Jump to content


DOJ Initial Russia Hearings


Recommended Posts

I think we could go through each of the indictments from the investigation and show that certain comments made about them by one poster don't match reality.  

On 3/20/2019 at 4:27 PM, MNBigRedNorth said:

1) George Papadopoulos - pleaded guilty to a process crime of lying to the FBI.  Things he lied about were nothing of consequence and he was not a central figure in this investigation

 

In his first interview with the FBI, Papadopoulos claimed that he made contacts [with Russian government officials] before Trump named him as a member of his campaign foreign policy team in March 2016 and called him an "excellent guy." He actually began communicating with them [Russian officials] after he joined the campaign as an energy expert.

 

Days later, while attending what was billed as a "national security meeting" with Trump, Papadopoulos told the group he had connections that could lead to a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, the court papers say.

 

During the FBI interview, Papadopoulos downplayed the importance of the communications, saying that a professor living in London was "a nothing," while a Russian woman had been emailing him just to say, "Hi, how are you?"

 

In reality, the professor, identified as Joseph Mifsud of the London Academy of Diplomacy, had told Papadopoulos that Russians had "dirt" on Hillary Clinton — well before it was widely understood that Russia had hacked the Democrats.

 

The professor introduced Papadopoulos to a Russian who said he was close to officials at the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. That contact, identified as Ivan Timofeev of the Russian International Affairs Council, then spoke with Papadopoulos over Skype about laying the groundwork for a meeting between the campaign and officials in Moscow.

 

After he was first questioned by the FBI, Papadopoulos deactivated a Facebook account that had information about his communications with the foreign nationals, and he also got a new cellphone number.

 

These aren't lies of no consequence, they are central to the investigation of whether Russians interferred with the election or not.

  • Plus1 3
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment

29 minutes ago, funhusker said:

Correct.  To my understanding, the formation of independent counsel was to make sure Trump didn't stop the investigation.  

 

@MNBigRedNorth is probably right that Mueller wouldn't have been appointed.  But that says a lot more about what Congress and the DOJ thought about Trump's intentions to find out what happened, if anything.

Right, Comey would still be in charge.

Link to comment
17 hours ago, Danny Bateman said:

 

FYI, Rosenstein was the one who appointed Mueller since Sessions had recused himself from the matter.

 

Otherwise spot on.

 

Oops. That's actually a substantial mistake on my part. 

 

Of course Rod Rosenstein is a lifelong Republican himself, a Bush appointee, nominated by Trump himself and the author of the memo Trump used to dismiss James Comey.

 

Again, it would be great if MNBigRedNorth could acknowledge that the plot against Trump has extended well beyond butt-hurt Dems to include thoughtful Republicans and military generals who think the President of the United States may be a danger to the United States.  

  • Plus1 4
Link to comment

8 minutes ago, Landlord said:

I keep going back and forth thinking this is just a quick headline formality into something that has dwindled into a big nothing burger as it relates to Trump specifically, or is the start of something unfathomably shattering.

 

How about both?

 

That's my understanding. There are so many rabbit holes for this to go down that the confusion and suspicion will only get murkier and more divisive. 

  • Plus1 1
Link to comment

I think what we hear about this investigation won't be surprising cuz we've heard a lot of it already.  And keep in mind - if nothing else happens, there have still been more indictments, guilty pleas and prison sentences than any other administration.  

 

The criminal cases he's farmed out to the respective states are going to be far more damaging I think.  Keep in mind Flynn, Gates and Butina have yet to be sentenced because they're still cooperating in some cases.  I assume these are criminal cases at the state level, which is what we want anyway, as there is zero pardon power.

 

I just hate that the GOP goonies will march with an "innocent - see we told you" mantra, and that's just not the case.

  • Plus1 1
Link to comment

im wonder how long it will be before we hear anything...or even if we will hear anything.    i believe that either trump was complicate....or he was extremely ignorant to not realize how many crooks he had on his team.   my belief is that he was involved.    but i can buy that  he was ignorant also.  at least mueller is draining some of the swamp critters that trump brought with him.

Link to comment
38 minutes ago, Landlord said:

I keep going back and forth thinking this is just a quick headline formality into something that has dwindled into a big nothing burger as it relates to Trump specifically, or is the start of something unfathomably shattering.

 

 

It wasn’t only about Trump in the first place. 

 

If he obstructed justice, it matters, I would say especially because the investigation wasn’t only about him. Another country influencing our elections should be investigated and the president should support it, not do the opposite.

 

Obstructing justice, if it happened. will only be a nothing burger because the GOP doesn’t give a s#!t.

  • Plus1 2
Link to comment
9 minutes ago, Moiraine said:

 

 

It wasn’t only about Trump in the first place. 

 

If he obstructed justice, it matters, I would say especially because the investigation wasn’t only about him. Another country influencing our elections should be investigated and the president should support it, not do the opposite.

 

Obstructing justice, if it happened. will only be a nothing burger because the GOP doesn’t give a s#!t.

well....he couldn't have obstructed justice if there had been no investigation.    amirite?

Link to comment
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...