# Trump associates may have coordinated with Russians, according to US officials **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [March 23, 2017, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799 "2017-03-23T00:28:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 179
**Author:** ![Fiveyearlurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@Fiveyearlurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveyearlurker)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2018, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/3564 "2018-01-18T21:37:49Z")
Imagine a conspiracy of the Republican party and the NRA. Now imagine what that does to the country to uncover. This is how a civil war starts. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2018, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/3565 "2018-01-18T21:56:21Z")
> [@Fiveyearlurker](#): > > Imagine a conspiracy of the Republican party and the NRA. Now imagine what that does to the country to uncover. This is how a civil war starts. Republican party, the NRA and the Russians. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2018, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/3566 "2018-01-18T22:36:55Z")
Glenn Simpson’s testimony to the House (November 17): > **[Document: Fusion GPS CEO Glenn Simpson House Intelligence Committee Interview](https://www.lawfareblog.com/document-fusion-gps-ceo-glenn-simpson-house-intelligence-committee-interview)** > > Last November, Fusion GPS founder Glenn Simpson testified before the House Intelligence Committee. The committee released the full transcript of his interview today. The transcript of his interview with the Senate Judiciary Committee is available... ---
**Author:** ![Fiveyearlurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@Fiveyearlurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveyearlurker)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2018, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/3567 "2018-01-18T22:41:05Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > Glenn Simpson’s testimony to the House (November 17): > > [https://lawfareblog.com/document-fusion-gps-ceo-glenn-simpson-house-intelligence-committee-interview](https://lawfareblog.com/document-fusion-gps-ceo-glenn-simpson-house-intelligence-committee-interview) He confirms the Kremlin/NRA link, and adds that the Russians infiltrated multiple conservative groups. Seems like we need to build a firewall around Russia, and have Russia pay for it! ---
**Author:** ![Fiveyearlurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@Fiveyearlurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveyearlurker)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2018, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/3568 "2018-01-18T22:50:07Z")
“We had a [Russian] gangster [nick-]named Taiwanchik living in Trump Tower running a high-stakes gambling ring out of Trump Tower—while he himself was a fugitive for having rigged the skating competition at the Salt Lake Olympics and other sporting events.” ---
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2018, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/3569 "2018-01-18T23:00:42Z")
> [@Fiveyearlurker](#): > > “We had a [Russian] gangster [nick-]named Taiwanchik living in Trump Tower running a high-stakes gambling ring out of Trump Tower—while he himself was a fugitive for having rigged the skating competition at the Salt Lake Olympics and other sporting events.” > [@](#): > > And when Mr. Trump went to the Miss Universe pageant in 2013, Taiwanchik was there in the VIP section with Mr. Trump and lots of other Kremlin biggies. So that kind of thing raised questions with us. Well, that all seems perfectly innocent. Simpson goes on later to talk about vast sums of money flowing to Trump golf courses from unknown sources. I’m sure it’s all just some crazy misunderstanding. ---
**Author:** ![Fiveyearlurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@Fiveyearlurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveyearlurker)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2018, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/3570 "2018-01-18T23:24:26Z")
There is literally no way this is innocent. ---
**Author:** ![glowacks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/glowacks/32/5548_2.png) [@glowacks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glowacks)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2018, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/3571 "2018-01-19T01:41:29Z")
> [@Fiveyearlurker](#): > > There is literally no way this is innocent. Which is why Trump from the very beginning threw suspicion over anything reported by the media. He knows what will eventually get out, and needs to make sure that people won’t believe it. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2018, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/3572 "2018-01-19T01:43:31Z")
With the NRA stuff, the new Simpson testimony, and the specifics of the legal contortions used to give Stormy Daniels some hush money, this is a pretty bad day for Trumpland. I guess we’ll see if nitty gritty details of how the bad happened will be sufficient to start rocking some people. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Economist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c89c15/32.png) [@Evil\_Economist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Economist)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2018, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/3573 "2018-01-19T02:06:26Z")
> [@Bayard](#): > > Well, that all seems perfectly innocent. > > Simpson goes on later to talk about vast sums of money flowing to Trump golf courses from unknown sources. I’m sure it’s all just some crazy misunderstanding. This is crazy. I thought it might be bad enough that impeachment was on the table, but this is looking as though it’s bad enough that prison time is on the table. Damn, are we looking at the first president in history to be convicted of a serious crime, and what happens to the country when they charge him? Do they agree that if he steps down quietly they won’t charge him? Charging Trump with a serious crime could literally result in right-wing extremest groups engaging in large-scale terrorist attacks on American citizens. I have an opportunity to take a posting in Europe. Maybe I should take it; watch the inevitable shit storm from a safe distance. ---
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2018, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/3574 "2018-01-19T02:22:02Z")
Trump’s stubby little finger is on the Button. There is no safe distance. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2018, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/3575 "2018-01-19T02:32:31Z")
I’ve only just started reading Simpson’s new testimony and I have to say, one would think that after 200 years the House would have figured out that it makes sense to get a lawyer on hand to be able to give a legal opinion on what they can or can’t do in an inquiry. It’s not necessarily new for the Senate to make the House look like amateur hour, but you would think that someone would have put in at least a few basic procedures for how to do the basic, routine work at some point in history. :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2018, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/3576 "2018-01-19T04:29:04Z")
How hard would it be for the NRA to believe that the money comes straight from a wildly enthusiastic American public? And why would the Russians want to tell them the ugly truth? A useful idiot does not make a good co-conspirator. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Ace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/6bbea6/32.png) [@Johnny\_Ace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Ace)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2018, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/3577 "2018-01-19T06:31:08Z")
I just finished reading Simpson’s testimony before the House Intel Committee. A couple of observations: First, there’s a cloud of Russians surrounding the entire Trump family that’s thicker (and likely dirtier) than Pigpen’s. I don’t think all the connections are necessarily true, but anyone who thinks that _none_ of them are is lying, in denial, or plain deluded. Second, and also interesting, is that the HIC majority handles all the legal stuff and the Dem members are pretty much kept out of the loop. Curiouser and curiouser… ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2018, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/3578 "2018-01-19T13:58:51Z")
Only on page 84. I’m wondering if the reason that Simpson asked for the testimony to be released is because it lead to Bruce Ohr getting assigned to the South Pole (figuratively)? He’s worried about people trying to shut down the investigators. ---
**Author:** ![Fotheringay-Phipps](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/d9b06d/32.png) [@Fotheringay-Phipps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fotheringay-Phipps)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2018, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/3579 "2018-01-19T15:02:20Z")
Here’s some red meat for you guys (surprised this hasn’t been posted yet :)) [Omarosa may have taped confidential White House discussions](http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/omarosa-taped-confidential-white-house-discussions-article-1.3765147) > [@](#): > > Former White House staffer Omarosa Manigault-Newman may have taped confidential West Wing conversations and fears being caught up in special counsel Robert Mueller’s probe, sources told the Daily News on Thursday. > > The former reality TV star’s official last day in the Trump administration is Saturday — despite the abrupt announcement of her departure last month — and her next step seems to be lawyering up. > [@](#): > > The 43-year-old apparently believes she may become a fixture in Mueller’s investigation into possible connections between the Trump campaign and Russia’s election meddling. > > “Everyone knows Omarosa loves to record people and meetings using the voice notes app on her iPhone,” a source disclosed. “Don’t be surprised if she has secret audio files on everyone in that White House, past and present staffers included.” Personally I suspect that now that she’s lost her actual gig (whatever it was, if anything) she’s working up her prior significance in her own mind and making herself nervous as a result. But the prospect is certainly interesting. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2018, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/3580 "2018-01-19T16:31:58Z")
Hell, that ain’t red meat, that ain’t even tofu! ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2018, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/3581 "2018-01-19T17:22:57Z")
If they were having any sort of relevant conversation around Omarosa, that’s the stongest indictment yet of this administration. ---
**Author:** ![Fotheringay-Phipps](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/d9b06d/32.png) [@Fotheringay-Phipps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fotheringay-Phipps)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2018, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/3582 "2018-01-19T17:25:26Z")
There are some members of this administration, e.g. Trump himself, who don’t necessarily appreciate what is or isn’t significant in a given situation. ---
**Author:** ![Fiveyearlurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@Fiveyearlurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveyearlurker)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2018, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/3583 "2018-01-19T17:44:55Z")
> [@Fotheringay-Phipps](#): > > Here’s some red meat for you guys (surprised this hasn’t been posted yet :)) > > [Omarosa may have taped confidential White House discussions](http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/omarosa-taped-confidential-white-house-discussions-article-1.3765147)Personally I suspect that now that she’s lost her actual gig (whatever it was, if anything) she’s working up her prior significance in her own mind and making herself nervous as a result. But the prospect is certainly interesting. Lost her gig, but is [still being paid.](http://www.newsweek.com/omarosa-pay-white-house-trump-760807) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799.md?page=178) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799.md?page=180)