The Trump Investigation(s) Thread

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Wed Feb 13, 2019 8:23 pm

Probably because of the news surrounding Manafort:

Paul Manafort "intentionally" lied to special counsel Robert Mueller's office, breaking the plea agreement that made him the star cooperator in the Russia probe, a federal judge found on Wednesday.

Manafort "made multiple false statements to the FBI, the OSC and the grand jury concerning matters that were material to the investigation," including his contacts with his Russian associate during the campaign and later, Judge Amy Berman Jackson wrote on Wednesday.

...

Prosecutors have said they don't have plans at this time to bring additional charges against Manafort. But the finding Wednesday that Manafort misled prosecutors brings additional detractions into his upcoming sentencings. He will ultimately receive two sentences that could total decades in prison, one for the financial convictions and one for the guilty plea.

Skinypupy · Post by **Skinypupy** » Wed Feb 13, 2019 9:46 pm

I’m shocked - SHOCKED - that the Senate investigation would find no wrongdoing whatsoever.

I mean, what are the odds?!

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Wed Feb 13, 2019 10:35 pm

I guess he's not reading Mother Jones either?

Democrats on the Senate Intelligence Committee are pushing back on a claim by the panel’s chair, Richard Burr (R-N.C.), that the committee’s two-year investigation has not found “anything that would suggest there was collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia.” And they dispute an NBC News report saying that Democrats agreed with Burr that they have yet to see clear evidence of a conspiracy between President Donald Trump and Moscow.

“That’s not true,” Sen. Angus King, a Maine independent who caucuses with Democrats, told Mother Jones. “I think it’s misleading. The intelligence committee hasn’t discussed the matter, let alone released a committee report.”

Unagi · Post by **Unagi** » Thu Feb 14, 2019 12:32 am

em2nought wrote: ↑Wed Feb 13, 2019 7:39 pm Wow, this thread kinda dropped off the map

https://www.politico.com/story/2019/02/ ... on-1156624

Just to be clear, you are reporting to us that Mitch McConnell is still supporting Trump?

Unagi · Post by **Unagi** » Thu Feb 14, 2019 12:38 am

I will add that "clear evidence of a conspiracy between President Donald Trump and Moscow" is a pretty high bar to clear... what if it should fall just short of that... or just short of short of that.... have we (serious question here) ever publicly questioned if our president was actually just some jackass who was completely in the pocket of our primary global adversary. I suppose questioning Obama's citizenship would be as close as we had come before now.

GreenGoo · Post by **GreenGoo** » Thu Feb 14, 2019 1:09 am

em2nought wrote: ↑Wed Feb 13, 2019 7:39 pm Wow, this thread kinda dropped off the map

Wow, 1 investigation which was clearly unwilling to look very closely at what they were investigating. How about these 17 others? Call me when there is no drumpf-related investigation going on. Sometime around when hell freezes over presumably.

Wired on Drumpf

Don't like wired? Here you go.

Axios

Or maybe business insider is more your style?

business insider

Blackhawk · Post by **Blackhawk** » Thu Feb 14, 2019 1:16 am

Hamburlgar says no hamburgers were burgled. News at 11.

Skinypupy · Post by **Skinypupy** » Thu Feb 14, 2019 1:33 am

I love how, in conservative world, the fact that no one in Trump’s direct orbit has been arrested or charged with a crime for a week somehow means Trump is in the clear.

LordMortis · Post by **LordMortis** » Thu Feb 14, 2019 9:48 am

I'll give Trump one thing here. I completely distrust media.

The screen capture says no direct evidence. *Direct* pretty much says the claim means nothing.

The Politico story is contextually useless. They grab a few select quotes where burr states different conclusions and then Politico's conclusion is

"Senate Intelligence chairman: No evidence of Trump-Russia collusion"

"Based on the evidence to date," Burr said, the committee could not definitively say there was collusion between Trump and the Russians.

"If we write a report based upon the facts that we have, then we don't have anything that would suggest there was collusion by the Trump campaign and Russia," Burr told CBS.

We have nothing suggesting, no wait, no evidence, not wait nothing definitive. but

Mueller's team has made headlines by indicting a number of Trump associates for a litany of crimes, but Burr said his committee has also "not been shy" referring people for criminal prosecution and that the scope of the probe "gave us tremendous insight to know when somebody was lying to us."

All this suggests to me is I need to skip Politico and go directly the the CBS interview.

GreenGoo · Post by **GreenGoo** » Thu Feb 14, 2019 11:25 am

I pretty regularly despair that the Mueller investigation will come up with enough to actually hurt drumpf or even matter, then I read stuff like this:

MaCabe/Rosenstein opened obstruction probe

And it gives me hope that they actually have some smoking guns, or at least gun powder residue.

Paingod · Post by **Paingod** » Thu Feb 14, 2019 12:10 pm

Blackhawk wrote: ↑Thu Feb 14, 2019 1:16 am Hamburlgar says no hamburgers were burgled. News at 11.

I would prefer to hear more from Phillip Morris about how their products don't cause cancer.

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Thu Feb 14, 2019 12:17 pm

GreenGoo wrote: ↑Thu Feb 14, 2019 11:25 am MaCabe/Rosenstein opened obstruction probe

Well, now that it's on the record, I guess we can all just move on.

Disgraced FBI Acting Director Andrew McCabe pretends to be a “poor little Angel” when in fact he was a big part of the Crooked Hillary Scandal & the Russia Hoax - a puppet for Leakin’ James Comey. I.G. report on McCabe was devastating. Part of “insurance policy” in case I won....

GreenGoo · Post by **GreenGoo** » Thu Feb 14, 2019 12:24 pm

Like that he feels the need to personally "address" every single hit piece that comes out. I mean, he doesn't address them, he just calls them names and rants a little. Still though, dance puppet, dance!

Pyperkub · Post by **Pyperkub** » Thu Feb 14, 2019 3:51 pm

Smoove_B wrote: ↑Wed Feb 13, 2019 8:23 pm Probably because of the news surrounding Manafort:

Paul Manafort "intentionally" lied to special counsel Robert Mueller's office, breaking the plea agreement that made him the star cooperator in the Russia probe, a federal judge found on Wednesday.

Manafort "made multiple false statements to the FBI, the OSC and the grand jury concerning matters that were material to the investigation," including his contacts with his Russian associate during the campaign and later, Judge Amy Berman Jackson wrote on Wednesday.

...

Prosecutors have said they don't have plans at this time to bring additional charges against Manafort. But the finding Wednesday that Manafort misled prosecutors brings additional detractions into his upcoming sentencings. He will ultimately receive two sentences that could total decades in prison, one for the financial convictions and one for the guilty plea.

Please note that the people Manafort was sharing the data with also do this:

Bellingcat previously confirmed that a third GRU officer was present in the UK during the time Sergey and Yulia Skripal fell into a coma, after what the UK authorities said was a deliberate poisoning with Novichok. In addition, Bellingcat established that this same officer traveled multiple times to Bulgaria during 2015, including a trip days before a Bulgarian arms trader and his son were severely poisoned with a yet-unidentified poison.

LawBeefaroni · Post by **LawBeefaroni** » Thu Feb 14, 2019 4:07 pm

The Russians just cast a wide net. They reeled in a bunch of individuals who may or may not have been working together, but who undoubtedly intended to work with the Russians.

Pyperkub · Post by **Pyperkub** » Thu Feb 14, 2019 4:32 pm

LawBeefaroni wrote: ↑Thu Feb 14, 2019 4:07 pm The Russians just cast a wide net. They reeled in a bunch of individuals who may or may not have been working together, but who undoubtedly intended to work with the Russians.

Not just Russians. The GRU.

LawBeefaroni · Post by **LawBeefaroni** » Thu Feb 14, 2019 4:34 pm

Pyperkub wrote: ↑Thu Feb 14, 2019 4:32 pm
LawBeefaroni wrote: ↑Thu Feb 14, 2019 4:07 pm The Russians just cast a wide net. They reeled in a bunch of individuals who may or may not have been working together, but who undoubtedly intended to work with the Russians.
Not just Russians. The GRU.

Sorry, yeah. The professionals.

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Thu Feb 14, 2019 5:05 pm

Professional Russians.

pr0ner · Post by **pr0ner** » Thu Feb 14, 2019 5:09 pm

Isgrimnur wrote: ↑Thu Feb 14, 2019 5:05 pm Professional Russians.

pr0ner · Post by **pr0ner** » Thu Feb 14, 2019 7:21 pm

GungHo · Post by **GungHo** » Fri Feb 15, 2019 1:51 am

pr0ner wrote: ↑Thu Feb 14, 2019 7:21 pm

Semi related to that it's amazing to me how people don't see how associating yourself with trump ruins you. I mean sessions was THE FIRST congress critter to endorse trump way back when(late 2015? early 2016?) and due to sessions stature at the time in congress, his voice have legitimacy to trump's campaign. Dude is now out of his cushy senate job that he likely never would've lost until he was ready to retire AND he's a disgraced ex AG. And he's hardly alone. Reince Preibus was the stinking head of the GOP...now he couldn't buy a seat at trump's next campaign event.
Who in their right mind would want to work for this tool?

Kraken · Post by **Kraken** » Fri Feb 15, 2019 3:29 am

GungHo wrote: ↑Fri Feb 15, 2019 1:51 am
Who in their right mind would want to work for this tool?

Every grifter and conman who sees an opening at the trough.

Pyperkub · Post by **Pyperkub** » Fri Feb 15, 2019 5:42 pm

Interesting:

Special counsel Robert Mueller's team has interviewed White House press secretary Sarah Sanders, she told CNN on Friday.
"The President urged me, like he has everyone in the administration, to fully cooperate with the special counsel. I was happy to voluntarily sit down with them," Sanders said in response to a question from CNN.
The interview is one of the final known interviews by Mueller's team. It came around the same time as the special counsel interviewed former White House chief of staff John Kelly, well after a number of other senior officials, including former White House communications director Hope Hicks and former press secretary Sean Spicer, were brought in for questioning.

I would only think this happens if it is to corroborate obstruction...

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Fri Feb 15, 2019 10:19 pm

NEW: In Paul Manafort's EDVA case, Mueller's prosecutors are asking for a jail sentence of 235 to 293 months (approx 19-24 years) in prison, a fine range of $50,000 to $24+ million, restitution of $24+ million, and forfeiture in the amount of $4+ million.

That's a lot of fake news.

Holman · Post by **Holman** » Fri Feb 15, 2019 10:29 pm

Manafort will be 70 in six weeks.

Traitor will die in prison. He should come clean.

Skinypupy · Post by **Skinypupy** » Mon Feb 18, 2019 5:42 pm

Roger Stone now directly attacking the federal judge presiding over his case and posting a pic of her head beside crosshairs

What. The. fuck?

stessier · Post by **stessier** » Mon Feb 18, 2019 5:52 pm

Reading the tweets below, it seems like that picture has been around since 2014. Not that it makes it better, just that he only cropped it a bit rather than came up with it himself.

LawBeefaroni · Post by **LawBeefaroni** » Mon Feb 18, 2019 5:54 pm

"I'm not saying shoot her but...."

Plus he calls Mueller a "Hitman" in the same tweet and claims he (Stone) is now fighting for his life.

GreenGoo · Post by **GreenGoo** » Mon Feb 18, 2019 5:57 pm

Has the gag order been finalized yet? Either way, this bodes well for him. Very well indeed. Incredibly media savvy. Justice system savvy? Not so much.

Holman · Post by **Holman** » Mon Feb 18, 2019 6:08 pm

Even if the crosshair isn't intended as anything (although Stone isn't one to miss a detail...), attacking your judge as biased is an obvious provocation.

Stone behaves like he has a secret so huge yuge that it will never be allowed to come out.

Pyperkub · Post by **Pyperkub** » Mon Feb 18, 2019 6:20 pm

GreenGoo wrote: ↑Mon Feb 18, 2019 5:57 pm Has the gag order been finalized yet? Either way, this bodes well for him. Very well indeed. Incredibly media savvy. Justice system savvy? Not so much.

Gag order was only for at the Courthouse, and on the Courthouse steps. Away from the Courthouse, there is no gag order.

Of course, stupid-ass shit like this could change that.

GreenGoo · Post by **GreenGoo** » Mon Feb 18, 2019 7:03 pm

Pyperkub wrote: ↑Mon Feb 18, 2019 6:20 pm Gag order was only for at the Courthouse, and on the Courthouse steps. Away from the Courthouse, there is no gag order.

That doesn't make any sense. Isn't a gag order about the subject matter, not the location?

Pyperkub · Post by **Pyperkub** » Mon Feb 18, 2019 7:20 pm

GreenGoo wrote: ↑Mon Feb 18, 2019 7:03 pm
Pyperkub wrote: ↑Mon Feb 18, 2019 6:20 pm Gag order was only for at the Courthouse, and on the Courthouse steps. Away from the Courthouse, there is no gag order.
That doesn't make any sense. Isn't a gag order about the subject matter, not the location?

Here you go:

Judge Amy Berman Jackson ordered that lawyers and others in the case must not talk about it publicly in ways that "pose a substantial likelihood of material prejudice" and specifically they must not use the area outside court in Washington, D.C., as a venue for those kinds of statements.

Jackson wrote in her order she has responsibilities to protect the ability to seat an impartial jury and "maintain the dignity and seriousness of the courthouse and these proceedings."

Holman · Post by **Holman** » Mon Feb 18, 2019 7:24 pm

In other words, he can grandstand on Fox and on Twitter but not on the courthouse steps.

Incidentally, as I understand it, intentionally pissing off the judge is NOT accepted as grounds for appeal. (Otherwise, it would be everyone's strategy for judge-shopping.)

GreenGoo · Post by **GreenGoo** » Mon Feb 18, 2019 7:33 pm

Holman wrote: ↑Mon Feb 18, 2019 7:24 pm In other words, he can grandstand on Fox and on Twitter but not on the courthouse steps.

Sure, that covers the "dignity and serious nature" part, but how on earth does allowing him to spew crap on twitter not contravene the "pose a substantial likelihood of material prejudice" part?

Unagi · Post by **Unagi** » Tue Feb 19, 2019 1:26 am

Isn't 'a gag order' as simple as: the case may not be discussed in public by those under the gag order ?

I've never heard of a 'zone'.

Holman · Post by **Holman** » Tue Feb 19, 2019 7:47 am

This particular order was very specific about where it applied.

Probably it was simply intended to keep the media circus away from the courthouse without giving Stone a (dubious) claim to 1st amendment martyrdom.

In any case, Stone has now insulted the judge and implied that she is a partisan of the Deep State who can't be trusted, and that's all without the crosshair at all.

msteelers · Post by **msteelers** » Tue Feb 19, 2019 8:56 am

LawBeefaroni · Post by **LawBeefaroni** » Tue Feb 19, 2019 9:59 am

He's going for the best of both worlds. Gets to put his bullshit out there to followers but then apologizes to to he court to [try to] avoid any repercussions.

GreenGoo · Post by **GreenGoo** » Tue Feb 19, 2019 10:57 am

LawBeefaroni wrote: ↑Tue Feb 19, 2019 9:59 am He's going for the best of both worlds. Gets to put his bullshit out there to followers but then apologizes to to he court to [try to] avoid any repercussions.

+1.