# 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:** 205
**Author:** ![Fiveyearlurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@Fiveyearlurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveyearlurker)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2018, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/4084 "2018-04-03T15:52:51Z")
It’s like connecting the dots of a Seurat painting. ---
**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:** [April 3, 2018, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/4085 "2018-04-03T18:14:25Z")
Document produced by the Mueller team, defending their legal standing to investigate and prosecute Manafort: [https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/4429623-Rosenstein-Aug-2-2017-Memo-on-Mueller-Authority.html#document/p1](https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/4429623-Rosenstein-Aug-2-2017-Memo-on-Mueller-Authority.html#document/p1) It includes a secret, though largely redacted, directive to investigate Manafort and unknown others, from Rod Rosenstein. ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2018, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/4086 "2018-04-03T22:17:12Z")
> [@Fiveyearlurker](#): > > It’s like connecting the dots of a Seurat painting. That is _really_ good. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2018, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/4087 "2018-04-03T23:33:19Z")
> [@Fiveyearlurker](#): > > It’s like connecting the dots of a Seurat painting. Did that once. Ended up with a Jackson Pollack. And a two month banhammer from the Art Institute. Coincidence? I think not… connect the dots, sheeple! ---
**Author:** ![Fair\_Rarity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fair_rarity/32/153_2.png) [@Fair\_Rarity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fair_Rarity)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2018, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/4088 "2018-04-04T01:07:50Z")
> [@Fiveyearlurker](#): > > It’s like connecting the dots of a Seurat painting. It really is. Those of us who are rational can take a step back and see the entire painting. Those of us who are still wearing MAGA hats can only see dots that have nothing to do with each other and maybe Hillary put some of them there. ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2018, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/4089 "2018-04-04T01:57:03Z")
> [@Fair\_Rarity](#): > > It really is. Those of us who are rational can take a step back and see the entire painting. Those of us who are still wearing MAGA hats can only see dots that have nothing to do with each other and maybe Hillary put some of them there. I think they probably know on some level that Trump ‘cheated’ by getting some help from…someone. It’s just that now that they’re guy is fighting for their agenda, they don’t give a crap. And they don’t take the threat of Russia’s intervention in American democracy as seriously as the rest of us do. Besides, they also assume that the Clintons got foreign ‘help’ via the Clinton Foundation and Obama got help from…Kenya, or the Chinese, or Martians. In short, they don’t care. They’re not going to care. And while the majority of Americans (including never Trumpers, Libertarians, Jill Stein, Berniecrats) are maybe a little ‘concerned’, Russia’s not a big deal. In the eyes of a majority of this apathetic country, it’s just Hillary and her Deep State allies crying over the results of an election. This is why when Trump shuts down the investigation, it’ll make news for a few weeks, but then we’ll quietly accept it as just another page turned in our new normal. This country is fucked and there’s just not much that’s going to change that until the majority of these idiots change their mind – probably once they experience a full-on banking panic and watch their retirement accounts and career prospects disappear. ---
**Author:** ![Ca3799](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9f8e36/32.png) [@Ca3799](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ca3799)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2018, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/4090 "2018-04-04T02:40:28Z")
Carol D. Leonnig and Robert Costa at WaPo are reporting tonight that Mueller told Trump’s attorneys in March that Trump was continuing to be a “subject of investigation” but was not a “target”. Mueller also is reported as wanting to file a report on the obstruction topic, with separate reports on other topics, with Rosenstein soon, but must interview Trump first as a “last step”. Reports to Rosenstein are confidential but this article says Meuller wants the report to “answer the public’s questions.” ---
**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:** [April 4, 2018, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/4091 "2018-04-04T05:00:39Z")
Obstruction is a slam dunk. It couldn’t be more obvious if you were hit in the face with it. I want to know about Trump’s financials. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2018, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/4092 "2018-04-04T15:14:45Z")
> [@Johnny\_Ace](#): > > Obstruction is a slam dunk. It couldn’t be more obvious if you were hit in the face with it. **I want to know about Trump’s financials**. Bolding mine. Wonder if his and his buddies are shorting Amazon. And if they did, when. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2018, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/4093 "2018-04-04T17:20:21Z")
I wouldn’t put it past any of them ethically, but it would require a degree of planning that I don’t think Trump is capable of. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Duality](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr.duality/32/4098_2.png) [@Mr.Duality](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Duality)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2018, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/4094 "2018-04-04T19:33:52Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > I wouldn’t put it past any of them ethically, but it would require a degree of planning that I don’t think Trump is capable of. Not capable of formulating, but certainly capable of approving. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2018, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/4095 "2018-04-04T20:37:25Z")
> [@Johnny\_Ace](#): > > Obstruction is a slam dunk. It couldn’t be more obvious if you were hit in the face with it. You are basing that on an analysis of the last few times a sitting president was charged with Obstruction? ---
**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:** [April 5, 2018, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/4096 "2018-04-05T00:48:36Z")
> [@Mr.Duality](#): > > Not capable of formulating, but certainly capable of approving. Exactly. And none of his subordinates would dare wing it with the Orange Micromanager in charge. > [@John\_Mace](#): > > You are basing that on an analysis of the last few times a sitting president was charged with Obstruction? As the conservatives here are so fond of reminding us, impeachment is a political, not a legal, process. Bets on whether there will be one if the Dems take over the House in the fall? ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2018, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/4097 "2018-04-05T04:16:55Z")
Say, you get the hot tip, Trump is going to come out with cranberries cause testicular cancer. Tomorrow morning, short all the cranberry futures and you’ll make a killing! And you think, sure, I voted for him, put the nuclear codes in his tiny hands…but bet my money? That he won’t see something on TV and change his mind, that cranberries are Viagra berries? The bank forecloses, takes my dog, leaves the kids… ---
**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:** [April 5, 2018, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/4098 "2018-04-05T12:21:40Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > You are basing that on an analysis of the last few times a sitting president was charged with Obstruction? Trump murders someone on live TV. Me: Wow, I guess he’s going to jail now. John Mace: Yeah right, a sitting president has never been convicted of murder! ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2018, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/4099 "2018-04-05T16:02:33Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > Sorry, forgot: > > - [Track Changes is what helped Mueller catch Manafort violating house arrest all the way back to the year of January.](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-12-08/manafort-heavily-edited-op-ed-documents-filed-by-mueller-show) This is at least the second time Manafort has violated the terms of his bail bond. _ **Why hasn’t bail been revoked?** _ ---
**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:** [April 5, 2018, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/4100 "2018-04-05T16:11:22Z")
> [@septimus](#): > > This is at least the second time Manafort has violated the terms of his bail bond. > _ **Why hasn’t bail been revoked?** _ Maybe he is more valuable to Mueller outside because he keeps doing stupid shit which implicates more people? ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2018, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/4101 "2018-04-06T21:11:04Z")
So I can’t help but notice many of the Russians slapped with sanctions this week are the very ones Mr. Mueller already has or is interested in speaking with. Is this some sort of half-assed end run to mess with Mueller’s investigation somehow? ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2018, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/4102 "2018-04-06T21:41:22Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > So I can’t help but notice many of the Russians slapped with sanctions this week are the very ones Mr. Mueller already has or is interested in speaking with. Is this some sort of half-assed end run to mess with Mueller’s investigation somehow? It’s an interesting theory. But the fact is that both classifications—‘Russians close to Putin’ and ‘Russians who were involved with Trump and/or the Trump Campaign’—describe the same group of people. It’s Putin’s cronies who had money they wanted to launder in the USA, and it’s Putin’s cronies who would have been motivated to subvert Trump, get involved in business with Trump, and help Trump get elected. So those are the ones who it makes sense to sanction, and also the ones who can tell Mueller the most. ---
**Author:** ![TimeWinder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bcef8e/32.png) [@TimeWinder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TimeWinder)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2018, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/4103 "2018-04-07T00:09:59Z")
> [@Snarky\_Kong](#): > > Trump murders someone on live TV. > > Me: Wow, I guess he’s going to jail now. > John Mace: Yeah right, a sitting president has never been convicted of murder! Current Congress: Nah, that’s all right. It was probably Hilary’s fault, anyway. And we still get to sick the military on brown people and stuff, so why are we even talking about it? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799.md?page=204) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799.md?page=206)