The LuLac Edition #5, 039, December 7th, 2023

  AP REPORTER SAYS SCOTT PERRY'S TEXTS ARE REVEALING....AND NOT GOOD FOR HIS BOY TRUMP AND THE AHEM PENNSYLVANIA "PATRIOT".

 

 

Future cellmates? Little unpatriotic Scotty Perry and Don Trump. Bad at Math, bad for American democracy.

Just how hard did some Republican members of Congress work to keep President Donald Trump in office after his 2020 election loss? A court case is providing a few tantalizing clues.

Snippets and short summaries of texts and emails sent by Rep. Scott Perry of Pennsylvania, a top Trump ally, have emerged publicly for the first time as part of a court filing that was unsealed — perhaps inadvertently — by the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C., as part of a legal battle with federal prosecutors.

The messages reveal more about what investigators want to know, what actions Perry took in the weeks after the election and where Perry may fit in the web of Trump loyalists who were central to his bid to remain in power.

It was Perry’s efforts to elevate Jeffrey Clark to Trump’s acting attorney general — and likely reverse the Department of Justice’s stance that it had found no evidence of widespread voting fraud that would change the election — that have made him a figure of interest to federal prosecutors.

Perry, in the past, has said he merely “obliged” Trump’s request that he be introduced to Clark.

But the messages suggest that Perry was a key ally for Clark, providing encouragement as he sought to win Trump’s favor. At one point Perry told a nervous Clark that “you are the man” and seemingly helped him prep for an important meeting and secure a higher security clearance.

The court filing with Perry’s messages was unsealed last week — then resealed in a move the court has yet to explain. Copies of the filing were downloaded and posted online by news organizations and others.

Perry’s cellphone was seized by federal authorities last year as part of the investigation into attempts to subvert the results of the 2020 election and block the transfer of power to Democrat Joe Biden.

Details of the case have remained largely secret. But the filing offered new details about the legal reasoning and arguments in the case that some observers found revealing.

“I would say we learned a great deal from that,” said Grayson Clary, a staff attorney at the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, which has pressed for transparency in the case.

What more information, exactly, will emerge from the seizure of Perry’s cellphone remains to be seen.

Judges continue to weigh which of Perry’s hundreds of texts and emails are constitutionally protected by Perry’s status as a member of Congress, and which of them are fair game for the FBI because they fell outside his duties as a member of the legislative branch.

Congressional inquiries have shown that Perry’s efforts to promote Clark came as Trump pressured members of the Department of Justice to challenge the 2020 election. At the time, Perry was also pressing Justice Department officials to investigate a variety of election fraud claims in Pennsylvania — claims that officials and the courts dismissed as baseless.

In one text exchange on Dec. 30, Perry texted Clark that Trump “seems very happy with your response. I read it just as you dictated,” the unsealed-then-resealed court filing said.

Clark responded, “I’m praying. This makes me quite nervous. And wonder if I’m worthy or ready.” Perry responded, “You are the man. I have confirmed it. God does what he does for a reason.”

The two then discussed when Trump would “pull the trigger on something new” and make an “absolute decision,” the court filing said.

Perry later prepped Clark for a meeting with the director of national intelligence and suggested he knew Trump had moved to boost Clark’s security clearance.

“POTUS is giving you a presidential security clearance,” Perry told Clark in a text.

At the time, Clark was the assistant attorney general of the Environment and Natural Resources Division and served as the acting head of the Civil Division.

Weeks before, Attorney General William Barr had refuted Trump’s campaign of baseless lies about election fraud, telling The Associated Press that the Justice Department had uncovered nothing that could change the outcome of the 2020 election.

But, by Christmas, Barr had resigned and Trump was searching for a like-minded successor to use the Department of Justice to help stall the certification of the election.

To that end, Clark had drafted a letter that he suggested sending to Georgia saying the Department of Justice had “identified significant concerns that may have impacted the outcome of the election in multiple states, including the state of Georgia,” according to the August indictment in that state accusing Trump, Clark and 17 others of trying illegally to keep him in power.

Top department officials refused to sign it or send the letter, prosecutors said, and the showdown over Clark’s plan brought the Justice Department to the brink of crisis.

In a contentious meeting on Jan. 3, 2021 in the Oval Office, Trump toyed with elevating Clark to acting attorney general, but backed down after he was told that it would result in mass resignations at the Justice Department and his own White House counsel’s office.

Clark is now described in the federal indictment of Trump as one of six unnamed and unindicted co-conspirators in an effort to illegally subvert the 2020 election.

Perry has not been charged with a crime and has said investigators told his attorneys that he is not the target of the investigation. Meanwhile, Perry was one of four House Republicans who were referred to the House Ethics committee after they refused to cooperate with subpoenas from the House committee that investigated the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.

Amid it all, Perry’s influence in Congress has since grown.

He is now the chairman of the Freedom Caucus, a hardline faction of conservatives that exerts outsize influence on the GOP majority. Several members of the group were instrumental in the ouster of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy this fall, and its members remain closely aligned with Trump.

Perry is also the only sitting member of Congress whose cellphone was seized by the FBI in the 2020 election investigation.

Perry’s lawyer called the court’s unsealing “unfortunate” and argued that the communications should be constitutionally protected from release.

“The communications reflect his efforts to understand real-time information about the 2020 election,” Perry’s lawyer, John Rowley, said in a statement. “They were confidential and intended to address critical business before Congress in service of his constituents.”

Follow Marc Levy at www.twitter.com/timelywriter.

 

 CASEY, CARTWRIGHT ANNOUNCE KEY STEP IN RESTORING SCRANTON TO NEW YORK RAIL SERVICE

FEDERAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM FACILITATES CREATION OF INTERCITY PASSENGER RAIL CORRIDORS

DESIGNATION IS CRITICAL STEP TOWARDS FEDERAL FUNDING FOR NEPA RAIL SERVICE

CASEY, CARTWRIGHT HAVE LONG PUSHED TO RESTORE PASSENGER RAIL SERVICE TO REGION

DIRECT RAIL SERVICE BETWEEN SCRANTON AND NEW YORK WOULD GENERATE AS MUCH AS $84 MILLION OF ECONOMIC ACTIVITY EVERY YEAR, ACCORDING TO AMTRAK STUDY

Senator Bob Casey and Congressman Matt Cartwright (Photo: LuLac archives)

U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) and U.S. Representative Matt Cartwright (D-PA-8) announced that the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has included Northeastern Pennsylvania in its Corridor Identification and Development (Corridor ID) Program with the goal of reestablishing direct passenger rail service between Scranton, PA and New York, NY. The Corridor ID Program was established by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) to assist with the development of intercity passenger rail corridors.

“For generations, passenger rail service helped Northeastern Pennsylvanians connect with loved ones, get to school and work, and access economic opportunity and recreation. In turn, residents of other states helped to stimulate our economy and visited our region to see the best of what we have to offer,” said Senator Casey. “I have fought to restore Scranton rail service for my entire career as a United States Senator, including voting to pass the infrastructure law, because bringing passenger rail service back to my hometown and to our region will be a game-changing force for our economy, our families, and our communities.”

“I am thrilled to make this long-awaited announcement. This is a significant milestone and represents years of dedicated efforts to restore passenger rail service, which will contribute to our region’s economic growth and vitality,” said Congressman Matt Cartwright, a senior member of the House Appropriations Committee who worked with U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer to ensure Amtrak was included in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which allocated billions for rail. Cartwright has also had ongoing conversations with U.S. President Joe Biden and U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg in his efforts to restore passenger rail to Northeast Pennsylvania. “This proposed rail line will create jobs, improve quality of life, and offer convenient travel options for commuters, college students and tourists, alike. It will also connect those of us living in Northeast Pennsylvania to a wider selection of health care services, sporting events, cultural activities and vacation spots. I appreciate the efforts of Sen. Bob Casey, Governor Josh Shapiro, Pennsylvania Northeast Regional Rail Authority officials Larry Malski, Dominic Keating and Bob Hay, and all who have worked alongside me to bring this project to this point. I look forward to getting this plan across the finish line with the support of our federal, state and local officials.”

Rail service previously ran on the Lackawanna Cut-Off directly between Scranton and New York, but was discontinued in 1970. Without consistent use and upkeep, the track fell into disrepair and requires significant investment to restore train service.

Senator Casey and Representative Cartwright have long advocated for restored rail service between Scranton and New York. In 2008, Senator Casey sent a letter with Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY), then-Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY) and then-Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA) in support of a passenger rail service between Scranton, PA and Binghamton, NY that would connect to existing service through to New York City. In the same year, Casey sent a letter to the Federal Transit Administration requesting information on plans to begin the Lackawanna Cut-Off project.

In 2009, Casey led a letter to then-President Obama asking for continued support in the creation of this passenger rail. Senator Casey also wrote a letter in 2010 to then-Secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation Ray LaHood emphasizing the need for more funding to restore the Lackawanna Cut-Off and subsequently met with Secretary LaHood to discuss increased financial support for the project.

In 2015, Senator Casey sent letters to the Lackawanna County Regional Planning Commission and the Luzerne County Planning Commission, as well as the Northeastern Pennsylvania Alliance and the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation in support of funding for the Lackawanna Cut-Off Restoration Project.

In 2021, Amtrak announced the largest investment in its passenger rail since its creation, made possible by funding from the infrastructure law, which Casey and Cartwright both supported. Senator Casey visited East Stroudsburg to tout the potential for train service after Amtrak released a proposal to expand rail across the country, including restoring New York-Scranton rail service.

In 2022, Casey and Cartwright led a coalition of regional partners from Pennsylvania and New Jersey in urging the Federal Railroad Administration to reestablish Scranton Rail through a once-in-a-generation investment in Northeastern Pennsylvania’s rail infrastructure.

Since being elected to Congress in 2012, Cartwright has made restoring passenger rail service to Northeast Pennsylvania the top priority of his work in public life. Beginning shortly after being sworn in, Rep. Cartwright teamed up with Pennsylvania Northeast Regional Rail Authority (PNRRA) officials Larry Malski, Dominic Keating and Bob Hay for dozens of meetings and hundreds of calls, all with a view toward reviving the moribund project.

In January 2017, Cartwright and then State Senator John Blake (and currently District Director for Rep. Cartwright) organized and led a symposium at Pocono Manor at which the bipartisan coalition of scores of local elected officials, New Jersey rail officials and community business leaders began to come together. At that event, PennDOT Secretary Leslie Richards and Federal Transit Administrator Therese McMillan provided key advice on how to position the project for success, including evaluating the repair work needed on the massive bridges over the Delaware River and the Paulinskill Creek.

Beginning in 2017, Cartwright helped PNRRA secure funding from Lackawanna and Monroe counties, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and the Appalachian Regional Commission to fund a rail study on costs, feasibility, ridership and environmental impact. These studies were performed by recognized engineering firm Greenman Peterson and, later, Amtrak itself.

In February 2021, Cartwright and Blake held a Zoom meeting with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, and secured his agreement to increase the New Rail part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law by $2 billion, to increase this project’s chances of success.

In May that year, Cartwright founded the Lackawanna Cutoff Rail Restoration Caucus in Congress, which included inaugural Members Susan Wild (PA-7), Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11) and Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5).

As a member of House Leadership, in the summer of 2021, Cartwright heavily lobbied top leadership to treat the Infrastructure Law as a stand-alone bill and pass it. Rep. Gottheimer also aided in that effort. It succeeded, and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act passed the House on July 1, 2021.

In October 2021, Cartwright selected the Scranton Trolley Museum as the site of President Biden’s infrastructure speech, and invited Amtrak President Stephen Gardner and CEO Bill Flynn, who attended. The next month, November 15, 2021, Cartwright was joined by both men, plus Amtrak Board Chair Anthony Coscio, at the signing of the Infrastructure bill into law.

In July 2022, Cartwright secured an agreement from Governor Tom Wolf to provide $3.7 million matching funds for the purchase of 43,000 railroad ties to upgrade tracks on the Pennsylvania side of the line. PNRRA will be applying for a matching grant from FRA in February.

Later in 2022, Cartwright introduced Pennsylvania gubernatorial candidate Josh Shapiro to the rail project and met with him several times during the campaign. After his inauguration, Governor Shapiro agreed to a January 14, 2023, discussion of the project. On that day, after a full discussion of the project, including an explanation of its widespread bipartisan support and economic benefits, Governor Shapiro enthusiastically agreed to support it. He agreed to provide $125 million in local-match funds, to have PennDOT author the application to the Federal Railroad Administration, and to seek New Jersey Transit’s co-sponsorship of the application. Under the leadership of Governor Shapiro, and Pennsylvania Secretary of Transportation Mike Carroll, that application was submitted, and NJT did cosponsor it.

This past August, Cartwright and New Jersey Congressman Josh Gottheimer led a delegation that included Amtrak's vice president of network development along with N.J. Transit and PennDOT officials on a tour of proposed station locations and other key landmarks along the Scranton-to-New York City passenger rail route.

The Corridor Identification and Development (Corridor ID) Program is a comprehensive intercity passenger rail planning and development program established by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) to help guide intercity passenger rail development throughout the country and create a pipeline of intercity passenger rail projects ready for implementation.?

 

 GOVERNOR SHAPIRO LEADS LETTER FROM GOVERNORS URGING THE BIDEN-HARRIS ADMINISTRATION TO ENSURE OVER-THE-COUNTER CONTRACEPTION IS FULLY COVERED BY INSURANCE, EXPANDING ACCESS TO REPRODUCTIVE HEALTHCARE

THE LETTER, CO-SIGNED BY SIX GOVERNORS WHO ARE MEMBERS OF THE MULTI-STATE REPRODUCTIVE FREEDOM ALLIANCE, URGES THE BIDEN-HARRIS ADMINISTRATION TO ENSURE THAT OVER-THE-COUNTER BIRTH CONTROL IS COVERED BY HEALTH INSURANCE.

GOVERNOR SHAPIRO CONTINUES TO ADVANCE REAL FREEDOM IN PENNSYLVANIA, WORKING TO PROTECT AND EXPAND ACCESS TO REPRODUCTIVE HEALTHCARE ACCESS.

Governor Josh Shapiro (Photo: LuLac archives)

Led by Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, six Governors from the multi-state Reproductive Freedom Alliance (Alliance) representing 84 million Americans sent a letter to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra and notified Department of Labor Acting Secretary Julie Su urging the Biden-Harris Administration to take all necessary and available steps to ensure that the first ever FDA approved over-the-counter (OTC) daily birth control pill is fully covered by insurance, so that no one is denied access to critical reproductive healthcare because they can’t afford it.

“When Pennsylvanians chose me as their Governor – they made clear that they support a woman’s freedom to choose. Since taking office, I’ve unequivocally supported that freedom and the right to access a full scope of reproductive health care, including over-the-counter birth control,” said Governor Josh Shapiro. “The Biden-Harris Administration continues to defend that freedom at the federal level and we’re respectfully asking them to do everything in their power to expand access to reproductive health care so that no woman is prevented from accessing the care they need just because they can’t afford it.”

In the letter – which was co-signed by Governor Shapiro, North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper, New Mexico Governor Michelle Grisham, Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey, California Governor Gavin Newsom, and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker – the Governors asked the federal Departments of HHS and Labor to update the Health Resources & Services Administration guidelines to clarify that the Affordable Care Act’s preventative health mandate include no-cost coverage of OTC contraceptives without a prescription. The letter also urges the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to enable states to leverage a federal match to pay for OTC contraception, which will help expand access for Medicaid recipients in communities currently struggling with provider shortages.

In February, Governor Shapiro joined the Alliance, a non-partisan coalition of 21 Governors committed to protecting and expanding reproductive freedom in their states –the largest such coalition ever convened. The Alliance works together to strengthen reproductive freedom in the face of an unprecedented assault across the country on abortion access and other forms of reproductive health care by states hostile to abortion rights and judges who are advancing their ideological agenda.

Today’s letter is the latest step by Governor Shapiro in making certain that a woman’s right to choose is protected. In April, Governor Shapiro launched a website for reproductive health care resources to help Pennsylvanians find information about both medication abortions and in-clinic procedure abortions, as well as take advantage of an interactive map and the “Find A Provider” tool to locate a local provider, seek assistance on their journey with help from the “Make A Plan” section, and get connected with financial support under “How to Pay.”

As Attorney General, Governor Shapiro defended the right to access birth control and reproductive healthcare under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act before the U.S. Supreme Court, arguing that Pennsylvania women and families should not be denied full and equal insurance coverage for basic, medically-necessary contraception.

 

MEDIA MATTERS

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BOLD GOLD COMMUNITY FORUM 

 This week's guest is Michael G. Stanton, discussing his upcoming Shower for Charity.  You'll hear the program Sunday morning at 6 on 94.3 The Talker; 6;30 on 1400/1440am The Mothership; and 7:30 on 105 The River. 

BOBBY V’S DOO WOP SUNDAY NIGHT SOCK HOP

 

1954

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West Berlin state election, 1954: The Social Democratic Party of Germany wins an outright majority, but agrees to enter into a coalition with the Christian Democratic Union of Germany because of the tense political situation in Berlin……Gladys George died. Though nominated for an Academy Award for her leading role in Valiant Is the Word for Carrie (1936), she spent most of her career in supporting roles in films such as Marie Antoinette (1938), The Roaring Twenties (1939), The Maltese Falcon (1941), The Best Years of Our Lives (1946), and Flamingo Road (1949)……. U.S. Air Force scientist John Stapp makes his 29th and last decelerator sled ride at Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico, demonstrating that a human can withstand at least 46.2 g (in the forward position, with adequate harnessing). This is the highest known acceleration voluntarily encountered by a human.[7][8] Stapp reaches a speed of 632 mph (1,017 km/h), which breaks the land speed record and makes him the fastest man on Earth…..Ed Saunders : Ed Sanders, 30, U.S. heavyweight boxer, hours after the previous night's bout with Willie James, New England Heavyweight Champion, in Boston, Massachusetts. Sanders, felled by a simple punch combination, loses consciousness and dies after a long surgery to relieve bleeding in the brain…The Netherlands Antilles is created out of the Dutch Caribbean nations. It is later dissolved between 1986 and 2010….British T-class submarine HMS Talent is swept out of her dock at HMNB Chatham when a caisson collapses, and runs aground in the River Medway. Four people are killed. The submarine was later repaired and returned to service…and this week in 1954 the number one song in LuLac land and America was The De Castro sister’s version of “Teach Me Tonight”.