RussiaGate

[Jimmy Higgins]

With this White House, jokes aren't the problem.

No, no, that's EXACTLY the problem, here.
I mean, in vaudeville, there was a drum or a slide whistle to indicate 'that was a joke, he was joking, no one intended this to be taken seriously. You can laugh, s'alright.'

Reagan always did that wheezing laugh/cough thing to indicate that HE thought he'd made a funny.

Now? Half the time you're not sure if ANYONE could seriously say 'I'm not under investigation, why would I be? I've done nothing wrong?' or 'Honey, take daddy's seat at the summit, please. Or throw the Pokeball at the Department of Education, shouting 'DeVos, I choose you!'

...But then you find that they were serious....'

Speaking as a life-long class clown, I have to say, if you don't know whether to laugh or cry, that's a problem with the jokes!

Well, this is why Dave Chapelle needs to be in the White House press corp.

"A follow up if I may, are you fucking serious?!"

 

[barbos]

Exactly right. Trump has been arguing that his hour-long tete-a-tete with Putin at the G20 dinner party--with no one other than Putin's translator listening in--was inconsequential. When asked what they talked about, he mentioned "adoptions":

Trump says he exchanged ‘pleasantries,’ talked adoptions with Putin at G-20 dinner

Heh... "adoption" is the new word for money laundering:
View attachment 11892

This is a good one
LOL

 

[Keith&Co.]

Well, this is why Dave Chapelle needs to be in the White House press corp.

"A follow up if I may, are you fucking serious?!"

...Dave AND a five year old.
"Scuse me while I ask Timmy about that. Timmy? Did you hear the man say that he's not under investigation AND that the investigators shouldn't look into his finances?"
"Yeah. (giggle) like when Daddy apologizes to Mommy and she says there's nothing to apologize for and then she accepts his apology."
"That's right, Timmy. See, Mr. President, even Timmy knows that's bulllllllshit.""

Or
"Suzy, did you hear the President say that it would be a violation to look into his tax returns?"
"A violation of what?"
"A violation of what, Mr. President? Can you cite the legal basis for your claim or is it more bullllllllshit?"

 

[Sea of red]

He's finished.

When you start talking about pardons, you know you're on the road to indictments.

People don't understand that the probe into Trumps campaign has never been about emails, or anything like that. Such a connection is difficult to prove, even with people as stupid as the Trumps. But money? That's easy to trace and prove criminal intent.

FISA warrants don't go out to prove some people might have knowledge of leaked emails, or be working with Wikileaks, but they do go out to people that are moving money.

Money is not that easy to trace and takes time.

It is also a possibility that money going from Russia to Delaware has been cleaned at some point via Panama or Cyprus which are two popular laundries and filters for the Russian Mafia.

You're not taking into account a few things.

Firstly, Trumps relationship with Russian mafia/oligarchs goes back decades before he thought about running for president, so he didn't have a reason to cover his tracks. For years his casinos and hotels have been hotbeds for Russian mafia activity, and the Taj was caught violating money laundering laws before. I'm sure you know the history to some extent, so I won't bore you.

Secondly, it's not just a matter of whether a crime was committed. He has denied that he has any Russian flux of money outside of his 'a few' dealings in public. But of course, his moron blue blood sons couldn't keep their fucking mouths shut, and they disclosed that most of their financing comes out of Russia - which he has denied.

All that needs a lookie loo is the FinCEN data. That will reveal everything that even his tax returns might not. Any activity that has been flagged over the years by banks will be seen, any foreign bank accounts can be seen, any foreign loans can be scrutinized, and the names of people that have bought his real estate or lent him money would be revealed.

The fact that his son was like "we just go to Russia" tells me the transactions would be pretty straight forward.

 

[whichphilosophy]

Money is not that easy to trace and takes time.

It is also a possibility that money going from Russia to Delaware has been cleaned at some point via Panama or Cyprus which are two popular laundries and filters for the Russian Mafia.

You're not taking into account a few things.

Firstly, Trumps relationship with Russian mafia/oligarchs goes back decades before he thought about running for president, so he didn't have a reason to cover his tracks. For years his casinos and hotels have been hotbeds for Russian mafia activity, and the Taj was caught violating money laundering laws before. I'm sure you know the history to some extent, so I won't bore you.

Secondly, it's not just a matter of whether a crime was committed. He has denied that he has any Russian flux of money outside of his 'a few' dealings in public. But of course, his moron blue blood sons couldn't keep their fucking mouths shut, and they disclosed that most of their financing comes out of Russia - which he has denied.

All that needs a lookie loo is the FinCEN data. That will reveal everything that even his tax returns might not. Any activity that has been flagged over the years by banks will be seen, any foreign bank accounts can be seen, any foreign loans can be scrutinized, and the names of people that have bought his real estate or lent him money would be revealed.

The fact that his son was like "we just go to Russia" tells me the transactions would be pretty straight forward.

If anyone is running casinos, than some kind of mob appearance is extremely likely. However mobs tend to deal through underground banking systems even without actual movements of money.

In a recent article in USA today it is peppered with the usual 'allegedly,'

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news...es-russian-mobsters-organized-crime/98321252/

Trump's business network reached alleged Russian mobsters.

However since Russia's mainstream businesses stemmed from underground enterprises that grew during the Soviet era it would be likely that anyone dealing large Russian enterprises would be dealing with someone who was tainted in some way by crime syndicates.

Now as I mentioned Cyprus and Panama have been popular laundries (not mini laundromats) for Russian activities. Washing is more complex as many legitimate companies (or seeming to be) were weaned on crime money. This by the way could be applied to the USA.

Assuming any guilt on the part of Trump, than with the clumsy reporting that goes on he would have had a lot of time to cover his tracks thus making things harder. After all such reports if turning out to be true but not fully researched are excellent warning signals.

Here is a dated article which is still very relevant today>


An old article printed in 1999 is interesting though the method of trafficking has changed with tighter regulation on banking. Again this would be speculative as to the amounts and where this money came from.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/464936.stm
Some $7bn is thought to be involved in the Bank of New York affair, a drop in the ocean of the $300bn estimated to be laundered annually.

As the rouble plummeted, everyone tried to get money out of Russia. This created some confusion over what was capital flight and what was money laundering. Some reports have raised questions about banks, who went bust, but who have stashed away hard currency outside of Russia.

Further as quoted in the article I think this is very much alive today.

In some other systems, no money is moved at all, electronically or otherwise. Underground banking systems operate. Most commonly known as hawallah, they are said to operate in Russia, the Middle East and Asia.

A "payment" is made in one country, then someone picks up the cash from a member of the syndicate in another country. At a later date there is a settling up within the system. UNQUOTE

The money is moved through networks of brokers but without any actual movement of money. There are no trails of receipts or promissory notes as this system is rooted in trust.

The feasibility of any country dealing with Russian enterprises and having at least indirect links to crime is quite high, even if someone imports a container full of tinned Borscht.

 

[starwater]

Ah Cheato is now trying to deflect! So typical.

Wants to know why Hillary is not being investigated.

 

[blastula]

Ah Cheato is now trying to deflect! So typical.

Wants to know why Hillary is not being investigated.

"Our beleaguered A.G." He does know he's doing the beleaguering?

 

[LordKiran]

Ah Cheato is now trying to deflect! So typical.

Wants to know why Hillary is not being investigated.

Why isn't Hillary being investigated? Because he chose not to. Remember that special prosecutor that never materialized?

 

[starwater]

Ah Cheato is now trying to deflect! So typical.

Wants to know why Hillary is not being investigated.

Why isn't Hillary being investigated? Because he chose not to. Remember that special prosecutor that never materialized?

Yes but that doesn't fit with a selective memory and him trying to duck and cover.

 

[Elixir]

Why isn't Hillary being investigated? Because he chose not to. Remember that special prosecutor that never materialized?

Yes but that doesn't fit with a selective memory and him trying to duck and cover.

Has anyone ever bother to point out that executing Hillary and Obama would have no effect upon the trajectory of this country, whereas simply impeaching Cheato would?

 

[RavenSky]

deleted response to WP's healthcare derail

 

[Warpoet]

"Our beleaguered A.G." He does know he's doing the beleaguering?

Oh, I don't think he even knows what beleaguered means. Probably heard a much smarter person use it and then convinced himself it was his word all along.

 

[whichphilosophy]

deleted response to WP's healthcare derail

Maybe wrong thread. I do that sometimes.

 

[Elixir]

"Our beleaguered A.G." He does know he's doing the beleaguering?

Oh, I don't think he even knows what beleaguered means. Probably heard a much smarter person use it and then convinced himself it was his word all along.

Obviously someone explained to FfvC last week that he could appoint a yes-man as AG, but ONLY if it was a recess appointment. Otherwise it would have to be someone qualified eno0ugh to make it through Senate confirmation. Cheato's feral instincts have since directed him to pressure the rat-faced weasel he appointed to the AG position in the first place to resign, since firing him then hiring someone to fire Mueller would look even worse than having rat-face resign, and then doing the same thing. Some pivotal questions will be answered in the relatively short term here.

* Will McConnell keep Congress in session to prevent Cheato from making a recess appointment? He did that to prevent Obama from making a recess appointment, but he probably lacks the courage, conviction and dedication to the rule of law to do that to the Rethuglicans' useful fool.
* When Cheato's tool fires Mueller, will the goods gathered in Mueller's investigation so far be remitted to the House and/or Senate Intelligence Committee investigators?
* Will Chris Christie's lawyer be confirmed as FBI director, and report directly to Cheato, despite the fact that the FBI has always been a part of the Justice Department, SEPARATE from and co-equal with the executive branch?

The way these questions are resolved will determine whether the US reverts to democracy or continues its decline into a banana republic-style government by thuggery.

 

[ElectEngr]

I was hearing on MSNBC last night that Cheetolini might try a remove and replace of the A G during the August Recess. I worry that IF the Dems try to filibuster the recess, Il Douchebag may pull this.

Article II Section 3.

and in case of disagreement between them, with respect to the time of adjournment, he may adjourn them to such time as he shall think proper;

and rule by fiat

Later,
ElectEngr

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

One would think even the Republicans would have issue with that, replacing Sessions during a recess.

 

[Keith&Co.]

One would think even the Republicans would have issue with that, replacing Sessions during a recess.

No. Then, no matter what happens, their hands are clean.
Not their responsibility.

 

[TV and credit cards]

One would think even the Republicans would have issue with that, replacing Sessions during a recess.

No. Then, no matter what happens, their hands are clean.
Not their responsibility.

I think we're past that point. Trump and the direction of the US is their responsibility.
Some senators are sticking up for Sessions. On the house side, Balless Paul deferred.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

One would think even the Republicans would have issue with that, replacing Sessions during a recess.

No. Then, no matter what happens, their hands are clean.
Not their responsibility.

They still control Congress, so if something bad happens in the Exec Branch, it still smears them. Besides, they can't just say nothing and then claim they were against these actions. Republicans may actually have to get a backbone when it comes to integrity. I know, it is a reach.

 

[Keith&Co.]

No. Then, no matter what happens, their hands are clean.
Not their responsibility.

They still control Congress, so if something bad happens in the Exec Branch, it still smears them.

I don't think they're counting on rational analysis by their base. I would expect they're hoping that when Trump's base finally turns on him, they can claim he was never really GOP, so nothing to do with them.