RussiaGate

[Jimmy Higgins]

ABC's Brian Ross reports: Michael Flynn promised "full cooperation to the Mueller team" and is prepared to testify that as a candidate, Donald Trump "directed him to make contact with the Russians."

https://www.realclearpolitics.com/v...p_trump_family_people_in_the_white_house.html

I am seeing some secondary news sites reference an ABC report that says Flynn will testify against Trump. Did he actually say that? Can't watch video atm...

From CNN:

The court filing today describes a “very senior member of the Presidential Transition Team” who directed Michael Flynn to contact officials from security council countries, including Russia, to learn where each country stood on the UN Security Council vote regarding Israeli settlement activity.

 

[blastula]

The really interesting issue here is that Flynn bothered to lie at all about these contacts with Kislyak. And the $64,000 question is, why did he lie? It seems unlikely that he was worried about the Logan Act, which bars private citizens from engaging in international diplomacy.

One possibility is that Flynn lied because he was trying to hide a longer course of contacts between the Trump campaign and Russia. An earlier guilty plea elicited by the Mueller team showed that Russia was trying to make contact with the campaign. The more contacts Mueller can show, the closer he is to a narrative that shows conspiratorial cooperation between Russia and Trump.

Flynn’s specific plea makes it harder for Trump to fire Mueller or pardon Flynn. The more Russia information emerges, the more any act of firing or pardon would look like obstruction of justice by the president. For now, Mueller’s investigation seems very likely to continue.

https://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2017-12-01/how-the-flynn-charges-box-in-trump

Every single person in the campaign we know of who had contacts with Russians has lied about them.

 

[hurtinbuckaroo]

Washington Post reports that their sources identify Kushner as the senior official Flynn was working with on the Russia contacts.

He'll do great in prison.

Trump's lawyer is already referring to Flynn as a "former Obama administration official". ROFLMAO

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

Great news everyone! White House denies it was just Kuschner!

The official said it's not accurate that Jared Kushner directed Flynn to talk to the Russian ambassador. This official said there were "fulsome discussions with the entire group" about Flynn's conversation with the ambassador, adding that multiple transition officials were involved in the decision.

This official defended Flynn's conversations and claimed the Obama White House knew about the discussions. "None of the conversations were improper and were authorized by the Obama administration," the official said, noting that the Trump team did have a different view on Russian sanctions than the outgoing Obama administration.

Which is, of course, why Flynn lied about the meeting!

Looks like the drip drip drip of Stupid Watergate had the spigot opened a bit.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

World awaits imminent Trump Tweet Shitfest

 

[hurtinbuckaroo]

Great news everyone! White House denies it was just Kuschner!

The official said it's not accurate that Jared Kushner directed Flynn to talk to the Russian ambassador. This official said there were "fulsome discussions with the entire group" about Flynn's conversation with the ambassador, adding that multiple transition officials were involved in the decision.

This official defended Flynn's conversations and claimed the Obama White House knew about the discussions. "None of the conversations were improper and were authorized by the Obama administration," the official said, noting that the Trump team did have a different view on Russian sanctions than the outgoing Obama administration.

Which is, of course, why Flynn lied about the meeting!

Looks like the drip drip drip of Stupid Watergate had the spigot opened a bit.

And why he entered a guilty plea. Because if Obama said it was OK, it must have been against the law.

It's past time for them to blame Hillary for this; his phone must be broken.

 

[Copernicus]

Genuine question from a guy that doesn't know anything about law:

- Could Trump feasibly end up in jail? If he's implicated in something, what would the likely outcome be?

He can't go to jail while in office. He would need to leave office, but neither the current Congress (impeachment) nor the VP+cabinet (i.e. Article 25) is likely to turn him out under any circumstances. Not with his approval rating at a steady, stable 38% and a base that will punish anyone who turns against him. In theory, Trump could be jailed after leaving office, but his successor would probably follow in Ford's footsteps and pardon him in order to "spare the country" of a messy trial of a former sitting president. So I doubt that Trump will ever go to jail. Some of his children and cronies very well may, however.

 

[hurtinbuckaroo]

Genuine question from a guy that doesn't know anything about law:

- Could Trump feasibly end up in jail? If he's implicated in something, what would the likely outcome be?

He can't go to jail while in office. He would need to leave office, but neither the current Congress (impeachment) nor the VP+cabinet (i.e. Article 25) is likely to turn him out under any circumstances. Not with his approval rating at a steady, stable 38% and a base that will punish anyone who turns against him. In theory, Trump could be jailed after leaving office, but his successor would probably follow in Ford's footsteps and pardon him in order to "spare the country" of a messy trial of a former sitting president. So I doubt that Trump will ever go to jail. Some of his children and cronies very well may, however.

I think it would "spare the country" if they did prosecute him. No one like him should ever sniff public office again. Nixon actually accomplished some things.

 

[ZiprHead]

Washington Post reports that their sources identify Kushner as the senior official Flynn was working with on the Russia contacts.

He'll do great in prison.

Trump's lawyer is already referring to Flynn as a "former Obama administration official". ROFLMAO

Gee, isn't that the same Obama that fired Flynn and warned Trump about him?

 

[Horatio Parker]

Washington Post reports that their sources identify Kushner as the senior official Flynn was working with on the Russia contacts.

He'll do great in prison.

Trump's lawyer is already referring to Flynn as a "former Obama administration official". ROFLMAO

Gee, isn't that the same Obama that fired Flynn and warned Trump about him?

Yeah, the one not born here.

 

[Tom Sawyer]

Flynn was a member of Obama’s administration and Trump fired him after less than a month.

One can’t say there’s some kind of connection between the two of them.

 

[Trausti]

ABC News Suspends Brian Ross for 4 Weeks Without Pay: ‘Effective Immediately’

 

[Ford]

Well I guess that wraps it all up. Nothing burger to see here. Move along.

 

[Don2 (Don1 Revised)]

Thanks Trausti. I guess we can just close the thread now.

 

[Trausti]

Thanks Trausti. I guess we can just close the thread now.

My apology for interrupting the circle jerk here. Continue on with your delusions.

 

[Horatio Parker]

ABC News Suspends Brian Ross for 4 Weeks Without Pay: ‘Effective Immediately’

So why did Flynn lie about these contacts?

 

[Don2 (Don1 Revised)]

My apology for interrupting the circle jerk here.

You can continue your circle jerk anytime, but please don't mention it to us again.

Continue on with your delusions.

People are being convicted and so perhaps you should spend less time jerking and more time reading factual material.

 

[laughing dog]

ABC News Suspends Brian Ross for 4 Weeks Without Pay: ‘Effective Immediately’

So why did Flynn lie about these contacts?

Excellent point. Why would Flynn feel the need to lie about those contacts? Its not like he was some fresh off the boat hayseed or anything.

 

[Copernicus]

So an anonymous "confidant" of Flynn was told what Flynn was prepared to testify about in court. Flynn has pled guilty to a felony and is working closely with his counsel and the FBI, but he also blabs everything to his "confidant", who then goes and blabs to the media. That sounds like really a smart idea on Flynn's part, doesn't it? He has struck a deal with Mueller and the court, but he can still get away with leaking stuff out that can make headlines. Because that would never upset the deal he made, right?

I'm just trying to imagine what it would be like to live in that fantasy world where Trump is somehow the misunderstood good guy in all of this.

 

[Toni]

So an anonymous "confidant" of Flynn was told what Flynn was prepared to testify about in court. Flynn has pled guilty to a felony and is working closely with his counsel and the FBI, but he also blabs everything to his "confidant", who then goes and blabs to the media. That sounds like really a smart idea on Flynn's part, doesn't it? He has struck a deal with Mueller and the court, but he can still get away with leaking stuff out that can make headlines. Because that would never upset the deal he made, right?

I'm just trying to imagine what it would be like to live in that fantasy world where Trump is somehow the misunderstood good guy in all of this.

I think you mean victim. Trump has obviously been a victim of an enormous witch hunt. Sad. So sad.

The only thing to do is to lock her up!