Understanding Donald Trump: The Jamie Gorelick Influence

Trump DrawngIf ever there is a name that should scare you it is Jamie Gorelick. If you have never heard of her then you have not been paying attention to American politics over the last quarter of a century. Right now she is a lawyer with a big law firm in Washington, D.C. Not only that she has become a large influence in the Trump administration. For all you conservatives who want to believe Trump has your values close at heart you might want to pay attention to Jamie Gorelick. Her values are not your values.

She is the lawyer for the people who have the most influence on Donald Trump, the man without friends, his daughter Ivanka and Jared Kushner. It is amazing how these New Yorkers seem to find each other. You can expect her influence on Trump’s daughter and son-in-law will eventually spill over into open spaces in Trump’s mind.

She worked for the Clintons. She was general counsel for the Defense Department and then became U.S. Deputy Attorney General. She was one of the reasons I never trusted the Clintons.

I always had a negative feeling about her because of her involvement in putting up what became known as the Gorelick Wall which made it more difficult for counterintelligence information to be used in criminal investigations. She wrote: “these procedures, which go beyond what is legally required” would prevent intelligence information from being improperly used in a criminal investigation thereby discouraging the exchange of such information.

Her memo was issued to the U.S. Attorney in the Southern District of New York who in 1995 was investigating the bombing of the World Trade Center. Rather than sticking to the law, or even following it with guidelines to make the exchange of information easier, she decided to make the job of investigating the terrorists harder.

Rather than listen to me, maybe you would like to hear what Breitbart said about her: “Barack Obama really knows how to pick them. It’s not often that one person plays key roles in two — count ’em, two — trillion-dollar disasters but Jamie Gorelick is one. She helped to bring us 9/11 and the collapse of the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.”

Breitbart then noted how an FBI agent prophetically wrote: ‘Whatever has happened to this — someday someone will die — and wall or not — the public will not understand why we were not more effective in throwing every resource we had at certain problems…..especially since the biggest threat to us UBL [Usama bin Laden], is getting the most protection.”

Gorelick went from Justice Department to Fannie Mae which while she was there had a multi-billion dollar accounting scandal  overstating profits and basing bonuses on the false information. According to this report shewas paid $26,466,834 in salary, bonuses, performance pay and stock options from 1998 to 2003, according to the Report of the Special Examination of Fannie Mae (2006), conducted by the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight.” Not a bad government job at 5 million a year. Is there any wonder Fannie Mae went belly up.

As a prosecutor I worked to push the law to help the police in investigations believing the other side had many defense lawyers pushing back to limit their ability. In my mind Gorelick had the wrong idea of her job. I also would like to think people don’t loot the government when they have a chance. Again perhaps Gorelick thinks otherwise considering her lack of experience in finance.

Now she’s back. She has the ears of the powers behind the friendless throne. I wonder what her advice will be to those who are part of the regime.  She does not intend to limit it to legal advice. Her Clintonian instincts (she was rumored to be Hillary’s pick for attorney general) won’t be suppressed.

This will give you an insight into what it’s all about: “Gorelick recently filed a brief on behalf of immigrant women . . . , seeking the court in San Francisco to understand the implications of Trump’s immigration ban on their lives and communities. She also serves as an outside adviser to the liberal Center for American Progress, which has been fighting against Trump’s health care overhaul. Gorelick said she flags some of those outside issues she is working on to Kushner and Ivanka Trump. “I’m not going to lobby them for any client, but if there are issues that I know they care about that are percolating, I would send it to them, and I have,” she said. “It’s possible to become extremely isolated in the White House. I think people like that need to hear from outside sources.”

I’m sure you must feel comfortable knowing Hillary’s influence will soon guide part of Trump’s actions.

 

 

15 Comments

  1. Jamie Gorelick, a veteran of President Bill Clinton’s Justice Department and a Hillary Clinton supporter, explains why she’s working for Trump’s daughter now.

    http://www.politico.com/story/2017/03/ivanka-trump-lawyer-jamie-gorelick-clintons-236445

  2. Email from a retired Boston pol I’ve known for years:

    There are some thoughts about all this that I think make sense.

    1) Comey conducted a “half-fast” “investigation” into the Hilary Clinton emails/server and (along with McCabe) came up with an indictment/non-indictment

    2) Comey professes to be a ‘Boy Scout,’ ever so concerned about the “influence” of the FBI – his influence – on election outcomes. Yet he publicly inserted himself into the middle of the publicity – while violating FBI norms.

    3) Comey made himself the be-all and end-all of all information flow, selectively choosing not to provide info to Congress on the basis of some kind of “special DOJ privilege”, or on the basis of some kind of “special DOJ clearance”

    4) he made the mistake of publicly stating that he would be with us another 6 years

    In short, while not doing his job, he was professing to do his job amidst much soul-searching and consternation about the public good, as he saw it, and how he could have just stayed in some cushy job in Connecticut

    He should have just done his job.

    I saw that his initial reaction while he was giving his speech yesterday in California as the news was being flashed was: “this must be some kind of joke”

    He is a very good con man. And he pissed off both Dems and Repubs.

    Some Dems give hypocrisy a bad name.

    Just a few months ago Schumer was calling for Comey’s head:

    “New York Sen. Chuck Schumer gave FBI Director James Comey a no-confidence vote in response to Comey’s revelation that the agency has reopened its investigation of Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server when she was secretary of state.

    “I do not have confidence in him any longer,” the likely incoming leader of the Senate Democrats, told Bloomberg.

    “That statement raises the possibility that Democrats will try to oust Comey after the presidential election. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi hinted at the prospect Wednesday. “Maybe he’s not in the right job,” the California Democrat told CNN.”

    • Wake up, there is no defending this. Trump’s logic for firing Comey makes no sense. This is not a party issue, this is a common sense issue. It is clear that Trump fired him for the reason we are all thinking…..the Russian investigation is ramping up. He cited Comey’s handling of the Clinton investigation for the firing…he has known this since his 1st day as President. Sessions sent a letter in support of Ronstein’s memo. Sessions supposedly had recused himself from the investigation. If so, how is it possible that Sessions could advise the President on the leader of that investigation’s fitness for duty? This is nothing but the Trump administration putting their finger on the scale and obstructing justice. Regardless of there being evidence of Russian collusion, Trump should be impeached simply on the basis of obstructing justice. It is completely disgusting that Trump expects the American people to be this goddamn stupid and believe his reasoning, when he is on VIDEO supporting Comey’s actions. Our democracy is dying before our eyes and half the country could give 2 sh*ts. It is a scary, sad time to be an American.

      • Fear not. Arrests and indictments will begin soon and once the bad actors are swept up it won’t take long for them to start singing. Trump took his best shot firing Comey and came up short. The dogs of war are coming for him. It won’t be long.

        • As far as I can tell, especially given all the screaming and shrieking coming from Shmuck Schumer and the rest of the Unhinged, including the media idiots (midiots for short) on PMSNBC and CNN and the rest of the libtard media, Comey was fired.

          I’m not sure how that shot came up “short” – Comey was fired.

          The FBI Director serves at the pleasure of the prez.

      • You know, I’m glad you are shrieking about the Rashans.

        My dogs keep telling me that the Rashans keep pooping in the hallway, and I believe them.

        I’ve installed a special videocam to catch the Rashans as they poop in the hallway.

        I haven’t caught them yet, but it’s still being investigated. I’ll probably have to ramp up the investigation with some baby gates or something.

        • Elmer….this is not a party issue. The President put his finger on the scale of what was supposed to be an independent investigation. The AG who lied to Congress regarding his contacts with Russians, and supposedly recused himself from the investigation, provided a recommendation concerning the lead investigator of that investigation. It is clear that they are attempting to cover something up. I recall quite a bit of outrage regarding the alleged cover-up of the Benghazi issue, which did not involve any allegations of a US official colluding with a foreign adversary. Now that the shoe is on the other foot you are happy to put your head in the sand. How do you justify Trump’s actions with a logical, rational answer that does not include him attempting to stifle the investigation of his campaign?

  3. Matt:
    1. Inside all administrations, there are dissonant and countervailing voices, and harpies nibbling at the peripheries; always on the outside are sundry thoughtful critics, biased journalists and cheap-shot artists. The biased Press has mercilessly hit Trump with countless low blows. (Studies showed 85% to 95% negative stories from MSM in first 100 days.)
    2. Yes, Trump has to rein in his family members, and make sure Ivanka and hubbie don’t wander too far from the fold. Both may render good service, if not unduly influenced by Clintonites. Remember Bobby Kennedy proved invaluable to his brother as did others’ of the Kennedy Clan. Ike consulted his brother Milton and his son John, a University President. FDR leaned on Eleanor; Bill on Hillary. (We fondly and bemusedly remember Jimmy Carter sought advice from Amy on nuclear proliferation.)
    3. Trump’s chief advisers are his Cabinet. Condoleezza Rice recently extolled Trump’s Cabinet as have others. His cabinet, sub-cabinet (Rosenstein) and SJC picks are excellent!
    4. Gorelick’s exorbitant pay at Fanny Mae buttresses conservatives’ arguments for taking an axe to big government and draining the swamp. Whenever Governments (Fed or State) set up Independent Agencies salaries should be capped.
    5. Democrats are reacting hysterically to the firing of Comey as if Trump declared Nuclear War. Few mention Bill Clinton’s firing of Bill Sessions. Read AAG’s Rosenstein’s letter for an excellent summation of why Comey had to be fired: In brief, Comey is an investigator; he usurped the roles of prosecutor, judge and jury, and continues to defend his actions unapologetically. He had to go!

    • “FDR leaned on Eleanor.” Flat out inaccurate. Their marriage was over by the early 1920s. Neither believed in divorce. She did not live in the White House. His mother Sara ruled the roost there. He was very much a mama’s boy. Later he frequently leaned on his sons.

      Eleanor carved out a life for herself in NYC. With her leftist friends her gadfly positions were frequently at odds with his policies. When Sara died in 1941 Franklin importuned Eleanor to come to Washington and manage the White House. She refused him. This correspondence is extent.

      All this has been amply documented in many books, especially those written by the Roosevelts’ children.

    • Bill Clinton was not under investigation by the FBI for colluding with a foreign nation to win an election. Do you even read the drivel you type before you hit post or are you going to just blindly follow Trump over the cliff and into the abyss he is taking this country?

  4. Good post, Matt. No, I haven’t been playing much attention to politics for that long.

    Good Lord, is she dangerous! I hope that a) this post on gorelick is the first in a series, and b) you write about other obstructionists like her.

  5. Most presidents have had difficulties with relatives. At the start of his administration FDR was embarrassed by his son, James. Ike had to warn his brother Edgar to let let himself be used. Kennedy let the clan run riot. Nixon had to rein in Donald. Carter had an embarrassing brother Billy. A couple of Reagan’s kids liked publicity. Clinton was doubly cursed with his brother Roger peddling dope and his brother-in-law Hugh peddling pardons.

    Trump has daughter Ivanka and her husband Jared Kushner along with his son-in-law’s greedy grasping family, to deal with. Trump would do well to take them out to the wood shed for a lesson or two for how a president’s relative should act and then distance himself from the lot. The sooner the better. It comes with the territory.

    • Trump tell anyone else how to behave? That is a hilarious statement. The guy is a complete clown…when will you admit it?

  6. She has quite a history, mostly gained through her Harvard connections.

    http://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2017/01/jared_kushner_beware_of_jamie_gorelick.html