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babylonsister

(171,070 posts)
Tue Dec 18, 2018, 08:36 AM Dec 2018

Mueller Ready to Pounce on Trumpworld Concessions to Moscow


Mueller Ready to Pounce on Trumpworld Concessions to Moscow
New court filings by Mueller’s office could answer a central question of the Russia investigation: What did the Kremlin hope to get from its political machinations?
Erin Banco
12.18.18 5:00 AM ET


For more than a year, Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s office has questioned witnesses broadly about their interactions with well-connected Russians. But three sources familiar with Mueller’s probe told The Daily Beast that his team is now zeroing in on Trumpworld figures who may have attempted to shape the administration's foreign policy by offering to ease U.S. sanctions on Russia.

The Special Counsel’s Office is preparing court filings that are expected to detail Trump associates’ conversations about sanctions relief—and spell out how those offers and counter-proposals were characterized to top figures on the campaign and in the administration, those same sources said.

The new details would not only bookend a multi-year investigation by federal prosecutors into whether and how Trump associates seriously considered requests by Moscow to ease the financial measures. The new court filings could also answer a central question of the so-called “Russia investigation”: What specific policy changes, if any, did the Kremlin hope to get in return from its political machinations?

“During his investigation Mueller has shown little proclivity for chasing dead ends,” said Paul Pelletier, a former senior Department of Justice official. “His continued focus on the evidence that members of the Trump campaign discussed sanction relief with Russians shows that his evidence of a criminal violation continues to sharpen. This has to come as especially bad news for the President.”


Mueller’s interest in sanctions arose, at least in part, out of his team’s investigation into former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn. The Special Counsel’s Office noted in a court filing last week that Flynn had lied to the FBI about his conversations with Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak concerning U.S. sanctions. But other portions of this court filing were left redacted.

Mueller’s team is looking closely at evidence—some of it provided by witnesses—from the transition period, two individuals with knowledge of the probe said.

“Sanctions conversations that happened after November are more serious,” said Angela Stent, a former national intelligence officer for Russia under President George W. Bush. “At that point Flynn, for example, would have already known he was going to be part of the administration and those conversations would have included plans for what might happen [next].”


more...

https://www.thedailybeast.com/mueller-ready-to-pounce-on-trumpworld-concessions-to-moscow?ref=home
23 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Mueller Ready to Pounce on Trumpworld Concessions to Moscow (Original Post) babylonsister Dec 2018 OP
Still the questions persists... ewagner Dec 2018 #1
Maybe more people than tRump Scarsdale Dec 2018 #2
We're not quite sure of that yet, I don't think. babylonsister Dec 2018 #3
I keep thinking about that.... ewagner Dec 2018 #7
I don't think Flynn's worst crime was lying, I think it was treason Perseus Dec 2018 #21
According to Malcolm Nance NewJeffCT Dec 2018 #6
I wish I knew... dajoki Dec 2018 #9
Likley cause flynn told him where all the bodies are buried, and who put them there. Volaris Dec 2018 #10
I think that's why he was selected to 2naSalit Dec 2018 #15
"And, there may be subsequent cases where he won't be immune and get his time behind bars anyway." ewagner Dec 2018 #18
Indeed... 2naSalit Dec 2018 #20
So he won't need a pardon from trumpft is my guess Merlot Dec 2018 #13
Flynn is an out and out traitor. Farmer-Rick Dec 2018 #4
Um, Flynn agreed to a deal to be paid $600,000 watoos Dec 2018 #5
I'm Not saying Flynn didn't make money off being a Traitor Farmer-Rick Dec 2018 #11
I think Flynn gave him Pence FakeNoose Dec 2018 #8
I think that may be so 2naSalit Dec 2018 #17
You bring up a good point that I'd almost forgotten about. sdfernando Dec 2018 #19
The boy is nuts, he should go to jail Perseus Dec 2018 #22
I don't know but I wouldn't be suprised. sdfernando Dec 2018 #23
"Bring it." - Decent, honest, loyal citizens of the USA Achilleaze Dec 2018 #12
Merry Muellermas! n/t ginnyinWI Dec 2018 #14
I bet Mueller got military friends to 'talk' to Flynn about his treasonous acts and they.... machoneman Dec 2018 #16

Scarsdale

(9,426 posts)
2. Maybe more people than tRump
Tue Dec 18, 2018, 09:40 AM
Dec 2018

are involved? Pence, McConnell, Ryan plus many other gop members. Is it possible the entire administration will be taken down? Good news if that is the case. Never has there been a more corrupt group of people in power. So much damage has been done in such a short time, it boggles the mind.

babylonsister

(171,070 posts)
3. We're not quite sure of that yet, I don't think.
Tue Dec 18, 2018, 09:46 AM
Dec 2018

But maybe the info Flynn provided outweighed his lying, which he got caught at. I don't know, but do have a lot of faith in Mueller who's privy to all the facts, unlike myself.

ewagner

(18,964 posts)
7. I keep thinking about that....
Tue Dec 18, 2018, 10:22 AM
Dec 2018

Can you imagine the gravity, importance, bombshell value of the information he would have to provide in order to outweigh his out-and-out treasonous behavior?

It had better be GONZO!

 

Perseus

(4,341 posts)
21. I don't think Flynn's worst crime was lying, I think it was treason
Tue Dec 18, 2018, 11:55 AM
Dec 2018

And that is why I also wonder why he is getting off something like treason so easy.

If Benedict Arnold had returned to the USA he would have been executed, that is the punishment for treason. I am not saying Flynn should be executed, but a crime of treason needs to carry a heavy sentence. Also, I don't think the fact that Flynn is getting easy from treason sends a message to anyone, I think crooks an traitors think different from the rest of humanity, they don't see consequences, and they always look at the end, anything in between is collateral damage, and the end is just their goal, that is where they stop, they never analyze what can happen after they get there, they don't evaluate the consequences and that is why they always believe there will be no repercussions.

NewJeffCT

(56,828 posts)
6. According to Malcolm Nance
Tue Dec 18, 2018, 10:20 AM
Dec 2018

who has been ahead of the curve on Trump/Russia -

If you compare the charges for Flynn's associates versus what Flynn was recommended, the only way Flynn could have gotten that big of a reduction was if he gave Team Mueller "gold plated" inside information.

He posted that on Twitter yesterday, but I can't find the direct tweet right now as I'm in the office.

dajoki

(10,678 posts)
9. I wish I knew...
Tue Dec 18, 2018, 10:37 AM
Dec 2018

whatever he gave up must be huge. However, I still believe he and all the rest of them deserve serious prison time.

Volaris

(10,272 posts)
10. Likley cause flynn told him where all the bodies are buried, and who put them there.
Tue Dec 18, 2018, 10:58 AM
Dec 2018

Last edited Tue Dec 18, 2018, 03:19 PM - Edit history (1)

Mueller let Samny the Bull walk on 2 dozen murders to get him to flip on Jon Gotti, and Bodacious Bob seems to be running this like any other mob takedown

2naSalit

(86,646 posts)
15. I think that's why he was selected to
Tue Dec 18, 2018, 11:41 AM
Dec 2018

be the SP, he is an expert on bringing down such crime organizations, and that's what we have for an administration right now. I think that at least half of Congress and several state govs will go down by the end of this.

And, there may be subsequent cases where he won't be immune and get his time behind bars anyway.

ewagner

(18,964 posts)
18. "And, there may be subsequent cases where he won't be immune and get his time behind bars anyway."
Tue Dec 18, 2018, 11:49 AM
Dec 2018

I don't know if the plea/cooperation agreement is comprehensive or if it leaves a "trap door"..

Farmer-Rick

(10,185 posts)
4. Flynn is an out and out traitor.
Tue Dec 18, 2018, 09:54 AM
Dec 2018

Traitor Trump is doing it for the money, Flynn is doing it out of animosity towards the US.

So, why is he free to go complaining about his investigators?

 

watoos

(7,142 posts)
5. Um, Flynn agreed to a deal to be paid $600,000
Tue Dec 18, 2018, 10:17 AM
Dec 2018

from Erdogan to shuffle Gulen off to Turkey.

Don't know what went on with Flynn and the Russian ambassador, but Mueller knows.

Farmer-Rick

(10,185 posts)
11. I'm Not saying Flynn didn't make money off being a Traitor
Tue Dec 18, 2018, 11:00 AM
Dec 2018

I just think he was more about f*cking over the US than the money.

FakeNoose

(32,645 posts)
8. I think Flynn gave him Pence
Tue Dec 18, 2018, 10:28 AM
Dec 2018

Flynn was the first to flip and it sounded like he told Mueller a lot of what he knew. Well Mueller got deeper into the investigation, and one of the things he learned was Flynn lied about a few things. Mueller turned the screws on him a little bit, and Flynn gave up a lot more including Pence. Whatever Flynn could have told Mueller about Cheeto, I believe he gave that up too. This is all guessing on my part, based on the things we've seen for the last year.

Flynn knows he's going to prison, but he wants to keep his son out. I believe that's his entire purpose in this. Somehow the Russians turned Flynn when he was working for Obama, maybe they have kompromat on him.




sdfernando

(4,935 posts)
19. You bring up a good point that I'd almost forgotten about.
Tue Dec 18, 2018, 11:51 AM
Dec 2018

Flynn's son is knee deep in this too. Flynn is doing everything he can to keep the boy out of jail.

 

Perseus

(4,341 posts)
22. The boy is nuts, he should go to jail
Tue Dec 18, 2018, 11:58 AM
Dec 2018

He is a white supremacist...isn't he the one that spread the rumors about the pizza place?

sdfernando

(4,935 posts)
23. I don't know but I wouldn't be suprised.
Tue Dec 18, 2018, 12:17 PM
Dec 2018

Agreed that he is nuts and should go to jail....but if we can get trump, pence, mcconnell, ryan, and a whole slew of others off of the elder Flynn its worth it.

Face it elder Flynn has already ruined his whole family. I'm hoping that he gets a Court Martial and gets booted down to Private...and forfeiture of his pension...this is the very least that should happen if he gets no jail time.

machoneman

(4,007 posts)
16. I bet Mueller got military friends to 'talk' to Flynn about his treasonous acts and they....
Tue Dec 18, 2018, 11:41 AM
Dec 2018

...convinced him to flip. I mean, I understand that as he got deeper and deeper into his anti-Clinton screeds (lock her up!) and anti-Democrat stances he lost all perspective. Maybe it being blinded by the money too. But ultimately I say he flipped when it was pointed out to him his obligation to the USA and what he stood for for years as a military man that got him to switch sides.

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