Executive disorder

MOMENT OF TRUTH: WILL TRUMP TRY TO STEAL THE ELECTION?

According to Axios, Donald Trump has denied he will declare victory prematurely after three sources reported he told confidants he will claim a win if it looks like he’s “ahead” on Tuesday night (US time).

This is despite the fact the Electoral College outcome could hinge on large numbers of uncounted mail-in votes — which are largely tipped to favour Democrats, whereas more Republicans are expected to vote in-person on election day — in key states such as Pennsylvania.

The report comes amid multiple attempts at voter suppression, the latest of which Common Dreams reports will see the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) challenge a Republican lawsuit seeking to invalidate 127,000 early votes already cast via drive-thru voting — a COVD-19 precaution — in Texas.

PS: In other COVID-19 news, CNN reports that Trump has suggested to a (largely maskless) Florida crowd that he may fire Anthony Fauci after the election following the infectious disease expert’s blistering Washington Post interview.

THESE VIOLENT DELIGHTS HAVE VIOLENT ENDS

The possibility of Trump declaring victory before all votes are counted also stands to foment civil unrest; as The New York Times explains, the president has voiced his approval of the “patriots” who surrounded and slowed a Biden-Harris campaign bus in Florida, while a Democrats rally was cancelled in Georgia amid fears of a “large militia presence” drawn by Trump’s own event nearby.

Ahead of the big day, NBC reports that stores across America are bracing for the possibility of violence while The Intercept has found that a number of private security firms have attempted to cash in on election day anxiety.

PS: Los Angeles Times explains that not only has 2020 seen the biggest spike in gun sales on record, but — unlike previous election years where spikes were attributed to longtime gun owners worried about Democrats restricting gun access — gun shop owners and trade groups have reported a larger customer base including Black Americans, women and people who otherwise identify as liberal.

FEDERAL ICAC LANDS WITH A WHIMPER

Finally, The Mandarin reports that Attorney-General Christian Porter has released draft legislation for the proposed Commonwealth Integrity Commission, just 12 months after first receiving a copy of the bill, and will now consult on the proposal until March 2021.

Following a hectic few years for federal scandals and rorts, the ABC notes that shadow attorney-general Mark Dreyfus has slammed the exposure draft as evidence that the government has not listened to criticisms of its proposal since 2018 — specifically by limiting investigations to criminal offences and requiring parliamentary referrals.

The Australia Institute has since highlighted a number of other concerns i.e. excluding anyone outside the public sector who dishonestly/improperly influences public decision-making from its definition of corrupt conduct.

PS: In state integrity news, The Australian ($) reports that the Victorian agency overseeing government use of contractors, the Victorian Government Purchasing Board, repeatedly raised concerns over how the Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions awarded private ­security contracts and has complained Treasury may have left out “materially relevant facts” in evidence presented to the hotel quarantine inquiry.