REMINDER — Bette’s Happy Hour and Marty’s Op-Ed: ‘If Kafka Played Golf’

Please register for today’s Happy Hour — Tues., Jan. 30, 5 pm PT — and ICYMI, Marty’s op-ed

***Registration for paid members is below the paywall at the bottom of this post, below Steve Brodner’s image. Subscribe today to join us!***

Bette members are invited to join our weekly Happy Hour! We meet today at 5 pm PT. Our frequent guest — retired IRS criminal investigator Martin Sheil — will be joining us at the top of the hour for some updates on Trump’s financial chicanery.

Reposting his Op-Ed from yesterday for those who have not yet lol’d:

If Kafka Played Golf

by Martin Sheil

When 'the Donald' picks up his golf ball from a sand trap or from behind a tree and moves it to some short grass with a clear shot to the green - in his mind he is justified. Most of the golf world who take the rules of golf seriously would say, 'the Donald' is cheating when he improves his lie and does not charge himself with a stroke or a penalty of any kind. 

Besides - it doesn't count if no one sees him move the ball out of the trap or from behind a tree - does it?

Why not?

Because he is 'the Donald' - mere rules don't apply to him. 

Rules are for the riff raff. 

Trump is immune at least in his own self-centered mind.

What is most important to Trump in any game, is what is most beneficial to 'the Donald' at any particular moment in time, and in any situation, whether golf, business, politics, or relationships.

The E. Jean Carroll jury threw cold water on the Donald's rules rationalizations when it applied an $83M penalty to the Trumpster for sexually assaulting a woman in a store and publicly insulting her over her protestations. 

It was apparent to this jury that rules DO apply to the famous, at least this one infamous molester. Consider the Carroll jury award a prologue.

Judge Engoron is projected to rule this week on what damages the Trump Organization will be  ordered to pay for violation of NY State laws governing business. It seems Mr. Trump submitted fraudulent financial statements to various Banks, Insurance companies and Tax authorities that reflected situational ethics on ‘the Donald's’ part in each occurrence that essentially saw ‘the Donald’ value his business and personal assets in a manner that best benefitted 'the Donald' at the time.

What's the difference between multiplying the square footage of your personal luxury condo beyond belief if it provides a benefit - from moving your golf ball from behind a tree that makes for an easier shot?

Damages in this case will be interesting. It seems that the court appointed monitor (ex-Federal District Court Judge Barbara Jones) for the Trump Organization business alerted Judge Engoron to a $48M loan that Trump claimed between Trump companies that really did not exist and she did this via a footnote in an email report just last week. 

AS IF Judge Engoron needed another example of Trump's financial finagling...

This "non existent" loan has been called a "springing loan" by some and a "bad boy" loan by others and is associated with Chicago Trump Tower whose finances have, since its inception, been shrouded in mystery. Anyone want to revisit the Russian oligarch (King of Fertilizer) Rybololev's purchase of a Trump south Florida mansion for an approximate $50M markup right when various bankers were circling the Trumpster like so many wolves eyeing a wounded animal? That odiferous transaction occurred right about the time of the Trump tower financing deal... (Author’s note: I do lol—hsc)

Trump people have somewhat acknowledged the above by characterizing the $48M transfer as a "parked loan" - whatever that is. No loan agreements have been provided the court monitor and this murky characterization allows maximum flexibility to the Trump people to report the transaction on Tax and Disclosure forms however they see fit since - well the rules that apply to most - are simply finger f**ked by Trump -  since well he clearly doesn't think they apply to him. (Author’s note: I added the asterisks lol.—hsc)

The fact that multiple tax returns may have been falsified and multiple personal financial disclosure forms have been falsified because of this non-existent, parked, springing, bad boy loan has no more meaning to 'the Donald' then moving his golf ball from behind a tree and improving his financial lie.

Donald Trump has been situationally and repeatedly, improving his financial lie over the course of his rocky business career and Judge Engoron is fixing to finally apply a Penalty for the Ages in the next couple of days. 

Fore - ‘The Donald's' financial scorecard correction projects to be EPIC!!!!!

as well it should be..

Black is white. 

Up is down. 

A loan is and is not

Marty Sheil

Golf duffer...but an honest one...

I am laughing like a maniac. We are the luckiest people in the world to have Marty in the mix.

Looking so forward to seeing many of you tomorrow, Tuesday, for Bette’s Happy Hour, 5 pm PT.

Join us if you can.

****

(Image below courtesy my amazing friend Steve Brodner. You can follow and support his work at SteveBrodner.Substack.com — he covers news often missed by mainstream outlets with his brilliant, biting commentary through images.)

REGISTRATION FOR HAPPY HOUR HERE…

Hello Team Bette!

You are cordially invited to Bette HAPPY HOUR!

When: Tuesday, January 30, 2023, 5 pm Pacific Time (US and Canada)

Please note to register in advance for this meeting. You can register here or cut and paste the link below into your browser:

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAkf-qhpj0sGtCw0g8ulBpBw8sz7lg2Sz36

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. Please note: I do not authorize any recordings or any screenshots. If I choose to record audio/video, I will let guests know in advance. No need to turn off camera as I record only the speakers.

In addition, please register with your email associated with this account. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out at bettedangerous/gmail. You are welcome to stay off camera for this meeting in particular, but please be on camera during your shares. If you are on your phone and are not able to raise your hand or participate in chat, please email me in advance, and I will be sure to unmute you at some point in the hour.