Mueller Investigation & Cohen Investigation

[AbruptSLR]

Mueller could indict him shortly thereafter

What would the charges be about?

I suppose it doesn't really matter. Anything will do to achieve their ends.

Assange's potential indictment is predicted on the assumption that the US Intelligence Community have some small semblance of professionalism:

Title: "Roger Stone's finances examined by special counsel"

https://www.cnn.com/2018/05/24/politics/roger-stone-finances-special-counsel-mueller-russia-investigation/index.html

Extract: "The US intelligence community concluded in January 2017 that Russian intelligence hacked the Democratic National Committee along with senior Democratic officials and provided the stolen material to WikiLeaks as part of Moscow's effort to damage Hillary Clinton and sway the election in favor of Trump. WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has denied that the Russian government provided the hacked emails."

[sidd]

"I suppose it doesn't really matter. "

Quite. The intelligence agencies have wanted Assange for a long time. Any excuse will do. As for their professionalism, well they have professionally lied and tortured and killed for a long time, but that's about as professional as they get.

Clearly some people dont have a problem with that.

sidd

[AbruptSLR]

Don Jr. should be concerned:

Title: "Report: FBI obtained wiretap conversations of Kremlin-linked banker who met with Trump Jr."

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/report-fbi-obtained-wiretap-conversations-of-kremlin-linked-banker-who-met-with-trump-jr/ar-AAxPGJm?ocid=spartandhp

Extract: "The FBI has obtained wiretapped conversations of a Kremlin-linked banker who later met with Donald Trump Jr. during the 2016 presidential election.

Spanish national police provided the FBI with tapes of Russian oligarch Alexander Torshin's phone calls with a convicted Russian money launderer, according to a special prosecutor from Spain's attorney general's office, Yahoo News reported.

"Just a few months ago, the wiretaps of these telephone conversations were given to the FBI," according to the special prosecutor, José Grinda Gonzalez, speaking at the Hudson Institute on Friday."

[sidd]

Assange offers to meet Schiff. Schiff sez ok, but you need to b in a US jail.

" Assange told him he is willing to be interviewed by Schiff to prove there was no collusion in the 2016 presidential election."

"willing to interview Julian Assange when he is in U.S. custody"

http://thehill.com/homenews/house/389498-assange-offers-to-show-schiff-there-was-no-collusion

sidd

[JimD]

ASLR:  Assange's potential indictment is predicted on the assumption that the US Intelligence Community have some small semblance of professionalism:

"I suppose it doesn't really matter. "

Quite. The intelligence agencies have wanted Assange for a long time. Any excuse will do. As for their professionalism, well they have professionally lied and tortured and killed for a long time, but that's about as professional as they get.

Clearly some people dont have a problem with that.

sidd

Hmm....  As a person from that world I would have to respond that you guys don't know what 'professionalism' means.  Either that or your are really trying to describe something else and have chosen the wrong word.

Being a professional means that you are highly educated and skilled at the job requirements, you execute the job in an efficient calm dispassionate mature manner, and that, in the case of military/intelligence officers, you follow your orders reliably.

Don't forget that our folks in the 'service' are duty and honor bound to support and defend the US (the Empire).  It is not their place to make policy, set strategy, determine foreign policy positions, be nice and kissy faced, or any of that kind of stuff.  They are YOUR warriors YOUR soldiers and they go where YOU send them and follow the orders that YOU give them. And sometimes they die for you and sometimes they kill for you.  But what they do is what YOU have told them to do.

If you don't like what they are doing then give them different directions - and they will then do that.  Like the professionals they are. 

People bad mouth a lot but the American People are responsible for what their warriors do.  Period. Full stop.

I did a lot of things I still have bad dreams about but I did what I swore I would do.  I would have loved having someone else in charge so I would have had different orders.

If you personally don't agree with the directions they are executing then WIN a fucking election for goddamned once and make some changes.  And please try not to pick a war mongering piece of shit like Hillary Clinton as your candidate so that you won't be responsible for someone like Trump getting elected next time.

[AbruptSLR]

ASLR:  Assange's potential indictment is predicted on the assumption that the US Intelligence Community have some small semblance of professionalism:

"I suppose it doesn't really matter. "

Quite. The intelligence agencies have wanted Assange for a long time. Any excuse will do. As for their professionalism, well they have professionally lied and tortured and killed for a long time, but that's about as professional as they get.

Clearly some people dont have a problem with that.

sidd

Hmm....  As a person from that world I would have to respond that you guys don't know what 'professionalism' means.  Either that or your are really trying to describe something else and have chosen the wrong word.

Being a professional means that you are highly educated and skilled at the job requirements, you execute the job in an efficient calm dispassionate mature manner, and that, in the case of military/intelligence officers, you follow your orders reliably.

This line of discussion was raised in regards to why I thought that Mueller might have sufficient evidence to indict Assange.  In this regards, I mean that US Intelligence may have already provided Mueller will sufficient information, and of sufficient quality, that a grand jury to grant Mueller such an indictment.  If the US legal system is not to your liking, you know where the door is.

[wili]

"... American People are responsible for what their warriors do.  Period. Full stop. "

Doesn't that kind of assume that the US is some kind of a democracy?

[JimD]

ASLR

I call BS on that last response.  You know exactly what you were saying and so do I.  The Russians didn't get Trump elected incompetent Democrats did.  The solution is staring everyone in the face but they are afraid to look at it.

Wili

The American people ARE responsible for what they have.  They let control and democracy slip away from them because they are in general uneducated and disengaged and just worried about their little lives and not anything else.  They still have the ability to take back control and then folks won't have to whine about decisions their leaders make which make them uncomfortable.

A big percentage of the population fully believes the world is a harsh place and strength is the only way to survive.  They have no real issues with what the empire does.  But then we get endless whining from all the others about how horrible everyone is acting and how wrong it is.  But that other group, if they had their shit together, would have no trouble being in control and making the decisions as they see morally fit (and let us not get in a discussion of whose morals are better as neithers are worth much at all).  But what do they do?  They put in D's which are no different than moderate R's, and who are fully purchased by the 'Deep State' as we like to call it, who talk the talk but walk the empire, execute the neo-liberal economic model, pretend they care about minorities and the poor but don't really do anything for them, etc.  There has been no fundamental difference between Reagan, Bush I, Clinton, Bush II, Obama, H Clinton and even Trump.  They all are and were working for the empire.  But empires have no soul and they don't care about nice or moral or ethical.  They care about power, control and wealth.  I have been there and done that.  You want to change something you have to work for it and maybe die for it.
 
But they are not going to do it are they.  And it is because they actually prefer the way things are because they live the rich life and, because they feel a little guilty about all that (morals!, ethics!) they make themselves feel better by pretending that they care about this and that but the system just won't let them make things better.  Cop out. BS.

[AbruptSLR]

Trump's logic is proof of the statement:,'Garbage in garbage out':

Title: "Trump: Why didn't FBI tell me about 'phony Russia problem' during campaign"

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/trump-why-didnt-fbi-tell-me-about-phony-russia-problem-during-campaign/ar-AAxQF6p?ocid=spartandhp

Extract: "Trump and his allies have suggested in recent days that the informant was used to spy on his campaign for political reasons. No evidence has surfaced to suggest that that was the case.

Former intelligence officials, including former CIA Director John Brennan and former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, have pushed back on Trump's allegations, saying that the informant was deployed as the intelligence community sought to determine whether Russia was taking active measures to influence the election."

[AbruptSLR]

ASLR

I call BS on that last response.  You know exactly what you were saying and so do I.  The Russians didn't get Trump elected incompetent Democrats did.  The solution is staring everyone in the face but they are afraid to look at it.

JimD,

As this is the Mueller Investigation & Cohen Investigation thread, I assume that you are talking about one of these two investigations.  So I guess we will all need to wait to see the out-come of these investigations and whether Team Trump conspired with the Russians to throw the 2016 election in Trump's favor.

[AbruptSLR]

Presumably Mueller knows more than what Clapper knows about the Trump-Russia matter, and Clapper must be assuming that Mueller will at least file a report to Congress on this matter.  Thus I assume that Clapper wouldn't be making public statements that might make him look foolish within the next year or two:

Title: "James Clapper on Donald Trump, Edward Snowden, torture and “the knowability of truth”"

https://www.salon.com/2018/05/26/james-clapper-on-donald-trump-edward-snowden-torture-and-the-knowability-of-truth/

Extract: "James Clapper wants you to know that he did not lie to Congress. He also wants you to know that he believes a massive campaign of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential campaign got Donald Trump elected, and that American democracy and American society are in grave peril.

[SteveMDFP]

ASLR

I call BS on that last response.  You know exactly what you were saying and so do I.  The Russians didn't get Trump elected incompetent Democrats did.  The solution is staring everyone in the face but they are afraid to look at it.

Well, Clapper gives a persuasive argument.  Remember Trump lost the popular vote. 
""Less than eighty thousand votes in three key states swung the election, . . . I have no doubt that more votes than that were influenced by this massive effort by the Russians."
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2018/05/23/james_clapper_in_new_book_of_course_the_russians_swung_the_election_to_a_trump_win.html

[sidd]

Clapper certainly has experience with the "knowability of truth."

sidd

[AbruptSLR]

Team Trump love to attack Team Mueller, for political gain, because they know that Team Mueller cannot publically defend themselves:

Title: "Giuliani Admits ‘Spygate’ Is PR in Anticipation of Impeachment"

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2018/05/giuliani-admits-spygate-is-pr-about-impeachment.html

Extract: "Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani confirmed on Sunday that the president and his allies’ attempts to discredit the Mueller investigation — including the most recent so-called Spygate controversy — are part of a public relations campaign aimed at staving off impeachment. “It is for public opinion,” the former New York mayor admitted during an appearance on CNN’s State of the Union. And while trying to shape public opinion is the rarely acknowledged goal of any presidential administration, what Giuliani said next was unique to Trump’s: “Because eventually the decision here is going to be impeach or not impeach.”

Giuliani’s comment came amid pressure from host Dana Bash to acknowledge that he and Trump were using a “very specific, very political strategy to undermine [the Mueller] investigation,” highlighting how a recent poll revealed a 15 percent drop in the number of Republicans who wanted Trump to testify in the probe. Bash and Giuliani had already talked about the unfounded Spygate allegation by Trump and his allies that the FBI had installed a spy in the Trump campaign to set up for collusion charges. (The FBI had actually warned Trump that Russia was trying to infiltrate his campaign.)"

Asked to confirm that these efforts to discredit the Mueller probe were just a political tactic, Giuliani first demurred, insisting that he and Trump have just been calling attention to the suspicions, not creating them. Then Bash specifically cited the Spygate claims and how no evidence had been offered to support them, and noted to Giuliani that he was both an experienced politician and a lawyer who clearly understood that the Trump team could feel free to attack the Russia investigation, since Mueller and his team would not be able to publicly defend themselves."

[Buddy]

Who's going to flip FIRST?  Rob Porter ..... Hope Hicks ..... or Paul Manafort?  My guess is that it will be in just THAT ORDER.

But there are SOOOOO many loose strings that WE don't know much about.  Like the RNC and individuals WITHIN the RNC ..... as well as the same with the NRA.

This could be the summer of "The Big Flip".  Sounds like a possible movie, yes?

If both Hope and Manafort flip ..... Trump will be a goner.

https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/rnc-paid-half-million-law-firm-representing-hope/story?id=55328181

[sidd]

Upon reflection, I think Halper was tasked by Brennan/CIA (Halper's father in law was CIA, Halper has old CIA connections) and Dearlove/MI6 to go sniff around. Then he was presented to the FBI as a source.

Another, perhaps more explosive, issue is : was he tasked by either FBI or CIA to apply for that job thru Navarro in the Trump administration ? That would be quite bold, to put a mole in a presidential administration. I can see Brennan or Dearlove doing it, but not the FBI.

sidd

[AbruptSLR]

Team Trump is trying to bait Team Mueller with media antics, but it won't work because Mueller is a professional:

Title: "Trump says Mueller probe will meddle in midterms"

https://www.politico.com/story/2018/05/29/trump-mueller-russia-investigation-midterms-610041

Extract: "President Donald Trump said Tuesday that the Russia investigation “will be MEDDLING with the mid-term elections” in November, suggesting that special counsel Robert Mueller’s probe is intended to harm the political fortunes of the GOP while it should be examining misconduct that Trump has accused Democrats of.

“The 13 Angry Democrats (plus people who worked 8 years for Obama) working on the rigged Russia Witch Hunt, will be MEDDLING with the mid-term elections, especially now that Republicans (stay tough!) are taking the lead in Polls. There was no Collusion, except by the Democrats!” the president wrote on Twitter on Tuesday morning."

See also:

Title: "“This Is RICO 101”: Why Robert Mueller Isn’t Taking Rudy’s Bait"

https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2018/05/why-mueller-isnt-taking-rudys-bait

Extract: "The Trump camp’s witch-hunt talking points are now dominating the news—but the media battle may be the wrong way to beat Mueller. “It’s exactly what Mueller has been doing his whole goddamn life,” a former F.B.I. senior official says. “It’s just that this time the boss of the family happens to be the leader of the free world.”"

[AbruptSLR]

The following is an opinion piece, that postulates that Mueller will submit his report to Rosenstein before the end of August 2018, and that the ensuing fight between the DOJ and the WH regarding what to do with the report will be tumultuous:

Title: "Bob Mueller’s White Hot Summer"

https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2018/05/29/bob-mueller-trump-rosenstein-fired-218549

Extract: "Special Counsel Robert Mueller may well be in the final stages of wrapping up his principal investigation. Last week, I argued here in Politico that Mueller will want to avoid interfering with the November midterms, and so will try to conclude by July or August.
…
And this summer may well be the most consequential in presidential politics since 1974, the year Watergate came to a head."

Edit: I should note that in my opinion this Politico analysis could only be relevant to an intermediate Mueller report about Trump's obstruction of justice efforts (which could be complete by the end of August); however, in my opinion the full scope of Mueller's investigate may not result in a final report to Rosenstein until the late 2019 - mid-2020 timeframe.

[AbruptSLR]

Carl Bernstein warns that Trump appears to be gradually steering the country in the direction of authoritarian rule:

Title: "Carl Bernstein Warns Of ‘Authoritarianism’ As Trump Repeatedly Attacks Mueller Probe"

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/carl-bernstein-donald-trump-authoritarianism_us_5b0bf74ae4b0568a880d4d76

Extract: "Legendary journalist Carl Bernstein warned President Donald Trump’s attacks on special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation could have very real ― and very dangerous ― implications for the United States.

Bernstein, who broke the infamous Watergate scandal in the early 1970s with his partner Bob Woodward, discussed the matter during a Sunday appearance on CNN:

“I think we can look at a big picture now with some real definition,” Bernstein said, “in which [it’s a] perilous moment for our country right now.”

“It’s a question of whether lies, authoritarianism and the character of the president of the United States are going to take us to an authoritarian place where we have never been,” he continued, “in which he will bury a duly constituted and legal investigation that will determine whether or not the president is above the rule of law.”"

[AbruptSLR]

I believe Gowdy:

Title: "Trey Gowdy: FBI’s Use of Informant for Trump Campaign Was Appropriate "

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/trey-gowdy-fbi’s-use-of-informant-for-trump-campaign-was-appropriate/ar-AAxZXyg?ocid=spartandhp

Extract: "Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-SC), the chairman of the House Oversight Committee, said on Tuesday that the FBI’s use of an informant for the Trump campaign in 2016 was appropriate, joining top Democrats in disputing President Donald Trump’s characterization of the informant as a spy.

“I am even more convinced that the FBI did exactly what my fellow citizens would want them to do when they got the information they got, and that it has nothing to do with Donald Trump,” Gowdy said during an interview on Fox News."

[AbruptSLR]

It looks like Trump cannot stop himself from obstructing justice, but in any case he is certainly leaving a lot of loose threads for Team Mueller to investigate:

Title: "NYT: Trump asked Sessions to reverse his recusal from Russia probe"

https://www.axios.com/trump-asks-sessions-to-reverse-recusal-from-russia-probe--9215cdcd-dec4-4322-90d5-22c1e70433f0.html

Extract: "President Trump urged Attorney General Jeff Sessions last year to reverse his decision to recuse himself from the ongoing investigation into Russian election interference in the 2016 presidential election, the New York Times reports.

Why it matters: Trump, in March of last year, made the request to Sessions who is a key player in special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation that is determining whether the president has tried to obstruct justice. Per the Times, the confrontation is being investigated by Mueller's team. A Justice Department spokeswoman declined to comment to the Times."

[AbruptSLR]

“It’s a question of whether lies, authoritarianism and the character of the president of the United States are going to take us to an authoritarian place where we have never been,”

While the question of how did a clown like Trump, someone with his 'dubious character' ever become president is obvious, and while there's no legal differences between what Mueller is doing and what Ken Starr was doing so once started it has to come to an end while everyone hopes behind the scenes that everything is being done kosher under the Constitution .... I really do find it remarkable that Bernstein contextualizes the current situation the way he does above .... was he this strident over the WMD, the whole Iraq war debacles, the lead up to the GFC, the use of force in Libya and in Syria, the militarization of the local police forces under Clinton et al,  the Govt and Congressional long term failures surrounding 9/11, the implementation of the Patriot act, the NSA Govt disclosures by Snowdon, the outing of a lying DoD and State dept by Wikileaks, of Torture of the use of drones for targeted killings, the silencing of journalists and whistle-blowers by the Obama Admin using archaic laws, the OBL capture questions, and all the rest of the known "lies, authoritarianism and the character of [many/all] Presidents of the United States" since Richard Nixon.

Maybe he was outspoken on the above issues and was ignored, just saying I do not recall as I don't have a photographic memory about everything.

Carl Bernstein is an American icon, and I don't think that he needs to pass any purity test before he exercises his First Amendment right of free speech to express his opinion.  Just like those who read/hear his opinion are free to do with that information as they will.

[Buddy]

Donnie and company continue to operate a “scorched earth” policy of lying and dividing with the help of lying FOX news and Sean Hannity.

As Michael Cohen, Hope Hicks, and Paul Manafort have more pressure applied this summer ... things will certainly heat up.  And Donnie will ramp up his lie machine even more.

[AbruptSLR]

Ah yes. I have heard of him. I get a weekly newspaper delivered to 'under my rock.'

My comments were not about him personally nor his purity. How did you come to that conclusion? My comment was about the context in which he places Trump and mentioned other incidents as background for my primary comment which was

ASILurker,

Your are more than welcome to your opinions, and icons are not sacred cows whose comments cannot be critiqued.  Nevertheless, as an investigative reporter Bernstein has worked hard to protect civil liberties (from authoritarianism); and I for one, respect his opinion.

Title: "Carl Bernstein"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Bernstein

Extract: "While a young reporter for The Washington Post in 1972, Bernstein was teamed up with Bob Woodward; the two did much of the original news reporting on the Watergate scandal. These scandals led to numerous government investigations and the eventual resignation of President Richard Nixon. The work of Woodward and Bernstein was called "maybe the single greatest reporting effort of all time" by longtime journalism figure Gene Roberts.
...
Bernstein left The Washington Post in 1977 and began investigating a secret relationship between the CIA and American media during the Cold War. He spent a year researching the article, which was published as a 25,000-word piece in Rolling Stone magazine.

He then began working for ABC News. Between 1980 and 1984, Bernstein was the network's Washington Bureau Chief and then a senior correspondent. In 1982, for ABC's Nightline, Bernstein was the first to report during the Israeli invasion of Lebanon that Ariel Sharon had "deceived the cabinet about the real intention of the operation—to drive the Palestinians out of Lebanon, not (as he had claimed) to merely establish a 25-kilometer security zone north from the border."

[AbruptSLR]

I think that both Nunes and Trump owe Rosenstein a public apology for their 'Spygate' accusations:

Title: "Trey Gowdy dismisses Trump's FBI concerns"

https://www.axios.com/trey-gowdy-fbi-fox-news-trump-tweets-f833c129-f14e-4da9-be90-2e47d3fcdbcc.html?utm_source=sidebar

Extract: "… Gowdy largely dismissed the president's concerns about FBI surveillance of his campaign."

[AbruptSLR]

Someone should tell Trump that if he humiliates Sessions into resigning that a sufficient number of Senate members will be sufficiently unhappy that they will be unlikely to confirm Trump's nomination to replace Sessions any time soon, and in the meantime Rosenstein would be the acting AG:

Title: "Trump: I wish I didn't pick Jeff Sessions as attorney general"

https://www.axios.com/trump-tweets-i-wish-i-didnt-pick-jeff-sessions-c509d358-746e-42c8-a8c3-3b4db3573320.html?utm_source=sidebar

Extract: "Why it matters: Just one day after Trump said he wouldn't be focusing his energy "on the Rigged Russia Witch Hunt," his tweets show that the subject is still very much on his mind, rekindling fears that he might choose to fire Sessions and derail Special Counsel Robert Mueller's probe."

[AbruptSLR]

The Mueller investigation is on track to add to its record of solid results for holding the guilty accountable:

Title: "Mueller team moves another case toward sentencing"

https://www.politico.com/story/2018/05/29/mueller-russia-probe-sentencing-richard-pinedo-610843

Extract: "Special counsel Robert Mueller's prosecutors indicated Tuesday that they're ready to move toward sentencing of another defendant who pleaded guilty in the ongoing probe of Russian influence in the 2016 presidential election.

Prosecutors asked a federal judge to order a pre-sentencing report for Richard Pinedo, a Santa Paula, California, man who admitted in February to a felony identity fraud charge relating to the sale of bank account numbers that apparently helped Russian internet trolls pay for social media ads related to the U.S. presidential race."

[AbruptSLR]

Just imagine how much 'dirt' Freidman must have offered-up on Cohen in order to get such a sweet plea deal:

Title: "'Taxi King' gets better plea deal after raid on Trump's lawyer"

https://www.cnn.com/2018/05/29/politics/taxi-king-gene-freidman-plea-deal-michael-cohen/index.html

Extract: "New York state authorities sweetened a plea offer made to a taxi operator who partnered with President Donald Trump's personal lawyer Michael Cohen after federal authorities raided Cohen's home, office and hotel room, according to court transcripts.

Evgeny "Gene" Freidman, known as New York's "Taxi King," pleaded guilty last week to criminal tax fraud for failing to pay $5 million in taxes in a deal that would allow him to avoid prison time."

[sidd]

Whatcha mean i can't go on tour ? I quit !

Judge Wood lays down the law:

"You're entitled to publicity. I can't stop you — unless you're participating in a matter before me."

Avennatti don't wanna do that:

"In the document Avenatti filed in court Wednesday, he said he is withdrawing his request to intervene "

http://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/389915-avenatti-withdraws-motion-to-represent-stormy-daniels-in-cohen-case

sidd

[SteveMDFP]

Bernstein

So you imagine I had never heard of Carl Bernstein and needed educating. You're too kind and so incredibly welcoming of my humble opinions, observations & querying it simply takes my breath away. Have at it.

No need to take umbrage.  This is a public forum, not a private discussion between any two individuals.  Many readers here may not have realized that the Bernstein in question is the same as of "Woodward and Bernstein" fame.  Nor of Bernstein's additional credentials.
There's a much wider audience here than the frequent posters here may realize.
We need to craft our words for the benefit of the wider audience here.

[AbruptSLR]

While Giuliani is waging a public campaign against the Mueller Investigation (to help fight possible impeachment proceedings, which are political in nature), he is strengthening Mueller's legal case for obstruction of justice:

Title: "Watergate prosecutor: Giuliani has admitted Mueller has good obstruction case"

http://thehill.com/policy/national-security/389885-watergate-prosecutor-giuliani-has-admitted-mueller-has-good

Extract: "A former Watergate prosecutor said late Tuesday that President Trump's attorney Rudy Giuliani basically "admitted" that special counsel Robert Mueller has a good case for obstruction of justice.

Assistant Watergate special prosecutor Jill Wine-Banks said on MSNBC's "The 11th Hour with Brian Williams" that Giuliani's recent comments about limiting the questions Mueller's team could ask Trump about collusion and obstruction could be a basis for that case.

"He said, 'Oh I'm fine with collusion because there’s no collusion, but obstruction, that’s a matter of interpretation,'" Wine-Banks said. "And it isn’t. Facts are a funny thing. The truth and the facts will come out, and I don’t think it’s going to show that it’s a matter of interpretation, but of guilt." Wine-Banks also said that Giuliani is trying to control the public's understanding of the negotiations with Mueller's investigators, who are probing Russia's meddling in the 2016 presidential election and possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Moscow.

“You have unanswered accusations from Giuliani that Mueller cannot and must not answer because he’s acting appropriately,” she said. “Giuliani can say whatever he wants and then he can say, ‘And see how unfair it was, they didn’t want to agree to that, they said they would and then they wouldn’t.’""

[AbruptSLR]

Whatcha mean i can't go on tour ? I quit !

Judge Wood lays down the law:

"You're entitled to publicity. I can't stop you — unless you're participating in a matter before me."

Avennatti don't wanna do that:

"In the document Avenatti filed in court Wednesday, he said he is withdrawing his request to intervene "

http://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/389915-avenatti-withdraws-motion-to-represent-stormy-daniels-in-cohen-case

sidd

After Avenatti dropped his request to participate in the FBI's criminal case against Cohen (in order to avoid the judge from stopping his "publicity tour"), Avenatti then announced to the media that there had been "a shocking admission" in court, saying Cohen's lawyer "admitted that there are audio recordings that Michael Cohen was taking for years."  Furthermore, Avenatti has called for these tapes to be made public because "I know for a fact that one or more of these conversations do describe things that are inappropriate"; and the tapes include conversations with Trump:

Title: "Avenatti alleges Michael Cohen recorded 'inappropriate' conversations"

https://www.cnn.com/2018/05/30/politics/michael-avenatti-cohen-trump-recordings/index.html

Extract: "Michael Avenatti, the lawyer representing adult film actress Stormy Daniels, alleged in an interview with CNN's Jake Tapper on Wednesday that Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump's longtime personal attorney, had recorded "inappropriate" conversations.

In the same interview, Avenatti also alleged Trump is among the people on the recordings.

Earlier on Wednesday, Avenatti dropped his request to participate in the court battle tied to the FBI raid of Cohen's hotel and office after a federal judge said that in order to be admitted into the New York proceedings, he would need to "stop your publicity tour."

Addressing the media, Avenatti then told reporters there had been "a shocking admission" in court, saying Cohen's lawyer "admitted that there are audio recordings that Michael Cohen was taking for years."

Avenatti is now calling for the public release of any recordings made by Cohen.
When pressed by Tapper on why the American people should have access to Cohen's private conversations, Avenatti said, "I know for a fact that one or more of these conversations do describe things that are inappropriate."

"People are allowed to have conversations," Avenatti said, "but they're not allowed to tape or record those conversations unless they have permission, unless you're in a single party state. A number of these recordings were made illegally, they should be disclosed now to the American people."

Avenatti added that "our understanding is there are countless hours of recordings of conversations between Michael Cohen and others" and "the conversations include conversations with Mr. Trump.""

[AbruptSLR]

Trump's lawyer Cohen sets the standard for discourse for making 'America Great Again'"

Title: "LISTEN: How Michael Cohen Protects Trump By Making Legal Threats"

https://www.npr.org/2018/05/31/615843930/listen-how-michael-cohen-protects-trump-by-making-legal-threats

Cohen to reporter Tim Mak:

"I'm warning you, tread very f***ing lightly because what I'm going to do to you is going to be f***ing disgusting. Do you understand me? Don't think you can hide behind your pen."

[SteveMDFP]

  I am beginning to think all these people and the issues arising out of the Mueller investigation are as irrelevant to his brief about the 'trump campaign and Russia' as Ken Starr's,

No.  Mueller's remit quite explicitly goes beyond investigating the influence of Russia on the 2016 campaign.  He's charged with investigating these matters also as a national security matter, not just a criminal investigation.  Beyond this, his is charged with investigating any criminal matters that arise in the course of his investigation.

A contributor raised the same concern you have, a number of weeks ago.  I posted a link to Mueller's authorizing document.

If his work has gone far afield, it's because the facts have led him there.

[AbruptSLR]

It seems clear to me that Trump's obstruction and pardon moves follow a path that leads to increased authoritarian governance in the US:

Title: "It's not normal: Trump’s obstruction and pardon moves"

https://www.axios.com/trump-obstruction-pardon-mueller-investigation-11d9bbe9-53d8-44a9-b5be-78bf4bd7aa41.html

Extract: "By any historical measure, it’s highly unusual for President Trump to repeatedly pressure his attorney general to intervene in an investigation of the White House, as Axios scooped late yesterday.

Why it matters: By any historical measure, it’s highly unusual to have a special prosecutor probing whether a president obstructed justice during his first days in office, like the Robert Mueller investigation is doing. By any historical measure, it’s highly unusual for a president this early in his term to pardon a controversial political donor (conservative commentator Dinesh D’Souza) — and to signal he might pardon other celebrity criminals, like Trump did yesterday with Martha Stewart and more.

Be smart: Maybe these three events are mere coincidence. But almost no one around Trump, even his closest allies, thinks this is the case.

•   WashPost front pager, "With pardon, president sends a signal": "Trump ... delivered an indirect but unmistakable message to personal attorney Michael Cohen, former national security adviser Michael Flynn and others ensnared in Trump-related investigations that they, too, could be spared punishment.""

[AbruptSLR]

Like if I was the POTUS and I had the power, as an example of what I mean, the very first thing I would do after having my Attorney General confirmed would be to have him appoint 535 Special Prosecutor teams to investigate every single member of Congress' last 'Campaign' plus any criminal matters that arise in the course of their investigation.

In a government with checks and balances, the AG together with Congress, have the upper hand in the fight against Trump's numerous abuses of power (or your imaginary appointment of 535 Special Prosecutors without providing evidence of wrong doing):

Title: "Trump fumes, but Sessions may have the upper hand"

https://www.politico.com/story/2018/05/31/trump-sessions-relationship-power-616114

Extract: "The president continues to publicly taunt his attorney general in part because he knows firing him would only multiply his legal and political woes.
…
Republicans on Capitol Hill moved to protect Sessions months ago in the face of Trump’s parade of insults, with Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley saying in July that he will not hold hearings to confirm a successor if Sessions is dismissed. "

[AbruptSLR]

Let's put aside criminal investigations of Congress and the White House.
...
Such an approach may be much faster, easier and more effective to clean out the stables than any Mueller investigation or another election could ever be.

Nevertheless, this thread is about the "Mueller Investigation & Cohen Investigation" and other topics belong in other threads.

[AbruptSLR]

Such as the following comment by Buddy. My guess is hell will freeze over before he is taken to task for being off-topic and frivolous.

Which illustrates why Donald Trump never apologizes, so I guess that turnabout is fair play.

[sidd]

Trump accuses Mueller of leaking confidential letter rom Trump attorneys:

" ... a New York Times story, published minutes later, that revealed the contents of a confidential 20-page letter Trump's attorneys reportedly sent to Mueller's team earlier this year."

"The unprecedented letter contends that Trump could not possibly be charged with obstruction of justice for firing former FBI Director James Comey last year, as the Constitution grants the president absolute authority over federal investigations."

http://thehill.com/policy/national-security/390402-trump-accuses-doj-muellers-office-of-leaking-his-attorneys-letters

sidd

[AbruptSLR]

Trump accuses Mueller of leaking confidential letter rom Trump attorneys:

If/when we get that far, Team Trump will be allowed to present their evidence to the House Judiciary Committee during the impeachment process.

[Buddy]

Such as the following comment by Buddy. My guess is hell will freeze over before he is taken to task for being off-topic and frivolous.

A cold front moved into central Florida and indeed ....... it looks like Hell has frozen over!

I will go remove the entry that ASILurker complained about.

[Buddy]

So ..... Donnie and the whole klan are going to Camp David this weekend .... without Barron and “Melanie”.  Sounds like an innocent 😇 weekend away with the family.  Nothing to see there .... right?

I hope Donnie never plays poker.  My friends will clean him out.  And chances are, so will Bob.

============================================================

The above was the post that I removed for ASILurker.  Apparently he didn't understand my SCARCASM.  If ANYONE thinks that Donnie and company aren't spending their WHOLE WEEKEND planning...

1)  How to address all the issues of the Mueller Investigation
2)  How to address all the issues with the Cohan investigation (and his likely flipping)
3)  Figuring out how to coordinate with the White House communications department at FOX News .....

Then I have a downhill snow skiing slope I would like to sell you in Tampa Bay....

THAT IS ALL THEY ARE DOING THIS WEEKEND.  And Melanie is NOT invited ....because there is an OUTSIDE CHANCE that she could be called as a witness....as well as Donnie Jr.'s ex.

"Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned"

[AbruptSLR]

Team Trump has more legal problems associated with the statement Trump dictated on the Trump Tower meeting:

Title: "Admission that Trump dictated statement on Trump Tower meeting raises new questions"

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/admission-that-trump-dictated-statement-on-trump-tower-meeting-raises-new-questions/ar-AAyaABj?ocid=spartandhp

Extract: ""Jay Sekulow said time and time again directly into the faces of the American people on television - Sarah Sanders did the same thing, and said in no uncertain terms... they said the president had nothing to do with that statement by Donald Trump Jr. and didn't draft it, didn't sign off on it," former U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said on CNN's "State of the Union."

"And it turns out that is completely untrue," he said.

Bharara - who was fired by Trump last year - added that, when looked at in full context, the events surrounding the Trump Tower meeting and subsequent fallout may put the president or some of his allies in legal jeopardy."

[AbruptSLR]

For how long have Manafort and Trump been conspiring?  Hopefully, Mueller can connect the dots.

Title: "A Timeline of Paul Manafort’s Relationship with Donald Trump"

http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/jurisprudence/2017/10/a_timeline_of_paul_manafort_s_relationship_with_the_trump_world.html

Extract: "They’ve known each other since the 1980s."

[AbruptSLR]

Trump thinks that he could pardon himself even if he shoot someone in the street (like James Comey & he likely thinks that the GOP controlled House doesn't have the backbone to impeach him for any crimes that he has committed):

Title: "Trump tweets: "I have the absolute right to PARDON myself""

https://www.axios.com/trump-tweets-mueller-investigation-pardon-power-9ff444ed-6705-41cb-a78f-7c88a3569054.html

Extract: "President Trump addressed the question of whether or not his pardoning power extends to himself and the Mueller investigation on Twitter Monday morning."

[AbruptSLR]

If you don't think that Trump won't test the limits of his abuse of power (particularly w.r.t. the Mueller investigation), then 'you aren't paying attention':

Title: "Trump’s mind-control superpowers"

https://www.axios.com/trump-persuasion-gop-republicans-mueller-investigation-e1f12159-3635-4134-bde9-d8cd4ee7a92e.html

Extract: "Trump and allies are floating untested legal arguments: The president can't obstruct justice, or can unilaterally shut down probes of himself, or can even pardon himself. If you think he won't try something unprecedented — and maybe get away with it, at least with Republicans — you aren’t paying attention."

[AbruptSLR]

So yes nothing wrong in investigating the Trump campaign and asking serious questions and testing their responses.  Nor was investigating Clinton's 2016 campaign while they are at it. But who is going to investigate the FBI, and who is going to investigate the entire US Congress and all the rest who live in "the swamp" there?

Who is going to Investigate the entire body News Media and Social Media and Internet Search Industry - the people who work in it and run it - in the USA?

If you accept Trump's lawyer's point of view that Trump (as head of the DOJ) is personally free to shoot anyone who he thinks is misbehaving; then if you think so many people in Congress, or in the Judiciary (including the Supreme Court), or in the Mueller investigation are misbehaving, then just Tweet the Donald and he can go shoot them for you, just like Saddam Hussein use to do in Iraq

[sidd]

A deal in the works ? Grassley postpones hearing to June 11 on OIG report

https://townhall.com/tipsheet/katiepavlich/2018/06/01/grassley-postpones-hearing-on-doj-inspector-general-report-about-the-fbis-handili-n2486396

sidd

[sidd]

Manafort accused of witness tampering:

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-russia-manafort/manafort-attempted-to-tamper-with-potential-witnesses-u-s-special-counsel-idUSKCN1J1043

sidd

[Buddy]

When Cohen is indicted, it will be interesting to see how much information is given in the indictment. It is likely to impact what both Donnie AND Paul Manafort do.  Also, note that indictments can be “superceded” (as more information is gathered or comes to light).  That was the case in the Manafort indictment .... and the same thing may happen with Cohen.

Manafort, Cohen, and Traitor Don are clearly in DEEP SHIT.  Who would have guessed? 🤔   This is looking like a very bad summer for the Trump “Klan”.

If I were Kevin McCarthy ..... I would be VERY WORRIED 😧.  In fact, there are quite a few folks that should be very worried right now.  This is going to be one ugly summer for a LOT of people in Congress.  They have a LOT of explaining to do.