Who Pays for What Crimes
About twenty years ago, I worked at a financial press in downtown Manhattan. I was a lowly proofreader, and we were stuck in one corner of the cavernous floor layout. It was about as exciting a job as you can imagine.
One day, there was a hubbub and soon word began to spread around the various departments in urgent and hushed tones.
A well-liked young man who worked in some sort of tech-y department — could have been IT, could have been facilities, I don’t recall — had been arrested. And I mean, a full surprise ambush by the FBI. Many of us tiptoed down the hallways and peeked over the partitions to see him led away in handcuffs, surrounded by a half-dozen officers.
From what I understand and remember, second-hand through office gossip, is that the young man, over a period of months, had been stealing computer equipment and reselling it across state lines. Obviously, the authorities had been surveilling him for some time. But, when they were sure they had enough evidence, they swooped in and grabbed him right out of the office in the middle of a work day, for all to see.
I haven’t thought about this story for years and I don’t know how it ended up, but I’m pretty sure we can draw the following conclusions:
1) He wasn’t approached over and over again by the FBI before the arrest and politely asked to return the computers;
2) There wasn’t any question of the illegality of what he was doing (I’m curious what defense, if any, the young man’s lawyers offered);
3) Unless he took a plea deal, the young man spent time in prison, likely years.
This brings me to the reason I feel compelled to remember and write about this incident.
In the wake of recent events following the FBI raid on Mar-a-Lago, I’m perplexed by the many ultra-MAGA types — including wealthy, educated, and prominent personalities in the government and the media — who insist that former President Trump has been mistreated in some way. The voices have been so loud (Senator Lindsey Graham, who should be removed from office, comes to mind) that FBI agents are now being threatened. Remember, this is the party that has always claimed to be pro-police and about law and order.
Once the FBI raid happened, Trump never denied taking and being in possession of the classified documents. He said he had “declassified” them, an absurd claim. And yet his followers are trying to say the evidence was planted. They can’t have it both ways. The documents were there — some of them in his desk, no less — and it will be interesting to see if his fingerprints are found on them. Then what will ultra-MAGA say?
If we truly believe no one is above the law, then let’s act like it.
A couple of weeks ago, after Rep. Liz Cheney was demolished in the Wyoming Republican primary, there was a brief interview with a woman voter that was very telling. She said, “The only thing Liz Cheney has done for Wyoming lately is showing her hatred for Donald Trump.”
This is how ultra-MAGA explains everything, that it’s our emotions, our hatred, that motivates us. I would say, “No, dear people. YOUR emotions have gotten the best of you. You do not care about the rule of law and our Constitution. You are letting your worship of this man cloud your judgment.”
Frankly, among the Democrats running for President in 2020, Biden was about my fifth choice. Since his inauguration, my assessment of him has gone up and down and now, given recent accomplishments, I think he’s doing a good job. But you don’t see us wearing Biden hats or waving Biden banners wrapped in the American flag, or posting billboard-sized “FUCK TRUMP” banners on our property. So, we are not the ones who are getting emotionally involved with our choice of President.
It’s about fairness.
It has been shown time and time again that Trump has crossed ethical, if not illegal, lines. I mean, two impeachments? Along the way, he has been enabled by almost the entire Republican party. And he has continued to walk and speak freely, firing up his base with more incendiary lies.
He has done things that you and I could never get away with on our jobs or on the streets.
He has been treated with kids’ gloves. Even by the DOJ.
