Trumps fixer has only one client. Trump.
The "D" day pool, best guess as to when Trump is out
- Thread starter DIY-HP-LED
- Start date
DIY-HP-LED
Well-Known Member
PARDON ME! A pardon is an admission of guilt and it won't get the files back!
greg nr
Well-Known Member
Yeah, it's hard to understand what his angle is beyond delay. Trump could pardon him, in which case some of the same charges could be picked up by the ny ag. Bank fraud isn't just a federal crime.
Trump won't pardon him though, even if he promises to. It would open him up to another round of obstruction charges. He doesn't take bullets for anyone. Although he might make the calculation that obstruction is a lesser charge than what cohen could nail him for.
But as you say, a pardon will open cohen up to a lot of questions he might have to answer. He can only take the fifth against incriminating himself. Not trump. He could just lie, in which case trump would have to pardon cohen for that as well, and on and on it would go. Trump can pardon him for past crimes only, not future ones.
Sour Wreck
Well-Known Member
i am more than convinced, the majority of republicans will never accept that trump has done anything wrong. they will blame this on the deep state, rinos and liberals. these are lowest IQ, least independent thinking people in America. I have no more hope for the fucking hillbillies...
DIY-HP-LED
Well-Known Member
I'd say Donald is in a difficult spot! Cohen can squeal and make it all go away, not Donald. If he could arrange a pardon with Pence he would resign, but seriously, would you trust Mike Pence (one of the best bald faced liars I've seen)! Sure boss, sure.... Donald is screwed and Cohen would be better off with Mueller than a pardon. If Donald goes down for russian conspiracy and other crimes, waving a Trump pardon around would be like waving a piece of used toilet paper.
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greg nr
Well-Known Member
It's interesting that there is a pissing match beginning between trump and pence. Trump just unilaterally blocked pence's nominee for a nat sec adviser. The guy is a never trumper, but he had already been approved by trump to work for nikki haley, so what changed?
I guess he must be pissed over the 25 amendment possibility and is trying to brush back pence, but trump doesn't seem to think beyond the moment. Pissing pence off can have consequences if he resigns to avoid conviction in the senate (I doubt it will come to that though).
DIY-HP-LED
Well-Known Member
Ah Donald, even with all your troubles, yer still thinking of Vlad and putting him first, how sweet!
Trump puts the brakes on new Russian sanctions, reversing Haley’s announcement
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-puts-the-brake-on-new-russian-sanctions-reversing-haleys-announcement/2018/04/16/ac3ad4f8-417f-11e8-8569-26fda6b404c7_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.b3d2f890bfda
By Philip Rucker, Carol D. Leonnig, Anton Troianovski and Greg Jaffe April 16 at 2:13 PM Email the author
President Trump on Monday put the brakes on a preliminary plan to impose additional economic sanctions on Russia, walking back a Sunday announcement by U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley that the Kremlin had swiftly denounced as “international economic raiding.”
Preparations to punish Russia anew for its support of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s government over the alleged chemical weapons attack in Syria caused consternation at the White House. Haley had said on CBS News’s “Face the Nation” that sanctions on Russian companies behind the equipment related to Assad’s alleged chemical weapons attack would be announced Monday by Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin.
But Trump conferred with his national security advisers later Sunday and told them he was upset the sanctions were being officially rolled out because he was not yet comfortable executing them, according to several people familiar with the plan.
Administration officials said the economic sanctions were under serious consideration, along with other measures that could be taken against Russia, but said Trump had not given final authorization to implement them. Administration officials said Monday it was unlikely Trump would approve any additional sanctions without another triggering event by Russia, describing the strategy as being in a holding pattern.
More...
Trump puts the brakes on new Russian sanctions, reversing Haley’s announcement
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-puts-the-brake-on-new-russian-sanctions-reversing-haleys-announcement/2018/04/16/ac3ad4f8-417f-11e8-8569-26fda6b404c7_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.b3d2f890bfda
By Philip Rucker, Carol D. Leonnig, Anton Troianovski and Greg Jaffe April 16 at 2:13 PM Email the author
President Trump on Monday put the brakes on a preliminary plan to impose additional economic sanctions on Russia, walking back a Sunday announcement by U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley that the Kremlin had swiftly denounced as “international economic raiding.”
Preparations to punish Russia anew for its support of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s government over the alleged chemical weapons attack in Syria caused consternation at the White House. Haley had said on CBS News’s “Face the Nation” that sanctions on Russian companies behind the equipment related to Assad’s alleged chemical weapons attack would be announced Monday by Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin.
But Trump conferred with his national security advisers later Sunday and told them he was upset the sanctions were being officially rolled out because he was not yet comfortable executing them, according to several people familiar with the plan.
Administration officials said the economic sanctions were under serious consideration, along with other measures that could be taken against Russia, but said Trump had not given final authorization to implement them. Administration officials said Monday it was unlikely Trump would approve any additional sanctions without another triggering event by Russia, describing the strategy as being in a holding pattern.
More...
DIY-HP-LED
Well-Known Member
A normal person in Trump's position would eat a bullet or have a heart attack or stroke, but then again Trump ain't normal. Maybe someone could suggest a run to moscow then spook him bigly! Isn't Vlad coming for a state visit with all the bells and whistles soon? Donald can't upset Vlad, Mueller and the NYC raid are one thing, but Donald doesn't want to piss off Vlad! Vlad's compromot on Donald must be HUGE and mighty indeed, Donald is definitely his bitch! Maybe he'll sleep in the Lincoln bedroom with Melania, Donald will pimp her...
DIY-HP-LED
Well-Known Member
Sean Hannity is having confidential information reviewed by the FBI, he'd better hope it wasn't anything illegal, cause there are a few folks in the FBI that wouldn't mind busting his ass. Here he was ranting on FOX about it and trashing the DOJ and FBI without mentioning he was a party to the story on Cohen's office raid.
Donald is acting real squirrely with canceling the Russian sanctions, the WH has spun out three different versions so far. A simpler explanation for Trump's action on russian sanctions is that Vlad owns him and was pissed about it, they were dropped after a call to the WH by the russian embassy. Somebody told Donald about the sanctions, or they were in a briefing paper, he might have even signed off on it, but he wasn't interested in the job and wasn't paying attention to what he was doing or what he was responsible for. Donald fucked up on this by not paying attention to his job and when new sanctions for russia came across his desk he probably signed off without looking or caring, until Vlad called!
Looks like the NYC shit has thrown Donald off his game, I'm pretty sure Rosenstein would have been fired by now. Donald has limited attentional skills and abilities and keeping him distracted with the NYC business and even Comey's book helps Mueller complete his job. Wonder what else they are gonna throw at him as he struggles to keep from going under, something heavy I hope, "Here Donald catch this too"!
Donald is acting real squirrely with canceling the Russian sanctions, the WH has spun out three different versions so far. A simpler explanation for Trump's action on russian sanctions is that Vlad owns him and was pissed about it, they were dropped after a call to the WH by the russian embassy. Somebody told Donald about the sanctions, or they were in a briefing paper, he might have even signed off on it, but he wasn't interested in the job and wasn't paying attention to what he was doing or what he was responsible for. Donald fucked up on this by not paying attention to his job and when new sanctions for russia came across his desk he probably signed off without looking or caring, until Vlad called!
Looks like the NYC shit has thrown Donald off his game, I'm pretty sure Rosenstein would have been fired by now. Donald has limited attentional skills and abilities and keeping him distracted with the NYC business and even Comey's book helps Mueller complete his job. Wonder what else they are gonna throw at him as he struggles to keep from going under, something heavy I hope, "Here Donald catch this too"!
DIY-HP-LED
Well-Known Member
Sean Hannity Forgot To Mention Something...
Late breaking news revealing Sean Hannity as Michael Cohen's secret client literally knocks Stephen off his feet.
Sour Wreck
Well-Known Member
i had a about 30 min debate with my fathers preacher this morning. these people actually think shit would be worse under hillary. can't fix stupid...
greg nr
Well-Known Member
The term "Conspiracy" seems to fit here......
https://www.rawstory.com/2018/04/former-nsa-analyst-connects-dots-sean-hannity-julian-assange-russian-spies/
Former NSA analyst connects the dots between Sean Hannity, Julian Assange and Russian spies
https://www.rawstory.com/2018/04/former-nsa-analyst-connects-dots-sean-hannity-julian-assange-russian-spies/
Former NSA analyst connects the dots between Sean Hannity, Julian Assange and Russian spies
Sean Hannity finds himself in a professionally problematic situation after he was outed in federal court as the mystery third client of President Donald Trump’s personal attorney Michael Cohen — but he could potentially be in deeper trouble.
The Fox News broadcaster neglected to inform viewers of his personal ties to Cohen despite repeatedly discussing the attorney and the FBI raid on his home and office, which likely includes evidence related to Hannity’s discussions with him.
It’s not clear what evidence relating to Hannity could have been turned up by the search warrant, or whether those documents or recordings would be of any interest to investigators.
But former National Security analyst John Schindler and others have been warning for months that Hannity has helped the president spread Russian propaganda through his nightly Fox News broadcasts and daily syndicated radio program.
Schindler claims the Fox News broadcaster has been under counterintelligence investigation for his links to the Kremlin, which appear to run through WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.
“We need to ask questions about Hannity’s relationship with the Kremlin, considering his track record of pushing rancid Russian disinformation on his Fox News program,” Schindler said. “Hannity is a propagandist, not a journalist, by his own admission, but if he has served as a witting conduit for lies crafted by Russian spies, Fox News needs to explain why they are airing Kremlin Active Measures aimed at the American public and calling it ‘news.'”
“Intelligence Community friends have told me that Sean Hannity has been under counterintelligence investigation for some time, based on his clandestine ties to Moscow,” he added. “Now we know why.”
Hannity played a key role in promoting a conspiracy theory about slain Democratic National Committee staffer Seth Rich, whose family has sued Fox News over a since-retracted May 2017 article posted on the network’s website.
Fox News Malia Zimmerman and frequent Fox News guest Ed Butowsky reported that Rich had leaked thousands of internal DNC emails that U.S. intelligence and law enforcement agencies believe were stolen by Russian hackers.-----
more....
The Fox News broadcaster neglected to inform viewers of his personal ties to Cohen despite repeatedly discussing the attorney and the FBI raid on his home and office, which likely includes evidence related to Hannity’s discussions with him.
It’s not clear what evidence relating to Hannity could have been turned up by the search warrant, or whether those documents or recordings would be of any interest to investigators.
But former National Security analyst John Schindler and others have been warning for months that Hannity has helped the president spread Russian propaganda through his nightly Fox News broadcasts and daily syndicated radio program.
Schindler claims the Fox News broadcaster has been under counterintelligence investigation for his links to the Kremlin, which appear to run through WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.
“We need to ask questions about Hannity’s relationship with the Kremlin, considering his track record of pushing rancid Russian disinformation on his Fox News program,” Schindler said. “Hannity is a propagandist, not a journalist, by his own admission, but if he has served as a witting conduit for lies crafted by Russian spies, Fox News needs to explain why they are airing Kremlin Active Measures aimed at the American public and calling it ‘news.'”
“Intelligence Community friends have told me that Sean Hannity has been under counterintelligence investigation for some time, based on his clandestine ties to Moscow,” he added. “Now we know why.”
Hannity played a key role in promoting a conspiracy theory about slain Democratic National Committee staffer Seth Rich, whose family has sued Fox News over a since-retracted May 2017 article posted on the network’s website.
Fox News Malia Zimmerman and frequent Fox News guest Ed Butowsky reported that Rich had leaked thousands of internal DNC emails that U.S. intelligence and law enforcement agencies believe were stolen by Russian hackers.-----
more....
captainmorgan
Well-Known Member
You mean Fox has been spreading lies and propaganda, that's hard to believe. Next thing you'll try to tell me is Fox & Friends are not my friends, I know that's not true.
greg nr
Well-Known Member
Awww, poor bubbie. He can't seem to get anyone competent to work for him. Reality has sanity requirement in some cases.
https://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/lawyers-spurn-trump-over-bills-listening-legal-advise
Lawyers Spurn Trump Over Concerns He Won’t Pay Bills, Listen To Legal Advice
https://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/lawyers-spurn-trump-over-bills-listening-legal-advise
Lawyers Spurn Trump Over Concerns He Won’t Pay Bills, Listen To Legal Advice
WASHINGTON (AP) — Several prominent lawyers asked to help represent President Donald Trump in the last year have spurned the assignment at least partly out of concerns he wouldn’t pay his bills and doesn’t listen to legal advice, according to people familiar with the conversations.
The result is that as investigators intensify their focus on the president’s inner circle, including his personal lawyer, Trump has been left with a lean legal team that has struggled to add criminal defense firepower. Though more lawyers may come aboard soon, Trump has time and again struck out in landing some of Washington’s most notable attorneys. The extra help may be especially needed in the critical months ahead, as special counsel Robert Mueller seeks an interview with Trump and reaches conclusions on whether the president engaged in obstruction of justice.
That Trump does not have multiple brand-name criminal defense lawyers is startling since, in ordinary circumstances, representing the president in a hugely consequential legal fight would be a dream assignment. President Bill Clinton, for instance, was navigated through the Whitewater scandal by lawyers from Williams & Connolly, one of Washington’s most highly regarded firms.
At least one lawyer who was approached but rejected the opportunity made clear to the White House that he’d expect Trump to refrain from discussing the investigation on social media, according to a lawyer familiar with the exchange who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss confidential client matters. That admonition has apparently gone unheeded.
In at least one other case, a major law firm that contemplated an overture to one of its lawyers was turned off by the idea of a “client who attacks the essence of our legal system” and concern that “he treats his lawyers like vendors he can avoid paying,” according to one person at the firm who also spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss confidential client matters. That concern is rooted in a multitude of lawsuits Trump and his business organization have faced from lawyers, real estate brokers and others over unpaid bills. Just one example: A Florida golf club owned by Trump agreed this year to a multimillion-dollar settlement with former members who said the club refused to refund their deposits.
“Obviously this is an unusual situation because it’s perfectly obvious that Mr. Trump likes to be his own lawyer, and lawyers have to be concerned about their own reputation. And I’m sure that factors into their thinking,” said Bill Jeffress, once part of President Richard Nixon’s legal team.
On any lawyer’s mind, Jeffress said: “Are your statements to the prosecutors going to be undercut by your client’s tweet the next morning?”
more at tpm....
The result is that as investigators intensify their focus on the president’s inner circle, including his personal lawyer, Trump has been left with a lean legal team that has struggled to add criminal defense firepower. Though more lawyers may come aboard soon, Trump has time and again struck out in landing some of Washington’s most notable attorneys. The extra help may be especially needed in the critical months ahead, as special counsel Robert Mueller seeks an interview with Trump and reaches conclusions on whether the president engaged in obstruction of justice.
That Trump does not have multiple brand-name criminal defense lawyers is startling since, in ordinary circumstances, representing the president in a hugely consequential legal fight would be a dream assignment. President Bill Clinton, for instance, was navigated through the Whitewater scandal by lawyers from Williams & Connolly, one of Washington’s most highly regarded firms.
At least one lawyer who was approached but rejected the opportunity made clear to the White House that he’d expect Trump to refrain from discussing the investigation on social media, according to a lawyer familiar with the exchange who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss confidential client matters. That admonition has apparently gone unheeded.
In at least one other case, a major law firm that contemplated an overture to one of its lawyers was turned off by the idea of a “client who attacks the essence of our legal system” and concern that “he treats his lawyers like vendors he can avoid paying,” according to one person at the firm who also spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss confidential client matters. That concern is rooted in a multitude of lawsuits Trump and his business organization have faced from lawyers, real estate brokers and others over unpaid bills. Just one example: A Florida golf club owned by Trump agreed this year to a multimillion-dollar settlement with former members who said the club refused to refund their deposits.
“Obviously this is an unusual situation because it’s perfectly obvious that Mr. Trump likes to be his own lawyer, and lawyers have to be concerned about their own reputation. And I’m sure that factors into their thinking,” said Bill Jeffress, once part of President Richard Nixon’s legal team.
On any lawyer’s mind, Jeffress said: “Are your statements to the prosecutors going to be undercut by your client’s tweet the next morning?”
more at tpm....
greg nr
Well-Known Member
They only need One friend...... and a bunch of advertisers.
DIY-HP-LED
Well-Known Member
Carpet chewing tantrums in the oval office and constant rage are wearing a little thin, the Donald doth protest too much, methinks! Donald needs an anger management course (it wouldn't work, but would be fun to watch) before he blows a fuse or a blood vessel. This constant freaking out is a bit much to take seriously, Donald obviously has a gigantic hair up his ass causing him to squirm mighty.
In light of the raid on Cohen's office, I wonder if the GOP is concerned about what might come out of it between now and november. Nothing like corruption trials, guilty pleas, confessions, plea deals, convictions, special council's reports and national security trials to spice up a midterm election! Not to worry though, since the republican effort will be lead by Trump, what could go wrong. Donald is gonna be out there campaigning for GOP house and senate members with all the cash the RNC has, after Donald and his family's legal fees are covered. I'm sure many house and senate candidates are gonna be thrilled to have Donald leading the cause and look forward to his tweets and pubic utterances!
We are only half way through april here folks and there's a little over 6 months to the midterms and the GOP house members are already jumping ship, lead by captain Ryan. Mitch is worried about holding onto the senate and the GOP leadership and donor class are worried about regaining control of the party from Trump and his base of lunatics and losers.
It's gonna be a busy and interesting spring and summer, Christ knows what autum will bring in the lead up to the election. Donald the clown continues to make Dumbo the GOP elephant jump through flaming hoops on a high wire. Dumbo is a might nervous and his only way out is to KILL THE CLOWN!
In light of the raid on Cohen's office, I wonder if the GOP is concerned about what might come out of it between now and november. Nothing like corruption trials, guilty pleas, confessions, plea deals, convictions, special council's reports and national security trials to spice up a midterm election! Not to worry though, since the republican effort will be lead by Trump, what could go wrong. Donald is gonna be out there campaigning for GOP house and senate members with all the cash the RNC has, after Donald and his family's legal fees are covered. I'm sure many house and senate candidates are gonna be thrilled to have Donald leading the cause and look forward to his tweets and pubic utterances!
We are only half way through april here folks and there's a little over 6 months to the midterms and the GOP house members are already jumping ship, lead by captain Ryan. Mitch is worried about holding onto the senate and the GOP leadership and donor class are worried about regaining control of the party from Trump and his base of lunatics and losers.
It's gonna be a busy and interesting spring and summer, Christ knows what autum will bring in the lead up to the election. Donald the clown continues to make Dumbo the GOP elephant jump through flaming hoops on a high wire. Dumbo is a might nervous and his only way out is to KILL THE CLOWN!
greg nr
Well-Known Member
Still not enough republican support to have any hope. These are mostly retiring. Ryan is still saying nyet... It won't get out of committee without leadership nods
Several House Republicans endorse bill to protect Mueller
Source: Politico
A handful of House Republicans have endorsed legislation that would protect special counsel Robert Mueller from any attempt by President Donald Trump to remove him, even as GOP leaders insist that such legislation is unnecessary.
Rep. Charlie Dent introduced a version of the bill on Friday, and on Monday, fellow Pennsylvania Republican Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick signed on as a cosponsor. Rep. Walter Jones (R-N.C.) signed on to an identical version of the bill that Democrats introduced last week.
The new GOP support for the bill comes despite continued assurances from Republican leaders in the House and Senate that Trump wouldn't dare fire Mueller.
"We do not believe that he should be fired. We do not believe he will be fired," Speaker Paul Ryan said Tuesday morning.
Rep. Charlie Dent introduced a version of the bill on Friday, and on Monday, fellow Pennsylvania Republican Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick signed on as a cosponsor. Rep. Walter Jones (R-N.C.) signed on to an identical version of the bill that Democrats introduced last week.
The new GOP support for the bill comes despite continued assurances from Republican leaders in the House and Senate that Trump wouldn't dare fire Mueller.
"We do not believe that he should be fired. We do not believe he will be fired," Speaker Paul Ryan said Tuesday morning.
Read more: https://www.politico.com/story/2018/04/17/mueller-protection-bill-supporters-528390
DIY-HP-LED
Well-Known Member
Commentary:
Donald Trump has never been in more trouble than right now
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/commentary/ct-donald-trump-michael-cohen-trouble-20180410-story.html
Paul Waldman
The Washington Post
As you've heard, federal agents raided the office and home of Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump's personal attorney. Yet despite how rare an action it is to pierce attorney-client privilege this way, the big picture story here seems inevitable: Once a serious prosecutor with resources and authority began taking a good long look at Trump and his associates, a bunch of people were going to be in big trouble, with some winding up behind bars.
I checked in with Barbara McQuade, a former U.S. Attorney, to get context on the Cohen raid. She emphasized how rare it is for prosecutors to get a warrant for privileged material: Breaching attorney-client privilege in this way only happens when the attorney himself is directly implicated in possible crimes. She also stressed that, because it's such a radical step for prosecutors to take, a complex system of safeguards has been established to make sure it can't be abused.
First, if the Cohen raid took special counsel Robert Mueller into a new area of investigation, he would have had to get the permission of Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who oversees the probe. Then to get this kind of warrant, according to Justice Department rules, Mueller needed to get the permission of the U.S. Attorney — in this case, Geoffrey Berman of the Southern District of New York, who was appointed by Trump — and had to consult with the Criminal Division of DOJ, giving them detailed information on exactly what he was seeking and why. Then a judge would have to be persuaded to issue the warrant. (ABC reported this morning that Berman has recused himself from the investigation, which means that others in his office are handling it.)
The upshot: The Cohen raid isn't a "fishing expedition" and didn't happen because Mueller suspected he might find something interesting, despite how Trump himself and his defenders would like to characterize it as a case of a special prosecutor out of control.
"A judge has found probable cause to believe that evidence of a crime is housed in the office of Michael Cohen," McQuade told me. "They may have a goal of flipping him, but there's also evidence of a crime here."
McQuade also stressed that Mueller didn't raid Cohen's office. Instead, the Southern District of New York did. "They would have drafted the warrant, supervised the agent affidavit, presented it to the judge, and supervised the execution of it," McQuade said. "So the idea that Mueller raided Cohen is wrong."
The raid on Cohen's office and home could produce all kinds of evidence, some related to his relationship with his client, and some not. They've got files, computers, cell phones, everything. Anyone who knows Cohen knows that there is bound to be a whole lot of interesting stuff to be found.
The privileged information will then go to what's sometimes referred to as a "taint team," a group of Justice Department officials who will review it and decide whether it shows enough evidence of a crime that it falls outside attorney-client privilege. They will then pass that information on to a judge, who could then permit it to be used by Mueller, by the U.S. Attorney's office, by the New York state attorney general, or by the Manhattan district attorney. In other words, Cohen — and by extension, Trump — now has to worry about more than just Mueller.
Now let's take a step back. One remarkable thing about the 2016 election is the way Trump's business career was given such a superficial examination by the media as a whole. Again and again, some crazy story or unusual aspect of his financial life would be the topic of one or two investigative stories, but those stories wouldn't get pick up by other outlets.
Making this more problematic, Trump isn't someone who played close to the line a time or two, or once did a shady deal. He may well be the single most corrupt major business figure in the United States of America. He ran scams like Trump University to con struggling people out of their money. He lent his name to pyramid schemes. He bankrupted casinos and still somehow made millions while others were left holding the bag. He refused to pay vendors. He exploited foreign workers. He used illegal labor. He discriminated against African-American renters. He violated antitrust laws. He did business with the mob and with Eastern European kleptocrats. His properties became the go-to vehicle for Russian oligarchs and mobsters to launder their money.
So it was no accident that when he ran for president, the people who joined him in his quest were also a collection of grifters, liars, and crooks — people like Paul Manafort. Those were the kind of operators Trump has attracted all his life. Honest, upright people with a deep respect for the law don't go to work for Donald Trump.
As for Cohen, he may be called "Trump's personal attorney," but Trump has plenty of lawyers. Cohen's real job was to be a deal-maker and fixer. He's the guy Trump would use when he wanted to do a shady deal with a Kazakh oligarch to build a tower in the Republic of Georgia. He's the guy Trump would have used to negotiate a payment of hush money to a porn star. He's up to his eyeballs in all of Trump's business. I don't know what they're going to find when they start combing through Cohen's computers and cell phone records, but I know it's going to be pretty darn interesting.
One more thing. Yesterday, the president once again mused publicly about whether he should fire Mueller, but at least with regard to whatever turns up from the Cohen raid, it's already too late.
"If Mueller gets fired," McQuade told me, "this case will live, because it's being handled by the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York."
Things were bad for Trump before. But they just got a whole lot worse.
Washington Post
Donald Trump has never been in more trouble than right now
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/commentary/ct-donald-trump-michael-cohen-trouble-20180410-story.html
Paul Waldman
The Washington Post
As you've heard, federal agents raided the office and home of Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump's personal attorney. Yet despite how rare an action it is to pierce attorney-client privilege this way, the big picture story here seems inevitable: Once a serious prosecutor with resources and authority began taking a good long look at Trump and his associates, a bunch of people were going to be in big trouble, with some winding up behind bars.
I checked in with Barbara McQuade, a former U.S. Attorney, to get context on the Cohen raid. She emphasized how rare it is for prosecutors to get a warrant for privileged material: Breaching attorney-client privilege in this way only happens when the attorney himself is directly implicated in possible crimes. She also stressed that, because it's such a radical step for prosecutors to take, a complex system of safeguards has been established to make sure it can't be abused.
First, if the Cohen raid took special counsel Robert Mueller into a new area of investigation, he would have had to get the permission of Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who oversees the probe. Then to get this kind of warrant, according to Justice Department rules, Mueller needed to get the permission of the U.S. Attorney — in this case, Geoffrey Berman of the Southern District of New York, who was appointed by Trump — and had to consult with the Criminal Division of DOJ, giving them detailed information on exactly what he was seeking and why. Then a judge would have to be persuaded to issue the warrant. (ABC reported this morning that Berman has recused himself from the investigation, which means that others in his office are handling it.)
The upshot: The Cohen raid isn't a "fishing expedition" and didn't happen because Mueller suspected he might find something interesting, despite how Trump himself and his defenders would like to characterize it as a case of a special prosecutor out of control.
"A judge has found probable cause to believe that evidence of a crime is housed in the office of Michael Cohen," McQuade told me. "They may have a goal of flipping him, but there's also evidence of a crime here."
McQuade also stressed that Mueller didn't raid Cohen's office. Instead, the Southern District of New York did. "They would have drafted the warrant, supervised the agent affidavit, presented it to the judge, and supervised the execution of it," McQuade said. "So the idea that Mueller raided Cohen is wrong."
The raid on Cohen's office and home could produce all kinds of evidence, some related to his relationship with his client, and some not. They've got files, computers, cell phones, everything. Anyone who knows Cohen knows that there is bound to be a whole lot of interesting stuff to be found.
The privileged information will then go to what's sometimes referred to as a "taint team," a group of Justice Department officials who will review it and decide whether it shows enough evidence of a crime that it falls outside attorney-client privilege. They will then pass that information on to a judge, who could then permit it to be used by Mueller, by the U.S. Attorney's office, by the New York state attorney general, or by the Manhattan district attorney. In other words, Cohen — and by extension, Trump — now has to worry about more than just Mueller.
Now let's take a step back. One remarkable thing about the 2016 election is the way Trump's business career was given such a superficial examination by the media as a whole. Again and again, some crazy story or unusual aspect of his financial life would be the topic of one or two investigative stories, but those stories wouldn't get pick up by other outlets.
Making this more problematic, Trump isn't someone who played close to the line a time or two, or once did a shady deal. He may well be the single most corrupt major business figure in the United States of America. He ran scams like Trump University to con struggling people out of their money. He lent his name to pyramid schemes. He bankrupted casinos and still somehow made millions while others were left holding the bag. He refused to pay vendors. He exploited foreign workers. He used illegal labor. He discriminated against African-American renters. He violated antitrust laws. He did business with the mob and with Eastern European kleptocrats. His properties became the go-to vehicle for Russian oligarchs and mobsters to launder their money.
So it was no accident that when he ran for president, the people who joined him in his quest were also a collection of grifters, liars, and crooks — people like Paul Manafort. Those were the kind of operators Trump has attracted all his life. Honest, upright people with a deep respect for the law don't go to work for Donald Trump.
As for Cohen, he may be called "Trump's personal attorney," but Trump has plenty of lawyers. Cohen's real job was to be a deal-maker and fixer. He's the guy Trump would use when he wanted to do a shady deal with a Kazakh oligarch to build a tower in the Republic of Georgia. He's the guy Trump would have used to negotiate a payment of hush money to a porn star. He's up to his eyeballs in all of Trump's business. I don't know what they're going to find when they start combing through Cohen's computers and cell phone records, but I know it's going to be pretty darn interesting.
One more thing. Yesterday, the president once again mused publicly about whether he should fire Mueller, but at least with regard to whatever turns up from the Cohen raid, it's already too late.
"If Mueller gets fired," McQuade told me, "this case will live, because it's being handled by the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York."
Things were bad for Trump before. But they just got a whole lot worse.
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Cambridge Analytica Ex-CEO Refuses to Testify in UK
The British Parliament's media committee says Cambridge Analytica's former CEO, Alexander Nix, says he'll no longer testify at an upcoming session on fake news, citing an ongoing investigation by the information commissioner's office.
https://www.usnews.com/news/business/articles/2018-04-17/cambridge-analytica-ex-ceo-refuses-to-testify-in-uk
BY DANICA KIRKA, Associated Press
LONDON (AP) — Cambridge Analytica's ex-CEO, Alexander Nix, has refused to testify before the U.K. Parliament's media committee, citing British authorities' investigation into his former company's alleged misuse of data from millions of Facebook accounts in political campaigns.
Committee Chairman Damian Collins announced Nix's decision a day before his scheduled appearance but flatly rejected the notion that he should be let off the hook, saying Nix hasn't been charged with a crime and there are no active legal proceedings against him.
"There is therefore no legal reason why Mr. Nix cannot appear," Collins said in a statement. "The committee is minded to issue a formal summons for him to appear on a named day in the very near future."
Nix gave evidence to the committee in February, but was recalled after former Cambridge Analytica staffer Christopher Wylie sparked a global debate over electronic privacy when he alleged the company used data from millions of Facebook accounts to help U.S. President Donald Trump's 2016 election campaign. Wylie worked on Cambridge Analytica's "information operations" in 2014 and 2015.
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Wonder what he's gonna do when he gets extradited to the US or other justictions where they fucked with elections. Mueller's folks might wanna spend some quality time with this chap. I understand Nigeria had it's election fucked with too, they got quality "facilities" in the prisons there. Threatening this guy with ending up in a "shithole" Nigerian prison would loosen his tongue real quick!
The British Parliament's media committee says Cambridge Analytica's former CEO, Alexander Nix, says he'll no longer testify at an upcoming session on fake news, citing an ongoing investigation by the information commissioner's office.
https://www.usnews.com/news/business/articles/2018-04-17/cambridge-analytica-ex-ceo-refuses-to-testify-in-uk
BY DANICA KIRKA, Associated Press
LONDON (AP) — Cambridge Analytica's ex-CEO, Alexander Nix, has refused to testify before the U.K. Parliament's media committee, citing British authorities' investigation into his former company's alleged misuse of data from millions of Facebook accounts in political campaigns.
Committee Chairman Damian Collins announced Nix's decision a day before his scheduled appearance but flatly rejected the notion that he should be let off the hook, saying Nix hasn't been charged with a crime and there are no active legal proceedings against him.
"There is therefore no legal reason why Mr. Nix cannot appear," Collins said in a statement. "The committee is minded to issue a formal summons for him to appear on a named day in the very near future."
Nix gave evidence to the committee in February, but was recalled after former Cambridge Analytica staffer Christopher Wylie sparked a global debate over electronic privacy when he alleged the company used data from millions of Facebook accounts to help U.S. President Donald Trump's 2016 election campaign. Wylie worked on Cambridge Analytica's "information operations" in 2014 and 2015.
More...
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wonder what he's gonna do when he gets extradited to the US or other justictions where they fucked with elections. Mueller's folks might wanna spend some quality time with this chap. I understand Nigeria had it's election fucked with too, they got quality "facilities" in the prisons there. Threatening this guy with ending up in a "shithole" Nigerian prison would loosen his tongue real quick!