Justice Anthony Kennedy’s son helped Trump get Deutsche Bank loans: report

AlterNet logo

During Justice Anthony Kennedy’s 31 years on the U.S. Supreme Court, liberals and progressives had a love/hate relationship with the Reagan appointee — praising him for his rulings on gay rights and abortion rights while slamming his economic rulings as beneficial to unchecked corporate power. And those who viewed Kennedy as being too quick to side with big business are likely to have similar views on his son, Justin Kennedy, who according to the New York Times, has been very close to Trumpworld and helped Donald Trump secure almost $700 million in loans for a real estate project in Chicago.

In an article published this week, Times journalists David Enrich, Russ Buettner, Mike McIntire and Susanne Craig report that the financial crash of September 2008 “was in full swing” when Trump visited Chicago “to mark the near-completion of his 92-floor skyscraper.” But the project did not go smoothly.

“How Mr. Trump found trouble in Chicago and maneuvered his way out of it is a case study in doing business the Trump way,” the Times reporters explain. “When the project encountered problems, he tried to walk away from his huge debts. For most individuals or businesses, that would have been a recipe for ruin. But tax-return data, other records and interviews show that rather than warring with a notoriously litigious and headline-seeking client, lenders cut Mr. Trump slack — exactly what he seemed to have been counting on.” Continue reading.

The Supreme Court’s Right Turn

The following article by Joseph P. Williams was posted on the U.S. News and World Report website June 29, 2018:

Justice Kennedy’s retirement cements the high court’s shift to the right – perhaps for generations.

Credit:
Carlos Barria/Reuters

AS USUAL, THIS YEAR’S Supreme Court term had a slow start, with liberals and conservatives reaching consensus on controversial issues, if not avoiding them entirely. But in a dead sprint to the finish line, the high court’s conservative majority triggered a series of unexpected shock waves and gave the nation a glimpse of the future.

The bloc led by Chief Justice John Roberts, and anchored by Justice Neil Gorsuch, the court’s newest, most conservative member, swept aside progressive arguments (and its own precedents) to defang public-sector labor unions, support “pregnancy crisis centers” that steer women from abortions and uphold what opponents call politically-rigged voting districts. Continue reading “The Supreme Court’s Right Turn”

How Anthony Kennedy’s retirement could explode our political powder keg

The following article by Aaron Blake was posted on the Washington Post website June 27, 2018:

Supreme Court Justice Anthony M. Kennedy, 81, said he is retiring. The Post’s Robert Barnes explains why that will ignite a “real fight” for his replacement. (Video: Monica Akhtar /Photo: Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post)

Just a couple of days ago, we all dwelled upon just how “civil” Democrats would be in opposing President Trump.

On Wednesday, the GOP got its most prized reward for glossing over Trump’s incivility and for its own brazen political gamesmanship: a chance to create a clear and consistent conservative Supreme Court majority. Continue reading “How Anthony Kennedy’s retirement could explode our political powder keg”