Posted on 08/11/2022 2:51:07 AM PDT by gattaca
A former federal prosecutor triggered bipartisan backlash on Wednesday for suggesting that invoking Fifth Amendment rights implies guilt.
What is the background? On Wednesday, former President Donald Trump invoked his constitutional rights against self-incrimination, declining to answer questions at a deposition for New York Attorney General Letitia James (D).
Trump announced he invoked his Fifth Amendment rights after arriving to the deposition. The statement explained:
I once asked, "If you’re innocent, why are you taking the Fifth Amendment?" Now I know the answer to that question. When your family, your company, and all the people in your orbit have become the targets of an unfounded politically motivated Witch Hunt supported by lawyers, prosecutors and the Fake News Media, you have no choice. For more than three years, James has been probing Trump's business practices as part of a civil investigation.
What did the prosecutor say? Daniel Goldman, who served as an assistant U.S. attorney in the southern district of New York for 10 years, suggested Trump is relaying guilt because he invoked his constitutionally protected rights.
"The Fifth Amendment ensures that people are not forced to incriminate themselves. But you don’t take the Fifth if you didn’t do anything wrong," Goldman said on Twitter.
Goldman is no stranger to Trump.
The former federal prosecutor, who is now running for Congress as a Democrat, served as lead counsel in both impeachment cases against Trump.
Don't miss out on content from Dave Rubin free of big tech censorship. Listen to The Rubin Report now. What was the response? New York attorney Eliza Orlins said Goldman's remarks demonstrate "why we don’t trust prosecutors."
"They lie through their teeth, and they don't operate in the best interests of the people (you and me!) they're alleging to represent," Orlins said. "There is *nothing* incriminating about taking the Fifth. It’s a right that every American—yes, including terrible former presidents—has. And should use!"
Former Assistant Attorney General Jeff Clark, who served in the Trump administration, called Goldman's remarks a "disgraceful position."
"Contrary to Constitution. Contrary to Supreme Court 5th Amend. jurisprudence. An indication that any oaths you took while in the fed'l gov't were a farce," Clark said. "No way you'd be saying this if it were the Clintons or Bidens."
Law reporter Chris Geidner, himself a lawyer, said Goldman's remarks prove why America needs fewer prosecutors in power.
"For the record, s*** like this is why I talk so much about needing more former public defenders — and fewer former prosecutors — on the bench," Geidner tweeted.
Meanwhile, Institute for Justices senior attorney Paul Sherman accused Goldman of lying to score political points.
"Mr Goldman is a Stanford-trained former federal prosecutor and he knows with 100% certainty that this is not true. He’s comfortable lying about it because he’s running for office, and we’ve convinced ourselves that lying is okay if it secures power for your team," Sherman said.
At least there are a few lawyers out there who are able to put politics aside and stand up for equal application of the law and Constitutionally-protected rights.
But there probably aren’t many left. Most eventually run for office.
A former federal prosecutor triggered bipartisan backlash on Wednesday for suggesting that invoking Fifth Amendment rights implies guilt............the stupido doesn’t know?
You cannot impugn a votive when the fifth is invoked.by
I hate to use an old, worn out cliche, but it would appear to me, that MORE THAN EVER, 500 lawyers at the bottom of the sea, is s good start.
The Deep State denizens seem overcome with desperation as the mid-terms near. Not at all what one would expect from a force that has complete control over the elections (by hook and crook).
Or suggests persecution.
Lois Lerner pleads the Fifth - 2013
Their rhetoric is reckless.
You’re being kind.
I think that lawyers go to school to be trained to lie skillfully.
I think a real justice system would be based on the notion that no lawyer should ever be allowed to "shade the truth" in even the slightest way. No cleverness. No "depends on the meaning of 'is' is". Prosecutors and Defenders ought to be upfront and honest at all times or face serious prison time. That would dramatically change the legal profession and provide a lot more real Justice. We have too many lawyers as it is, and if two-thirds of the current lawyers were in jail for being sleazy liars, we would be better off.
1) Jeff Neely, the former Pacific Rim regional commissioner for the General Services Administration, plead the fifth on April 16, 2012 when Congress asked him to testify about overly-lavish spending on GSA conferences. He was eventually sentenced to prison for fraud anyway.
2)John Beale, a former official at the EPA, plead the fifth on October 1, 2013 when Congress probed into Beale’s theft of nearly $900,000 worth of salaries and bonuses from his own agency.
3)John Sepulveda, a former VA official, plead the fifth on October 30, 2013 after Congress subpoenaed him to testify as to why the department spent $6 million on conferences in Florida.
4)Diana Rubens and Kimberly Graves, two senior officials in the Department of Veterans Affairs, each plead the fifth before Congress on November 2, 2015 when asked to testify about $400,000 they had allegedly milked out of a VA relocation expense program. They were eventually given back their jobs.
5)Greg Roseman, a deputy director of the IRS, plead the fifth on June 26, 2013, after Congress asked him to testify about why the largest contract in IRS history was awarded to a close friend of his.
6)Patrick Cunningham, chief of the Criminal Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Arizona, plead the fifth when Congress asked him to testify about Operation Fast and Furious, which trafficked more than 2,000 guns along the U.S.-Mexico border.
7)Lois Lerner, an IRS director in charge of tax-exemptions, plead the fifth numerous times during Congress’ investigation into the IRS’ targeting of conservative groups.
8)Loretta Lynch, Attorney General Loretta Lynch invoked her Fifth Amendment protection not to incriminate herself over the Obama administration’s transfer of money to Iran.
Eric Holder was guilty of contempt of Congress and nothing happened to him.
That one still ‘sticks in my craw’
Daniel Goldman (44) is trying to win the redistricted NY-10 Democrat Primary on 23 August. So, when you are running in that very LEFTist area, there is no such thing as being too rabid anti-Trump! He is a child of wealth ($200+M) from the Levi Strauss clothing fortune and a DEEP Swamp Denizen, born in DC, Sidwell Friends School, Yale BA & Stanford JD.
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Why you should never talk to the police: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-7o9xYp7eE (17.8 Million views in 10 years) It’s worth your time if you haven’t ever watched it. ALWAYS INVOKE THE 5TH! ALWAYS! ALWAYS and ALWAYS!
I don’t want some dip 💩 a$$ hole MoFo Fed coming over. F them.
An heir up to no good. Trump inherited $$$ and went to work erecting buildings. This turd has nothing better to do than destroy America. I would like to see his most famous prosecutions.
Correct. For a while now, taking the 5th is viewed as an admission of guilt by most prosecutors
Mostly crook.
It is law 101 that no guilt can be construed by invocation of your 5th amendment rights. For a former prosecutor to say that betrays their bias.
CC
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