• That’s how they got Capone. Tried and true way for getting crooks that rely on henchmen and ambiguity.

    Trump’s modus operandi includes a lot of implication. He makes ambiguous comments; henchlings that interpret his ramblings the way he wants get promoted; those that don’t, get fired. Prosecution is difficult when they can’t get a good, direct quote proving intention and direction.

    But crooks will be crooks, and there’s always the IRS to save us from the worst of them.

      • @brbposting@sh.itjust.works
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        1510 months ago

        Will no one rid me of this turbulent priest?” (also expressed as “troublesome priest” or “meddlesome priest”) is a quote attributed to Henry II of England preceding the death of Thomas Becket, the Archbishop of Canterbury, in 1170. While the quote was not expressed as an order, it prompted four knights to travel from Normandy to Canterbury, where they killed Becket. The phrase is commonly used in modern-day contexts to express that a ruler’s wish may be interpreted as a command by his or her subordinates. It is also commonly understood as shorthand for any rhetorical device allowing leaders to covertly order or exhort violence among their followers, while still being able to claim plausible deniability for political, legal, or other reasons.

        TIL