994639360
Posted by: Narciso79 | July 13, 2019 at 10:28 AM
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/fbi-arrests-ex-puerto-rico-officials-for-disaster-aid-funded-payoffs?fbclid=IwAR1siGIUjrJnB-RnVCqd21ChicTyDi0IaHzDnPiZWkkjm_5ns98SxlMoDp4
Posted by: MissMarple2 | July 13, 2019 at 10:29 AM
Is this going to be the new dog ate my homework:
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/kamala-harris-russian-bots-targeting-campaign?fbclid=IwAR0aLmPXo8Yc-zr1AARvO2FZKSjsz2YYBEgaNF0E9ede41daUiJgNcBm42Y
Posted by: Narciso79 | July 13, 2019 at 10:30 AM
As I've read various points about the bickering here - it seems common to add, "If you don't like it just go talk about Keto!" or something similar. But I see the Keto discussion as relevant for a couple of reasons. Hasn't it been shown to produce mental clarity? Don't we all need that as we try to dissect what is fact/fiction on a daily basis? But, most importantly, it will lengthen our lives. We all need to stick around as long as possible to speak out, teach the younger generation, work for candidates and even vote! I am so grateful to Jane and anonamom and probably others who have discussed it and encouraged me to try it.
Just my (hopefully non-controversial) 2 cents. Partly tongue-in-cheek but partly serious! :)
Posted by: Momto2 | July 13, 2019 at 10:32 AM
Yeah,how are any of the Dems going to get Trump size crowds? Mayor Pete getting 900 is pretty good compared to Biden's crowd. At this point in NH,the candidates are still going to ice cream socials and BBQs with small groups of people invited.
Posted by: Marlene | July 13, 2019 at 10:33 AM
Let me guess, of that 200 person crowd for Biden, 175 were press.
Posted by: henry | July 13, 2019 at 10:35 AM
Anti-ICE protesters rip American flag off flag pole, raise Mexican flag at ICE facility in Aurora, Colorado
Video at link:
https://twitter.com/RealSaavedra/status/1150007832428761088
Posted by: Momto2 | July 13, 2019 at 10:40 AM
Exactly henry! Between press and staff maybe about 10 "just folks" showed up. :)
Posted by: Marlene | July 13, 2019 at 10:41 AM
New!!
Posted by: MissMarple2 | July 13, 2019 at 10:48 AM