Attorney Scott Pilutik wrestles with the news of the day, from a lawyerly perspective…

[Regarding this story in the New York Times: Democrats Move Toward Bringing Impeachment Inquiry Public]

The House announced it’s going to conduct a vote on the procedure for its ongoing impeachment inquiry, but gave no details about what they’re voting on.

Continue reading House will take a vote for an impeachment inquiry that isn’t actually required

 
Attorney Scott Pilutik wrestles with the news of the day, from a lawyerly perspective…

One of the harder things to wrap one’s head around in all this drama is figuring how a tight cast of characters all relate to each other and to their attorneys who may or may not be acting as attorneys.

Continue reading Trump’s attorneys: an unaccountable crime network operating in plain sight

Attorney Scott Pilutik wrestles with the news of the day, from a lawyerly perspective…

[Regarding this story: Self-Dealing in Ukraine: The Core of the Impeachment Inquiry]

This is a smart, careful assessment by Philip Zelikow of the Ukraine situation, looking past the political circus aspects of the impeachment question but and into the known facts, what those facts mean in criminal liability terms (quid pro quo, self-dealing), and how the liability is stacking up for the key players — Giuliani, Mulvaney, Perry, Sondland, Volker.

Continue reading The Ukraine situation: Liability is stacking up for key players like Giuliani, Sondland

Attorney Scott Pilutik wrestles with the news of the day, from a lawyerly perspective…

As expected, ambassador Bill Taylor’s testimony today was bad for the White House and Trump. It was expected because, if you recall, Taylor was the one who texted Gordon Sondland that he felt it was “crazy to withhold security assistance for help with a political campaign.”

Continue reading Ambassador Bill Taylor’s testimony makes a liar of Gordon Sondland and is bad for Trump