The Trump Investigation(s) Thread

[Holman]

Interesting article on Cohen's business "dealings":

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/05/busi ... trump.html

A few notable points:

1) Given the multitude of shady people Cohen has been involved with, I'm pretty sure he's tied up in illegal activity.
2) Some of his actions look a lot like money laundering
3) Why would a "reputable" business man use such a shady lawyer?
4) Why would a presidential campaign let such a shady lawyer appear in the national media again and again as a presidential surrogate during the campaign? This is all kinds of stupid.
5) How Cohen thought he would pass a security check and get a post in the administration is crazy.

I have little doubt that Cohen is guilty of some sort of crimes given the his business "associations". After that, it's just a matter of if he cracks and what he knows and can offer the feds.

The questions there (3, 4, 5) share the same answer: in a crime family, loyalty is everything. You keep the secrets and the secrets keep you.

[Smoove_B]

Just like Paul Ryan said!

[Rip]

Another judge rejects Mueller attempts to drag things out while he tries to get people to talk with trumped up charges.

https://www.politico.com/story/2018/05/ ... lay-570627

A federal judge has rejected special counsel Robert Mueller’s request to delay the first court hearing in a criminal case charging three Russian companies and 13 Russian citizens with using social media and other means to foment strife among Americans in advance of the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

You... didn't read the article, did you?

This is entirely about indictment of Russians--some of them Russian intelligence agents--who are unlikely ever to appear in American courts.

The procedural issue about timing is complex, but to assert that these are "trumped-up charges" requires an absolute ocean of conspiracy Kool-Aid.

Then I guess they should get to work prosecuting. You don't indict people unless you are ready to prosecute, speedy trial and all. The discovery game works in more ways than one.

[Isgrimnur]

I thought the Constitution didn’t apply to foreigners. /s

[Holman]

Owning the Libs by stiggin up for the GRU!

[Grifman]

Interesting article on Cohen's business "dealings":

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/05/busi ... trump.html

A few notable points:

1) Given the multitude of shady people Cohen has been involved with, I'm pretty sure he's tied up in illegal activity.
2) Some of his actions look a lot like money laundering
3) Why would a "reputable" business man use such a shady lawyer?
4) Why would a presidential campaign let such a shady lawyer appear in the national media again and again as a presidential surrogate during the campaign? This is all kinds of stupid.
5) How Cohen thought he would pass a security check and get a post in the administration is crazy.

I have little doubt that Cohen is guilty of some sort of crimes given the his business "associations". After that, it's just a matter of if he cracks and what he knows and can offer the feds.

The questions there (3, 4, 5) share the same answer: in a crime family, loyalty is everything. You keep the secrets and the secrets keep you.

I know the answers, the questions were merely rhetorical

[Holman]

The Russia Witch Hunt is rapidly losing credibility. House Intelligence Committee found No Collusion, Coordination or anything else with Russia. So now the Probe says OK, what else is there? How about Obstruction for a made up, phony crime.There is no O, it’s called Fighting Back

The 13 Angry Democrats in charge of the Russian Witch Hunt are starting to find out that there is a Court System in place that actually protects people from injustice...and just wait ‘till the Courts get to see your unrevealed Conflicts of Interest!

[GreenGoo]

a) They aren't all democrats
b) other peoples' conflicts of interest? Are you fucking kidding me?
c) every single fable, book, movie and bedtime story has warned us about people like you. MMO bosses exhibit a greater range of human traits than you do. You're a cartoon villain come to life.
d) die in a fire, you loathsome, warty toad of a human being.

[YellowKing]

Nobody who's innocent would get that upset over a "nothingburger."

[Holman]

Is this Phony Witch Hunt going to go on even longer so it wrongfully impacts the Mid-Term Elections, which is what the Democrats always intended? Republicans better get tough and smart before it is too late!

It's being rumored that GOP hardliners might bring impeachment proceedings against Rosenstein this week if he won't hand over ongoing-investigation documents (something that is never done, but you know, MAGA).

Trump is trying to get them moving on it.

[LordMortis]

MMO bosses exhibit a greater range of human traits than you do. You're a cartoon villain come to life.

For reasons, I can't fully explain this made me laugh out loud. It feels like we really are reading along with a 1980s video game end game boss. Someone needs to memeify his tweeting into video game level cut scenes.

[Chaz]

Trump calling out this investigation for impacting the elections is amazing on so many levels.

[Blackhawk]

Not a cartoon villain, a comic book movie villain. Specifically, The Mandarin.

[Kraken]

Unlike a witch hunt, a Phony Witch Hunt should alarm nobody. Random Capitalization, OTOH....

[Grifman]

The “logic” that your political party renders you incapable of doing your job without bias is terribly flawed. By this logic no one of any party could play any role in investigating, prosecuting or judging a person of another political persuasion, and the system would grind to a halt. This is absurd and goes against all of American jurisprudence. But then again, this president isn’t known for his logic or sense of history.

[geezer]

The “logic” that your political party renders you incapable of doing your job without bias is terribly flawed. By this logic no one of any party could play any role in investigatong, porosecuting or judging a person of another political persuasion, and the system would grind to a halt. This is absurd and goes against all of American jurisprudence. But then again, this president isn’t known for his logic or sense of history.

Your problem is that you've got it half wrong. The 7 Benghazi hearings chaired by Gowdy and his crew were, for example, totally without political influence. The fact that no wrongdoing was found on the first, second, third, fourth, fifth or sixth try simply means that the investigators hadn't had time to property do their job. It's THIS investigation, headed by a republican, which has yet to draw any public conclusions, that's a full on wITch huNt!

I mean, seriously, how can you be so biased?

[Moliere]

Nobody who's innocent would get that upset over a "nothingburger."

Really? I'm not speaking about Trump, but just imagine being accused of a crime over and over in a very public space. Why wouldn't it be rational to get pissed?

[Unagi]

getting pissed - sure. Declaring that they will find nothing - sure.

Demanding the investigation itself is a corrupt witch hunt that will make up anything and the system itself is also broken, etc, etc... That's where he is showing his cards.

[malchior]

Nobody who's innocent would get that upset over a "nothingburger."

Really? I'm not speaking about Trump, but just imagine being accused of a crime over and over in a very public space. Why wouldn't it be rational to get pissed?

Pissed sure. Constantly complaining and undermining an investigation about it complete with changing stories? Not so much.

[noxiousdog]

Nobody who's innocent would get that upset over a "nothingburger."

Really? I'm not speaking about Trump, but just imagine being accused of a crime over and over in a very public space. Why wouldn't it be rational to get pissed?

Pissed sure. Constantly complaining and undermining an investigation about it complete with changing stories? Not so much.

What is continually missed is that he hasn't been accused of a crime. People working for him, yes. Him, no.

[Skinypupy]

Assuming Rudy isn't just spouting gibberish again, Mueller's team has said "No, chucklefuck, you don't get to have someone else do your homework for you."

Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who is now on President Trump's legal team, told CBS News correspondent Paula Reid Monday afternoon that special counsel Robert Mueller's office has rejected proposals to allow Mr. Trump to answer questions from investigators in writing.

The president's legal team has previously signaled that this would be their preferred format for a possible interview as it helps protect Mr. Trump from the possibility of lying or misleading investigators, which is a criminal offense.

[hepcat]

There is very little chance that Trump would be able to stop himself from lying while under oath. He’s just not capable of prolonged bouts of honesty. His people know this. It would make the Clinton scandal over the definition of sex look even sillier.

[tgb]

Unlike a witch hunt, a Phony Witch Hunt should alarm nobody. Random Capitalization, OTOH....

Unless you're a Phony Witch.

[Jeff V]

Unless you're a Phony Witch.

Found her.

[Kurth]

Unless you're a Phony Witch.

Found her.

Where’s RIP when you need him? This is actually a nothingburger. It’s also nit-picky and small.

(Not the posting of the story, but the story itself.)

[Jeff V]

Unless you're a Phony Witch.

Found her.

Where’s RIP when you need him? This is actually a nothingburger. It’s also nit-picky and small.

(Not the posting of the story, but the story itself.)

Obviously you prefer more medieval trials on proving ones witchiness.

[hepcat]

Poor Melania. She's locked into the rate she agreed to when Donald first obtained her services. With all this crap, she really should be making more.

[Kurth]

Poor Melania. She's locked into the rate she agreed to when Donald first obtained her services. With all this crap, she really should be making more.

Mean and low. Why so angry at Melania?

[Pyperkub]

There is very little chance that Trump would be able to stop himself from lying while under oath. He’s just not capable of prolonged bouts of honesty. His people know this. It would make the Clinton scandal over the definition of sex look even sillier.

This just keeps resonating. How the hell did we get here?

[Pyperkub]

Poor Melania. She's locked into the rate she agreed to when Donald first obtained her services. With all this crap, she really should be making more.

Mean and low. Why so angry at Melania?

I'm putting the over/under on TheDonald being served with Divorce Papers at about a week after he is no longer President.

[Holman]

Melania has no control over how her image is used by the Trump campaign. She isn't qualified as a public figure, but the fact that she is trotted out as one and then so shabbily supported (plagiarized scripts not once but twice, plus the bitter ironies of content) shows how little Trump cares for her as anything but a prop.

It's easy to fantasize that she could could reject Trump and speak out, but she's probably never had the chance to try. Think of the fixers and thugs who populate the Trump world and the threats they have on her. Think of the ways they've no doubt made it clear that she will be punished if she crosses the NDA or pre-nup or whatever.

Be glad your spouse doesn't have Keith Schiller or Corey Lewandowski or whoever to push you around.

[Daehawk]

Ive always thought she is just a piece of property for him. It seems he also cannot hire anyone competent for anything at all. And no matter what he fucks up or does wrong it always ends up someone elses fault and they get fired or arrested. I find him totally sickening....the entire family. I find his wife just greedy to be sticking around used as she is. He must be the most hated man in America if not the world. I am surprised no one has taken a shot at him.

[hepcat]

Poor Melania. She's locked into the rate she agreed to when Donald first obtained her services. With all this crap, she really should be making more.

Mean and low. Why so angry at Melania?

Not angry at all. I just don’t have any respect for her. She’s a Trump trophy wife. As for low, I reserve the high road for those who deserve that treatment.

[GreenGoo]

Poor Melania. She's locked into the rate she agreed to when Donald first obtained her services. With all this crap, she really should be making more.

Mean and low. Why so angry at Melania?

She married a monster because she likes money more than her own integrity? Are gold diggers off the table now? If so, why?

It's not like Drumpf bamboozled her with his charms and she learned too late that he's a scumbag.

[Zarathud]

I find his wife just greedy to be sticking around used as she is. He must be the most hated man in America if not the world. I am surprised no one has taken a shot at him.

Melania is surprised too. If people hate him enough, she might be able to collect on life insurance.

[Kurth]

Poor Melania. She's locked into the rate she agreed to when Donald first obtained her services. With all this crap, she really should be making more.

Mean and low. Why so angry at Melania?

She married a monster because she likes money more than her own integrity? Are gold diggers off the table now? If so, why?

It's not like Drumpf bamboozled her with his charms and she learned too late that he's a scumbag.

Not really looking to get on a high horse defending Melania Trump since I don’t know much about her.

Do you have more information about Melania that gives you some good insight into her character and her decision making process in marrying the Donald? I’m also not that familiar with the history and circumstances of the Donald/Melania courtship. Maybe you could fill me in?

[GreenGoo]

What is there to be confused about, Kurth?

If this is truly something you're interested in learning about, you can peruse at least 4 decades worth of media that has covered drumpf's life. Of particular relevance to this conversation is anything written about his thoughts and interactions with women, his serial wife upgrades, and the opinions of previous drumpf trophy wives on drumpf himself.

What exactly is confusing you about their relationship? After decades of mercenary arrangements, you think *this* particular wife might be more than that? Is it the love and affection you can see in her eyes when drumpf is not directly looking at her? Is it the way he treats her as more than an accessory in all public engagements?

If you would prefer to avoid a lengthy review of all things drumpf related, you can watch the Obamas greet Drumpf and his wife for hire during the transition of the WH, then tell me that Melania is anything but an after thought to drumpf. Or that Melania has any interest in doing anything but the absolute minimum required by her contract.

Even the Clintons pretend in public that they are a couple and things are peachy between them. Drumpf and Melania can't even be arsed to do that.

[GreenGoo]

Lol, holy crap. Here's an article by vanity fair that covers the exact same territory I just mentioned, up to and including a picture of the Obamas and Drumpf + 1 arriving at the WH for the transition as well as the rocky Clinton marriage and the facade shown to the public.

I swear, I have never seen this article until just now, AFTER I wrote my post above.

In any case, you can read this article or not. It's one of many over the decades, albeit it more recent and covering Melania specifically.

Vanity Fair article.

And let's not beat around the bush Kurth, you think hepcat and I are unfairly dumping on someone we know nothing about. You aren't really looking for details, you think you're defending a woman's right to pick her spouse without judgment and that only drumpf is somehow guilty of cynicism and fiscal arrangements, but that's not true, and it has never been true for any of drumpf's wives.

I guess I'm saying that I don't believe you're making an honest inquiry, which is one of the reasons I'm not willing to put in too much effort to respond. If it is an honest question, then the reams of information out there should cover it for you. Or hepcat might be feeling frisky and willing to write at length.

Melania has made her bed, and that's fine. Just don't expect me to respect her for it.

[Kurth]

Fair enough. You clearly feel you’re in a good position to render judgment on Melania Trump. I just don’t feel the same.

[GreenGoo]

Fair enough. You clearly feel you’re in a good position to render judgment on Melania Trump. I just don’t feel the same.

My position is an informed position. It's not like the relevant information is hard to come by.