Bad ideas lead to bad results

A decision based on a false belief, will probably be a bad decision.

Rep. Jay Obernolte (R., Calif.), a Budget Committee member, said the Republican plan would unquestionably put the country on a stronger fiscal footing. “If you have to pick between a higher-tax, higher-spending regime and a lower-tax, lower-spending regime, the latter is always better for economic growth,” he said.

That belief may be common, but it is not supported by fact. Using it as a basis for Trump’s “big, beautiful” tax cut for the rich adds greater falsity.

1. Obernolte’s statement conveniently omits the questions, “Lower tax for whom?” and “Lower spending for whom?”

In the case of Trump’s tax cut, the answers are: “Lower tax for the rich” and “lower spending for the rest of America.” As is usual for the right wing, the tax cut makes the rich richer and the rest poorer.

2. Because the U.S. government is Monetarily Sovereign, we never “have to pick between a higher-tax, higher-spending regime and a lower-tax, lower-spending regime.” We can and should have a lower tax (especially for the poorer), higher spending regime.

3. Federal debt and deficits are not a burden on the federal government or on taxpayers. Being Monetarily Sovereign, the federal government has infinite dollars to fund any debt

4. The so-called “federal debt” is neither “federal” nor “debt.” It is the total of dollars deposited into Treasury Security accounts, wholly owned by depositors and held for safekeeping by the government (Think: Safe deposit boxes).

5, The “debt” is not a burden on taxpayers. Tax rates have nothing to do with the “debt.” Federal tax rates are arbitrarily chosen by Congress for political reasons, not to fund spending. (By contrast, state and local taxes do fund monetarily non-sovereign state and local spending.)

6. The purposes of federal taxes are:

A. To control the economy by taxing what the government wishes to discourage and by giving tax breaks to what the government wishes to reward

B. To assure demand for the U.S. dollar by requiring taxes to be paid in dollars.

7. Federal deficit spending does not cause inflation. See: “At long last, let’s put this inflation question to bed.” Inflations, i.e, general increases in prices, are based on shortages of crucial goods and services. Federal deficit spending does not create those shortages.

Even during wars, it’s not the federal spending that causes shortages; it’s the war needs. If during a war, federal spending was lower, inflation would be worse, as there would be even fewer consumer goods.

In fact, federal deficit spending can cure inflation when the spending supports the availability of scarce goods and services.

Example: The notorious Zimbabwe inflation was caused by a food shortage. It could have been cured by government spending to aid farming and imports of food. Instead, the government simply printed currency, which created the illusion that the currency creation caused the inflation.

The most recent inflation was caused by COVID-related shortages of oil, food, metals, paper, lumber, shipping, labor and other needs. Government spending has helped reduce those shortages and inflation.

8. Just as federal deficit spending does not cause inflation, it also does not force interest rates up.

A. Interest rate increases add to business costs, which result in higher, not lower prices.

B. Interest rate increases are an arbitrary option of the Federal Reserve because of the mistaken belief that they cure inflation. The Fed also raises rates to encourage the purchase of Treasury Securities. This takes spending dollars from the economy, and therefore is recessive.

The federal government does not need to sell Treasury securities to pay its bills. It pays all its bills with newly created dollars, not by so-called borrowing.

Because inflation is supply-based, not demand-based, recessions do not cure inflation. In fact, we can have both simultaneously. It is called “stagflation.”

There are those of a Libertarian bent who simply do not like government (except when they receive such benefits as Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, highways, military defense, police defense, schools, parks, disaster relief, food and drug inspection, new drug R&D, FBI, CIA, etc.)

They invent false reasons why government spending should be cut (except for programs that benefit them).

Federal deficit spending is necessary for economic growth. It is part of the formula for Gross Domestic Product:

GDP = Federal Spending + Non-federal Spending + Net Exports

As you can see from the following graph, relative declines in federal spending (green) precede recessions (vertical gray bars). Increases and decreases in federal deficit spending are generally associated with increases and decreases in GDP.

Is anyone fooled by the pols who pretend outrage at the federal deficit and debt, and then pass legislation that widens the income/wealth/power Gap between the rich and the rest?

Those folks simply are the greedy rich. I don’t know what to say about the media and economists who go along with that charade.

Bottom line: The economy always does better when the federal government spends more and taxes less. That’s simple algebra. Given the power, my first act would be to eliminate FICA, and give everyone Medicare.

Rodger Malcolm Mitchell

Monetary Sovereignty

Twitter: @rodgermitchell

Search #monetarysovereignty

Facebook: Rodger Malcolm Mitchell;

MUCK RACK: https://muckrack.com/rodger-malcolm-mitchell;

https://www.academia.edu/

……………………………………………………………………..

A Government’s Sole Purpose is to Improve and Protect The People’s Lives.

MONETARY SOVEREIGNTY

Should pardon power be limited? Part II

In the previous post, “Should pardon power be limited?” we asked you to think about these questions:

Should the President of the United States be allowed to offer unlimited pardons, no matter what offense?
What if the President is a convicted felon?
Why does the President have that right?
Should state Governors or other elected or unelected officials have the right of pardon?

We then listed President Trump’s pardons together with the convicted criminals’ names, offenses, and sentences.

By way of reminder, Article II, Section 2, Clause 1 of the Constitution states: “The President… shall have Power to grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offences against the United States, except in Cases of Impeachment.”

Laughing Trump talking to a mafia criminal — **Don’t worry. No matter what crimes I tell you to commit, they can’t do a thing. I’ll just pardon everyone and say your conviction was “unfair.”**

Given today’s circumstances, we asked you also to consider more specifically the unlimited right to pardon all criminals, along with the SCOTUS decision that a President cannot be prosecuted for “official actions.”

Laws are bounded by extremes, and Trump tests those boundaries.

Should a President have the unlimited right to enlist people to commit crimes by promising them immunity from prosecution and conviction?

This question has special relevance today, when the President himself is a convicted felon.

We have already seen Trump attempt to game the Constitution by invoking the Alien Enemies Act of 1798. He tries to justify deportations without trial, claiming that the United States is facing an “invasion” by foreign criminal gangs such as Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua.

The Alien Enemies Act is a wartime statute enacted in 1798, originally designed to allow the president to detain or deport non-citizens from nations with which the U.S. is at war or under threat of invasion.

Only by the widest stretch of meaning could one consider the U.S. to be “at war with” or under threat of “invasion by” a gang of criminals.

Though the Supreme Court blocked this attempt for lack of due process, it highlights this administration’s, and possibly future administrations’, attempts to bend the Constitution in ways not anticipated.

Another example of Trump’s willingness to distort and stretch the meaning of the Constitution: His attempt to end the Constitutionally permitted birthright citizenship for children born in America of non-citizen parents by claiming that the children are not “subject to the jurisdiction” of the United States.

(This outrageous claim would mean the children could commit any crime and not be punished.)

Trump’s proclivity, if allowed, sets a precedent. He does America a service by demonstrating how far a corrupt President would go if unchecked by Congress and the Supreme Court.

Why was the President given the right of pardon?

Alexander Hamilton said, “Humanity and good policy demand a power of clemency in the executive, especially in seasons of insurrection or rebellion.” Are we now in a season of insurrection or rebellion?
To correct judicial mistakes: Courts can err. A pardon lets the President fix unjust convictions or excessive sentences when the law provides no other remedy. Have Trump’s pardon corrected judicial mistakes?
To promote national unity and reconciliation. In times of crisis—rebellions, civil wars, insurrections—the President might need to pardon large numbers of people to restore peace. Did Trump’s pardons come at time of rebellion, civil war or insurrection? Did they help restore national unity, reconciliation, and peace?
To act swiftly and decisively: A single executive could act faster and more compassionately than a board or legislature. The framers feared delay and indecision. Hamilton said, “A well-timed offer of pardon to the insurgents may restore the tranquility of the commonwealth.” Did Trump’s pardons restore tranquility?
To demonstrate moral judgement. The pardon power reflects trust in the president’s character and judgment. It is difficult to see the words, “moral,” “character,” and “judgement” in the same sentence as “Donald Trump” without laughing.

Most of Trump’s pardons have been given to political allies who committed crimes, some of which were in furtherance of Trump’s political agenda, and some were for personal reasons.

Consider that the President of the United States takes an oath in which he promises to “preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States.”

He has broken this oath not only by defying any reasonable interpretation of the Constitution. He also has raged against the legal foundations of Ameirca by calling called judges who rule against him, “a “so-called judge,” a “troublemaker” an “agitator,” a “radical lunatic, ” “unfair,” “unhinged,” “disgraceful,” having “Trump degrangement syndrome,” a “hater,” a “Mexican” (for a judge born in Indiana), and a “certified Trump hater.”

I have been alive for 90+ years and never have I heard anyone, let alone a President, publicly disrespect the Judiciary like Trump does. The man is a vicious hatemonger, spreading contempt for all those who do not exhibit total fealty to him — judges, the media, economists, other politicians, businesspeople, voters, vote counters, anyone.

As we have said, laws are bounded by the extremes, and Trump is an extreme case, never seen before and not anticipated by the founders.

So the question is, what shall be done to prevent his extremism from becoming the future standard?

Here are some thoughts:

The President’s rights would not be for a pardon, but to order a new trial during which a new judge and a jury would hear and re-evaluate the evidence given at the original trial. No lawyers. Just a reading of all the evidence presented at the trial to determine whether the decision was appropriate.
Or, same as above but with new lawyers, provided by the Justice Department, plus any new evidence not presented at the previous trial(s).
Or, the President would be able to require a totally new trial. Start from the presumption of innocence.
For mass pardons in the name of unity and reconciliation, Congress would have to agree.

The goal would be to prevent amoral Presidents from creating crime syndicates that commit every sort of felony with no laws to prevent or punish them, while allowing for the preference to free a guilty person over punishing an innocent one.

Any other thoughts?

Rodger Malcolm Mitchell

Monetary Sovereignty

Twitter: @rodgermitchell

Search #monetarysovereignty

Facebook: Rodger Malcolm Mitchell;

MUCK RACK: https://muckrack.com/rodger-malcolm-mitchell;

https://www.academia.edu/

……………………………………………………………………..

A Government’s Sole Purpose is to Improve and Protect The People’s Lives.

MONETARY SOVEREIGNTY

Should pardon power be limited?

Questions:

Should the President of the United States be allowed to offer unlimited pardons, no matter what offense?
What if the President is a convicted felon?
Why does the President have that right?
Should state Governors or other elected or unelected officials have the right of pardon?

By comparison:

Most U.S. governors have pardon power, which allows them to: Pardon state crimes, Commute sentences, Issue reprieves or clemency. Some states restrict this power, requiring: A recommendation from a state board of pardons or approval by other officials

For example: The Governor of California can grant clemency, but must get a majority recommendation from the state Supreme Court for multiple-offense felons.

The Governor of Texas needs a recommendation from the Board of Pardons and Paroles. In Georgia, the State Board of Pardons and Paroles, not the governor, holds that power.

To provide context to the questions, here are some examples found on the Internet. We have not checked these for accuracy. The data was posted by the U.S. Department of Justice.

As you go through the list, you will find many different kinds of offenses, from contempt of court to murder. If there is any reasonably common element, it might be the support of right-wing causes or, more specifically, the support of Donald Trump, regardless of the seriousness of the offense or whether the conviction was questionable..

So the question becomes: Does the unlimited right to pardon all criminals, along with the SCOTUS decision that a President cannot be prosecuted for “official actions,” give a lawless President the unlimited right to enlist people to commit crimes by promising them immunity from prosecution and conviction?

That is, what exactly is an action that Donald Trump or future Presidents could not claim is an “official action”?

Pardons Granted by President Donald J. Trump (2017-2021)

NAME	DISTRICT	SENTENCED	OFFENSE	PUBLIC DISCLOSURE
Joseph M. Arpaio	District of Arizona	N/A	Contempt of court	Download PDF Clemency Records

March 9, 2018

NAME	DISTRICT	SENTENCED	OFFENSE	PUBLIC DISCLOSURE
Kristian Mark Saucier	District of Connecticut	12 months’ imprisonment and three years’ supervised release, conditioned upon six months’ home confinement and the performance of 100 hours’ community service (August 19, 2016)	Unauthorized retention of defense information	Download PDF Clemency Records

April 13, 2018

NAME	DISTRICT	SENTENCED	OFFENSE	PUBLIC DISCLOSURE
I. Lewis Libby, aka Scooter Libby, aka Irve Lewis “Scooter” Libby	District of Columbia	30 months’ imprisonment, two years’ supervised release, $250,000 fine (June 14, 2007)	Obstruction of justice; false statements; perjury (two counts)	Download PDF Clemency Records

May 24, 2018

NAME	DISTRICT	SENTENCED	OFFENSE	PUBLIC DISCLOSURE
John Arthur Johnson, aka Jack Johnson	Northern District of Illinois	One year and one day’s imprisonment; $1,000 fine (September 14, 1920)	Violation of the White Slave Traffic Act	Download PDF Clemency Records

May 31, 2018

NAME	DISTRICT	SENTENCED	OFFENSE	PUBLIC DISCLOSURE
Dinesh D’Souza	Southern District of New York	Five years’ probation, conditioned upon eight months’ community confinement and the performance of one full day per week of community service; $30,000 fine (September 23, 2014)	Campaign contribution fraud	Download PDF Clemency Records

July 10, 2018

NAME	DISTRICT	SENTENCED	OFFENSE	PUBLIC DISCLOSURE
Dwight Lincoln Hammond	District of Oregon	3 months’ imprisonment; 3 years’ supervised release; amended to 60 months’ imprisonment on October 7, 2015 (October 30, 2012)	Use of fire to damage and destroy property of the United States	Download PDF Clemency Records
Steven Dwight Hammond	District of Oregon	12 months’ and one day’s imprisonment; 3 years’ supervised release; amended to 60 months’ imprisonment on October 7, 2015 (October 30, 2012)	Use of fire to damage and destroy property of the United States (two counts)	Download PDF Clemency Records

May 6, 2019

NAME	DISTRICT	SENTENCED	OFFENSE	PUBLIC DISCLOSURE
Michael Chase Behenna	U.S. Army	Forfeiture of all pay and allowances; confinement for 20 years’ (amended from 25 years’ on July 2, 2009); dismissal from service (February 28, 2009)	Unpremeditated murder; assault	Download PDF Clemency Records

May 15, 2019

NAME	DISTRICT	SENTENCED	OFFENSE	PUBLIC DISCLOSURE
Patrick James Nolan	Eastern District of California	33 months’ imprisonment; three years’ supervised release; $10,000 fine (February 18, 1994)	Conducting the affairs of an enterprise through a pattern of racketeering	Download PDF Clemency Records
Conrad Moffat Black	Northern District of Illinois	42 months’ imprisonment (amended on June 24, 2011); two years’ supervised release (December 10, 2007)	Mail fraud; attempted obstruction of justice	Download PDF Clemency Records

July 29, 2019

NAME	DISTRICT	SENTENCED	OFFENSE	PUBLIC DISCLOSURE
Michael Anthony Tedesco	Western District of Pennsylvania	12 months’ imprisonment; five years’ supervised release (December 7, 1990)	Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute in excess of 5 kilograms of cocaine and quantities of marijuana	Download PDF Clemency Records
Roy Wayne McKeever	Western District of Oklahoma	12 months’ imprisonment; one year of supervised release (March 2, 1989)	Used telephone in distributing marijuana	Download PDF Clemency Records
John Richard Bubala	Southern District of Indiana	Two years’ probation, conditioned upon four months’ community confinement and two months’ home confinement (April 5, 1991)	Conversion of government property	Download PDF Clemency Records
Chalmer Lee Williams	Eastern District of Kentucky	Four months’ imprisonment; three years’ supervised release (May 25, 1995)	Conspiracy to steal firearms and other goods as part of an interstate shipment; theft from shipment in interstate commerce; theft of firearms shipped in interstate commerce	Download PDF Clemency Records
Rodney M. Takumi	District of Hawaii	Two years’ probation; $250 fine (February 9, 1987)	Participating in an illegal gambling business	Download PDF Clemency Records

October 10, 2019

NAME	DISTRICT	SENTENCED	OFFENSE	PUBLIC DISCLOSURE
Zay Jeffries	Southern District of New York	$2,500 fine (November 12, 1948)	Conspiracy to violate the Sherman Act	Download PDF Clemency Records

November 15, 2019

NAME	DISTRICT	SENTENCED	OFFENSE	PUBLIC DISCLOSURE
Mathew Golsteyn	U.S. Army	N/A	Premeditated murder (charged, not tried or convicted)	Download PDF Clemency Records
Clint A. Lorance	U.S. Army	Forfeiture of all pay and allowances; 19 years’ confinement (as amended from 20 years on December 31, 2014); dismissal from service (August 1, 2013)	Attempted murder; murder (two specifications); wrongfully communicating a threat (two specifications); reckless endangerment; solicitating a false statement; obstructing justice	Download PDF Clemency Records

February 18, 2020

NAME	DISTRICT	SENTENCED	OFFENSE	PUBLIC DISCLOSURE
Angela Ronae Stanton	Northern District of Georgia	Time Served; three years’ supervised release conditioned upon six months’ home confinement (May 24, 2007)	Conspiracy to transport in interstate commerce a stolen motor vehicle and tampering with a Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)	Download PDF Clemency Records
Ariel Manuel Friedler	Eastern District of Virginia	Two months’ imprisonment; one year’s supervised release conditioned upon $274,197.60 restitution and $250,000 fine (August 8, 2014)	Conspiracy to access a protected computer without authorization	Download PDF Clemency Records
David Hossein Safavian	District of Columbia	72 months’ imprisonment; two years’ supervised release (October 27, 2006)	Obstruction; false statement (three counts)	Download PDF Clemency Records
Michael Robert Milken	Southern District of New York	24 months’ imprisonment (as amended); three years’ supervised release; 5,400 hours of community service; $200 million fine (August 5, 1992)	Conspiracy; securities fraud; mail fraud; tax fraud; filing false reports with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC); assisting a brokerage firm in violating its net capital requirements	Download PDF Clemency Records
Paul Harvey Pogue	Eastern District of Texas	Three years’ probation; $250,000 fine; and $473,604.09 restitution (August 30, 2010)	Making and subscribing a false tax return	Download PDF Clemency Records
Bernard Bailey Kerik	Southern District of New York	48 months’ imprisonment; three years’ supervised release; $187,931 restitution (as amended) (May 18, 2010)	Obstructing the administration of the Internal Revenue Laws; aiding in the preparation of a false income tax return; making false statements on a loan application; making false statements (five counts)	Download PDF Clemency Records
Edward J. DeBartolo Jr.	Middle District of Louisiana	Two years’ probation; $250,000 fine; $350,000 restitution (October 6, 1998)	Misprision of a felony	Download PDF Clemency Records

August 18, 2020

NAME	DISTRICT	SENTENCED	OFFENSE	PUBLIC DISCLOSURE
Susan B. Anthony	Northern District of New York	$100 fine and the cost of prosecution (June 18, 1873)	Illegal voting	Download PDF Clemency Records

August 25, 2020

NAME	DISTRICT	SENTENCED	OFFENSE	PUBLIC DISCLOSURE
Jon Donyae Ponder	District of Nevada	63 months’ imprisonment; 36 months’ supervised release; $6,165 restitution (December 27, 2005)	Bank robbery; interference with commerce by armed robbery (six counts)	Download PDF Clemency Records

August 28, 2020

NAME	DISTRICT	SENTENCED	OFFENSE	PUBLIC DISCLOSURE
Alice Marie Johnson	Western District of Tennessee	Life imprisonment; five years’ supervised release (March 21, 1997)	Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine; attempted possession of 12 kilos of cocaine with intent to distribute; attempted possession of 9 kilos of cocaine; attempted possession of 75 kilos of cocaine; attempted possession of 10 kilos of cocaine; conspiracy to commit money laundering; money laundering ($1.5 million); structuring monetary transactions	Download PDF Clemency Records

November 25, 2020

NAME	DISTRICT	SENTENCED	OFFENSE	PUBLIC DISCLOSURE
Michael T. Flynn	District of Columbia	N/A	Making false statements to Federal investigators	Download PDF Clemency Records

December 22, 2020

NAME	DISTRICT	SENTENCED	OFFENSE	PUBLIC DISCLOSURE
Phillip Kay Lyman	District of Utah	36 months’ probation conditioned upon 10 days’ incarceration; $1,000 fine; $95,955.61 restitution (December 18, 2015)	Conspiracy to operate off-road vehicles on public land closed to off-road vehicles; operation of off-road vehicle on public lands closed to off-road vehicles	Download PDF Clemency Records
Otis Gordon	District of South Carolina	85 or 86 months’ imprisonment (as amended); 48 months’ supervised release (January 11, 1993)	Sell, distribute, or dispense a controlled substance	Download PDF Clemency Records
Weldon Hal Angelos	District of Utah	660 months and one day’s imprisonment (amended to time served); 36 months’ supervised release (November 16, 2004)	Possession with intent to distribute marijuana (five counts); possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime (three counts); possession of a stolen firearm (two counts); possession of a firearm with a removed serial number; use of a controlled substance in possession of a firearm (two counts); money laundering (three counts)	Download PDF Clemency Records
Alex Van Der Zwaan	District of Columbia	30 days’ imprisonment; two months’ supervised release conditioned upon compliance with the immigration process of the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement; $20,000 fine (April 3, 2018)	False statements	Download PDF Clemency Records
George Papadopoulos	District of Columbia	14 days’ imprisonment; 12 months’ supervised release conditioned upon 200 hours’ community service within 11 months; $9,5000 fine (September 7, 2018)	False statements	Download PDF Clemency Records
Christopher Carl Collins	Southern District of New York	26 months’ imprisonment; one year’s supervised release; $200,000 fine (January 16, 2020)	Conspiracy to commit securities fraud; false statements	Download PDF Clemency Records
Duncan D. Hunter	Southern District of California	11 months’ imprisonment; three years’ supervised release (March 17, 2020)	Conspiracy to commit offenses	Download PDF Clemency Records
Alfonso Antonio Costa	Western District of Pennsylvania	Three years’ probation, conditioned upon one year’s home confinement and 100 hours’ community service; $250,000 fine; $44,579.47 restitution (March 20, 2008)	Health care fraud	Download PDF Clemency Records
Paul Alvin Slough	District of Columbia	180 months’ imprisonment; 36 months’ supervised release (as amended on September 5, 2019) (April 13, 2015)	Voluntary manslaughter, aiding and abetting and causing an act to be done (13 counts); attempt to commit voluntary manslaughter, aiding and abetting and causing an act to be done (17 counts); using and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence and aiding and abetting and causing an act to be done	Download PDF Clemency Records
Nicholas Abram Slatten	District of Columbia	Life imprisonment; three years’ supervised release (August 14, 2019)	Murder in the first degree	Download PDF Clemency Records
Evan Shawn Liberty	District of Columbia	168 months’ imprisonment; 36 months’ supervised release (as amended on September 5, 2019) (April 13, 2015)	Voluntary manslaughter, aiding and abetting and causing an act to be done (eight counts); attempt to commit voluntary manslaughter, aiding and abetting and causing an act to be done (12 counts); using and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence and aiding and abetting and causing an act to be done	Download PDF Clemency Records
Dustin Laurent Heard	District of Columbia	151 months’ imprisonment; 36 months’ supervised release (as amended on September 5, 2019) (April 13, 2015)	Voluntary manslaughter, aiding and abetting and causing an act to be done (six counts); attempt to commit voluntary manslaughter, aiding and abetting and causing an act to be done (11 counts); using and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence and aiding and abetting and causing an act to be done	Download PDF Clemency Records
Jose Alonso Compean	Western District of Texas	144 months’ imprisonment; three years’ supervised release; $2,000 fine (as amended November 12, 2008) (October 19, 2006)	Assault with a dangerous weapon, and aiding and abetting; assault with serious bodily injury, and aiding and abetting; discharge of a firearm in relation to a crime of violence; deprivation of rights under color of law	Download PDF Clemency Records
Alfred Lee Crum	Eastern District of Oklahoma	18 months’ imprisonment, suspended; three years’ probation; $250 fine (May 19, 1952)	Illegally operating a still; unlawful possession of a still; operating without bond	Download PDF Clemency Records
Ignacio Ramos	Western District of Texas	132 months’ imprisonment; three years’ supervised release; $2,000 fine (as amended November 13, 2008) (October 19, 2006)	Assault with a dangerous weapon and aiding and abetting; assault with serious bodily injury and aiding and abetting; discharge of a firearm in relation to a crime of violence; deprivation of rights under color of law	Download PDF Clemency Records

December 23, 2020

NAME	DISTRICT	SENTENCED	OFFENSE	PUBLIC DISCLOSURE
Roger Joseph Stone Jr.	District of Columbia	40 months’ imprisonment; 24 months’ supervised release conditioned upon performance of 250 hours’ community service; $20,000.00 fine (February 20, 2020)	Obstruction of proceeding; false statements (five counts); witness tampering	Download PDF Clemency Records
Paul J. Manafort	1. Eastern District of Virginia2. District of Columbia	1. 47 months’ imprisonment; three years’ supervised release; $50,000 fine; $25,497,487.60 restitution (as amended by court order on March 21, 2019) (March 7, 2019)2. 73 months’ imprisonment; 36 months’ supervised release (concurrent); $6,164,032 restitution (March 13, 2019)	1. Subscribing to false United States individual income tax returns for 2010-2014 tax years (five counts); failure to file reports of foreign bank and financial accounts for calendar years 2011-2014; bank fraud/Lender B/$3.4 million loan; bank fraud/Lender C/$1 million loan2. Conspiracy against the United States; conspiracy to obstruct justice (witness tampering)	Download PDF Clemency Records
Margaret E. Hunter	Southern District of California	Three years’ probation conditioned upon eight months’ home confinement (August 24, 2020)	Conspiracy to commit offenses	Download PDF Clemency Records
Charles Kushner	District of New Jersey	24 months’ imprisonment; two years’ supervised release; $40,000 fine (March 4, 2005)	Fraud and false statements (16 counts); retaliating against witness, victim; statements or entries generally	Download PDF Clemency Records
William Plemons	1. Northern District of Georgia2. Northern District of Georgia3. Northern District of Georgia	1. 12 months’ imprisonment; three years’ supervised release; $20,000 fine (July 1, 1998)2. 27 months’ imprisonment (concurrent); three years’ supervised release (August 26, 1999)3. 27 months’ imprisonment (concurrent); two years’ supervised release; $1,100,000 restitution (as amended on February 12, 2004) (May 29, 2002)	1. Structuring transactions to avoid reporting requirements (four counts)2. Willfully attempting to evade personal income tax (three counts)3. Wire fraud	Download PDF Clemency Records
Topeka Kimberly Sam	Eastern District of Virginia	52 months’ imprisonment (as amended by the Bureau of Prisons pursuant to court orders on March 5, 2014, and November 2, 2015); five years’ supervised release (January 11, 2013)	Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine hydrochloride	Download PDF Clemency Records
Peter Y. Atkinson	Northern District of Illinois	345 days’ imprisonment (time already served); three years’ supervised release; $3,000 fine (as amended April 4, 2011) (December 10, 2007)	Mail fraud (three counts)	Download PDF Clemency Records
John A. Boultbee	Northern District of Illinois	329 days’ imprisonment (time already served); $500 fine, $15,000 restitution (as amended on March 24, 2011) (February 10, 2011)	Mail fraud	Download PDF Clemency Records
Andrew Barron Worden	Southern District of New York	Two years’ probation conditioned upon 100 hours’ community service per year and continued payment of balance owing to the Securities and Exchange Commission (August 15, 1995)	Wire fraud	Download PDF Clemency Records
Mary Ballard McCarty	Southern District of Florida	42 months’ imprisonment; three years’ supervised release; $100,000 fine (June 4, 2009)	Conspiracy to commit honest services fraud	Download PDF Clemency Records
James J. Kassouf	Nothern District of Ohio	One year’s probation conditioned upon four months’ home confinement; $10,000 fine; restitution in accordance with the plea agreement (December 6, 1999)	Making a false tax return	Download PDF Clemency Records
John Frederick Tate	Southern District of Iowa	Two years’ probation conditioned upon six months’ home confinement and 160 hours’ community service; $10,000 fine (as amended on October 3, 2016) (September 20, 2016)	Conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States; causing false records; causing false campaign contribution reports; false statements scheme	Download PDF Clemency Records
Jesse R. Benton	Southern District of Iowa	Two years’ probation conditioned upon six months’ home confinement and 160 hours’ community service; $10,000 fine (September 20, 2016)	Conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States; causing false records; causing false campaign contribution reports; false statements scheme	Download PDF Clemency Records
Christopher Michael Wade	Southern District of New York	Sentence under seal (Unknown)	Sealed offenses of conviction	Download PDF Clemency Records
Joseph Martin Stephens	Western District of Texas	18 months’ imprisonment; three years’ supervised release; $2,500 fine (June 13, 2012)	Probation revocation	Download PDF Clemency Records
Christopher II X	1. Eastern District of Arkansas2. Southern District of Indiana3. Eastern District of Arkansas4. Western District of Kentucky5. Western District of Kentucky	1. Three years’ imprisonment; five years’ probation (February 4, 1985)2. 33 days’ imprisonment (September 26, 1986)3. 407 days’ imprisonment; five years’ probation (January 20, 1987)4. Three years and 120 days’ imprisonment (May 23, 1990)5. 508 days’ imprisonment (February 20, 1992)	1. Conspiracy to distribute cocaine2. Violation3. Violation4. Violation5. Violation	Download PDF Clemency Records
Cesar Agusto Lozada	Southern District of Florida	14 months’ imprisonment, three years’ supervised released (June 22, 2005)	Conspiracy to distribute marijuana	Download PDF Clemency Records
Rickey Ivan Kanter	Eastern District of Wisconsin	12 months and one day’s imprisonment; two years’ supervised release; $50,000 Fine (September 15, 2011)	Mail fraud	Download PDF Clemency Records
Stephanie Christine Mohr	District of Maryland	120 months’ imprisonment; two years’ supervised release (December 11, 2001)	Deprivation of rights under color of law	Download PDF Clemency Records
Robert Edward Coughlin II	District of Columbia	Time served; three years’ probation conditioned upon 30 days in a halfway house and 200 hours of community service; $2,000 fine (November 24, 2009)	Conflict of interest	Download PDF Clemency Records
Mark Siljander	Western District of Missouri	12 months and one day’s imprisonment;; six months’ supervised release (January 11, 2012)	Obstruction of justice; violation of Foreign Agents Registration Act	Download PDF Clemency Records
James Harutun Batmasian	Southern District of Florida	Eight months’ imprisonment; two years’ supervised release (July 11, 2008)	Willful failure to pay over tax	Download PDF Clemency Records
Gary Mark Brugman	Western District of Texas	27 months’ imprisonment; two years’ supervised release (March 10, 2003)	Deprivation of rights under color of law	Download PDF Clemency Records
Joseph Occhipinti	Southern District of New York	37 months’ imprisonment (commuted to time served on January 15, 1993); two years’ supervised release (October 18, 1991)	Conspiracy to violate civil rights; deprivation of rights under color of law (10 misdemeanor counts); false statements (six counts)	Download PDF Clemency Records
Rebekah Kay Charleston	Eastern District of Texas	13 months’ imprisonment; three years’ supervised release; $1,000 fine (January 10, 2007)	Conspiracy to commit tax evasion	Download PDF Clemency Records
Russell Paul Plaisance	Western District of Louisiana	Three years’ imprisonment (suspended); three years’ probation; three years’ special parole (concurrent) (November 18, 1987)	Conspiracy to unlawfully import cocaine into the U.S.	Download PDF Clemency Records

January 13, 2021

NAME	DISTRICT	SENTENCED	OFFENSE	PUBLIC DISCLOSURE
Lynn Wade Barney	District of Utah	35 months’ imprisonment; three years’ supervised release (September 14, 2005)	Possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon	Download PDF Clemency Records
Paul L. Behrens	Middle District of Florida	24 months’ imprisonment; two years’ supervised release (May 19, 2014)	Making false statements relating to health care matters (two counts); health care fraud (two counts)	Download PDF Clemency Records
Thaddeus M. S. Bereday	Middle District of Florida	Six months’ imprisonment; three years’ supervised release, conditioned upon 12 months’ home detention; $50,000 fine (November 22, 2017)	Making false statements relating to health care matters	Download PDF Clemency Records
Peter E. Clay	Middle District of Florida	60 months’ imprisonment, conditioned upon 200 hours’ community service; $10,000 fine (May 19, 2014)	Making false statements (two counts)	Download PDF Clemency Records
Scott Conor Crosby	District of Arizona	60 months and two days’ imprisonment; three years’ supervised release (May 24, 1993)	Bank robbery; use of a firearm during crime of violence	Download PDF Clemency Records
Randall Harold Cunningham	Southern District of California	100 months’ imprisonment; three years’ supervised release; $1,804,031.50 restitution (March 3, 2006)	Conspiracy to commit crimes against the United States; tax evasion	Download PDF Clemency Records
Paul Erickson	District of South Dakota	84 months’ imprisonment; three years’ supervised release; $2,976,937 restitution (July 6, 2020)	Wire fraud; money laundering	Download PDF Clemency Records
Todd S. Farha	Middle District of Florida	36 months’ imprisonment; two years’ supervised release; $50,000 fine (May 19, 2014)	Health care fraud (two counts)	Download PDF Clemency Records
Thomas K. Ford	Southern District of Illinois	Three years’ probation; $2,000 fine (April 10, 2003)	Violating mandatory safety standards; making false material statements and representations	Download PDF Clemency Records
Jessica Jean Frease aka Jessica Jean Armstrong	District of South Dakota	16 months’ imprisonment (as amended); five years’ supervised release; $3,300 restitution (December 3, 2012)	Bank embezzlement	Download PDF Clemency Records
Robert Cannon Hayes	Western District of North Carolina	One year’s probation; $9,500 fine (August 19, 2020)	False statements	Download PDF Clemency Records
Deborah L. Jorgensen	District of South Dakota	12 months and one day of imprisonment; two years’ supervised release; $20,000 fine (July 3, 1996)	Conspiracy; misbranding (10 counts); wire fraud (three counts); mail fraud (two counts)	Download PDF Clemency Records
Gregory L. Jorgensen	District of South Dakota	24 months’ imprisonment; two years’ supervised release; $40,000 fine (July 3, 1996)	Conspiracy; misbranding (10 counts); wire fraud (three counts); mail fraud (two counts)	Download PDF Clemency Records
Martin Frederick Jorgensen	District of South Dakota	15 months’ imprisonment; two years’ supervised release; $40,000 fine (July 3, 2003)	Conspiracy; misbranding (10 counts)	Download PDF Clemency Records
William L. Kale	Middle District of Florida	12 months and one day’s imprisonment; one year’s supervised release (May 19, 2014)	Health care fraud (two counts)	Download PDF Clemency Records
Frederick J. Nahas	District of New Jersey	One month’s imprisonment; three years’ supervised release; and a $20,000 fine (January 2, 2003)	Obstruction of justice in a health care investigation	Download PDF Clemency Records
John Michael Nystrom	District of South Dakota	Two years’ probation, conditioned upon 100 hours’ community service; $5,000 fine; $20,514.64 restitution (July 20, 2009)	Misprison of a felony	Download PDF Clemency Records
Amy Ralston Povah	Western District of Texas	292 months’ imprisonment; five years’ supervised release; a $10,000 fine (February 27, 1992)	Conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance; conspiracy to import a controlled substance; money laundering	Download PDF Clemency Records
David Francis Rowland	District of South Carolina	Two years’ probation (January 29, 1997)	Federal enforcement procedures (two counts)	Download PDF Clemency Records
Joshua James Smith	Middle District of Tennessee	60 months’ imprisonment; five years’ supervised release; $12,500 fine (August 27, 1998)	Conspiracy to possess and distribute marijuana; conspiracy to possess and distribute cocaine	Download PDF Clemency Records
David Tamman	Central District of California	84 months’ imprisonment; three years’ supervised release; and a $2,500 fine (September 23, 2013)	Conspiracy to obstruct justice; destruction, alteration, falsification of records, aiding and abetting, causing an act to be done; accessory after the fact; obstruction of justice, aiding and abetting	Download PDF Clemency Records

January 19, 2021

NAME	DISTRICT	SENTENCED	OFFENSE	PUBLIC DISCLOSURE
Alex Adjmi	1. District of Connecticut2. Eastern District of New York	1. 48 months’ imprisonment; three years’ supervised release, conditioned upon 600 hours’ community service; $125,000 fine (November 7, 1996)2. Three years’ supervised release (concurrent); $15,000 fine; $4,500 restitution (as amended) (June 22, 1998)	1. Money laundering2. Conspiracy to commit insurance fraud	Download PDF Clemency Records
Fred Keith Alford	Northern District of Oklahoma	One year of unsupervised probation (January 17, 1977)	Firearms violation (interstate sale of firearm by federal firearms licensee)	Download PDF Clemency Records
Mahmoud Reza Banki	Southern District of New York	$5,000 fine (May 5, 2014)	False statements (two counts, as amended on appeal)	Download PDF Clemency Records
Stephen Bannon	Southern District of New York	N/A	Conspiracy to commit wire fraud; conspiracy to commit money laundering	Download PDF Clemency Records
Faustino Bernadett	Central District of California	15 months’ imprisonment (surrender ordered February 26, 2021); one year’s supervised release; $60,000 fine (January 17, 2020)	Misprison of a felony	Download PDF Clemency Records
Carl Andrew Boggs, III	Western District of North Carolina	30 months’ imprisonment; two years’ supervised release; $15,000 fine (November 23, 2015)	Conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud; conspiracy to commit money laundering	Download PDF Clemency Records
Todd A. Boulanger	District of Columbia	30 days’ imprisonment; 24 months’ supervised release; $4,000 fine (October 14, 2011)	Conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud	Download PDF Clemency Records
Robert Douglas Bowker	Middle District of Florida	Two years’ probation (March 19, 1993)	Wildlife smuggling	Download PDF Clemency Records
Elliott Broidy	District of Columbia	N/A	Conspiracy to serve as an unregistered agent of a foreign principal	Download PDF Clemency Records
Drew Kallman Brownstein	Southern District of New York	One year and one day of imprisonment; three years’ supervised release, conditioned on 500 hours’ community service; $7,500 fine (January 11, 2012)	Securities fraud	Download PDF Clemency Records
Tommaso Buti	Southern District of New York	N/A	Conspiracy to defraud the United States; fraud by wire, radio, or television (35 counts); scheme to defraud: money, state tax stamps (transportation of stolen property (14 counts); money laundering – racketeering (laundering monetary instruments conspiracy) (indicted – no further resolution to date)	Download PDF Clemency Records
Dwayne Michael Carter	Southern District of Florida	N/A	Possession of firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon	Download PDF Clemency Records
Robert William Cawthon	Northern District of Texas	Three years’ probation, conditioned upon 180 days’ home confinement (May 22, 1992)	False statement on bank loan application	Download PDF Clemency Records
David Lamar Clanton	Northern District of Mississippi	10 months’ imprisonment; three years’ supervised release; $123,398.31 restitution (September 20, 1995)	False, fictitious, or fraudulent claims; aiding and abetting in making false, fictitious, and fraudulent statements and representations	Download PDF Clemency Records
Jeffrey Alan Conway	Western Pennsylvania	13 months’ imprisonment; two years’ supervised release; $20,000 fine (November 25, 2003)	Conspiracy to commit offenses against the United States	Download PDF Clemency Records
Robert Corkern	Northern District of Mississippi	Time served; 3 years’ supervised release conditioned upon 24 months’ home detention; $400,000 restitution (rescinded) (November 13, 2012)	Aiding and abetting in bribery involving federal programs	Download PDF Clemency Records
Steven Benjamin Floyd	Southern District of Mississippi	30 months (the last six to be served in a halfway house); three years’ supervised release; $2,500 fine (January 3, 2008)	Bank robbery by extortion	Download PDF Clemency Records
Duncan Fordham	Southern District of Georgia	52 months’ imprisonment; three years’ supervised release; $1,021,888 restitution (September 15, 2005)	Health care fraud	Download PDF Clemency Records
Clarence Olin Freeman	District of South Carolina	Nine months’ imprisonment; five years’ probation (October 29, 1965)	Conspiracy to violate interstate revenue laws; dealing in illegal whiskey; possession of illegal whiskey	Download PDF Clemency Records
George Gilmore	District of New Jersey	12 months and one day’s imprisonment; three years’ supervised release (January 22, 2020)	Failure to collect, account for and pay over payroll taxes (two counts); false statements in a bank loan application	Download PDF Clemency Records
Steven Samuel Grantham	Central District of California	Four months’ imprisonment; two years’ supervised release (June 13, 1967)	Interstate transportation of a stolen vehicle	Download PDF Clemency Records
Joey Murray Hancock	Northern District of Mississippi	24 months’ imprisonment; five years’ supervised release (February 16, 2010)	Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute in excess of 50 grams of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine	Download PDF Clemency Records
Wesley Scott Harkonen, Jr.	Northern District of California	Three years’ probation, conditioned upon six months’ home confinement and 200 hours’ community service; $20,000 fine (as amended) (April 13, 2011)	Wire fraud and aiding and abetting	Download PDF Clemency Records
James Austin Hayes, IV	Western District of North Carolina	One year’s probation (January 19, 2014)	Insider trading conspiracy	Download PDF Clemency Records
Gary E. Hendler	Eastern District of Pennsylvania	Three years’ probation (October 30, 1984)	Conspiracy to distribute and dispense methaqualone	Download PDF Clemency Records
William E. Henry	Middle District of Alabama	Two years’ probation; $4,000 fine (May 2, 2019)	Theft of government property	Download PDF Clemency Records
Abel Holtz	Southern District of Florida	45 days’ imprisonment; two years’ supervised release, conditioned upon an unspecified term of home confinement and community service; $20,000 fine (as amended) (January 20, 1995)	Obstruction of justice	Download PDF Clemency Records
Douglas Jemal	District of Columbia	Five years’ probation; $175,000 fine (April 16, 2007)	Wire fraud	Download PDF Clemency Records
James E. Johnson, Jr.	Eastern District of North Carolina	One year’s probation; $7,500 fine (March 11, 2008)	Hunting over bait and aiding and abetting the same; killing migratory game bird without retaining in actual custody	Download PDF Clemency Records
Amir B. Khan	District of Hawaii	Three years’ probation, conditioned upon 360 days’ home detention, 1,500 hours’ community service, and $6,500 restitution (August 26, 2019)	Wire fraud (19 counts)	Download PDF Clemency Records
Kenneth Kurson aka Jayden Wagner, Eddie Train	Eastern District of New York	N/A	Interstate stalking and harassment	Download PDF Clemency Records
Anthony Scott Levandowski	Northern District of California	18 months’ imprisonment; three years’ supervised release; $95,000 fine; $756,499.22 restitution (August 4, 2020)	Theft and attempted theft of trade secrets	Download PDF Clemency Records
Michael A. Liberty	District of Maine	Four months’ imprisonment; one year’s supervised release; $100,000 fine (August 9, 2017)	Political contributions in the names of others and aiding and abetting	Download PDF Clemency Records
Brian Lyle McSwain	District of South Carolina	18 months’ imprisonment, including approximately four months’ community confinement; three years’ supervised release; as amended June 7 and June 19, 1994 (May 7, 1993)	Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute marijuana and cocaine	Download PDF Clemency Records
Hal Knudson Mergler	Northern District of West Virginia	One month of imprisonment; three years’ supervised release; $505 restitution; as amended November 19, 1993 (July 21, 1992)	Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide)	Download PDF Clemency Records
David Eugene Miller	Middle District of Tennessee	30 months’ imprisonment; two years’ supervised release (November 19, 2012)	Making a false statement to a bank (as amended)	Download PDF Clemency Records
Glen Moss	1. District of Connecticut2. District of South Carolina	1. Three years’ probation, conditioned upon cooperation with the IRS in resolving $100,000 in unpaid taxes for the years 1991 and 1992; $4,000 fine (June 9, 2000)2. Five years’ probation, conditioned upon six months’ home confinement; $412,000 restitution	1. Payment to non-licensed physician; attempt to evade or defeat tax2. Mail Fraud	Download PDF Clemency Records
Hillel “Helly” Nahmad	Southern District of New York	One year and one day’s imprisonment; three years’ supervised release, conditioned upon 300 hours’ community service; $30,000 fine (April 30, 2014)	Illegal gambling	Download PDF Clemency Records
Stephen Odzer aka Harold J. Odzer	Eastern District of New York	18 months’ imprisonment; five years’ supervised release; $16,150,017.83 restitution (as amended on June 5, 2007) (May 3, 2007)	Bank fraud	Download PDF Clemency Records
Benedict Guthrie Olberding	District of South Carolina	Five years’ probation; $614,154.37 restitution (April 11, 2013)	Bank fraud	Download PDF Clemency Records
Eric Wesley Patton	Eastern District of Tennessee	$1,000 fine (February 23, 1999)	Making false statement	Download PDF Clemency Records
Desiree Perez fka Desiree Reynoso	1. Southern District of Florida2. Southern District of Florida	1. Five years’ probation (as amended) (September 7, 1995)2. Nine months’ imprisonment; three years’ supervised release (April 6, 1999)	1. Conspiracy to distribute cocaine2. Probation violation	Download PDF Clemency Records
Johnny D. Phillips	Eastern District of Tennessee	30 months’ imprisonment; three years’ supervised release; $14,092,205.04 restitution (as amended) (November 2, 2016)	Conspiracy to commit wire fraud and mail fraud	Download PDF Clemency Records
Richard George Renzi	District of Arizona	36 months’ imprisonment; three years supervised release; $25,000 fine (October 28, 2013)	Conspiracy to commit extortion, attempted extortion and wire and mail fraud; honest wire services wire fraud (six counts); conspiracy to commit money laundering; concealment of money laundering; transactions with criminally derived funds (two counts); extortion under color of official right (two counts); conspiracy to make false statement; insurance fraud (two counts); racketeering	Download PDF Clemency Records
Gregory Louis Reyes	Northern District of California	18 months’ imprisonment; two years’ supervised release; $15,000,000 fine (June 24, 2010)	Conspiracy to commit securities and mail fraud; fraud in connection with Brocade stock, aiding, abetting and willfully causing; false SEC filing, aiding, abetting and willfully causing (three counts); falsifying books, records and accounts, aiding, abetting and willfully causing; false statement to accountant, aiding, abetting and willfully causing (four counts)	Download PDF Clemency Records
Aviem Sella	District of Columbia	N/A	Espionage – conspiracy to gather or deliver national defense information (two counts); violation of Subversive Activities Control Act – receiving or obtaining classified information by foreign agent	Download PDF Clemency Records
Robert C. Sherrill	Middle District of Tennessee	50 months’ imprisonment; four years’ supervised release (July 27, 2009)	Conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine	Download PDF Clemency Records
Syrita Rashida Steib-Martin	Eastern District of Texas	120 months’ imprisonment; three years’ supervised release; $1,934,169.31 restitution (July 24, 2000)	Use of fire to commit a felony	Download PDF Clemency Records
Patrick Lee Swisher	Western District of North Carolina	30 months’ imprisonment; two years’ supervised release; $5,000 fine (October 15, 2002)	Fraudulent tax return/statement; making false statements	Download PDF Clemency Records
Casey Urlacher	Northern District of Illinois	N/A	Conspiracy to defraud the United States; illegal gambling; money laundering	Download PDF Clemency Records
John Harold Wall	District of Minnesota	60 months’ imprisonment; four years’ supervised release (June 4, 1992)	Possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute	Download PDF Clemency Records
Robert Zangrillo	District of Massachusetts	N/A	Conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and honest services mail and wire fraud; conspiracy to commit federal programs bribery; money laundering conspiracy; wire fraud and honest services wire fraud (six counts); federal programs bribery (two counts); filing a false tax return	Download PDF Clemency Records

January 20, 2021

NAME	DISTRICT	SENTENCED	OFFENSE	PUBLIC DISCLOSURE
Albert J. Pirro, Jr.	Southern District of New York	29 months’ imprisonment; three years’ supervised release; $62,446 restitution (November 1, 2000)	Conspiracy to defraud the United States; tax evasion (four counts); fraud (29 counts)	Download PDF Clemency Records

In Addition:

Kwame Kilpatrick Conviction: Racketeering conspiracy, extortion, bribery, mail and wire fraud, and tax offenses during his tenure as Detroit mayor. Sentence: 28 years in prison. Commutation: Sentence commuted by President Trump in January 2021

January 6 Capitol Riot Pardons In a sweeping move, President Trump granted full pardons to individuals convicted of offenses related to the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack. Notable recipients include: Joseph Hackett Ethan Nordean Joseph Biggs Zachary Rehl Dominic Pezzola Jeremy Bertino GQ

Reports indicate that dozens of the convicted individuals had prior criminal convictions, including serious offenses such as rape, manslaughter, domestic violence, and drug trafficking.

Rodger Malcolm Mitchell

Monetary Sovereignty

Twitter: @rodgermitchell

Search #monetarysovereignty

Facebook: Rodger Malcolm Mitchell;

MUCK RACK: https://muckrack.com/rodger-malcolm-mitchell;

https://www.academia.edu/

……………………………………………………………………..

A Government’s Sole Purpose is to Improve and Protect The People’s Lives.

MONETARY SOVEREIGNTY

Retirees face potential 33% benefit CUT if they receive MORE benefits. What??

The following story appeared today online. It purports to tell you why you’ll have a benefit cut if Social Security benefits are not taxed.

That’s right. The article claims that either you allow the government to take away part of your benefits via taxes, or it will take away part of your benefits via benefit cuts.

This Hobson’s choice is brought to you by the rich, who want to widen the income/wealth/power Gap between them and you.

Spoiler alert: Here’s the “why” mentioned in the headline of this post: The lies of the rich and the ignorance of the populace.

“If you dare to ask for more, I’ll give you lesss. So shut up and be grateful for what you get. I have rich people to take care of. “

Retirees face potential 33% benefit cut under new tax plan; Here’s why
Story by Andrea Arlett Nabor Herrera
Trump-backed tax plan may slash Social Security benefits by 33%, raising solvency concerns /

Retirees across the United States may soon face a daunting financial challenge. A proposed tax plan, supported by President Trump and several legislators, aims to eliminate federal income taxes on Social Security benefits, tips, and overtime.

While this might initially seem beneficial, experts warn it could lead to a significant reduction in Social Security benefits, potentially cutting them by 33% by 2035.

Proposed tax plan details

The tax proposal suggests removing federal income taxes on Social Security benefits, a move that could eliminate a crucial revenue stream for the program.

Currently, Social Security is funded primarily through payroll taxes (91%), with a smaller portion coming from taxes on benefits (4%) and interest from trust fund assets (5%). The elimination of these taxes could severely impact the program’s financial health.

Not one word of the above paragraph is true. All federal spending, including spending for the Supreme Court, for Congress, for the Senate, for the House, for the military — ALL federal spending — is funded the same way: By federal new money creation.

Congress and the President vote for spending, and the money is automatically created. No fake “trust funds” are involved.

The federal government, being Monetarily Sovereign, cannot run short of dollars, nor can any agency of the federal government run short unless Congress and the President want it to.

The financial helplessness implied in the article is a lie. The federal government has ownership and control over the Social Security agency, and so can add as many dollars as it wishes at any time it wishes.

Social Security faces financial challenges due to a growing retiree population and a slower-growing workforce.
The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that under current law, the Social Security Trust Fund will be depleted by 2034. If this occurs, benefits would need to be reduced to about 77% of scheduled payments, equating to a 23% cut.

The Social Security “trust fund” is not a trust fund. It is merely a record of payments.

As a record, and only a record, it “has” no money. It’s just a balance sheet for informational purposes. The purpose of FICA taxes (according to the SS founder, President Franklin D. Roosevelt) is to give you the illusion of ownership, so you will protest against cuts.

FICA does not fund SS benefits. It actually limits benefits as practiced by Congress.

Impact of eliminating benefit taxes Removing taxes on Social Security benefits would eliminate a revenue source expected to contribute $1.1 trillion over the next decade.

False. The “revenue” source is not FICA taxes. The revenue source is the federal government, which has the unlimited power to credit those taxes to Social Security — or not — or to credit some other figure.

The amount of FICA does not control how much Social Security is allowed to spend. Congress and the President do.

If Congress and the President wished, they could pass a law saying, for instance, that every person living in America receives double the current level of SS benefits. That law would be funded by Congressional fiat just as taxing benefits now is reverse funded by fiat.

This would exacerbate the program’s deficit, potentially depleting the trust fund sooner. The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget (CRFB) estimates that eliminating these taxes could advance the fund’s depletion by one year, while Penn Wharton suggests it could be two years.

The CRFB is a libertarian-leaning mouthpiece that likes to express shock at how many growth dollars the federal government pumps into the economy. Their solution to the non-problem invariably tends toward cutting benefits to the middle- and lower-income groups, but seldom suggests cutting tax loopholes enjoyed by the rich.

How much you need to save in order to retire
If taxes on Social Security, tips, and overtime are all eliminated, as proposed by President Trump, the CRFB estimates the trust fund could be depleted three years earlier.

This scenario could lead to benefit cuts as early as 2032, rather than 2035, putting additional financial strain on retirees.

Again, the above is a lie or ignorance, hoping that you will believe the lie or share the ignorance. The bottom line: The author claims that any increase in your benefits will result in a decrease in your benefits, so shut up and accept your losses.

Magnitude of potential benefit cuts The proposed tax eliminations could reduce Social Security revenues by up to $2 trillion over the next decade.

Translation: The proposed tax eliminations could increase Social Security benefits by up to $2 trillion over the next decade, while also increasing the number of growth dollars added to the economy by those same $2 trillion.

This would necessitate deeper benefit cuts than currently projected. The CRFB estimates that benefits could be reduced by 33% by 2035, compared to the 23% cut projected by the CBO under existing law.

The same old lie: “Don’t you dare ask for more or we’ll give you even less than you currently receive. And by the way, we’re giving the rich another tax break, but that doesn’t count.”

Experts like Nancy Altman, President of Social Security Works, caution against the proposed tax eliminations. Altman argues that while eliminating taxes might increase benefits for some, the overall impact would be detrimental, leading to drastic benefit reductions. She describes the proposal as “not honest,” highlighting the potential long-term harm to retirees.

Ms. Altman, with all your experience, you should know better. Eliminating taxes would not “lead to benefit reductions” if you told America that the federal government can easily fund SS forever.

The proposed tax plan, while seemingly beneficial in the short term, poses significant risks to the financial stability of Social Security. Retirees could face earlier and more severe benefit cuts, underscoring the need for careful consideration of the plan’s long-term implications.
As the debate continues, stakeholders must weigh the immediate benefits against the potential for substantial future losses.

If ever the stakeholders, i.e. SS current and future recipients, ever begin to understand the truth, there will be an uprising and (gasp!) the income/wealth/power Gap between the rich and the rest will narrow.

OMG!

Rodger Malcolm Mitchell

Monetary Sovereignty

Twitter: @rodgermitchell

Search #monetarysovereignty

Facebook: Rodger Malcolm Mitchell;

MUCK RACK: https://muckrack.com/rodger-malcolm-mitchell;

https://www.academia.edu/

……………………………………………………………………..

A Government’s Sole Purpose is to Improve and Protect The People’s Lives.

MONETARY SOVEREIGNTY

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Pardons Granted by President Donald J. Trump (2017-2021)

March 9, 2018

April 13, 2018

May 24, 2018

May 31, 2018

July 10, 2018

May 6, 2019

May 15, 2019

July 29, 2019

October 10, 2019

November 15, 2019

February 18, 2020

August 18, 2020

August 25, 2020

August 28, 2020

November 25, 2020

December 22, 2020

December 23, 2020

January 13, 2021

January 19, 2021

January 20, 2021

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