Mueller investigation

[ZiprHead]

Daddy issues?

Is he married? (Is there a Mamadopoulis?)

Don't bring Pence's wife into this.

 

[funinspace]

I guess you are technically right... but I think most would agree that the spirit of this was who is first to fall publically...Quite the tricky twist that George was turned into an "active cooperator" for the FBI 3 months ago after being secretly arrested (and apparently, turned). He didn't "fall" so much as "turn".. and he got the benefit of being able to accept a lesser charge than otherwise.

There are two things, one, George lied to the FBI and was arrested. This would remind people that they need to be honest or fear going to jail just for lying to the FBI.

One would think that after the Martha Stewart affair, that most people would have figured out that it is better to take the 5th with the FBI (or federal prosecutors) than to lie, or perhaps even talk to them...

 

[KeepTalking]

Your link lead me to the following link:
There’s a sealed “Indictment (A)” and it looks like it’s against Donald Trump

Very interesting.

I think it will be Sessions. In GP's indictment, it says something to the effect that the campaign supervisor responded to GP's news of establishing relationships with Russians saying "That's good". The campaign supervisor was Sessions.

The article notes that if it were Sessions, the indictment likely would not be sealed. They do not explain the reasoning behind this, but I suspect that it is because he is the head of the DoJ, and therefor has knowledge of the parties referred to in a sealed indictment, and the reason for a sealed indictment is so that the parties referred to therein do not become aware of the indictment against them. So, there is no reason to hide the fact that Sessions was the subject of the indictment. He would either know that the sealed indictment was against him because he can see the subject of the sealed indictment, or because that indictment is still sealed to him, even though all others are not.

ETA: Can a sitting president be indicted?

I would assume that we will find out soon enough.

 

[Tom Sawyer]

Wasn't the whole thing about Sessions recusing himself from the investigation that nobody shows him any of the stuff related to the investigation? That would include indictments they're preparing.

 

[ZiprHead]

Wasn't the whole thing about Sessions recusing himself from the investigation that nobody shows him any of the stuff related to the investigation? That would include indictments they're preparing.

My first thought too.

 

[KeepTalking]

Wasn't the whole thing about Sessions recusing himself from the investigation that nobody shows him any of the stuff related to the investigation? That would include indictments they're preparing.

No, the whole thing about the Sessions recusing himself was a smoke screen, given that he almost immediately violated that recusal by participating in the firing of Comey.

 

[Malintent]

Yes.. There are NY State teams of lawyers collecting data on Trump's illegal business dealing in NYC, and there is the possibility of state-level charges arising.

It should be very telling that only 9% of this president's home state voted for him. It's because we already know what he is about.
I grew up in the same neighborhood as he did, and went to the same grade school.. (the one he was pulled out of for bullying).. he was sent by his racist father to a military school after that).

My parents still live in the house I grew up in and I pass the old Trump house every now and then when I visit... and piss in their yard on the way home. I doubt any Trump still lives there.. It's just symbolic.

Let's hope the Dems keep the governorship and state Attorney general in NY. Otherwise I see the investigation there ending real quick after innaguration.

Later,
ElectEngr

I'm very torn about that... our current AG is a total asshole.. .just the kind of asshole needed to go up against Trump, but on every other day and on every other issue... asshole.

 

[Don2 (Don1 Revised)]

Take a look at this link:
https://hotair.com/archives/2017/10...-indictments-pending-papadopouloss-manaforts/

Don't jump to conclusions on this. The DoJ has 188 criminal cases filed this year (or maybe 201 where some are not completely "filed"). Roughly 1/3 are sealed. Between Papa's file and Manafourt's there are a bunch but the number is not out of range for the numerous cases filed this year. The number sealed are also not out of line from a statistical expectation of 1/3.

Regarding the (A) versus (B) business, maybe it's Don Jr. I think it's also possible that Clovis is one of the sealed cases and the others are just other cases not related to the campaign.

This is informed speculation, though. We don't really know.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

Let's hope the Dems keep the governorship and state Attorney general in NY. Otherwise I see the investigation there ending real quick after innaguration.

Later,
ElectEngr

I'm very torn about that... our current AG is a total asshole.. .just the kind of asshole needed to go up against Trump, but on every other day and on every other issue... asshole.

Spitzer seemed like Presidential territory... then assholage.

- - - Updated - - -

Take a look at this link:
https://hotair.com/archives/2017/10...-indictments-pending-papadopouloss-manaforts/

Don't jump to conclusions on this. The DoJ has 188 criminal cases filed this year (or maybe 201 where some are not completely "filed"). Roughly 1/3 are sealed. Between Papa's file and Manafourt's there are a bunch but the number is not out of range for the numerous cases filed this year. The number sealed are also not out of line from a statistical expectation of 1/3.

Regarding the (A) versus (B) business, maybe it's Don Jr. I think it's also possible that Clovis is one of the sealed cases and the others are just other cases not related to the campaign.

This is informed speculation, though. We don't really know.

Dude, will you stop raining on the blind speculation?!

- - - Updated - - -

Wasn't the whole thing about Sessions recusing himself from the investigation that nobody shows him any of the stuff related to the investigation? That would include indictments they're preparing.

No, the whole thing about the Sessions recusing himself was a smoke screen, given that he almost immediately violated that recusal by participating in the firing of Comey.

Yeah. I remember the whole, 'he is going to resign' thing... and then he pulls out this recusal manuever... and we be all like... DAAAAAAAAAAAAAMN!!!! That was political sa-vvy!

 

[Malintent]

Can we not refer to him as "Papa"? George is short enough... or GP even.

Daddy issues?

That's my concern... not presently, but calling some other man that is about to serve 5 years in prison, "Papa", is just creepy. I'm too old to start developing daddy issues at this age.

 

[KeepTalking]

Take a look at this link:
https://hotair.com/archives/2017/10...-indictments-pending-papadopouloss-manaforts/

I had just finished reading that one, when I popped back in here and saw that you linked to it.

Don't jump to conclusions on this. The DoJ has 188 criminal cases filed this year (or maybe 201 where some are not completely "filed"). Roughly 1/3 are sealed. Between Papa's file and Manafourt's there are a bunch but the number is not out of range for the numerous cases filed this year. The number sealed are also not out of line from a statistical expectation of 1/3.

Regarding the (A) versus (B) business, maybe it's Don Jr. I think it's also possible that Clovis is one of the sealed cases and the others are just other cases not related to the campaign.

This is informed speculation, though. We don't really know.

Right. And my speculation isn't even all that informed. The link above also puts forward that John Podesta's brother might be the subject of the sealed indictment. That seems like pretty wild speculation to me. The Palmer report just seems a bit more credible in the way they talk about the (A) indictment. According to that article, it would have to be someone higher up the chain than Manafort, and that leaves very few people.

 

[Tom Sawyer]

Wasn't the whole thing about Sessions recusing himself from the investigation that nobody shows him any of the stuff related to the investigation? That would include indictments they're preparing.

No, the whole thing about the Sessions recusing himself was a smoke screen, given that he almost immediately violated that recusal by participating in the firing of Comey.

Yes, hence his lengthy jail term.

Just because he has no concern for the rule of law doesn't mean that the other people at the DoJ and on Mueller's term likewise don't give a shit about it.

 

[Malintent]

There are two things, one, George lied to the FBI and was arrested. This would remind people that they need to be honest or fear going to jail just for lying to the FBI.

One would think that after the Martha Stewart affair, that most people would have figured out that it is better to take the 5th with the FBI (or federal prosecutors) than to lie, or perhaps even talk to them...

Not positive here, but I believe that action would fall under Contempt of Court.. for which there is no maximum sentence... a person sits in jail until they agree to cooperate with the court order... or they can sit it out in jail for the rest of their lives.

 

[blastula]

Hmmm, what connection does a campaign manager have to the campaign they are managing? I have to admit, I am mystified!

Liberals claim that the campaign manager has a connection to the campaign because of a conspiracy by George Soros! It's the only possible explanation!

SOMEBODY DO SOMETHING!

 

[Horatio Parker]

President Donald Trump’s indicted former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, owes his criminal legal troubles, in no small measure, to three ordinary Brooklynites.

One of them, Katia Kelly, is a 56-year-old grandmother who photographs and writes about her Carroll Gardens neighborhood on her blog, Pardon Me for Asking. Last February, Kelly revealed that a dilapidated-looking brownstone that was creating an eyesore two blocks from her home is owned by the Washington super-lobbyist.
“I don’t know what to make of all this,” Kelly wrote on Feb. 16, after examining public records of the 2012 sale of the house and a 2013 renovation permit. “Maybe one of my readers can interpret these transactions?”

Diving into Manafort’s real-estate transactions after Kelly’s blog post, one of the first red flags Russo and Termine noticed was that 377 Union Street was initially purchased for cash and then remortgaged by the Federal Savings Bank, whose chief executive officer happened to be Trump economic adviser Stephen Calk.

Turns out that that $3M property had $12M in mortgages....

https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-brooklyn-bloggers-who-brought-down-paul-manafort

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

Diving into Manafort’s real-estate transactions after Kelly’s blog post, one of the first red flags Russo and Termine noticed was that 377 Union Street was initially purchased for cash and then remortgaged by the Federal Savings Bank, whose chief executive officer happened to be Trump economic adviser Stephen Calk.

Turns out that that $3M property had $12M in mortgages....

https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-brooklyn-bloggers-who-brought-down-paul-manafort

That's okay, who doesn't owe 400% on their mortgage? I know when I bought my house with cash, I immediately got a mortgage worth 4 times my house was worth. Banks just give people cash like its worthless Zimbabwe currency.

That is pretty incredible. Blog post -> blog post -> The New Yorker -> FBI Indictment

When this started coming out, a guy on NPR noted that the cash sale followed by mortgage was a red flag for money laundering. The bigger issue is how this money trail continues.

 

[ZiprHead]

Daddy issues?

That's my concern... not presently, but calling some other man that is about to serve 5 years in prison, "Papa", is just creepy. I'm too old to start developing daddy issues at this age.

Prosecutors are recommending 0 to 6 month jail time and less than ten grand in fines. I suspect his cooperation has a lot to do with such a small punishment. Not to mention the almost certainty he wore a wire for the feds after being charged.

 

[Malintent]

That's my concern... not presently, but calling some other man that is about to serve 5 years in prison, "Papa", is just creepy. I'm too old to start developing daddy issues at this age.

Prosecutors are recommending 0 to 6 month jail time and less than ten grand in fines. I suspect his cooperation has a lot to do with such a small punishment. Not to mention the almost certainty he wore a wire for the feds after being charged.

Hate to be a bubble-buster about the wire thing... It makes sense and I would hope it is true... however, the court papers associated with his (previously secret) criminal trial indicate that he was ordered to "make no contact with any person affiliated with [the campaign]". So wearing a wire and talking to these guys would have been a violation in the court's eyes. It could aslo have been an intentional smoke screen so that if anything done there leaked, it would not look like he was turned.

"hey, it's me, George.. look, I'm not really supposed to be talking to you right now, but I really need to who that was that you met with.... I don't want my story messing you up..."

 

[Underseer]

Are there any conservatives left who think that debunking the dossier will prove Trump innocent? Seems like only yesterday they were all acting like the dossier was the only evidence.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

Are there any conservatives left who think that debunking the dossier will prove Trump innocent? Seems like only yesterday they were all acting like the dossier was the only evidence.

Have significant portions, minor portions?, been debunked from the dossier yet?