F.B.I. Raids Office of Trump’s Longtime Lawyer Michael Cohen

[Pens1566]

I still think this wasn't a real referral. Look at the 2nd of 3 bullets in his mandate. All items arising out of investigating bullet 1 (Russia/conspiracy/etc.). Anything that's been described in this instance is almost identical to what he's prosecuting Manafort for in EDVA. In fact, his mandate document is so broad I've yet to see anything mentioned that falls outside his direction that could be a serious enough offense to warrant (pun intended) this level of action.

I think SDNY is simply the clean team. Even Preet thinks so. And it's his former district.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

Huckleberry is live

 

[HomerJS]

I still think this wasn't a real referral. Look at the 2nd of 3 bullets in his mandate. All items arising out of investigating bullet 1 (Russia/conspiracy/etc.). Anything that's been described in this instance is almost identical to what he's prosecuting Manafort for in EDVA. In fact, his mandate document is so broad I've yet to see anything mentioned that falls outside his direction that could be a serious enough offense to warrant (pun intended) this level of action.

I think SDNY is simply the clean team. Even Preet thinks so. And it's his former district.

Mueller inoculated himself politically with the referral. It was a two-fer Mueller came across the payments from Trump campaign to Cohen's created LLC. Those payments were a crime and it gave him an entree to Trump's lawyer if SDNY approved. RM can also claim he is sticking to his mandate. If it wasn't real it wouldn't have passed Trump's hand picked AUSA.

If Cohen hasen't already destroyed evidence it will yield a wealth of information.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

Sarah is ducking everything.

 

[Pens1566]

Mueller inoculated himself politically with the referral. It was a two-fer Mueller came across the payments from Trump campaign to Cohen's created LLC. Those payments were a crime and it gave him an entree to Trump's lawyer if SDNY approved. RM can also claim he is sticking to his mandate. If it wasn't real it wouldn't have passed Trump's hand picked AUSA.

If Cohen hasen't already destroyed evidence it will yield a wealth of information.

The same arguments could have been made for Manafort. They weren't.

And this wasn't SDNY "approving", it was Rosenstein and a federal judge. BTW, USA for SDNY has recused himself.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

Mueller inoculated himself politically with the referral. It was a two-fer Mueller came across the payments from Trump campaign to Cohen's created LLC. Those payments were a crime and it gave him an entree to Trump's lawyer if SDNY approved. RM can also claim he is sticking to his mandate. If it wasn't real it wouldn't have passed Trump's hand picked AUSA.

If Cohen hasen't already destroyed evidence it will yield a wealth of information.

Sanders just said that the administration has the authority to fire Mueller directly. "He can't do that" is officially dead.

 

[dawp]

Sanders just said that the administration has the authority to fire Mueller directly. "He can't do that" is officially dead.

and if he did I hope that would be the end of this admin.

 

[Jhhnn]

Sanders just said that the administration has the authority to fire Mueller directly. "He can't do that" is officially dead.

Meanwhile, Grassley warned Trump that firing Mueller would be suicidal...

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

Meanwhile, Grassley warned Trump that firing Mueller would be suicidal...

Yes because Grassley would furrow his eyebrows and shake his head.

 

[cfenton]

Sanders just said that the administration has the authority to fire Mueller directly. "He can't do that" is officially dead.

Sanders says a lot of things. Is there any evidence this is true?

 

[trenchfoot]

Meanwhile, Grassley warned Trump that firing Mueller would be suicidal...

I'm thinking it's getting very close to the time when Trump thinks scribbling an EO saying he can and then actually doing it is a good idea and looking better by the minute. Short term gain at the expense of long term benefit is something Trump is notorious for, seeing as if he has this nasty habit of litigating his way out of paying the price for being that way.

 

[HomerJS]

The same arguments could have been made for Manafort. They weren't.

And this wasn't SDNY "approving", it was Rosenstein and a federal judge. BTW, USA for SDNY has recused himself.

I believe SDNY could have said we are not pursuing the referral.

Also all prosecutors have some discretion as to prosecuting cases. From what I know Mueller would have to have RR widen his mandate to do it himself.

 

[Phokus]

At this point, i think Mueller is baiting Trump to fire him. That would make turnout for the dem's midterm sky high and trump will be uber fucked by a congress willing to hold him accountable. Plus i imagine he'll release all the damaging evidence too.

 

[HomerJS]

Sanders says a lot of things. Is there any evidence this is true?

Nixon couldn't fire his AG directly. What makes Trump think he can?

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

Sanders says a lot of things. Is there any evidence this is true?

That doesn't really matter. If Trump thinks he has the authority as executive then he can remove Mueller as there is no one to stop him. At that point the SCOTUS will have to weigh in and even then Trump might play the "Unitary President" card and say that the SCOTUS has overstepped its authority by interfering in Executive Branch business.

Then we have our Constitutional crisis.

 

[Younigue]

Yes because Grassley would furrow his eyebrows and shake his head.

Oh the humanity!

 

[BUTCH1]

That doesn't really matter. If Trump thinks he has the authority as executive then he can remove Mueller as there is no one to stop him. At that point the SCOTUS will have to weigh in and even then Trump might play the "Unitary President" card and say that the SCOTUS has overstepped its authority by interfering in Executive Branch business.

Then we have our Constitutional crisis.

One wonders if any GOP congressmen/senators will see this train wreck heading at them and finally decide it's no longer viable supporting this POS. All along they didn't want to upset the "base" but now with this latest development and Muller's possible canning it might be suicidal to continue to do so.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

One wonders if any GOP congressmen/senators will see this train wreck heading at them and finally decide it's no longer viable supporting this POS. All along they didn't want to upset the "base" but now with this latest development and Muller's possible canning it might be suicidal to continue to do so.

They may or they may not but there is one thing in which I can take pride in NY state. We have the best prosecutors, The Very Best. Trumpian jests aside, they are very very good and the relationship between the Feds and our guys is usually good, well unless our politicians are a target. Nevertheless, Cohen committed any crimes of fraud in the jurisdiction of NY. Further, Cohen's license is at the pleasure of our state bar. Cohen is guilty of criminality or unprofessional conduct then they can send him on his way and he and Bill Clinton can talk about their glory days of lawyerin' or not, but he's done.

Something else which may or may not be generally known, when there is the possibility of a case which involves two jurisdictions, in this case the Feds and NYS, the evidence is often shared. The Feds usually take precedence and try first then the state can have at. There is no double jeopardy because the same jurisdiction is not prosecuting the same crime twice.

A long explanation to say that neither Trump nor Cohen can be protected from state crimes occurring in a state's jurisdiction.

Even if Trump should down Federal investigations and make himself and others immune to Federal prosecution it will not save him from money laundering or bank fraud or improper business transactions. He'd be treated like a Mafia boss and we've fried a few of those.

 

[Phokus]

Rod Rosenstein: Republican

Robert Mueller: Republican

Geoffrey Berman: Republican

James Comey: Republican

...

DEMOCRATIC WITCH HUNT

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

Rod Rosenstein: Republican

Robert Mueller: Republican

Geoffrey Berman: Republican

James Comey: Republican

...

DEMOCRATIC WITCH HUNT

Note that Berman has recused himself. That's hilarious.

 

[Zorba]

Rod Rosenstein: Republican

Robert Mueller: Republican

Geoffrey Berman: Republican

James Comey: Republican

...

DEMOCRATIC WITCH HUNT

All RINOs obviously.

 

[Mai72]

Trumps press conference..

one of the comments below..

MAGA = My attorney got arrested...

lol

LOL, he looks pissed.

 

[interchange]

More and more it looks like Mueller's got Trump's nuts in a vise and is tightening it juuuuuussst enough for Trump to feel some real excruciating pain from it and then does it all over again and again and again.

Poor poor Trump. It's like he's already paying for the vile and oh so clueless way he's running his dwindling administration. This mayhem, this chaos that pundits like to describe the way Trump likes to operate? IMO, it's not that he likes things this way, it's that his utter incompetence and self-serving attitude makes things come out that way.

I can't think of any other logical explanation for why any leader, from the lowliest to the highest where Trump is wreaking his own special kind of damage would actually like to run things the way he is.

It's not a skill or preference of his. It's his extremely narrow minded racist view of the world, his narcissism and the total lack of talents and abilities that is required when it comes to being a player on the world stage where the stakes on the table is the survival of the nation as we know it.

I hope those folks who tipped the scales in favor of Trump being elected have had some kind of epiphany, some semblance of common sense and awareness to fully understand, accept responsibility for the mistake they made in electing Trump and are now willing to make the changes needed to correct the monumental problems they've caused from putting Trump in charge of the nation.

The evidence is inescapable unless of course, one chooses to remain deaf, dumb and blind to the level of damage Trump is now creating throughout the system of gov't he and his paranoid micro-managing mind is supposed to be providing stewardship for.

From what I've gleaned of Mueller's character, I don't think he has any specific motivation to do that. I think the timing of his actions may be meaningful, but I have no doubt the goal is to get his man and do so within the confines of the law and ethics. Of course, none of us know what Mueller does, so we could only speculate as to the motives behind how he has run his special investigation.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

From what I've gleaned of Mueller's character, I don't think he has any specific motivation to do that. I think the timing of his actions may be meaningful, but I have no doubt the goal is to get his man and do so within the confines of the law and ethics. Of course, none of us know what Mueller does, so we could only speculate as to the motives behind how he has run his special investigation.

I think it fair to say that if Trump has his nuts in Mueller's vise, Trump put them there. I consider Trump and his associates to potentially be the greatest scandal in more than a hundred years. Of course, not all is clear, but the connections between individuals and actions that we are aware of quite concerning.

Mueller obviously knows more than we do, but he has a reputation as an apolitical and consummate professional. If he is aware of wrongdoing he will go to whatever legal means necessary to bring justice and at times those are extreme and with imperfect results, the Gambino-style rollup being a prime example.

Yet he will pursue Trump or any other person or organization based on wrongdoing, not agenda.

 

[interchange]

I think it fair to say that if Trump has his nuts in Mueller's vise, Trump put them there. I consider Trump and his associates to potentially be the greatest scandal in more than a hundred years. Of course, not all is clear, but the connections between individuals and actions that we are aware of quite concerning.

Mueller obviously knows more than we do, but he has a reputation as an apolitical and consummate professional. If he is aware of wrongdoing he will go to whatever legal means necessary to bring justice and at times those are extreme and with imperfect results, the Gambino-style rollup being a prime example.

Yet he will pursue Trump or any other person or organization based on wrongdoing, not agenda.

Right. I don't disagree that his nuts are there being squeezed. I just think it is not Mueller's intent to institute such pain or be the arbiter of his own justice. He will be a consummate professional, but he is not gun-shy when it comes to legal methods of collecting the evidence and putting it into the hands of those who will render judgment from it.