WEBVTT 1 00:00:20.440 --> 00:00:23.239 Welcome to Pod Dave America. I'm Alex Wagner. I know 2 00:00:23.359 --> 00:00:25.679 some of you may be tuning in today expecting our 3 00:00:25.679 --> 00:00:29.480 conversation with the Michigan Senate candidates on the Democratic side. Well, 4 00:00:29.879 --> 00:00:32.280 unfortunately you're going to have to wait just a little 5 00:00:32.280 --> 00:00:36.079 bit longer. We had to reschedule that conversation to accommodate 6 00:00:36.119 --> 00:00:39.679 for an unexpected change in candidate schedules. 7 00:00:39.719 --> 00:00:40.960 But do not worry. 8 00:00:41.079 --> 00:00:42.840 We are setting a new date and we will have 9 00:00:42.920 --> 00:00:47.039 more on that very very soon, so stand by today. Instead, 10 00:00:47.079 --> 00:00:50.719 I wanted to focus on the avalanche of corruption some 11 00:00:50.880 --> 00:00:53.520 folks might just call it theft coming out of the 12 00:00:53.560 --> 00:00:56.960 White House. The one point eight billion dollar slush fund 13 00:00:57.039 --> 00:01:00.439 to pay off January sixth rioters, the announced that the 14 00:01:00.479 --> 00:01:04.079 president and his family are now immune from IRS investigations. 15 00:01:04.400 --> 00:01:08.560 The ballroom slash bunker slash money pit, the reflecting pool, 16 00:01:08.840 --> 00:01:12.680 the president's three thousand plus stock trades while in office, 17 00:01:13.599 --> 00:01:17.319 the self enrichment, the cronyism, the taxpayer abuse. All of 18 00:01:17.359 --> 00:01:20.400 it has hit new heights, or should I say new lows, 19 00:01:21.040 --> 00:01:22.719 and I wanted to talk to someone who could help 20 00:01:22.760 --> 00:01:25.159 me make sense of all of this, but also about 21 00:01:25.159 --> 00:01:28.560 what Democrats in Congress and lawyers outside of it can 22 00:01:28.680 --> 00:01:32.120 do to fight back. Joining me for that conversation is 23 00:01:32.159 --> 00:01:35.640 the incredible Norma Eisen, founder of the Democracy Defender's Fund 24 00:01:35.680 --> 00:01:38.560 and former Special Counsel to the President for Ethics and 25 00:01:38.640 --> 00:01:42.480 Government Reform in the Obama administration. There is truly no 26 00:01:42.560 --> 00:01:46.680 better expert in America on White House corruption than Norma Eizen. 27 00:01:47.000 --> 00:01:49.159 We are going to get to that conversation in just 28 00:01:49.359 --> 00:01:52.400 a moment, but before we do, I want to remind 29 00:01:52.439 --> 00:01:55.480 you that Crooked Con twenty twenty six tickets. 30 00:01:55.120 --> 00:01:56.719 Are on sale now. 31 00:01:57.319 --> 00:01:59.959 Come hang with us November fifth through seventh and washing 32 00:02:00.079 --> 00:02:03.599 to DC for live shows and panels and meetups and more. 33 00:02:03.920 --> 00:02:06.000 I will be there and you should. 34 00:02:05.719 --> 00:02:06.200 Be there too. 35 00:02:06.719 --> 00:02:09.520 Get tickets at Crookedcon dot com. And if you like 36 00:02:09.599 --> 00:02:13.000 what you hear today, please do check out my show 37 00:02:13.159 --> 00:02:16.759 also on Crooked called Runaway Country, where every week I 38 00:02:16.840 --> 00:02:19.319 talk to people at the center of the headlines. We 39 00:02:19.479 --> 00:02:23.520 just published I think a pretty awesome, if disconcerting episode 40 00:02:23.520 --> 00:02:25.400 where I talked to one of the police officers who 41 00:02:25.479 --> 00:02:28.400 was at the Capitol on January sixth about his reaction 42 00:02:28.560 --> 00:02:31.039 to the news that he will be funding payments to 43 00:02:31.080 --> 00:02:33.960 the people who beat him unconscious that day and gave 44 00:02:34.039 --> 00:02:35.479 him traumatic brain injury. 45 00:02:36.080 --> 00:02:36.599 Check it out. 46 00:02:37.400 --> 00:02:45.120 Okay, here is Norm, I sin Norm, thank you for 47 00:02:45.159 --> 00:02:48.560 doing this. I have so many questions. I think everybody 48 00:02:48.560 --> 00:02:51.360 has questions, but I have, like many, many, many, many 49 00:02:51.439 --> 00:02:54.280 questions for someone who really knows what the hell is 50 00:02:54.400 --> 00:02:56.520 up with all of this or has a sense of 51 00:02:56.520 --> 00:02:56.879 the law. 52 00:02:56.919 --> 00:03:00.000 At least, let's just start at the beginning. 53 00:03:01.240 --> 00:03:04.919 On Monday, the DOJ announced it had made a settlement 54 00:03:05.080 --> 00:03:10.000 agreement on Trump's ten billion dollar lawsuit against the IRS, 55 00:03:10.120 --> 00:03:12.759 which he filed over the twenty twenty leak of his 56 00:03:12.840 --> 00:03:15.240 tax returns to The New York Times in pro publica. 57 00:03:15.919 --> 00:03:18.520 As part of that settlement, the DOJ announced they would 58 00:03:18.560 --> 00:03:23.439 establish a one point seven seven six billion Anti Weaponization 59 00:03:23.639 --> 00:03:27.199 Fund to compensate individuals who claim they were victims of 60 00:03:27.599 --> 00:03:33.719 government weaponization during the Biden administration. Norm was your Your 61 00:03:33.759 --> 00:03:36.800 reaction the same as mine, namely, what the fuck? 62 00:03:37.360 --> 00:03:42.520 Yes, Alex? It might have even arn day, what the 63 00:03:42.599 --> 00:03:49.680 double fuck technical legal term? You know? When I was 64 00:03:49.800 --> 00:03:54.560 the White House Ethics ar, I would not even allow 65 00:03:55.199 --> 00:04:01.960 Barack Obama to refinance his modest family home in Chicago 66 00:04:02.080 --> 00:04:06.439 because it was the Great Recession and he was regulating 67 00:04:07.319 --> 00:04:11.400 the banks. The thought that the President of the United 68 00:04:11.439 --> 00:04:17.959 States can in essence sue himself and throw that case out. 69 00:04:18.240 --> 00:04:21.600 Set up by one point eight billion dollar slush fund. 70 00:04:22.000 --> 00:04:28.279 It's an endowment for January sixth insurrectionist, including those who 71 00:04:28.800 --> 00:04:35.920 attacked the police and were convicted by juries. It's just inconceivable. 72 00:04:36.920 --> 00:04:41.720 We filed an immediate legal objection on behalf of ninety 73 00:04:41.720 --> 00:04:46.000 three members of Congress the very first, and there's been 74 00:04:46.040 --> 00:04:53.399 a tsunami of other opposition that has developed since. And 75 00:04:53.639 --> 00:04:56.959 like the Epstein files, this is one that is not 76 00:04:57.160 --> 00:05:01.160 going away because also like that scandal, it's such an 77 00:05:01.160 --> 00:05:06.439 outrageous corruption situation. 78 00:05:07.040 --> 00:05:11.600 And there's a paper trail explaining just how first of all, 79 00:05:11.800 --> 00:05:15.680 utterly unnecessary and totally corrupted is with that paper trail 80 00:05:15.759 --> 00:05:19.399 exists within Trump's own administration. I was stunned by the 81 00:05:19.439 --> 00:05:23.759 reporting we got this week that IRS lawyers compiled a 82 00:05:23.839 --> 00:05:26.839 twenty five page memo that was supposed to be sent 83 00:05:26.879 --> 00:05:31.199 to the Justice Department saying, hey, guys, listen, Trump's lawsuit 84 00:05:31.279 --> 00:05:34.160 isn't going to stand up in court. This is literally 85 00:05:34.560 --> 00:05:38.480 Treasury Department lawyers saying this whole thing is bogus. And 86 00:05:38.600 --> 00:05:42.160 yet that notwithstanding, first of all, it's unclear if the 87 00:05:42.199 --> 00:05:46.199 DJ ever read the memo they felt the need to 88 00:05:46.240 --> 00:05:49.240 set make a settlement agreement with Trump. Nonetheless, I mean, 89 00:05:49.279 --> 00:05:51.399 there seems to be like, I mean, I have questions, 90 00:05:51.480 --> 00:05:52.839 norm do you have questions about this? 91 00:05:53.879 --> 00:05:54.319 I do? 92 00:05:54.560 --> 00:05:58.439 And you know who else has questions? It appears the 93 00:05:58.480 --> 00:06:03.560 top lawyer at the Treasure Department who quit in proximity 94 00:06:04.160 --> 00:06:09.000 to the establishment of this outrageous slash fund taking one 95 00:06:09.040 --> 00:06:11.399 point eight billion dollars out of your in mind in 96 00:06:11.399 --> 00:06:21.199 the American people's pockets in order to payoff Trump's cronies. 97 00:06:22.319 --> 00:06:28.360 The legal flaws were in the filing that we made 98 00:06:29.600 --> 00:06:34.000 with the court on behalf of those ninety three members 99 00:06:34.000 --> 00:06:37.920 of the minority in the House of Representatives. There's no 100 00:06:38.920 --> 00:06:44.680 constitutional authority to do this, including because it creates an 101 00:06:44.519 --> 00:06:50.879 a monument's issue. There's no statutory authority. It's contrary to 102 00:06:51.000 --> 00:06:54.439 the rules governing the judgment Fund, which is the pot 103 00:06:54.480 --> 00:06:57.040 of money that is going to be rated for this. 104 00:06:57.519 --> 00:07:04.040 I mean, the illegalities are vast, and it's so bad 105 00:07:04.160 --> 00:07:10.879 that reportedly dozens of members of the president's own party 106 00:07:11.639 --> 00:07:16.639 confronted Todd Blanche, the acting Attorney General Donald Trump's former 107 00:07:17.199 --> 00:07:22.560 defense lawyer, and he's still behaving that way. Confronted him 108 00:07:22.720 --> 00:07:29.360 and they had to Alex had to shelve the reconciliation negotiations. 109 00:07:29.439 --> 00:07:36.160 It blew up the reconciliation package because it's these senators 110 00:07:36.199 --> 00:07:40.839 who are normally lap dogs. Even they can't take it. 111 00:07:40.959 --> 00:07:44.319 So it's the worst corruption scandal in the history of 112 00:07:44.399 --> 00:07:45.319 the presidency. 113 00:07:45.759 --> 00:07:48.759 Yeah's okay, So that is the breaking news of today. 114 00:07:48.879 --> 00:07:53.199 We're recording this on Thursday. So Republicans were all set, 115 00:07:53.480 --> 00:07:56.160 they were all teed up to pass a reconciliation bill 116 00:07:56.279 --> 00:08:00.680 before the imposed June first deadline set by Donald Trump, 117 00:08:00.680 --> 00:08:03.000 and that was going to give Ice up to seventy 118 00:08:03.040 --> 00:08:06.199 two billion dollars in funding, which was a tidy sum 119 00:08:06.319 --> 00:08:10.399 for a paramilitary organization that slaughtered American citizens. But I digress. 120 00:08:10.439 --> 00:08:13.000 That's neither here nor there in terms of this conversation. 121 00:08:13.680 --> 00:08:20.040 But as part of that reconciliation negotiation, senators and Republican 122 00:08:20.120 --> 00:08:24.120 senators apparently wanted to put some guardrails on the slush fund. 123 00:08:24.480 --> 00:08:28.279 According to The New York Times, Republicans were exploring adding 124 00:08:28.279 --> 00:08:30.959 a measure to the immigration bill, that's the ICE Bill, 125 00:08:31.560 --> 00:08:32.919 to limit the slush fund. 126 00:08:33.080 --> 00:08:33.840 I'm the slush fund. 127 00:08:33.879 --> 00:08:36.639 That's my terminology, not the New York Times, in part 128 00:08:37.240 --> 00:08:40.759 norm because leaders were worried that if they didn't, a 129 00:08:40.879 --> 00:08:44.480 Democratic effort to kill the slush fund could draw enough 130 00:08:44.559 --> 00:08:48.240 Republican support to succeed. First of all, walk me through this, 131 00:08:48.440 --> 00:08:52.200 I mean, how how are these two things related? Like, 132 00:08:52.240 --> 00:08:56.000 you're talking about on one hand, reconciliation funding that would 133 00:08:56.039 --> 00:08:59.279 have given money to DHS to ice, But then you're 134 00:08:59.279 --> 00:09:01.840 also talking about about a fund, a pot of money 135 00:09:01.879 --> 00:09:04.519 that exists at the DOJ that's already been allocated. 136 00:09:04.559 --> 00:09:05.000 Is that right? 137 00:09:05.000 --> 00:09:06.639 I mean, how do how do they how can they 138 00:09:06.720 --> 00:09:08.600 use one to tackle the other? 139 00:09:08.759 --> 00:09:10.000 I guess is what I'm asking. 140 00:09:10.360 --> 00:09:19.360 Reconciliation is a budgeting process that Congress uses that under 141 00:09:19.399 --> 00:09:23.559 the rules of the Senate, it's called the Bird rule. 142 00:09:24.039 --> 00:09:27.480 Under the rules of the Senate, is not subject to 143 00:09:27.559 --> 00:09:34.200 the usual procedures for purely budgetary matters. You don't have 144 00:09:34.279 --> 00:09:38.480 to get sixty votes in order to move the bill. 145 00:09:38.559 --> 00:09:41.720 You can do it on a pure majority. But Alex, 146 00:09:42.519 --> 00:09:47.080 once you have that majority, you can put anything into 147 00:09:47.120 --> 00:09:53.159 that reconciliation package relating to how the federal government spends 148 00:09:53.320 --> 00:09:55.039 its money and you. 149 00:09:55.039 --> 00:09:59.399 Do it on a simple majority, So that means if 150 00:09:59.600 --> 00:10:05.799 only a handful of Republican Senators and members in the House. 151 00:10:06.000 --> 00:10:10.919 Were willing to agree, Hey, we should not be creating 152 00:10:11.399 --> 00:10:17.679 a slush fund to compensate violent cop assaulters from January 153 00:10:17.799 --> 00:10:24.200 sixth were convicted by juris who had long jail terms 154 00:10:24.320 --> 00:10:29.679 until Donald Trump himself, a thirty four times convicted felon, 155 00:10:29.919 --> 00:10:34.720 pardoned them on day one in what was previously the 156 00:10:34.840 --> 00:10:38.600 greatest scandal in the history of the presidency. We should 157 00:10:38.600 --> 00:10:42.279 not be paying them out of a fund of one 158 00:10:42.320 --> 00:10:47.440 point eight billion dollars. That proposition might have garnered enough 159 00:10:47.600 --> 00:10:52.679 votes that this reconciliation bill would have been used to 160 00:10:52.840 --> 00:10:57.919 limit or shut down the slush fund. So leadership freaked out. 161 00:10:58.240 --> 00:11:05.039 Everybody go home. Funding ICE is on hold, and now 162 00:11:05.080 --> 00:11:10.480 we're going to see what happens and whether finally, finally, 163 00:11:11.000 --> 00:11:16.679 like with the Epstein files, but unfortunately, unlike hundreds of 164 00:11:16.759 --> 00:11:22.240 other outrages where the president's party has caved, finally, we're 165 00:11:22.279 --> 00:11:27.000 going to see if there's another example where a few 166 00:11:27.039 --> 00:11:29.159 of them are willing to stand up to him. 167 00:11:29.519 --> 00:11:32.080 Well, yeah, and we can talk about the new reality 168 00:11:32.600 --> 00:11:35.519 as of this week where Trump is just saying off 169 00:11:35.600 --> 00:11:39.320 with their heads to any of his Republicans Republican critics 170 00:11:39.799 --> 00:11:43.039 in the Senate and effectively creating an anti Trump coalition 171 00:11:43.159 --> 00:11:45.559 inside his own party. But just let's table that for 172 00:11:45.600 --> 00:11:49.320 a second, because to your point about the Reconciliation bill 173 00:11:49.480 --> 00:11:51.240 and the way in which this is such a a 174 00:11:51.320 --> 00:11:53.240 cocked up piece of political strategy. 175 00:11:53.480 --> 00:11:55.720 Here's Burge's effort from Politico reporting. 176 00:11:56.120 --> 00:11:58.840 Senator Kevin Kramer says it would have been a good 177 00:11:58.879 --> 00:12:02.159 idea for the Trump administration to announce the one point 178 00:12:02.200 --> 00:12:07.279 eight billion dollar fund after the reconciliation bill passed. Instead, 179 00:12:07.600 --> 00:12:10.799 it exposed the bill to all kinds of amendments because 180 00:12:10.799 --> 00:12:12.480 of its judiciary title. 181 00:12:12.759 --> 00:12:14.360 We can't help the president. 182 00:12:14.000 --> 00:12:17.679 With a bucket budget reconciliation package with this hanging over us. 183 00:12:18.399 --> 00:12:21.840 Okay, can you unpack that for me? Like I just did. 184 00:12:21.879 --> 00:12:24.200 The White House shoot itself in its in its own 185 00:12:24.279 --> 00:12:28.360 foot on this and obviously not in consultation with Senate Republicans. 186 00:12:28.720 --> 00:12:37.720 The incompetence of this White House knows no bounds. We 187 00:12:37.799 --> 00:12:44.919 see that I had to fill my car gas with 188 00:12:45.120 --> 00:12:50.159 gas today, and you see that every American sees that 189 00:12:50.240 --> 00:12:53.159 when they go to the gas station. Or they drive 190 00:12:53.240 --> 00:12:59.159 by one the So if they had just waited until 191 00:12:59.240 --> 00:13:04.159 this budget package were done, you wouldn't be able to 192 00:13:04.240 --> 00:13:09.799 peel off Republicans to attach a provision to shut down 193 00:13:10.039 --> 00:13:15.120 or believable slush fund. So it's an it's where would 194 00:13:15.120 --> 00:13:18.559 we be as a democracy if Donald Trump were not 195 00:13:18.639 --> 00:13:24.320 at I mean, does Alex fortunately he's not very good. 196 00:13:25.879 --> 00:13:27.320 I mean, in some ways he is good. 197 00:13:27.399 --> 00:13:29.120 I'm going to give him a little credit because he 198 00:13:29.480 --> 00:13:32.279 just I feel like I'm living in a tyrannical moment. 199 00:13:32.320 --> 00:13:36.279 But in terms of the practical execution of tyrannical endeavors, 200 00:13:36.320 --> 00:13:39.600 he's not very good. Not only does he announce this 201 00:13:39.840 --> 00:13:43.679 slush fund before the reconciliation bill has passed, which throws 202 00:13:43.679 --> 00:13:46.759 the whole thing into doubt, he does at the same 203 00:13:46.919 --> 00:13:51.000 moment he's alienating members of his own party, who he 204 00:13:51.039 --> 00:13:54.399 needs marching in lockstep to get this thing over the hump. 205 00:13:54.480 --> 00:13:57.159 I mean, it's just a it's like it's pure own 206 00:13:57.240 --> 00:14:00.000 goal after own goal from this administration. 207 00:14:00.879 --> 00:14:05.120 Yeah, and we've seen a lot of that at Democracy 208 00:14:05.200 --> 00:14:11.080 Defender's Fund and Democracy Defender's Action, the organizations I co founded, 209 00:14:11.159 --> 00:14:14.960 where we have over three hundred legal cases and matters 210 00:14:15.360 --> 00:14:19.559 again and again. Donald Trump has tried to break the 211 00:14:19.639 --> 00:14:23.720 law in the stupidest way possible and has been slapped 212 00:14:23.720 --> 00:14:26.480 down by the courts for doing it. But you also 213 00:14:26.639 --> 00:14:32.879 see it in his handling of the other main job 214 00:14:32.960 --> 00:14:38.480 of a president, foreign policing international relations. There has never 215 00:14:38.639 --> 00:14:43.799 been a bigger fiasco in the history of American war making. 216 00:14:43.919 --> 00:14:47.960 And we've had some fiasco's Vietnam, Iraq, We've never had 217 00:14:47.960 --> 00:14:51.799 a bigger one than Iran, you want to talk about 218 00:14:51.840 --> 00:14:56.159 on goals, he handed the straight of war moves over 219 00:14:56.679 --> 00:15:02.440 to Iran. So this but the slush fund, like the 220 00:15:02.480 --> 00:15:07.720 Epstein files, this really end like the war. It's breaking 221 00:15:07.879 --> 00:15:11.559 through and day after day the country is saying what 222 00:15:12.200 --> 00:15:16.440 and you know you are getting this pushback from Republicans 223 00:15:16.440 --> 00:15:19.679 in Congress. We'll see if that holds up when it's 224 00:15:19.720 --> 00:15:23.559 time for a vote. But it's a sign of just 225 00:15:23.759 --> 00:15:31.639 how foolish Veno, corrupt and wrong. This one point eight 226 00:15:31.799 --> 00:15:36.399 billion dollar pot of cash for January sixth insurrectionists and 227 00:15:36.519 --> 00:15:38.120 others is Can I. 228 00:15:38.120 --> 00:15:40.519 Ask a word about the money itself? Like we keep 229 00:15:40.559 --> 00:15:45.360 talking about slush fund, It's already been allocated. The Senate 230 00:15:45.399 --> 00:15:49.000 may try and put some guardrails on it post facto. 231 00:15:49.159 --> 00:15:51.919 But the reality is this money already exists. 232 00:15:51.639 --> 00:15:52.519 Somewhere at the DOJ. 233 00:15:53.679 --> 00:15:56.360 Can you explain, I mean, for people who don't understand 234 00:15:56.519 --> 00:15:59.759 how and where this money is pooled, can you shed 235 00:15:59.799 --> 00:16:00.480 some on that. 236 00:16:01.360 --> 00:16:06.159 There's a fund at the Department of Justice called the 237 00:16:06.360 --> 00:16:11.360 Judgment Fund, and typically it is used to pay judgments. 238 00:16:11.440 --> 00:16:14.000 You don't have to go back to Congress every time 239 00:16:14.120 --> 00:16:17.679 the United States government loses a case. If you have 240 00:16:17.759 --> 00:16:20.919 to pay somebody, or you have a legitimate settlement of 241 00:16:20.960 --> 00:16:24.559 a case, not a case where the President is suing himself, 242 00:16:24.919 --> 00:16:29.159 you use the judgment fund. But Alex, like all money 243 00:16:29.279 --> 00:16:39.360 spent by the United States, it is subject to congressional guardrails. 244 00:16:39.960 --> 00:16:44.360 Congress establishes the rules on how money can be spent. 245 00:16:44.840 --> 00:16:49.080 And because here there never was a real case to 246 00:16:49.120 --> 00:16:53.559 be settled, the people who are benefiting from this were 247 00:16:53.600 --> 00:16:56.360 not a part of that phony tax case that was 248 00:16:56.399 --> 00:17:04.400 about to be perhaps thrown out in Florida. There's none 249 00:17:04.720 --> 00:17:10.319 of the triggers that under Article one of the Constitution, 250 00:17:10.680 --> 00:17:14.640 Congress passes the laws to govern the utilization of money, 251 00:17:14.960 --> 00:17:19.960 including the judgment Fund. None of those triggers are implicated here. 252 00:17:20.240 --> 00:17:24.799 This would be an illegal disbursement of money. Anybody who 253 00:17:24.799 --> 00:17:27.079 took the money would be at risk of having it 254 00:17:27.559 --> 00:17:32.920 clawed back. It's part of a you know, a gigantic 255 00:17:33.119 --> 00:17:36.799 cash grab. It's as if the President wrote in his 256 00:17:37.000 --> 00:17:44.039 limo to the Treasury Department, took bags of cash and 257 00:17:44.079 --> 00:17:47.079 then went to a picnic of the insurrectionists through the 258 00:17:47.160 --> 00:17:51.279 money in the air. It's totally illegal in every way. 259 00:17:51.680 --> 00:17:56.680 So you know the people who participated in January sixth, 260 00:17:56.720 --> 00:18:01.519 including violently assaulting cops, you should not be too excited 261 00:18:01.559 --> 00:18:04.279 about the cash that they're about to collect. 262 00:18:12.279 --> 00:18:13.880 This episode is sponsored by Betterhelp. 263 00:18:14.160 --> 00:18:16.440 Life is a lot sometimes, regardless of what's keeping you 264 00:18:16.519 --> 00:18:18.400 up at night or leaving you overwhelmed, it's easy to 265 00:18:18.440 --> 00:18:20.440 feel like you have to figure it out all on 266 00:18:20.480 --> 00:18:23.200 your own. 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That's better h elp 295 00:19:31.559 --> 00:19:33.240 dot com slash psa. 296 00:19:33.119 --> 00:19:35.759 Hotdave America brought you by High We're only beginning to 297 00:19:35.839 --> 00:19:38.359 understand the impact of ultra process foods on our health, 298 00:19:38.359 --> 00:19:40.480 and especially on the health of our kids. That's exactly 299 00:19:40.519 --> 00:19:42.640 why HI exist to give parents a real solution in 300 00:19:42.680 --> 00:19:46.079 a market flooded with kids vitamins that prioritize candylike appeal 301 00:19:46.119 --> 00:19:49.200 over actual nutrition. Some children's vitamins on the market today 302 00:19:49.240 --> 00:19:51.440 contain up to seven grams of sugar per serving and 303 00:19:51.480 --> 00:19:54.599 are stuffed with artificial additives and petroleum based size. Hi 304 00:19:54.680 --> 00:19:57.279 I took the opposite approach, zero sugar, zero gummy additives, 305 00:19:57.319 --> 00:20:01.079 just clean nutrition. 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Tommy has children, 314 00:20:22.480 --> 00:20:22.839 I do. 315 00:20:22.759 --> 00:20:24.920 And also one child I know takes high vitamins all 316 00:20:24.960 --> 00:20:26.759 the time is Charlie Favreaum. I was over the other 317 00:20:26.839 --> 00:20:29.440 day and he was just talking me through girdles incompleteness theorems. 318 00:20:29.759 --> 00:20:32.160 The So, what's interesting about the incopleten his theorem is 319 00:20:32.640 --> 00:20:37.720 it it proves that you actually can't that there must 320 00:20:37.799 --> 00:20:42.119 be some part of a mathematical structure that is not provable. Right, 321 00:20:42.119 --> 00:20:44.240 there must be some part of it that that that 322 00:20:44.440 --> 00:20:47.160 can't be provided by the proof. There has to be 323 00:20:47.240 --> 00:20:49.960 some assumption baked into it, and that's not solvable. 324 00:20:50.000 --> 00:20:53.880 It can't be solved. Yeah, Charlie explained it. That may 325 00:20:53.920 --> 00:20:55.119 be wrong too. I think that's right. 326 00:20:55.160 --> 00:20:57.680 I think that's you know, the deepest they don't improve 327 00:20:57.759 --> 00:20:59.559 mathematics itself is fundamental limits. 328 00:20:59.680 --> 00:21:02.119 Yeah, or always be true statements that cannot be proven. Yeah, 329 00:21:02.160 --> 00:21:05.000 I got it. I nailed it. I nailed it. I 330 00:21:05.000 --> 00:21:05.519 believe great. 331 00:21:05.640 --> 00:21:07.880 There was this is somehow tangentially connected to some There 332 00:21:07.960 --> 00:21:10.519 was a two guys that wrote like a five hundred 333 00:21:10.559 --> 00:21:13.559 page proof to just show that. 334 00:21:13.519 --> 00:21:14.559 One plus one equal too. 335 00:21:14.720 --> 00:21:16.839 Really, Yeah, things got peas got pretty crazy. And though 336 00:21:16.839 --> 00:21:21.759 like I think, like the nineteen twenties in math anyway, Oh, 337 00:21:21.799 --> 00:21:24.680 I'm the reading the ad and here something every parent 338 00:21:24.720 --> 00:21:26.839 needs to hear. You get your kids eave vegetables feels 339 00:21:26.839 --> 00:21:28.960 like an impossible daily battle. High Ast Newkids Daily Greens 340 00:21:29.000 --> 00:21:31.599 plus Superfood is a total game changer. It's a Greens 341 00:21:31.599 --> 00:21:33.960 powder design specifically for kids that's packed with fifty five 342 00:21:33.960 --> 00:21:36.240 plus whole food source ingredients. Just mix one scoop with 343 00:21:36.279 --> 00:21:39.640 milk or milk alternative and wants them actually enjoy something 344 00:21:40.039 --> 00:21:43.039 that's secretly fueling their growing bodies. 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To claim this deal, 347 00:21:47.680 --> 00:21:49.680 you must go to high Health dot com slash crooked. 348 00:21:49.880 --> 00:21:52.200 This deal is not available on their regular website, So 349 00:21:52.279 --> 00:21:54.880 go to h I Y A H E A l 350 00:21:54.960 --> 00:21:57.640 t h dot com slash crooked and get your kids 351 00:21:57.720 --> 00:22:02.759 the full body nourishment they need to grow into healthy adults. 352 00:22:03.279 --> 00:22:06.799 Can I ask, I mean there's already you know Blanche, 353 00:22:06.920 --> 00:22:10.240 Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, who's I don't know, conducting 354 00:22:10.279 --> 00:22:18.359 the most pathetic, stunningly pathetic job audition, job interview ever, 355 00:22:18.799 --> 00:22:22.359 just doing literally anything, breaking all laws and norms to 356 00:22:22.559 --> 00:22:27.720 get the title permanently, but nonetheless. Acting Attorney General Todd 357 00:22:27.720 --> 00:22:32.359 Blanche has been very opaque about whether and when the 358 00:22:32.440 --> 00:22:36.480 American public might find out who is a potential recipient 359 00:22:36.599 --> 00:22:40.440 of these funds. Here's my question, because they are public 360 00:22:40.559 --> 00:22:44.519 funds and because they are subject to some oversight. You know, 361 00:22:44.839 --> 00:22:47.759 the DOJ says, we wash our hands of this money, 362 00:22:48.400 --> 00:22:50.559 like we have nothing to do with it once it's 363 00:22:50.599 --> 00:22:51.359 given out. 364 00:22:51.319 --> 00:22:54.480 Don't come knocking on our door. But that's not the 365 00:22:54.599 --> 00:22:54.920 end of this. 366 00:22:55.079 --> 00:22:58.279 Right the America, there can be feyer requests to find 367 00:22:58.279 --> 00:23:00.279 out where this money went. I mean there is There 368 00:23:00.319 --> 00:23:03.519 are mechanisms by which, whether the administration wants the public 369 00:23:03.519 --> 00:23:05.839 to or not, the public can find out how this 370 00:23:05.920 --> 00:23:06.640 money's been spent. 371 00:23:06.720 --> 00:23:07.319 Is that correct? 372 00:23:08.000 --> 00:23:16.839 To be sure, the government is still subject to congressional oversight. 373 00:23:17.400 --> 00:23:22.400 Members of Congress can demand that information. Should Congress change 374 00:23:22.440 --> 00:23:27.559 hands come January, the House and perhaps the Senate will 375 00:23:27.599 --> 00:23:33.480 have enforceable subpoena power to pursue those information that information. 376 00:23:33.599 --> 00:23:36.119 But Alex, you and I also have the power to 377 00:23:36.200 --> 00:23:39.359 do it. Any journalist than any American, through the Freedom 378 00:23:39.400 --> 00:23:43.680 of Ination Act, can file a request for this. We 379 00:23:43.839 --> 00:23:51.119 have filed hundreds of freedom of information requests over the years, 380 00:23:51.319 --> 00:23:56.480 including a large number at the Democracy Defender's Fund and 381 00:23:56.640 --> 00:24:01.160 Democracy Defender's Action. And then if we don't get the 382 00:24:01.160 --> 00:24:04.680 information we want, we go to court and the court 383 00:24:04.799 --> 00:24:09.039 forces the disclosures. So they should not think that at 384 00:24:09.119 --> 00:24:13.119 the Department of Justice that they're going to be able 385 00:24:13.200 --> 00:24:16.839 to hide this. But more to the point, I believe 386 00:24:17.359 --> 00:24:22.000 the litigation has already begun and there's going to be 387 00:24:22.079 --> 00:24:27.880 a very substantial court pushback on the first dollar ever 388 00:24:27.920 --> 00:24:31.319 going out the door at the fund because it's so 389 00:24:31.680 --> 00:24:33.240 blatantly illegal. 390 00:24:33.759 --> 00:24:36.359 Yes, going to a J six picnic and throwing a 391 00:24:36.400 --> 00:24:39.240 bunch of cash up into the air doesn't seem like 392 00:24:39.279 --> 00:24:42.640 what the founding fathers intended. Let's talk about tho lawsuits 393 00:24:42.680 --> 00:24:46.319 because you're part of your organization, Democracy Defenders filed a 394 00:24:46.359 --> 00:24:49.200 motion to block this use of taxpayer funds, and it 395 00:24:49.240 --> 00:24:53.680 was filed in the coalition on the suit includes as 396 00:24:53.720 --> 00:24:57.400 you mentioned, members of Congress, including Congressman Joe Nogose and 397 00:24:57.680 --> 00:25:01.519 ranking Member Jamie Raskin. Can you talk a little bit 398 00:25:01.559 --> 00:25:03.799 about your confidence that that can move forward? And then 399 00:25:03.799 --> 00:25:05.880 I also want to get your thoughts on other suits 400 00:25:05.880 --> 00:25:07.160 and who has standing here. 401 00:25:07.680 --> 00:25:14.960