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cthskzfn
Joined: 21 Nov 2004 Posts: 12851 Location: In a world where a PSYCHOpath like Trump isn't potus.
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Posted: 04/10/18 5:41 pm ::: FBI raids Trump's personal attorney |
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https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/10/us/politics/trump-russia-mueller-rosenstein.html
WASHINGTON — The F.B.I. agents who raided the office of President Trump’s personal lawyer on Monday were looking for records about payments to two women who claim they had affairs with Mr. Trump, and information related to the publisher of The National Enquirer’s role in silencing one of the women, several people briefed on the investigation said.
The search warrant carried out by the public corruption unit of the Manhattan federal attorney’s office seeks information about Karen McDougal, a former Playboy model who claims she carried on a nearly yearlong affair with Mr. Trump shortly after the birth of his son in 2006. Ms. McDougal was paid $150,000 by American Media Inc., The Enquirer’s parent company, whose chief executive is a friend of Mr. Trump’s.
_________________ Silly, stupid white people might be waking up.
Last edited by cthskzfn on 04/11/18 9:22 am; edited 1 time in total |
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justintyme
Joined: 08 Jul 2012 Posts: 8407 Location: Northfield, MN
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Posted: 04/10/18 6:18 pm ::: |
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Yeah, we've been discussing this some in the impeachment thread. It probably deserves its own thread due to its significance. If this leads to him actually firing Mueller and Rosenstein, I don't know how that could end in anything but impeachment.
_________________ ↑↑↓↓←→←→BA
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calbearman76
Joined: 02 Nov 2009 Posts: 5167 Location: Carson City
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Posted: 04/10/18 7:34 pm ::: |
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I wonder how much they really needed to have to get the approval for the raid. It seems from reporting that there was a $130,000 payment made by Cohen out of a shell corporation which was questioned by bank investigators. Presumably the investigators asked Cohen about the source of funds and possibly the use of funds. If Cohen lied in those responses it seems the elements of the crimes of bank fraud and wire fraud have been shown. Being able to flush out this information through a raid, while perhaps heavy handed, is almost certainly being done with great care.
If this does not lead to any further information beyond the payments to Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal (and perhaps a few more women), it is likely that this wouldn't be enough to bring down the presidency. But based on the statements of Senators Chuck Grassley and Bill Kennedy, it appears likely that if Trump were to fire Mueller, either directly or indirectly, there would be sufficient legislative support to either reinstate him as a true "independent" counsel, or to not only impeach, but also convict the President.
The question in my mind is "What other types of intermediate steps would be allowed by the institutional Republicans in the Senate?" Would they begin to act if Trump started to pardon some individuals, such as Michael Cohen, Jared Kushner or Hope Hicks? Would they allow him to fire Jeff Sessions and install an Attorney General who would seek to limit Mueller's investigation? I am not sure what their final stand will be.
I believe the House, despite its flame throwers, will not stand in the way of appropriate steps if the Senators signal their disapproval. If Trump goes over the edge I believe Speaker Ryan will act appropriately and allow a vote for impeachment to proceed, and that there will be at least 25 Republicans (more likely 75-100) that will do so. While this could cause Ryan his Speakership, I suspect that Ryan may not even seek re-election. More likely, if this extends into 2019, the House will be controlled by Democrats. At this point bringing impeachment would not be a problem, but I would hope that they don't do it unless they have fleshed out the case to the point that those institutional Republicans in the Senate will convict.
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jammerbirdi
Joined: 23 Sep 2004 Posts: 21046
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Posted: 04/10/18 7:36 pm ::: |
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justintyme wrote: |
Yeah, we've been discussing this some in the impeachment thread. It probably deserves its own thread due to its significance. If this leads to him actually firing Mueller and Rosenstein, I don't know how that could end in anything but impeachment. |
I wouldn't count on it._________________ Every woman who has ever been presented with a career/sex quid pro quo in the entertainment industry should come forward and simply say, “Me, too.” - jammer The New York Times 10/10/17 |
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justintyme
Joined: 08 Jul 2012 Posts: 8407 Location: Northfield, MN
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Posted: 04/11/18 9:23 am ::: |
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Wonder how Ryan's decision to not seek re-election will affect all this. Will he now distance himself from Trump and play the long game for a potential return to politics sometime and want the ability to point to his opposition to someome who will almost certainly be a political anchor in the future?
_________________ ↑↑↓↓←→←→BA
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PUmatty
Joined: 10 Nov 2004 Posts: 16382 Location: Chicago
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Posted: 04/11/18 9:49 am ::: |
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justintyme wrote: |
Wonder how Ryan's decision to not seek re-election will affect all this. Will he now distance himself from Trump and play the long game for a potential return to politics sometime and want the ability to point to his opposition to someome who will almost certainly be a political anchor in the future? |
He shouldn't be able to distance himself. He has basically been Trump's right hand man. Couple that with it becoming very clear that he has no real constituency in the Republican party, and Paul Ryan is dunzo as a relevant figure.
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jammerbirdi
Joined: 23 Sep 2004 Posts: 21046
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Posted: 04/11/18 6:47 pm ::: |
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CNN has finally come up with something that is very interesting. The Access Hollywood tape was released and first heard by the world at 4:03 PM EST.
Okay?
At 4:30 PM EST, 27 minutes later, Wikileaks posted the first of the Podesta/Clinton campaign emails that had been hacked into by the Russians.
Huh?
The FBI is said to have, in their raid of Cohen's office, specifically sought information regarding any communications to and from the Trump campaign ABOUT the Access Hollywood tape.
Hmm?_________________ Every woman who has ever been presented with a career/sex quid pro quo in the entertainment industry should come forward and simply say, “Me, too.” - jammer The New York Times 10/10/17 |
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calbearman76
Joined: 02 Nov 2009 Posts: 5167 Location: Carson City
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Posted: 04/11/18 7:23 pm ::: |
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PUmatty wrote: |
justintyme wrote: |
Wonder how Ryan's decision to not seek re-election will affect all this. Will he now distance himself from Trump and play the long game for a potential return to politics sometime and want the ability to point to his opposition to someome who will almost certainly be a political anchor in the future? |
He shouldn't be able to distance himself. He has basically been Trump's right hand man. Couple that with it becoming very clear that he has no real constituency in the Republican party, and Paul Ryan is dunzo as a relevant figure. |
Ryan will lay low for awhile, but he will be back as a pundit before the 2020 election. And I will be very surprised if he doesn't run for president in 2024, or at least carefully consider it. For all his talk about wanting to spend time with his kids, I believe he was concerned he would lose his seat, and if he did that would end his political future. By stepping aside now he can remove himself before the blue wave and look unsullied in six years. The question for him will be whether the Republican Party that reformulates after Trump is one in which he can still compete.
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justintyme
Joined: 08 Jul 2012 Posts: 8407 Location: Northfield, MN
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Posted: 04/11/18 8:15 pm ::: |
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calbearman76 wrote: |
PUmatty wrote: |
justintyme wrote: |
Wonder how Ryan's decision to not seek re-election will affect all this. Will he now distance himself from Trump and play the long game for a potential return to politics sometime and want the ability to point to his opposition to someome who will almost certainly be a political anchor in the future? |
He shouldn't be able to distance himself. He has basically been Trump's right hand man. Couple that with it becoming very clear that he has no real constituency in the Republican party, and Paul Ryan is dunzo as a relevant figure. |
Ryan will lay low for awhile, but he will be back as a pundit before the 2020 election. And I will be very surprised if he doesn't run for president in 2024, or at least carefully consider it. For all his talk about wanting to spend time with his kids, I believe he was concerned he would lose his seat, and if he did that would end his political future. By stepping aside now he can remove himself before the blue wave and look unsullied in six years. The question for him will be whether the Republican Party that reformulates after Trump is one in which he can still compete. |
I think he will run at some point as well. I see support of Trump as an anchor for future runs though, much in the vein of Iraq, so that is why I was wondering if he will do his damnedest to get on the record as part of the Republican Resistance and hope people forget about his earlier pandering.
_________________ ↑↑↓↓←→←→BA
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scullyfu
Joined: 01 Jan 2006 Posts: 8869 Location: Niagara Falls
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Posted: 04/13/18 6:41 am ::: |
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i'm anxiously awaiting to see if Ryan supports the white supremist who is running for his seat. bwahahahahahaha
_________________ i'll always bleed Storm green.
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pilight
Joined: 23 Sep 2004 Posts: 67122 Location: Where the action is
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Posted: 05/07/21 9:58 am ::: |
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F.E.C. Drops Case Reviewing Trump Hush-Money Payments to Women
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/06/us/politics/trump-michael-cohen-fec.html
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The Federal Election Commission said on Thursday that it had formally dropped a case looking into whether former President Donald J. Trump violated election law with a payment of $130,000 shortly before the 2016 election to a pornographic-film actress by his personal lawyer at the time, Michael D. Cohen. |
_________________ I'm sick and tired of the stories that you always tell
Shakespeare couldn't tell a story that well
See, you're the largest liar that was ever created
You and Pinocchio are probably related
Full of criss-crossed fits, you lie all the time
Your tongue should be embarrassed, you're a threat to mankind
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Howee
Joined: 27 Nov 2009 Posts: 15759 Location: OREGON (in my heart)
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Posted: 05/08/21 5:27 pm ::: |
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From the article above:
The 2 Dem board members wrote:
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“To conclude that a payment, made 13 days before Election Day to hush up a suddenly newsworthy 10-year-old story, was not campaign-related, without so much as conducting an investigation, defies reality,” they wrote in a letter. |
While the 2 GOP board members claimed:
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The Republican commissioners who voted not to proceed with an investigation, Trey Trainor and Sean Cooksey, said that pursuing the case was “not the best use of agency resources,” that “the public record is complete” already and that Mr. Cohen had already been punished. |
Now, WAS it a violation or NOT? Cohen's been punished for WHAT? And Trump is....??
Corruption at its finest.
_________________ Oregon: Go Ducks!
"Inévitablement, les canards voleront"
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