While he’s liberal, Elie Holnig has become CNN’s foremost legal iconoclast. He has a history, as we recently described it, of “throwing cold water on the fever dreams of the left.”
Honig was at it again this morning Neue DayWe are ripping into Stacey Abrams & Fulton CountyDA Fani Willis concerning Willis’ investigation into possible interference with the 2020 election and Abrams’ comments.
Honig opened by reacting on a video of Abrams’ interview last night with Erin Burnett. Abrams comments on Willis’ subpoena to the Georgia governor. Brian Kemp—Abrams’s opponent in this November’s gubernatorial election—sided with Willis.
Abrams said:
“Yes, I do. that this has been a meticulous and very thoughtful investigation and that he is not the only Republican who has tried to skirt his responsibility to provide information.”
Honig exploded in response:
ELIE HONIG: So, I did a double take when I heard that last night on Erin Burnett’s show. And Stacey Abrams said the same thing later in the show—she said it twice: ‘this is a meticulous investigation by the DA’s office.’
How on earth would Stacey Abrams know that? Stacey Abrams is a civilian, no different than any of us. She’s not a public official, she not part of the prosecutor’s office. So, there’s two possibilities here. One, which I hope it’s not–it better not be–is she’s being briefed on this behind the scenes by the prosecutor’s office. That would be wildly inappropriate, all sorts of crossed wires, politics and prosecution.
The other is, she made it up!
There’s sort of a middle ground here, where she’s rooting for this investigation. And let’s keep in mind: Brian Kemp, her upcoming opponent in the gubernatorial race, has received a subpoena. He’s now in a battle with Fani Willis.
And to me, this sort of underscores it. There are real political problems going on here. And we’re starting to see politics infect this investigation. Not long ago, a judge in Georgia disqualified Fani Willis from one of her subpoenas. He said, you have a political conflict interest. He said something along the lines of, ‘I don’t know what you were thinking.’
She had done a fundraiser for the political opponent of someone who she had subpoenaed.
Honig also rejected Willis’s argument that Kemp was stalling the process, pointing out that Willis took a year-and-a-half to seat a grand jury, not doing so until close to the election, whereas Kemp had only been served with the subpoena three weeks ago.
When co-host Brianna Keilar and analyst Errol Louis took over, you would normally have expected them to rise to the defense of Willis and Abrams. But amazingly, they didn’t. Keilar questioned the “legitimacy” of Willis’ investigation, suggesting it has become “politicized.”
Louis acknowledged that “Kemp has a point,” and that the “integrity” of Willis’ investigation “has to be questioned.” He concluded by suggesting that Willis has “bitten off more than she can chew.”
Even the show’s producer got into the spirit, displaying a chyron reading, “Is Georgia Election Probe Being Politicized as Midterms Loom?”
What might have precipitated this sudden onset of objectivity from Keilar and Louis, whose views, normally, are reliably liberal? Might they have heard the glass shattering as Brian Stelter was sent packing yesterday? Are they making a last-ditch display of evenhandedness, hoping to avoid being next up on CNN honcho Chris Licht’s chopping block?
Note: panelist Alexis Hoag didn’t have an opportunity to respond to Honig’s take. But judging from her facial expressions, it would appear that she was less than enthused. Not surprising, considering that Hoag, a professor at the Brooklyn Law School, is an advocate of, and teaches a seminar in, “prison abolition.”
On CNN’s New Day, Elie Honig’s legal iconoclasm was sponsored in part by Sleep Number, Bayer, maker of Astepro, Skechers, Whole Foods, and Carvana.
Here’s the transcript.
CNN
New Day
8/10/22
6:10 am EDTJOHN BERMAN: I want to bring up a different investigation. This is in Georgia, where the Fulton County DA, Fani Willis, is looking into Donald Trump, and people associated with their efforts to overturn the election results in Georgia.
The Georgia Governor, Brian Kemp, has been subpoenaed to appear before this grand jury. He’s fighting that subpoena. He doesn’t want do it because he says at this point, this investigation is political, and it’s pretty close to his reelection battle. His I opponent, Stacey Abrams, talked about this last night. Let’s listen to what she said.
STACEY ABRAMS: If you look at the emails that have been released about the back-and-forth, and having dealt with the Kemp administration, I would actually put my faith more in the Fulton County DA’s office. I knowThis was a very thorough and thoughtful investigation, and that he is not the only Republican who’s tried to skirt his responsibility to provide to information.
BERMAN: Elie?
ELIE HONIG When I heard this, I double-taked. Last night, Erin Burnett hosted Erin Burnett’s Show. And Stacey Abrams said the same thing later in the show—she said it twice: “This investigation is done by the DA’s Office with great care.”
Stacey Abrams must have known that.Stacey Abrams, like all civilians, is not a public official. It’s clear that she isn’t a public official and not an employee of the prosecution’s office. So, There are two options. The first, and I hope it is not–it’s better not to be–is that she’s being briefed by the prosecutor about this behind-the-scenes. It would make it all the more inappropriate.
She made it up the other way!
There is a sort of middle ground, in which she supports this investigation. And let’s keep in mind: Brian Kemp, her upcoming opponent in the gubernatorial race, has received a subpoena. Now he’s in battle against Fani Willis.
This to me just reinforces the point. This country is facing serious political challenges. These are just some of the many political problems that exist. This investigation is starting to be influenced by politics. It was not long agoGeorgia judge disqualifies Fani Willis for one of her subpoenas.He explained that you had a political conflicting interest. He said, “I don’t know what your thoughts were.”
The fundraiser she did was for the political opposition of someone whom she had subpoenaed.
These are just some of the many political problems that exist. now when it comes to Brian Kemp, Kemp’s argument is, you the DA have politicized this by waiting so long. The fact is that the DA fought back. However, it is not the truth. It took a full year for the DA to be completed.From January — This tape, until January 2021, was the Raffenspger Tape. To seat a grand jury. It took a couple of months to get there.
Fani Willis now says that you are the one who is stalling Brian Kemp. His subpoena was issued three weeks back! Who is more responsible here? The year-and-a half delay or the three week resistance?
BRIANNA KEILAR Is the validity of this investigation threatened? here?Does it get politicized? Regardless of the outcome, will there be any questions?
ERROL LOUIS : Yes, you will have questions. It’s grinding to an halt. This is part of the reason we elected our prosecutors. You can find other ways of doing it in the world.
Fani Willis must go to fundraisers to support her elected office job. The day job will be threatened, partly becauseThe integrity of the system cannot — it must be question. Brian Kemp is correct. Some of these issues could be resolved. It would be nice if all these public servants who are funded by the taxpayers would meet with lawyers and say “Look, this’ll happen, but this’s not what we want to do.” What information are we looking for? We might even do written interrogatories.
However, you have to ensure the proper investigation. This is far more important than any individual official. This is a serious matter. The fake election scheme. A deposed president’s lawyer. Subpoenas to the current governor. This is really, seriously serious stuff.
Fani Willis might have ingested more than she could chew, according to me.
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