The Trump Investigation(s) Thread

[Pyperkub]

You guys should be furious.

We are, just not for the reasons you think we should be.

This ought to disturb anyone who wants law enforcement and U.S. intelligence services to stay out of partisan politics. We can’t recall a similar case, even in the J. Edgar Hoover days, when the FBI decided it needed to snoop on a presidential campaign. Devin Nunes, the House Intelligence Chairman, is seeking documents to learn exactly what happened, what triggered this FBI action, and how it was justified. This is precisely the kind of oversight that Congress should provide to assure Americans that their government isn’t spying illegally.

This opinion piece is by Kimberly Stassel, who has been in the tank for Trump for quite a while now. The thing is she acts like this was all done in a vacuum, that there was absolutely no legitimate reason for the FBI to "snoop" on a presidential campaign. Well, let's look at the evidence. Stassel says she can't recall a similar case - well maybe because there hasn't been a similar case:

1) Never before have we had a presidential candidate who has consistently sought business in Russia
2) Never before have we had a president's son say that the Russians had heavily invested in his businesses
3) Never before have we had a Republican candidate change his party platform to be favorable to the Russians
4) Never before have we intercepted communications between a candidates' campaign and Russian officials while monitoring Russian communications
5) Never before have we had Russia steal emails from a political party and release them in the middle of a campaign to embarrass one party/candidate
6) Never before have we had a candidate publicly call for the Russians to do it again
7) Never before have we had a candidate's son meet with Russian officials because they promised dirt on an opponent
8) Never before have we had numerous meetings between a candidate's campaign and Russian officials
9) Never before have we had the Russians interfere in our elections to favor one candidate over another
10) Never before has that same candidate favored improved relations with Russia (even while they were hacking our election) and who has also been unable to say anything negative about the Russian leader
11) Never before has a president's son-in-law sought to establish a secret 'back channel" to the Russians

As important, what are the standards for the future? Could a Trump FBI task agents to look into the foreign ties of advisers to the Bernie Sanders presidential campaign in 2020?

If a Democratic campaign does what Trump's campaign has done under the same circumstances, I'd be all for it. Again, Stassel writes as if there was absolutely no legitimate reason for any investigation. Of course, she's not totally ignorant (and neither are you for that matter) of the above series of facts. So why is she and you being so obtuse? Trump derangement syndrome is the only answer I can think of

You forgot about hacking the State Voter databases in your list. If not an outright act of War, at least a border skirmish...

[LordMortis]

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

Republican U.S. Representative Lee Zeldin said he and 16 other members of Congress will introduce a resolution on Tuesday alleging Justice Department and FBI misconduct involving surveillance in the Trump-Russia probe

It will be interesting to see what grounds it's on this time after they already declared their investigation over after they already declared their investigation over after they already declared their investigation over.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXDvqTgnSp4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iemRF4G ... e=youtu.be

http://www.27east.com/news/article.cfm/ ... Nunes-Memo

Douche... Or perhaps tool is the better word. He seems to believe his drivel, which makes him willing thrall...

https://www.politico.com/magazine/story ... emo-216935

[Holman]

1) Never before have we had a presidential candidate who has consistently sought business in Russia
2) Never before have we had a president's son say that the Russians had heavily invested in his businesses
3) Never before have we had a Republican candidate change his party platform to be favorable to the Russians
4) Never before have we intercepted communications between a candidates' campaign and Russian officials while monitoring Russian communications
5) Never before have we had Russia steal emails from a political party and release them in the middle of a campaign to embarrass one party/candidate
6) Never before have we had a candidate publicly call for the Russians to do it again
7) Never before have we had a candidate's son meet with Russian officials because they promised dirt on an opponent
8) Never before have we had numerous meetings between a candidate's campaign and Russian officials
9) Never before have we had the Russians interfere in our elections to favor one candidate over another
10) Never before has that same candidate favored improved relations with Russia (even while they were hacking our election) and who has also been unable to say anything negative about the Russian leader
11) Never before has a president's son-in-law sought to establish a secret 'back channel" to the Russians

As important, what are the standards for the future? Could a Trump FBI task agents to look into the foreign ties of advisers to the Bernie Sanders presidential campaign in 2020?

If a Democratic campaign does what Trump's campaign has done under the same circumstances, I'd be all for it. Again, Stassel writes as if there was absolutely no legitimate reason for any investigation. Of course, she's not totally ignorant (and neither are you for that matter) of the above series of facts. So why is she and you being so obtuse? Trump derangement syndrome is the only answer I can think of

Well-said, Grif.

[hepcat]

Nunes will write another document that claims to have explosive facts damning Obama, he’ll show it to 12 fellow republicans that will claim it’s irrefutable, then Fox will start claiming that this is the end of the Democratic Party before it eventually gets released and the entire country goes “meh”.

[Carpet_pissr]

To be fair, we don't know if 9) is true or not. I seriously doubt this is the first time they have meddled in our elections. Hell, I would be very surprised if it was.

However, I don't doubt it's the first time they have so heavily favored a candidate, for obvious reasons.

[GreenGoo]

To be fair, we don't know if 9) is true or not. I seriously doubt this is the first time they have meddled in our elections. Hell, I would be very surprised if it was.

However, I don't doubt it's the first time they have so heavily favored a candidate, for obvious reasons.

More importantly, to the best of our knowledge no other candidate was complicit in it, as drumpf clearly is. For the best deal maker ever, he sure doesn't have much of a poker face.

[Paingod]

Well-said, Grif.

And because of that, it will be rejected by the desired audience without debate and the cycle of willful ignorance will continue.

[noxiousdog]

To be fair, we don't know if 9) is true or not. I seriously doubt this is the first time they have meddled in our elections. Hell, I would be very surprised if it was.

However, I don't doubt it's the first time they have so heavily favored a candidate, for obvious reasons.

I believe both Bush and Gore found improprieties and reported them to the FBI immediately.

[Zarathud]

Remember when Rip insisted that Trump would change his behavior after election?

Once Obama warned Trump about foreign agents, Trump likely even more actively sought their help. That is how he works.

If Trump couldn't keep out the domestic spies (not like there were any), there is no chance that he kept out the foreign spies.

[LordMortis]

If Trump couldn't keep out the domestic spies (not like there were any), there is no chance that he kept out the foreign spies.

LOL Let that ferment for a little while. Especially under the Only Trump can... philosophy of governance through loyalty. Which also Run the country like his business....

Feb 2, 2015 07:17:24 PM Via @bizjournals by @BrandonSawalich: "3 lessons about loyalty that I learned from Donald Trump" http://t.co/GeZdAl83Qi [Twitter for BlackBerry]

https://twitter.com/realdonaldtrump/sta ... 0963566593

https://www.bizjournals.com/bizjournals ... trump.html

We covered many topics, but one thing Trump said especially stood out to me. When I asked him what he values in an employee, he had a one-word answer: loyalty.

BTW, I missed the tweet storm about how the DOJ caved to his demands while we now wait on his 12 release the memo, lapdogs to make demands for him.

[LordMortis]

Literally, "but her emails!"

Fucking hell, it's disgraceful

http://thehill.com/policy/national-secu ... nd-special

"The Justice Department cannot be expected to investigate itself," Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-N.Y.), flanked by 11 other Republican lawmakers, said at a press conference announcing the measure.

Zeldin said Attorney General Jeff Sessions should tap an independent investigator to examine whether FBI and Justice Department officials obtained surveillance warrants with insufficient evidence.

The Republicans also want a probe to look into the government's decision to end the investigation of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server and the reasoning behind the government's decision to launch a probe into possible ties between the Trump campaign and Russia.

House Freedom Caucus Chairman Mark Meadows (N.C.) and Reps. Jim Jordan (Ohio), Matt Gaetz (Fla.), Louie Gohmert (Texas), Claudia Tenney (N.Y.) and Jody Hice (Ga.) were among the Republicans at the press conference.

It's not like they don't come out and Release The Memo! about ongoing investigations again and again or expect an investigation to be over by their decree.

https://zeldin.house.gov/sites/zeldin.h ... 1%20v2.pdf

[PLW]

November needs to be a reckoning for all this.

[Remus West]

I can not believe that many people are that stupid or so easily mislead. I can believe that many people can be bought by the idea of unending power and riches. Assholes.

[Holman]

Trump is at it again this morning. Fox really has him worked up about what he now calls "SPYGATE."

[hepcat]

He has to establish that he's the victim before Mueller presents proof he's a criminal.

[pr0ner]

Trump is at it again this morning. Fox really has him worked up about what he now calls "SPYGATE."

Hannity was calling for a second special counsel again last night, so I wouldn't be surprised if Trump bleats for that at some point.

[LordMortis]

Trump is at it again this morning. Fox really has him worked up about what he now calls "SPYGATE."

That's a man of results. He demands an investigation on twitter and two days later he's exposed the entire Criminal Deep State.

[Skinypupy]

Trump is at it again this morning. Fox really has him worked up about what he now calls "SPYGATE."

Hannity was calling for a second special counsel again last night, so I wouldn't be surprised if Trump bleats for that at some point.

"The investigators hired to continue the investigation after the other investigators had been sacked, wish it to be known that they have now been sacked. The investigation has been completed in an entirely different style at great expense and at the last minute."

[pr0ner]

Trump is at it again this morning. Fox really has him worked up about what he now calls "SPYGATE."

Hannity was calling for a second special counsel again last night, so I wouldn't be surprised if Trump bleats for that at some point.

"The investigators hired to continue the investigation after the other investigators had been sacked, wish it to be known that they have now been sacked. The investigation has been completed in an entirely different style at great expense and at the last minute."

LLAMA!

[Remus West]

Careful. They bite.

[Ralph-Wiggum]

Michael Cohen up to more shenanigans.....

Donald Trump's personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, received a secret payment of at least $400,000 (£300,000) to fix talks between the Ukrainian president and President Trump, according to sources in Kiev close to those involved.

The payment was arranged by intermediaries acting for Ukraine's leader, Petro Poroshenko, the sources said, though Mr Cohen was not registered as a representative of Ukraine as required by US law.

Mr Cohen denies the allegation.

The meeting at the White House was last June. Shortly after the Ukrainian president returned home, his country's anti-corruption agency stopped its investigation into Trump's former campaign manager, Paul Manafort.

[GreenGoo]

Holy shit. I remember that and thought it was strange.

Geezus these guys are an absolute cancer on democracy and governance.

[tgb]

He's gonna go apeshit when he learns the strawberries were eaten by the mess boys.

[Pyperkub]

Trump is at it again this morning. Fox really has him worked up about what he now calls "SPYGATE."

That's a man of results. He demands an investigation on twitter and two days later he's exposed the entire Criminal Deep State.

On his insecure phone which it's too inconvenient to secure.

[LordMortis]

Trump is at it again this morning. Fox really has him worked up about what he now calls "SPYGATE."

That's a man of results. He demands an investigation on twitter and two days later he's exposed the entire Criminal Deep State.

On his insecure phone which it's too inconvenient to secure.

That he both wants as official government communication and wants to be able to block people he doesn't want from seeing. Let that percolate.

[Holman]

It's a phone, right? Not a server. Not a server. You're the server. Lock Her Up!!

[Remus West]

https://www.yahoo.com/news/trump-claims ... 51174.html
If you look at Trump's comment he has essentially admitted that the Russians were part of his campaign. I don't know if this has been posted here before but I found it remarkable that he could so openly claim the Russians.

[Unagi]

Yeah.
Trump's : “If you look at Clapper, he sort of admitted they had spies in the campaign, yesterday, inadvertently,”


is only 'spying on the campaign' - if you are admitting the Russians were in the campaign.

[Remus West]

Anyone on twitter want to check that thread and see how many times he has been called out for that admission?

[Paingod]

He's gonna go apeshit when he learns the strawberries were eaten by the mess boys.

[LordMortis]

https://www.yahoo.com/news/trump-claims ... 51174.html
If you look at Trump's comment he has essentially admitted that the Russians were part of his campaign. I don't know if this has been posted here before but I found it remarkable that he could so openly claim the Russians.

OMG that reads like the Onion. It would by hyesterical... If it didn't leave me borderline hysterical...

“I think the president has deliberately distorted the facts here,”

Nooooo Go on.

“Trump should be happy that the FBI was SPYING on his campaign” No, James Clapper, I am not happy. Spying on a campaign would be illegal, and a scandal to boot!

Also isn't that literally slander/defamation?

[Combustible Lemur]

I don't know enough to value it. But MSNbc's Lawyer talk news host is super pissed about it and it sure sounds like explicit obstructive behavior

Edit: After publicly saying they wouldn't, white house lawyer, and John Kelly crashed the DOJ briefing to congress in their own investigation.
Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

[tjg_marantz]

I don't know enough to value it. But MSNbc's Lawyer talk news host is super pissed about it and it sure sounds like explicit obstructive behavior

Edit: After publicly saying they wouldn't, white house lawyer, and John Kelly crashed the DOJ briefing to congress in their own investigation.
Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

It's okay. They said they weren't in there when important stuff was discussed. I trust them.

[Unagi]

Yeah. They left before the 'official meeting' started. What's to be all concerned about?

[Holman]

Oh, hey look: emails show that Roger Stone requested specific HRC emails with specific dates from Julian Assange, something he explicitly denied during his congressional testimony.

The WSJ story is paywalled, but The Hill describes it too.

So this week both Roger Stone and Erik Prince have been shown to have lied to congress. I'm sure the majority party won't stand for it.

[Smoove_B]

Some Friday afternoon Trump-Russia news from NYT:

Eleven days before the presidential inauguration last year, a billionaire Russian businessman with ties to the Kremlin visited Trump Tower in Manhattan to meet with Donald J. Trump’s personal lawyer and fixer, Michael D. Cohen, according to video footage and another person who attended the meeting.

In Mr. Cohen’s office on the 26th floor, he and the oligarch, Viktor Vekselberg, discussed a mutual desire to strengthen Russia’s relations with the United States under President Trump, according to Andrew Intrater, an American businessman who attended the meeting and invests money for Mr. Vekselberg. The men also arranged to see one another at the inauguration, the second of their three meetings, Mr. Intrater said.

Days after the inauguration, Mr. Intrater’s private equity firm, Columbus Nova, awarded Mr. Cohen a $1 million consulting contract, a deal that has drawn the attention of federal authorities investigating Mr. Cohen, according to people briefed on the inquiry.

I'm beginning to think there's some type of...what's the word I'm looking for here...connection? corroboration? I'm sure it will come to me.

[LordMortis]

Some Friday afternoon Trump-Russia news from NYT:

Eleven days before the presidential inauguration last year, a billionaire Russian businessman with ties to the Kremlin visited Trump Tower in Manhattan to meet with Donald J. Trump’s personal lawyer and fixer, Michael D. Cohen, according to video footage and another person who attended the meeting.

In Mr. Cohen’s office on the 26th floor, he and the oligarch, Viktor Vekselberg, discussed a mutual desire to strengthen Russia’s relations with the United States under President Trump, according to Andrew Intrater, an American businessman who attended the meeting and invests money for Mr. Vekselberg. The men also arranged to see one another at the inauguration, the second of their three meetings, Mr. Intrater said.

Days after the inauguration, Mr. Intrater’s private equity firm, Columbus Nova, awarded Mr. Cohen a $1 million consulting contract, a deal that has drawn the attention of federal authorities investigating Mr. Cohen, according to people briefed on the inquiry.

I'm beginning to think there's some type of...what's the word I'm looking for here...connection? corroboration? I'm sure it will come to me.

I was all prepared to say NOTHINGBURGERS but it's pretty clear you are saying Obama was SPYING on a private American citizen on a Trump property for Corrupt Hillary before Trump was even in office. NO COLLUSION. WITCH HUNT MAGA DRAIN THE SWAMP

[Sepiche]

Looks like Junior may have also lied.

A Senate Judiciary Democrat is alleging that Donald Trump Jr. gave false testimony in a September 2017 interview with the committee, in which the President’s son denied that foreign governments or foreign nationals sought to assist President Trump’s 2016 campaign.

Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE), in a Thursday letter to Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA), pointed to a recent report that Trump Jr. met at Trump Tower in August 2016 with an Israeli social media specialist and an emissary for princes in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. The Israeli, Joel Zamel, touted his firm’s ability to manipulate social media to boost Trump’s campaign, while the emissary, George Nader, told Trump Jr. that the princes he represented would also like to help his father’s election, the New York Times reported.

[Holman]

This is it. It's here. The greatest tweet.

Who’s going to give back the young and beautiful lives (and others) that have been devastated and destroyed by the phony Russia Collusion Witch Hunt? They journeyed down to Washington, D.C., with stars in their eyes and wanting to help our nation...They went back home in tatters!

I'm really trying to figure out who is "young and beautiful" and now back home in tatters.

I'm assuming he can't mean Manafort/Flynn/Cohen/Stone.
Is he still hung up on Hope Hicks?
Does he have a crush on Carter Page?
Is it Don Jr. indictment week already??

[Skinypupy]

I don’t say this often anymore (because the answer is usually either obvious or doesn’t matter), but I’d actually love to know who he’s referring to here.