# Talking about collusion with Russians... **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 17, 2017, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talking-about-collusion-with-russians/799135 "2017-10-17T16:29:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Okrahoma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/90db22/32.png) [@Okrahoma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Okrahoma)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2017, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talking-about-collusion-with-russians/799135/1 "2017-10-17T16:29:11Z")
> **[FBI uncovered Russian bribery plot before Obama administration approved...](https://thehill.com/policy/national-security/355749-fbi-uncovered-russian-bribery-plot-before-obama-administration/)** > > Before the Obama administration approved a controversial deal in 2010 giving Moscow control of a large swath of American uranium, the FBI had gathered substantial evidence that Russian nuclear indu… Before the Obama administration approved a controversial deal in 2010 giving Moscow control of a large swath of American uranium, the FBI had gathered substantial evidence that Russian nuclear industry officials were engaged in bribery, kickbacks, extortion and money laundering designed to grow Vladimir Putin’s atomic energy business inside the United States, according to government documents and interviews. … They also obtained an eyewitness account — backed by documents — indicating Russian nuclear officials had routed millions of dollars to the U.S. designed to benefit former President Bill Clinton’s charitable foundation during the time Secretary of State Hillary Clinton served on a government body that provided a favorable decision to Moscow, sources told The Hill. … Rather than bring immediate charges in 2010, however, the Department of Justice (DOJ) continued investigating the matter for nearly four more years, essentially leaving the American public and Congress in the dark about Russian nuclear corruption on U.S. soil during a period when the Obama administration made two major decisions benefitting Putin’s commercial nuclear ambitions. … The Obama administration and the Clintons defended their actions at the time, insisting there was no evidence that any Russians or donors engaged in wrongdoing and there was no national security reason for any member of the committee to oppose the Uranium One deal. But FBI, Energy Department and court documents reviewed by The Hill show the FBI in fact had gathered substantial evidence well before the committee’s decision that Vadim Mikerin — the main Russian overseeing Putin’s nuclear expansion inside the United States — was engaged in wrongdoing starting in 2009. … Likewise, major congressional figures were also kept in the dark. Former Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Mich.), who chaired the House Intelligence Committee during the time the FBI probe was being conducted, told The Hill that he had never been told anything about the Russian nuclear corruption case even though many fellow lawmakers had serious concerns about the Obama administration’s approval of the Uranium One deal. “Not providing information on a corruption scheme before the Russian uranium deal was approved by U.S. regulators and engage appropriate congressional committees has served to undermine U.S. national security interests by the very people charged with protecting them,” he said. “The Russian efforts to manipulate our American political enterprise is breathtaking.” ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2017, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talking-about-collusion-with-russians/799135/2 "2017-10-17T16:45:34Z")
No U!!!1! ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2017, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talking-about-collusion-with-russians/799135/3 "2017-10-17T16:51:41Z")
There is no evidence so substantive that some people will not dismiss it, nor no evidence so spurious that some will not openly embrace it, to the extent that it suits their political biases. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2017, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talking-about-collusion-with-russians/799135/4 "2017-10-17T17:08:14Z")
Sean Hannity has been on this story for months, but since Hillary lost, it appears to be old news. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Okrahoma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/90db22/32.png) [@Okrahoma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Okrahoma)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2017, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talking-about-collusion-with-russians/799135/5 "2017-10-17T17:10:42Z")
Robert Mueller was the FBI director during that time frame. Maybe he can come out and explain it. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2017, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talking-about-collusion-with-russians/799135/6 "2017-10-17T17:15:11Z")
[Yeah, about that uranium deal…](http://www.snopes.com/hillary-clinton-uranium-russia-deal/) > [@](#): > > The timing of most of the donations does not match > > Of the $145 million allegedly contributed to the Clinton Foundation by Uranium One investors, the lion’s share — $131.3 million — came from a single donor, Frank Giustra, the company’s founder. But Giustra sold off his entire stake in the company in 2007, three years before the Russia deal and at least 18 months before Clinton became secretary of state. > > Of the remaining individuals connected with Uranium One who donated to the Clinton Foundation, only one was found to have contributed during the same time frame that the deal was taking place, according to The New York Times — Ian Telfer, the company’s chairman: > His donations through the Fernwood Foundation included $1 million reported in 2009, the year his company appealed to the American Embassy to help it keep its mines in Kazakhstan; $250,000 in 2010, the year the Russians sought majority control; as well as $600,000 in 2011 and $500,000 in 2012. Mr. Telfer said that his donations had nothing to do with his business dealings, and that he had never discussed Uranium One with Mr. or Mrs. Clinton. He said he had given the money because he wanted to support Mr. Giustra’s charitable endeavors with Mr. Clinton. “Frank and I have been friends and business partners for almost 20 years,” he said. > > The timing of Telfer’s donations might be questionable if there was reason to believe that Hillary Clinton was instrumental in the approval of the deal with Russia, but all the evidence points to the contrary — that Clinton did not play a pivotal role, and, in fact, may not have played any role at all. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2017, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talking-about-collusion-with-russians/799135/7 "2017-10-17T17:44:53Z")
[Snopes laid this to rest long ago.](http://www.snopes.com/hillary-clinton-uranium-russia-deal/) Clinton did not have veto power over the deal, only the president can do it. In any event, not one ounce of uranium left the US, since the company involved did not have an export license. ---
**Author:** ![Okrahoma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/90db22/32.png) [@Okrahoma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Okrahoma)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2017, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talking-about-collusion-with-russians/799135/8 "2017-10-18T15:15:05Z")
> **[Senate Judiciary opens probe into Obama-era Russian nuclear bribery case](https://thehill.com/policy/national-security/355957-senate-judiciary-opens-probe-into-obama-era-russian-nuclear-bribery/)** > > The Senate Judiciary Committee has launched a probe into a Russian nuclear bribery case. Senate Judiciary opens probe into Obama-era Russian nuclear bribery case ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2017, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talking-about-collusion-with-russians/799135/9 "2017-10-18T15:28:57Z")
Do you actually have anything to say about this or are you going to keep posting links? ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2017, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talking-about-collusion-with-russians/799135/10 "2017-10-18T15:33:16Z")
> [@Okrahoma](#): > > [http://thehill.com/policy/national-security/355957-senate-judiciary-opens-probe-into-obama-era-russian-nuclear-bribery](http://thehill.com/policy/national-security/355957-senate-judiciary-opens-probe-into-obama-era-russian-nuclear-bribery) > > Senate Judiciary opens probe into Obama-era Russian nuclear bribery case Finally gave up on Benghazi? ---
**Author:** ![Okrahoma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/90db22/32.png) [@Okrahoma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Okrahoma)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2017, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talking-about-collusion-with-russians/799135/11 "2017-10-18T15:36:30Z")
> [@AlsoNamedBort](#): > > Do you actually have anything to say about this or are you going to keep posting links? Seems like there is a lot of stuff to investigate. Hiding pertinent FBI investigations from the Congressional oversight committees in order to push the Russian deal through… You (plural) would be screaming and howling if Trump admin was doing that, wouldn’t you? ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2017, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talking-about-collusion-with-russians/799135/12 "2017-10-18T15:39:19Z")
[I figure the GOP Daily talking points must be distributed fairly early, eh](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=839296). ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2017, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talking-about-collusion-with-russians/799135/13 "2017-10-18T15:42:25Z")
> [@Okrahoma](#): > > Seems like there is a lot of stuff to investigate. Hiding pertinent FBI investigations from the Congressional oversight committees in order to push the Russian deal through… You (plural) would be screaming and howling if Trump admin was doing that, wouldn’t you? Thus far, none of your characterizations nor predictions of liberal behavior have ever been shown to be even remotely accurate or reliable. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2017, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talking-about-collusion-with-russians/799135/14 "2017-10-18T15:47:24Z")
> [@Okrahoma](#): > > Seems like there is a lot of stuff to investigate. Hiding pertinent FBI investigations from the Congressional oversight committees in order to push the Russian deal through… You (plural) would be screaming and howling if Trump admin was doing that, wouldn’t you? Okay, so you don’t actually care, it’s just whataboutism then? ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2017, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talking-about-collusion-with-russians/799135/15 "2017-10-18T15:57:39Z")
Yes, if the facts were the opposite of what they are, you’d be right. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2017, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talking-about-collusion-with-russians/799135/16 "2017-10-18T15:58:36Z")
Ooh look! Dull! ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2017, 8:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talking-about-collusion-with-russians/799135/17 "2017-10-19T08:38:24Z")
> [@Okrahoma](#): > > Seems like there is a lot of stuff to investigate. Like Benghazi? Or the IRS thing? Yes, there was massive amount of stuff to investigate there. And look at all the stuff they found! Boxes and boxes of…nothing. And Whitewater! Years and millions of dollars devoted to an Arkansas land deal and they found a blowjob! Taxpayer money well-spent! > [@](#): > > Hiding pertinent FBI investigations from the Congressional oversight committees in order to push the Russian deal through… You (plural) would be screaming and howling if Trump admin was doing that, wouldn’t you? Sorry - is your argument “Democrats must be lying hypocrites because Republicans are”? ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2017, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talking-about-collusion-with-russians/799135/18 "2017-10-19T12:47:34Z")
> [@Okrahoma](#): > > Seems like there is a lot of stuff to investigate. Hiding pertinent FBI investigations from the Congressional oversight committees in order to push the Russian deal through… Do you believe that the FBI routinely discloses ongoing criminal investigations to congressional committees? Why do you think that an investigation into a bribery case would be reported to the House Intelligence Committee? What do you think the jurisdiction of the House Intelligence Committee is, anyway? ---
**Author:** ![Okrahoma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/90db22/32.png) [@Okrahoma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Okrahoma)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2017, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talking-about-collusion-with-russians/799135/19 "2017-10-19T13:00:54Z")
> [@Ravenman](#): > > Do you believe that the FBI routinely discloses ongoing criminal investigations to congressional committees? Why do you think that an investigation into a bribery case would be reported to the House Intelligence Committee? What do you think the jurisdiction of the House Intelligence Committee is, anyway? Routinely - no. When they affect national security and are relevant to the national security decisions being taken at the time - yes. And not just House Intelligence Committee. All other committees too that were involved in the decision. Like Senate Judiciary Committee - [http://thehill.com/policy/national-security/355957-senate-judiciary-opens-probe-into-obama-era-russian-nuclear-bribery](http://thehill.com/policy/national-security/355957-senate-judiciary-opens-probe-into-obama-era-russian-nuclear-bribery) ---
**Author:** ![Okrahoma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/90db22/32.png) [@Okrahoma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Okrahoma)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2017, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talking-about-collusion-with-russians/799135/20 "2017-10-19T13:09:06Z")
And more developments: [https://www.circa.com/story/2017/10/18/judiciary-committee-calls-on-former-fbi-informant-to-testify-about-uranium-one](https://www.circa.com/story/2017/10/18/judiciary-committee-calls-on-former-fbi-informant-to-testify-about-uranium-one) In a formal letter, Grassley, an Iowa Republican, asked Victoria Toensing, the lawyer representing the former FBI informant, to allow her client, who says he worked as a voluntary informant for the FBI, to be allowed to testify about the “crucial” eyewitness testimony he provided to the FBI regarding members of the Russian subsidiary and other connected players from 2009 until the FBI’s prosecution of the defendants in 2014. … Toensing’s client was an American businessman who says he worked for four years undercover as an FBI confidential witness. Toensing said he was blocked by the Obama Justice Department, under then Attorney General Loretta Lynch, about testifying to Congress about his time as an informant for the FBI. … “Reporting indicates that “the informant’s work was crucial to the government’s ability to crack a multimillion dollar racketeering scheme by Russian nuclear officials on U.S. soil” and that the scheme involved “bribery, kickbacks, money laundering, and extortion,” Grassley states in his letter. “Further, the reporting indicates that your client can testify that ‘FBI agents made comments to him suggesting political pressure was exerted during the Justice Department probe’ and ‘that there was specific evidence that could have scuttled approval of the Uranium One deal.’ It appears that your client possesses unique information about the Uranium One/Rosatom transaction and how the Justice Department handled the criminal investigation into the Russian criminal conspiracy.” Grassley added that “such information is critical to the Committee’s oversight of the Justice Department and its ongoing inquiry into the manner in which CFIUS approved the transaction. Accordingly, the Committee requests to interview your client.” [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talking-about-collusion-with-russians/799135.md?page=2)