DOJ Initial Russia Hearings

[Danny Bateman]

Trump in July 2016:

 

Quote

 “for the record, I have ZERO investments in Russia”

 

 “I have nothing to do with Russia.”

 

Trump in May:

 

Quote

"I have had dealings over the years where I sold a house to a very wealthy Russian many years ago. I had the Miss Universe pageant — which I owned for quite a while — I had it in Moscow a long time ago. But other than that, I have nothing to do with Russia," Trump said.

 

Trump specifically said he has no investments or loans in or from Russia.

 

WaPo, tonight:

 

 

[NM11046]

To be fair though - pursuing a plan and actually locking one down are quite different.  In his simple mind, if the bid didn't go through he has no held interest.  

 

Now, I still think he's lying.

[Danny Bateman]

1-2 punch and it's not even 5 yet...

 

NYTimes: Trump business associate Later appealed to Russia stating they could bring a Trump Tower in Moscow and Moscow could help get Donnie elected.

 

 

WaPo: Trump's lawyer Cohen apparently acted on these thoughts and asked Putin for help.

 

 

[NM11046]

Do you get the sense, at the slow, methodical rate these tidbits have been leaked that it's planned?  I think Mueller's camp has seen that when something comes out there is a huge reaction.  I mean we see it on twitter & the like.  If they have someone on the inside (which I don't think is unlikely) the scramble and rants in the WH must be significant, in addition to whatever emails and calls and attempted destruction of evidence is taking place.   

 

I think it's been said here before, he may not be guilty of collusion in its cleanest definition, but the coverup?  It's looking more and more like that's going to be pretty easy to prove, multiple times.

[Danny Bateman]

Oy. Bloomberg with another.

 

Trump's lawyer discussed this deal with him on three separate occasions. Trump can no longer claim plausible deniability.

 

I know the common sentiment is we're now in "Nothing matters" land, but jeez, what an absolutely horrible news dump for Trump.

 

 

[Danny Bateman]

20 minutes ago, NM11046 said:

Do you get the sense, at the slow, methodical rate these tidbits have been leaked that it's planned?  I think Mueller's camp has seen that when something comes out there is a huge reaction.  I mean we see it on twitter & the like.  If they have someone on the inside (which I don't think is unlikely) the scramble and rants in the WH must be significant, in addition to whatever emails and calls and attempted destruction of evidence is taking place.   

 

I think it's been said here before, he may not be guilty of collusion in its cleanest definition, but the coverup?  It's looking more and more like that's going to be pretty easy to prove, multiple times.

 

Not sure. I think it's likely that all of the major publications had been sitting on this story and gathering more info as time went on. Then WaPo dropped the bomb last night and they all knew that the timeline had just been accelerated so they rushed to get what they had ready to print. As you can see, they all were examine the same story, but each had their own different bits and pieces they could confirm. I think that's how it generally works: you sit on a story and hope nobody prints it first, and if they do, you've got to jettison what you've got to be able to compete. 

The amazing thing is how easy it's been to siphon so much confirmation out of the White House itself. Can't remember a White House in my lifetime that has ever been this leaky. It's a sieve.

 

I think you're right on the coverup bit. The coverup, not the crime, is what ultimately brought down Nixon and got Slick Willy impeached.

[Danny Bateman]

ABC confirms:

 

 

[TGHusker]

yes, cover up is always it seems worse than the crime.

 

Do any of you know of a neat 1,2,3 bullet point discussion of what / how the coverup has occurred?

[NM11046]

There's this one from today's WaPo, but it reall only looks at timeline of his praise & support for Putin and a parallel timeline of his hotel negotiations.

 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2017/08/28/timeline-of-trumps-praise-for-putin-while-trump-tower-moscow-was-in-the-works/?utm_term=.fecac4721856

 

 

[NM11046]

And an older one, interactive about the Russia investigation:

 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/politics/wp/2017/07/19/an-interactive-timeline-of-key-moments-in-the-trump-russia-investigation/?utm_term=.aed0f114af5b

 

[TGHusker]

Need to subscribe to open those links it appears NM

[NM11046]

Sorry man, I know they give a certain number a month (you must have hit the max already)  I do subscribe - I'll see if there's anything I can pull.

[TGHusker]

http://www.newsmax.com/Newsmax-Tv/eric-trump-slams-russia-probe-media/2017/08/29/id/810554/

The bold - how delusional 

 

 

"It's important to keep it in context (all the negative press etc- TG) — otherwise, quite frankly, you'd probably end up killing yourself out of depression," Trump said.

"But he's doing a great job.

"He's kept every single promise that he's made," he added. "He's doing everything that he said he would do — and we have a better country because of it."

[Danny Bateman]

Interesting. Mueller teaming up with NY AG Eric Schneiderman, the guy who brought the class action lawsuit against Trump Unversity and won a $25M settlement from Trump on what was unequivocally a morally bankrupt scheme that bilked the elderly and vulnerable out of money they didn't have.

 

This is significant because while Trump can pardon federal offenses, he has no sway over state charges. Both Manafort and Trump obviously have significant financial holdings in New York which are being examined. Regardless of Trump's willingness to pardon away some offenses, they may be closing in on Pauly Walnuts anyway.

 

 

Lots of good tidbits in here:

 

Quote

Special counsel Robert Mueller’s team is working with New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman on its investigation into Paul Manafort and his financial transactions, according to several people familiar with the matter.

 

The cooperation is the latest indication that the federal probe into President Donald Trump’s former campaign chairman is intensifying. It also could potentially provide Mueller with additional leverage to get Manafort to cooperate in the larger investigation into Trump’s campaign, as Trump does not have pardon power over state crimes.

 

The two teams have shared evidence and talked frequently in recent weeks about a potential case, these people said. One of the people familiar with progress on the case said both Mueller’s and Schneiderman’s teams have collected evidence on financial crimes, including potential money laundering.

 

No decision has been made on where or whether to file charges. “Nothing is imminent,” said one of the people familiar with the case.

 

Manafort has not been accused of any wrongdoing and has previously denied it. A spokesman for Manafort didn’t return phone calls seeking comment.

 

A representative for Mueller’s office declined to comment, as did the New York attorney general’s office.

 

People close to Manafort say the team has pressured him by approaching family members and former business partners. A number of other firms and people who have worked with him have received subpoenas.

-------

State and federal prosecutors believe the prospect of a presidential pardon could affect whether Manafort decides to cooperate investigators in the federal Trump investigation, said one of the people familiar with the matter.

 

Mueller’s team has been looking into Manafort’s lobbying work and financial transactions, including real estate deals in New York.

 

Schneiderman has a contentious history with Trump. The president has mocked him relentlessly on social media and TV, denouncing him as a “hack” and “lightweight.”

 

The attorney general won a $25 million settlement last November after a lengthy investigation into fraudulent practices at Trump University. The president said he settled just to have the matter behind him, though his previous mantra was never to settle cases.

 

The New York prosecutor’s office also is looking into some of Trump’s business transactions and could potentially share those records with Mueller’s team, one of these people said. Those inquiries are in the preliminary stage.

 

 

Trump may have crossed a couple of the wrong people.

 

[TGHusker]

Related ^^^      Manafort might be sweating under the collar.

http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/trump-campaign-paul-manafort-oligarch-business-dealings/2017/08/30/id/810794/

 

Paul Manafort's work as a political consultant for pro-Russian causes not only took place over a much longer time than previously reported — about 10 years — it also often involved the same powerful Russian oligarch, The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday.

That man, Oleg Deripaska, was involved not only in Manafort's work in Ukraine, but also in Georgia and Montenegro, according to the Journal.

The publication also said Manafort's work started as early as 2004 and continued to 2015, the year before he signed on as then-candidate Donald Trump's campaign chairman.

Manafort lost that job in August 2016 for failing to fully disclose the work he had done in Ukraine.

 

Congressional investigators probing Russia's attempts to influence the U.S. presidential election want to know more about Manafort's ties to Deripaska, the Journal said, but have declined Deripaska's offer to testify in exchange for immunity because they do not want to hinder the FBI investigation.

Deripaska's business ventures have been closely tied to the interests of Russian President Vladimir Putin, with Deripaska telling the Financial Times in 2007, "I don't separate myself from the state. I have no other interests."

He was at one time banned from traveling to the United States over the belief he was tied to organized crime in the aftermath of the Soviet Union's downfall. Deripaska has denied those reports.

He also denies having financial ties to Manafort, and sued the Associated Press for defamation over an article in March that reported that he did.

"Mr. Deripaska never had any arrangement, whether contractual or otherwise, with Mr. Manafort to advance the interests of the Russian government," according to a court filing in May. "Mr. Deripaska severed relations with Mr. Manafort many years ago."

According to the Journal, the two men did have a falling out, and cut ties in 2014, but Manafort continued working in Ukraine.