https://apnews.com/article/tru...firefox-newtab-en-us As long as you are MAGA, you are above the law.

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/0...czak-tax-crimes.html

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwynp1lw0l7o

The US has become a worldwide embarrassment under Trump.

You beat me to it.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news...3914ecd54ef25&ei=104

I'm wondering why he favors crooks and kooks to pardon.

It shouldn’t be a surprised, donate a chunk of cash to trump and get made an ambassador or receive some other appointment when he is elected in return.

Apparently vocal support and publicity will get you a pardon.

I don’t know how else it can be perceived other than corruption … and this from the guy who vowed to drain the swamp.

Relax, all countries and their leaders do it, Trump is far from any exception
TDS RULES people to the point where they loose sense of reality and become hateful minds…not good for anyone

quote:

Originally posted by M.Shy:
Relax, all countries and their leaders do it, Trump is far from any exception
TDS RULES people to the point where they loose sense of reality and become hateful minds…not good for anyone

Wrong, as usual. Trump is a corrupt piece of shit, and cult members such as yourself support his corruption.

quote:

Originally posted by M.Shy:
Relax, all countries and their leaders do it, Trump is far from any exception
TDS RULES people to the point where they loose sense of reality and become hateful minds…not good for anyone

Im not aware that someone who pitches up to speak at a tory conference can get their family pardoned from jail time. We don't appoint ambassadors based on how much they have thrown in to the Labour Party funding, much less personal funding for the PM.

Every country doesn't do it, it's your swamp and Trump is busy enlarging it.

Maybe that's part of the problem, he gets away with it because you think it's SOP to be corrupt.

quote:

Originally posted by M.Shy:
Relax, all countries and their leaders do it, Trump is far from any exception
TDS RULES people to the point where they loose sense of reality and become hateful minds…not good for anyone

Make America great again. Drink the Kool-Aid.

quote:

Originally posted by M.Shy:
Relax, all countries and their leaders do it, Trump is far from any exception
TDS RULES people to the point where they loose sense of reality and become hateful minds…not good for anyone

Even if they did why does it make it acceptable here?

I feel that pardons are being over used by Trump in cases where a commutation is more appropriate.

We have all seen cases where the penalty is way in excess of what we think is reasonable- not saying this case is one as I don’t know enough of the particulars- but generally tax crimes tend to get big sentences in some and next to nothing on others. I thought this would be the Chesney case at first.

If they did what they did, and you think they were treated too harshly, commutation is the proper way to fix it.

And while I agree that political payola at some level is the norm in all societies, it doesn’t make it right.

What’s good for Biden is good for Trump. At least Trump signs them himself instead of having the auto pen go into overdrive.

Doesn’t make it right, but at least we know Trump both intended to do it and knew he was doing it.

quote:

And while I agree that political payola at some level is the norm in all societies, it doesn’t make it right.

It's corruption, it's wrong, and it isn't the norm. I can only speak for things this side of the pond. It's not the norm here, the PM doesn't hand out ambassadorships to political donors or pardon the families of party supporters.

Granted there have been cases of people not declaring things or fiddling expenses but when they are caught they face the consequences. It's not acceptable.

quote:

Originally posted by nute:

quote:

And while I agree that political payola at some level is the norm in all societies, it doesn’t make it right.

It's corruption, it's wrong, and it isn't the norm. I can only speak for things this side of the pond. It's not the norm here, the PM doesn't hand out ambassadorships to political donors or pardon the families of party supporters.

Granted there have been cases of people not declaring things or fiddling expenses but when they are caught they face the consequences. It's not acceptable.

It was not the norm here either before Trump, but the apologists will continue to make excuses for him.

Sorry Steve, but when was the last president who did not give an ambassadorship of some sort to a political donor?

I'm not cognisant enough of New Zealand politics, but I kind of suspect that there are honours and such that go to folks who support political parties and ex politicians.

With the arrival of the merchant class back in the middle ages, there has been a element of attempts to buy one's way into respectability. Most dislike it, everyone condemns it, but it is there... how much of it varies.

Its a norm in that it is universal and in all nations. It is not accepted in most advanced societies, even if it is present.

Trump is more open about it than most, although even he is unwilling to flat out say that it is OK... which says that it is not accepted.

quote:

Originally posted by Steve Bertram:

quote:

Originally posted by nute:

quote:

And while I agree that political payola at some level is the norm in all societies, it doesn’t make it right.

It's corruption, it's wrong, and it isn't the norm. I can only speak for things this side of the pond. It's not the norm here, the PM doesn't hand out ambassadorships to political donors or pardon the families of party supporters.

Granted there have been cases of people not declaring things or fiddling expenses but when they are caught they face the consequences. It's not acceptable.

It was not the norm here either before Trump, but the apologists will continue to make excuses for him.

Diplomatic and other govt representatives roles are advertised and a board of department for foreign affairs staff decide whose names get put forward for the roles. There is also a requirement for the host country to agree too the appointment.
That then gos to the relevant govt minister, the governor general, and the prime minister for final clearance.

As far as corruption gos, we dont really tolerate it at government level, or any level really.

I would not be so naive as to think that it's not tried on. But if it's happening it's extremely circumspect. Its more likely to be happening at low level berocracy and commercial level than anywhere else.
https://www.transparency.org/en/cpi/2022/index/nzl

Trump pardons more of his MAGA trash. https://www.usatoday.com/story...lemency/83913193007/

Now, he's pardoning murderers and drug dealers. I dunno....it's reached the point where it's ridiculous. He thinks he is King and can do any goddamn thing he wants. I get that he has pardon power. But, zero push-back from any republican on shit like this is pretty amazing.

>>>>President Donald Trump commuted the federal sentence of Larry Hoover, a Chicago gang leader who has been serving multiple life sentences for charges including murder, extortion and money laundering.

It's one of several actions announced by Trump announced Thursday, May 28 that also includes the pardon a former U.S. Army officer who was found guilty by a special court martial during the Biden administration for refusing to follow COVID-19 safety measures, a pair of reality television personalities and former U.S. Rep. Michael Grimm, a New York Republican who resigned after being convicted of tax fraud.

Hoover led the Gangster Disciples and was convicted in a 1973 murder in Illinois, court documents say. While serving up to 200 years for the crime, he was convicted of several federal crimes associated with continuing to run the gang from prison, tacking on a life sentence in 1997.<<<<<

https://www.yahoo.com/news/tru...l?fr=sycsrp_catchall

Same idiocy, different day. Time for the TX Trumpiteers to tell us this just fine, every president does it. NO, THEY DON’T.

About the people trump pardoned, etc.

Who they are

Rapper Kentrell Gaulden, also known as “NBA YoungBoy,” will be pardoned for gun violations.

So much for the mantra of enforce the gun laws we have.