It’s Wednesday, December 1st, and this is your Morning Wire. Listen to the full podcast:
1) Jussie Smollett Trial Begins
The Topline: The trial of Jussie Smollett began this week after the actor was accused of perpetrating a hoax when he claimed he was the victim of a hate crime in 2019.
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The Case
In 2019, Jussie Smollett was a main character on the hit Fox show “Empire” and had high-profile roles in several movies like Ridley Scott’s “Alien: Covenant.”
In January of 2019, he claimed two white men in ski masks beat him up around 2a.m. when he was getting a sandwich in Chicago. He said they called him racial and homophobic slurs and told him, “This is MAGA country.” He also claimed they poured an unknown substance on him and put a noose around his neck.
He then called the police and filed a report.
At the time, the alleged incident sparked nationwide outrage. Kamala Harris called it a “modern day lynching,” Nancy Pelosi said it was an “affront to our humanity,” and Donald Trump condemned it as “horrible.”
In the following weeks, it was revealed that Smollett allegedly paid two Nigerian brothers $3,500 to stage the attack. Later, surveillance video emerged that appeared to show Smollett planning out the attack at the scene of the alleged crime in the days before the incident.
He’s now standing trial for six counts of felony disorderly conduct connected to those false reports.
Potential Motive
Initially, there was speculation that his act was a publicity stunt. The brothers told police Smollett hired them to stage the attack in order to raise his media profile so he could negotiate a higher paycheck at Empire. He was reportedly earning $65,000 per episode at the time.
However, prosecutors in the trial are now describing an additional motive.
About a month before the attack, Smollett allegedly received an anonymous letter while on set, which included a homophobic slur, a drawing of a stick figure hanging from a tree, and the word “MAGA” spelled out by newspaper clippings. Prosecutors say Smollett was so frustrated by the lack of response he got after receiving the letter that he staged a hoax to drum up sympathy.
Controversy Surrounding The Case
The Cook County State Attorney, Kim Foxx, initially dropped all 17 of the original charges against Smollett in March 2019. Many accused Foxx of having a conflict of interest, especially after it was discovered she’d been communicating with Smollett’s family.
There were also allegations that her office tried to get the Smollett records sealed so the press wouldn’t be able to report on her role in the case.
Eventually, a special prosecutor said he found “substantial abuses of discretion and operational failures” in her office, and convened a grand jury who recommended reinstating a six-count indictment against Smollett.
The Trial
Smollett has claimed he’s innocent, and continues to do so. During opening statements, his defense attorney claimed the two brothers set Smollett up because they “did not like him as a person.”
Smollett’s defense has tried to cast doubt on the testimony of the two brothers, and has sought to undermine the perception Smollett was seeking attention.
On the second day of the trial, prosecutors questioned the lead investigator, who testified that after putting in 3,000 man hours on investigation and reviewing surveillance video, he’s in no doubt Smollett perpetrated a hoax.
The brothers will reportedly be the prosecution’s star witnesses.
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2) Supreme Court Hears Abortion Case With Massive Implications
The Topline: Today, the Supreme Court will hear arguments on a case out of Mississippi which could dramatically alter the landscape of abortion in the country.
Quote Of The Day: “I think if you want to see a revolution, go ahead, outlaw Roe v. Wade…”
– New Hampshire Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen
The Case
Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization is a case concerning a 2018 Mississippi law which bans most abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy. Currently, the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, and other subsequent rulings, such as Planned Parenthood vs. Casey, hold that states essentially have to allow a woman to be able to have an abortion up to the point of viability, or when the baby can survive on its own. Most states hold this mark at around 20 to 24 weeks.
Originally, Mississippi said in its petition the questions presented to the Court do not require them to overturn Roe or Casey. In its brief in July, however, the state wrote “Roe and Casey are egregiously wrong” and said the Court should overrule those decisions.
When the Supreme Court agreed to hear the Mississippi case, it said it would consider the question of “Whether all pre-viability prohibitions on elective abortions are unconstitutional,” which means they could rule that states can make their own laws regarding abortion again — even possibly banning it up to the point of conception.
Key Point: There are at least 21 states with pro-life laws or constitutional amendments which would make almost all abortions in their states illegal if Roe is overturned.
The Court
Justices Breyer, Sotomayor, and Kagan have supported abortion in the past. The newer justices including Justice Gorsuch, Kavanaugh, and Coney Barrett are more conservative, and how they rule in this case will offer a more clarifying look at their stances.
Chief Justice John Roberts is difficult to predict, as is Justice Alito, although he has seemed to lean towards pro-life verdicts in the past.
Justice Thomas is the most open regarding his stance against Roe. In a 2020 dissenting opinion, he wrote, “Our abortion precedents are grievously wrong and should be overruled.”
He went on to write, “The Constitution does not constrain the States’ ability to regulate or even prohibit abortion. This Court created the right to abortion based on an amorphous, unwritten right to privacy…”
Paul Morigi/Contributor/Getty Images for World Food Program USA via Getty Images
3) New Book Details Hunter Biden Laptop Scandal
The Topline: Miranda Devine’s new book, Laptop From Hell, examined the contents of Hunter Biden’s laptop, and claims they offer proof that President Joe Biden has been financially compromised by foreign powers.
Quote Of The Day: “I don’t even know if at this stage Joe Biden knows that he’s doing anything wrong, because it’s just now like breathing air for him. Everything is a favor. Everything is some kind of a Tammany Hall quid pro quo: handshake, you scratch my back. I’ll scratch yours. And his entire family is in on this grift.”
– Miranda Devine, author of Laptop From Hell
Hunter Biden
Devine’s new book portrays President Joe Biden as the mastermind and main beneficiary of corrupt global business deals. Devine says Biden would set up deals with domestic and foreign interests who wanted something from him. They would in turn hire Hunter Biden, who would help finance his family’s lavish lifestyle.
Hunter’s most famous deal with Ukrainian energy company Burisma netted him $83,000 a month, but his most lucrative deal came from the China Energy Fund Committee, which is part of the Chinese government’s imperialist Belt and Road initiative seeking to extend Chinese Communist influence around the world. Records on his laptop revealed Hunter made $6 million from the deal.
President Biden’s Alleged Role
In some cases, President Biden allegedly met with Hunter’s business partners. Although he initially officially denied meeting them, records on the laptop show Biden met with the owner of Burisma in Washington, D.C., in 2015, and possibly with others.
In 2013, then-Vice President Biden brought Hunter on an official state visit to China, where Hunter worked out his first multimillion-dollar deal. Devine said this represented a quid-pro-quo in Chinese culture.
Other Allegations
While trying to cement a deal with the Chinese, a document on the laptop allegedly says Hunter Biden had influence with leaders of the Democratic Party on both coasts. He names Kamala Harris; Senators Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), and Dianne Feinstein (D-CA); as well as current Democratic California Governor Gavin Newsom.
The book also alleges that Hunter’s brother Jim Biden reportedly once told his business partners, “Don’t worry about investors. We’ve got people all around the world who want to invest in Joe Biden.”
Receipts on the laptop also allegedly show Hunter Biden appeared to pay many of the family’s bills, including his father’s.
Matthew Hatcher/Stringer/Getty Images
Other Stories We’re Tracking
School Shooting
A 15-year-old student at a Michigan high school allegedly opened fire on fellow students and teachers Tuesday afternoon, killing at least three students and injuring six. The student was reportedly apprehended within 5 minutes and was taken into custody by an Oakland County sheriff’s deputy. The suspect is believed to have acted alone.
Vaccine Mandate
A federal judge in Kentucky issued a preliminary injunction on Tuesday against President Biden’s vaccine mandate for federal contractors. The judge said in his ruling the key question is whether President Biden can impose vaccines on the employees of government contractors: “In all likelihood, the answer to that question is no.”