Print article A federal judge in South Dakota was blunt last summer when she sentenced Paul Erickson, a seasoned Republican operative who had pleaded guilty to wire fraud and money laundering. “What comes through is that you’re a thief, and you’ve betrayed your friends, your family, pretty much everyone you know,” federal District Judge Karen Schreier told Erickson in July, before sentencing him to seven years in prison for scamming dozens of people out of $5.3 million. But Erickson, who had advised GOP presidential campaigns and a noted conservative organization, had a way out. He had the ear of White House adviser Kellyanne Conway, a member of President Donald Trump’s inner orbit. And, unrelated to his conviction, he had been caught up in the investigation of Russia’s interference in the 2016 presidential campaign, an inquiry much reviled by Trump.
Where does the GOP go from here? With the Trump era at a sudden and shattering end, how can the party find new leadership and continued relevance? What’s waiting in Washington for America’s Orthodox Jewish community, where many are approaching the next four years with trepidation?
Has the spell Donald Trump cast over the Republican Party been broken following last week’s ugly Capitol Hill riots, or can he or his supporters retain their grip?
Could a yawning chasm between pro and anti-Trump forces destroy the Grand Old Party or will it maintain its political equilibrium?
Closer to home, how will the Washington scene play out for America’s Orthodox Jewish community, where many are approaching the next four years with trepidation, while others are breathing a sigh of relief?