2016 Postmortem

TomCADem

(17,390 posts) Sun Oct 30, 2016, 01:55 PM Oct 2016

"U.S. intel officials probe ties between Trump adviser and Kremlin" - Any Comment Comey?

Since it is now okay for the FBI to comment on pending investigations, will Comey revisit his decision not to comment on the investigation of connections between the Trump campaign and Russia as reported by Michael Isikoff?

https://www.yahoo.com/news/u-s-intel-officials-probe-ties-between-trump-adviser-and-kremlin-175046002.html

U.S. intelligence officials are seeking to determine whether an American businessman identified by Donald Trump as one of his foreign policy advisers has opened up private communications with senior Russian officials — including talks about the possible lifting of economic sanctions if the Republican nominee becomes president, according to multiple sources who have been briefed on the issue.

The activities of Trump adviser Carter Page, who has extensive business interests in Russia, have been discussed with senior members of Congress during recent briefings about suspected efforts by Moscow to influence the presidential election, the sources said. After one of those briefings, Senate minority leader Harry Reid wrote FBI Director James Comey, citing reports of meetings between a Trump adviser (a reference to Page) and “high ranking sanctioned individuals” in Moscow over the summer as evidence of “significant and disturbing ties” between the Trump campaign and the Kremlin that needed to be investigated by the bureau.

Some of those briefed were “taken aback” when they learned about Page’s contacts in Moscow, viewing them as a possible back channel to the Russians that could undercut U.S. foreign policy, said a congressional source familiar with the briefings but who asked for anonymity due to the sensitivity of the subject. The source added that U.S. officials in the briefings indicated that intelligence reports about the adviser’s talks with senior Russian officials close to President Vladimir Putin were being “actively monitored and investigated.”

A senior U.S. law enforcement official did not dispute that characterization when asked for comment by Yahoo News. “It’s on our radar screen,” said the official about Page’s contacts with Russian officials. “It’s being looked at.”

12 replies

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Highlight:

"U.S. intel officials probe ties between Trump adviser and Kremlin" - Any Comment Comey? (Original Post) TomCADem Oct 2016 OP

Comey feels his current domestic concerns outweigh possible Kremlin ties. TonyPDX Oct 2016 #1

Whoa. That's like what Reagan/BushI did with the Iranians. Wilms Oct 2016 #2

Not Sure Why You Keep Raising Podesta. Please explain. TomCADem Oct 2016 #5

John Podesta and the Russians Wilms Oct 2016 #7

So, How Does That Tie Into Hillary's Policies and Wikileak Disclosures? TomCADem Oct 2016 #9

I have pointed out that Podesta, like Manafort, seem to have business interests in Russia. Wilms Oct 2016 #10

Dated September 23rd... Mme. Defarge Oct 2016 #3

Exactly. In Light of Comey's New Policy, Perhaps its time to Revisit? TomCADem Oct 2016 #4

Yes! Having ignored long-standing practice and put marybourg Oct 2016 #6

Is it Partisan or a Policy Change? TomCADem Oct 2016 #8

It's neither, in my opinion. marybourg Oct 2016 #11

Does This Really Preserve His Credibility? TomCADem Oct 2016 #12

TonyPDX

(962 posts)

1. Comey feels his current domestic concerns outweigh possible Kremlin ties.

Reply to TomCADem (Original post)

Sun Oct 30, 2016, 01:58 PM

Oct 2016

The bastard.

Wilms

(26,795 posts)

2. Whoa. That's like what Reagan/BushI did with the Iranians.

Reply to TomCADem (Original post)

Sun Oct 30, 2016, 02:04 PM

Oct 2016

Never mind Manafort and Podesta having business ties. THIS would be treason (I think).

TomCADem

(17,390 posts)

5. Not Sure Why You Keep Raising Podesta. Please explain.

Reply to Wilms (Reply #2)

Sun Oct 30, 2016, 02:28 PM

Oct 2016

Are you saying that Hillary has intervened to make the DNC platform more Russia friendly, or that she might not stand behind NATO's obligations, or that she wants to side with Russia and Syria?

Also, it seems like Democrats and the Hillary campaign are calling for the inquiry to be made public, so it does not seem like they are afraid.

Wilms

(26,795 posts)

7. John Podesta and the Russians

Reply to TomCADem (Reply #5)

Sun Oct 30, 2016, 02:33 PM

Oct 2016

When did Clinton’s top aide stop doing business with Moscow?

But Mr. Podesta may have been concerned about the attention this association might draw when he went back into government in early 2014 to serve as a counselor to President Obama. That’s when Mr. Podesta declared on his federal financial disclosure form that he had divested himself of his Joule holdings.

This is where the story gets a little more complicated. The emails published on WikiLeaks show that around the time he was returning to the White House, Mr. Podesta wrote to Joule requesting the transfer of his shares to an entity called Leonidio Holdings, LLC, which had been created just weeks earlier.

Leonidio shares an address with Mr. Podesta’s daughter Megan Rouse, a financial planner who lives in California. When reached by telephone on Tuesday, Ms. Rouse told us that she did not have time to discuss the issue, thanked us for the call, and then hung up.

On Wednesday a Clinton campaign spokesman told us that Mr. Podesta cut his ties with Joule when he returned to the White House in 2014, “transferred the entirety of his holdings to his adult children” and “recused himself from all matters pertaining to Joule for the duration of his time at the White House.”

http://www.wsj.com/articles/john-podesta-and-the-russians-1477262565

TomCADem

(17,390 posts)

9. So, How Does That Tie Into Hillary's Policies and Wikileak Disclosures?

Reply to Wilms (Reply #7)

Sun Oct 30, 2016, 02:40 PM

Oct 2016

If Trump was not so out of the mainstream in terms of being pro-Russian, and the Russians were hacking and disclosing BOTH the Trump campaign and the Hillary campaign, then it would simply be a matter of lobbyists being lobbyists.

You are pushing a false equivalency by suggesting that Clinton and Trump are no different when it comes to Russia connections. There is a distinct difference both in policy and the degree to which the Russians have been seeking to influence the election.

For instance, I do not see Russia Today having a periodic update of recent hacks into the Trump campaign:

https://www.rt.com/usa/364741-clinton-podesta-emails-released/

The 23rd batch of emails from the account of Hillary Clinton’s campaign chair, John Podesta, have been published online by WikiLeaks.

Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton's Campaign Chairman John Podesta. © Drew Angerer / Getty ImagesBest of the worst: Here are the most shocking WikiLeaks Podesta emails so far
More than 36,000 emails from Podesta’s account have been released by the whistleblowing site, which has vowed to publish a total of 50,000 emails before the US presidential election on November 8.

On Saturday, the emails revealed comments from Clinton adviser Neera Tanden, in which she expressed her lack of faith in the Clintons’ judgement, as well as concerns from Hill columnist Brent Budowsky, who has featured prominently in the leaked emails, regarding the suitability of her candidacy.

Wilms

(26,795 posts)

10. I have pointed out that Podesta, like Manafort, seem to have business interests in Russia.

Reply to TomCADem (Reply #9)

Sun Oct 30, 2016, 02:43 PM

Oct 2016

And I have provided a link.

Mme. Defarge

(8,042 posts)

3. Dated September 23rd...

Reply to TomCADem (Original post)

Sun Oct 30, 2016, 02:17 PM

Oct 2016

TomCADem

(17,390 posts)

4. Exactly. In Light of Comey's New Policy, Perhaps its time to Revisit?

Reply to Mme. Defarge (Reply #3)

Sun Oct 30, 2016, 02:20 PM

Oct 2016

Before, Comey relied on the policy of not commenting on pending probes, but since that is out the window, perhaps a little transparency regarding the investigation of Trump and his associates is in order.

marybourg

(12,634 posts)

6. Yes! Having ignored long-standing practice and put

Reply to TomCADem (Reply #4)

Sun Oct 30, 2016, 02:29 PM

Oct 2016

his finger on the scale, he is obligated to right the scale by putting a finger on the other side also.

TomCADem

(17,390 posts)

8. Is it Partisan or a Policy Change?

Reply to marybourg (Reply #6)

Sun Oct 30, 2016, 02:34 PM

Oct 2016

The key is to be consistent. I can understand a policy change even if I disagree with it, so long as the policy is being fairly applied.

If we are going to be push transparency on the ground that the American people should know more about their Presidential candidates, then lets do so in a fair manner.

But, its the cherry picking that creates a partisan taint.

marybourg

(12,634 posts)

11. It's neither, in my opinion.

Reply to TomCADem (Reply #8)

Sun Oct 30, 2016, 02:47 PM

Oct 2016

He had a choice between putting his career at risk, if he withheld this "news" from the Publican Congress, or Hillary's and the country's future at risk by announcing these unread e-mails. He chose to preserve his credibility with Congress and the rest be damned. It was just another selfish preserve-my-cred-at all costs move.

TomCADem

(17,390 posts)

12. Does This Really Preserve His Credibility?

Reply to marybourg (Reply #11)

Sun Oct 30, 2016, 02:57 PM

Oct 2016

Commenting about Hillary e-mail investigation was unprecedented, and this action is even worse.

The CYA angle makes a lot more sense in that he does not want to be accused of lying under oath, but he sort of put himself in this position in the first place by taking such an outspoken role. Also, if he is just looking out for his own self-interest, then the move comes off as cowardly given that he has helped create great instability in the days leading to an election, which he knew would happen given his memo to FBI employees.

In the end, it still comes off as opportunistic and partisan.

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