What Newt’s Reading: May 21, 2020

What Newt’s Reading

In the Michael Flynn case, Judge Sullivan’s actions are “fast becoming a case of gross judicial overreach.” From Jonathan Turley. – Newt

In Michael Flynn Case, Judge Sullivan’s Gross Overreach Turns Justice Into Mob Rule
By Jonathan Turley
USA Today

US District Judge Emmet Sullivan is being widely applauded for resisting the dismissal of the case of Michael Flynn, who the Justice Department believes can no longer be ethically prosecuted. Sullivan decided to invite third parties to create a dispute where none exists between the parties and to substitute his own criminal charge rather than let Flynn walk free. “This is fast becoming a case of gross judicial overreach as the court appears to assume both judicial and executive powers. Sullivan can disagree with the exercise of prosecutorial discretion, but he cannot substitute his own judgment for it.” The court is not protecting a criminal defendant from the outside mob, but rather inviting the mob to replace the prosecutors. Furthermore, Sullivan cannot force the Justice Department to prosecute a case that it deems unethical. So, he would need to enlist his own outside prosecutor after creating his own dispute with outside, third parties — meaning, if Flynn is convicted, “Sullivan will have to order the Bureau of Prisons to incarcerate someone who was convicted by judicial design.” That is a chilling prospect.


Governor Cuomo has made a lot of questionable decisions in combating the virus. The media should be investigating him rather than praising him. – Newt

Andrew Cuomo’s Reckless Choices
By Kyle Smith
National Review

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D.) deserves much blame for what the coronavirus has done to the tri-state area and consequently the nation. He made “three breathtakingly bad moves in March that in retrospect amounted to catastrophe. First, Cuomo failed to call for, and even actively discouraged, informal social-distancing measures in early March. Next was the delay in mid-March in ordering formal closures when the virus started rampaging through his state. Third was his March 25 edict to long-term care facilities that they must accept infected patients, which caused a mass deadly outbreak among helpless, trapped, elderly New Yorkers.” The media has praised Cuomo for his handling of the pandemic, but in reality, the governor handled the situation terribly.


American industry — especially biopharma — is proving how fast it can move if not tied down by unnecessary regulations. Imagine the innovation explosion if many of these waivers were made permanent. – Newt

The Covid-19 Deregulation
By The Editorial Board
Wall Street Journal

Thankfully, the Trump administration has continued its deregulations during the coronavirus pandemic. Seniors on Medicare, for example, can consult doctors by iPhone. Truck drivers moving emergency supplies have more flexibility. Colleges can implement distance learning without the usual regulatory hurdles. Then on Tuesday, President Trump signed an executive order telling government agencies to “combat the economic consequences of COVID-19 with the same vigor and resourcefulness with which the fight against COVID-19 itself has been waged,” meaning the agencies should hunt for rules “that may inhibit economic recovery.” The order adds that government should “give businesses, especially small businesses, the confidence they need to re-open by providing guidance on what the law requires.” Agencies are also supposed to review their 600 regulatory actions during the pandemic and “determine which, if any, would promote economic recovery if made permanent.” Deregulation will help the US recover from the current economic mess.


The EU ambassadors published an op-ed in a Chinese newspaper to celebrate 45 years of partnership with China. The Communist Party edited all mentions of COVID-19, showing again how the EU caters to the CCP rather than stands up for what is right. – Newt

No, We Can’t Just Get Along
By Jakub Grygiel
American Interest

The European Union’s 27 ambassadors to China published an op-ed in the China Daily, a newspaper run by the Chinese government, to mark the 45th anniversary of EU-China diplomatic relations. The op-ed became a diplomatic disaster for the EU. “The text was censored by the Communist editors responding to orders from their own ministry of foreign affairs, erasing a tiny mention of the Chinese origins of COVID-19.” Then the EU’s ambassador accepted the censored version. “He accepted a lie for the promise of harmony.” More troubling, however, is the EU’s broader posture toward China. Some in “the EU foreign policy apparatus continue to nourish the hope of a grand cooperation with Beijing on a variety of transnational issues.” Yet, many of the EU’s member states realize that it is time to compete with, not accommodate, China. If the EU continues to try to partner with — meaning surrender to — China, then it will rip apart the European bloc and diminish its relevance in an age of great power competition.


Nevada is setting the stage to undermine election integrity by sending ballots to inactive voters and removing signature verification from returned ballots. – Newt

Democratic Lawsuit Seeks to Eliminate Signature Verification on Mail Ballots
By The Editorial Board
Las Vegas Review-Journal

A host of Democratic groups are undermining the integrity of the 2020 elections. After Barbara Cegavske, the secretary of state of Nevada, announced that June’s primary would be conducted primarily by mail as a response to the coronavirus pandemic, Democrats sued. They were unsatisfied, wanting “more than one in-person polling place per county, ballots mailed to inactive voters, and the elimination of signature verification.” The Clark County Commission, which is filled with Democrats, gave the litigious groups almost everything they wanted. So, Democrats dropped their preliminary injunction but not their lawsuit. It is hypocritical that Democrats, who criticize President Trump for wanting to reopen the economy, are demanding more in-person gatherings with more polling places. A greater concern, though, is mailing ballots to inactive voters. “The only safeguard against someone successfully and illegally returning those ballots is signature verification. It’s not much of a standard, yet Democrats inexplicably demand that election officials drop signature verification entirely.” The combination of knowingly mailing ballots to wrong addresses with the elimination of signature verification is a recipe for trouble.