About As Clear Cut as They Get: M$M Whitewash of Trump Scandal

[KamaAina]

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/about-as-clear-cut-as-they-get

Yesterday I pressed the point of the wildly dissimilar campaign coverage of Trump and Clinton, particularly the continuing saturation coverage of Clinton 'scandals' in which she's actually being exonerated and virtually no coverage of a pretty cut and dry pay-for-play story with Trump, his foundation and his efforts to protect himself legally from the fallout of the exposure of his real estate seminar scam business, 'Trump University'. But the case with Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi is more serious than that. We usually use the phrase 'pay-to-play' when talking about money for access, money for government contracts or friendly interventions in the legislative process. The Trump-Bondi case looks like money in exchange for killing an investigation and possible lawsuit against Trump. It would be like Hillary Clinton making a cash payment to Loretta Lynch or James Comey during the email probe.

First, a small point: In the context of chatting about this on Twitter and with colleagues, I took the step of searching The New York Times website to see how much they'd written on the Trump-Bondi story. It first got attention in March and then again in June. So I figured at least a couple short mentions. It turns out the Times, at least according to a full search of "Trump University" and "Pam Bondi", has literally never published anything on the topic at all....

But let's go to the actual story. The Post's David Fahrenthold late last week came up with substantially more information about Trump's efforts to conceal the money to Bondi. But I want to go back to what's actually been known for months....

The AG's office was investigating Trump University and considering joining a lawsuit with other Attorneys General. Bondi asked Trump for money. Trump sent money. The investigation ended. The arrival of Trump's check just four days after her office publicly announced their inquiry tells quite a tale.

[trof]

1. On CBS this morning...

A woman 'correspondent'(?) referred to it as "an inappropriate donation".
I SCREAMED at the TV, "NO! IT WAS FUCKING ILLEGAL!
IT WAS A CRIME PUNISHABLE BY LAW!
"Inappropriate", my ass.

By that measure Charles Manson's 'actions' were 'inappropriate'.
crap

[KamaAina]

2. Was it Sharyl Attkisson?

How she never managed to jump to Faux is a mystery. Hey, maybe she'll be Greta's replacement.

[trof]

3. Sorry, don't know.