In Closed Hearing, a Clue About ‘the Heart’ of Mueller’s Russia Inquiry

[dherd]

WASHINGTON — Of the few hints to emerge from the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, about evidence of possible collusion between President Trump’s campaign and Russia, one of the most tantalizing surfaced almost in passing in a Washington courtroom last week.

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/10/us/politics/manafort-mueller-russia-inquiry.html

 

[herdfan429]

Little Adam schitt is already criticizing mueller. I guess that’s ok now because he’s a democrat. Of course it has nothing to do with politics and hatred of trump.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/worl...7de566-2d5c-11e9-8ad3-9a5b113ecd3c_story.html

 

[ThunderCat98]

You've got him now?

 

[Chevy1]

Patriotism for republicans is held at a much lower standard than for the rest of us.

Trump's campaign manager is caught discussing US-Russia sanctions at the same time Russia is interfering in the election. I'm confident it's all some kind of weird and mysterious coincidence. Definitely no "evidence" of collusion.

Some may argue there's a deluge of other non-evidence to consider:

• Trump lie - the campaign had no contact with Russians
  
• 17 of the campaign staff had contacts with Russians - some caught lying about those contacts
  
• Trump lie - there were no business dealings with Russia during the campaign.
• Meeting with Russian delegates to discuss stolen emails
• Trump lies about what the topic of this meeting - "it was about adoptions"
  
• Having the Republican platform stance on Russian sanctions change in favor of Russia
• Trumps actions and behavior toward Putin - public statements _
  ‘I don’t see any reason why’ Russia would have interfered with election

There's more to the list - but you've heard them before. We should all simply trust President Trump when he says there's been no collusion.

 

[Chevy1]

Little Adam schitt is already criticizing mueller. I guess that’s ok now because he’s a democrat. Of course it has nothing to do with politics and hatred of trump.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/worl...7de566-2d5c-11e9-8ad3-9a5b113ecd3c_story.html

1. I'm not sure Schitt knows what Mueller has
2. Trump's finances should be public knowledge. After all, the American people should know if he has financial ties to a foreign power - that would be compromising for a US leader.

Is there a reason we shouldn't know this?

 

[dherd]

Little Adam schitt is already criticizing mueller. I guess that’s ok now because he’s a democrat. Of course it has nothing to do with politics and hatred of trump.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/worl...7de566-2d5c-11e9-8ad3-9a5b113ecd3c_story.html

IF IS A VERY BIG WORD - HOW DID YOU MISS IT?
Schiff voiced concern that Mueller has shied away from investigating Trump’s ties to the German lender, saying that “if the special counsel hasn’t subpoenaed Deutsche Bank, he can’t be doing much of a money laundering investigation.”

 

[dherd]

But Mr. Weissmann’s remarks seem to suggest that for the special counsel, at least, that avenue of inquiry is still alive.

The sanctions have inflicted substantial pain on the Russian economy. As a candidate and a new president, seemed skeptical that such punishment was necessary or effective.

“CROOKED DONALD TRUMP'S unusual sympathy and receptivity to Putin and the Kremlin was evident throughout the campaign” and the first few months of his presidency, said John E. Herbst, a former United States ambassador to Ukraine. That pattern, he said, fueled the notion that Mr. Trump might seek a “grand bargain” that would end sanctions, possibly on terms deeply unfavorable to Ukraine.

The sanctions also limited business opportunities with Russia. CROOKED DONALD TRUMP had long sought a marquee CROOKED DONALD TRUMPTower project in Moscow, and at least two aides were pursuing separate nuclear power projects that would have benefited from an end to the sanctions.

“That meeting and what happened at that meeting is of significance to the special counsel,” Mr. Weissmann said at the hearing.

Mr. Manafort initially told prosecutors he had dismissed Mr. Kilimnik’s proposal out of hand, Mr. Weissmann said. In fact, according to the transcript, Mr. Manafort and Mr. Kilimnik talked about the proposal again in December 2016; in January 2017, when Mr. Kilimnik was in Washington for Mr. Trump’s inauguration; and again in Madrid the next month.

Mr. Weissmann noted that those talks went forward despite the “enormous amount of attention” in the United States at the time to contacts between Russians and CROOKED DONALD TRUMP associates.

What Mr. Manafort and Mr. Kilimnik discussed about the Russia-Ukraine conflict is not all that concerned prosecutors. Another issue is a directive from Mr. Manafort to Mr. Gates to turn over CROOKED DONALD TRUMP campaign polling data to Mr. Kilimnik in the midst of the presidential race.
ut Judge Amy Berman Jackson seemed to agree with prosecutors that whether Mr. Manafort lied about his contacts with Mr. Kilimnik was important, saying at one point, “I am, actually, particularly concerned about this particular alleged false statement.”

During the hearing, prosecutors suggested that Mr. Manafort was to be a spokesman in the United States, apparently for Mr. Kilimnik’s plan to divide Ukraine.

“If he were the spokesperson, and denominated as such within the United States,” Mr. Weissmann said, “he would also have access to senior people.” He then broke off, saying, “That’s as far as I can go.”

 

[dherd]

THE DEAL WAS - RUSSIA HELP ME CROOKED DONALD TRUMP GET ELECTED AND WE WILL LIFT THE SANCTIONS, GIVE RUSSIA COVER ON UKRAIN AND CRIMEA.. MANAFORT WAS THE GO BETWEEN.

Comments by one of Mr. Mueller’s lead prosecutors, disclosed in a transcript of a closed-door hearing, suggest that the special counsel continues to pursue at least one theory:while Russia was taking steps to bolster CROOKED DONALD Trump’s candidacy,eople in his orbit were discussing deals to end a dispute over Russia’s incursions into Ukraine and possibly give Moscow relief from economic sanctions imposed by the United States and its allies.

The theory was offered almost as an aside by the prosecutor, Andrew Weissmann, during a discussion of contacts between Mr. Trump’s former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, and a longtime Russian associate, Konstantin V. Kilimnik, whom investigators have linked to Russian intelligence.

A closer look at the transcript, released late Thursday, shows that the prosecutors have been keenly focused on discussions the two men had about a plan to end the conflict that followed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and annexation of Crimea in 2014. Persuading the United States to ease or end the American-led sanctions imposed to punish Moscow for its aggression has been a primary goal of Russian foreign policy.

Pressed by the judge at Monday’s hearing to say why Mr. Manafort’s alleged lies mattered, Mr. Weissmann gave a broad hint about the thrust of the investigation.

“This goes to the larger view of what we think is going on, and what we think is the motive here,” Mr. Weissmann said. “This goes, I think, very much to the heart of what the special counsel’s office is investigating.”

 

[Herdfaninnoke]

1. I'm not sure Schitt knows what Mueller has
2. Trump's finances should be public knowledge. After all, the American people should know if he has financial ties to a foreign power - that would be compromising for a US leader.

Is there a reason we shouldn't know this?

Why do we not require the taxes of our congress members. How can these people sit in a position for an entire career driving international and national efforts and not have to share where their money comes from? Why is this only a battle cry for presidential candidates?

 

[Chevy1]

Why do we not require the taxes of our congress members. How can these people sit in a position for an entire career driving international and national efforts and not have to share where their money comes from? Why is this only a battle cry for presidential candidates?

Those are good questions - perhaps they should be more transparent in this day and age. I'm guessing they weren't initially due to they being a more citizenry function instead of professional politician.

As you know, it's been the practice of Presidents to release their taxes assume due to the fact they are the Chief Executive.