# 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:** 191
**Author:** ![jasg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2018, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/3804 "2018-02-11T17:01:13Z")
> [@Snarky\_Kong](#): > > Russian intel pushing possibly fake material with the intention that the story would get released. Creates more confusion/arguments in US politics, which is the point. +1 ---
**Author:** ![proudfootz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b9e5f3/32.png) [@proudfootz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/proudfootz)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2018, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/3805 "2018-02-11T19:17:28Z")
> [@Snarky\_Kong](#): > > Russian intel pushing possibly fake material with the intention that the story would get released. Creates more confusion/arguments in US politics, which is the point. Yes, very likely people in Russia fed Steele sensationalist and possibly fake material knowing Clinton supporters could not resist spreading it and undermining faith in American democracy. Clever of Putin to turn everyone who’s spreading the Steel dossier into puppets! ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2018, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/3806 "2018-02-11T19:31:30Z")
> [@proudfootz](#): > > Yes, very likely people in Russia fed Steele sensationalist and possibly fake material knowing Clinton supporters could not resist spreading it and undermining faith in American democracy. > > Clever of Putin to turn everyone who’s spreading the Steel dossier into puppets! This is not what I said. Steele, being very aware that Russians use disinformation, took that into account. It was also not relevant to the Mueller or FBI investigation in any way. Lots of corroborating evidence from Don Jr., Papadopoulus, Flynn, Kushner, POTUS himself asking for Russia to commit espionage against his political opponents… ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2018, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/3807 "2018-02-11T19:44:43Z")
> [@proudfootz](#): > > Yes, very likely people in Russia fed Steele sensationalist and possibly fake material knowing Clinton supporters could not resist spreading it and undermining faith in American democracy. > > Clever of Putin to turn everyone who’s spreading the Steel dossier into puppets! Wow. Can you imagine someone who joined in Feb 2018 suddenly posting something like this? How’s the weather in Moscow, comrade? ---
**Author:** ![proudfootz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b9e5f3/32.png) [@proudfootz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/proudfootz)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2018, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/3808 "2018-02-11T19:58:31Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > Wow. Can you imagine someone who joined in Feb 2018 suddenly posting something like this? > > How’s the weather in Moscow, comrade? I don’t know about the weather in Moscow - maybe ask Steele’s friends inside the Kremlin. ---
**Author:** ![proudfootz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b9e5f3/32.png) [@proudfootz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/proudfootz)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2018, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/3809 "2018-02-11T20:07:30Z")
> [@Snarky\_Kong](#): > > This is not what I said. > > Steele, being very aware that Russians use disinformation, took that into account. It was also not relevant to the Mueller or FBI investigation in any way. Lots of corroborating evidence from Don Jr., Papadopoulus, Flynn, Kushner, POTUS himself asking for Russia to commit espionage against his political opponents… Steele conducted espionage on behalf of the DNC against Trump, using his Russian sources. If disinformation coming from Russians is an issue, then it makes sense to include the dossier Steele put together with the help of his Russian friends. We need to ask ourselves why people working for Putin inserted this dirt on Trump into the political narrative. ---
**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:** [February 11, 2018, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/3810 "2018-02-11T22:05:30Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > Wow. Can you imagine someone who joined in Feb 2018 suddenly posting something like this? > > How’s the weather in Moscow, comrade? Moscow is so passe…Kiev is the place to be! ---
**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:** [February 11, 2018, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/3811 "2018-02-11T22:07:18Z")
> [@proudfootz](#): > > Steele conducted espionage on behalf of the DNC against Trump, using his Russian sources. > > If disinformation coming from Russians is an issue, then it makes sense to include the dossier Steele put together with the help of his Russian friends. > > We need to ask ourselves why people working for Putin inserted this dirt on Trump into the political narrative. No, we have to ask ourselves why you’re so deadset against Steele and the DNC when you claim not to be a Trump supporter. **jayjay** ’s conclusion fits the facts rather well. ---
**Author:** ![proudfootz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b9e5f3/32.png) [@proudfootz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/proudfootz)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2018, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/3812 "2018-02-12T01:03:13Z")
> [@Johnny\_Ace](#): > > No, we have to ask ourselves why you’re so deadset against Steele and the DNC when you claim not to be a Trump supporter. **jayjay** ’s conclusion fits the facts rather well. Probably a good idea to refrain from making this all about tinfoil-hat conspiracies involving me. There’s no reason to suppose someone as smart as Putin is supposed to be wouldn’t hedge his bets by backing both candidates, like many American corporations do. Whoever wins will be beholden to Putin, while whoever loses can start howling about how they wuz robbed. ---
**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:** [February 12, 2018, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/3813 "2018-02-12T03:48:46Z")
… excepting that it is against American law to knowingly accept foreign campaign contributions, that only one campaign received such… much less openly asked for it… etc. You’re peddling a line of bullshit which is inconsistent with history and law. Go back to Facebook, it’s easier pickings. ---
**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:** [February 12, 2018, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/3814 "2018-02-12T06:27:43Z")
> [@proudfootz](#): > > Probably a good idea to refrain from making this all about tinfoil-hat conspiracies involving me. Whatever you say, Mr. Democracy. :rolleyes: > [@](#): > > There’s no reason to suppose someone as smart as Putin is supposed to be wouldn’t hedge his bets by backing both candidates, like many American corporations do. > > Whoever wins will be beholden to Putin, while whoever loses can start howling about how they wuz robbed. Bullshit. Putin hated and feared Clinton. He’d’ve liked nothing better than to help Trump across the finish line. ---
**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:** [February 12, 2018, 7:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/3815 "2018-02-12T07:28:35Z")
And Clinton and staff would’ve known better than to give Putin any leverage over her whatever, whereas Trump and cronies, well, let’s just say not so much. ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2018, 7:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/3816 "2018-02-12T07:45:08Z")
> [@proudfootz](#): > > Probably a good idea to refrain from making this all about tinfoil-hat conspiracies involving me. Okay, let’s assume you’re not in the employ of the Russians. One of Putin’s primary goals is to sow mistrust in the American people with regard to our democratic system. He wants us to believe our system is just as corrupt as his. And one thing that I’ve heard more and more of recently is that he is succeeding, because many Americans are now doing the work for him. Who needs bots or paid trolls to undermine our faith in democracy when some of our own citizens are willing to do that work for free? For instance… > [@](#): > > There’s no reason to suppose someone as smart as Putin is supposed to be wouldn’t hedge his bets by backing both candidates, like many American corporations do. Of course your supposition ignores what we actually know about the relationships between Trump’s campaign and the Russians, and the absence of similar relationships in the Clinton campaign. ---
**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:** [February 12, 2018, 9:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/3817 "2018-02-12T09:10:33Z")
> [@Snarky\_Kong](#): > > Russian intel pushing possibly fake material with the intention that the story would get released. Creates more confusion/arguments in US politics, which is the point. Then why is the US media relaying it? ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2018, 11:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/3818 "2018-02-12T11:27:18Z")
> [@proudfootz](#): > > … > There’s no reason to suppose someone as smart as Putin is supposed to be wouldn’t hedge his bets by backing both candidates, like many American corporations do. > > … I think you can let go of the whole Putin = unusually smart idea. He’s real smart when compared to Trump, sure, but not so much when compared with, say, any US FBI agent. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2018, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/3819 "2018-02-12T14:02:25Z")
What evidence do you have Putin isn’t pretty smart? He’s done pretty well for himself. ---
**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:** [February 12, 2018, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/3820 "2018-02-12T15:08:36Z")
> [@Snarky\_Kong](#): > > Steele, being very aware that Russians use disinformation, took that into account. It was also not relevant to the Mueller or FBI investigation in any way. Lots of corroborating evidence from Don Jr., Papadopoulus, Flynn, Kushner, POTUS himself asking for Russia to commit espionage against his political opponents… That’s interesting, because one thing that’s been remarked about WRT the dossier is how little there is about Don Jr., Papadopoulus, Flynn, Kushner, etc. It was focused on people like Carter Page, Paul Manafort, and Michael Cohen, about whom little or nothing has since emerged, and virtually ignored these people. ---
**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:** [February 12, 2018, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/3821 "2018-02-12T15:35:46Z")
> [@Fotheringay-Phipps](#): > > That’s interesting, because one thing that’s been remarked about WRT the dossier is how little there is about Don Jr., Papadopoulus, Flynn, Kushner, etc. It was focused on people like Carter Page, Paul Manafort, and Michael Cohen, about whom little or nothing has since emerged, and virtually ignored these people. Flynn, Flynn…where have I heard that name before? Oh, yeah, that guy that pled guilty to lying to the FBI about his Russian contacts? And ‘forgot’ to mention them among his disclosures (and, btw, who is specifically mentioned as one of the Russia-targeted campaign people in one of the Steele memos)? That Flynn? Manafort…that guy who’s under indictment for money-laundering. Naah, nothing much has come out about him since the Steele dossier. :rolleyes: Meanwhile, Simpson, the guy sitting in the eagle-eye seat, has mentioned pretty much all of them except for Cohen in his testimony. Let’s not slant things too far away from reality. ---
**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:** [February 12, 2018, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/3822 "2018-02-12T15:47:05Z")
> [@Johnny\_Ace](#): > > Flynn, Flynn…where have I heard that name before? Oh, yeah, that guy that pled guilty to lying to the FBI about his Russian contacts? And ‘forgot’ to mention them among his disclosures (and, btw, who is specifically mentioned as one of the Russia-targeted campaign people in one of the Steele memos)? That Flynn? > > Manafort…that guy who’s under indictment for money-laundering. Naah, nothing much has come out about him since the Steele dossier. :rolleyes: None of this had any connection to the dossier. (The Flynn stuff actually post-dated it.) ---
**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:** [February 12, 2018, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/3823 "2018-02-12T15:54:29Z")
[Good article from the WaPo](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/politics/wp/2017/10/25/what-the-trump-dossier-says-and-what-it-doesnt/?utm_term=.384798dad3d7) summarizing the dossier and the extent to which it’s been borne out by subsequent events and evidence. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799.md?page=190) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799.md?page=192)