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Re: Mueller/Russia investigation

Posted: Tue Aug 21, 2018 9:43 am
by ShelC
I don't understand how Trump can even comment about any trials or ongoing investigations. How can he tweet that Manafort is a "good guy" during the trial? I'm sure there will be pardons, because why not.

The only way to get to Trump is by going after his money, taxes, loans, laundering. Cohen has the goods on that. If people did their jobs over the years, none of these people would've gotten this far. But white collar crimes are different I guess.

Re: Mueller/Russia investigation

Posted: Tue Aug 21, 2018 11:11 am
by Indy
ShelC wrote:
Tue Aug 21, 2018 9:43 am
I don't understand how Trump can even comment about any trials or ongoing investigations. How can he tweet that Manafort is a "good guy" during the trial? I'm sure there will be pardons, because why not.

The only way to get to Trump is by going after his money, taxes, loans, laundering. Cohen has the goods on that. If people did their jobs over the years, none of these people would've gotten this far. But white collar crimes are different I guess.
All crimes are different when white rich guys commit them.

Re: Mueller/Russia investigation

Posted: Tue Aug 21, 2018 11:23 am
by Nodack
Michael Cohen in talks to plead guilty to criminal charges
https://www.cnn.com/2018/08/21/politics ... index.html
Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump's former personal attorney, is in talks to plead guilty to criminal charges in a deal that would bring an end to a months-long investigation that has riled the President, according to sources familiar with the matter.

Cohen reaches plea deal in tax fraud case: ABC
http://thehill.com/homenews/news/402860 ... d-case-abc
Beyond the banking and tax fraud charges, Cohen is being investigated for campaign finance violations for his role in alleged hush-money payments he coordinated with women who claimed to have had sexual encounters with President Tru

Re: Mueller/Russia investigation

Posted: Tue Aug 21, 2018 1:43 pm
by Indy
So right when Cohen is pleading guilty, the verdicts come back on 8 counts for Manafort. Guilty on those, but no consensus on other 10. Judge declared mistrial on those 10. No word yet on if there is prejudice involved, or if they can be re-tried (presumably after his DC trial next month).

Re: Mueller/Russia investigation

Posted: Tue Aug 21, 2018 1:49 pm
by Indy
Not sure how accurate this is yet since it is just flowing it, but supposedly part of Cohen's plea stated he made illegal campaign contributions at the direction of the 'candidate' and the 'candidate' repaid him.

Re: Mueller/Russia investigation

Posted: Tue Aug 21, 2018 2:11 pm
by ShelC
Call me cynical, but as much as people are celebrating this I still don't think it will lead to anything of significance in terms of impeachment. Maybe I'm wrong, but I think Trump wiggles out of it somehow and the Rs let it slide.

Re: Mueller/Russia investigation

Posted: Tue Aug 21, 2018 2:17 pm
by Mori Chu
Huge day!!!!!!! Wow. Cohen and Manafort in the same day. Beginning of the end, I hope!

Re: Mueller/Russia investigation

Posted: Tue Aug 21, 2018 2:30 pm
by Indy
ShelC wrote:
Tue Aug 21, 2018 2:11 pm
Call me cynical, but as much as people are celebrating this I still don't think it will lead to anything of significance in terms of impeachment. Maybe I'm wrong, but I think Trump wiggles out of it somehow and the Rs let it slide.
I am as cynical as you. the only thing that is really standing out to me as not easy to wiggle out of: Cohen's plea stating he acted for purpose to influence US election, at direction of unnamed candidate.

Re: Mueller/Russia investigation

Posted: Tue Aug 21, 2018 2:30 pm
by Indy
Marty [Mori Chu] wrote:
Tue Aug 21, 2018 2:17 pm
Huge day!!!!!!! Wow. Cohen and Manafort in the same day. Beginning of the end, I hope!
To be fair, everything is the beginning of the end.

Re: Mueller/Russia investigation

Posted: Tue Aug 21, 2018 2:39 pm
by ShelC
And Trump and the Rs probably made a deal with or pushed out Kennedy so Kavanaugh would be selected and confirmed as a Justice. He's supposedly argued Presidents can't be indicted while in office which would seemingly motivate Trump to nominate him.

I'm not a legal or government scholar, but if this and the Mueller investigation drag on, the Rs stay in power after the midterms and Kavanaugh is confirmed, they could pretty much just let things slide the rest of the way. No?

Re: Mueller/Russia investigation

Posted: Tue Aug 21, 2018 3:10 pm
by Nodack
Trump was named as an unindicted co-conspirator in the Cohen case. I don’t think he can nominate a Supreme Court Justice if he is a co-conspirator in a Federal case. At least that’s what some are arguing. This could potentially put off the Kavenaugh appointment.

Republicans would never impeach Trump but, if all this bad news spells bad news in the midterms the Democrats could regain control. Democrats would impeach him. Democrats would hold up a Supreme court pick of Trump.

Today is huge!

Re: Mueller/Russia investigation

Posted: Tue Aug 21, 2018 3:13 pm
by Nodack
“I only hire the best!”

Micheal Cohen - Guilty
Michael Flynn - Guilty
George Papadopoulos - Guilty
Paul Manafort - Guilty
Rick Gates - Guilty

Re: Mueller/Russia investigation

Posted: Tue Aug 21, 2018 4:27 pm
by Mori Chu

Re: Mueller/Russia investigation

Posted: Tue Aug 21, 2018 6:32 pm
by Nodack
Republican Congressman Duncan Hunter and his wife, Margaret, routinely -- and illegally -- used campaign funds to pay personal bills.

Trump used charity money to buy a giant picture of himself that hangs at his Trump National Golf Club Westchester in Briarcliff Manor, N.Y.

Re: Mueller/Russia investigation

Posted: Tue Aug 21, 2018 7:12 pm
by Nodack
Been listening to the transcripts of the Cohen case. Cohen totally implicates the President. Cohen paid Stormy $130,000 as hush money right before the election on orders of Trump and in Cohens own words it was to influence the election. Trump paid him $420,000 in return out of the Trump business.

Cohen has been charged and pleaded guilty of this crime that belongs to Trump and this is just one thing.

Re: Mueller/Russia investigation

Posted: Tue Aug 21, 2018 7:44 pm
by Indy
ShelC wrote:
Tue Aug 21, 2018 2:39 pm
And Trump and the Rs probably made a deal with or pushed out Kennedy so Kavanaugh would be selected and confirmed as a Justice. He's supposedly argued Presidents can't be indicted while in office which would seemingly motivate Trump to nominate him.

I'm not a legal or government scholar, but if this and the Mueller investigation drag on, the Rs stay in power after the midterms and Kavanaugh is confirmed, they could pretty much just let things slide the rest of the way. No?
Yes. He is going to write pardons (he can do that even after a guilty plea), and nobody in the GOP will do anything about it.

Re: Mueller/Russia investigation

Posted: Tue Aug 21, 2018 7:45 pm
by Indy
Nodack wrote:
Tue Aug 21, 2018 7:12 pm
Been listening to the transcripts of the Cohen case. Cohen totally implicates the President. Cohen paid Stormy $130,000 as hush money right before the election on orders of Trump and in Cohens own words it was to influence the election. Trump paid him $420,000 in return out of the Trump business.

Cohen has been charged and pleaded guilty of this crime that belongs to Trump and this is just one thing.
How will a pardon not fix it?

Re: Mueller/Russia investigation

Posted: Tue Aug 21, 2018 8:28 pm
by Nodack
A pardon will fix Manafort and look bad. A pardon will fix Cohen but Cohen and Trump are basically saying FU to each other at this point. Would Trump pardon him? Watching the news it appears Cohen went out of his way to implicate Trump today. Trump is very vindictive. This is enough to impeach the President at this point if the midterms don’t go Trumps way imo.

Re: Mueller/Russia investigation

Posted: Tue Aug 21, 2018 10:55 pm
by Flagrant Fowl
I would like to read the opinions of those around here who are on the "other side", but it seems they're too deep in the forest to see the tress. Or they're just cowards.

Re: Mueller/Russia investigation

Posted: Wed Aug 22, 2018 2:00 am
by Nodack
Or they just don’t feel like getting beat up here over their views.