The NYT reports.
Commenters there exult:
My day just got 1,000% better....UPDATE: WaPo reports: "Trump attorney Cohen is being investigated for possible bank fraud, campaign finance violations, according to a person familiar with the case."
Wow. The system works. It really works....
If a porn star winds up being the one to take Trump down, it will prove to me that karma actually exists in the absence of other forms of justice....
Whoa, wait. I thought this was a "nothing burger." I heard it so many times, and now the Feds have raided this man's office. Practitioners of "Nothingburger-ism," please, explain.
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It looks like a police state can be directed by the deep state.
so what crime are we fishing for now?
Interesting. Attorney client privilege apply here?
The FBI criminal gang is desperate to survive. They are throwing every thing they can
At Trump hoping he loses his cool and they can slip by intact.
Panic over Trump destroying the swamp is the only thing global these days.
I haven't practiced law in over 10 years, and I'm not going to click on a NYT link to try and figure it out (and certainly not to read the comments) but. . . . usually anything between Trump and his attorney would be considered privileged, no???
Plus, was it really a "raid" - with guns drawn and battering doors down - or simply a search warrant coordinated with Cohen's attorney (since he was quoted).
Can someone explain to me what crime this is related to? I mean, if Trump had an affair with Daniels, that's not illegal. If he paid her so that she wouldn't talk about it, that's not illegal. If he directed someone else to pay her so that she wouldn't talk about it, that's not illegal. What is the underlying crime? And what does any of this have to do with Russia and interference in elections, Mueller's supposed topic of inquiry?
Raid the offices of Mueller’s former law firm as part of a mail fraud investigation into Mueller’s over billing the NFL for its whitewash report into the Ray Rice wife beating.
I also want Mueller to personally pay back the $5 million he cost the US in settlement of Mueller’s total fuck up of the anthrax investigation.
Would it be such a bad thing if Mattis was given free reign and unlimited helicopter fuel? Republicans are undefeated in civil wars.
Donald Trump has managed to stay one step ahead of the sheriff for decades in a very tough environment, so don't count the indictments before they've hatched, boys and girls.
Once more, with feeling: Never underestimate the power of a corrupt prosecutor.
Kathryn:
There is no atty-client privilege if the lawyer is helping to commit crimes.
This is huge. A federal judge granted a search warrant. This is war. Assad is nothing compared to this.
Re: pacwest:
Interesting. Attorney client privilege apply here?
Yes. A common procedure in cases like this is to use a separate "taint team" within DOJ to filter out material covered by the attorney client privilege. It is surprising that they would conduct a raid, though, because the bar for authorising a search of an attorney's office is (in theory) quite high. A search is more intrusive than a subpoena, after all. Maybe they claimed there was a risk that Cohen would destroy evidence (or something like that) to justify a search.
Wake me when someone unocvers a Something Burger™.
"The search does not appear to be directly related to Mr. Mueller’s investigation, but likely resulted from information he had uncovered and gave to prosecutors in New York."
Sure, while Bob was investigating whether Trump colluded with the Russians to steal the election, he just happened onto some information that would help out his buddies in the DA's Office in New York. Happens all the time.
Another cite to the US Attorney's Manual - in the event Cohen is a "disinterested" (i.e. non-subject/non-target) third party lawyer.
Things are definitely heating up for Trump. How much closer can it get to Trump himself? Still think there’s nothing to all of this? (Lol) They did a raid on his office, his home and his hotel rooms.
This all is beginning to fall under broad humor now.
Leftism is always funny, but it's going into open farce.
It might be a public relations problem for the left.
If Trump publically claims he was unaware of an agreement re: Stormy Daniels he cannot claim attorney-client privacy on the matter, can he?
Everyone on Twitter is an idiot. I don't know why he thinks he is the only one who won't beclown himself on a platform know for making an idiot of everybody with an account. Given enough time everyone tweets stupid shit they wish they could make disappear.
This isn't his first stupid tweet, but it might have legs.
They'll finally get Trump with moping with intent to creep.
Doesn't matter what's real anymore this prosecutor has put innocents in jail before, I'm sure he'd be happy to again. I guarantee though his "success" would create a hell of backlash against the left.
So the fevered swamps of the left think this will finally be the thing that gets Trump. Whatever 'it' is.
Reeks of desperation to me.
I guess I'd also want to hold back on assuming that the NYT has correctly reported the scope of the search warrant -- this is "according to a person briefed on the search," but I recall that there was similar sourcing for some of the earlier reports about, e.g. the subpoena to Deutsche Bank, which was originally incorrectly reported to be focused on Trump's financial affairs (it wasn't). There was definitely some kind of search, since Cohen's attorney is complaining, but let's see how the story develops.
But! But! But! Clinton’s e-mails!!!
If I were AG Sessions (a big if, I know), I'd consider the indictment of the 13 Russians a get-out-of-jail card as far as my recusal was concerned. After all, didn't the DOJ say at the press conference announcing the indictment that no American wittingly participated in any of the Russians' schemes? That means that Sessions cannot have a conflict and he can resume supervision of Mueller.
On that basis, if I were he, I'd call Mueller in for a let's get religion meeting. I'd ask to see what he has and on whom he has it. If he has anything of substance on Trump, fine. He can keep pursuing it. However, I would not allow him to pursue any novel legal theories nor would I allow him to pursue any process crimes -- no perjury trap.
The presidency is too important to be interfered with unless there is a clear violation of criminal law -- which means Mueller cannot bring a case based on a never-before-tried theory of criminality. Not because that would be unfair to Trump, but because the people -- both his supporters and his detractors -- must see that the charges against Trump are of a kind that would have been brought against ANY president. The country cannot stand a situation where the president is charged for obstruction under a theory that, if you hold it up to the light just right, and squint, you can kinda see how it just might be a violation of the law.
If Mueller has no evidence of a crime to date, I'd have him shut the investigation down and write up his report to that effect. In that case, the report shouldn't talk about Trump's poor judgement or concern itself with other questions having nothing to do with the legality of his actions. If there was no evidence, or insufficient evidence, of criminality, that's all the report should say.
I am generally against the use of qualifiers on verbs.
But to echo Balfegor: It doesn't say The NY Times reports truthfully.
Luckily Trump is not the kind of guy to try to skirt the law.
Hahahahahaha!
Any target that is not Trump is a NothingBurger.
What to do when you haven't found evidence of a crime? Keep looking, of course.
-sw
I agree this all is serious.
And no matter what happens one half or the other of you will think it illegitimate.
Because it will be, according to accepted norms of previous decades.
Every country has an unwritten constitution as well as a written one, and you all have set processes in motion that are destroying this unwritten constitution.
Forget Syria or the Ukraine or the China Sea. By comparison those are all small fights mostly between sensible people with limited goals. The worlds greatest danger is American political struggle, the inevitable consequence, the end-stage of degeneration.
RE: Mark:
If Trump publically claims he was unaware of an agreement re: Stormy Daniels he cannot claim attorney-client privacy on the matter, can he?
I do wonder whether Trump gave Cohen a power of attorney to execute agreements and transfer money on his behalf to resolve these kinds of situations. I don't know that I've ever actually signed on a client's behalf, even when agreements have been set up that way. So I don't know how far that envelope can be pushed.
Re: MadisonMan:
I'm sure they're accurately reporting what their source said. It's just that sources purportedly close to the Mueller investigation have, in fact, been wrong about highly significant details before. No matter what, though, a search executed on an attorney's office is serious business.
“”Doesn't matter what's real anymore this prosecutor has put innocents in jail before, I'm sure he'd be happy to again. I guarantee though his "success" would create a hell of backlash against the left.”
Going to be the interesting. Esp as to how it ties to Mueller’s Russia collaboration mandate. WTF is Mueller doing with the Stormy Daniels thing anyway? How does that tie to Russia? If they went very far afield to do this, I expect consequences. Notably, the IG is readying his report on abuses at the top of the DoJ and FBI. Was this in reaction to that?
The FBI and DOJ are 0-2 in the big trials of the last few months. The jihadi Orlando terrrorists wife walked out of court after the jury said the FBI lied. The jihadi’s dad was on their snatch payroll, which is a total embarrassment to their competence.
And Sen Menendez got a hung jury followed by a throw in the towel.
The DOJ has lost so many high profile cases over the last decade (Bonds, Clemens, Stevens, Edwards, McDonell, Menendez and Orlando jihadi wife) its a wonder anyone with a decent lawyer takes a plea.
Americans are quickly turning on the FBI and DOJ. Comey and Mueller are obvious clowns. The career lawyers at the DOJ are a fucking joke.
But! But! But! Clinton’s e-mails!!
Yeah. 31,000 e-mails deleted from a private server from Hillary's time as Secretary of State compared to some hush money that may or may not have been paid to a pRon star about an affair that may or may not have happened 11 years ago.
Why, it's the same, damn thing I tell you.
I note the glee with which our resident liberals are exulting.
I'm sure Inga said the same thing about the John Doe abuses too: "Surely they must have done something wrong else the far left prosecutors would not do such a thing! Harassment and intimidation? Never!"
Right Inga? Whatever a Democrat does is moral and legal, as I recall, in your world. Ted Kennedy can murder and commit treason all he wants, and it's a-ok. Bill Clinton's trips to Pedo island to rape 11 year old girls is perfectly fine for you. Using SWAT teams to execute illegal search warrants at 3 AM to intimidate and harass wives of GOP staffers--you cheer. So does "Now I know."
This is the kind of thing the Redcoats were doing before Lexington, and you guys are all in favor of it, aren't you?
--Vance
I don't think many are taking this as seriously as they should. You don't raid the office and home of the lawyer of a sitting President, "take everything" as was reported, and come back from it. Do they raid the West Wing next?
This is bad, bad, bad. I agree with AOSHQ who said this feels like the beginning of the end, one way or the other.
Thanks Balfegor. I know that Hillary has protected herself with several layers of lawyers. It'll be fun to watch. I'm thinking I can get the full take on it by watching CNN :)
Just in time to help boost sales of Jim Comey's Book available via the Amazing Althole.
"This is the kind of thing the Redcoats were doing before Lexington, and you guys are all in favor of it, aren't you?"
And the solution is exactly the same as how the Redcoats were dealt with. Sometimes history really does repeat itself.
For those who have forgotten how investigations like these work in practice:
Bill Clinton was investigated for a 1979 Arkansas land deal, and the investigation led to his impeachment for lying about some sperm he deposited on a woman's dress eighteen years later -- a woman who was six years old in 1979.
By those standards, the corrupt investigation of Trump is practically legitimate.
So if Mueller "referred" this to the USAO in New York, that would suggest it was not Mueller's team that applied for and obtained the warrant, but rather the US Attorneys' Office. I know we're in uncharted territory these days, but I'm pretty sure that an application to search an attorney's office for attorney-client communications would require a sign-off from at least the US Attorney himself, and likely someone higher up at DOJ. The fact that that "client" just happens to be the President of the United States would suggest an even higher standard.
That is a pretty huge development, but not necessarily in the way that some here theorize. It's difficult to even imagine what the crime may be, even assuming that the Stormy payoff was done with Trump's knowledge or at his direction.
I will be very curious to see who authorized the application, and where that person will be working a month from now. Deep State may be about to become one guy/gal shallower.
I agree with AOSHQ who said this feels like the beginning of the end, one way or the other.
Good. I've had enough of it. And I know I'm not alone.
Shit or get off the pot.
And then let's dance.
They best have an airtight reason for this. If there is any - and I mean any - doubt as to the legitimacy of this, this is going to get extremely messy.
Re: Bruce Hayden:
Going to be the interesting. Esp as to how it ties to Mueller’s Russia collaboration mandate. WTF is Mueller doing with the Stormy Daniels thing anyway? How does that tie to Russia? If they went very far afield to do this, I expect consequences. Notably, the IG is readying his report on abuses at the top of the DoJ and FBI. Was this in reaction to that?
This is just a referral from Mueller -- if he came across evidence of a crime outside his scope, he could pass it over to DOJ for normal prosecution. I'm not sure how he found whatever prompted the search. Maybe it was something in bank records? (Or maybe I'm just thinking about bank records because I went and read the Deutsche Bank articles again)
@Althouse, you have some expertise as a law professor. Under what circumstances can someone raid the offices of the attorney for someone under investigation?
Incredibly stupid move by the DOJ. Either Sessions fires the people responsible or Trump fires Sessions. Fuck these people. They are a total waste of our tax dollars.
If you leftists insist on following the plan of the King to suppress American rights; if you want to act the part of the Redcoats, then don't be surprised if we also go back to those days and act the part of the Patriots.
That's what you leftists want, right? To crush America and put her back under a monarchy.
Well, if the law doesn't apply to you leftists, then it doesn't apply to the right either, does it? That's the game you want to play? Corrupt judges issuing warrants illegally; abuse of power, dictatorial demands: That's your ideal way of governing now? That's the left's promise is it?
Get over it. You lost the election. Yes, you did. Stop trying to overturn it.
Still, on the bright side I guess it's a-ok to execute a search warrant on Perkins Coie and seize all their assets now. How could Inga and the rest possibly complain? Right? Since the left has decided that attorney client privilege no longer exists, that means we can go rummage through all the Democrat law firm's papers as much as we want, taking them away for leisurely perusal.
Great precedent, leftists! You'll not mind one bit if Rush Limbaugh gets to read through Perkins Coie's papers, right?
"But! But! But! Clinton’s e-mails!!!"
Yes actually.
That was a huge deal.
Why? Because it was a symptom of the corruption the system was tolerating.
And unlike most of these things it was something that got into public view, because it was so blatant. Wide-open violation of near-sacred rules.
Politicians cheat in all sorts of ways, but its rare that the entire political and bureaucratic system is so openly shown to have enabled and protected a politician in her follies.
In a previous time Clinton would have resigned, or even been been dismissed on some pretext, or there would have been a small scandal and she would have been politely sent off to a comfortable retirement. Finis. The next politician who wanted to mix public and private business in the process of influence peddling, while letting every intelligence agency on Earth know all the details - will be more careful.
But no, in this case the system stupidly, arrogantly insisted on making the nation swallow it. Comey's own statement, on video, showed it was so. It was a truly amazing, historic thing.
This was not about Clinton, it was about your system, grown degenerate beyond utility, beyond absurdity. There is no repairing this.
What's the big deal? I remember when the FBI raided Hillary Clinton's home and her attorney's office and Lois Lerner's home. Oh wait....
I'm glad that the Democrats have signed on to the precedent that a Special Prosecutor has the right to go on fishing expeditions on matters unrelated to his original charge.
I think that when Mueller's done the Trump DOJ should set up a Special Prosecutor to look into the Clinton Foundation, the Obama Library that isn't really a library, the behavior of California state officials in blocking the enforcement of immigration laws, etc, etc.
Weeeeeeh! Isn't this going to be fun!
Mueller is showing he is desperate.
I think this is all the proof necessary that Mueller's special prosecution is simply a fishing expedition.
what was the name of the guy who worked in that district in NY who didn't get a job from Trump? Bareet Pareet?
"I know we're in uncharted territory these days, "
You are.
Porn star payments worse that a private server while head of the State Dept?
wow.
Well, AJ Lynch, you have to remember that corrupt government officials that oppress the citizenry are immune from consequences, as long as they oppress the right people.
Just ask Inga and "Now I know" whether or not anyone should be punished for breaking the law and acting like a jackbooted SS Thug, as long as they are attacking conservatives or Republicans.
I mean, they can't even say shooting Republicans is a bad thing (see, Scalise, Steve), so why would a little IRS harassment be bad?
Of course, if anyone suggests that, say, Planned Parenthood should be audited to make sure they aren't spending federal dollars to slaughter babies, the screams of outrage reach the heavens. Battering rams on a door at 3 AM A-ok!
Well, if the law doesn't apply to you leftists, then it doesn't apply to the right either, does it?
Exactly.
But it appears they're stupid enough to think people are just going to sit back and go, "Oh, well. Maybe next time."
Careful what you wish for, leftists.
You just might get it.
"I think that when Mueller's done the Trump DOJ should set up a Special Prosecutor to look into the Clinton Foundation, the Obama Library that isn't really a library, the behavior of California state officials in blocking the enforcement of immigration laws, etc, etc.
Weeeeeeh! Isn't this going to be fun!"
I don't think so.
Because all that stuff is irrelevant. They are all simply hirelings and trivial people. And they are of the past.
Your real problem is the cabal that is purchasing your politics now.
Really, buwaya? Have you seen this movie before?
Stormy Daniels poses nude for Penthouse, according to Drudge.
The question is whether it will sell a single magazine.
They'd do better with an essay.
This warrant was sought by the Office of the US Attorney for the Southern District of New York. Headed by this guy:
https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/meet-us-attorney
Former partner of Ruddy Giuliani, who no doubt pushed him in front of POTUS.
And who NY Senator Gillibrand tried to block as supposedly too close to Trump (no doubt as part of her effort to stand out in the crowd in 2020).
And it was issued by a US Magistrate Judge from SDNY.
Can someone explain to me what crime this is related to? I mean, if Trump had an affair with Daniels, that's not illegal.
It could be related to laws regulating campaign contributions. Cohen claims that he gave Stormy the money to help Trump out. Since this occurred during the presidential campaign, the giving of money to Stormy to stop a potentially harmful information coming out could be construed as a donation to the Trump campaign.
If this is the case, and Trump did not know about this, which Cohen claims, then it's only Cohen who would have done something illegal. Attorney-client privilege doesn't afford protection when the attorney does something illegal.
This was not about Clinton, it was about your system, grown degenerate beyond utility, beyond absurdity. There is no repairing this.
Exactly. This country is fundamentally broken. We are on a road to literally tearing it apart.
Your real problem is the cabal that is purchasing your politics now.
Bingo !
So back in the day, Bill Clinton paid over 850,000 to purchase the silence of someone he had sex with.
Did the FBI raid his attorney for that? If not, why not? Leftists, shouldn't Ken Starr have raided Bill Clinton's attorney office and seized everything over that--seeing as you guys are exulting over this?
I mean, come on: Bill Clinton raped women; surely raiding his attorney's office would be the moral and right thing to do, right? Attorney Client privilege now being destroyed just as you leftists want.
If it is game to raid the office of lawyers representing a client not under investigation but allegedly had an affair; where's the raid of Lisa Page and Peter Strzok offices and homes? At least the latter are connected to the Russian collusion probe.
I hope they arrest Trump, put him in handcuffs. We could get a filibuster proof Senate and get some shit done.
It’s amazing how every possible theory, regardless of how tenuous, to hold Clinton harmless is pursued, and exactly 100% the opposite for Trump.
Guess there is no way that Trump does an interview with Mueller now, huh? "The deep state is so after me they'll raid even my attorney."
Not sure I'd want to be Bashar Assad right now.
Look, at the risk of unfairly maligning Cohen here, there's any number of reasons the FBI might have raided Cohen only indirectly related to Trump. For example, if Cohen were taking money from Trump to pay off pornstars and keeping a little extra for himself. We just don't have enough information to say what's really going on here. I do think there's some significance to the fact that they went after Cohen, though, rather than trying to obtain evidence from a non-attorney source. I don't think it's just that the FBI and the prosecutors are drunk on power and mad with hatred of the President.
What I don’t get is why anybody gives a rip about Clinton’s emails and, BTW, her records of meetings while SoS! After all, she only took hundreds of millions of dollars in donations to her personal foundation over which she had control of all of the funds! Who could possibly see anything fishy there!
Ah, Amexpat has a better speculation in light of the known facts. But we still don't have enough information to infer much of anything.
You know who didn't get raided? Hillary Clinton's lawyer, that's who. And why should he have been raided? Because he didn't have a National Security clearance... and admitted he had top secret stuff off of Hillary's server in his office.
Nothing happened, naturally. I don't think anyone even asked him to destroy it--as far as I know, it's still there. He can do whatever with it--who would ever even think of asking him to get rid of it? Certainly not Inga or Readering, naturally--Democrat law breaking is just peachy keen with them.
Guess what else: when Russia hacked the DNC servers, surely the FBI looked into it, right? Nope! The DNC said "no" and the FBI said, "OK, cool! We don't care!"
But somehow they have time to destroy attorney client privilege over this?
They did a raid on his office, his home and his hotel rooms.
Did they wear those cool Jack Boots Inga? The ones you find so hot? I do hope they wore some kind of sexy fascist uniforms! The fascist had the best tailors, bar none!
"Really, buwaya? Have you seen this movie before?"
Yes, it was on TV. Saturday, Sept 23, 1972.
A simpler place, with less of that institutional gravity, but it was quite surprising nevertheless. Oh, there was corruption, but it was "normal", there were rules. One could go so far and get away with it, but limits were understood.
Normal politics suddenly went off into never-never land when what was the "deep state" decided to accommodate politicians fears and dreams.
From the reporting I have a hard time describing this event as a raid.
-sw
the giving of money to Stormy to stop a potentially harmful information coming out could be construed as a donation to the Trump campaign.
If this is the argument that Mueller is using, then where is his raid of Hillary's lawyer that paid FusionGPS to produce the Russian collusion dossier. Isn't that issue part of his remit?
Special Counsel Mueller should forwith file an Ex Parte Motion for a Writ of Attachment on Miss Daniels' boobs.
If granted, Mr. Cohen could then file a Motion to Quash her boobs (figuratively, not literally).
I guess the larger question is whether attorney Cohen used Miss Daniels as a pretextual "cut-out" to launder the $130,000 to the 13 Russian Trolls on Facebook who "sowed political discord" during the 2016 Presidential election.
I hope they wore brownshirts with those jackboots.
Since this occurred during the presidential campaign, the giving of money to Stormy to stop a potentially harmful information coming out could be construed as a donation to the Trump campaign.
So in other words, Bimbo Eruptions.
They raided Cohen's office, his home, and his hotel room.
Barging in his hotel room? Really? That's the face of the new left: Jackbooted thugs, stamping on a face. That's the style of the left today.
Well, it's not new, is it? I suppose Cohen is quite glad he wasn't guillotined. Like the leftists of yore did.
Re: Vance:
We don't know what "this" is. You can't jump to the assumption that it's something illegal Trump did. In fact, I seriously doubt it is connected to alleged illegal conduct by Trump because Trump is, in fact, the President, and investigating alleged illegal conduct by the President (aka federal prosecutors' boss) presents exactly the kind of conflict of interest that leads to the appointment of a special prosecutor (even if it's outside the scope of the current special counsel investigation.)
Cohen is being investigated for wire fraud, bank fraud and campaign violations. Just being reported.
Balfegor: I don't think Trump did anything illegal. I think it's all made up; a "Trumped up" charge, if you will, that is just a fishing expedition at best.
These people openly lie, and openly lie to judges who only want a fig leaf to enable them to run roughshod over the people. We know this already. See General Flynn.
And the really horrifying thing is this: Ask Inga or the rest of the gang, and they'll tell you that even if it's all a lie and made up, that this raid is a good thing and justified.
The left wants to transition to a brute dictatorship; and they don't want to deal with the niceties of law. When has any leftist ever wanted to let the law restrain what they can do? That's why Inga and the rest are celebrating this: it's illegal almost certainly and made up, but it's against the "right people" so that makes it all ok, despite being totally SS like and something Heinrich Himmler would love. That's the whole point, isn't it--to bring Beria style government to America.
Re: Inga:
Cohen is being investigated for wire fraud, bank fraud and campaign violations. Just being reported.
That . . . doesn't sound crazy! Do you have a cite? I just searched google news and nothing is coming up yet.
It's a nothingburger. Presidents? Strippers? Shady lawyers? Payments for sex? Happens all the time. Maybe not in our country, but all the time in those shithole countries.
ITT: Mandatory butthurt now that the memetic hallucinogen MAGA is beginning to wear off, with a nasty hangover in the form of an ongoing criminal indictment marathon - alongside the most ill-advised "Redcoats" trope of all time.
OF ALL TIME.
Voting for a geek act & getting sniffy when the inevitable chicken blood ruins your Sunday Finest?
Looking a tad pathetic, kids.
Please. Wire fraud and bank fraud? For allegedly paying Stormy Daniels? That's a "Campaign Contribution?"
Then why hasn't NBC been bankrupted for all the oral sex they gave Barack Obama on the air?
Happens all the time. Maybe not in our country, but all the time in those shithole countries.
You know what else happens in shithole countries? The opposition uses the secret police to overthrow leaders who won’t go along with the game.
For example, if Cohen were taking money from Trump to pay off pornstars and keeping a little extra for himself.
I thought of that, but if Trump didn't care would that really be an issue? Maybe Trump knows and doesn't care. I would think they would go to Trump first for that as the "victim".
I think shithole countries are big on using spy agencies like the NSA against the opposition too.
I hope this succeeds ARM, I hope they arrest Trump now, because I doubt it will turn out the way you think.
Remember when Inga. was so. excited about using the secret police against Walker? That was great too!
“This warrant was sought by the Office of the US Attorney for the Southern District of New York.”
Let’s try some names: Loretta Lynch; Preet Baharra; James Comey; several of Mueller’s grossly political operatives/prosecutors. What do they all have in common? All worked for, or were, the SDNY USA. And, one of the Clinton investigations was sent there to die. Deep State anyone?
Balfegor, that’s all I could find in print. I can’t link to a WaPo, I’m all out of articles for the month.
President Trump's attorney, Michael Cohen, is being investigated for possible bank fraud and campaign finance violations, The Washington Post reported Monday.
Citing a person familiar with the case, the newspaper reported the focus of the investigation into Cohen hours after it was confirmed that FBI agents had raided his Manhattan office.
It's a nothingburger. Presidents? Strippers? Shady lawyers? Payments for sex? Happens all the time. Maybe not in our country, but all the time in those shithole countries.
Apparently you slept through the Clinton Administration.
Re: Vance:
Please. Wire fraud and bank fraud? For allegedly paying Stormy Daniels? That's a "Campaign Contribution?"
It's not radically different from the theory under which DOJ (unsuccessfully) prosecuted John Edwards for soliciting money from his wealthy donors to help hide his mistress, e.g. by housing her at expensive hotels. Maybe it seems like a stretch to you, but (for better or for worse) it probably doesn't seem like a stretch to a federal prosecutor. Even if it failed last time. The difference here is that Trump claims not to have known about the $130K payment, so (unlike Edwards) he wouldn't have been involved in actively soliciting the donation.
Save the taxpayers some money; take away Air Force One, and Secret Service protection. Trump's so rich that he can afford an army to defend him. He can at least spend some of his ill-gotten gain. All lawyer's offices should be raided to look for their diploma, and law degree; then the schools that issued the degree should be raided looking for the faculty. Where are they hiding? I've never found a good, or honest lawyer. Their offices should be raided until they turn over the goods. Time for a funny lawyer joke:
What did the Donald tell an illegal immigrant who was trying to put out a fire at Trump Tower?
No way Hose A.
Wow, Trump is freaking out and running his mouth,,,,
I suspect there was something more in bank records obtained by the Mueller investigation, though, because if it's just the campaign contribution issue, that's been bruited about in the press for months now.
I’m all out of articles for the month.
Icognito mode is your friend.
Then why hasn't NBC been bankrupted for all the oral sex they gave Barack Obama on the air?
More like NBC giving Chelsea $600,000 for 22mins of on-air time. Or how about Donna Brazile, then of CNN, giving Hillary debate questions in advance?
The gist is it’s just more grist for the Mueller.
Look, the left just made a non-disclosure agreement a federal crime, apparently.
Because that's what this is: making it illegal to have a non-disclosure agreement. Balfegor: Edwards was directly asking for money; Cohen allegedly just paid a non-disclosure agreement (that Stormy Daniels has reneged on. Has she repaid the money she freely contracted to keep silent for? I'm sure she hasn't--being a Democrat stooge means never, ever having a sense of honor.)
Inga, why would't Trump be upset? Your side seems to think we live in Soviet Russia.
I screwed around on my wife ten years ago with a hooker. Now, ten years later I am running for mayor and this dalliance is revealed but received with a yawn by the voters. My attorney paid the hooker to keep quiet and has an agreement that she keeps her yap shut. I claim I didn't know about the payment or authorize it. But you know what? I did. But I announced I had no idea about the payoff. In a speech. Again, a yawn from the public.
This, I take it is what some are calling a Federal crime? Lying is a Federal crime
Now, the thousand pounds of Petrossian caviar I get from Vlad every month might be a different story.
Wow, Trump is freaking out and running his mouth,,,,
Why not ? Hillary never shut hers.
And Abedin remains uninvestigated. Well. Time for someone to raid the FBI for ryedocs they're stonewalling about.
Re: Vance:
Balfegor: Edwards was directly asking for money; Cohen allegedly just paid a non-disclosure agreement (that Stormy Daniels has reneged on.
The Edwards case established that some people within DOJ think a payment from a third party (e.g. Bunny Mellon) to benefit a mistress = campaign contribution. Once you accept that concept, there's any number of different ways that could play out.
“Why not ?”
Oh by all means, he should keep talking.
The details of the legal issues don't really matter.
Who was alleged to have done what in violation of what law - details.
I know its interesting to lawyers, but its not very relevant in what really is a power struggle. This is an act of lese-majeste, and more than that. It is a deliberate attempt to reduce the power and influence of your chief, by attacking his henchmen and confidants.
This has been a constant policy of the anti-Trump side, akin to the Fabian strategy used against Hannibal. Make it impossible to acquire allies, or to find supplies and recruits, and this was done not by attacking the puissant chieftain, but his potential allies. Any person who serves Trump will be personally attacked at any opportunity for whatever reason is available. This is intended to discourage recruiting. And its worked - the administration is notoriously understaffed, partly because many appointments have been delayed, but also because so many have been threatened.
This is not, of course, normal politics.
“Because that's what this is: making it illegal to have a non-disclosure agreement. Balfegor: Edwards was directly asking for money; Cohen allegedly just paid a non-disclosure agreement (that Stormy Daniels has reneged on. Has she repaid the money she freely contracted to keep silent for? I'm sure she hasn't--being a Democrat stooge means never, ever having a sense of honor.) ”
Ok, here is a legal theory -Daniels violating her NDA, probably means that she owes Cohen/Trump back the money. So, it was essentially a loan to her. That being the case, the money spent and owed being a wash => no harm, no foul, no crime.
Besides, there is a lot of campaign contribution stuff going on with the Crooked Hillary campaign too, except that she accepted donations from foreigners (Steele, and maybe the Russians).
The Feds have an incredible record of convictions. Over 90% Some great G-man work there aided by freezing all of the assets of the accused making good legal representation impossible. Making the accused plead for the sake of his family and the preservation of some resources. A sick system. Smug fucks in bad suits seeking their revenge.
Wait,wait. This could be a search done on Trump’s orders looking for love letters between Cohen and Stormy. After all he paid for $130k of love from her. Trump wants the FBI to get him.
“You cannot use the attorney client privilege to evade your own criminality.”
I just heard this. True?
And Abedin remains uninvestigated
Abadin has admitted to multiple crimes! Doesn’t matter. This is about the power of the One True Faith, liberalism, and the deplorables will be crushed and the earth salted!
For a while I was mad at Trump for getting snookered on the Omnibus, and I still am, but it’s back to the ramparts, as far as I am concerned. Suddenly it’s very very important that Republicans hold the house and build their lead in the Senate, which I can help because Rick Scott is running in Florida now. This will help him. People don’t hate Trump here.
Re: Inga:
“You cannot use the attorney client privilege to evade your own criminality.”
I just heard this. True?
Not really. If you tell your attorney you murdered someone, that doesn't waive the attorney-client privilege. The privilege would be, frankly, completely worthless if it did. It's only for future wrongdoing (crime-fraud exception).
I just heard this. True?
You can, but you have to be a Democrat. It wouldn’t be much of a right if it weren’t a protection, for instance, you can tell your lawyer you are guilty, but that can’t be used against you by bugging the lawyer’s office.
Of course if you are a Republican, all of the normal niceties of our legal system and its protections for the accused go out the window!
It’s jackboots baby! Frogmarches! That damn Scott Walker slipped our grasp! But we will get this guy!
And why aren't we looking into the disappearance of Judge Crater?
After seeing this and comparing it to Menendez, I don't think they wanted to find him guilty.
Claire McCaskel in Mo can’t be happy either. Get outside of the cities you guys and you will see a huge Trump country.
"A sick system."
This is the essential point.
And worse, it cannot be reformed.
No outsider can acquire the power to fix it from the inside, because there is no such power outside it sufficient to overthrow the powers inside, even if you, unlikely though it may seem, elect a president. Oh wait, you did.
And why aren't we looking into the disappearance of Judge Crater?
I don’t know man. Why is that Democratic Senator who was caught using child sex slaves still in office after taking those bribes?
“Why not ?”
Oh by all means, he should keep talking.
So should She.
I've been watching "Hill Street Blues" since it was mentioned the other day on the blog. Season 4 episode 5 is all about a political election and how the police department is being exploited for political aims. I can't help but see Mueller's investigation as anything other than politically motivated and even more theatrical.
“Why not ?”
“Oh by all means, he should keep talking.”
“So should She.”
Did you forget which one of those two won the election and is now the POTUS? Who has more to lose?
Inga: You and I can't. Clinton did use it that way though. Even when her lawyer was knowingly using the illegal server being questioned about.
The first question is whether there is a gag order.
In Wisconsin they burst in on conservatives at 6AM with drawn guns and took all computers, everything written and all photographs, - including family letters, family pictures. They ordered the conservatives not to speak to anyone about what happened because it was secret grand jury investigation. In the end one conservative fought his case up to the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled which that the conservatives had been doing nothing wrong since our political system allows dissent. This was the infamous "John Doe" case which the NYT refused to cover and the ACLU refused to join in. Because it's OK to take away the rights of conservatives.
The first question is whether there is a gag order.
So my point is this. The intent in Wisconsin was intimidation of Walker's conservative supporters. And this could be the same.
The first question is whether there is a gag order.
While I don't know what happened, I would not be surprised to find that this attorney has gag order on him and so do others. That gag order is what made a response to the Wisconsin raids so difficult. No one could find out what happened, so no one knew whether the John Doe case meant anything or not. There was actually nothing there. And I rather expect that there is nothing here either. Uncertainty among those who were conservative supporters was the goal of the secrecy in Wisconsin and the question is whether the same is happening here.
The first question is whether there is a gag order.
Oddly, the NY Times is one of the first places whose readers I would expect to support the Sturmabteilung. History is funny that way.
I'm guessing the resistance has made a huge miscalculation here. They had better be able bury Trump on this one or they are going to find a very energized base come election day.
I guess that we now know who killed Seth Rich would be a snarky thing to say.
To Inga: I think this latest move brings things to enough of a head that we might be able to agree on this. Either Trump has done something so terrible that no person who loves this nation could want him as President and he belongs on jail -or- the FBI and DOJ are so corrupted that a deep cleansing is in order if the nation is to survive. I don't see another option.
We still don't know who stole the strawberries!
I just heard that attorney client privilege doesn’t exist if you want to CONTINUE a fraud.
True?
Again. The most recent high profile example is Clinton and her lawyer using it to hide the fact both used her illegal secret server. Since no charges were brought, yes. You can use the privilege as a shield. If the FBI likes you enough. You and I could not.
Poor old Pavlov really missed his century.
“To Inga: I think this latest move brings things to enough of a head that we might be able to agree on this. Either Trump has done something so terrible that no person who loves this nation could want him as President and he belongs on jail -or- the FBI and DOJ are so corrupted that a deep cleansing is in order if the nation is to survive. I don't see another option.”
That’s reasonable. But I seriously doubt it’s the DOJ or FBI that are the corrupt ones.
Has Mueller handed over information about illegalities found that hurt Democrats, like the illegal leaking by Comey and Stzork for investigation? Or does he only recommend investigation into Republicans?
I wonder if Inga would agree that whatever they've been doing to Trump and to Republicans via the FBI would be a-ok and peachy keen to also do to the DNC, Hillary, and whomever else they have?
John Doe investigations; IRS persecutions, falsified FISA warrants, lying to Congress and stonewalling--surely she'd approve all of it if it was against Democrats.
Right?
I mean, she wouldn't be hypocritical to the max, would she?
Why don't we try it sometime--bring down a fully weaponized Deep State against Democrats. Make them scream for a good, long time.
Eaglebeak
1. Campaign finance violations don't need to be a big deal. Generally just a fine--unless you're someone important.
2. I think Mueller has found the way to galvanize the Republican base to the stars and beyond for the November election. If I were a Dem strategist I would be a little unsettled.
3. Whoever posted earlier that Mueller can forget a Trump interview knocked it out of the park.
4. Mark Meadows was talking about impeaching Rod Rosenstein if Rosenstein et al. don't fork over the documents Congress is asking for. Now would be the time.
5. Impeaching Bill Clinton was the stupidest thing the GOP did while Clinton was in office. Going after Trump--indictment, impeachment, whatever, will enrage his voters to the point of apoplexy. Politically, it's a terrible idea for the Dems. But they're so dumb, they may not know it.
Perhaps it's a Mueller special... get to someone close to the target, as Cohen is to Trump, then bleed the financially and legally until they are destitute or they agree to talk in detail. Page 234 of the witch hunter's manual.
Inga: Why? They've admitted to illegally leaking and hid things from a judge to get the FISA warrant. They refuse to provide Congress requested documents while providing friendly journalists sensitive and secret files. You may think Trump's also guilty of something, but hands down, the FBI needs a reckoning.
Matthew are you addressing me? Are you an attorney? Or are you just conjecturing? I’m looking for attorneys who are familiar with the ins and outs of attorney client privilege.
I'm not a lawyer. But the FBI has let similar arrangements stand. So, I don't see how they can decide this one can't.
How can Inga claim that the DOJ is not full of partisan corruption when we've gotten the documents released proving it? Stozer and Page's texts are literally smoking gun proof that the FBI and DOJ were conspiring to overthrow the election illegally.
And yet Inga claims they are all innocent patriots. Put-leeeze. Just like Steve Scalise and Rand Paul deserved what they got, is what she really means.
“I think Mueller has found the way to galvanize the Republican base to the stars and beyond for the November election. If I were a Dem strategist I would be a little unsettled.”
You have no idea how this energizes the left.
“How can Inga claim that the DOJ is not full of partisan corruption when we've gotten the documents released proving it? Stozer and Page's texts are literally smoking gun proof that the FBI and DOJ were conspiring to overthrow the election illegally.”
LOL. The true nothingburger.
Cohen looks guilty, so there is that. He's no bon vivant.
The moment one of Cohen's docs is illegally leaked, the whole thing should be shut down.
Has Mueller turned any of his team over for their regular leaks to the media, such as the ones about this very raid?
More intimidation tactics by Mueller to coerce testimony against Trump. It's what he did to Flynn, Manafort, Page and others by pressuring them with financial destruction and loss of freedom through charges unrelated to his mandate - but so far without the result he seeks.
In this case the allegations are so far beyond that mandate that Rosenstein took it out of Mueller's hands and gave it to the New York SDNY feds, but Mueller continues to investigate Trump through Cohen so it doesn't matter which jurisdiction actually handles this case. Mueller will still have access - including access to any documentation seized and leaked to him by the SDNY.
If Cohen paying Stormy is a campaign contribution, what about Clinton paying Fusion? Weird how novel legal theories only get applied to Republicans during Mueller's investigation.
The "Get Trump" Squad is active today. Rod Rosenstein -- the lawyerly equivalent of a young Mr. Magoo -- is allowing them to run wild.
We are moving from Russian collusion to rig HIllary's epic loss in 2016 to paying a big-titted porn star to keep quiet?
Where's the justice!?!?
The FBI would not be doing this unless they feel safe in doing it.
No-one there is likely to suffer, there are many deep pockets with a million ways to reward loyalty.
This is not just the FBI.
All these systems are complex and extensive, and pass from public to private almost seamlessly. A government that offers such rewards through its decisions will quickly be bought by those it regulates.
What's the statute of limitations on this crime? Because Clinton paid a lot of women hush money and gave Monica perks. Trump should do it. Tit for tat. We're a nation of laws or not.
Let us compare, shall we?
What is the worst to fear from conservatism in charge? A balanced budget, no more Planned parenthood payments, a smaller federal government; less regulations. Prosperity.
What's the worst to fear from Inga's side? Oppressive SS jackbooted thugs; the criminalization of Christianity; the importing of tens of millions of terrorist thugs who commit crime with impunity; punishing taxes that almost all are siphoned off into a criminal overlord class of politicians who are corrupt beyond reason; let alone the death camps.
Inga's side wants Beria and Stalin and Mao. They aren't shy about it, either--Obama's administration openly employed people who praised Mao's little red book and were actively trying to implement it.
The reason Inga's side is so fired up and desperate is because they can feel their 1984 Utopia almost in their grasp... total brutal control over everything, if it wasn't for that dastardly Trump and Fox News and meddling deplorables... they almost had full power to implement their latest version of Stalin's paradise... and it's slipping out of their grasp.
Is Facebook getting raided for their Obama campaign contributions?
@buwaya,
The FBI would not be doing this unless they feel safe in doing it.
I would not make that assumption. I'm not seeing anyone on any side that behaving as if they're chess masters reading 10 moves ahead.
I think that there are factions in the Deep State that are throwing mud and hoping & praying enough of it sticks to tilt the mid-terms. They know that time in a continued Trump presidency is not on their side.
"We're a nation of laws or not."
You are something else - you are a nation of too many laws.
"Ham Sandwich Nation" - Glenn Reynolds
I don't know American laws but attorney-client privilege is about allowing client\defendent talk freely with their lawyer. I do not believe it allows lawyers to commit crimes for their client.
The worst thing to happen to one of the people lying or leaking against Trump is they lost some retirement benefits. Which they promptly made up by going to the public and taking donations to fatten his own wallet when his retirement is better than 80+% of the nation. And he was fired for cause! They have nothing to fear.
I'm not a lawyer and I didn't stay in a Holiday Inn Express last night, but two thoughts:
1. Cohen is a smart guy, so I don't think it's very likely that he left anything incriminating at his office, home or hotel room, even if such information exists.
2. This strikes me as a move of desperation on Mueller's part. Something so bad is about to happen that Mueller and/or his associates felt compelled to attack with a final desperate gambit. The IG report is about to drop. Some very big names could be in some very big trouble, including most of the senior management of the DOJ and FBI, along with Mueller himself (Uranium 1), Lynch, and even Obama. I don't know what the end game is, but I share buwawa's concern that basic structure of our democracy is at risk. The left feels that Trump is an existential threat. I'm afraid that the Deep State is.
And this really about preempting action against Qatar a client of Mueller's firm, which in jeopardy,
Now that tillerson and mcmaster are out, its expected Boston and pompeo will move strongly against the moslem brotherhood.
“The IG report is about to drop. Some very big names could be in some very big trouble, including most of the senior management of the DOJ and FBI, along with Mueller himself (Uranium 1), Lynch, and even Obama.”
I think this is a fantasy pushed by Fox news and rightist outlets. I think the smoke in the mirrors is going to clear up once the IG report is published and you folks are going to be very disappointed and disillusioned.
Progressives have been triggered by election of Trump, they seem willing to do anything to remove President. I think there is good chance that this is just a bunch of professional left wing types making move against President.
Isn't IG Horowitz expected to release his reports soon about Intelligence Agencies taking active role in helping Hillary Clinton during 2016 election. Raid on Trump's lawyer office will give the press something to talk about other than how corrupt CIA and FBI behaved during last election.
Basically, the attempted bribery by Russian interests, to secure a stakeholder in a critical resource that was deepsixed by Mueller
rosenstein, and weissman
Well, huh.
"Paydirt"?
Comey and Lynch are now at odds over what was said in a private meeting re: the e-mail investigation. Desperate times.
Vance, you are as bad as ritmo.
Reminds me of why I have for a long time wished people were limited in the number of times they could post on any topic.
Too many crazy shit heaps from both Vamce and ritmo, among others. Drain the tinfoil hat poster swamp.
Remember Mueller targeted Dr. Hatfill based on dubious conjecture forwarded to niche kristof by Meryl mass and Barbara hatch risemberg when the anthrax profile clearly pointed to Al queda, from valid sufaat to Mohammed atta and haznawi
I'd be more likely to think this is something if every other something didn't turn out to be nothing or a something, but we had to lie about what we had to get it, and still, not really something.
I'm firmly in wait and see, but the FBI needs to show their cards soon.
Vance said...
What is the worst to fear from conservatism in charge? A balanced budget
???????????????????
"The moment one of Cohen's docs is illegally leaked, the whole thing should be shut down."
Yeah, Cohen would never leak himself. Nor anyone in this White House despite the constant leaks throughout this Administration.
Do you get paid for advancing Trump talking points or are you that stupid?
I expect a very, very special edition of "Hannity."
That cost the tax payers 5.5 million award to Dr. Hatfill as well as the best chance to identify the anthrax mailer, who has not been caught 17 years later.
"Yeah, Cohen would never leak himself. Nor anyone in this White House despite the constant leaks throughout this Administration.
Do you get paid for advancing Trump talking points or are you that stupid?"
-- You do realize that the FBI has admitted to leaking documents; Comey has done so, Stzork has done so, McCabe has done so.
Who do you know, for a fact, within the Trump administration has leaked anything? And, who in there, has publicly admitted to doing so without getting any serious punishment?
"I think the smoke in the mirrors is going to clear up once the IG report is published and you folks are going to be very disappointed and disillusioned."
Then you will accept the report even if you don't like it's findings?
Per FaceBook, I am a "moderate"
What was just done is scary. I don't believe it would be done against a Democrat. We are all guilty of something, unfortunately with our current legal system, the only question will you be prosecuted for it. It seems if your a Republican, such as Dinesh D'Souza or Trump, you will be hounded. And this FACT is being clearly communicated to all of Trump's voters that basically your vote does not count, and we (the resistance) will use any means possible to discredit it. This is a dangerous precedent, I believe will soon be regretted. Trump has an amazing ability to make his foes foam at the mouth, and over reach in a clearly visible way, which discredits them.
And since this is legal, and we have a President, right or wrong, who has been involved in more lawsuits than any other President, this is a bad tactic to use against him.
And Trump is the type that holds a grudge, so your going to see a LOT of house cleaning. The only question is when. Trump is going to use this against the deep state in the court of public opinion, and it's going to help the GOP a lot come November. I see this as the high point of the resistance.
I'm not sure what to make of the liberal joy. POTUS Mike Pence? A throwback Con is better than the most socially liberal R POTUS ever elected? Remember the joke about Biden?
I, for one, welcome our new Religious and Ultra-Right overlord, and his SCOTUS appointments to outlaw gay marriage and abortion.
"And Trump is the type that holds a grudge, so your going to see a LOT of house cleaning. The only question is when."
-- Trump turned down the opportunity to clean house. The only time he's going to get another chance if he wins re-election. Republicans really need to learn from Democrats: You fire everyone you can of the other party, you stop them from "burrowing" into some sinecure to undermine you and wait for a resurgent friendly Executive branch. You cut them out--and if they dare investigate you like an IG did to Obama, you fire them immediately and insult their mental competence.
Republicans need to stop thinking that they can win friends and influence people in D.C.
“Then you will accept the report even if you don't like it's findings?”
Of course. I don’t think the IG is corrupt.
Buwaya is right.
The whole thing is intimidation.
USA Government is descending into third world country.
I'm not sure what to make of the liberal joy. POTUS Mike Pence? A throwback Con is better than the most socially liberal R POTUS ever elected? Remember the joke about Biden?
Probably already have some BS reason to investigate Pence.
Mcdonnell has been slow walking many appointments, they have the lowest level of confirmations in a generation.
If only the FBI had been this vigorous in investigating why Obama's campaign refused to do basic due diligence with campaign contributions, I'd have more faith in it.
I mean, the FBI is putting more time and effort into finding out if Trump gave money to a known liar who has knowingly lied about having a consensual affair with him multiple times... but could barely be assed to find out if Senator Menendez *paid people to rape children.* They have some screwed up priorities.
The FBI is a joke. Completely fucked up the Orlando jihadi investigation. First they put the jihadi’s crazy jihadi dad on the payroll. Then the old man gets paid to tell the fbi his crazy kid isn’t a radical. Then they go after the wife and she wipes the floor with them at trial. The jury said the FBI wasn’t trustworthy so they couldn’t convict. Unbelievable incompetence.
You have douchebags like McCabe and Strozk who ascend to the top of this agency. These guys wouldn’t make detective in the LAPD. They are careerists clowns.
Before I rush to judgement I want to see the evidence thenFBI has uncovered if any.
“-- You do realize that the FBI has admitted to leaking documents; Comey has done so, Stzork has done so, McCabe has done so.”
Actually, that seems to be the big reason that the scheme is unraveling. Trump was the victim of FBI and DoJ leaks during the election, and afterwards. When he got in office, it looks like he told AG Sessions to handle it. Whom I think asked the IG, who asked Comey. Comey said no, not him. He didn’t leak or authorize such. Thence to His #2, McCabe, who said the same. Ultimately, the excrement rolled down to Lisa Page and Peter Strzok. It appears that it was Page who pushed back, telling the IG that not only was their leaking authorized (by McCabe), but she had text messages to prove it. The excrement started flowing back up hill then, with McCabe being just one of many to lose their job or be reassigned as a result, because those text messages, though exonerating Strzok and Page in the leaking, ended up disclosing the depravity of the top of the DoJ and FBI, and how they exonerated Crooked Hillary and her minions of thousands of felonies, while using our national security apparatus to attack Trump, trying to defeat him, then, once elected, to destroy his Presidency.
Lynch and Comey “talked about innocuous things."
What is it with her and always talking about grandkids and stuff with people?
Sorry, "Lynch told Comey "[they] talked about innocuous things."
This smells of the Wisconsin raids a while back. Intended to strike fear, but ultimately nothing of substance. The FBI and the district attorney had better hope they have a slam-dunk solid case here, otherwise they just recklessly mortgaged public trust in the justice system.
It would be one thing if the FBI had an impeccable reputation for conduct in their investigations and if the judiciary had an impeccable reputation for not making adverse rulings against Trump for political reasons. Neither is the case and both institutions have long-since forfeited any pretense that they are acting impartially.
It would be hoped that the search warrant is air tight and that the judge who signed off on it went through it with a fine-toothed comb. My predictions however are:
1) The search warrant itself will turn out to be at least partially dubious in either its substance or the legal theory of the alleged crime
2) The judge who signed off on this will either turn out to be opposed to Trump or turn out to have not given this the appropriate level of scrutiny
3) We will see leaks of privileged attorney/client communication between Trump and his lawyer that have no bearing on any criminal activity but are intended to embarrass Trump
I don't know what inspired the parties involved to cross this Rubicon, but now that they have done so, there isn't any going back. They cannot come up with nothing after pulling a stunt like this without destroying the reputations of everybody and every institution involved. Of course, even by winning, they may merely be assassinating Julius on the way to Octavian a few years down the road, as Trump is only a symptom, not the disease.This smells of the Wisconsin raids a while back. Intended to strike fear, but ultimately nothing of substance. The FBI and the district attorney had better hope they have a slam-dunk solid case here, otherwise they just recklessly mortgaged public trust in the justice system.
It would be one thing if the FBI had an impeccable reputation for conduct in their investigations and if the judiciary had an impeccable reputation for not making adverse rulings against Trump for political reasons. Neither is the case and both institutions have long-since forfeited any pretense that they are acting impartially.
It would be hoped that the search warrant is air tight and that the judge who signed off on it went through it with a fine-toothed comb. My predictions however are:
1) The search warrant itself will turn out to be at least partially dubious in either its substance or the legal theory of the alleged crime
2) The judge who signed off on this will either turn out to be opposed to Trump or turn out to have not given this the appropriate level of scrutiny
3) We will see leaks of privileged attorney/client communication between Trump and his lawyer that have no bearing on any criminal activity but are intended to embarrass Trump
I don't know what inspired the parties involved to cross this Rubicon, but now that they have done so, there isn't any going back. They cannot come up with nothing after pulling a stunt like this without destroying the reputations of everybody and every institution involved. Of course, even by winning, they may merely be assassinating Julius on the way to Octavian a few years down the road, as Trump is only a symptom, not the disease.
More news.
“The special counsel is investigating a payment made to President Trump’s foundation by a Ukrainian steel magnate for a talk during the campaign… as part of a broader examination of streams of foreign money to Mr. Trump and his associates in the years leading up to the election,” the New York Times reports.”
The wife of the Deputy Director of the FBI accepts $700,000 in campaign contributions from a long time Clinton associate while Hillary is under investigation. The money is later traced to the Chinese.
Does that warrant investigation? Apparently not.
Right Inga? Whatever a Democrat does is moral and legal, as I recall, in your world. Ted Kennedy can murder and commit treason all he wants, and it's a-ok. Bill Clinton's trips to Pedo island to rape 11 year old girls is perfectly fine for you.
Did I miss something? Was Ted Kennedy not charged and tried for Chappaquiddick? Is someone getting in the way of a charge being brought against Bill Clinton? Talk about a police state. You wackos seem to want to bypass the justice system altogether.
Trump's corrupt. He will either be investigated for a payoff to his idiotic lawyer or the NDA will be null and void and the porn star will talk about him non-stop for the next 2.5 years. Denying knowledge of his own NDA. Way to throw Michael Cohen under the bus, Trump! It's what he does to everyone he knows, though. Get ready for your low credibility national non-leader now.
This appears to be a squirrel for the upcoming IG report. It's a very dangerous squirrel and one the deep state needs to be made to regret. I'm not predicting that will happen, but there remains a chance that one or two senior FBI officials have flipped and are cooperating.
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