Mega-Thread: Trump Focused Discussion

[Edge-]

https://abovethelaw.com/2022/07/hers...thout-blemish/

Herschel Walker, who we now know has multiple children he either lied about or pretended didn't exist, is apparently very upset that a veterans group is buying ad-time to run an ad calling him out as a liar over some of his claims relating to his work with veterans. Including his claim he founded Patriot Support - he did not, in fact he was hired by them as a paid spokesperson to the tune of over $300K last year alone, his claim that it's a "military program" - it is not, it's a for-profit company run by Universal Health Services, who themselves have a history of questionable diagnosing and forcing patients into involuntary psychiatric hospitalizations.

Anyways, he's using Trumpworld lawyers to threaten TV stations that air the ad because...it doesn't substantiate the claims it makes. Which, unfortunately, has never been required in political advertising, so until conservatives get on board with tightening up election laws and cleaning up campaigning, fuck 'em, this shit is beyond fair game. Because even without substantiation in the ad, it's still more honest and accurate than anything from Herschel Walker, who lies to his own campaign staff.

[Breccia]

Anyways, he's using Trumpworld lawyers to threaten TV stations that air the ad because...it doesn't substantiate the claims it makes.

Ah, a Party of Trump member using hypocrisy. Must be a day that ends in child support payments.

[Paranoid Android]

Wanna talk golf and tie it into politics?

Trump hosting Saudi-backed LIV series at golf clubs despite 9/11 families' pleas

So my basic knowledge on LIV Gold is a Saudi backed professional golf tour to compete or crush the PGA. There is politics and intrigue in this but not going deep on it.

So for the headline and story 9/11 victims are upset it being held at Bedminster Golf Course. This too is political and I understand the ties of Saudi with 9/11 and why the victims or anyone would be mad. But let's be clear here, we kiss Saudi Arabia's ass everyday and even after Jamal Khashoggi murder and me accidentally posting the Biden fist bump in this thread that we always kiss their ass.

The big one here is of course Jared Kushner and Saudi Arabia handing him $2 billion. I would bet very comfortably this was part of the deal to give Trump some panache for his golf courses. Not the worst of the worst here I'll admit but reminding how much Trump can be bought.

An oh btw I hate golf especially if you start tying it to politics. In broad strokes most of the golfers are really assholes. Look up great Jack Nicklaus and oh Tiger Woods is a buddy of Trump.

- - - Updated - - -
@Breccia.

I want to carry this discussion from Insurrection Thread since we speculating on 2024. Choose to reply of course.

I think I'm going with DeSantis and South Dakota Governor, Kristi Noem. It has to be a woman VP and in some cruel way maybe Haley has lost her sparkle a little. Noem is crazy as eff. Small state but idk if they go for some swing state person to carry maybe. But I like the batshit crazy Noem, a perfect Republican candidate.

[Edge-]

It has to be a woman VP

That would be the conventional wisdom, but when have Republicans ever actually pursued the conventional path? I mean, this is the same party that responded to the 2012 post-mortem saying that they needed to start reaching out to minorities and stop focusing on angry white folks by...nominating Donald Trump as he spent his entire campaign appealing to straight, racist, angry white folks.

[Poopymonster]

https://abovethelaw.com/2022/07/hers...thout-blemish/

Herschel Walker, who we now know has multiple children he either lied about or pretended didn't exist, is apparently very upset that a veterans group is buying ad-time to run an ad calling him out as a liar over some of his claims relating to his work with veterans. Including his claim he founded Patriot Support - he did not, in fact he was hired by them as a paid spokesperson to the tune of over $300K last year alone, his claim that it's a "military program" - it is not, it's a for-profit company run by Universal Health Services, who themselves have a history of questionable diagnosing and forcing patients into involuntary psychiatric hospitalizations.

Anyways, he's using Trumpworld lawyers to threaten TV stations that air the ad because...it doesn't substantiate the claims it makes. Which, unfortunately, has never been required in political advertising, so until conservatives get on board with tightening up election laws and cleaning up campaigning, fuck 'em, this shit is beyond fair game. Because even without substantiation in the ad, it's still more honest and accurate than anything from Herschel Walker, who lies to his own campaign staff.

You sue, get an injunction to block the ads on TV. Even if you lose, that's fewer eyes on the ad and less runtime that you do not get back while it's temporarily blocked pending the case. If they can keep it off TV long enough, like past the election, then mission accomplished.

- - - Updated - - -

Wanna talk golf and tie it into politics?

Trump hosting Saudi-backed LIV series at golf clubs despite 9/11 families' pleas

So my basic knowledge on LIV Gold is a Saudi backed professional golf tour to compete or crush the PGA. There is politics and intrigue in this but not going deep on it.

So for the headline and story 9/11 victims are upset it being held at Bedminster Golf Course. This too is political and I understand the ties of Saudi with 9/11 and why the victims or anyone would be mad. But let's be clear here, we kiss Saudi Arabia's ass everyday and even after Jamal Khashoggi murder and me accidentally posting the Biden fist bump in this thread that we always kiss their ass.

The big one here is of course Jared Kushner and Saudi Arabia handing him $2 billion. I would bet very comfortably this was part of the deal to give Trump some panache for his golf courses. Not the worst of the worst here I'll admit but reminding how much Trump can be bought.

An oh btw I hate golf especially if you start tying it to politics. In broad strokes most of the golfers are really assholes. Look up great Jack Nicklaus and oh Tiger Woods is a buddy of Trump.

- - - Updated - - -
@Breccia.

I want to carry this discussion from Insurrection Thread since we speculating on 2024. Choose to reply of course.

I think I'm going with DeSantis and South Dakota Governor, Kristi Noem. It has to be a woman VP and in some cruel way maybe Haley has lost her sparkle a little. Noem is crazy as eff. Small state but idk if they go for some swing state person to carry maybe. But I like the batshit crazy Noem, a perfect Republican candidate.

Maggie Traitor Greene for the batshit vote. Maybe Laura Bimbort. Although the flasher husband might put VP's staff off.

[Edge-]

https://nypost.com/2022/07/18/gop-se...-false-report/

Maryland GOP Senate candidate Ryan White is arrested for filing a false police report. He claimed that that a young girl was being forced to perform sexual acts at an adult bookstore, filing a police report for child trafficking.

Investigators looked into it, found absolutely no corroborating evidence or witnesses, found the alleged victim and the adult, and have now arrested White on filing a false report.

Nice when there are actually consequences for things every once in a while.

[Breccia]

I think I'm going with DeSantis and South Dakota Governor, Kristi Noem. It has to be a woman VP and in some cruel way maybe Haley has lost her sparkle a little.

That's not a bad choice at all. DeSantis can't pick a moderate, and nobody can claim Noem is a moderate.

In a break from precedent, the Republican governor has agreed to just one debate with her challenger, Democratic state Rep. Jamie Smith.

Noem, who has also positioned herself for a 2024 White House bid, is following a nationwide trend of candidates — often Republicans — who are abandoning the time-honored tradition of debating their rivals before Election Day. For Noem, the snub was another opportunity to slam a media ecosystem that conservatives find elitist and cast herself in the mold of former President Donald Trump.

"In the past, Governor Noem has made clear that she will not participate in debates hosted by hyper-partisan organizations or outlets. SDPB has repeatedly promoted the radical effort to re-write American history and cancel our Founding Fathers," Ian Fury, a spokesman for Noem's campaign, said in a statement Friday.

Yep, that's on FOX News and 2 days old, refusing to debate on the grounds that she'll lose because reality is not a right-wing trait and objective facts don't support her platform.

*ahem*

But.



That's the picture FOX News picked. It is not flattering. At all. Which means two things.

One, FOX News isn't a fan. Ouch.

Two, she's not considered a hot enough piece of ass to run in the Party of Trump.



This is the most recent FOX News picture of Haley I can find. They're trying with her.

Now just to be clear, I'm not saying you're wrong. I'm just saying, right now, classic Republians are leaning the other way, and neither Republicans nor the Party of Trump can win without the other.

Remember how Trump ran with Pence? Haley would be Pence. Noem would not. While DeSantis is far less likely to attempt to murder his own VP pick, he does still need to balance the ticket.

Which brings me to another point that's come up before: splitting the ticket.

Yes, Trump can split the ticket and pull a 1992, which in turn, would doom both parties to being stomped on by the EC. Take away even 10% of Trump's vote. What happens? Clinton wins, 332 to 202. Or, close to it, some states split.

Now imagine a three-way ticket: Harris, Trump and DeSantis. Does Trump lose 10% to DeSantis? Does DeSantis lose 10% to Trump? I mean, either way, Harris struts into the WH dancing like AOC.

The Republicans -- the four or five that are left -- are terrified of this. They will do everything in their power to keep Trump from doing this, even as they know just letting Trump run will also get them a loss. So keep an eye on the news. We're going to see some really ugly behind-the-scenes stuff.

Oh, and DeSantis can't pardon Trump for NYState or Georgia crimes.

[Ripster42]

You sue, get an injunction to block the ads on TV. Even if you lose, that's fewer eyes on the ad and less runtime that you do not get back while it's temporarily blocked pending the case. If they can keep it off TV long enough, like past the election, then mission accomplished.

He's threatening to sue, not actually suing. Also, the injunction would likely be able to be construed as an irreparable harm, and so likely not issued. The stations not airing it would be liable for a breach of contract suit, and they're protected by the 1st amendment, thus having no reason not to air them and plenty of reason to air them.

[Breccia]

He's threatening to sue, not actually suing.

The Party of Trump, you say...

[Edge-]

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/new...gn-2022-07-18/

Eyyy, more illegal foreign donations to the Trump campaign. And this time they're from Chyna. I thought Trump was tough on Chyna, what happened?

[Poopymonster]

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/new...gn-2022-07-18/

Eyyy, more illegal foreign donations to the Trump campaign. And this time they're from Chyna. I thought Trump was tough on Chyna, what happened?

Maybe when after filming in Russia he spent one night in Chyna?

[Edge-]

https://www.thedailybeast.com/joe-ro...d-out-man-baby

I enjoy watching Joe Rogan and Elon Musk snipe at Trump while Trump snipes back.

Real though, Joe Rogan continues to be a massive, monumental idiot that needs to stop talking about politics or anything else that's not getting high with his idiot friends. I mean, at least the comedians he brings on are actually funny, sometimes.

[gondrin]

https://www.thedailybeast.com/joe-ro...d-out-man-baby

I enjoy watching Joe Rogan and Elon Musk snipe at Trump while Trump snipes back.

Real though, Joe Rogan continues to be a massive, monumental idiot that needs to stop talking about politics or anything else that's not getting high with his idiot friends. I mean, at least the comedians he brings on are actually funny, sometimes.

Ok, there is at least one part of the article that I question on authenticity.

Segura claimed he’d heard from multiple people who worked with Trump on his reality show The Apprentice and claimed he was “fucking gassed up for shoots” because otherwise he had trouble reading the teleprompter.

We all know Trump can't read. He can barely handle a picture book.

[Ivanstone]

We all know Trump can't read. He can barely handle a picture book.

He can read. He just doesn't care if he doesn't see his own name in what he's reading.

[Ripster42]

He can read. He just doesn't care if he doesn't see his own name in what he's reading.

Or doesn't involve hitler. The one that just died said he kept a book of hitler's speeches by his bed that he would study.

[Breccia]

Trump's deputy NSA Pottinger will testify publicly Thursday. So will one of Trump's many, many press secretaries.

Now, the name Pottinger probably doesn't stand out all that much. He was brought in early by Flynn, and resigned just after the murderous insurrection. That alone should make his testimony major, and also make it impossible to handwave (well, effectively handwave). He would not be asked to testify publicly by the panel if he didn't have something important to say, but as a deputy NSA I don't know what he actually witnessed. He doesn't sound like a "was in the room with Trump when--" kind of witness, but very likely heard/saw/talked to other major players while shit was going down. Since, you know, attempted treason sounds like something a National Security Advisor would be interested in.

But that's all secondary. Because while looking into Pottinger's past, I found the most beautiful, luckiest, most amazing line in any article I've ever read.

From May 30, 2018:

Matthew Pottinger must have been surprised to learn that he doesn’t exist. As the top official for Asia on President Donald Trump’s National Security Council, Pottinger had briefed dozens of reporters about North Korea two days before Trump angrily tweeted that a New York Times article citing his remarks had relied on an official who “doesn’t exist.” The president was furious that the Times had paraphrased Pottinger, who spoke on background and thus could not be identified in its story, as saying it would be “impossible” for Trump to go forward with his June 12 summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un because there wasn’t enough time to prepare.

“Use real people, not phony sources,” Trump fumed.

A debate ensued online about whether the Times accurately characterized Pottinger, who never used the word “impossible,” although he did come close, saying that the summit date is “in 10 minutes, and it’s going to be — you know …” without finishing the thought.

But there is no debate about whether Pottinger is real. More than that, he is among Trump’s longest-serving aides. As the NSC’s director for Asia, the sandy-haired, boyish-looking 45-year-old is the president’s top adviser on North Korea and China. He organized Trump’s 12-day trip to Asia last fall, during which he was rarely far from the president’s side. He has played a central role in coordinating Trump’s North Korea policy since early last year — one reason he was among a handful of U.S. officials to fly into Pyongyang earlier this month with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. And he has been in the thick of White House preparations for a possible summit with Kim.

Pottinger, says former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon, is “one of the most significant people in the entire U.S. government.”

"Whoa, that looks bad for Bannon. Isn't he in court too?"

I mean, yes, but that's not the beautiful part. Click the spoiler, and you'll see why I'm taking a victory lap and cheering.

Oh, then read the rest of the article. Pottinger might not be top-tier Team Trump, but he's within arm's reach of it. He will be considered a solid, credible witness by everyone. Well, everyone reasonable. Some people will just ignore everything that's negative to Trump because they're cult members.

[Mihalik]

Well folks. Remember when I pointed out that none of the Republican insurrectionist elected officials will never get charged with anything? It's official now. Thanks AG Garland.

If anyone still expecting the Dems to save us from Gilead, you're all in for a disappointment.

https://www.businessinsider.com/merr...hearing-2021-6

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/09/u...ept-trump.html

https://www.salon.com/2022/07/19/sec...-barr_partner/

Feb. 2020 memo authored by then-Attorney General Bill Barr saying that anyone at the Justice Department who is investigating a political candidate has to run it by the Attorney General. That memo, she explained, was renewed by Attorney General Merrick Garland in May 2022.

"The Department of Justice has a strong interest in the prosecution of election-related crimes, such as those involving federal and state campaign finance laws, federal patronage laws, and corruption of the election process. As Department employees, however, we must be particularly sensitive to safeguarding the Department's reputation for fairness, neutrality, and non-partisanship," the memo says.

"Simply put," it continues, "partisan politics must play no role in the decisions of federal investigators or prosecutors regarding any investigations or criminal charges. Law enforcement officers and prosecutors may never select the timing of public statements (attributed or not), investigative steps, criminal charges, or any other actions in any matter or case for the purpose of affecting any election, or for the purpose of giving an advantage or disadvantage to any candidate or political party. Such a purpose, or the appearance of such a purpose, is inconsistent with the Department's mission and with the Principles of Federal Prosecution."

The new guidance from Barr said that any investigation for a declared candidate for president has to be run by the attorney general personally.

However, the 2022 midterms aren't elections for presidents, and former President Donald Trump hasn't declared he's running in 2024 yet. Even if he had announced or if he announces ahead of 2022, the memo essentially says that any investigator looking into Trump has to run it by Garland. The theory is that if someone at the Justice Department was investigating a former president it likely would include the attorney general. It would have prevented FBI Director James Comey from announcing an investigation into Hillary Clinton in 2016, however.

Former Justice Department official Andrew Weissmann said that under a normal and reputable attorney general something like this would make sense.

"On the other hand, the Bill Barr Justice Department was anything but a Justice Department. The rule of law was so flouted that the idea of re-upping something that he put in place is one that I'm not sure if I were at the department I would look at with anything other than saying, 'I am not bringing a case against anyone at the White House until such time as I personally approve it' no matter how much evidence seems to be accumulated in the Jan. 6th committee hearings. So, you know, I think it's a plus/minus. You know, it probably could have been phrased a lot better and clearer to people at the Justice Department."

None of the people involved in Jan. 6 are at the White House anymore, however.

"Is it expanded to include all of the evidence of criminality that was laid out by the Jan. 6th committee? In other words, not just who attacked the Capitol on Jan. 6th and not just fake electors, but what was going on at the Department of Justice in terms of beheading Jeffrey Rosenstein to get a lackey? What is going on in other states? The pressuring of the vice president of the United States?" he asked. "All of that seems to me to be appropriate for a criminal investigation."

Last week, Weissmann penned an op-ed saying that he was concerned by the reports that Justice Department officials were shocked by Cassidy Hutchinson's testimony. It led him to believe that their "shock" meant they didn't know about her comments to the Jan. 6 committee. That would thus mean that the DOJ isn't doing investigations into the White House role in Jan. 6, or if they are they hadn't brought in someone as key as Hutchinson.

Spineless pieces of shit.

[CastletonSnob]

I didn't really follow the 2016 election, so I didn't know much about Trump and his past actions. I just thought he would be a bad president because he didn't have any political experience.

[Breccia]

I’m thinking Trump will convince DeSantis to be his VP.

That is certainly another option, and a viable one.

I just don't see that happening, and not even for @Shadowferal 's reason. Well, not entirely.

DeSantis wants to be the next Trump, and knows full well he cannot be the current Trump. He's waiting in the wings for exactly that reason -- he knows he can't take on Trump at Trump's game. Right now, he has some easy victories because Trump's followers will back him -- because DeSantis hasn't turned on him, or more realistically, Trump doesn't view what DeSantis has done/is planning to do as a betrayal yet.

DeSantis will flat-out refuse to run, until Trump has said "I am not running" in a credible form. Such as by being arrested. Or dying. Or faking an illness when he realizes he can't win. DeSantis will throw his hat into the ring so hard the very second that happens, people will think Goldfinger is being rebooted¹.

Which brings me back to this point: DeSantis wants to be the next Trump. Other than the fact that he's not a failure in every single step he's taken, hasn't cheated on his wife...I think....is younger, healthier, and actually has governing experience, he basically is Trump.

VP picks have to widen the ticket, not double down on it. The GOP might nominate a woman this century, but an African-American, Hispanic, or Jew isn't looking good. DeSantis is a middle-aged white male, a demographic Trump already has locked up.

The Team Trump ticket gains literally nothing by having DeSantis as a running mate. They don't need a Trump, they already have one. As I said recently, if Trump loses even 10% of the votes he had in 2016, he loses the election. Having a Trump/Trump ticket, while so many Team Trump members are being hauled off in chains and while President Harris keeps saying "Trump's COVID pandemic" or "Trump's friend Russia" in every press briefing every question, is not a strong enough selling point.

Now I'll get back to Shadowferal. We all know Trump is a sociopathic narcissist, who sees betrayal in everything done by everyone which isn't in Trump's best interest. Untrustworthy people don't trust anyone.

What would Trump, who would at that point be even older, even fatter, and even less able to climb a small hill, think about having DeSantis within arm's reach? He would think, and no I'm not exaggerating, "DeSantis will try to kill me and take over the country."

Because Trump himself did the same thing. And sociopaths project themselves on everyone they view as human.

Trump shouldn't take DeSantis, but also, Trump won't take DeSantis. Trump will see too much of Trump in DeSantis, which he should. This is why Pence turned out to be perfect. He broadened the base...slightly...but he rarely challenged Trump on anything. Flynn, at the beginning, that's it. Pence never took the initiative. He never formed policies that took effect, never formed task forces or committees that mattered, and was once mistaken for a potted plant.

Pence let Trump attempt to murder him, and did nothing.

Trump will want that, now knows he can have that, and is no longer in a position where he will allow the classic Republicans to dictate terms. He's going to find an attractive white woman who will do everything he says, probably for $130,000. Yes, we're looking for a whore, so naturally my first thought is Stefanik. But as this thread has shown, he has his pick of the brothel.

Quite frankly, DeSantis is a bigger threat to the country if he does run with Trump's blessing (or implied blessing). He would have all of Trump's followers, and also would be able to coax some Republicans to return to the voting booth.

---

¹ Batista would have made a fantastic fucking Oddjob. Too bad they already used him.

[Edge-]

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/18/b...th-social.html

Months before former President Donald J. Trump’s social media company unveiled an agreement to raise hundreds of millions of dollars last fall, word of the deal leaked to an obscure Miami investment firm, whose executives began plotting ways to make money off the imminent transaction, according to people familiar with the discussions.

The deal — in which a so-called special purpose acquisition company, or SPAC, would merge with Mr. Trump’s fledgling media business — was announced in October. It sent shares of the SPAC soaring.

Employees at the Miami investment firm, Rocket One Capital, had learned of the pending deal over the summer, long before it was announced, according to three people familiar with the firm’s internal discussions. Two of the people said that Rocket One officials at the time talked about ways to profit off the soon-to-be-announced transaction with Trump Media & Technology Group by investing in the SPAC, Digital World Acquisition Corporation.

A top Rocket One executive, Bruce Garelick, was on the board of Digital World until he resigned in recent weeks.

In the days before the Trump Media deal became public, there was a surge in trading in a type of security known as warrants, which entitled investors to buy shares of Digital World at a preset price in the future.

Federal prosecutors and regulators are now investigating the merger between Digital World and Trump Media, including the frenzied trading in the SPAC’s warrants, according to people familiar with the investigation and public disclosures. Digital World said in a recent regulatory filing that a federal grand jury in Manhattan had issued subpoenas seeking information about Rocket One, among other things.

The exact scope of the federal investigations remains unclear. Authorities have not accused anyone of wrongdoing, and representatives of Mr. Garelick and others denied doing anything improper.

A lawyer for Rocket One and its founder, Michael Shvartsman, denied that they had any advance knowledge of the merger between Digital World and Trump Media. He added that “any assertion otherwise is untrue.”

A lawyer for Patrick Orlando, who runs Digital World, declined to comment, as did representatives for the Securities and Exchange Commission and the U.S. attorney’s office in Manhattan.

Representatives for Mr. Trump and Trump Media did not respond to requests for comment. The company said in a recent news release that neither Mr. Trump nor Devin Nunes, the former California congressman who is the company’s chief executive, received grand jury subpoenas. (The release identified the men only by their job titles.)

The investigation into unusual trading in Digital World securities is the latest blow to Mr. Trump’s social media venture, which has struggled with technological problems and slow user growth.

Federal authorities are also investigating whether Digital World’s disclosures about the merger talks with Trump Media violated rules governing SPACs. And the Securities and Exchange Commission is considering whether to block the merger, according to regulatory filings by Digital World. If the deal doesn’t go through, it would deprive Trump Media of $1.3 billion.

There is scant public information about Rocket One, which has fewer than 10 employees and has made about 20 early-stage investments over the past decade, according to a review of archived web pages and an analysis by PitchBook, a data company. Rocket One disabled its website soon after its name appeared in a Digital World regulatory filing.

Two of the people familiar with Rocket One’s internal discussions said Mr. Garelick, a former Boston hedge fund manager who is now Rocket One’s chief strategy officer, mentioned the possible deal with Trump Media to some employees last summer. Around that time, a Rocket One employee was told to conduct a financial analysis of Digital World, including its warrants, one of the people said.

Carl Schoeppl, a lawyer representing Mr. Garelick, declined to comment. “We expressly reserve any and all rights to assert claims for defamation for any article that states, suggests, and/or otherwise implies that Bruce J. Garelick committed insider trading or any violation of the law,” Mr. Schoeppl said in an email.

Federal prosecutors and securities regulators are trying to determine why traders snapped up millions of warrants issued by Digital World days before the Oct. 20 announcement of the merger with Trump Media. Shares and warrants of Digital World surged the next day, with the stock rising 350 percent and the warrants soaring nearly 1,300 percent.

Digital World shares closed Monday at $29.51, well off the stock’s $97 high set in March, but well above its $10 I.P.O. price.

By merging with Digital World, Trump Media would gain access to about $300 million that Digital World had raised in its September I.P.O. The companies secured commitments from other investors to kick in an additional $1 billion if the merger is completed.

Trump Media’s sole product is Truth Social, a Twitter-like social media platform. Over the past several weeks, it has become the primary means for Mr. Trump to communicate directly with his supporters. Among other things, he has used Truth Social to blast the congressional committee that is investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. With Mr. Trump banned by Twitter, the platform could grow in importance as the former president considers another White House bid.

In addition to the investigation into the unusual trading, federal authorities are continuing to investigate whether the leaders of Digital World and Trump Media started negotiating a potential merger before Digital World sold shares through an initial public offering in September. At the time of Digital World’s initial public offering, the company said in public filings that it had not yet identified a merger target. But The New York Times previously reported that talks between Mr. Orlando and Trump Media officials were already underway.

If Digital World didn’t disclose ongoing merger talks to investors, that would have violated S.E.C. rules.

The issuance of grand jury subpoenas usually is an indication that prosecutors are conducting a criminal investigation.

Among those who received subpoenas from the grand jury in late June were Wes Moss and Andy Litinsky (also known as Andy Dean), two former contestants on “The Apprentice,” the reality TV show that Mr. Trump hosted, according to people briefed on the matter.

Shortly after Mr. Trump left office, Mr. Moss and Mr. Litinsky pitched the idea of a Trump-branded social media company to the former president. The Times previously reported that they were involved in some of the early talks with Mr. Orlando.

Mr. Moss and Mr. Litinsky, who at one time were senior executives with Trump Media, didn’t respond to requests for comment. Mr. Litinsky no longer works for Trump Media; Mr. Moss’s job status is unclear.

Securities regulators also have asked for information from Digital World about the role played by the SPAC’s financial adviser, Shanghai-based ARC Group, according to regulatory filings. Federal regulators previously have reprimanded ARC. In 2017, the S.E.C. stopped ARC’s executives from listing shares of three companies, citing “material misstatements” in their securities filings and a lack of cooperation from the executives.

Relevant bit -

In the days before the Trump Media deal became public, there was a surge in trading in a type of security known as warrants, which entitled investors to buy shares of Digital World at a preset price in the future.

Sure sounds like some insider trading to me.