Special Counsel requests January 2024 trial in Jan 6 case – latest

Democratic members of Congress have revived their demands for the resignation of US Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas following the largest accounting yet of the gifts, luxury vacations and private travel he received from a group of wealthy benefactors in his years on the nation’s highest court.

“He’s corrupt as hell and should resign today,” US Rep Bill Pascrell of New Jersey wrote on 10 August following ProPublica’s latest investigation.

The outlet’s months-long probe has uncovered previously undisclosed travel, hospitality and gifts from influential billionaires with connections to right-wing interest groups with business before the court – from private flights and yacht cruises to resort accommodations and VIP tickets to sporting events that legal experts argue are likely to violate disclosure requirements.

US Rep Gerry Connolly said that “no Justice should accept these types of gifts.”

“Thomas has repeatedly brought dishonor and ethical malpractice to our highest Court,” he wrote. “I reiterate my call that he must resign. This is exactly why we need SCOTUS ethics reform.”

In an early morning rant on Truth Social on Thursday, Mr Trump went after President Joe Biden, writing that “What Crooked Joe Biden, who can’t string two sentences together, has done to our once great Country through his Open Borders CATASTROPHE, may go down as the greatest and most damaging mistake ever made in USA HISTORY”.

“It is not even believable that such incompetence and stupidity could have been allowed to happen. OUR COUNTRY IS BEING DESTROYED BY A MAN WITH THE MIND, IDEAS, AND I.Q. OF A FIRST GRADER. THIS INVASION OF OUR COUNTRY MUST STOP IMMEDIATELY. IT CANNOT BE ALLOWED TO CONTINUE!” he added.

Mr Trump took to Truth Social on Thursday to call President Joe Biden “dumb and incompetent”.

“I think that Crooked Joe Biden is not only dumb and incompetent, I believe he has gone MAD, a stark raving Lunatic, with his HORRIBLE AND COUNTRY THREATENING ENVIRONMENTAL, OPEN BORDERS, & DOJ/FBI WEAPONIZATION POLICIES. HE IS A MENTAL CATASTROPHE THAT IS LEADING OUR COUNTRY TO HELL!” Mr Trump ranted.

Georgia Governor Brian Kemp, a Republican who refused to go along with Mr Trump’s attempt to overturn the 2020 election in his state, slammed Mr Trump on Thursday for refusing to sign the loyalty pledge to support the eventual nominee of the Republican Party.

“Every Republican running for President would be better than Joe Biden,” Mr Kemp said in a statement, CNN reported. “Any candidate who does not commit to supporting the eventual nominee is putting themselves ahead of the future of our country. 2024 is too important for political games.”

Special Counsel Jack Smith’s office has asked the District of Columbia judge overseeing the 2020 election subversion case against former president Donald Trump to schedule the twice-impeached, thrice-indicted ex-president’s trial for a four to six week period beginning on 2 January next year.

In a three-page filing authored by Senior Assistant Special Counsels Molly Gaston and Thomas Windom, the special counsel’s office said their proposed schedule would give Mr Trump and his defence team sufficient time to prepare a case and review the evidence which the government is prepared to turn over as part of the discovery process, as well as litigate any pre-trial matters such as the request for a change of venue Mr Trump has said he will call for.

Former Republicans Rick Wilson, an ex-GOP strategist, and Joe Walsh, a former US representative, have bashed former Maryland Republican Governor Larry Hogan’s anticipated third-party bid.

In an op-ed for USA Today, Mr Hogan wrote that “The nonpartisan citizens group No Labels is working on a ‘break glass in case of emergency’ plan for 2024 that involves adding a third option on the presidential ballot in all 50 states, which will only be used if a majority of voters are dissatisfied with the two major party nominees”.

“In that case, No Labels would give its ballot line to a unity ticket featuring a Republican and a Democrat willing to put the country first by running together,” he added.

“Respectfully, bull****. TRUMP is bad for America. And the only alternative is Biden. Come on Larry, stop with this No Labels crap. Not NOW,” Mr Walsh tweeted.

“No, you’re not. You cannot get to 270 Electoral College votes, even in Mark Penn’s utterly fake polling. All you can do is spoil the election and put Trump back in office. PS Mark and Nancy are using you,” Mr Wilson said.