The Trump Investigation(s) Thread

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Wed Aug 09, 2017 11:23 am

malchior wrote:Manafort's house was raided in late July by the FBI. But still a nothingburger I suppose.

We're just finding out about the raid now. I wonder what President Trump was doing when he likely found out about the raid as it was happening?

Paingod · Post by **Paingod** » Wed Aug 09, 2017 11:28 am

malchior wrote:Manafort's house was raided in late July by the FBI. But still a nothingburger I suppose.

In terms of Trump's involvement, it might be, unless something damning is turned up. It seemed a foregone conclusion that Manafort was in deep doo-doo a long time ago, but that may not wrap around the Orange One in a meaningful way.

El Guapo · Post by **El Guapo** » Wed Aug 09, 2017 11:43 am

Paingod wrote:
malchior wrote:Manafort's house was raided in late July by the FBI. But still a nothingburger I suppose.
In terms of Trump's involvement, it might be, unless something damning is turned up. It seemed a foregone conclusion that Manafort was in deep doo-doo a long time ago, but that may not wrap around the Orange One in a meaningful way.

Depends what they found. Manafort was a pretty important figure in Trump World (and ran the Trump campaign for awhile), so he's only one degree removed from Trump himself. Which means that if Trump was involved (and it's hard to imagine that he wasn't), Manafort could easily have evidence showing that.

LordMortis · Post by **LordMortis** » Wed Aug 09, 2017 12:03 pm

El Guapo wrote:Trump was involved (and it's hard to imagine that he wasn't),

All they talked about was adoptions. Nothingburgers.

Enough · Post by **Enough** » Wed Aug 09, 2017 2:37 pm

Smoove_B wrote:
malchior wrote:Manafort's house was raided in late July by the FBI. But still a nothingburger I suppose.
We're just finding out about the raid now. I wonder what President Trump was doing when he likely found out about the raid as it was happening?

Are you implying that Trump was calling for the acting director of the FBI to be replaced as a sort of obstruction of justice play just because Trump tweeted this mere hours after the FBI raided the home of his former campaign manager?

stessier · Post by **stessier** » Thu Aug 10, 2017 12:44 pm

El Guapo wrote:
Paingod wrote:
malchior wrote:Manafort's house was raided in late July by the FBI. But still a nothingburger I suppose.
In terms of Trump's involvement, it might be, unless something damning is turned up. It seemed a foregone conclusion that Manafort was in deep doo-doo a long time ago, but that may not wrap around the Orange One in a meaningful way.
Depends what they found. Manafort was a pretty important figure in Trump World (and ran the Trump campaign for awhile), so he's only one degree removed from Trump himself. Which means that if Trump was involved (and it's hard to imagine that he wasn't), Manafort could easily have evidence showing that.

Popehat did a Lawsplainer on the event. If you wonder if it is worth reading...

Even the best-trained and most responsible federal agents — and I mean this with the utmost respect — tend to act like coked-up raccoons when you turn them loose with a search warrant.

pr0ner · Post by **pr0ner** » Fri Aug 11, 2017 6:55 am

Hard to figure out the right thread for this. However, this is a tweet that Trump briefly liked a few hours ago before unliking it. There are screenshots validating that he did like the tweet.

Yes. That's some Louise Mensch/Claude Taylor level stuff in that tweet he liked but it actually happened. WTF.

Max Peck · Post by **Max Peck** » Fri Aug 25, 2017 10:34 am

At CIA, a watchful eye on Mike Pompeo, the president’s ardent ally

As CIA director, Mike Pompeo has taken a special interest in an agency unit that is closely tied to the investigation into possible collusion between Russia and the Trump campaign, requiring the Counterintelligence Mission Center to report directly to him.

Officials at the center have, in turn, kept a watchful eye on Pompeo, who has repeatedly played down Russia’s interference in the 2016 election and demonstrated a willingness to engage in political skirmishes for President Trump.

Current and former officials said that the arrangement has been a source of apprehension among the CIA’s upper ranks and that they could not recall a time in the agency’s history when a director faced a comparable conflict.

“Pompeo is in a delicate situation unlike any other director has faced, certainly in my memory,” said Rolf Mowatt-Larssen, a CIA official for 23 years who served in Russia and held high-level positions at headquarters, “because of his duty to protect and provide the truth to an independent investigation while maintaining his role with the president.”

Combustible Lemur · Post by **Combustible Lemur** » Fri Aug 25, 2017 12:33 pm

Max Peck wrote:At CIA, a watchful eye on Mike Pompeo, the president’s ardent ally
As CIA director, Mike Pompeo has taken a special interest in an agency unit that is closely tied to the investigation into possible collusion between Russia and the Trump campaign, requiring the Counterintelligence Mission Center to report directly to him.

Officials at the center have, in turn, kept a watchful eye on Pompeo, who has repeatedly played down Russia’s interference in the 2016 election and demonstrated a willingness to engage in political skirmishes for President Trump.

Current and former officials said that the arrangement has been a source of apprehension among the CIA’s upper ranks and that they could not recall a time in the agency’s history when a director faced a comparable conflict.

“Pompeo is in a delicate situation unlike any other director has faced, certainly in my memory,” said Rolf Mowatt-Larssen, a CIA official for 23 years who served in Russia and held high-level positions at headquarters, “because of his duty to protect and provide the truth to an independent investigation while maintaining his role with the president.”

I can't help but read that as a career master spy looking at his politician boss and in the most sinister voice. "His position is..... delicate."

Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk

Rip · Post by **Rip** » Sun Aug 27, 2017 5:54 pm

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/how-d ... le/2632538

The Podesta Group belatedly filed several new disclosures with the Justice Department on Aug. 17 related to work the firm completed between 2012 and 2014 on behalf of a pro-Russia Ukrainian think tank.

One of the filings is for Tony Podesta himself, who was a bundler for Hillary Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign. Tony and his brother John--Clinton's 2016 campaign chairman--co-founded the lobbying firm in 1988.

Moliere · Post by **Moliere** » Sun Aug 27, 2017 11:53 pm

Trump's business tried to open Trump Tower in Moscow during campaign

Members of the Trump Organization and investors nearly reached a deal to open a Trump Tower in Moscow during the 2016 election, according to a new report.

Trump’s company and investors signed a letter of intent to open up a massive development as part of the Trump brand but dropped the deal in January 2016 after they failed to get the land and permits to launch the project, The Washington Post reported Sunday.

Captain Caveman · Post by **Captain Caveman** » Mon Aug 28, 2017 8:59 am

So his incessant praise of Putin during the primary was likely in service of his ongoing business interests. Nothing to see here.

Holman · Post by **Holman** » Mon Aug 28, 2017 9:07 am

Centrally involved in the dealing on Trump's side: Felix Sater, the Russian-mob/Russian-spy-connected money launderer that Trump has tried to claim he doesn't even know.

Moliere · Post by **Moliere** » Mon Aug 28, 2017 4:14 pm

"maybe you're thick"

Don't ask Trump about Felix Sater.

Carpet_pissr · Post by **Carpet_pissr** » Mon Aug 28, 2017 5:33 pm

Moliere wrote:"maybe you're thick"

Don't ask Trump about Felix Sater.

I hate to even admit this, but Trump handled that perfectly. Could have gotten ugly about it, but didn't in the face of a persistent journalist. The deplorable ethics of this man and his business partners aside, superbly done!

Pyperkub · Post by **Pyperkub** » Mon Aug 28, 2017 6:23 pm

Moliere wrote:Trump's business tried to open Trump Tower in Moscow during campaign

Members of the Trump Organization and investors nearly reached a deal to open a Trump Tower in Moscow during the 2016 election, according to a new report.

Trump’s company and investors signed a letter of intent to open up a massive development as part of the Trump brand but dropped the deal in January 2016 after they failed to get the land and permits to launch the project, The Washington Post reported Sunday.

Could be a giant nothingburger

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Mon Aug 28, 2017 8:48 pm

This seems like...kind of a big deal:

Federal investigators working for Special Counsel Robert Mueller are keenly focused on President Donald Trump's role in crafting a response to a published article about a meeting between Russians and his son Donald Jr., three sources familiar with the matter told NBC News.

The sources told NBC News that prosecutors want to know what Trump knew about the meeting and whether he sought to conceal its purpose.

...

A person familiar with Mueller's strategy said that whether or not Trump made a "knowingly false statement" is now of interest to prosecutors.

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Mon Aug 28, 2017 9:12 pm

Mr. Fed will tell you that's a common tactic for the Feds.

Blackhawk · Post by **Blackhawk** » Mon Aug 28, 2017 9:41 pm

Isgrimnur wrote:Mr. Fed will tell you that's a common tactic for the Feds.

But rare for the Misters.

Holman · Post by **Holman** » Mon Aug 28, 2017 9:45 pm

Serious takedown of Louise Mensch and Claude Taylor by The Guardian.

tl;dr: real journalism is work.

pr0ner · Post by **pr0ner** » Mon Aug 28, 2017 10:01 pm

Holman wrote:Serious takedown of Louise Mensch and Claude Taylor by The Guardian.

tl;dr: real journalism is work.

This is excellent. Such a takedown couldn't happen to better people.

Mensch's tweets about this are hilarious. She says she's done nothing wrong and backs Taylor and claims her stories about Trump and sex trafficking are true and accurate.

Ralph-Wiggum · Post by **Ralph-Wiggum** » Fri Sep 01, 2017 1:08 pm

The fake and failing NYT is reporting that Mueller has a copy of the initial letter Trump (well, Stephen Miller) put together to justify firing Comey. The WH counsel decided the letter was problematic for as-of-yet undisclosed reason and convinced Trump not to send it. If it is explicit about the Comey firing being an attempt to stop the Russia investigation, that could be a big deal....

The special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, has obtained a letter that President Trump and a top political aide drafted in the days before Mr. Trump fired the F.B.I. director, James B. Comey, which explains the president’s rationale for why he planned to dismiss the director.

The May letter had been met with opposition from Donald F. McGahn II, the White House counsel, who believed that some of its contents were problematic, according to interviews with a dozen administration officials and others briefed on the matter.

Mr. McGahn successfully blocked the president from sending Mr. Comey the letter, which Mr. Trump had composed with Stephen Miller, one of the president’s top political advisers. A different letter, written by the deputy attorney general, Rod J. Rosenstein, and focused on Mr. Comey’s handling of the investigation into Hillary Clinton’s private email server, was ultimately sent to the F.B.I. director on the day he was fired.

Enough · Post by **Enough** » Fri Sep 01, 2017 1:41 pm

pr0ner wrote:
Holman wrote:Serious takedown of Louise Mensch and Claude Taylor by The Guardian.

tl;dr: real journalism is work.
This is excellent. Such a takedown couldn't happen to better people.

Mensch's tweets about this are hilarious. She says she's done nothing wrong and backs Taylor and claims her stories about Trump and sex trafficking are true and accurate.

Yeah, was really glad to see this.

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Fri Sep 01, 2017 3:24 pm

I knew Mensch was out there, but I did think Taylor had a bit more credibility in what he was reporting. It was definitely a good read and hopefully it forces them to be a bit more careful with whatever they're spewing.

Rip · Post by **Rip** » Sun Sep 03, 2017 9:30 am

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/byron ... le/2633288

Senate Judiciary Committee chairman Charles Grassley and the committee's ranking Democrat, Dianne Feinstein, want to interview two high-ranking FBI officials about some key aspects of the bureau's role in the Trump-Russia investigation -- the Trump dossier, the firing of James Comey, and more. But the FBI doesn't want those officials to talk -- even though the Judiciary Committee has oversight responsibility for the FBI, and even though the request is bipartisan, and even though there appears to be no conflict with the ongoing Trump-Russia investigation conducted by special prosecutor Robert Mueller.

A standoff could be developing.

It began on July 11, when Grassley and Feinstein wrote letters to James Rybicki, who was Director Comey's chief of staff, and Carl Ghattas, head of the bureau's national security branch. "The committee is investigating the removal of FBI Director James Comey, Russian interference in the 2016 election, and allegations of improper interference in law enforcement investigations," the chairman and ranking member wrote. "Please make yourself available for a transcribed interview during the week of July 24, 2017."

It didn't happen. On July 27, Samuel Ramer, the acting assistant attorney general, wrote to say that Rybicki and Ghattas would not be talking. Noting the Mueller investigation, Ramer said, "Under these circumstances and consistent with the department's long-standing policy regarding the confidentiality and sensitivity of information relating to pending matters, the department cannot make Mr. Ghattas or Mr. Rybicki available for transcribed interviews at this time."

Grassley and Feinstein did not agree. They knew that committee staff, Republican and Democrat, had had so-called "de-confliction" discussions with Mueller's office on how the Senate investigation might proceed without interfering with Mueller's criminal probe. And they didn't see a conflict. So on August 25, Grassley and Feinstein wrote another letter, this time to Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein.

"The department declined to make Mr. Ghattas and Mr. Rybicki available for interviews because of pending matters and their current work on those matters with Special Counsel Robert Mueller," Grassley and Feinstein wrote. "However, in our de-confliction discussions with the Special Counsel's office, we have clarified that the committee intends to limit the scope of the interviews to avoid that concern. There is no intent to seek information about these witnesses' current work with the Special Counsel's office. Rather, we seek their independent recollections, as fact witnesses, of events that occurred before and including Director Comey's removal."

The two lawmakers asked the Justice Department to get in touch by September 1 to schedule the interviews. "We appreciate and expect the department's voluntary cooperation with this important request," they wrote.

Including the words "expect" and "voluntary" was notable, because it essentially meant, "Don't make us force you." If they are united, the chair and the ranking minority of a Senate committee can make a lot of trouble for an agency under their oversight. Grassley and Feinstein, veterans of many years in the Senate, know that very well.

The Justice Department does, too. But September 1 came and went with no department effort to set up the interviews.

LordMortis · Post by **LordMortis** » Thu Sep 07, 2017 12:04 pm

http://thehill.com/news-by-subject/tech ... ler-report

Autoplay video with sound warning....

I hate posting entire stories as that feels like theft but it's so short.

Facebook has turned over its data on ads bought by a Russian company during the 2016 presidential race to special counsel Robert Mueller, Reuters reported Wednesday.

The tech company gave Mueller’s team copies of the ads as well as the identities of the ads’ buyers, a source told Reuters.

The handover of information comes after Facebook revealed earlier Wednesday that thousands of ads posted on the site over the past two years were linked to fake Facebook accounts based out of Russia.

Facebook’s chief security officer, Alex Stamos, said nearly 500 accounts had spent roughly $100,000 on about 3,000 ads, but that the accounts had since been suspended.

Facebook reportedly informed congressional investigators about the ads on Wednesday, according to The Washington Post.

Max Peck · Post by **Max Peck** » Thu Sep 07, 2017 3:04 pm

FBI director sees no evidence of interference in Russia probe

FBI Director Christopher Wray said on Thursday he has not “detected any whiff of interference” into the ongoing investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election.

Speaking publicly for the first time since being confirmed as head of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Wray also told an audience at the Intelligence and National Security Summit that he has confidence in Robert Mueller, the special counsel investigating whether President Donald Trump’s campaign colluded with Russia during the election.

malchior · Post by **malchior** » Thu Sep 07, 2017 3:16 pm

I think this statement will haunt him. It certainly calls his independence into question.

Scoop20906 · Post by **Scoop20906** » Thu Sep 07, 2017 3:36 pm

malchior wrote:I think this statement will haunt him. It certainly calls his independence into question.

Maybe he means no interference since he took over?

Holman · Post by **Holman** » Thu Sep 07, 2017 3:53 pm

Strictly speaking, Republican committee heads slowing or muddying their own investigations would not be "interference."

Pyperkub · Post by **Pyperkub** » Thu Sep 07, 2017 3:56 pm

Holman wrote:Strictly speaking, Republican committee heads slowing or muddying their own investigations would not be "interference."

I'm pretty sure the reference is to Trump's firing of Comey.

Holman · Post by **Holman** » Thu Sep 07, 2017 4:32 pm

Is there reason to think he's as referring to the Comey firing? Obstruction there is a big focus of Mueller's, and it would surprise me to see the FBI director trying to torpedo that topic (especially since the article quotes Wray as expressing strong confidence in Mueller).

There has been discussion just this week and last about Nunes and Gowdy messing around in ways that some have called interference, and at least one Congressman has called for limiting or ending Mueller's investigation.

El Guapo · Post by **El Guapo** » Sat Sep 09, 2017 8:47 am

I think he's talking about the Mueller investigation, not the firing of Comey. And while there have been some clumsy attempts to possibly start taking steps to impede that investigation (Trump's hazing of Sessions, a few GOP congressman floating anti-Mueller stuff), there hasn't been any account indicating substantive interference.

Which could change, of course, but for now I don't have any issue with Wray's remarks.

GreenGoo · Post by **GreenGoo** » Sat Sep 09, 2017 10:01 pm

El Guapo wrote:I think he's talking about the Mueller investigation, not the firing of Comey.

Which could change, of course, but for now I don't have any issue with Wray's remarks.

I assumed this as well.

The president is on record as saying his firing of comey was at least in part due to the Russian investigation.

How anyone could suggest there is no evidence in light of that would simply be labelling themselves as liars. Which doesn't seem to matter as much as it used to, but whatever.

pr0ner · Post by **pr0ner** » Tue Sep 12, 2017 11:00 am

Trump's legal team debated whether or not Kushner should have left the White House because of Russia ties.

Pyperkub · Post by **Pyperkub** » Wed Sep 13, 2017 2:11 pm

Flynn looking even more guilty as hell:

As a top official in President Donald Trump’s transition team, former Army Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn actively promoted a private-sector scheme to build dozens of nuclear reactors across the Middle East known informally in the transition as the "Marshall Plan." But he did not publicly disclose that backers of the plan had paid him at least $25,000.

Flynn communicated during the transition with the backers of the for-profit plan, billed as a way of strengthening ties between the U.S. and Arab allies looking to develop nuclear power capability. Meanwhile, the Trump adviser expressed his support for the plan with people inside the transition — and discussed its merits with others beyond Trump Tower, according to sources within and close to the Trump team at that time...

...But the new details underscore the way Flynn seemed to commingle his private consulting work prior to Trump's election and his semi-official duties afterward — something that has drawn legal scrutiny and created political headaches for a Trump White House that granted him access to the government's deepest secrets.

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Mon Sep 18, 2017 10:02 pm

Things sure are getting interesting:

US investigators wiretapped former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort under secret court orders before and after the election, sources tell CNN, an extraordinary step involving a high-ranking campaign official now at the center of the Russia meddling probe.

The government snooping continued into early this year, including a period when Manafort was known to talk to President Donald Trump.

Some of the intelligence collected includes communications that sparked concerns among investigators that Manafort had encouraged the Russians to help with the campaign, according to three sources familiar with the investigation. Two of these sources, however, cautioned that the evidence is not conclusive.

...

Sources say the second warrant was part of the FBI's efforts to investigate ties between Trump campaign associates and suspected Russian operatives. Such warrants require the approval of top Justice Department and FBI officials, and the FBI must provide the court with information showing suspicion that the subject of the warrant may be acting as an agent of a foreign power.

hepcat · Post by **hepcat** » Tue Sep 19, 2017 7:28 am

Sigh...this will only result in Trump tweeting that he was right all along about Obama wiretapping him. That's how his mind works. He can find approval for anything he says in anything he sees.

Rip · Post by **Rip** » Wed Sep 20, 2017 7:18 am

hepcat wrote:Sigh...this will only result in Trump tweeting that he was right all along about Obama wiretapping him. That's how his mind works. He can find approval for anything he says in anything he sees.

Why shouldn't he, it would appear he was right?

http://thehill.com/blogs/pundits-blog/t ... iretapping

Holman · Post by **Holman** » Wed Sep 20, 2017 7:43 am

Trump claimed that Obama was wiretapping him to help Hillary's campaign.

"See! The CIA was taping my guy because he was in Putin's pocket!" isn't exactly the look he wants, is it?

(Plus you know that the first wiretaps laid on Manafort went active in 2014, right? Not even Trump thought Trump was a candidate then.)