Opinion
ALAN DERSHOWITZ: A Prosecution So Crooked It Would Even Make Joseph Stalin Blush
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg
From the Daily Caller News Foundation
Long before Donald Trump’s hush-money trial concluded, I predicted that his conviction was a forgone conclusion — despite the obvious weakness of the case against him.
Had the prosecution been brought in another part of the country, or even in another part of New York State, which was more fairly balanced with anti and pro-Trump voters, I am in little doubt that the outcome would have been different.
But instead, on Thursday, Trump became the first former president to be found guilty of a crime – convicted on all 34 flimsy counts of “falsifying business records.”
Why? Because this case was tried in Manhattan, where practically every man on the street wants to keep one Donald Trump out of the White House.
Perhaps the most important function of an independent jury in criminal trials is to keep a check on the biases of prosecutors and judges.
But for this constitutional protection to work, jurors must not be biased themselves against a defendant.
It’s quite apparent that this essential protection was absent.
And of course, none of these will have been disclosed on corporate forms — which would defeat the point of keeping something secret — and no one has ever been prosecuted for failing to make such a disclosure.
The infamous conversation between Stalin and the head of his KGB Lavrenty Beria is often quoted: ‘Show me the man, and I will find you the crime.’
This prosecution was even worse because, though DA Bragg tried desperately to find a crime with which to charge Trump, he failed to find one, as did his predecessor Cyrus Vance.
So Bragg went a dangerous step further than Stalin ever did: he made up a crime.
He found a misdemeanor that was past the statute of limitations — making a false bookkeeping entry on a corporate form — and magically converted it to a felony that was within the limitation period by alleging that the false entry was intended to cover up another crime.
Throughout the trial, many people inferred that crime to be an alleged attempt at election interference. But Bragg never actually explicitly stated that.
In fact, the prosecution didn’t tell the court what Trump’s other “crimes” were until their closing arguments on Wednesday — by which point the defense had no opportunity to respond.
And even then, the supposed crimes outlined were vague.
In his closing instructions, Judge Juan Merchan exposed his already apparent bias once more – telling the jurors that they didn’t actually have to agree on the specifics of Trump’s unlawful behavior.
How could someone defend themselves against such vague allegations?
It was at this moment that I became convinced that the jury would find him guilty.
And that conviction may well mark the beginning of a new era of partisan weaponization of our justice system.
DA Bragg has demonstrated how easy it now is to get a conviction against a political opponent. Other ambitious DA’s are likely to follow suit. And the ultimate losers will be the American public.
Alan Dershowitz is a professor emeritus at Harvard Law School and author of “War Against the Jews: How to End Hamas Barbarism.” This article has been republished from the author’s Substack page, which can be viewed here.
The views and opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and do not reflect the official position of the Daily Caller News Foundation.
Censorship Industrial Complex
The Rebranding of a Censorship Unit
Despite Congress’s efforts to dismantle the GEC, its core operations appear intact under a new name and nearly identical mission.
The way things stand right now, the shutting down of the US State Department’s disgraced Global Engagement Center (GEC) doesn’t appear to equate to the GEC actually being dismantled.
Rather, the unit, notorious for its role in flagging social media posts during the outgoing administration, seems to have simply undergone a rebranding. Now, the State Department has the Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference (R/FIMI) Hub. Matt Taibbi of the Twitter Files describes what happened here as an “absurd prank” that defies Congress, which moved to force the end of the GEC. One reason for this conclusion is the result of checking the former and the newly founded unit’s mission statements for any differences. And there are virtually none. The GEC Mission was officially, “To direct, lead, synchronize, integrate, and coordinate US Federal Government efforts to recognize, understand, expose, and counter foreign state and non-state propaganda and disinformation efforts aimed at undermining or influencing the policies, security, or stability of the United States, its allies, and partner nations.” And here’s what R/FIMI Hub is supposed to do: “To direct, lead, synchronize, integrate, and coordinate efforts of the Federal Government to recognize, understand, expose, and counter foreign state and non-state propaganda and disinformation efforts aimed at undermining or influencing the policies, security, or stability of the United States, its allies, and partner nations.” The difference between the two texts is R/FIMI Hub going for, “(…) efforts of the Federal Government” – rather than GEC’s “US Federal Government efforts.” Not only that – and the fact that this alleged focus on foreign threats turned into a smokescreen for going after online speech at home – R/FIMI Hub is also reportedly set to keep about 50 GEC staff, and continue to be funded, as before, with just under $30 million via grants and contracts. Shuttering the GEC was a cause championed by Congress Republicans through a number of investigations, essentially suspecting that its role was to facilitate, through obfuscation, what is otherwise illegal government involvement in censorship. They are now, even though coming to power at all levels, presented with a case that illustrates the functioning of what many of them like to call “the deep state” – a permanent power structure underlying elected ones, where a brazen “rebrand” of this kind can happen right in front of everyone. Former GEC staff are reportedly planning to carry on their work, dispersed across the State Department, thus creating the illusion of the unit being disbanded, but with R/FIMI Hub seemingly envisaged as just that – a hub for their continued activities. The activities included the GEC teaming up with third parties like the Global Disinformation Index that would “score” content for advertisers, to the detriment of conservative media. |
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Business
Digital ID in sports: Detroit Pistons Partner with Digital ID Company to Implement Biometric Verification
Digital ID is entering more aspects of everyday life.
The Detroit Pistons, enjoying one of their most competitive seasons in years, are embracing a digital transformation with a partnership with ID.me, a company specializing in biometric ID verification and digital identity wallets. This move reflects a growing trend in professional sports, where teams are adopting digital identity tools under the guise of enhancing fan experience but also expanding the use of biometric systems in everyday activities.
More: Biometric Entry For Major League Baseball Games is Becoming More Prevalent Through this collaboration, the Pistons will deploy ID.me’s technology to streamline services for their community, including season ticket holders, loyalty program members, and groups like teachers, nurses, and military personnel. According to the Pistons, biometric verification will ensure that benefits, tickets, and exclusive offers reach actual fans rather than being snatched up by bots and scalpers. “ID.me is thrilled to help Detroit Pistons fans access tickets and special offers in a more secure, frictionless way,” said Taylor Liggett, chief growth officer at ID.me. He emphasized how digital identity wallets combat increasingly sophisticated fraud attempts by bad actors in the ticketing market. Adam Falkson, Vice President of Business Intelligence for the Pistons, framed the partnership as a response to evolving threats. “Like most industries, the risk and sophistication around fraud continues to be a threat and a challenge,” he said. Falkson added that the shared vision with ID.me is to protect customers while enhancing services in a secure and gated manner. However, critics have noted that the growing adoption of digital ID systems in sports goes beyond ticket security, potentially normalizing the use of biometrics in everyday transactions. Sports franchises are increasingly positioning biometric verification as essential for modern fan experiences, extending its use to concessions, merchandise, alcohol purchases, and VIP access. ID.me, which has recently seen a surge in partnerships, views sports as a fertile ground for advancing its technology. The adoption of these systems aligns with the industry’s broader trend of integrating biometrics into live events, framing it as a way to “strengthen fan relationships” and streamline services. While the Detroit Pistons and ID.me tout the convenience and security of such systems, the broader implications of tying everyday activities to biometric verification risks the growth of a checkpoint society. |
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