# 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:** 252
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2018, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/5025 "2018-09-14T17:10:48Z")
[This journalist](https://www.emptywheel.net/2018/09/14/the-manafort-plea-is-pardon-proof/) seems to believe that the plea agreement is effectively “pardon proof” > [@](#): > > And at this point, the deal is pardon proof. That was part of keeping the detail secret: to prevent a last minute pardon from Trump undercutting it. > > Here’s why this deal is pardon proof: > > (1) Mueller spent the hour and a half delay in arraignment doing … something. It’s possible Manafort even presented the key parts of testimony Mueller needs from him to the grand jury this morning. > (2) The forfeiture in this plea is both criminal and civil, meaning DOJ will be able to get Manafort’s $46 million even with a pardon. > (3) Some of the dismissed charges are financial ones that can be charged in various states. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2018, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/5026 "2018-09-14T17:56:28Z")
Hope the Trumptrolls saved a few jugs of lib tears. Well’s been running dry lately. ---
**Author:** ![YamatoTwinkie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/cc9497/32.png) [@YamatoTwinkie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YamatoTwinkie)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2018, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/5027 "2018-09-14T17:57:05Z")
Apparently the President’s legal team put out an initial statement that read: > [@](#): > > The President did nothing wrong and Paul Manafort will tell the truth. Then, minutes later, updated it to: > [@](#): > > The President did nothing wrong. Oops. May have jumped the gun on that one. ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2018, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/5028 "2018-09-14T18:22:35Z")
Well, what a nice Friday this is (barring the hurricane, may everyone stay safe). ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2018, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/5029 "2018-09-14T19:20:15Z")
Sending thoughts and prayers, but the line is always busy. Maybe it gets saved to the Cloud… ---
**Author:** ![TonySinclair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/49beb7/32.png) [@TonySinclair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TonySinclair)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2018, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/5030 "2018-09-14T19:49:40Z")
> [@Fiveyearlurker](#): > > Includes cooperation, and the investigation paid for itself and then some in civil forfeitures. Good morning. I’m very surprised that he’s cooperating. Not because I think he’s in this for anybody but himself, but because I thought he had probably received death threats from some of the people he might implicate. I mean Russians and Ukrainians, not Trump, although I’m sure he’d do it too if he thought he could get away with it. Now that that’s evidently wrong, I really wonder why he took so long. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2018, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/5031 "2018-09-14T19:56:01Z")
> [@TonySinclair](#): > > I’m very surprised that he’s cooperating. Not because I think he’s in this for anybody but himself, but because I thought he had probably received death threats from some of the people he might implicate. I mean Russians and Ukrainians, not Trump, although I’m sure he’d do it too if he thought he could get away with it. > > Now that that’s evidently wrong, I really wonder why he took so long. If a bunch of people want you dead, jail is a pretty good place to be. Unless of course they pay off another inmate to whack you. ---
**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:** [September 14, 2018, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/5032 "2018-09-14T22:01:34Z")
> [@TonySinclair](#): > > I’m very surprised that he’s cooperating. Not because I think he’s in this for anybody but himself, but because I thought he had probably received death threats from some of the people he might implicate. I mean Russians and Ukrainians, not Trump, although I’m sure he’d do it too if he thought he could get away with it. > > Now that that’s evidently wrong, I really wonder why he took so long. > [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > If a bunch of people want you dead, jail is a pretty good place to be. Unless of course they pay off another inmate to whack you. The question of the safety of Manafort’s family may have been paramount in his decision to cooperate. If the Feds can reasonably guarantee an ultra-secure witness protection package, then Manafort may have calculated that it was the best he could do to keep his self-respect (i.e. ‘I’m a guy who protects my family instead of getting them killed over my uncontrollable desire for ostrich jackets.’) ---
**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:** [October 3, 2018, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/5033 "2018-10-03T12:23:06Z")
Strange article: > **[GOP operative who sued Trump says FBI referred hacking of her email to Mueller](https://www.politico.com/story/2018/10/02/mueller-investigation-emails-hack-857288)** > > Cheri Jacobus says she was subjected to a campaign of online harassment and sabotage after a public fight with the president and one of his top advisers. An anti-Trump group of Republicans were targeted by hackers and, after investigation, that was determined to fall under Mueller’s jurisdiction. ---
**Author:** ![Gray\_Ghost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c0e974/32.png) [@Gray\_Ghost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gray_Ghost)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2018, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/5034 "2018-10-04T04:17:39Z")
This seems like the relevant thread to post this tidbit. Jeff Sessions was subpoenaed on the 27th of September to appear before the House Judiciary Committee on October 4th [I.e., tomorrow] and produce the following documents: > [@](#): > > 1. All documents and communications (commonly referred to as the “McCabe Memos”) written by former Deputy Director of the [FBI] Andrew McCabe to memorialize discussions, meetings, correspondence he had with senior government officials, including [POTUS]. > 2. The “Woods file” related to the application for (and subsequent renewals of) a FISA order authorizing surveillance on Carter Page. The term “Woods file” includes, but is not limited to, any document concerning or relating to any attempt to verify the accuracy of any alleged facts stated in the FISA applications for Mr. Page. > 3. All documents and communications shared with the Gang of Eight [Ed. That’s really what they called them in the subpoena] in May 2018 related to the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. > **[092718\_Subpoena.pdf](https://judiciary.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/republicans-judiciary.house.gov/files/legacy_files/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/092718_Subpoena.pdf)** > > 100.70 KB Sounds relevant to the topic, I hadn’t read of this elsewhere at the Dope, and I thought you’d find it interesting. I don’t know why the House Judiciary Committee felt it necessary to use a subpoena to compel A.G. Sessions to produce those documents. ---
**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:** [October 4, 2018, 11:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/5035 "2018-10-04T11:08:50Z")
> [@Gray\_Ghost](#): > > This seems like the relevant thread to post this tidbit. Jeff Sessions was subpoenaed on the 27th of September to appear before the House Judiciary Committee on October 4th [I.e., tomorrow] and produce the following documents: > > [https://judiciary.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/092718\_Subpoena.pdf](https://judiciary.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/092718_Subpoena.pdf) > > Sounds relevant to the topic, I hadn’t read of this elsewhere at the Dope, and I thought you’d find it interesting. I don’t know why the House Judiciary Committee felt it necessary to use a subpoena to compel A.G. Sessions to produce those documents. Yeah, there’s an investigation of the investigation that produces some material every once in a while (e.g., [https://thehill.com/hilltv/rising/409817-russia-collusion-bombshell-dnc-lawyers-met-with-fbi-on-dossier-before](https://thehill.com/hilltv/rising/409817-russia-collusion-bombshell-dnc-lawyers-met-with-fbi-on-dossier-before)). I’ve considered starting a thread for it, but so far it has all seemed like nonsense. The House investigation is trying to allude that the Steele Dossier was the only evidence ever used by anyone (even though this is provably false) and John Solomon is trying to prove that the DoJ and FBI were _doing their job_ :eek: except that he portrays it in terms that make it seem like it’s unreasonable for investigators to talk to witnesses or pass information from contacts back into the FBI, etc. As of yet, the counter-investigation hasn’t produced anything that has even seemed like a thing worth investigating. And I say that as someone who thinks it’s reasonable to [investigate Feinstein’s team](https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/409153-cotton-says-feinstein-will-be-investigated-over-leaked-ford-letter) to see if they leaked Ford’s letter without her permission. My bar is pretty low. ---
**Author:** ![CoolHandCox](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/coolhandcox/32/16233_2.png) [@CoolHandCox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CoolHandCox)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2018, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/5036 "2018-10-05T21:18:39Z")
Statement in Mueller filing in the Manafort case, “The government will take custody and control of the real property commonly known as 721 Fifth Avenue.” That’s Manafort’s apartment inside Trump Tower. ---
**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:** [October 8, 2018, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/5037 "2018-10-08T22:50:39Z")
Trump’s group, through George Nader and Rick Gates were in discussions with an Israeli intelligence firm to AstroTurf: > **[Rick Gates Sought Online Manipulation Plans From Israeli Intelligence Firm...](https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/08/us/politics/rick-gates-psy-group-trump.html)** > > The company pitched plans for fake avatars that would try to persuade Republican delegates to back the Trump campaign over that of Senator Ted Cruz and to gather intelligence on Hillary Clinton. Properly never hired, yet the boss of the company was paid $2m by Nader after the election. ---
**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 9, 2018, 11:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/5038 "2018-10-09T11:03:42Z")
> [@CoolHandCox](#): > > Statement in Mueller filing in the Manafort case, “The government will take custody and control of the real property commonly known as 721 Fifth Avenue.” That’s Manafort’s apartment inside Trump Tower. There’s a certain comedy value in the idea of the FBI locating a team there. They don’t even have to do anything - just be seen going in and out and walking around the building in their FBI jackets. ---
**Author:** ![Fiveyearlurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@Fiveyearlurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveyearlurker)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2018, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/5039 "2018-10-09T13:15:53Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > Trump’s group, through George Nader and Rick Gates were in discussions with an Israeli intelligence firm to AstroTurf: > > [https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/08/us/politics/rick-gates-psy-group-trump.html](https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/08/us/politics/rick-gates-psy-group-trump.html) > > Properly never hired, yet the boss of the company was paid $2m by Nader after the election. Who pays someone 2 million if they weren’t hired? ---
**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:** [October 9, 2018, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/5040 "2018-10-09T13:25:25Z")
> [@Fiveyearlurker](#): > > Who pays someone 2 million if they weren’t hired? If it was direct from Nader to the CEO, then theoretically it could be something else like Nader brokering some time with a few underaged Palestinian lads that they picked up off the street, or who knows what. (For anyone unaware, let me note that Nader served time in Germany for pedophilic activities.) ---
**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:** [October 11, 2018, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/5041 "2018-10-11T21:00:08Z")
Looks like the chance that team Trump was directly attempting to pay Russians to hack into Clinton is slightly more firm: > **[Late GOP activist who sought Clinton emails was in contact with Flynn: report](https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/410815-late-gop-operative-who-sought-clinton-emails-had-ties-to-flynn-report/)** > > A veteran Republican activist who attempted to find Hillary Clinton’s emails stolen by hackers had ties with Gen. Michael Flynn, a relationship that may have played a direct role in his … Obviously, Mueller would know since he flipped Flynn. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2018, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/5042 "2018-10-11T21:05:21Z")
That has a juicy irony attached. If more evidence comes out about Russian/Trump hacking and exploiting Hillary’s e-mails…then, its _our_ turn to say… **BUT!** …her e-mails! ---
**Author:** ![Locrian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/locrian/32/14146_2.png) [@Locrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Locrian)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2018, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/5043 "2018-10-11T21:13:36Z")
Good. This thread was getting thin and with fewer updates. Anyone guessing there will be a breakthrough BEFORE the mid terms? ---
**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:** [October 11, 2018, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/5044 "2018-10-11T21:23:21Z")
From CNN: > [@](#): > > President Donald Trump’s legal team is preparing answers to written questions provided by special counsel Robert Mueller, according to sources familiar with the matter. > > The move represents a major development after months of negotiations and signals that the Mueller investigation could be entering a final phase with regard to the President. > **[Trump's lawyers preparing answers to Mueller's questions](https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2018/10/11/politics/trump-lawyers-preparing-answers-mueller-questions/index.html)** > > President Donald Trump's legal team is preparing answers to written questions provided by special counsel Robert Mueller, according to sources familiar with the matter. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799.md?page=251) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799.md?page=253)