Commentary
With 70 years in communications, I pay attention to the words people – primarily politicians and other public figures – use as they speak to their constituencies.
I could give you a long list of favorites, but I must again quote the late Rush Limbaugh, arguably one of the best modern-day wordsmiths, who often declared that “words mean things.” He believed using words that accurately reflect the truth is crucial, especially in political discourse, it is crucial.
It was so important to him that he included it among his “undeniable truths of life.”
If Rush was alive today, he would be having a field day with three public servants currently facing fraud charges, not only for their choice of words, but their failure to realize that in this day of 24/7 news even the laziest journalist can find words attributed to them on the Internet.
Sen. Adam Schiff, New York Attorney General Letitia James, and Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, are all coincidentally facing charges of mortgage fraud.
While I have heard the quote “no one is above the law,” so often that I could safely use it with any public figure, but I decided to check the archives. Not surprising, I found eight pages of various individuals who have used the phrase, including Barack Obama, Eric Holder, and James Clapper.
Adam Schiff
Writer Finnian Steele was so infatuated with Schiff that he said, “Adam Schiff has made a name for himself in the political arena, known for his strong stance on various issues. His words often inspire, challenge, and provoke thought,” as he listed what he termed “his most impactful” quotes.
There it was, under the heading, The Role of Accountability – “No one is above the law,” along with “We must hold our leaders accountable, or we risk losing our democracy.”
It was Schiff’s claim of having evidence of Trump’s collusion with Russia that sticks in my craw. In 2019, he said that as far as he’s concerned there’s “direct evidence” of collusion between Donald Trump’s campaign and Russia.
“While there is abundant evidence of collusion, the issue from a criminal point of view is whether there is proof beyond a reasonable doubt of a criminal conspiracy,” Schiff said.
Writing in PJ Media, Matt Margolis writes, “The walls are closing in on Adam Schiff and he knows it,” referring to his knowing “he’s in serious trouble over his alleged mortgage fraud. “You don’t create a legal defense fund unless you expect things to get messy,” noted Margolis.
Schiff falsified bank documents and property records related to a Potomac, Maryland home, securing sweetheart loan terms between 2003 and 2019.
Through a whistleblower we learned that Schiff is accused of authorizing leaks to smear Trump and even bragged that those leaks would lead to an indictment.
“Corruption erodes trust and undermines democracy.” From Finnian’s Adam Schiff Quotes’
Letitia James
In a headline like that of Margolis about Schiff, a piece by Matt Naham in Law and Crime reads, “NY AG’s Words About Going After Trump Family Coming Back to Haunt Her.”
In an interview with NBC News, Naham quotes her saying, “Donald Trump’s days of defrauding Americans are coming to an end. We can spot a carnival barker. I will shine a light into every dark corner of his real estate dealings and every dealing.”
Having expressed a clear bias and animus as she referred to Trump as an “illegitimate President,” James’ words as a public servant constitute an unlawful appearance of impropriety.
“Words mean things.”
But now, as we learn that Attorney General Pam Bondi has appointed Ed Martin as a Special Attorney to lead the prosecution of both James and Schiff for potential mortgage fraud, bank fraud and wire fraud, all of which can carry jail terms of up to 30 years, we learn that the New York Appeals Court has thrown out the $500 million fine James pushed for against Trump.
James is alleged to have “falsified bank documents and property records to acquire government-backed assistance and loans and more favorable loan terms by declaring a Norfolk, Virginia home she bought in 2023 to be her “principal residence” while acting as New York’s AG, and that a block of she owned in Brooklyn was her second residence.
Lisa Cook
Bill Pulte, director of the agency that oversees mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Fannie Mac, urged the Justice Department to investigate Cook, who was appointed to the Fed’s governing board by former president Joe Biden in 2022. She was reappointed the following year to a term that lasts until 2038, the longest remaining term among the seven governors.
In a letter to Attorney General Bondi, he alleged that Cook claimed two homes as her principal residences in 2021 to fraudulently obtain better mortgage lending terms. On June 18 of that year, she purchased a home in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and then two weeks later bought a condo in Atlanta, Georgia, the letter said.
Pulte also charged that Cook has listed her condo in Atlanta, Georgia, for rent. Mortgages for homes used as principal residences typically carry lower interest rates than properties that are purchased to rent.
President Trump has called on Cook to resign, however, she says she “won’t be bullied” into doing so.
Finally, with Barack Obama’s name surfacing in documents revealing his involvement in the manipulation of intelligence, I wonder if he recalls saying:
May God continue to bless the United States of America.
