It was a bad week for lawyers, well, some lawyers

SUNY Potsdam keeps four programs; 24 journalists dead in Mideast

By Ken Tingley

Watergate inspired an entire generation of journalists - including me - while embarrassing an entire generation of lawyers.

A bunch of them went to jail.

If this past week is any indication, we’re starting to see that another generation of lawyers has not learned its less. Three of Donald Trump’s former lawyers - Sidney Powell, Jenna Ellis and Kenneth Chesbro - all admitted they lied about election fraud in the 2020 presidential election. Two pleaded guilty to felonies and all agreed to testify against others about the lies in exchange for avoiding jail time.

The counts included forgery, false statements, conspiracy to influence an election, perjury, and influencing witnesses.

More egregiously, all of them stared into the the camera and told the citizens of the United States lies that continue to damage the mindset of the country. As much as half the country still is not sure what the truth is about the election.

I remember watching Powell and Ellis smirking before the cameras and saying they had a mountain of evidence that the election was fixed.

I especially remember Ellis standing behind Powell and Rudy Giuliani and enjoying her moment.

When Ellis was arrested, she smiled broadly for her mugshot.

In court this week, she read a statement through tears, but even then did not take full responsibility for her actions.

None of them should ever be allowed to practice law again.

You’d think that would put an end to the election fraud allegations, then Rep. Mike Johnson, (R-LA) was elected speaker of the house. He also preached unfounded conspiracy theories about the election filed a lawsuit in Texas to overturn election results in four battleground states. Rep. Elise Stefanik signed on to that lawsuit.

While it was encouraging to see them admit their lies to the American public, it is unsatisfying they will not be going to jail.

“Shut up!”

It was disturbing to hear how a member of the press was treated while trying to ask the latest speaker nominee a question on Tuesday.

As Rep. Mike Johnson and other members of Congress met with the media, ABC news reporter Rachel Scott asked Johnson about his role in trying to overturn the 2020 election.

Seemed like an important question for someone who might be the new speaker.

His Republican colleagues “booed” Scott and 80-year-old congresswoman Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.) told her to “shut up.”

Tom Jones of the Poynter Institute commented in his daily journalism newsletter Thursday: “Johnson was on the verge of being one of the most powerful people in American politics and second in line from the presidency. Surely whether or not he believed our last presidential election was fair was a worthy topic.”

A few minutes later, Scott tried with a different question. She asked Johnson whether he supported additional aid to Ukraine.

Another important question.

Foxx again responded for Johnson: “You asked your question. Go away.”

Then Johnson said, “We’re not doing policy tonight.”

If you are going to approach a group of journalists, you’ve got to expect questions and some of those questions are important. If you don’t want to answer questions, don’t approach the microphones.

If you are not going to talk about policy, there is really nothing else to say.

About journalism

After writing about my son’s foray into journalism during his college years and his ultimate decision to follow his love for history, one reader responded:

“I told my sons that I’d cut off their hands if the considered careers  in journalism. They are doing well now in library sciences and marketing. Journalism was always tough but worse now for this generation.”

It was a sad indictment of a profession I loved passionately for four decades. But I understood where he was coming from.

New website

With my third book and second book of columns coming out this month, I figured it was time to raise my book business profile to the next level and create my own website.

It was a little more difficult than I thought, but I finally got it done.

You can now buy any of my three books from me online with a credit card. But there is a shipping fee ($4.99). Hopefully, this will make things convenient for folks who are outside the Glens Falls market and can’t get the book locally at Ace Hardware, Battenkill Books or the Chapman Museum.

Cutting programs

I related last week about SUNY Potsdam big dip enrollment. The new college president proposed cutting 14 programs to close a $9 million deficit. It was reported on Monday that the faculty Senate pushed back and passed a resolution that the university should keep 13 of the 14 programs and suggested alternative ways to save money.

On Tuesday it was reported that the university would retain four of the 14 programs - biochemistry, chemistry (BA) and public health (BS and BA).

The following programs would be discontinued: art history (BA), chemistry (BS), dance (BA), French (BA), music performance (master of music), philosophy (BA), physics (BA), Spanish (BA) and theatre (BA).

23 journalists dead

The Committee to Protect Journalists reported this week that 23 journalists have died since the Oct. 7 war between Hamas and Israel began.

Nineteen are Palestinian, three Israeli and one Lebanese. Dozens of others have been injured, are missing or have been detained.

Four tweets

Rep. Elise Stefanik was able to keep your Twitter (X) feed current the past couple of weeks by congratulating the new speaker designate for the Republicans - four times.