The Trump Investigation(s) Thread

[Holman]

Almost incidentally, today's news makes it clear that Erik Prince perjured himself in his congressional testimony.

After being grilled on his Seychelles meeting with a Russian oligarch (which he insisted had happened purely by chance while he was there to meet with people from the UAE), he declared that he had had no other contact with the Trumps about foreign contacts. The story today shows that he was in regular high-level communication with them.

It's also, of course, kind of weird that his UAE meeting had a Russian in it.

I just want to fast forward ten years so I can read a book explaining the Trumps' whole treasonous betrayal of our country in clear detail.

[GreenGoo]

I just want to fast forward ten years so I can read a book explaining the Trumps' whole treasonous betrayal of our country in clear detail.

And how the courageous GOP, against all odds, brought him down.

[Rip]

Well it seems like this isn't his first rodeo doing political spying for the CIA.

When Bush became Ronald Reagan’s running mate, Halper was implicated in a spying scandal in which CIA officials gave inside information on the Carter administration to the GOP campaign.

https://nypost.com/2018/05/19/cambridge ... -campaign/

[hepcat]

And there you have it. Halper isn’t anti GOP obviously. So much for the Mangerine’s conspiracy theory.

[Holman]

I really want to hear how the CIA "entrapped" all these Trump people into taking multiple meetings and making illegal private deals with foreign agents and then lying about them over and over and over again.

[hepcat]

Pablo Escobar was a victim of entrapment too!

[Holman]

Now that the Witch Hunt has given up on Russia and is looking at the rest of the World, they should easily be able to take it into the Mid-Term Elections where they can put some hurt on the Republican Party. Don’t worry about Dems FISA Abuse, missing Emails or Fraudulent Dossier!

It's one of those mornings. Four tweets on this theme in the past half-hour.

EDIT: Five. He's in full Deep-State conspiracy mode.

EDIT: Still going after an hour.

[LordMortis]

Now that the Witch Hunt has given up on Russia and is looking at the rest of the World,

Did he get a time stamp on that?

May 17, 2018 08:52:44 AM Despite the disgusting, illegal and unwarranted Witch Hunt, we have had the most successful first 17 month Administration in U.S. history - by far! Sorry to the Fake News Media and “Haters,” but that’s the way it is!

If I am to understand things fake news failing and crooked (but not as Crooked as Hillary Clinton) NYT has officially ended the FBI witch hunt on Russia this morning?

May 20, 2018 08:04:21 AM Things are really getting ridiculous. The Failing and Crooked (but not as Crooked as Hillary Clinton) @nytimes has done a long & boring story indicating that the World’s most expensive Witch Hunt has found nothing on Russia & me so now they are looking at the rest of the World!

[hepcat]

EDIT: Still going after an hour.

It’s not like he has anything else to do. It’s raining, so he can’t golf. And he can’t find the Gorilla channel on his tv anymore.

[Carpet_pissr]

Whoa. He's using two pejorative adjectives in front of hated foes now; shit must be getting real.

When we see three: "Stinky, lying, loser hobbitsesss" we'll know to expect either a coronary or an indictment soon I guess.

[Holman]

I hereby demand, and will do so officially tomorrow, that the Department of Justice look into whether or not the FBI/DOJ infiltrated or surveilled the Trump Campaign for Political Purposes - and if any such demands or requests were made by people within the Obama Administration!

He has worked himself into a forth, and now apparently he's ready to lash out.

[hepcat]

However, since he doesn't trust the DoJ, he will not accept any answer that doesn't prove him right.

Asshole.

[YellowKing]

I hereby demand? Fuck off.

[Zarathud]

The Target of the Investigation can Demand Nothing.

[Carpet_pissr]

I hereby demand? Fuck off.

If he knew the word 'decree' he probably would have used that instead.

[Kraken]

Can I get a "Off with their heads!"?

[tgb]

He has worked himself into a forth, and now apparently he's ready to lash out.

Thank the gods. I was afraid he'd work himself into a BASIC.

[Unagi]

I hereby demand, and will do so officially tomorrow, that the Department of Justice look into whether or not the FBI/DOJ infiltrated or surveilled the Trump Campaign for Political Purposes - and if any such demands or requests were made by people within the Obama Administration!

[Holman]

DOJ is complying with Trump's demand.

The Justice Department on Sunday confirmed that its inspector general would investigate whether “there was any impropriety or political motivation” in its work during the 2016 campaign.

The new investigation, the DOJ said, would be added to an existing one into the FBI’s application for a FISA warrant to surveil former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page.

Justice Department spokesperson Sarah Isgur Flores said in a statement she shared with TPM:

"The Department has asked the Inspector General to expand the ongoing review of the FISA application process to include determining whether there was any impropriety or political motivation in how the FBI conducted its counterintelligence investigation of persons suspected of involvement with the Russian agents who interfered in the 2016 presidential election. As always, the Inspector General will consult with the appropriate U.S. Attorney if there is any evidence of potential criminal conduct."

She added the following statement from Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein:

"If anyone did infiltrate or surveil participants in a presidential campaign for inappropriate purposes, we need to know about it and take appropriate action."

I can't help but think they're just humoring a paranoid would-be autocrat until the real charges and reports are ready.

[$iljanus]

Would be awesome if the official response fit on a one page memo simply stating "No improprieties found"

[LordMortis]

DOJ is complying with Trump's demand.

The Justice Department on Sunday confirmed that its inspector general would investigate whether “there was any impropriety or political motivation” in its work during the 2016 campaign.

The new investigation, the DOJ said, would be added to an existing one into the FBI’s application for a FISA warrant to surveil former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page.

Justice Department spokesperson Sarah Isgur Flores said in a statement she shared with TPM:

"The Department has asked the Inspector General to expand the ongoing review of the FISA application process to include determining whether there was any impropriety or political motivation in how the FBI conducted its counterintelligence investigation of persons suspected of involvement with the Russian agents who interfered in the 2016 presidential election. As always, the Inspector General will consult with the appropriate U.S. Attorney if there is any evidence of potential criminal conduct."

She added the following statement from Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein:

"If anyone did infiltrate or surveil participants in a presidential campaign for inappropriate purposes, we need to know about it and take appropriate action."

I can't help but think they're just humoring a paranoid would-be autocrat until the real charges and reports are ready.

See. Cleared! Witch Hunt. NO COLLUSION!

[Unagi]

No, I think the idea is to say "OK, I will check the closet and under the bed for monsters.... OK, all clear Sport... time for bed."

[Unagi]

What's this?

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics ... spartanntp

WASHINGTON — The special counsel plans to finish by Sept. 1 its investigation into whether President Trump obstructed the Russia inquiry, according to the president’s lawyer Rudolph W. Giuliani

I've not yet heard any recent Giuliani stuff.


Has the investigation officially become targeted on the Obstruction in the Russia inquiry??

[Holman]

What's this?

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics ... spartanntp

WASHINGTON — The special counsel plans to finish by Sept. 1 its investigation into whether President Trump obstructed the Russia inquiry, according to the president’s lawyer Rudolph W. Giuliani

I've not yet heard any recent Giuliani stuff.


Has the investigation officially become targeted on the Obstruction in the Russia inquiry??

Giuliani is talking bullshit designed to calm Trump. There's no way a prosecutor would announce a timetable to the defense here.

But there has been discussion that Mueller is running several parallel investigations that will result in separate reports or indictments. Obstruction (known to be aimed at Trump) is expected to come first. After that will be collusion/conspiracy. Others (money laundering and other forms of conspiracy) may follow.

Readers of the tea-leaves are suggesting that obstruction is (1) legally the easiest charge with which to begin, and (2) likely to make pardons/interference in other charges less likely.

[pr0ner]

I hereby demand, and will do so officially tomorrow, that the Department of Justice look into whether or not the FBI/DOJ infiltrated or surveilled the Trump Campaign for Political Purposes - and if any such demands or requests were made by people within the Obama Administration!

He has worked himself into a forth, and now apparently he's ready to lash out.

People on the far right are bleating on Twitter that Obama should be impeached because of this.

[Captain Caveman]

It’s kind of hard not to be discouraged by the fact that Trump can demand the DOJ investigate the lawfully conducted probe into his campaign, and despite the fact that he has zero evidence whatsoever of wrongdoing, they comply within hours. But I guess the reality is that if they didn’t, he’d use that for a pretext to clean house, or at least escalate things further, so maybe kicking the can to the IG to stall a bit and then inevitably say “nothing to see here” buys a bit of time for Mueller to continue. It’s one hell of a scary precedent though.

[Holman]

Rosenstein recognizes that it's fully within a president's power to order this. I have no doubt that an accounting would clear the issue, but clarity isn't what Trump wants. He wants to throw a cloud over Mueller.

Meanwhile, Roger Stone is out there now saying that he believes he's about to be indicted. It's possible that Mueller is entering a new stage.

[LordMortis]

It’s kind of hard not to be discouraged by the fact that Trump can demand the DOJ investigate the lawfully conducted probe into his campaign, and despite the fact that he has zero evidence whatsoever of wrongdoing, they comply within hours. But I guess the reality is that if they didn’t, he’d use that for a pretext to clean house, or at least escalate things further, so maybe kicking the can to the IG to stall a bit and then inevitably say “nothing to see here” buys a bit of time for Mueller to continue. It’s one hell of a scary precedent though.

It technically doesn't bother me.

Now president BabyFingers Malone using this weight for propaganda 140 characters at a time. Well, just add it to the fire.

https://www.mailman.columbia.edu/public ... oung-teens

I predict nothing happens. Nothing will ever happen.

[LordMortis]

And it starts this morning

“John Brennan is panicking. He has disgraced himself, he has disgraced the Country, he has disgraced the entire Intelligence Community. He is the one man who is largely responsible for the destruction of American’s faith in the Intelligence Community and in some people at the....

....top of the FBI. Brennan started this entire debacle about President Trump. We now know that Brennan had detailed knowledge of the (phony) Dossier...he knows about the Dossier, he denies knowledge of the Dossier, he briefs the Gang of 8 on the Hill about the Dossier, which....

...they then used to start an investigation about Trump. It is that simple. This guy is the genesis of this whole Debacle. This was a Political hit job, this was not an Intelligence Investigation. Brennan has disgraced himself, he’s worried about staying out of Jail.” Dan Bongino

Had to look up who Bingogo is

https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/secret- ... d=20807235

I don't have what it takes to find to sit through 23 minutes of him to understand his claims. Especially as our president has a way of making shit up and then having people praise him for his lies, and then sourcing them as evidence of the truth of the shit he makes up.

[Remus West]

Would be awesome if the official response fit on a one page memo simply stating "No improprieties found"

It would need to include his name at least 3 times or he wouldn't read that many words.

[hepcat]

Adam Schiff nails it:

The most I can tell you Chuck is that this claim by the President, the suggestion by Giuliani that there is a political spy embedded in the Trump campaign, is nonsense. And you hear it in the same terms that Trump often speaks which is “people are saying”, or “I’m hearing”, or “we’re being told”. That’s another way of saying this is patently untrue but we would like to spread it anyway and it’s singularly destructive of our institutions but then that’s the point.

Every time I see a quote from Commissar Trump that starts with "everyone's saying", I immediately know it's going to be a lie.

[Skinypupy]

Had to look up who Bingogo is

https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/secret- ... d=20807235

I don't have what it takes to find to sit through 23 minutes of him to understand his claims. Especially as our president has a way of making shit up and then having people praise him for his lies, and then sourcing them as evidence of the truth of the shit he makes up.

I thought this was pretty funny.

Bongino was Maryland's Republican candidate for Senate in 2012, but lost handedly to incumbent Sen. Ben Cardin. He's planning on releasing a memoir about his time in the service later this month. Bongino said he was "very complimentary of the president and his family," but that the Obama administration had become "enmeshed in so many scandals."

Secret Service agents who served with Bongino but asked for anonymity confirmed his resume, but said the candidate "tends to exaggerate his importance on the presidential detail and exaggerate his proximity."

"We don't sit in on meetings at the White House. We don't sit in on high-level meetings," the agents said.

The agents said Bongino's assignments were "typical" of agents in the president's detail and that he was not a supervisor.

Not that it will stop Trumpers from believing every bit of made-up bullshit he vomits out.

[Pyperkub]

I really want to hear how the CIA "entrapped" all these Trump people into taking multiple meetings and making illegal private deals with foreign agents and then lying about them over and over and over again.

I want to hear about how this is all based on the fake dossier paid for by democrats again. ..

[Rip]

http://thehill.com/opinion/judiciary/38 ... ect-us-all

At this point, there is little doubt that the highest echelons of the FBI and the Justice Department broke their own rules to end the Hillary Clinton “matter,” but we can expect the inspector general to document what was done or, more pointedly, not done. It is hard to see how a year-long investigation of this won’t come down hard on former FBI Director James Comey and perhaps even former Attorney General Loretta Lynch, who definitely wasn’t playing mahjong in a secret “no aides allowed” meeting with former President Clinton on a Phoenix airport tarmac.


With this report on the way and congressional investigators beginning to zero in on the lack of hard, verified evidence for starting the Trump probe, current and former intelligence and Justice Department officials are dumping everything they can think of to save their reputations.

But it is backfiring. They started by telling the story of Alexander Downer, an Australian diplomat, as having remembered a bar conversation with George Papadopoulos, a foreign policy adviser to the Trump campaign. But how did the FBI know they should talk to him? That’s left out of their narrative. Downer’s signature appears on a $25 million contribution to the Clinton Foundation. You don’t need much imagination to figure that he was close with Clinton Foundation operatives who relayed information to the State Department, which then called the FBI to complete the loop. This wasn’t intelligence. It was likely opposition research from the start.

In no way would a fourth-hand report from a Maltese professor justify wholesale targeting of four or five members of the Trump campaign. It took Christopher Steele, with his funding concealed through false campaign filings, to be incredibly successful at creating a vast echo chamber around his unverified, fanciful dossier, bouncing it back and forth between the press and the FBI so it appeared that there were multiple sources all coming to the same conclusion.

Time and time again, investigators came up empty. Even several sting operations with an FBI spy we just learned about failed to produce a Delorean-like video with cash on the table. But rather than close the probe, the deep state just expanded it. All they had were a few isolated contacts with Russians and absolutely nothing related to Trump himself, yet they pressed forward. Egged on by Steele, they simply believed Trump and his team must be dirty. They just needed to dig deep enough.

Perhaps the murkiest event in the timeline is Rod Rosenstein’s appointment of a special counsel after he personally recommended Comey’s firing in blistering terms. With Attorney General Jeff Sessions shoved out of the way, Rosenstein and Mueller then ignored their own conflicts and took charge anyway. Rosenstein is a fact witness, and Mueller is a friend of Comey, disqualifying them both.

[pr0ner]

Opinion != fact, Rip.

[LordMortis]

Opinion != fact, Rip.

Who wants fact? fact = nothingburgers

[LawBeefaroni]

Opinion != fact, Rip.

You mean an accounting full of shortcuts like "deep state", "their narrative", and "fanciful dossier" isn't pure fact?

Classic begging the question. "There is a conspiracy because the conspiratorial deep state is involved."

[Pyperkub]

Opinion != fact, Rip.

Yup, it starts with a false premise and goes from there.

There's plenty of doubt in the absence of actual, verified evidence. I'm 100% fine with investigating to see if there were any improprieties. Just like the whole nothingburger about unmasking, which was 100% justified after all the RW outcry.

[LordMortis]

I'm 100% fine with investigating to see if there were any improprieties.

I'm not even wholly perturbed with using investigation as a political tool. When it moves in to the realm of propaganda, the propagandists can fuck the hell right off.

[Rip]

https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-fbi-in ... 1526854417