The Kraken Cracks

​We interrupt our regularly-scheduled series on the Republican Party’s debacle, unable after 17 days (so far) to elect a Speaker in the House of Representatives that they control, and instead bring you this special -- “Disaster in Trump World.”

I was gobsmacked this morning when I saw the story that Trump lawyer Sidney Powel, she of “Bring on the Kraken” fame, plead guilty in the Georgia RICO case against Trump and his 18 co-defendants.  After all, this wasn’t just a jury finding her guilty which would still allow Trump to cry about supposed “rigging” – this was Sidney Powell herself saying out loud in court that she was guilty.  Further, this wasn’t just “someone” on Trump’s team – this was a lawyer for Trump’s campaign who tried case after case after case on his behalf about supposed election fraud, and lost every one of them.  Further still, this was someone who Trump wanted to make Special Counsel to investigate his charge about supposed election fraud.  Someone who was at that critical December, 2020 meeting where it was proposed, as was seizing voting machines and calling out the National Guard  – and present at other meetings with Trump.  Someone so deeply loyal to Trump that she was the public face of his lawsuits, relentlessly making her fictitious case on camera about election fraud and rigged voting machines.  Someone who famously cried out she would “Release the Kraken!!” in her vociferous defense of Trump.  Someone so over-the-top in her loyalty to Trump that Trump himself said he thought some of her ideas “sounded a little crazy.”  Someone who is in Trump's inner circle. 

Not someone who Trump can claim he doesn't know or who just got coffee.

Moreover, Sidney Powell is someone who chose to separate the charges against her from the other RICO co-defendants and asked for an expedited trial, who only three weeks ago filed to have the charges against her dropped, for lack of evidence. 

And now, just one day before jury selection for her trial was to begin…she was pled guilty.  Said in open court that her actions were “intentional,” pleading guilty to committing “intentional interference” with the performance of election duties.

I suspect that Ken Chesebro -- who up to yesterday morning had been Sidney Powell's co-defendant in the trial starting today -- must have started sweating hell the moment the story broke.

As for Trump, someone who values “loyalty” as much as any Mafia don, he must be apoplectic, almost uncomprehending that someone so loyal to him was now going to be testifying against him.  I wouldn't be surprised if Mar-a-Lago staff, the moment the story broke, began hiding every ketchup bottle in the compound to keep Trump from throwing them all against the walls.

Because ultimately that’s the biggest deal -- not that Sidney Powell pleaded guilty , but will be testifying against him.  And in essence, against all the RICO co-defendants.

Sidney Powell was facing up to 20 years in prison.  She now has a deal of six years on probation, a fine of $6,000 dollars, and the requirement to write a letter of apology.  She did not get a deal like that just because Georgia prosecutors wanted to get another defend off their docket.  A person only gets a deal that great because they have a lot to testify about and agree to do so.  Openly and honestly.  And not just in this case, but other cases where she may be called to testify.  And if she lies, or isn’t fully open, she could have her probation deal revoked.  Testifying is part of her plea agreement.

This is really, really, no good, horrible for Trump.

It seemed that bad when I first heard the news.   And it turned out to be big enough to be covered blended into other major news about Jim Jordan and the GOP’s Speaker troubles, as well the Israel-Hamas war.  But as the day went on, and more details of the guilty plea got out and were analyzed, it turned out not just to be “big news,” but massive – and MSNBC had it as their lead story on its three consecutive afternoon shows.  Ari Melber covered it for over a half hour of his hour-long problem.

This is massive news – whose ripples likely haven’t even begun to be seen.

(It also seems like it could be very bad news for Sidney Powell.  While her plea saves her from time in prison -- which in many ways makes it a positive, whatever else happens -- her admitting to lying about voting machines being rigged isn't going to help her in the two defamation lawsuits she and Rudy Giuliani have been sued for $4 billion by  Dominion and Smartmatic.  For that matter, with this in mind, it seems like a very bad news day, as well, for Rudy Giuliani.)

And finally, I realized, too, that there’s another small, but important benefit from Sidney Powell pleading guilty in the Georgia RICO case.   Last week, several Republican officials in Georgia filed complaints against D.A. Fani Willis for improperly filing her RICO case, which could result in her being removed from office.  Though such a result seems highly unlikely – especially since Gov. Brian Kemp (who pushed for the law) has said that he thought there was no evidence of impropriety by D.A. Wills – it’s a burden that in a Red State is disturbing to have to deal with.  But what occurred to me is that this guilty plea – one that admits “intentional” guilt -- by Trump’s campaign lawyer makes those “complaints” against Fani Willis profoundly empty.  Not to mention another guilty plea (so far) by one of the fake Georgia electors.  Two guilty pleas already (including one by Trump’s own lawyer) seem to show as clearly as possible that filing this RICO case is not only exceedingly proper, but on impressive footing.

And in the end, as reader and longtime friend Frederick Nachman said in a note, it seems that Sidney Power after all is indeed going to “Bring on the Kraken!”  Just not against those who Trump had initially thought.