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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsMueller Is Telling Us: He's Got Trump on Collusion
The special counsel is connecting the dots and it doesnt paint a pretty picture for Trump.
Max Bergmann, Sam Berger
12.07.18 10:38 PM ET
For nearly two years, since the U.S. intelligence community released its report on the Russian campaign to assist Donald Trump in the 2016 election, the American people have been seeking an answer as to whether the Trump campaign colluded with its Russian counterpart. In the endless speculation about the direction of the investigation, a common view was that maybe the investigation would never implicate President Trump or find any collusion.
But a flurry of recent activity this past week all points in the same direction: Special Counsel Robert Muellers investigation will likely implicate the president, his campaign, and his close associates in aiding and abetting a Russian conspiracy against the United States to undermine the 2016 election.
First, Mueller has clearly identified collusion in the efforts of top Trump aides and associates to contact WikiLeaks. In a draft plea agreement provided to conservative operative Jerome Corsi, Mueller details how Roger Stone, who the special counsel notes was in frequent contact with Donald Trump and senior campaign officials, directed Corsi to connect with WikiLeaks about the trove of stolen materials it received from Russia. Corsi subsequently communicated WikiLeaks release plan back to Stone, and the Trump campaign built its final message around the email release. That is collusion.
Second, we now know that Trumps personal lawyer Michael Cohen and former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn have provided evidence to Mueller related to collusion. In Cohens sentencing memo, Mueller said that Cohen provided his office with useful information on Russia-related matters core to its investigation. The core of Muellers investigation is collusion. In Flynns sentencing memo Mueller said that Flynns false statements to the FBI about his calls with the Russian ambassador during the transition were material to the investigation into links or coordination between Russia and individuals associated with the Trump campaign.
Third, Mueller has found definitive proof that Trump was compromised by a hostile foreign power during the election. In his plea deal, Cohen revealed that Trump had repeatedly lied to voters about the then-candidates financial ties Russia. While Trump claimed during the campaign to have no business dealings with Russia, he was negotiating a wildly lucrative business deal not with Russian businessmen, but with the Kremlin itself. Trumps team even reportedly tried to bribe Russian President Vladimir Putin by offering him a $50 million penthouse.
more
https://www.thedailybeast.com/mueller-is-telling-us-hes-got-trump-on-collusion?ref=home
James48
(4,438 posts)For the rest of his life.
Ilsa
(61,697 posts)lined up with the other perps, and markers at each point that explain the laws broken, etc. It's the only way I'll be able to adequately explain to the trump cultists that IQ45, et al, were not trapped.
A timeline with graphics. A Corsi cartoon character trotting to Wikileaks headquarters, etc., would help me understand the chronology and characters.
Like a storyboard in film, or a Sunday "Family Circus" .
Jarqui
(10,130 posts)I'd add one more point though it may be implied.
It was pointed out by the memos that Cohen did not cooperate fully. Neither did Manafort. Under normal circumstances, one would think that it would have been in their best interests to cooperate fully. Cohen also was anxious to get it over with. Manafort not cooperating seems crazy - his only alternative seems like a long term in prison.
Along with everything else, I think it makes some sense. I think behind the redacted material is the case that they may all be traitors. If they copped to that upfront, sympathies from a judge and the public are going to be limited. They would have betrayed the country and judicial system that they now ask for mercy from. Cohen knows where it is going which is why he wants his sentence now - before people fully realize how large their transgression is against their country- and it is probably why the prosecutors sympathies are limited for a man who sold out his country.
This is what is starting to make sense to me. People do things for a reason. I suspect the above is why Cohen & Manafort behaved as they did - when normally, cooperation would assure they spend less time in jail.
As Giuliani posted:
http://g-20.in
As far as I am concerned, the Republicans and FOX News are party to this.
They all need to go away.