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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsThe Papadopoulos paradox: Could "coffee boy" be key to the whole conspiracy?
Why did a foreign policy bit player know about the hacked emails before anybody else? And who did he tell?
HEATHER DIGBY PARTON
01.02.20188:00 AM
What a shame. Just as the Trump troops had finally come up with what they thought was a put-away shot of the Russia investigation (or at least a nice shiny distraction) with their "Clinton's phony dossier started it all" plot, the damn thing blew up in their face. And during Christmas week too.
In case you haven't heard, the New York Times reported on Saturday that Trump's former foreign policy adviser, George Papadopoulos, the guy who copped a plea in exchange for cooperation with Justice Department special counsel Robert Mueller, got drunk in a London bar in May of 2016 and spilled to the Australian High Commissioner to Britain, Alexander Downer, that the Russians had dirt on Hillary Clinton.
That would have been less than a month after Papadopoulos first heard that Russia had emails that would embarrass the former secretary of state from Joseph Mifsud, a Maltese professor with contacts in the Russian ministry of foreign affairs. And it was months before the release of the DNC emails in July, which evidently prompted the Aussies to alert the FBI about Papadopoulos' loose-lipped blather. It was then that the U.S. government opened a formal investigation into just what in the hell was going on with the Trump campaign and Moscow:
It was not, as Mr. Trump and other politicians have alleged, a dossier compiled by a former British spy hired by a rival campaign. Instead, it was firsthand information from one of Americas closest intelligence allies.
Interviews and previously undisclosed documents show that Mr. Papadopoulos played a critical role in this drama and reveal a Russian operation that was more aggressive and widespread than previously known. They add to an emerging portrait, gradually filled in over the past year in revelations by federal investigators, journalists and lawmakers, of Russians with government contacts trying to establish secret channels at various levels of the Trump campaign.
more
https://www.salon.com/2018/01/02/the-papadopoulos-paradox-could-coffee-boy-be-key-to-the-whole-conspiracy/
Irish_Dem
(47,124 posts)We have suspected this.
Mueller must have a lot of very interesting information at this point.
Edited to add: This article covers McConnell refusing to do any thing when Obama
brought the classified information to him about the hacking, and McConnell's threats.
I hope McConnell gets some form of consequence for his treachery.
Wellstone ruled
(34,661 posts)will not go there with the McConnell Story. That proves many peoples theory of Complicity by MSM.
Irish_Dem
(47,124 posts)He has manipulated and controlled the media in his own country.
And we know his list of assets in this country is wider than we previously thought.
Also we know the American media oligarchy supports Trump, he is their gravy train.
Wellstone ruled
(34,661 posts)Trump's so called Reality TV show was pitched to NBC by Jeff Zucker who is the CEO of CNN. Andy Lack was the go to Guy at NBC with this POS. And when Comcast bought out NBC Universal,the timing seemed fishy at best.
When Comcast Media allowed free Trump Promotional support via Joe Scab and MSNBC Business Channel,you knew damn well the fix was in.
Irish_Dem
(47,124 posts)Hillary not so much.
Wellstone ruled
(34,661 posts)the Frank Luntz narrative,Hillary is flawed. Only in the closing days did we see or hear a positive response form the Media,and that was the result of their own internals telling them the F---ed up and will pay a price after Trump gets elected. Which we now know is true.
Irish_Dem
(47,124 posts)But he thinks the media will give him a pass since he helps their ratings.
Which may be true actually.
Wellstone ruled
(34,661 posts)We have Peoples marches coming up in the next three weeks. Let us see if the Media tells the world about the size of these marches. They sure as hell did not cover the hundreds of marches in late 2017. If they do,game changer.
Irish_Dem
(47,124 posts)As I recall the media beat the war drums for Bush/Cheney.
Wellstone ruled
(34,661 posts)we and others stopped traffic on the Freeways.
Irish_Dem
(47,124 posts)Wellstone ruled
(34,661 posts)and a couple of times on Bloomberg Eourpe.
Irish_Dem
(47,124 posts)Justice
(7,188 posts)Irish_Dem
(47,124 posts)I often wonder what Obama thought after that meeting was over.
Probably disappointed, but not surprised.
Justice
(7,188 posts)Summer of 2015 and spring of 2016 - Russia had gained entry to DNC systems, but breaches did not become public until they were disclosed in a June 2016 report WP. But Trump campaign officials knew as early as April 2016
February 13, 2016 - Scalia dies. McConnell immediately announces no action on SCOTUS replacement until after election. Why would McConnell take such a gamble, when everyone thought Clinton would win, and nominate a candidate more liberal than Garland? He was so confident when it seemed unreasonable to be so. Could McConnell have known about Russian theft of DNC and Dem emails?
2015-2017 - millions from individuals with strong Russian connections given to GOP. https://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/commentary/2017/12/15/putins-proxies-helped-funnel-millions-gop-campaigns. Could money have been laundered? Was money McConnell's price to go along (either initially or was money paid and demands made later).
April 2016 - Papadopoulos told of Russians had embarrassing emails on Clinton in April 2016. Did he know emails stolen? from DNC? Why would Papadopoulos alert US law enforcement that Russians had stolen information? What is Papadopoulos' tie to professor? Did he know him or meet with him previously? What else did professor tell him?
May 2016 - drunk Papadopoulos in a London bar spilled to the Australian High Commissioner to Britain, Alexander Downer, that the Russians had dirt on Hillary Clinton.
July 18 to 21 GOP Convention Trump staffers alter GOP platform on Ukraine
July 22 - nearly 20,000 emails stolen from DNC dumped online by WikiLeaks
early August 2016 - CIA Director John Brennan first alerts the White House that Russia ordered an operation to defeat or at least damage Clinton and help elect Trump. Trump was GOP nominee but Clinton comfortably ahead in polls.
Aug. 15, - Homeland Security Johnson arranged a conference call with dozens of state officials, reaction ranged from neutral to negative
August 2016 Brennan briefed McConnell and Reid that (a) Russias hackings appeared aimed at helping Mr. Trump win election, and (b) unnamed advisers to Mr. Trump might be working with Russians to interfere in the election.
August 2016 until after Labor Day - Brennan had hard time getting appointments with certain Republicans, officials said, and it was not until after Labor Day that Brennan had reached all members of the Gang of Eight the majority and minority leaders of both houses and the chairmen and ranking Democrats on the Senate and House intelligence committees. Obama asked for bipartisan condemnation of Russias meddling. The effort was stymied by several Republicans who werent willing to cooperate, including, reportedly, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. Mitch was skeptical that the underlying intelligence truly supported the White Houses claims.
See timeline -
https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2017/world/national-security/obama-putin-election-hacking/?utm_term=.9936497463ce
L. Coyote
(51,129 posts)and is now a cooperating witness who likely wore a wire for Mueller.
Link to tweet
Link to tweet