#Criminal Tax Defense Lawyer

[twgjacksonville]

Tax Workout Group 50 N. Laura Street, Suite 2500, Jacksonville, FL 32202 (904) 544-3778 https://taxworkoutgroup.com/location/jacksonville

Tax Workout Group is a tax attorney firm in Jacksonville, FL, comprised of two main practice groups: Tax Controversy Group and Tax Bankruptcy Group. These two practice groups are comprised of IRS tax and tax bankruptcy attorneys, IRS tax auditors, IRS collection division personnel, Certified Public Accountants, and experienced paralegals and administrative support staff. For each engagement, we assign a highly qualified team of professionals headed by a tax attorney so that every client receives extraordinary senior-level attention throughout the handling of their case.

[twgorlando]

Tax Workout Group 121 S Orange Avenue, Suite 1500, Orlando, FL 32801 (321) 430-1045 https://taxworkoutgroup.com/location/orlando

Tax Workout Group is a tax attorney firm in Orlando, FL, comprised of two main practice groups: Tax Controversy Group and Tax Bankruptcy Group. These two practice groups are comprised of IRS tax and bankruptcy attorneys, IRS tax auditors, IRS collection division personnel, Certified Public Accountants, and experienced paralegals and administrative support staff. For each engagement, we assign a highly qualified team of professionals headed by a tax attorney so that every client receives extraordinary senior-level attention throughout the handling of their case.

[twgmiami]

Tax Workout Group

Tax Workout Group 2915 Biscayne Blvd.,Suite 300,Miami, FL 33137 (305) 203-1563 https://taxworkoutgroup.com/location/miami

Tax Workout Group is a tax attorney firm in Miami, FL, comprised of two main practice groups: Tax Controversy Group and Tax Bankruptcy Group. These two practice groups are comprised of IRS tax and tax bankruptcy attorneys, IRS tax auditors, IRS collection division personnel, Certified Public Accountants, and experienced paralegals and administrative support staff. For each engagement, we assign a highly qualified team of professionals headed by a tax attorney so that every client receives extraordinary senior-level attention throughout the handling of their case.

[leadindia011]

The ten best types of Delhi lawyers, such as Criminal Defense Lawyers, Corporate Lawyers, Family Lawyers, Personal Injury Lawyers, Real Estate Lawyers, Intellectual Property (IP) Lawyers, Immigration Lawyers, Tax Lawyers, Employment Lawyers and Environmental Lawyers, covering various legal specializations are available for instant contact.

[simply-ivanka]

What Did the Biden Family’s Foreign Clients Get for their Money?

Hunter Biden pleads guilty to federal tax charges.

Wall Street Journal

By James Freeman

Hunter Biden has been convicted of federal crimes for not paying all the taxes he owed on his foreign income. But the most important question for Americans remains unanswered: What exactly did his overseas clients get in return for their money? His Thursday guilty plea on tax charges prevented testimony that may have gone some way toward providing an answer. This potential testimony may also explain why Hunter Biden waited until now to acknowledge his guilt.

The Journal’s Sara Randazzo, Ryan Barber and Annie Linskey report from Los Angeles:

Federal prosecutors signaled an aggressive strategy as the trial drew near, previewing an approach that would show how foreign interests paid the younger Biden to influence the U.S. government while his father was vice president during the Obama administration. Prosecutors said they planned to cast a light on a lucrative arrangement with a Romanian real-estate magnate who was facing a corruption investigation in his home country, along with his ties to the oil company CEFC China Energy and his tenure on the board of Burisma, a Ukrainian gas company. 

In court Thursday, [prosecutor Leo Wise] insisted on reading the entirety of the 56-page indictment into the record—over the objection of Biden’s lawyer—to establish the facts underlying the guilty plea. 

Alanna Durkin Richer reported last month for the Associated Press:

Hunter Biden’s lawyers say prosecutors are inappropriately trying to insert “politically-charged” allegations about his foreign business dealings into the upcoming federal tax trial against the president’s son.

Special counsel David Weiss’ team told the judge last week that they plan to call to the witness stand a business associate of Hunter Biden’s to testify about an arrangement with a Romanian businessman who was trying to “influence U.S. government policy” during Joe Biden’s term as vice president…

The Romanian businessman, Gabriel Popoviciu, wanted U.S. government agencies to probe a bribery investigation he was facing in his home country in the hopes that would end his legal trouble, according to prosecutors.

Prosecutors say Hunter Biden agreed with his business associate to help Popoviciu fight the criminal charges against him. But prosecutors say they were concerned that “lobbying work might cause political ramifications” for Joe Biden, so the arrangement was structured in a way that “concealed the true nature of the work” for Popoviciu, prosecutors alleged…

In fact, Popoviciu and Hunter’s business associate agreed that they would be paid for their work to “attempt to influence U.S. government agencies to investigate the Romanian investigation,” prosecutors said. Hunter Biden’s business associate was paid more than $3 million, which was split with Hunter and another business partner, prosecutors say.

Ms. Richer also noted that Hunter Biden’s defense lawyers “slammed prosecutors for showcasing ‘these matters on the eve of Mr. Biden’s trial—when there is no mention of political influence in the 56-page Indictment.’ ” The A.P. story continued:

“The Special Counsel’s unnecessary change of tactic merely echoes the baseless and false allegations of foreign wrongdoing which have been touted by House Republicans to use Mr. Biden’s proper business activities in Romania and elsewhere to attack him and his father,” the defense wrote.

But the defense has now opted not to defend.

Of course Romania is not the only foreign jurisdiction that proved fruitful for the Biden family business. The majority staff of several House committees recently reported:

From 2014 to the present… Biden family members and their associates received over $27 million from foreign individuals or entities…

Witnesses acknowledged that Hunter Biden involved Vice President Biden in many of his business dealings with Russian, Romanian, Chinese, Kazakhstani, and Ukrainian individuals and companies.Then-Vice President Biden met or spoke with nearly every one of the Biden family’s foreign business associates, including those from Ukraine, China, Russia, and Kazakhstan.

And of course let’s not forget Hunter Biden’s own deposition on Capitol Hill. This column noted in March that mere minutes after making yet another broad claim of not involving his father in the business, Hunter Biden confirmed the story of travelling with then-Vice President Joe Biden on Air Force Two to China and introducing his father to Jonathan Li in the lobby of the Bidens’ hotel. The following excerpt from the deposition suggests that the timing could not have been better:

[Committee member or staff]: At the time that you did introduce your father to Jonathan Li, did you or any of your business associates have any potential business with Jonathan Li?

[Hunter Biden]: I was working with Jonathan on a potential that he had an idea for creating a private equity fund based in China to do cross-border investments.

Nice. But good luck explaining what value Hunter Biden might be able to add to such an enterprise. Years later, his Chinese associates still hadn’t come up with a story. In 2019 Cissy Zhou and Jun Mai reported in the South China Morning Post:

BHR (Shanghai) Equity Investment Fund Management Company has grabbed global media attention for its links with Hunter Biden, the son of former United States vice-president Joe Biden, after US President Donald Trump fired a barrage of corruption allegations at him and requested China investigate the Bidens’ financial activities in the country.

The company has repeatedly declined to elaborate on the younger Biden’s role at the firm when contacted by the South China Morning Post via phone, mail and visits to the office. But Jonathan Li Xiangsheng, the firm’s chief executive and Hunter Biden’s partner, has said the company was working on an explanation about the American’s role.

Li refused to comment on the younger Biden when reached by the Post on Monday.

A recent visit to the firm’s registered address in Beijing found a small, plainly decorated office, where a receptionist said she had never seen Hunter Biden.

Is there anything Joe Biden said about the family business in 2020 that has turned out to be true?

Meanwhile as Vice President Kamala Harris seeks a promotion, perhaps she ought to disclose if she ever questioned anyone or learned anything about the Biden family business and its implications for American foreign policy. One would guess she was at least curious. Did she ever talk to anyone about the ethical standards for Hunter Biden’s art sales, which turned out to be a sham while she was serving alongside Joe Biden?

Vice President Harris is not just a lawyer but a former prosecutor and a former state attorney general, for goodness sake. Wasn’t she the least bit concerned?

***

Spokespeople for both the president and the vice president say that they won’t be pardoning Hunter Biden. But then why is Hunter Biden’s lawyer still making what seems like a political argument rather than a legal one?

Jack Morphet and Priscilla DeGregory report for the New York Post on comments from defense lawyer Abbe Lowell:

“Hunter decided to enter his plea to protect those he loves from unnecessary hurt and cruel humiliation,” Lowell said.

“This plea prevents that kind of show trial that would not have provided all the facts or served any real point in justice. He will now move on to the sentencing phase, while keeping open the options to raise the many clear issues with this case on appeal.”

He’s going to appeal a case in which he just pleaded guilty to all the charges? Sounds like an argument built for the White House briefing room, not a courtroom.

***

James Freeman is the co-author of “The Cost: Trump, China and American Revival” and also the co-author of “Borrowed Time: Two Centuries of Booms, Busts and Bailouts at Citi.”

[ehlihr]

ace attorney lawyer specialties if they werent in criminal law

phoenix - tort personal injury, plaintiff leaning

edgeworth - law of obligations. civil law

mia - also tort personal injury prolly, maybe family law

apollo - boutique family law or labour law

athena - IP since she has the science bg

kristoph - tort negligence / personal injury, large corp defense. mergers and acquisitions. real estate. tax. something lip curling. def an in house for a big corp whatever it is

klavier - international business ? maybe ? or IP? open to suggestions here idk — edit: IP law / entertainment law was such an easy grab idk why i didnt think of it before

Godot - tax law

franziska - definitely interntional business

sebastian - law student. doesnt really know what he wants to do rn

blackquill - tax law

[ratlesshonret]

Was thinking about Ace Attorney x Project Moon and wondering how that'd even work. The City seems like a very "fend for yourself," "might makes right" type of place. There are definitely laws, and jail-type locations are shown (mainly in Limbus Canto 6.5-1,) but we never see any kind of "due process." It usually just seems like people are arrested as soon as they're suspected of something, and thrown in jail forever unless they're rich.

We do come across some kinds of "lawyers," such as the Fixers you encounter in the Reception of Mirae Life Insurance, but those are insurance lawyers/collectors. Really, the only types of law ever covered are insurance law, contract law, and patent law. We never see anything about civil disputes or criminal law.

They take care to stress that laws don't apply during the Night in the Backstreets, when the Sweepers come out, which means that there are laws and punishments surrounding violent offenses, at least within the Nests, and possibly in the Backstreets outside of nighttime. Property damage is highlighted as an especially heinous offense, and if my memory serves right, the only offense that you can still be punished for during the Night in the Backstreets.

Overall, we get info on insurance, contract, and patent laws, but very little on criminal and civil law. Those last two seem to only be viewed in the lens of "you'll get punished by someone if you violate them" but it seems heavily dependent on which District you're in. A lot of Districts seem to just be "shoot the violators" while some, like T Corp, do seem to have an imprisonment system, at least for Time Tax Evaders. But we never see any due process.

I do think it'd be cool, though. Ace Attorney style trials in the high-tech City environment, allowing both interesting new tricks in the crimes, and cool new ways to investigate them. Maybe a Fixer Office specializing in defense law, who is hired to defend people accused of crimes in court, using expensive technology to investigate crimes in more detail when the actual police force of The City just doesn't feel like doing their job.

[amarynthian-chronicles]

Hello, hello!

Welcome, make yourself comfortable, here are some cakes, tea and hot chocolate, and enjoy your stay. In this little pocket dimension of a blog, you will mostly find posts about our Celestial Jesters and other FNAF content, along with space-themed aesthetic, writing, some silly whimsical quotes, comfy vibes and similar.

I shall be tagging my own writing posts under "jester's privilege chronicles" (these are especially for my longer works) and "amary's chronicles" (these are especially for my shorter little scenes), to make it easier to navigate or find them. For answered asks the tags are "amary answers" and "amary speaks", to find them easily in case they get buried in reblogs. As of recent, I made the tag "amary's art" for my doodles, although I am still a beginner.

Under the cut are links to my AO3 fics and summaries of all the current stories, if you are interested!

(Additionally, I have also written a few joint AUs with the amazing @ravenwriter16 @robinette-green @lets-zofifi-stuff @amymaleneart How to Capture a Nymph's Heart: Satyr's Guide to Romance (nymph y/n and satyr dca au) and Furever Home (werewolf y/n and shepherds dca au) )

Have a lovely day and enjoy your stay!

Jester's Privilege Chronicles series:

Sound the Bells: You are a mermaid in charge of the daunting task of managing the sea and your court consists of playful twin Leviathans and an uncooperative Kraken. You also have the disadvantage of being an utter disaster at this mermaid business and you live on land in human form, having the swimming skills of a rock.

Your sea monsters are not too thrilled with you living on land, so they love to cause shipwrecks and general mayhem to get your attention. You try to place a stop to this by having them spend a month with you in the town of Celestial Bay disguised as animatronics.

Sun is thrilled to explore human technology, Moon prowls the night threatening city council members into making better legal acts to protect the sea against pollution, and Eclipse's natural protective Kraken instincts are getting a tad bit out of hand and making him the friendly neighbourhood serial killer. He loves quick solutions to complex problems.

Officer Vanessa is the only one brave enough to keep knocking on your door for some explanations. She is also in charge of a very confused police unit that really needs to get some sleep.

Extended Contract: You are a witch that fell for the oldest trick in the book by giving your name to the mischievous Fae princes of the Celestial Court. Such an inconvenience on what was supposed to be a typical office night. You are honestly not having it. They, however, do seem quite happy about having you. You decide to make a deal with the Fae King to regain your freedom. The only thing that is functional in the whole situation is your phone signal in the Fae Kingdom.

Tip the Scales: You are a charismatic defense lawyer in a constant competition with two ruthless prosecutors that do not understand your ideals about criminals deserving a second chance. You are also housemates with a certain bitter and retired judge, who has a habit of operating at night as a cloaked figure known as the Judge of the Damned, serving justice as he deems fit according to his own moral ideals. In order to solve his frequent habit of going after your clients, you two had established a game of Tip the Scales to keep a balance of which person deserves redemption and who is condemned to damnation. Things get complicated when an old friend gets wrongfully accused. You do all in your power to convince your prosecutor rivals to secretly cooperate with you and help clear his name before you lose the game.

Our Guest: You arrive at a sinister and luxurious castle with the innocent intention of checking why its mysterious residents haven't been paying any taxes or utilities for the past several centuries. Very useful excuse for a vampire hunter to have when trying to do some good old infiltrating. The three vampire lords, however, fully intend to capture and seduce you, possibly give your pretty neck a bite or two, but all of that does get a bit complicated when you are being such a tease and constantly asking them about their financial books. Will they succeed in the task of making you theirs, dear Y/N? And are they onto your little schemes?

[zsakuva]

1. Is Kayson's hair natural or dyed? Does the sakuverse reflects realistic genetics or like fantasy genetics like the ones in anime where they could have any color of hair and eyes naturally?

2. If Isaac pushed through with his decision to be a lawyer, what field would he specialize in? Criminal defense? If he was, would he be picky about who he defends just as he is with his cases? Like would he defend a criminal that actually committed a crime?

3. If Isaac's family is still alive, what would they think of Isaac technically kidnapping Pickle? Isaac's mom would likely be proud that he helped someone, but what about his dad and grandpa?

4. We know Isaac pays Pickle about above minimum wage, but could you give us a range of how much he pays them per hour?

5. Very random but who among your characters peed their beds when they were little(aside from Elias)?

6. Does Pickle even do taxes? Ig their salary is probably paid in full by Isaac, but do they even need to pay taxes?

7. Before Isaac hired Pickle, how did he manage his time? Like since he's busy, would he just do chores while doing phone calls? And what kind of meals did he usually prepare for himself?

Kayson is an outlier seeing as when I made him as a character, there was no Sakuverse. So it's a 'we acknowledge it but we don't talk about it' with him. Unless I change it.

He'd likely go into criminal defence. But he wouldn't be picky about who we defends; his current job is ambiguous as well.

They would likely understand why he did it but wouldn't condone it.

It's per assignment, not hour. They can range depending on what it is. For one assignment, it could be $10,000. For another, $200,000.

Probably a lot, if not all. It happens~

Never thought about it.

He would do everything half-assed. Wipe something with a cloth here and there, and then forget to do the rest. For meals, it would be very simple, probably very microwaveable meals or things that can be heated up with little effort.

[ihhfhonao3]

You. Domestic KlavDarPollo fic. Now.

That or High school au with them cause that would lowkey be funny/kinda adorable.

Here ya are, under the cut! I had quite a bit of fun with this one, thanks for requesting! :D I went with the highschool au idea haha

Apollo slumped over his homework, staring at the trigonometry question that he had been stumped on for over ten minutes now. No matter what he tried, he just couldn’t get himself to focus on the task at hand. And who could blame him? Trigonometry was difficult. For some reason, the concepts that his class was studying at the moment just weren’t clicking with him. It frustrated him to no end- why did he need to learn math if he wanted to be a lawyer anyways? Did lawyers even use math? Tax lawyers did, but surely not criminal defense attorneys! It was ridiculous!

Apollo leaned back against his desk chair and sighed, stretching his arms behind him. He could hear the television blaring in the living room, his foster parents apparently watching a show together. Apollo closed his eyes and tilted his head towards the ceiling for a moment, until his ringtone jolted him out of his trance. The familiar snippet of “Contempt of Court” rang out against his previously quiet room. Apollo hesitated to pick it up for a moment, listening to the song that his boyfriends had made with fondness. Eventually, he answered the call.

“APOLLOOOOOOO!” a voice cried from the other end. Apollo jumped slightly.

“Shit, Klavier, don’t scare me like that!” Apollo scolded. “Can’t you avoid screaming on the phone like a normal person?”

Klavier giggled. “Nein, of course not!”

Apollo sighed and slumped back over his desk. “With all due respect, what do you want?”

Klavier giggled again. “Welllllll… Me and Dar are hanging out at my place right now, and-”

Klavier was promptly interrupted by Daryan shouting “Hey, you doll!” from the other end.

Apollo smiled and felt his face flush as Klavier shushed Daryan angrily.

“Anywho, babe,” Klavier said. “Weeeeeee were wondering…”

“Klavi, stop being annoying and just tell me what it is,” Apollo said.

“Okay! Damn!” Klavier laughed. “We want you to come over and spend time with us!”

There was a slight yelp, a laugh and some static as Daryan’s voice was suddenly much louder.

“We want to go out,” Daryan said. “Like… to go get some dinner together? Or just to walk around a bit? The evening’s fuckin’ beautiful, babe!”

“I can’t,” Apollo grumbled. “Trig homework. I’ve gotta get it done.”

“Ditch it!” Daryan said. “It’s a fuckin’ Friday!”

“No! I need to master this concept, if I don’t figure it out now I probably never will!” Apollo said, exasperated.

Apollo’s boyfriends started to chant “ditch it, ditch it!” in unison into the phone. Apollo got more annoyed by the second.

“FINE! Damn!” Apollo said finally. “Just stop that annoying chanting!”

Apollo heard cheers from the other side of the phone. Suddenly, Klavier’s voice was loud again.

“Pick you up in fifteen?” Klavier asked.

“Sure,” Apollo said. “But I’d better not see any moldy bread in your car again.”

“Is he talking about the bread thing?” Apollo heard Daryan cry. “I forgot the bread in your car ONCE! One FUCKING TIME!”

Apollo snickered as he quickly hung up.

~~~

Convincing his foster parents to let him go out wasn’t exactly difficult, granted that it was indeed a Friday and Apollo swore to them up and down that his homework was finished and that he’d be back before ten. In all honesty, they also weren’t the most attentive parents that he’d ever had, but Apollo wasn’t complaining as long as that meant he could be with his boyfriends and go out for secret late-night candy grabs with them.

Before he knew it, Klavier’s purple BMW was in the driveway of Apollo’s foster home. Klavier was sitting at the wheel with his sunglasses on and Daryan was in the passenger seat with his feet resting on the dashboard. Apollo chuckled as he opened the door and hopped into the backseat.

“How come you’re not yelling at Daryan to get his feet off the dashboard when you always yell at me for doing the same thing?” Apollo asked as he buckled his seatbelt. 

“Because he won’t listen to me either way,” Klavier said. “Plus, Daryan has the decency to keep his boots spotless ninety percent of the time.”

“Damn straight!” Daryan laughed. “Ain’t no WAY I’m letting THESE puppies get dirty and STAY dirty. I wash ‘em every time I take ‘em off! They cost me hella money anyways!”

“I still think you’re nuts for that,” Apollo said. “But I would probably be the same way, if I bought designer shoes with my own money. But, uh, the money part isn’t really… following through.”

“We have got to get you a job, ‘Pollo,” Klavier said as he put the car into reverse. “You’re fifteen and you’re in the foster system. You’re gonna need some bucks to keep with you in case you need them. And you need money that ISN’T from an iffy allowance.”

Apollo sighed. “Maybe at the mall I’ll find a place that’s hiring.”

With that, Daryan got his hands on the bluetooth and started blasting his favorite music so none of them could hear each other for the rest of the way to the mall.

Eventually they reached the parking lot, which was nearly empty since it was so late. Luckily, the mall closed at nine, so they had about two hours to explore and shop. The three boys hopped out of the car and entered the mall.

“I love going to this place,” Klavier mused, looking around at the palm trees that lined the entryway. “Outdoor malls are so gorgeous.”

“Maybe not so much in fuckin’... I dunno, Minnesota?” Daryan noted. “I’d rather kill myself than be outside in weather that’s like, below fifty degrees. I hate the winter.”

Apollo chuckled. “Trust me Dar, the coldest temperatures during winter in Minnesota is not gonna be just fifty degrees. It’s more like… ten.”

“I knew that!” Daryan said. “That’s why I’m never going to Minnesota!”

A cool breeze blew past the buildings and through the palm leaves, gently brushing against the boy’s faces and filling the air with the scent of pretzels and luxury cologne.

“Where to first, guys?” Klavier asked.

“I know where I’m going!” Apollo cried. “The bookstore!”

Daryan groaned. “I don’t wanna participate in your nerd weeb shit. I know you just want to go there to get some more manga.”

Apollo pouted. “One of my favorite shōnens just came out with a new edition, I read about it online. You don’t understand Daryan, I NEED it! I gotta see what happens next in the story!"

Klavier chuckled. “I’ll take you, Apollo. Let’s ditch Daryan, you and me. Whaddya say?”

“Hey!” Daryan said. “Alright, alright, damn. I’ll go with you.”

As soon as he got the go-ahead, Apollo bolted for the bookstore as fast as he could. “Keep up guys!” he called behind him.

After waiting for a second to make sure that he didn’t lose his boyfriends in his dust, Apollo rushed into the bookstore and hurried up the stairs to the second floor. He knew the route by heart now, and in no time flat, he was in the manga section.

Apollo grinned as he eyed the extensive collection. So many awesome stories, just waiting for him to take home! He surveyed the aisles in search of the manga he was looking for. Eventually, after taking more than their sweet time, Klavier and Daryan caught up with him and joined him in the aisle.

“Did you find it yet?” Klavier asked. “If you didn’t, we can help you, can’t we Daryan?”

“It’s alright,” Apollo said. “It should be about…”

Apollo gasped. He grabbed the manga from the shelf and held it up, presenting it like a shining trophy.

“They have it!” Apollo said a bit too loudly for a bookstore. “It’s here! And it’s only twenty bucks!”

Daryan let out a low whistle. “Twenty? Really?”

“Well, it is brand-new,” Apollo said. “Any money is worth this manga. I love it so much.”

“I can buy it for you, if you want,” Klavier offered.

“What? No way!” Apollo said. “You don’t have to, Klav. I brought my own money.”

Klavier shrugged. “While we’re here, could I maybe look around too?”

“Not you too,” Daryan groaned. “Come on, I’m hungry as hell.”

“Just hang on!” Klavier said. “I’m going to check out the business section or whatever. Gonna see if there’s any books on law and philosophy.”

“I’m going with!” Apollo said.

The two of them looked at Daryan.

“I guess like, if you guys INSIST,” Daryan said. 

The other two laughed as they all made their way to search for some books on law.

After finding the legal philosophy section, it didn’t take long for Daryan to become enamored in the display too. Law was the thing that connected all of them so well after all, and it was largely responsible for how they became so close. After choosing to take Business and Personal Law at their school every year, a pattern started to become obvious. They were the only kids in the school who stuck with the class for that long- most students moved on from it after one school year.

Klavier and Daryan had already been sort-of-friends, sort-of-dating. They had been friends since way back in their youth, and their bond only strengthened as they picked up music together and formed a band with a few of their other friends. Apollo, however, was new.

It didn’t take long for Daryan and Klavier to take notice of Apollo. He was as loud as he was sarcastic, as friendly as he was determined. He made himself known in the class from day one, and with a surname like Justice, it probably made sense. It also helped that he wasn’t particularly lacking in the looks department.

Apollo had been checking out the two of them for a bit as well. Mostly because Daryan’s pompadour was pretty hard to miss, but also because they radiated confidence so well together that he couldn’t help but be drawn to them. And of course, they were indeed a pretty hot pair.

Some working together on group projects and a few after school study/game hangouts later, they all eventually ended up on a group chat together. Klavier asked if Apollo could join his and Daryan’s relationship, he accepted the offer, and the rest was history. 

“Got all your things, babe?” Daryan asked, clapping Apollo on the back.

“I think so,” Apollo said. “I couldn’t find anything new or interesting that wasn’t totally outdated, but that’s okay.”

“Klavier found a law textbook in German,” Daryan said as he ushered Apollo back to where their boyfriend was. “He said it’d help him when he goes to study abroad. He’s obsessed with Germany, I tell ya. I think it’s kinda funny.”

“Are you teasing me?” Klavier’s voice cried from behind a bookshelf. He appeared suddenly around the corner and approached the other two.

“Ah, shit,” Daryan laughed.

“It’s always out of love!” Apollo chimed. “Germany is a gorgeous country. I think you should follow your dreams, Klav.”

“I never said that he shouldn’t follow his dreams!” Daryan said. “I just think he’s funny!”

“Aww,” Klavier cooed, placing a gentle finger on Daryan’s nose. “You think I’m funny?”

Daryan swatted Klavier’s finger away. “Great job, ‘Pollo. Now he’ll gloat for the rest of his life.”

Apollo just shrugged. “Hurry up, let’s get out of here. There’s more of the mall to check out.”

The boys bought their books and put them in a bag. Klavier was forced into carrying it, seeing as Apollo claimed he was “too weak” to do it and Daryan was as stubborn as a mule.

They made their next stop at a clothing store, which interested Klavier and Daryan but not Apollo quite as much. Though Apollo did enjoy it as his boyfriends modeled their chosen jean jackets and leather pants for him in a private fashion show.

After buying a few clothes and window-shopping for a good bit, the trio noticed the time.

“8:45,” Klavier said. “We should probably get some dinner.”

“Anywhere in mind?” Apollo asked.

“I could go for some sushi,” Daryan grinned.

“Dar, I’m not buying you guys fucking sushi,” Klavier said. “Let’s go to this diner that’s nearby.”

Since Klavier was the one that was planning to pay for the food, he had the final input. And his input was to go to the diner, so that’s what the three of them ended up doing.

They sat down in a booth together, Apollo on one side and Klavier and Daryan on the other. Klavier leaned his head on Daryan’s shoulder as he looked at the menu, which made Apollo feel excluded, so Daryan opted for holding Apollo’s hand across the table to shut him up.

“I’m gonna get a cheeseburger,” Daryan said. “Do you guys know what you’re getting?”

“I do!” Klavier said. Apollo nodded as well.

“How about we all get a large milkshake for us to share?” Daryan suggested. “It should be big enough. We can get three straws.”

“That sounds perfect,” Apollo smiled.

Soon, a waiter came by and took their orders. There was nothing the three could do now except wait.

Tired of the affection, Daryan let go of Apollo’s hand and told Klavier to sit up, much to the boys’ distress. Klavier in turn moved to sit next to Apollo, holding his hand under the table as Daryan stretched across the booth and put his feet up on the cushioned chair.

“I’m glad you guys convinced me to go out with you,” Apollo mumbled. “It’s been a really fun night. Much better than staying back and doing my homework.”

“Of course,” Klavier grinned. “But it isn’t over quite yet, right?”

Daryan nodded. “The night is young. There’s still a lot we can do.”

“Well, I don’t want to stay out super late,” Apollo said. “I don’t mind being out a bit past my curfew, but I do have to sleep eventually.”

“You should spend the night,” Klavier suggested.

Apollo shook his head. “I’m good, but thank you, Klav. I don’t want my foster parents to have a heart attack in the morning when they realize I’m gone. But I mean, it probably would take them at least a couple hours for them to notice that I wasn’t in the house.”

Daryan chuckled. “Brutal, man. You’re a jackass.”

Apollo shrugged. “Doesn’t mean it’s not true,” he snickered.

Finally, their food arrived, piping hot and looking delicious. The trio shared a basket of onion rings and sipped on their shake together. Daryan was right, the shake was the perfect size for all of them to drink from. They chatted with each other as they ate their food, enjoying each other’s company.

After polishing off their food, Klavier paid the bill and the three boys headed out. Klavier said that he had an idea for them to go somewhere, but he was keeping the destination secret. The other two agreed, mostly because the mall was closed by the time they were done, yet none of them felt like going home quite yet. After bringing all of their bags back to Klavier’s car and putting them away, the trio set off to Klavier’s mystery destination.

The sun had long since set and the sky was colored a deep black, which faded into grey and eventually got brighter on the horizon as the streetlights illuminated the Japanifornia night. The cool air was charming and sweet as the three boys sauntered down the sidewalk, taking in the fresh smells of spring. Flower petals were shaken from tree branches and were blown across the ground, covering the grass in a mosaic of pinks, whites and purples. The group chatted about trivial things, following Klavier’s lead as he brought them to who knew where.

Suddenly, Klavier stopped.

“Here we are!” he said proudly.

Before them was a gorgeous, open field, lined with blooming trees of every color and filled with lush green grass. The trees framed the dark sky, making the scene look like something out of a painting in a museum. Apollo and Daryan “ooh”ed at the sight.

Klavier laughed and ran straight into the clearing, kicking up delicate blossoms and leaves. He drew a grassy path in his wake as he ran. The petals danced at his feet, following him in the wind. Apollo lit up and ran in after him, kicking leaves at his boyfriend and racing with him. Daryan slowly approached the field, looking around at the trees and observing the beauty surrounding him. He took in a deep breath of the fragrant air, smiling as he watched his boyfriends tussle.

“Alright, break it up, bitches,” Daryan said, waving his arms between Klavier and Apollo. The two laughed in response.

“Woah-ah!” Apollo yelped as he tumbled to the ground and fell on his back.

“Shit, Apollo, are you okay?” Daryan said. He and Klavier rushed to Apollo and looked at him from above.

Apollo let out a deep belly laugh and grabbed Klavier and Daryan by their hands, pulling them down onto the ground next to him.

The three boys laid on their backs, staring up at the treetops and sky above them.

“Thanks for dragging us here, Klav,” Apollo said. “It’s gorgeous.”

Daryan grinned. “He’s right. It’s kinda pretty.”

“You’re so hard to please,” Klavier teased, poking Daryan on his shoulder. “‘Kinda pretty’ is all get?”

“It’s not much prettier than you,” Daryan said coolly.

“When did you get so sweet?” Klavier asked, sitting up. “Come here!”

Klavier scooted over to Daryan and kissed him on the cheek, which caused him to flush slightly. Then, he leaned down to Apollo and kissed him on his forehead before lying back down.

Apollo exhaled, content. “What time is it?”

Daryan checked his phone. “It’s 9:50.”

Apollo sighed. He reached out to his boyfriends, clasping their hands gently.

“I don’t think my foster parents will be too upset if I stay out just a bit past curfew,” Apollo said. “What do you guys think?”

Klavier sat up and looked at the other two. “I think that I have an idea.”

[miveus]

Law question: according to the gatobob archive, it is canon ren commits tax evasion. This being said, if he were to be rescued, would he immediately be sentenced to punishment for this crime or would they let it slide considering he was held hostage at the time.

ohhhh i love this question so much! disclaimer: i'm a law student from argentina and i feel a bit lazy to investigate canada's criminal legislation atm (sorry!!!!! i don't think it differs THAT much tho) so my answer will be based on how i'd handle this case applying my country's law

i'm like 90% sure ren commits tax evasion after strade's death, i don't think strade would trust him handling his finances. that being said, supposing that i'm wrong, i think one could argue that this situation falls under defense of necessity, and that ren committing tax evasion was a silent call for help (he NEEDED to commit a lesser crime to draw attention from the authorities to strade and prevent a worse one from being committed/stop it's continuity) in that case, according to zaffaroni's theory of crime, there wouldn't even be a crime to begin with, and he'd win the trial :)

if you managed to prove that strade threatened him into committing tax evasion (which i really don't think it's the case) ren would also win that trial. it'd make strade an indirect perpetrator and it'd rid ren of any responsibility.

things get a bit more complicated if i'm right and ren commits tax evasion after strade dies. maybe one could argue about him not being mentally stable after the tortures abd captivity and blah blah to try to rid him of responsibility, but i don't think that'd fly in court, unless you get a very sympathetic judge/jury and a very good psych evaluation. maybe one could say that he was left in such an unstable mental state after everything that happened with strade that he wasn't able to live life normally again, couldn't get a job, and so all the money that he had to survive was what strade left behind, so he couldn't afford to be an honest citizen and do things legally. he'd be questioned about why he didn't immediately go to the authorities to report what happened with strade.

the short answer is that everything depends on how well you prove certain things, how much money strade left behind and on how strong of a case you manage to make. maybe an excellent lawyer could build a case around how you can't expect to make a victim handle his (dead) abuser's finances responsibly. or maybe you get a very strict judge that interprets everything literally and he only focuses on the fact that ren die commit tax evasion instead of taking everything else into account.

i hope this answer isn't very confusing!!!! i enjoyed thinking about this a lot

[mostlysignssomeportents]

This day in history

#20yrsago Itunes blocks you from sharing music with YOURSELF, on your own computer https://web.archive.org/web/20041009202513/http://www.raelity.org/computers/operating_systems/apple/mac_os_x/apps/itunes_single_instance.html

#20yrsago How fanfic makes kids into better writers (and copyright victims) https://www.technologyreview.com/2004/02/06/40304/why-heather-can-write/

#15yrsago Flashmob of ATM crooks scores $9 million in 49 cities https://web.archive.org/web/20090205214559/http://www.myfoxny.com/dpp/news/090202_FBI_Investigates_9_Million_ATM_Scam

#15yrsago Internet not full of pedos, the statistical edition https://www.zephoria.org/thoughts/archives/2009/02/06/doing_the_math.html

#10yrsago Turks bid farewell to the Internet in the face of brutal censorship/surveillance law https://medium.com/@ahmetasabanci/saying-goodbye-to-internet-in-turkey-33d805b98f6c

#10yrsago Middle class brands collapse, 1% brands thrive https://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/03/business/the-middle-class-is-steadily-eroding-just-ask-the-business-world.html

#10yrsago How UK spies committed illegal DoS attacks against Anonymous https://www.nbcnews.com/news/investigations/war-anonymous-british-spies-attacked-hackers-snowden-docs-show-n21361

#10yrsago Toronto’s reference library gets a makerspace https://web.archive.org/web/20140209061223/http://torontoist.com/2014/02/reference-library-unveils-3d-printers-is-cooler-than-indigo/

#10yrsago Toxic Avenger’s brilliant rant about the importance of Net Neutrality https://www.techdirt.com/2014/02/05/innovation-our-better-future-depend-preserving-net-neutrality/

#5yrsago One of pharma’s most notorious gougers is going bankrupt, but 2019 is a banner year for shkreli-grade pharmaceutical price-hikes https://arstechnica.com/science/2019/02/infamous-pharma-company-declares-bankruptcy-after-3900-price-hike/

#5yrsago Chasing down that list of potential Predpol customers reveals dozens of cities that have secretly experimented with “predictive policing” https://www.vice.com/en/article/d3m7jq/dozens-of-cities-have-secretly-experimented-with-predictive-policing-software

#5yrsago Amazon is using purchase data to sell targeted ads, which is creepy, but not because they’ve invented a mind-control ray https://memex.craphound.com/2019/02/06/amazon-is-using-purchase-data-to-sell-targeted-ads-which-is-creepy-but-not-because-theyve-invented-a-mind-control-ray/

#5yrsago The next Firefox will block all autoplayed audio, video https://hacks.mozilla.org/2019/02/firefox-66-to-block-automatically-playing-audible-video-and-audio/

#5yrsago RIP, author Carol Emshwiller https://locusmag.com/2019/02/carol-emshwiller-1921-2019/

#5yrsago Washington State sheriff used courtroom camera to zoom in on defense attorney and juror’s private notes https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/san-juan-sheriffs-use-of-courtroom-camera-to-view-jurors-notebook-lawyers-notes-sparks-outrage-and-dismissal-of-criminal-case/

#5yrsago Lawsuit says that America’s “break even” court records website shouldn’t be making 98%+ profits https://www.techdirt.com/2019/02/06/multiple-parties-including-author-law-governing-pacer-ask-court-to-stop-pacers-screwing-taxpayers/

#5yrsago Fox News blames schools teaching “fairness” for support for a tax on the super-rich https://www.reddit.com/r/LateStageCapitalism/comments/annfs6/fox_news_blames_public_support_of_wealth_tax/

#1yrago Bruce Schneier's "A Hacker's Mind" https://pluralistic.net/2023/02/06/trickster-makes-the-world/#power-play

[beardedmrbean]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Weeks before Hunter Biden is set to stand trial on federal tax charges, the legal team for President Joe Biden's son and prosecutors will appear in a California courtroom Wednesday as the judge weighs what evidence can be presented to the jury.

Hunter Biden is accused of a scheme to avoid paying at least $1.4 million in taxes in the case headed for trial in September in Los Angeles. It's the second criminal trial in just months for the president's son, who was convicted in June of three felony charges in a separate federal case over the purchase of a gun in 2018.

Prosecutors and the defense have been fighting for weeks in court papers over what evidence and testimony jurors should be allowed to hear. Among the topics at issue is evidence related to Hunter Biden's foreign business dealings, which have been at the center of Republican investigations into the Democratic president's family.

Prosecutors say they will introduce evidence of Hunter Biden's business dealings with a Chinese energy conglomerate, as well as money he made for serving on the board of Ukrainian gas company Burisma. Prosecutors say the evidence will show Hunter Biden “performed almost no work in exchange for the millions of dollars he received from these entities.”

Special counsel David Weiss' team also plans to tell jurors about Hunter Biden's work for a Romanian businessman, who prosecutors say sought to “influence U.S. government policy” while Joe Biden was vice president.

Prosecutors want to call as a witness a Hunter Biden business associate to testify about the arrangement with the Romanian businessman, Gabriel Popoviciu, who was seeking help from U.S. government agencies to end a criminal investigation he was facing in his home country, according to prosecutors.

Hunter Biden and his business associate were concerned their “lobbying work might cause political ramifications” for Joe Biden, so the arrangement was structured in a way that “concealed the true nature of the work” for Popoviciu, prosecutors allege. Prosecutors say Hunter and two business associates split more than $3 million from Popoviciu.

The defense has said evidence about his foreign business dealings is irrelevant to the tax charges and would only confuse jurors. They have accused prosecutors of inappropriately trying to insert “extraneous, politically-charged matters" into the trial.

Hunter Biden has pleaded not guilty, and his lawyers have indicated they will argue he didn't act “willfully,” or with the intention to break the law. Pointing to Hunter Biden’s well-documented addiction struggles during those years, they've argued his drug and alcohol abuse impacted “his decision-making and judgment, such that Mr. Biden was unable to form the requisite intent to commit the crimes he has been charged with.”

Prosecutors have said that while avoiding his taxes, Hunter Biden was living an “extravagant lifestyle,” spending money on things like drugs, escorts, exotic cars and luxury hotels. The defense is urging the judge to keep those salacious allegations out of the trial.

“The Special Counsel may wish to introduce such evidence for the very reason that it is salacious and would pique the interest of the jury, but for the same reasons and because such evidence would distract the jury from the crimes charged, such information would also be highly prejudicial to Mr. Biden,” defense lawyers wrote in court papers.

Hunter Biden was supposed to plead guilty last year to misdemeanor tax offenses in a deal with prosecutors that would have allowed him to avoid prosecution in the gun case if he stayed out of trouble. But the plea deal fell apart after a Delaware federal judge raised concerns about it, and he was subsequently indicted in the two cases.

[longwindedbore]

When i’ve bought or sold a home the mortgage companies have always looked at three documents:

A. The appraisal,

B. The seller’s disclosure statement,

C. The buyer’s statement of financial condition

Any factual misstatements or material omissions on B or C can result in a conviction for fraud for the signee(s)

https://www.federalcriminaldefenseadvocates.com/mortgage-fraud

[From the Article]

Some common types of mortgage fraud are: [I’ve added the numbering]

Intentionally providing false financial statements;

lying about income (income fraud);

providing false tax returns;

overvaluing a property's value (appraisal fraud);

providing fake employment verification;

manipulated credit scores/reports;

stating that the property acquired is for residential purposes but in actuality is for investment purposes which gives lower interest rates (occupancy fraud)…

In United States federal courts, mortgage fraud is prosecuted as wire fraud, real estate fraud, bank fraud, mail fraud and money laundering, and you may face a maximum of 30 years in prison and up to a $1 million fine.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Donald Trump, his sons, his companies and other of his executives have been found liable for fraud in the on going civil trial.

Just as you or I would be if we did ANY of the above.

The State had demonstrated that the Trump Organization committed repeatedly 1, 2, 4, 6, 7 plus others not listed above

Judge Engoron’s ruling on the State’s Motion for Summary Judgment noted that the State compared documents in the Trump Organizations records which at odds with the Statements of Financial Conditions subpoenaed from banks which had provided Trump loans.

Donald Trump’s attorneys filed three motions against the State; were rejected three times by the Judge; then appealed three times and were rejected three times.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Lead attorney Kise has argued before the US Supreme Court and won his cases

If he had any any any other legal arguments howler specious or nebulous for an appeals court he would have made that appeal before the train wreck of testimony by Trump and Sons.

Undoubtedly Trump, who considered himself smarter than the Judge, opposing counsel, and his own $3million retainer attorney, paid close to ZERO attention to Kise’s attempt to prep him as a witness.

[error-404-fuck-not-found]

when they detain people, standard go-to is to starve them, shake them violently (doesn't leave bruises or any marks to prove the violence happened), keep all the lights on very bright 24/7 so you can't ever sleep, and play very loud noises at random intervals again so you can't sleep. they do this for at least three days before putting a confession paper in front of you and demanding you sign. oh, and if you want a lawyer, they can assign you a lawyer who knows nothing about criminal defense. you could get a tax lawyer. the lawyers also can charge you based on how many documents you submit so they can tell you to submit lots of papers that don't do anything to make bank off your suffering. and if you want to talk over the phone in a language that isn't japanese? you have to pay for a translator so a cop can write down every single thing you say over the phone. this is not provided for you. the japanese justice system is infamous for getting false confessions after torturing whatever bystander they happened to kidnap off the street

Real lawyer plays Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney

[simply-ivanka]

Let's not forget that Joe Biden is corrupt to the core! this gets forgotten in the cesspool of mainstream media and the thirst for breaking news! The sooner America rids itself of Biden and the members of the Biden Administration, the better!

______________________________________________________________

What Did the Biden Family’s Foreign Clients Get for their Money?

Hunter Biden pleads guilty to federal tax charges.

Wall Street Journal

By James Freeman

Hunter Biden has been convicted of federal crimes for not paying all the taxes he owed on his foreign income. But the most important question for Americans remains unanswered: What exactly did his overseas clients get in return for their money? His Thursday guilty plea on tax charges prevented testimony that may have gone some way toward providing an answer. This potential testimony may also explain why Hunter Biden waited until now to acknowledge his guilt.

The Journal’s Sara Randazzo, Ryan Barber and Annie Linskey report from Los Angeles:

Federal prosecutors signaled an aggressive strategy as the trial drew near, previewing an approach that would show how foreign interests paid the younger Biden to influence the U.S. government while his father was vice president during the Obama administration. Prosecutors said they planned to cast a light on a lucrative arrangement with a Romanian real-estate magnate who was facing a corruption investigation in his home country, along with his ties to the oil company CEFC China Energy and his tenure on the board of Burisma, a Ukrainian gas company.

In court Thursday, [prosecutor Leo Wise] insisted on reading the entirety of the 56-page indictment into the record—over the objection of Biden’s lawyer—to establish the facts underlying the guilty plea.

Alanna Durkin Richer reported last month for the Associated Press:

Hunter Biden’s lawyers say prosecutors are inappropriately trying to insert “politically-charged” allegations about his foreign business dealings into the upcoming federal tax trial against the president’s son.

Special counsel David Weiss’ team told the judge last week that they plan to call to the witness stand a business associate of Hunter Biden’s to testify about an arrangement with a Romanian businessman who was trying to “influence U.S. government policy” during Joe Biden’s term as vice president…

The Romanian businessman, Gabriel Popoviciu, wanted U.S. government agencies to probe a bribery investigation he was facing in his home country in the hopes that would end his legal trouble, according to prosecutors.

Prosecutors say Hunter Biden agreed with his business associate to help Popoviciu fight the criminal charges against him. But prosecutors say they were concerned that “lobbying work might cause political ramifications” for Joe Biden, so the arrangement was structured in a way that “concealed the true nature of the work” for Popoviciu, prosecutors alleged…

In fact, Popoviciu and Hunter’s business associate agreed that they would be paid for their work to “attempt to influence U.S. government agencies to investigate the Romanian investigation,” prosecutors said. Hunter Biden’s business associate was paid more than $3 million, which was split with Hunter and another business partner, prosecutors say.

Ms. Richer also noted that Hunter Biden’s defense lawyers “slammed prosecutors for showcasing ‘these matters on the eve of Mr. Biden’s trial—when there is no mention of political influence in the 56-page Indictment.’ ” The A.P. story continued:

“The Special Counsel’s unnecessary change of tactic merely echoes the baseless and false allegations of foreign wrongdoing which have been touted by House Republicans to use Mr. Biden’s proper business activities in Romania and elsewhere to attack him and his father,” the defense wrote.

But the defense has now opted not to defend.

Of course Romania is not the only foreign jurisdiction that proved fruitful for the Biden family business. The majority staff of several House committees recently reported:

From 2014 to the present… Biden family members and their associates received over $27 million from foreign individuals or entities…

Witnesses acknowledged that Hunter Biden involved Vice President Biden in many of his business dealings with Russian, Romanian, Chinese, Kazakhstani, and Ukrainian individuals and companies.Then-Vice President Biden met or spoke with nearly every one of the Biden family’s foreign business associates, including those from Ukraine, China, Russia, and Kazakhstan.

And of course let’s not forget Hunter Biden’s own deposition on Capitol Hill. This column noted in March that mere minutes after making yet another broad claim of not involving his father in the business, Hunter Biden confirmed the story of travelling with then-Vice President Joe Biden on Air Force Two to China and introducing his father to Jonathan Li in the lobby of the Bidens’ hotel. The following excerpt from the deposition suggests that the timing could not have been better:

[Committee member or staff]: At the time that you did introduce your father to Jonathan Li, did you or any of your business associates have any potential business with Jonathan Li?

[Hunter Biden]: I was working with Jonathan on a potential that he had an idea for creating a private equity fund based in China to do cross-border investments.

Nice. But good luck explaining what value Hunter Biden might be able to add to such an enterprise. Years later, his Chinese associates still hadn’t come up with a story. In 2019 Cissy Zhou and Jun Mai reported in the South China Morning Post:

BHR (Shanghai) Equity Investment Fund Management Company has grabbed global media attention for its links with Hunter Biden, the son of former United States vice-president Joe Biden, after US President Donald Trump fired a barrage of corruption allegations at him and requested China investigate the Bidens’ financial activities in the country.

The company has repeatedly declined to elaborate on the younger Biden’s role at the firm when contacted by the South China Morning Post via phone, mail and visits to the office. But Jonathan Li Xiangsheng, the firm’s chief executive and Hunter Biden’s partner, has said the company was working on an explanation about the American’s role.

Li refused to comment on the younger Biden when reached by the Post on Monday.

A recent visit to the firm’s registered address in Beijing found a small, plainly decorated office, where a receptionist said she had never seen Hunter Biden.

Is there anything Joe Biden said about the family business in 2020 that has turned out to be true?

Meanwhile as Vice President Kamala Harris seeks a promotion, perhaps she ought to disclose if she ever questioned anyone or learned anything about the Biden family business and its implications for American foreign policy. One would guess she was at least curious. Did she ever talk to anyone about the ethical standards for Hunter Biden’s art sales, which turned out to be a sham while she was serving alongside Joe Biden?

Vice President Harris is not just a lawyer but a former prosecutor and a former state attorney general, for goodness sake. Wasn’t she the least bit concerned?

***

Spokespeople for both the president and the vice president say that they won’t be pardoning Hunter Biden. But then why is Hunter Biden’s lawyer still making what seems like a political argument rather than a legal one?

Jack Morphet and Priscilla DeGregory report for the New York Post on comments from defense lawyer Abbe Lowell:

“Hunter decided to enter his plea to protect those he loves from unnecessary hurt and cruel humiliation,” Lowell said.

“This plea prevents that kind of show trial that would not have provided all the facts or served any real point in justice. He will now move on to the sentencing phase, while keeping open the options to raise the many clear issues with this case on appeal.”

He’s going to appeal a case in which he just pleaded guilty to all the charges? Sounds like an argument built for the White House briefing room, not a courtroom.

***

James Freeman is the co-author of “The Cost: Trump, China and American Revival” and also the co-author of “Borrowed Time: Two Centuries of Booms, Busts and Bailouts at Citi.”