All eyes are on Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis and Donald Trump.
Over the weekend, Willis told a local media outlet in Georgia that the special grand jury’s investigation into Trump’s failed efforts overturn the 2020 presidential election results in the Peach State is finished and she will announce charging decisions by September 1.
“The work is accomplished,” she said over the weekend. “We’ve been working for two and half years. We’re ready to go.”
It’s widely expected that Trump will be charged. Exactly what the charges will be, however, remains to be seen, though it’s believed Willis has been building a case under the Georgia Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, which would allow her to charge multiple people for the same scheme.
Naturally, Trump’s been freaking out about this.
In addition to repeatedly accusing her of running a politically-motivated “witch hunt” and trying to discredit her every chance he gets, earlier this month, his lawyers filed a Hail Mary motion seeking to disqualify Willis from the investigation and kill the report generated by special grand jury, claiming it’s “fruit of a process that was both unlawful on its face and unlawful its application.”
Unfortunately for him, a judge rejected this effort today. In a court filing released Monday morning, Judge Robert McBurney wrote that “silencing” the report is “not what either statutory or case law generally allows.”
Throughout all this, there’s been another key player who is no less important than Trump but who’s been getting a lot less attention: Lindsey Graham, senior U.S. senator from the great state of South Carolina and one of the ex-president’s most loyal lapdogs over the last seven years.
In case you need a refresher, back in November, Graham sat for several hours before the special grand jury after a long, drawn-out legal fight that went all the way up to the U.S. Supreme Court as the anti-LGBTQ+ senator tried anything and everything to avoid testifying.
After finally giving in and meeting with the special grand jury, his camp put out a statement saying he “answered all questions” and felt “he was treated with respect, professionalism and courtesy.”
(Remember that when Willis hands out indictments in the coming weeks. If Graham is charged, we wouldn’t be surprised if he has a dramatically different take on how he was treated last November.)
The special grand jury specifically asked him about that infamous phone call he placed to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger shortly after the 2020 election, during which Raffensperger claims Graham asked about ways they might toss out legally cast votes.
Unlike Trump, Graham has refrained from going after Willis. Aside from trying to dodge her subpoenas last year, he’s refrained from trash-talking her in public and hasn’t said anything too specific about the investigation.
The DA has hinted indictments will come sometime between today–July 31–and August 18.
If Graham is indicted, it will likely mark the end of his 30-year political career, which began way back in 1993 when he was first elected to the South Carolina House of Representatives. Though his current term in the U.S. Senate doesn’t end until 2027, he will likely face immense pressure to resign as he faces trial.
If Trump is indicted, it will add to a seemingly never ending list of legal woes he faces as he campaigns for the 2024 GOP nomination for president.
The 77-year-old is currently scheduled to go to trial in New York in March to face state charges related to hush money allegedly payments made to Stormy Daniels during his 2016 presidential campaign.
He has another trial set for May on federal charges related to his alleged mishandling of classified documents.
Oh, and he recently received a target letter from the DOJ letting him know he’s maybe probably going to be indicted over his alleged involvement in the January 6 insurrection as well.
As we wait for Willis to make her next move, we can’t help but remember that tweet Graham wrote way back in May of 2016, when he cautioned Republicans, “If we nominate Trump, we will get destroyed…….and we will deserve it.”
ZzBomb
Any log cabin republicans still out there?
Yall still hitching your wagon to this sinking ship that has done nothing and accomplished nothing?
FreddieW
I think Lindsey Graham is scum, but he is highly intelligent scum. I would be surprised if he had opened himself up to being charged for anything.
Mack
I think he underestimated the situation. I think with his “phone call” to another Republican he thought they wouldn’t do anything negative about. I’ll bet he thought that another “Republican” would turn a blind eye to his request and keep quiet.
Paris in Santiago
Unrelated, and sorry for posting here. Pee Wee Herman died today from cancer. Paul Ruebens was 70 years old.
abfab
Don’t be sorry for posting this here, or anywhere. I did the same over on the celeb thread. If you can, watch Pee Wee with kd lang and then Pee Wee with Grace Jones, from The Playhouse of course. RIP Pee Wee.
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Q will get around to it…..he was one of us.
still_onthemark
Meka leka hi meka heinie ho!
abfab
Tito
Shirtless and shoeless Latino lifeguard; typically joined in for group festivities. Like most men on the show, Miss Yvonne flirted with him on occasion. The character only appeared in Season 1 and was dropped without explanation when season 2 began production.
Once he got in an argument with Mrs. Steve, Conky, Chairry, Magic Screen, Captain Carl, and Miss Yvonne over who should be Herman’s guest after the manchild won a contest for two tickets to a Hawaiian restaurant. After he uses Tito’s lifeguard implement (his silver whistle) to silence everyone, he calls everyone out on their taking advantage of him and valuing food over his friendship. Feeling very guilty for using his friend in a selfish manner like everyone else, he becomes a guest at Herman’s luau and, several episodes later, his friendship party. After the friendship party, he is never seen or mentioned again.
Played by actor Roland Rodriguez for the first season only.
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5
Trivia
The character role was replaced in seasons 2+ by Ricardo the soccer star without any onscreen explanation.
Additionally, no explanation was given was to why he never wore a shirt or shoes on the show, or why the pool was dropped as a main location after season 1 finished production. The pool and lifeguard perch still appears in the opening during seasons 2 through 5, but the seat has no claymation figure sitting on it.
According to the Caseem Gaines book Inside Pee-Wee’s Playhouse, Tito was meant to be a depiction of a beefcake homosexual Latino man. However, this was averted in the episode Ice Cream Soup when Miss Yvonne first sees him.
abfab
Everybody had a crush on Ricardo…..yum.
Ricardo
EDIT
Ricardo
Ricardo (last name unknown) was a friend of Herman’s, who replaced the role of Tito as Herman’s athletic friend without any in-show explanation. Rather than be a lifeguard this time around, Ricardo was a pro soccer player and dancer, and was also knowledgeable about keeping up good health. When Herman got ill, Ricardo recommended the manchild not exercise, play, or do anything he was used to doing in order to allow his body to rest and battle the illness. Ricardo had to leave for a soccer game that afternoon, but said he would return afterward to see how Herman was doing. When Ricardo was away, he found it hard to bring himself to calm down and rest, until he got so weak and sick he had to take Ricardo’s advice. However, he became very mean and nasty around everyone as a result
Like many of the men on the show, Yvonne had a crush on Ricardo during his time on the show.
Played by Vic Trevino (seasons 2-5). His first appearance was in Open House and his final appearance was in Fun, Fun, Fun.
both from peewee fandom dot com
dbmcvey
Paul Rueben’s is a really hard loss. He was such a great icon, so important throughout his career, both as Pee Wee and as a brilliant comedian. I’m so sad about his loss.
Mister P
Grahama placed phone calls that were meant to interfere with Georgia’s election.
Being a republican he figured he is above the law. Intelligence does not compete with their sense of privilege.
dbmcvey
Yeah, he’s a traitor. I won’t say more than that, although conservatives throughout the ages have said what should happen to traitors.
inbama
Don’t expect Republicans to do anything about Graham if he’s charged in Georgia. Look how they’re coddling George Santos – and they’re about to nominate a twice-impeached career criminal for president again.
DeeAnnCA
You know, I don’t think he will be going down with the ship. It will be interesting to see what he has to say.
LumpyPillows
You know that’s right. When push comes to shove, after Lindsey falls down, she will get back up, and scream like a little girl. She will throw everyone under the bus to save her ladybugs. And we all know Lindsey is up to her droopy eyeballs in it.
Pier
Lawd ham mercy. Aunt Pitty Pat is sure in a fine mess now
still_onthemark
She’s so scared of a probe, hasn’t she had a probe before?
Kangol2
She’s been probed so much she’s like the Holland Tunnel, but just not by a grand jury!
rand503
it’s enough to say fiddle-dee-dee.
rj10040
None of this matters! With each new indictment, T***p’s poll numbers and fundraising go up.
abfab
If only we could do away with Lindsay….
Huron132
I’m not the person who wishes people dead. But she better do it now before her lifetime of accomplishments are destroyed. But, oh yeah she messed that up a few years back. So she just needs to plan that funeral, while she has dignity amongst her friends and hookers still!
Beanie16
GUURRLL PUULLEESSEE…If old Miss Lyndsey were to up and die this very day there would be more skeletons at that funeral than will EVER be a Republiklan house member.
Mnyama
Lindsey doesn’t say anything about Fani Willis because he knows she’s well within her rights to do what she’s doing. They all thought trumps coup would succeed.