A new story out of Politico reports that officials in Palm Beach, Florida, have been making “contingency plans” just in case the twice impeached former president Donald Trump is indicted on one of the myriad possible charges being investigated by Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance Jr. One of the issues facing officials is a seldom used Florida statute that gives the state’s governor the power to intervene in any extradition of Florida residents to other states in the union. It isn't clear what these “contingency” plans consist of; is it making sure Trump is justifiably extradited if the request is made, or how they might prolong his stay in Florida in defiance of the law?
A clerk at the Circuit Court of Palm Beach County told Politico: “The statute leaves room for interpretation that the governor has the power to order a review and potentially not comply with the extradition notice.” And we all know how corrupt GOP officials are when it comes to the “interpretation” of laws. Their fascist readings of our country’s legal system are the reason they have loaded up the country’s judicial system with right-wing judges.
Vance has been making headlines as his investigations into the Trump organization have ramped up over the past few months. In February it was reported that Vance had brought on former prosecutor Mark Pomerantz to help with his investigation into the family. Pomerantz has a long history of prosecuting white collar crimes as well as organized crime in the New York system.
Vance has also interviewed Ivanka Trump and Donald Trump Jr. concerning the murky self-dealing aspects between the Trump organization—the family’s private business—and Trump’s Inaugural Committee. The New York District Attorney’s office has also reportedly expanded their investigation into Trump family real estate holdings, and has been able to secure some of the Trump’s long-hidden tax returns. Whether or not Vance’s investigation will uncover how Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump’s personal wealth ballooned while they were technically White House advisers remains to be seen.
An interesting aspect of the Trump extradition story is that while Trump does have a residency in the Sunshine State, he usually moves to New Jersey’s Bedminster during the summer months. While New Jersey has a similar extradition statute to Florida, the governor of the state is Democrat Phil Murphy. Frankly, almost any governor not named DeSantis would be one step closer to justice. In March, Vance announced his plans to retire at the end of 2021. Hopefully, he can place Donald Trump (and friends?) back in a New York court before he leaves.
Published with permission of Daily Kos
