LOL, Jr did it again, releasing the text of incriminating documents saying “der, there’s nothing to see here”, simultaneously corroborating everything being reported about him.
I dunno, the presidential campaign taking directions from a Russian intelligence operation seems like a big deal. Wikileaks said it would help to direct people to a certain link, and he did.
Also, they provided him with a password in order to access a site. His reply that he read the about section suggests he used it. GW professor Orin Kerr believes that’s a Computer Fraud and Abuse Act violation.
Wikileaks says “Hey, Jr., you should get your dad to tweet about us to get more eyes on those leaked docs.”
ETA: sigh I didn’t refresh the page. I am dumb.
Indeed…They would almost certainly show the total lie in his claim that the tax reform wouldn’t benefit him personally. Admittedly, this won’t be able to make it through the impenetrable bubble of ignorance and stupidity of his ardent followers, but might continue to erode support around the edges.
The problem is, I know of no law that prohibits responding to Wikileaks. Journalists receive leak dumps and report them, and it’s legal. I don’t see why Trump Jr couldn’t just argue the same. Again, there’s no law against collusion and the media is thicker than pigshit for suggesting that there is. Yes, it’s unpatriotic and unethical as hell, but the bigger story is why aren’t there laws that prohibit at least some of the conduct that the Trump campaign engaged in. Sure, they’ll get some guys for lying to the FBI and they’ll get Manafort for laundering, but the Logan Act is probably the only law that might apply to any of the alleged wrongdoing by the campaign and it’s questionable whether that even applies.
Trump is afraid because he’s afraid Mueller’s going to reveal embarrassing information - and perhaps previously unknown criminal activity. But Trump can’t go down for collusion. It’s not generally a crime.
Doesn’t this guy have access to any lawyers? Hell, a Lincoln Park Trixie who does PR for a cigar bar would probably help at this point.
I often find myself in agreement with your posts, but not this one.
I don’t think the media uses the term, ‘collusion,’ in any legal sense. I think they use it as an umbrella term to cover the myriad of crimes that could be prosecuted if such links can be established. Crimes such as conspiracy, obstruction, Foreign Agents Registration Act violations and so on. I think Trump and Company have exposure to many such crimes.
The embarrassment factor will just be icing on the cake.
You don’t think it’s a problem that the Trump administration’s response has gone from “we had no contact with Russians” to “we may have had contact, but there was no collusion” to “collusion isn’t strictly illegal”?
Just the fact that he was helping to subvert our country’s election by cooperating with the murderous dictator of a hostile foreign power is enough that he should be impeached once it’s proven, wouldn’t you say? Even though our country’s laws may not have caught up enough to criminally prosecute him?
I know that a lot of people are certain that “dirt” on Hillary Clinton is something of value, and one could argue that it is. But it’s not necessarily so. Information can be donated or sold. If there are wire transfers in connection with information from Russia/Guccifer/Wikileaks, then we might be onto something, and I’m sure that’s what Mueller’s trying to ascertain. But just asking someone ‘What can you tell me about X’ is not necessarily oppo research in the same sense that people might assume.
Don’t get me wrong: I’m sure the Trump empire is guilty of something - I just don’t know what it is yet. I’m also pointing out that ‘collusion’ is not a crime. Certain acts that fit that description might be, but the law is precise and the characterizations of the campaign’s behavior are at times overbroad. The media are hurting their credibility at a time when it’s badly needed when they suggest that every instance of opportunistically partnering with foreign entities having an interest in American elections is a crime.
All campaigns do opposition research. All campaigns pay for it. So the research is something of value. The campaign received something of value from the Russians in exchange for the possibility of easing of the sanctions on Russia. I’m no lawyer, but it strikes me as illegal. What they’re really going to get this gang on is money laundering, tax evasion, and racketeering. Acting as foreign agents is the frosting on the cake, the body of the cake is what’s going to put this lot into prison.
From your keyboard to Og’s eyeballs. Personally, my greatest fear is that the America-hating fuckstick is destined to die in his own bed, sleeping the sleep of the (self-)justified.
Coincidentally, my greatest HOPE is that it will happen tonight…
Personally, I’m pinning my hopes on the tax evasion charges. Not only is that a clear, unambiguous crime, but it’s a crime at both the federal and state level, meaning that Trump can’t just pardon it.
If information is not “something of value”, how about the effort to publish it? People pay publicists to get the stories they want disseminated to the media, and politicians pay millions to get their messages broadcast to an audience. Could it be found that Wikileaks, by the act of publishing the stolen information, provided something of value to the Trump campaign?
One word: Pence.
Prohibition on contributions, donations, expenditures, independent expenditures, and disbursements by foreign nationals
Pence is reprehensible in almost every way, and has terrible political and social views. Yet he is 1000 times less so than Trump. I’d welcome the opportunity to return to normal political disagreements.
Yes. It is extremely strange that people act like Pence is some horror that we all need to worry about. He’s just a typical Republican. I fear him as much as I would have McCain or Romney.
Agreed. With Trump, we get reprehensible domestic policy; shattering alliances and bringing us to the brink of war; trampling on the constitution; and flouting political norms.*
With Pence: reprehensible domestic policy.
And I think/hope/fervently pray that after the 2018 mid-terms either president will just be a caretaker until 2020.
*John Oliver summarized this in 3 ways: delegitimizing the media, “whataboutism”, and trolling. I don’t think we’d get any of that from President Pence.
I wonder what Muhammad Saeed al-Sahhaf thinks about the new Don Jr. news. Has he stopped posting in this thread?