Transcript of OA332: Your Two New Best Friends, Bill Taylor and George Kent

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Show Topics:

[Show Intro]

Thomas:         Hello and welcome to Opening Arguments, this is episode 332.  I’m Thomas Smith, that over there is Andrew Tor-rez.  How’re you doing Andrew?

Andrew:         [Laughs]  I’m doing fantastic Thomas, any reason you decided to shift the emph-asis to the second syll-able on my last name?

Thomas:         Oh, I think this is not really you, this is the clone that you sent.  You’re still in Italy.

Andrew:         [Laughs]  

Thomas:         And you sent either a clone or just somebody who can do your voice, I dunno, and maybe that’s why.  Yeah, are you back?  You’re finally-

Andrew:         I’m back, baby!

Continue reading “Transcript of OA332: Your Two New Best Friends, Bill Taylor and George Kent”

OA332: Your Two New Best Friends, Bill Taylor and George Kent

Today’s episode ran so long that we’re going to give you a BONUS episode tomorrow. What did we get through? Well, we break down almost everything about the first day of televised public hearings in the House of Representatives’ impeachment inquiry. You absolutely, positively do not want to miss this!

We begin, however, with a plug for our favorite charity event of the year, Vulgarity for Charity! To participate, just donate $50 or more to Modest Needs, and then send a copy of the receipt to vulgarityforcharity@gmail.com along with your request for a roast. You can even request that Thomas & Andrew roast the victim of your choice.

After that, it’s time to tackle a wide variety of legal topics related to the Taylor and Kent testimony, including: (a) how their testimony fits into the elements of the crime of bribery; (b) the Republicans’ evolving defenses of Donald Trump; (c) the two lawyers picked to handle the bulk of the questioning; and much, much more.

Along the way, we also discuss the significance of the D.C. Circuit’s en banc refusal to rehear the subpoena decision in Trump v. Mazars and what comes next, as well as the status of Mick Mulvaney’s continuing efforts to defy the Congressional subpoenas.

After all that, it’s time for a milestone #T3BE involving hearsay and expert witness testimony.

Appearances

None! If you’d like to have either of us as a guest on your show, drop us an email at openarguments@gmail.com.

Show Notes & Links

  1. Please do participate in our favorite charity event of the year, Vulgarity for Charity! To participate, just donate $50 or more to Modest Needs, and then send a copy of the receipt to vulgarityforcharity@gmail.com along with your request for a roast. You can even request that Thomas & Andrew roast the victim of your choice.
  2. Remember: this is about bribery, 18 U.S.C. § 201.
  3. This is the transcript of Sen. Kennedy on Face the Nation.
  4. In terms of dirty tricks, here’s the link to Taylor’s closed-door deposition, where Castor outed the whistleblower, and here’s a link to his laughing during Fiona Hill’s deposition.
  5. BONUS! Here’s the Politico article we rip apart in Episode 333 (“There’s a Surprisingly Plausible Path to Removing Trump From Office”) and… god help me.. the National Review article that actually gets it right.

-Support us on Patreon at: patreon.com/law

-Follow us on Twitter:  @Openargs

-Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/openargs/, and don’t forget the OA Facebook Community!

-For show-related questions, check out the Opening Arguments Wiki, which now has its own Twitter feed!  @oawiki

-And finally, remember that you can email us at openarguments@gmail.com!



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Transcript of OA326: When the SCIF Hit the Fan

Listen to the episode and read the show notes

Topics of Discussion:

Announcements

[Show Intro]

New Show Intro

Thomas:         Hello and welcome to Opening Arguments, this is episode 326.  I’m your host Thomas Smith, that over there is Andrew Torrez, your legal expert and Andrew how are you doing?  And I just remembered we all just heard a brand new intro that was so funny, I don’t even.  I was laughing the whole time and I don’t even remember what the new quotes were!

Andrew:         [Laughs]  

Thomas:         In this timeline I haven’t done it yet, but they were great, weren’t they? [Laughs]  

Continue reading “Transcript of OA326: When the SCIF Hit the Fan”

OA326: When the SCIF Hit the Fan

Today’s episode tackles all your latest developments from high atop Yodel Mountain, including the national security-threatening stunt led by America’s Dumbest Congressman, Matt Gaetz, as well as the significance of Bill Taylor’s testimony to the House Intelligence Committee.

We begin with a brief overview of the “due process” argument throughout history with an eye towards how it applies to the Trump impeachment.

From there, we move to a specific application: the (false) claim by Matt Gaetz and others that the House impeachment inquiry violates Trump’s rights of due process. Along the way, we’ll learn what a SCIF is and why it was such a big deal — a criminal big deal — that Gaetz and others violated it.

Then, it’s time to dive deeply into Bill Taylor’s testimony and how that fits into the overall impeachment picture and whether Trump is guilty of bribery with respect to Ukraine. (Hint: yes.)

After all that, it’s time for another fabulous #T3BE about an inexperienced innkeeper and a cleaning company that doesn’t work on Sundays. Play along on social media, and remember to #T3BE in your answer!

Upcoming Appearances

None! If you’d like to have either of us as a guest on your show, drop us an email at openarguments@gmail.com.

Show Notes & Links

  1. Share out the Episode 324 super-transcript with your favorite Uncle Frank today!
  2. This is the WIRED article we referenced on the technical data regarding SCIFs, and these are the 174-page technical guidelines set forth by the DNI.
  3. Laws! Obstruction of justice is 18 U.S.C. § 1505, bribery is 18 U.S.C. § 201, and the relevant portion of the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act is 2 U.S.C. § 683.

-Support us on Patreon at: patreon.com/law

-Follow us on Twitter:  @Openargs

-Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/openargs/, and don’t forget the OA Facebook Community!

-For show-related questions, check out the Opening Arguments Wiki, which now has its own Twitter feed!  @oawiki

-And finally, remember that you can email us at openarguments@gmail.com!



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