The Trump Investigation(s) Thread

[Skinypupy]

More pardon news...



EDIT: the messenger was Rohrabacher.

While this should be a big deal, it will be incredibly easy for Trump to handwave away by simply saying "I, nor anyone else in my administration, ever told Rohrabacher to say that". Unless Assange has a paper trail (probably not even then), I can't imagine this will move the needle in any substantial way.

[malchior]

Washington Post still trying to sell the Barr is about to quit story.

When does this story line start to wear out its welcome? Barr still hasn't resigned and Trump is still at it. How long do we let Barr stir in rumors about a departure before these guys catch a clue. It is like they are being tested to see how credulous they are.

Meanwhile Trump just basically told Barr to "clean house" via the imperial tweet! Let's see if Barr resigns...I somehow doubt it.

[Pyperkub]

Actual article:

A statement from Assange’s lawyer Jennifer Robinson shows “Mr Rohrabacher going to see Mr Assange and saying, on instructions from the president, he was offering a pardon or some other way out, if Mr Assange … said Russia had nothing to do with the DNC leaks”, Fitzgerald told Westminster magistrates court.

[malchior]

I guess it is legit. Trump has a bit of a tell! Despite going out of his way to invite Rohrabacher to the WH after an appearance on Fox News...he *HARDLY* knows the guy!

Grisham on Assange: “The President barely knows Dana Rohrabacher other than he’s an ex-congressman. He’s never spoken to him on this subject or almost any subject. It is a complete fabrication and a total lie. This is probably another never ending hoax and total lie from the DNC"

[Holman]

How is it "a lie from the DNC" when it's coming from Assange's lawyers?

Are we really at the point where Julian Assange is a Deep State Hillary loyalist trying to bring down Trump?

[YellowKing]

I'm getting to the point where if I hear another person tell me that some piece of truth is "fake news" or "lies from the Deep State" I'm going postal. Fuck these gaslighting fucks.

[malchior]

What I have learned that a lot of people have difficulty processing information. They do not know how to pick sources and vette things. Or they secretly know and dont care. Whatever the case we are deeply fucked because it is a lot of people. No matter how things turn out this shit isnt going away.

[malchior]

If you aren't following the coverage of the Stone hearing it is bonkers. The new Prosecutor Crabbs admitted the original prosecution team was authorized to submit the sentencing guidance (duh!), that Stone deserves substantial prison time (duh!), and that he wouldn't 'elaborate' on who or what party: wrote the memo revising the guidelines, directed the changes in terms, and only would say he signed it. (WTF!?!)

If Crabbs was talking to the judge with his pants on his head I think she would have thought that made more sense than that story. It appears Barr is either playing this straight all of sudden (they got caught!) or Barr is the straight man to Trump's eventual pardon because the DOJ is *out of control* or whatever bullshit he'll dream up.

[stessier]

Stone got 3 years. From listening to Popehat's podcast, that seems like where it was headed before anything happened.

[malchior]

Stone got 3 years. From listening to Popehat's podcast, that seems like where it was headed before anything happened.

That is what I heard too but now it appears tainted.

[Max Peck]

Former congressman confirms he offered to broker pardon for Assange

A former California congressman confirmed in an interview with Yahoo News' Michael Isikoff that he did offer to broker a pardon for Julian Assange in exchange for information that would exonerate Russia from the theft of emails from the Democratic National Committee and members of the Hillary Clinton presidential campaign organization. Republican Dana Rohrabacher was seeking to prove that the emails were leaked by DNC staffer Seth Rich, who was murdered in July 2016—and were not the product of a hacking campaign by Russian intelligence organizations.

Rohrabacher confirmed that he called Gen. John Kelly, then President Donald Trump's chief of staff, after the meeting with Assange to secure the deal. Rohrabacher told Isikoff that Kelly was "courteous" but made no promise that he would bring the idea to Trump. "He knew this had to be handled with care," Rohrabacher said, because of the potential ways the move could be and that it could become "harmful" to the president if the media caught wind of the effort. Rohrabacher told Isikoff that Kelly never got back to him about the idea and never spoke with Trump about it.

[malchior]

The setup checks out. However, I don't believe for a second that Rohrabacher did this on his own initiative. I'd like a time line on this because Rohrabacher was invited into the WH by Trump after a Fox News appearance. I suspect the meeting with Trump happened *before* this.

Still, it's interesting that all the damaging stories about Trump all started with some moronic conspiracy theory. Impeachment started with that cockamamie story about Ukraine hacking the DNC. This one is about Seth Rich. The GOP is full-on in fantasyland all the time and they keep shooting themselves in the foot. The upside for them is it doesn't matter.

[malchior]

On the road to Hungary

The 2-1 ruling comes a little more than three weeks after the Senate acquitted Trump on largely unrelated impeachment charges involving his posture toward Ukraine. It’s also not necessarily final. Democrats are expected to appeal and could seek a fast-track Supreme Court review, though the prospects of a final decision before the November election seem remote.


Friday's majority opinion, written by GOP appointee Thomas Griffith, goes to the heart of long-running battles over the power balance between Congress and the White House that have played out during Trump’s tenure.

Echoing arguments Justice Department attorneys had made in the case, Griffith warned that allowing the House to use the courts to enforce the subpoena against McGahn would lead to a flood of hard-to-resolve suits pitting congressional imperatives against executive branch interests.

“The walk from the Capitol to our courthouse is a short one, and if we resolve this case today, we can expect Congress’s lawyers to make the trip often,” wrote Griffith, an appointee of President George W. Bush.

FFS. They haven't *ever needed to make the walk before*. No administration has ever 100% stonewalled Congress before. This appeals court just wrote them a blank check to continue. They have pretty much left Congress with only one solution which is exercising their 'inherent contempt' powers.

[Holman]

[Unagi]

wow.

[LordMortis]

It's like he's studying to be a Robert DeNiro impersonator where Robert DeNiro is playing parkinson's era Michael J Fox.

[Pyperkub]

Another target for Trump's purge of people showing he lied:

When confronted by House lawmakers angered about President Donald Trump’s halt in aid to Ukraine last summer, Trump administration officials repeatedly said the hiatus was meant to allow them to conduct a policy review about the aid program.

But the Pentagon’s deputy general counsel — in an email kept secret by the administration during the House and Senate impeachment proceedings in December and January — told his colleagues during the aid halt there was, in fact, no such policy review under way inside the administration.

The email from Pentagon lawyer Edwin S. Castle to the Defense Department’s top spending officer is the latest revelation about how Trump withheld aid to Ukraine — an issue at the core of congressional Democrats’ efforts to impeach and remove the president from office...

...Castle sent his email on Aug. 26, a month after the White House began declaring in a series of eight weekly notices to the Pentagon that military assistance to Ukraine had been suspended “to allow for an interagency process to determine the best use of such funds.”

Castle said in the email he wrote to Acting Defense Department Comptroller Elaine McCusker: “Ma’am, I’ve learned that there is no ongoing interagency review process with respect to USAI,” the administration’s acronym for the $250 million aid program.

[Daehawk]

The devil is trying to get out.

[malchior]

Interesting to me about all that is that the "old" system is still working. The Defense Department didn't classify that email into the abyss. The advocacy group had to file a lawsuit but ultimately they got the email. Everything isn't broken yet at the bureaucracy level but at the political level all hell is breaking loose.

[El Guapo]

Interesting to me about all that is that the "old" system is still working. The Defense Department didn't classify that email into the abyss. The advocacy group had to file a lawsuit but ultimately they got the email. Everything isn't broken yet at the bureaucracy level but at the political level all hell is breaking loose.

You figure that the bureaucracy level can't withstand another four years, though.

[malchior]

Interesting to me about all that is that the "old" system is still working. The Defense Department didn't classify that email into the abyss. The advocacy group had to file a lawsuit but ultimately they got the email. Everything isn't broken yet at the bureaucracy level but at the political level all hell is breaking loose.

You figure that the bureaucracy level can't withstand another four years, though.

Definitely. In the end the bad thing happened still. The autocrat got his troublemakers to kill aid for his political ends. It is just interesting to see the old machinery still grinding away while the top goes haywire.

[El Guapo]

Interesting to me about all that is that the "old" system is still working. The Defense Department didn't classify that email into the abyss. The advocacy group had to file a lawsuit but ultimately they got the email. Everything isn't broken yet at the bureaucracy level but at the political level all hell is breaking loose.

You figure that the bureaucracy level can't withstand another four years, though.

Definitely. In the end the bad thing happened still. The autocrat got his troublemakers to kill aid for his political ends. It is just interesting to see the old machinery still grinding away while the top goes haywire.

Well, no - the Ukrainian aid ultimately went through. It only went through *because* the whistleblower caused the Ukraine scandal to come to light (and it went through when by accounts Ukraine was on the verge of giving in and announcing a Biden investigation), BUT it did go through.

[malchior]

Interesting to me about all that is that the "old" system is still working. The Defense Department didn't classify that email into the abyss. The advocacy group had to file a lawsuit but ultimately they got the email. Everything isn't broken yet at the bureaucracy level but at the political level all hell is breaking loose.

You figure that the bureaucracy level can't withstand another four years, though.

Definitely. In the end the bad thing happened still. The autocrat got his troublemakers to kill aid for his political ends. It is just interesting to see the old machinery still grinding away while the top goes haywire.

Well, no - the Ukrainian aid ultimately went through. It only went through *because* the whistleblower caused the Ukraine scandal to come to light (and it went through when by accounts Ukraine was on the verge of giving in and announcing a Biden investigation), BUT it did go through.

Fair poorly worded on my part. We have had glimpses all along that he orders things that are well outside the norms or possibly outright illegal and his political apparatchiks make it happen. In this case, a whistle blower used the old process and as far as we know hasn't been punished. A lot of other people got blown up though. His minions still sent a message to discourage new whistleblowers and weaken the old system.

[El Guapo]

Interesting to me about all that is that the "old" system is still working. The Defense Department didn't classify that email into the abyss. The advocacy group had to file a lawsuit but ultimately they got the email. Everything isn't broken yet at the bureaucracy level but at the political level all hell is breaking loose.

You figure that the bureaucracy level can't withstand another four years, though.

Definitely. In the end the bad thing happened still. The autocrat got his troublemakers to kill aid for his political ends. It is just interesting to see the old machinery still grinding away while the top goes haywire.

Well, no - the Ukrainian aid ultimately went through. It only went through *because* the whistleblower caused the Ukraine scandal to come to light (and it went through when by accounts Ukraine was on the verge of giving in and announcing a Biden investigation), BUT it did go through.

Fair poorly worded on my part. We have had glimpses all along that he orders things that are well outside the norms or possibly outright illegal and his political apparatchiks make it happen. In this case, a whistle blower used the old process and as far as we know hasn't been punished. A lot of other people got blown up though. His minions still sent a message to discourage new whistleblowers and weaken the old system.

Oh, absolutely. I mean, if you're a potential whistleblower on Trump misdeeds now, you know: (1) that the Trump administration will try to find you and punish you (at a minimum, you're probably going to lose your job); (2) you'll receive various threats (including death threats) from Trump supporters; and (3) the Republican party will make sure that Trump isn't held accountable anyway. That's a pretty compelling case for not coming forward.

[Blackhawk]

But can you imagine that stories that are going to come out if Trump loses in November?

[Zaxxon]

But can you imagine that stories that are going to come out if Trump loses in November?

Don't tease me, baby.

[Isgrimnur]

BI

Roger Stone bought hundreds of fake Facebook pages in 2016, which he used to circulate news articles that would damage his political rivals and, later, to defend himself against charges of Russian collusion, according to newly unsealed FBI records.
...
According to the FBI records, a source who described himself as a former "right hand man" to Stone told law enforcement that in 2016, Stone told him to buy hundreds of fake Facebook accounts, including both new and existing accounts, with instructions to make them seem like real accounts.

In the years that followed, the accounts bought dozens of ads on Facebook to promote stories including Wikileaks' publication of emails stolen from Hillary Clinton campaign manager John Podesta. Later, as Stone himself became a focus of the federal Russia probe, the fake Facebook accounts bought ads defending Stone.

Ads bought by the Facebook pages had titles including "Stone Rebuts Charge of Russian Collusion" and "I am not in touch with Russians..." according to excerpts published in the FBI warrants.

[malchior]

BI (2 days ago) since they are digging through Stone docs right now

Weeks after Robert Mueller was appointed special counsel in the Russia investigation, Roger Stone, a confidant of President Donald Trump, reassured WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange in a Twitter message that if prosecutors came after him, "I will bring down the entire house of cards," according to FBI documents made public Tuesday.

The records reveal the extent of communications between Stone and Assange, whose anti-secrecy website published Democratic emails hacked by Russians during the 2016 presidential election, and underscore efforts by Trump allies to gain insight about the release of information they expected would embarrass Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton.

The documents — FBI affidavits submitted to obtain search warrants in the criminal investigation into Stone — were released following a court case brought by The Associated Press and other media organizations.

They were made public as Stone, convicted last year in Mueller's investigation into ties between Russia and the Trump campaign, awaits a date to surrender to a federal prison system that has grappled with outbreaks of the coronavirus.

[Holman]

News is breaking that DOJ is dropping charges against Flynn. Bill Barr is earning his paycheck.

Expect them to go hard with an IC purge now.

[El Guapo]

News is breaking that DOJ is dropping charges against Flynn. Bill Barr is earning his paycheck.

Expect them to go hard with an IC purge now.

Flynn's already been convicted though, right? So I think the court would need to sign off on letting him off? Which is I think why this is a motion to dismiss, not just DoJ notifying that they're dropping charges.

[LordMortis]

I'm too slow

https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/07/politics ... index.html

(I also don't trust CNN and usually like second source for a different lens)

[pr0ner]

I'm too slow

https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/07/politics ... index.html

(I also don't trust CNN and usually like second source for a different lens)

You don't trust CNN? No wonder Trump is winning.

[LordMortis]

I'm too slow

https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/07/politics ... index.html

(I also don't trust CNN and usually like second source for a different lens)

You don't trust CNN? No wonder Trump is winning.

I find CNN to give partial stories more than any other major news source not named Fox News. I consistently second source them to try and get a bigger picture of an event.

[stessier]

News is breaking that DOJ is dropping charges against Flynn. Bill Barr is earning his paycheck.

Expect them to go hard with an IC purge now.

Flynn's already been convicted though, right? So I think the court would need to sign off on letting him off? Which is I think why this is a motion to dismiss, not just DoJ notifying that they're dropping charges.

More politically palatable than a pardon?

Kind of crazy. The judge has to sign off. The judge has been fairly irritated with Flynn. Flynn was convicted. Is this just setting up clear grounds for the pardon if the judge says no, I'm making him do the sentence? I'm not sure it was necessary - the people who will be happy with the pardon would have been just as happy without these comments. Those that will be unhappy will be much more unhappy.

[Jolor]

Here's hoping that the judge has a home and not an apartment high above the city streets.

[Isgrimnur]

CNN

The House Intelligence Committeme on Thursday released thousands of pages of transcripts from more than 50 of its closed-door interviews from the panel's two-year Russia investigation in 2017 and 2018.

The transcripts posted online Thursday, along with some of the committee's correspondence, marked the end of an investigation into Russian election interference that was marred by partisan infighting that still has ramifications on the committee today.

The transcripts include interviews that the then-Republican-led committee conducted with key members of the Trump team and President Donald Trump's family, including Donald Trump Jr., Jared Kushner, Corey Lewandowski, Hope Hicks, Brad Parscale and Carter Page.

The interview of longtime Trump friend and adviser Roger Stone later prompted his conviction on perjury charges for lying to the panel, and the President's former lawyer Michael Cohen delivered a false statement to both the House and Senate Intelligence committees.

The panel also interviewed top Obama administration officials Sally Yates, Susan Rice, Ben Rhodes, Andrew McCabe and Loretta Lynch.

[malchior]

This country is in full out free fall. Barr is not even being shy about this move. They've unraveled nearly 50 years of prosecutorial independence to rescue criminals.

PBS News Hour had a segment about this. Neal Katyal explains how corrosive this action was.

[Max Peck]

Liberty and justice for all, I guess.

Ex-Trump aide Paul Manafort to serve sentence at home amid virus fears

Ex-Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort has been released from prison to serve the remainder of his sentence at home due to Covid-19 fears.

He had served a little over a year of a seven-and-a-half year sentence in jail.

Manafort, 71, was convicted of conspiracy and fraud charges that stemmed from a justice department inquiry into Russian election meddling.

There are over 2,800 confirmed Covid-19 cases among US federal prisoners and 50 deaths.

According to the latest data from the federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP), there are 139,584 federal inmates in federal custody, and another 11,235 in community facilities, plus around 36,000 staff. According to the BOP, 2,818 inmates and 262 staff have tested positive for coronavirus.

There have not been any confirmed cases of the disease at Manafort's prison, FCI Loretto in Pennsylvania.

[malchior]

If this wasn't a corrupt government we could find out if other convicts were released and what the criteria was. In this case I'll chalk it up to friend of Individual-1.

[Smoove_B]

So far we've established that the virus is too dangerous for abortions, but not dangerous enough to close non-essential businesses. Now we see the virus is also too dangerous for some prisoners but not dangerous enough to stop haircuts, manicures and bowling.