Brazen Trump Shakes Down NY Governor In Broad Daylight

Donald Trump does not know how to operate within the law, and now that he's been acquitted of the Ukraine extortion, he's on to New York, confident that he can do whatever he wants.
Brazen Trump Shakes Down NY Governor In Broad Daylight
Credit: The Nation
By Karoli Kuns — February 13, 2020

Today, the forever impeached, so-called "president" went to Twitter and began a shakedown of the Governor of New York in front of anyone who was watching. A brazen request for a quid pro quo transaction, conducted in front of everyone as if doing it in public makes it something that is fine to do.

If you're unsure of what that's about, last week the White House put a freeze on New York's Global Entry program. The New York Times explains:

The decision by Homeland Security affects New Yorkers who use Trusted Traveler programs like Global Entry; their renewals will be cut off by the end of 2020. About 50,000 New Yorkers in the application process but who haven’t received final approval will also lose the opportunity to speed through security but will be reimbursed for their application fees, according to Heather Swift, a spokeswoman for Homeland Security.

In addition to airports, specific lanes to quickly cross over the land border — available to those in the FAST, NEXUS and SENTRI programs — are also covered by the new rules, which were announced in a letter to the New York State government from Chad F. Wolf, the acting secretary of Homeland Security. That, too, could inconvenience state residents and commercial truck drivers, who frequently cross back and forth into Canada.

And of course, the administration was more than happy to rescind that freeze if Governor Cuomo would just give ICE access to their DMV database, with information about undocumented immigrants who have obtained drivers' licenses.

This for that. Quid pro quo.

Ethicist Walter Shaub is on fire:

And indeed, New York State Attorney General Letitia James is on the case:

But so far, the press has been so obsessed with Bill Barr's ridiculous effort to duck responsibility for toadying to Trump that there hasn't been much attention paid to this. Shaub took note.

So did Adam Schiff.

Also Rep. Don Beyer:

It's what the Senate said he could do, so why wouldn't he, after all? No penalty for shaking down a foreign country, and none whatsoever for doing the same to the governor of one of the most populous states in the U.S.. It's how he rolls, after all.

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