# 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:** 220
**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:** [May 8, 2018, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/4385 "2018-05-08T22:19:03Z")
If you asked me if I’d ever met singer Tommy Makem, I’d say yes, even though it was nothing more than a minute’s talk after a show, about long enough to ask for an autograph. If you asked me if I’d ever met Stephen Hawking, I might even say yes to that, too, even though it was just being at the same party as him, and not even talking to him. And if I’d ever met a high official of any national government, even in such a perfunctory way, I’d admit that, too. ---
**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:** [May 8, 2018, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/4386 "2018-05-08T22:38:48Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > But, as said, it took a great deal of tooth pulling to even have him admit that he’d ever even done more than give a presentation to college students, let alone go to Rosneft, let alone meet with the CFO, let alone merely shake hands with him (or wherever it actually ended up at). Again, it may have taken a great deal of tooth pulling because he was hiding something, and it may have taken a great deal of tooth pulling simply because his initial response was as to whether he had meetings with these people and when pressed on it he allowed that if you’re going to define “meeting” as “any form of contact” then he might have. ISTM that his approach is consistent with both guilt and innocence. YMMV. [BTW, I assume when you write “go to Rosneft” you really mean attend a soccer game, and when you say “CFO” you really mean “head of investor relations”. Fortunately, you’re not testifying before congress here, so you can afford to be a bit careless … :)] > [@Chronos](#): > > If you asked me if I’d ever met singer Tommy Makem, I’d say yes, even though it was nothing more than a minute’s talk after a show, about long enough to ask for an autograph. If you asked me if I’d ever met Stephen Hawking, I might even say yes to that, too, even though it was just being at the same party as him, and not even talking to him. And if I’d ever met a high official of any national government, even in such a perfunctory way, I’d admit that, too. Presumably such meetings would be outside of your ordinary experience, and would stand out in that regard. If you had innumerable “meetings” of that sort, you would probably not consider them meetings. Beyond even that, the dossier accusations against Page were that he had substantial meetings, and it’s natural that he would have been thinking along those lines in his initial responses. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2018, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/4387 "2018-05-08T23:08:21Z")
Michael Cohen received $500,000 from a Russian oligarch with ties to Putin. > **[Stormy Daniels’s lawyer: Cohen was paid $500K by Putin-tied company after...](https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/386802-stormy-daniels-lawyer-cohen-may-have-used-money-from-putin-tied/)** > > Stormy Daniels’s attorney Michael Avenatti said Tuesday that President Trump’s personal lawyer Michael Cohen received $500,000 in the months after the 2016 election from a company run by a Rus… ---
**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:** [May 8, 2018, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/4388 "2018-05-08T23:22:24Z")
And it doesn’t end there. Apparently, other companies paid into that same account. AT&T is the only one so far that has confirmed payments: [http://money.cnn.com/2018/05/08/media/att-michael-cohen-consulting-payments/index.html](http://money.cnn.com/2018/05/08/media/att-michael-cohen-consulting-payments/index.html) So tell me again how the “Stormtrooper-style raid” (which really wasn’t) was unsupported? ---
**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:** [May 9, 2018, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/4389 "2018-05-09T00:09:38Z")
Novartis: [https://twitter.com/MCappetta/status/993999663400353799?s=19](https://twitter.com/MCappetta/status/993999663400353799?s=19) Pretty LOL statement there. ---
**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:** [May 9, 2018, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/4390 "2018-05-09T00:45:13Z")
So in other words, Page had so many meetings of that sort that he thought that he didn’t have any? ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2018, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/4391 "2018-05-09T01:13:46Z")
Anyone watching Rachel Maddow? ---
**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:** [May 9, 2018, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/4392 "2018-05-09T01:16:58Z")
Mm, I like Christmas. ---
**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:** [May 9, 2018, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/4393 "2018-05-09T01:20:26Z")
The President’s bag man running a slush fund from money supplied by major American corporations and Russian oligarchs… seems like a not insignificant development. ---
**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:** [May 9, 2018, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/4394 "2018-05-09T01:37:25Z")
And some random money from South Korea, Hungary, Malaysia, Singapore, etc. The Hungarian one, I find particularly curious. (It’s part of the Schengen Area and one might travel through Germany if he was going from Hungary to Poland.) ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2018, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/4395 "2018-05-09T02:11:40Z")
I can’t help but think that with this investigation, Bob Mueller, law man and investigator that he is, is just fully erect 24/7 these days. ---
**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:** [May 9, 2018, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/4396 "2018-05-09T02:14:13Z")
Since, ostensibly, these payments are for “consulting”, I would be curious how Cohen calculates his per-hour that would come to these numbers. ---
**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:** [May 9, 2018, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/4397 "2018-05-09T02:15:25Z")
Who was the poster who kept crowing that “the football was pulled away [from liberals] again” every time there was any news on the Mueller investigation that didn’t conclusively prove Trump was guilty? What happened to that guy? ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2018, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/4398 "2018-05-09T02:31:14Z")
I wonder what AT&T was paying for? Help with the merger? Net neutrality? ---
**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:** [May 9, 2018, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/4399 "2018-05-09T02:42:20Z")
Amazing that these big companies knew to pay this nothing LLC, one with no employees or salesmen, a bunch of cash. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2018, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/4400 "2018-05-09T03:17:22Z")
> [@Bayard](#): > > The President’s bag man running a slush fund from money supplied by major American corporations and Russian oligarchs… seems like a not insignificant development. But Hillary wouldn’t release the text of her speeches! ---
**Author:** ![voltaire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voltaire/32/313_2.png) [@voltaire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voltaire)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2018, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/4401 "2018-05-09T04:36:22Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > Novartis: [x.com](https://twitter.com/MCappetta/status/993999663400353799?s=19) > > Pretty LOL statement there. Hey, you wouldn’t want to try to explain those monthly payments of $9980, either. > **[Structuring](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Structuring)** > > Structuring, also known as smurfing in banking jargon, is the practice of executing financial transactions such as making bank deposits in a specific pattern, calculated to avoid triggering financial institutions to file reports required by law, such as the United States' Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) and Internal Revenue Code section 6050I (relating to the requirement to file Form 8300). Structuring may be done in the context of money laundering, fraud, and other financial crimes. Legal restrictions ... ---
**Author:** ![Fiveyearlurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@Fiveyearlurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveyearlurker)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2018, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/4402 "2018-05-09T13:20:46Z")
The mental gymnastics required to believe that everything here is on the up and up are staggering. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2018, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/4403 "2018-05-09T13:40:44Z")
> [@Bayard](#): > > Who was the poster who kept crowing that “the football was pulled away [from liberals] again” every time there was any news on the Mueller investigation that didn’t conclusively prove Trump was guilty? What happened to that guy? He was forced to eat crow? ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2018, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/4404 "2018-05-09T21:50:38Z")
> **[Novartis paid Trump lawyer's firm $1.2 million for advice](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/novartis-michael-cohen-1-2-million-for-advice/)** > > Michael Cohen offered to advise Swiss pharmaceutical firm on how to gain access to Trump administration > [@](#): > > The company said it ended its relationship with the firm, called Essential Consultants, following a single meeting with Cohen in March of 2017. But it continued paying the firm to comply with terms of the contract until it expired in February of this year, according to Novartis. That would mean Essential Consultants ultimately received payments of $1.2 million. > > “Following this initial meeting, Novartis determined that Michael Cohen and Essential Consultants would be unable to provide the services that Novartis had anticipated related to U.S. health care policy matters and the decision was taken not to engage further,” the company said in a statement. A giant multinational like Novartis signed a $1.2 million contract without researching his credentials first? I’m skeptical. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799.md?page=219) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799.md?page=221)