Indictments coming...

[zinfamous]

so, money laundering and tax evasion. My guess is that both will happily sit in jail, silently, and wait for Trump to pardon them.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

so, money laundering and tax evasion. My guess is that both will happily sit in jail, silently, and wait for Trump to pardon them.

Oh I don't know about that. If it were campaign related then Trump might be inclined claiming "fake" however this is about the black and red of money, Al Capone stuff. Pardoning many millions in that? That's a live wire even for Trump, and don't forget that whatever state would have been due taxes can have at him. Trump would be powerless there.

 

[brandonbull]

At what point did Dems use information from the Steele dossier in the campaign? Never. It wasn't more than a rumor before the election & wasn't made public until January of 2017.

The notion that the Dems colluded with the Russian govt to sway the election is laughable in the face of evidence that the Russians engaged in a massive effort to support Trump.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Trump–Russia_dossier

I think the dossier was used as key evidence to begin some investigations.

 

[Jhhnn]

I think the dossier was used as key evidence to begin some investigations.

So what?

 

[brandonbull]

Happy now?

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/30/us/politics/paul-manafort-indicted.html

Or is this another juicy nothingburger?

I clearly see the collusion and obstruction.

 

[ch33zw1z]

maybe he thinks campaigns are investigations?

 

[brandonbull]

So what?

It was a manufactured pile of crap assembled with parts obtained from Russian sources. Other than that, I guess obtaining and using information from Russian officials to influence the election is a big nothingburger.

 

[MomentsofSanity]

It was a manufactured pile of crap assembled with parts obtained from Russian sources. Other than that, I guess obtaining and using information from Russian officials to influence the election is a big nothingburger.

So how about the fact that many of the details in it have been proven to be completely accurate?

 

[Stokely]

So now we see if Trump fires Mueller (via the justice dept, in the same move that got Nixon iirc). Probably if he was going to do it, it would have been better for him to do it before these charges, but this is Trump.

IF that happens, then we get to see what the GOP does. And what the American people at large do. It would be (IMO) the same as Trump declaring himself a dictator and completely above the law. Can we all tear ourselves away from NFL players kneeling to care!?

On the other hand, Trump may do nothing and the investigation continues, and maybe ends with Manafort and maybe Flynn.

This could be a very big swing in American history, and it could happen (or not) at any time.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

It was a manufactured pile of crap assembled with parts obtained from Russian sources. Other than that, I guess obtaining and using information from Russian officials to influence the election is a big nothingburger.

The ethics of the Dems paying for this are questionable but the legality revolves on use. Regardless, this investigation regarding Manafort and Gates predates Trump and is irrelevant to the alleged crimes. Now if in the course of the investigation someone flips then those named are legit targets. There is no evidence that the dossier was the basis for the investigation. That's something of people like Gowdy who inferred that the leak about the indictment was from Muellers team, a completely specious statement. It could have been someone surrounding the Grand Jury or the court to which the indictments were delivered. As the documents remained sealed there is no basis for dismissal in any case.

Manafort and Gates own their actions and Trump pardoning them for charges unrelated to political activity is in no way justifiable.

 

[Starbuck1975]

This looks like it's tax related from offshore dealings. They threw a line out to get a bite. They have one on the hook with this and now they will work to set the hook with more to come later.

This is going to be an Al Capone scenario.

The dossier clouds things just enough to question intent and play into a fantasy collusion scenario.

If Trump emerges unscathed, which he might, expect pardons once the dust settles.

 

[Meghan54]

It was a manufactured pile of crap assembled with parts obtained from Russian sources. Other than that, I guess obtaining and using information from Russian officials to influence the election is a big nothingburger.

Let me ask you, bright boy, if you're looking into allegations of Russian involvement with an entity, be it a bank, a campaign, whatever, do you go interview Israeli sources or French sources? No, you'd interview Russian sources.

Quit trying to display your moronic status by asking why anyone would have Russian sources in conjunction with an investigation into Russian involvements in a campaign.

 

[outriding]

It was a manufactured pile of crap assembled with parts obtained from Russian sources. Other than that, I guess obtaining and using information from Russian officials to influence the election is a big nothingburger.

that makes no sense. who cares where the info came from as long as it is accurate and was not used in blackmail or set someone else up to put them in a compromising situation.

 

[Meghan54]

In my humble opinion, while the money laundering and tax evasion will bring down Manafort and Davis, the more serious charges are #'s 1, 11, and 12, esp. the false and misleading FARA documents and making false statements to the DoJ....#'s 11 and 12.

And when they get out of prison, they'll be able to appreciate what the bottom 20% lives like.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

In my humble opinion, while the money laundering and tax evasion will bring down Manafort and Davis, the more serious charges are #'s 1, 11, and 12, esp. the false and misleading FARA documents and making false statements to the DoJ....#'s 11 and 12.

And when they get out of prison, they'll be able to appreciate what the bottom 20% lives like.

Manafort is 68. There may not be any getting out.

 

[ivwshane]

that makes no sense. who cares where the info came from as long as it is accurate and was not used in blackmail or set someone else up to put them in a compromising situation.

That was certainly the reasoning they used with regards to podestas emails.

 

[zinfamous]

Oh I don't know about that. If it were campaign related then Trump might be inclined claiming "fake" however this is about the black and red of money, Al Capone stuff. Pardoning many millions in that? That's a live wire even for Trump, and don't forget that whatever state would have been due taxes can have at him. Trump would be powerless there.

the dates mentioned in the indictment cover 2006?-2015. ...so it seems right on the target for "just prior" to his campaign involvement? I guess Mueller wants to bring them in to start filling in holes and extend the timeline on those charges.

 

[MomentsofSanity]

the dates mentioned in the indictment cover 2006?-2015. ...so it seems right on the target for "just prior" to his campaign involvement? I guess Mueller wants to bring them in to start filling in holes and extend the timeline on those charges.

There was activity in 2016 and 2017 as well in the indictment but still had nothing to do with the campaign.

 

[Jhhnn]

It was a manufactured pile of crap assembled with parts obtained from Russian sources. Other than that, I guess obtaining and using information from Russian officials to influence the election is a big nothingburger.

I clearly see the collusion and obstruction.

Show us where the Dems used it in the campaign. It wasn't even made public until January.

It doesn't even matter, anyway. The FBI can use any evidence that's legally obtained for whatever purpose they see fit.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

There was activity in 2016 and 2017 as well in the indictment but still had nothing to do with the campaign.

Which is why it's going to be hard for Sarah to spin this as a political attack against Trump. She might try, but considering the dates are clearly before Trump's time it would make things even worse. Smartest would be "We will not comment about an a case pending litigation" and let it go. Now smart and this administration don't often go together so I'll be watching the Thing from the Press Office.

 

[Starbuck1975]

Which is why it's going to be hard for Sarah to spin this as a political attack against Trump. She might try, but considering the dates are clearly before Trump's time it would make things even worse. Smartest would be "We will not comment about an a case pending litigation" and let it go. Now smart and this administration don't often go together so I'll be watching the Thing from the Press Office.

The White House seems to be going down the path of "this has nothing to do with us" and I imagine someone is duct taping boxing gloves on Trump at this very moment.

 

[MomentsofSanity]

The White House seems to be going down the path of "this has nothing to do with us" and I imagine someone is duct taping boxing gloves on Trump at this very moment.

You'd be wrong. He's on Twitter within the last 15 minutes about this. Someone really should reign him in at this point though.

 

[alien42]

CNN is reporting that George Papadopoulos has plead guilty to lying to the FBI about his contact with Russians.

if his name doesn't ring a bell, trump said he was a foreign policy adviser to the campaign alongside Carter Page.

 

[MomentsofSanity]

CNN is reporting that George Papadopoulos has plead guilty to lying to the FBI about his contact with Russians.

if his name doesn't ring a bell, trump said he was a foreign policy adviser to the campaign alongside Carter Page.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

CNN is reporting that George Papadopoulos has plead guilty to lying to the FBI about his contact with Russians.

if his name doesn't ring a bell, trump said he was a foreign policy adviser to the campaign alongside Carter Page.

He's stated that Trump communicated with the Russians during the campaign so maybe the little fish will turn on the shark with the right motivation.