General Discussion

pnwmom

(108,980 posts) Mon Dec 10, 2018, 05:37 PM Dec 2018

How Stormy/Avenatti helped bring Cohen/Trump down,

in the course of her battle to be released from her nondisclosure agreement.

Cohen was already in the FBI's sights, but he and Trump had enjoyed attorney-client privilege -- until, with regard to Stormy/Avenatti, Trump destroyed it.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2018/04/10/stormy-daniels-michael-avenatti-donald-trump-michael-cohen-fbi-raid/503989002/

The legal battle has spurred Cohen and Trump to make public statements that are “quite incriminating,”said David Super, a Georgetown University law professor.

Among them: Trump's comments to reporters last week, denying knowledge of the Daniels payment or the source of the hush money. "You'll have to ask Michael Cohen" why the payment was made, the president told reporters on Air Force One.

If Cohen acted on his own to pay Daniels, Super said, "then there's no attorney-client privilege, which may have made (the FBI) more comfortable doing this raid."

Trump's statements "have exacerbated his problems severely," Super added. "If he had taken the usual lawyers' advice to clients and referred all questions to the lawyers and declined comment, I don't think we would have seen this raid and I don't think this lawsuit would be any big deal."

8 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

How Stormy/Avenatti helped bring Cohen/Trump down, (Original Post) pnwmom Dec 2018 OP

Dayum I am glad a woman may be the one to topple him. (nt) ehrnst Dec 2018 #1

Ditto malaise Dec 2018 #2

And, trump's own Cha Dec 2018 #8

Yep, those two were like pitbulls and refused to back down from Cohen/Trump intimidation. TheBlackAdder Dec 2018 #3

I've posted those feelings before Jarqui Dec 2018 #4

+1 dalton99a Dec 2018 #6

Good points! Yes -- they helped by getting the CFO before Mueller, too. Thanks, Jarqui! pnwmom Dec 2018 #7

Kick and rec. Kingofalldems Dec 2018 #5

ehrnst

(32,640 posts)

1. Dayum I am glad a woman may be the one to topple him. (nt)

Reply to pnwmom (Original post)

Mon Dec 10, 2018, 05:40 PM

Dec 2018

malaise

(269,093 posts)

2. Ditto

Reply to ehrnst (Reply #1)

Mon Dec 10, 2018, 05:43 PM

Dec 2018

It was always going to happen

Cha

(297,378 posts)

8. And, trump's own

Reply to ehrnst (Reply #1)

Tue Dec 11, 2018, 06:32 AM

Dec 2018

big petard.

TheBlackAdder

(28,209 posts)

3. Yep, those two were like pitbulls and refused to back down from Cohen/Trump intimidation.

Reply to pnwmom (Original post)

Mon Dec 10, 2018, 06:12 PM

Dec 2018

Jarqui

(10,128 posts)

4. I've posted those feelings before

Reply to pnwmom (Original post)

Mon Dec 10, 2018, 07:59 PM

Dec 2018

There was one other major contribution from this nobody is talking about much: It helped to trigger this:

Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg granted immunity in Cohen probe
https://www.cnbc.com/2018/08/24/longtime-trump-organization-cfo-weisselberg-granted-immunity-in-cohen-probe-dj-citing-sources.html

Weisselberg is also answering inquires about the Trump Foundation - and Cohen has been helping there as well.

Collusion (conspiracy), obstruction of justice, campaign finance violations (goes to intent and knowledge) - charges like that are tougher to prove.

But tax evasion, bank fraud, not declaring offshore bank accounts, etc - that is much easier to get a conviction because a bunch of the evidence is already locked in on paper. Financial transactions don't lie - the money moved from point A to point B, etc - the text describing the transaction might lie but where the money went doesn't.

"bye the way" you can tell from my spelling my tax returns "boarder" on "smocking"

Jared Kushner 'likely' paid little or no income taxes for years: NYTimes
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-kushner/jared-kushner-likely-paid-little-or-no-income-taxes-for-years-nytimes-idUSKCN1MN0TK

From that, at a state level, Trump cannot pardon his way out and they'll hurt him and his family financially seizing assets like Manafort.

It took taxes to nail Al Capone. If something like that is what they need to do to get Trump, I'm all for it. Stormy and Avenatti helped by getting this CFO before the DoJ