137 Comments
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Anne Hodges's avatar

We still need to believe the victims no matter what comes out. If in question, I believe them no matter what is going to be covered up. That’s what this is all about accountability and justice for those who suffered. I’m sure those old experiences they had will never completely disappear

Kasumii's avatar

Thank you for what you said Anne. I went through considerable MST (Military Sexual Trauma) during my ten years in and those experiences do not ever completely disappear. It changes you forever - whether it is one incident or years of relentless harassment and multiple assaults. When it happens to a child - and under 18 is a child - the damage is even worse. Thank you again.

Jocelyn B's avatar

Kasumii, I'm so sorry for what you endured.

Anne Hodges's avatar

Thank you. Women are just as complicit if not more than men. It’s sickening

Anne Hodges's avatar

You’re welcome. Sometimes I wish there was a forget it pill. It gets in the way of being in present circumstances at times. I say that was that was then, this is now. Somehow some little things trigger that old fear of being the victim again. I pray for your peace as I pray for mine. You survived and you’re strong😊

Anne Hodges's avatar

I’m so sorry and wish we could have been there at the times of your assaults. The reality of its too late for help when and where these inhumane acts happen. You’re strong and here now telling us. Thank god for you

Lance Khrome's avatar

SDNY had an active investigation all tuned up, with victim testimony, perps identified, docs all lined up and verified, then...tRump 2.0 happened. Shut down a very promising investigation, sequestered prosecution evidence gathered to date, and here we are...turned the investigation back on, but with only THREE named targets, all people associated with the Democratic Party. This won't fly, but gains the regime some time to fiddle-fuck around, and throw up a screen of distraction until the expected lawsuits hit.

These bastards are determined not to release ANYTHING until after mid-terms, when Dems regain the power of subpoena, and really go after these filthy gangsters.

Purobi Phillips's avatar

Really, whoever they were, a pope or a dalai lama, or a foreign royal, or a bank ceo, or a sitting president of any nation, expose them all. ALL OF THEM. These powerful men raped our children. They have to face consequences.

Lance Khrome's avatar

Jay remarked, "That’s very hard to mess with, at least not without someone noticing."

Well, the tRump regime is packed with people paid NOT to notice chicanery right under their noses, so I wouldn't discount more fuckery by this gangster collective.

Lisa's avatar

Thank you Anne for this! As a rape survivor, let's call it what it is, and BELIEVE the survivors!!!!

Vickie Berry's avatar

I’m sorry Lisa. Blessings to you.

Deb Vitkova's avatar

Unlike most sexual assault survivors, I was believed when as an adult I realized that the constant dreams of trying to escape my father by hiding on the roof were all about.

Believe the Women!

Anne Hodges's avatar

I’m glad someone believed you. I understand completely

Linda Weide's avatar

Robert Hubbell is saying that even if they are heavily redacted, or they withhold pieces because they can claim they meet the rules for withholding, that we the public should clamour for greater release.

What I have noticed is that everyone I know is recalling our instances of sexual assault and bringing it up in conversations which is leading our friends to recall this too. This should be opening a global conversation about sexual assault and power dynamics with a thought to better protecting everyone from it.

Kasumii's avatar

A MeToo Part 5…(or whichever number we are on). Keep bringing it up and advocating for all sexual assault victims until it becomes the norm for this disgusting, criminal behavior to be truly be shunned. (Like Nazis once were & will be again.)

Linda Weide's avatar

Kasumii, I totally agree!

Marlo's avatar

RAPE should have no statute of limitations nation wide.

Linda Weide's avatar

In memory I found someone who attempted to rape me 2 times when he was in middle school, and lived in our building. I am 2 years older. I found a reference to him and his address 2 nights ago, because I remembered. I got away because he was careless, and both times other people rescued me in the hallway of where I lived. Later on a girl he raped took him to court and lost. Won't go into details, but her family moved away after that. Then I found other girls whom he raped as well. His older brother is a huge success, heading up a medical center and having over 100 patents with one having sold for 75 mil. so I imagine his brother can protect him against any of his actions now. If there were no statute of limitations I am at a point in life where I would be ready to make big trouble for him now.

Marilyn Joyce's avatar

Yes, our public voices, as Robert so encourages everyone to use. I agree to this being a triggering event for many. Support the victims and let our voices be a chorus for change.

Valery King's avatar

I have every confidence that no matter how often the Establishment ( institutions primarily run by white males, including “the Press”) suppress the voices of victims, victims and their allies will push back.

Linda Weide's avatar

Valery, I have been trying to think about how we make an organized campaign to take this on. The time is right.

Marlo's avatar

I am for it. Maybe the man who co-founded Indivisible. He gets things done.

I would first like Trump impeached & Johnson removed

Linda Weide's avatar

Indivisible is about the local grassroots organization. I remember when my campus had "woman raped here" chalked everywhere on campus where there were records of this. I know it has been used on many campuses. It was powerful. I would love to do a campaign insisting that rapists get fired.

Passidrole's avatar

I’m amazed at how much and how well you write while “banging this out quickly in the airport lounge”!!

Jay Kuo's avatar

Ha! I was afraid it would be nonsensical because I didn’t even get a chance to review it before rushing to my gate! On the plane now, finally with working WiFi.

Jocelyn B's avatar

Jay, I am hoping for a thorough report of your experiece co-hosting HCR, HRC, & L-MM! (I will be streaming once it's available (any minute now?) but that will be different from being there in person - and on stage!

Jay Kuo's avatar

I’ll look into why that streaming link didn’t go out yet

Michael Portuesi's avatar

Glad to see you address head-on the issue of the DOJ redacting or tampering with the evidence it has in its possession. It must be noted that Trump's cover-up staff are so incompetent they couldn't even doctor the Epstein prison video without leaving obvious signs of tampering, and I expect no different with the remainder of the files the DOJ has in its possession. Any indication that the files were tampered with is simply going to pour fuel on the flames that Trump has something very terrible to hide.

Denise Donaldson's avatar

But how would we the public know if the files had been tampered with?

Michael Portuesi's avatar

Presumably the same way we learned about the discrepancies in Epstein's prison video. In that case, CBS conducted a very detailed investigation and published their results, which identified several discrepancies and evidence of tampering: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/jeffrey-epstein-jail-video-investigation/

It may be a bit much to hope that CBS in particular would publish another investigation on what DOJ might produce, but someone out there will. There's just too much focus on these files for a journalistic outlet with integrity to ignore them.

Sharon C Storm's avatar

Don’t forget that Maureen Comey, who prosecuted Gislaine Maxwell knows the files , as do her colleagues in the case. Too many people know the truth to allow the files to be tampered with.

Denise Donaldson's avatar

You'd think that, but.... people can be silenced. And Demento is nothing if not brazen. He can have Kash get a hundred FBI agents to swear that the files are intact. Blondi will stand by that.

I simply have no faith in any entity or institution under Demento's control.

Denise Donaldson's avatar

Despite CBS' reporting, though, has there been any official reaction? Has any government law enforcement agency convened an investigation into Epstein's death? The official version is still that he committed suicide, and they're sticking to that story.

I hope you're right about an investigation of tampering with the files, but gotta say, I'm not optimistic.

Valerie's avatar

Jay, thank you for your very thorough explanation here.

pts's avatar

Yes, it's even more reassuring than HCR's eminently sensible analysis yesterday (https://youtu.be/Umt-siU-PCM), which points out the sheer numbers of people involved, including the many victims, who know some or much of what's in the files and videos and who would have to be silenced. What Jay further points out about chain-of-custody procedures, multiple and pretty widely distributed copies under court seal, etc., makes all kinds of sense.

Kasumii's avatar

I’m impressed by what you can accomplish in an airport lounge.

Great piece. Thanks. Safe travels.

TahoeMike's avatar

I’m not a lawyer, but it seems to me that since Trump is not currently being investigated by the DOJ (just the democrats) and since he is not a victim, there should be no reason to redact his name. I hope a DOJ whistleblower comes forward about this cover-up and that some trustworthy official has a clean, complete electronic copy somewhere.

Jay Kuo's avatar

It’s a pretty good argument!

Jedi Senshi's avatar

The 🍊💩was a democrat during his time with Jeff.

Sooz Hall's avatar

Well, slap my face with a brand-new schadenfreude! I hadn’t thought of that 💗

Adele Berg's avatar

Thank you for the reassurance Jay. I look forward to receiving the link for your interactive presentation with JV and HCR!

Jay Kuo's avatar

From the team on the event: We just sent out the link at 3pm ET. You may want to suggest that they check their spam folder, or else please direct them to rsvp@onwardtogether.org and we'll make sure they get what they need.

Jocelyn B's avatar

I'll be driving when that happens, so I'm hoping we'll be able to listen after the fact.

Rick Massimo's avatar

This passed the House by 427-1 and the Senate by unanimous consent, and Trump has said publicly that he'll sign it. If the information doesn't come out, even the Bari Weisses of the world won't be able to obscure what's going on.

Marlo's avatar

IMPEACH TRUMP‼️

REMOVE JOHNSON‼️

The time has come and the time is NOW.

Terrie Silverman's avatar

I read in several different posts, that if the president is impeached, the VP must also resign. Is this true?

Marlo's avatar

No, unfortunately. “the of the U.S. Constitution has been misrepresented. It actually reads as follows:

"The President, Vice President and all civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors."

This passage merely sets out that the process for removing a President, Vice President, or other high civil officer from government office is through their being impeached and convicted of crimes, including offenses such as treason or bribery.”

~Snopes.com

Mobiguy's avatar

No. They all need to be impeached simultaneously, so none of them can do more damage during the interregnum. This needs to be a Nuremburg event, with real punishments given and carried out beyond simply loss of power.

Then we need lots of laws and Constitutional amendments to codify the lessons we've learned, and make sure it never happens again.

Hopefully we come out the other side of this as a stronger democracy than we were once, and are now.

Emily Sandersfeld's avatar

No. Read your Constitution.

Betsy Connell's avatar

Who were the other 7 Representatives who didn’t vote?!?

Alierias's avatar

Gisélle Pelicot says “Shame needs to change sides” and SHE IS CORRECT

We women need to stop being ashamed of our own assaults and FIGHT BACK

Barbara Elk's avatar

I wonder how much they have been sanitized to remove the important people. Or, to add people that were never involved.

Betsy L's avatar

I take comfort in Jay's explanation that the files can't be tampered with easily.

Kay  C. Matthews's avatar

Especially the last part of your ending statement, Barbara

Michael G's avatar

An inept Kash Patel or the usual band of MAGA flunkies directly underneath him might not have the talent and know how on how to tamper with the electronic files, but they have talented friends that do, to which they can avail themselves. Well trained and liked minded employees working for Elon Musk’s and Peter Thiel’s companies.

Roberta Price's avatar

Thanks Jay. Does anyone know what UK intelligence has? It had to have something to support the actions against Andrew…. These files seem safe from tampering, or am I naive? How to obtain these???

Betsy L's avatar

That's a good thought.

Charles Bastille's avatar

Upon which the world collectively gasped, "Let's see Clay's computer drive!!!!"

Dalton D. S.'s avatar

Thanks for the update. My concern is whether they will be held due to the suggested "impending investigation" of democrats involved, for the foreseeable future. Also, though I am not a fan of Epstein and his crowd, I do wonder how many are swept into the scandal by association when they had nothing to do with any women, girls, underage sex, etc. The man know plenty of people and corresponded with them. If the files are released, will there be an opportunity exonerate the innocent or will all be guilty by association?

Jocelyn B's avatar

Dalton, that's an interesting question!

Maureen Ogle's avatar

As always, Jay, I appreciate the effort to explain stuff in layperson language. Thanks!

Wis's avatar

Enjoy San Francisco! I am not very hopeful that the files will sink trumpstein, but it’s not easy to predict. I do wonder what will happen to a divided maga. I wonder what these thoroughly brainwashed people who have so much hatred, so little empathy and very weak foresight and education will do. If a significant number are so disillusioned that maga and their leader no longer provide them with an identity, I fear they will become more nutty and radical (not swing left or center, but further right), form militias and vigilante groups and create even more chaos. I don’t know though - it’s unprecedented for half the country to be like maga is. It’s a cult religion with a fallen god. Losing faith in trump/maga is different than just losing a candidate or election for these folks.

Jocelyn B's avatar

Wis, remember that they are not half the country. There are certainly way too many of them, but when it comes right down to it, I would be surprised if the actual magrats were even 1/4 of the country.

Wis's avatar

(“Magrats” - hilarious!) Well, there are still too many people who don’t find trump as horrifying as they should, IMHO. The right wing messaging has seeped into too many American brains over too many years.

Jocelyn B's avatar

I'm glad you like my "magrats" designation! :-)

Anyway, hopefully the horrible things that are going on now will do a lot to disabuse people of the truth of the messaging.

Wis's avatar

I hope that too, Jocelyn!! 🙏💕

Left-Of-Center's avatar

It’s not even a quarter of the country, if you look at votes: 77.3M out of roughly 340M is just a hair over 20%. Sure, he could have “supporters” that didn’t vote in 2024, but other than the children of MAGA parents who aren’t of age, who are these “supporters” that didn’t bother to vote for him? Can’t be a significant number…

Jocelyn B's avatar

Thanks. I didn't have the stats to hand, but yours sound correct.