Mueller Investigation pt4

[Craig4]

I'm utterly coinvinced that he really, really didn't want to win.

I'm curious what the family will do with the company and brand. No diplomat or lobbying group on their right mind would stay in the Trump DC hotel when the next president is sworn in. Their only properties doing well are ones where Trump goes and that's because people pay for access. The Trumps are pulling out if condos in New York. The drones at the rallies are his only market left and they can't afford his brand.

 

[Stacko]

Someone didn't listen to Stringer Bell.

That includes information about multiple contacts between other Trump campaign officials and the Russian government, and about Cohen’s contact with the White House in 2017 and 2018, suggesting an ongoing inquiry into obstruction of justice. Most significant, the Special Counsel indicates Cohen “described the circumstances of preparing and circulating his response to the congressional inquiries, while continuing to accept responsibility for the false statements within it.” That statement suggests that the Special Counsel believes that someone in the Trump administration knew of, and approved in advance, Cohen’s lies to Congress. That’s explosive, and potentially impeachable if Trump himself is implicated.

 

[Squeegee Beckenheim]

Yeah, I was just about to post that piece. In short, Popehat doesn't say much that everybody else isn't saying, but the TL/DR version is "Trump is in serious trouble, and Mueller clearly has a very strong case".

 

[Andy_Ross]

Trump Tweets

AFTER TWO YEARS AND MILLIONS OF PAGES OF DOCUMENTS (and a cost of over $30,000,000), NO COLLUSION!

 

[ServiceSoon]

You are forgetting the SDNY prosecutors also allege:

That is a felony for both Trump and Cohen.

The crime of improper use of campaign funds occurs quite frequently in American politics. The standard response upon finding campaigns whom violated those statutes is a monetary fine.

 

[Squeegee Beckenheim]

Trump Tweets

AFTER TWO YEARS AND MILLIONS OF PAGES OF DOCUMENTS (and a cost of over $30,000,000), NO COLLUSION!

If, just for the sake of argument, we take that figure at face value, that would put the investigation $12-16m in profit.

 

[varwoche]

The crime of improper use of campaign funds occurs quite frequently in American politics. The standard response upon finding campaigns whom violated those statutes is a monetary fine.

True. Often those violations are technicalities -- failure to file on time, accidental omissions, etc. I wonder what has happened in the past when the violators were guilty of willful subterfuge.

 

[zorro99]

President Trump ordered Cohen to commit crimes.

 

[Squeegee Beckenheim]

The crime of improper use of campaign funds occurs quite frequently in American politics. The standard response upon finding campaigns whom violated those statutes is a monetary fine.

Your assertion was that his only crime was lying to the FBI. Now you're agreeing that he committed felonies, but are opining that those felonies are commonplace and implying that therefore they shouldn't be charged.

Bear in mind that there are almost certainly also crimes he could, but is not being, charged with as part of his plea deal.

 

[ServiceSoon]

True. Often those violations are technicalities -- failure to file on time, accidental omissions, etc. I wonder what has happened in the past when the violators were guilty of willful subterfuge.

It'll be interesting to see what actual evidence is presented (assuming that information will be shared with the Public) to support your allegation of intentional disdain for the law. I wonder what type of experience Cohen has with Campaign finance law?

That's funny, as if Mueller only knows what Cohen told him.

Im curious why you cannot acknowledge how Cohen's testimony could be conflicted. The special counsels' use of coercion is especially problematic for me. I know you despised Trump from the onset and thus rationalize it much differently than me.

 

[The Great Zaganza]

The crime of improper use of campaign funds occurs quite frequently in American politics. The standard response upon finding campaigns whom violated those statutes is a monetary fine.

Yes, but like in so many cases, the cover-up is worse than the crime: in this case, bank fraud just for starters.

 

[Andy_Ross]

Trump Tweets

“This is collusion illusion, there is no smoking gun here. At this late date, after all that we have gone through, after millions have been spent, we have no Russian Collusion. There is nothing impeachable here.”
@GeraldoRivera
Time for the Witch Hunt to END!

 

[timhau]

Trump Tweets

AFTER TWO YEARS AND MILLIONS OF PAGES OF DOCUMENTS (and a cost of over $30,000,000), NO COLLUSION!

Wow, Mueller managed to shave $10 million off costs in a week and a half.

 

[Bob001]

The crime of improper use of campaign funds occurs quite frequently in American politics. The standard response upon finding campaigns whom violated those statutes is a monetary fine.

Most campaign finance violations typically involve matters like missing paperwork deadlines. Using campaign money to pay off sexual assault accusers and lying about it is way outside the norm.

And those aren't the only crimes Cohen has confessed to.
https://nypost.com/2018/08/21/cohen-trump-told-me-to-pay-off-women-to-influence-the-election/

 

[carlitos]

If, just for the sake of argument, we take that figure at face value, that would put the investigation $12-16m in profit.

Were there that many big fines? All of the plea agreements that I can recall had fines in the thousands, not millions.

ETA - Manifort & Gates, maybe? Did they still have the resources to pay big fines?

 

[Beelzebuddy]

Were there that many big fines? All of the plea agreements that I can recall had fines in the thousands, not millions.

ETA - Manifort & Gates, maybe? Did they still have the resources to pay big fines?

Not a fine, as such. Manafort had something like $40 million in seized assets.

 

[jimbob]

Were there that many big fines? All of the plea agreements that I can recall had fines in the thousands, not millions.

ETA - Manifort & Gates, maybe? Did they still have the resources to pay big fines?

Manafort has handed substantial assets over to the US Government as part of his plea deal and regardless of how it plays out.

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/09/17/mueller-probe-could-turn-a-profit-thanks-to-manafort-assets.html

In other words, he's tens of millions of dollars poorer, and presumably isn't expecting to be compensated by Trump.

 

[Cl1mh4224rd]

Were there that many big fines? All of the plea agreements that I can recall had fines in the thousands, not millions.

ETA - Manifort & Gates, maybe? Did they still have the resources to pay big fines?

I believe much of Manafort's assets were seized as a condition of his plea deal. Those assets supposedly totalled about $40 million.

 

[acbytesla]

Cohen's core deal is for his wife to stay out of prison.
Given the magnitude of their crimes, four years for one instead of two doesn't sound so bad.

I doubt he'll do the full 4 years even so. But what did his wife do? Is that because they didn't charge the tax evasion crimes?

 

[The Great Zaganza]

I doubt he'll do the full 4 years even so. But what did his wife do? Is that because they didn't charge the tax evasion crimes?

Yep.
She co-signed everything, making her just as guilty.