Oh is that so.

Hours after the Senate voted against seeking new evidence in the impeachment case against President Trump, the administration acknowledged in a midnight court filing Friday the existence of two dozen emails that reveal the president’s thinking about withholding military aid to Ukraine.

Was there a “neener neener” attached?

The Department of Justice filed a response to a lawsuit seeking access to unredacted copies of those communications. Heather Walsh, a lawyer for the Office of Management and Budget, wrote to the court that 24 of those emails were protected under “presidential privilege.”

“Specifically, the documents in this category are emails that reflect communications by either the President, the Vice President, or the President’s immediate advisors regarding Presidential decision-making about the scope, duration, and purpose of the hold on military assistance to Ukraine,” Walsh wrote.

Yes, but in the case of this president, that doesn’t mean normal decision-making and discussion of same. That’s the problem. In the case of this president it’s about abuse of power, extortion, treating an ally like an enemy and an enemy like an ally, and similar batshit-crazy criminal goings-on. We can’t just fall back in awe and reverence because it’s Communications By The President.

Heavily blacked out versions of the emails were released in two batches in December in response to a lawsuit filed by the Center for Public Integrity. The filing Friday asked the court to deny the organization’s request for unredacted copies.

“Please continue to hide this material, because Mister Trump doesn’t want to be exposed as a criminal and a traitor.”