# 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:** 283
**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 7, 2019, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/5645 "2019-02-07T16:37:27Z")
A few news items that seem like they’re related to the topic: Butina’s boyfriend charged with fraud and money laundering: > **[Boyfriend of Russian agent Maria Butina charged with fraud](https://thehill.com/policy/national-security/428923-boyfriend-of-russian-agent-maria-butina-charged-with-fraud/)** > > A conservative political operative and the boyfriend of Maria Butina, the woman who admitted late last year she was an agent for the Russian government, pleaded not guilty on Wednesday to nume… No proper indictment to see, so pretty vague. More interesting, because it’s a hell of a leak at this point I’m time, is information that Papadopoulos and Sergei Millian (Source D in the Steele Dossier) were arranging some sort of business deal? > **[Source of Steele dossier info sought access to Trump allies in 2016: report](https://thehill.com/policy/national-security/428905-man-who-was-unwitting-source-of-steele-dossier-info-sought-access-to/)** > > A Russian businessman who was an unwitting source for the so-called Steele dossier developed a relationship with Trump campaign aide George Papadopoulos in 2016, The Washington Post reported Thursd… ---
**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:** [February 7, 2019, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/5646 "2019-02-07T17:00:14Z")
> [@](#): > > Quoth **Sage Rat** : > > I feel like Deripaska would be in some amount of trouble with Putin if the girl actually had recordings of him talking about foreign spying. > > In theory, she could have just been planted to troll the US and waste people’s time. There was an article a ways back about how there were a variety of offers to sell “stolen” footage of Trump and his watersport fiesta, that were being held out as bait by various sources, all of whom would then fail to appear after months of haggling and fooling about. > > Suffice it to say, I don’t envy our foreign agents when their opponent is staffed by professional trolls. > > We’re liable to never know with the one girl. Similarly, we’re liable to never know with some of the more nefarious things alleged by Steele, like the Rosneft sale. Wait, Vashukevich is under 18? ---
**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 7, 2019, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/5647 "2019-02-07T17:24:26Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Wait, Vashukevich is under 18? No? It looks like she’s currently 28. girl: a young or relatively young woman. ---
**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 7, 2019, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/5648 "2019-02-07T17:44:50Z")
Reading through the whole Washington Post article about Millian, I would certainly put him in the general category of “shady character”. Minus documentary evidence, I would probably be inclined to believe that he’s mostly a BS artist and take any statement he made with a huuuuge grain of salt. Of course, that’s also the sort of person that Trump would be inclined to do business with, and it looks like he was aware of the Trump Moscow project, and was [giving the same story about it as Cohen.](https://abcnews.go.com/beta-story-container/Politics/mysterious-key-figure-russia-probe-sought-trump-team/story?id=57458553) Given that we’re all only just recently having any sort of confirmation about the existence of the Trump Tower Moscow deal, it does feel like he had access within Trump-land proper, not just Papadopoulos. It’s also strange that he seems to be in hiding. That seems unnecessary if he was just slinging BS at every path. ---
**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:** [February 7, 2019, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/5649 "2019-02-07T19:03:46Z")
> [@](#): > > girl: a young or relatively young woman. As in, younger than 18. ---
**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 7, 2019, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/5650 "2019-02-07T19:14:46Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > As in, younger than 18. As in, relatively young to me. ---
**Author:** ![Sinaptics](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/278dde/32.png) [@Sinaptics](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sinaptics)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2019, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/5651 "2019-02-07T21:59:54Z")
Whitaker is refusing to testify unless the House gives written assurances that they won’t use the subpoena they authorized yesterday. I’m not sure he understands how subpoena’s work. [https://www.cnn.com/2019/02/07/politics/matthew-whitaker-subpoena-house-judiciary-committee/index.html](https://www.cnn.com/2019/02/07/politics/matthew-whitaker-subpoena-house-judiciary-committee/index.html) ---
**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 8, 2019, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/5652 "2019-02-08T13:02:38Z")
Manafort lyin’ trial (which took place just a few days ago) transcript: [https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/5731934-USA-v-Manafort-2-4-19-Hearing-Redacted-Transcript.html](https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/5731934-USA-v-Manafort-2-4-19-Hearing-Redacted-Transcript.html) They’re using a monospaced font so figuring out the text is pretty easy in some places. They start talking about a “\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\* scheme” on page 27. There’s not a lot of things termed X scheme, that I can think of, so it’s either blackmail or laundering and the length matches laundering. This, then, becomes fairly interesting at the top of page 33, where we find out that the laundering matter has been sealed because of its relevance to \*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*. Assuming I counted right that’s a match for “the President of the USA”. Though, at that length, and without more elaborate context, that one is far less certain. The laundering matter does seem to be related to the campaign though. They are saying that Manafort was part of it to increase his liquidity, which is then correlated in some manner to the fact that he was working for free for the Trump campaign. Still reading… ---
**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:** [February 8, 2019, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/5653 "2019-02-08T14:41:32Z")
> [@Sinaptics](#): > > Whitaker is refusing to testify unless the House gives written assurances that they won’t use the subpoena they authorized yesterday. I’m not sure he understands how subpoena’s work. “I refuse to testify unless you agree not to make me testify” is a…_unique_…argument. I assume he’s also said that he will only drive the speed limit if the police agree not to give him a speeding ticket. Where exactly did Mr Law-Talking-Guy get his law degree? From a Happy Meal? ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2019, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/5654 "2019-02-09T14:18:48Z")
Trump University. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2019, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/5655 "2019-02-09T16:27:00Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > “I refuse to testify unless you agree not to make me testify” is a…_unique_…argument. I assume he’s also said that he will only drive the speed limit if the police agree not to give him a speeding ticket. > > Where exactly did Mr Law-Talking-Guy get his law degree? From a Happy Meal? > [@DesertDog](#): > > Trump University. ISTR that he’s licensed only in the state of West Virginia, FWIW. ---
**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:** [February 12, 2019, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/5656 "2019-02-12T15:34:17Z")
It says [here, that Mueller’s investigation](https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2019/02/12/mueller-russia-investigation-costs/2736507002/) is a profit-making venture! (Although of course not intended as such.) The forfeitures by the criminal Manafort exceed the cost of the investigation. (Where does such money go? Ignoring private claimants to some of the Manafort money, does the government’s net revenue from such forfeitures go to fund DoJ investigations? Or just into a U.S. Treasury general fund?) ---
**Author:** ![CaptMurdock](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/captmurdock/32/11736_2.png) [@CaptMurdock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaptMurdock)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2019, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/5657 "2019-02-12T16:20:05Z")
> [@septimus](#): > > It says [here, that Mueller’s investigation](https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2019/02/12/mueller-russia-investigation-costs/2736507002/) is a profit-making venture! (Although of course not intended as such.) The forfeitures by the criminal Manafort exceed the cost of the investigation. (Where does such money go? Ignoring private claimants to some of the Manafort money, does the government’s net revenue from such forfeitures go to fund DoJ investigations? Or just into a U.S. Treasury general fund?) Maybe it should go towards peoples’ tax refunds. 🆒 ---
**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:** [February 12, 2019, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/5658 "2019-02-12T21:46:53Z")
they are looking into lifting the sanctions on Russia as a big part of the deal with Russia [https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/10/us/politics/manafort-mueller-russia-inquiry.html](https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/10/us/politics/manafort-mueller-russia-inquiry.html) ---
**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:** [February 12, 2019, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/5659 "2019-02-12T22:00:20Z")
> [@septimus](#): > > It says [here, that Mueller’s investigation](https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2019/02/12/mueller-russia-investigation-costs/2736507002/) is a profit-making venture! (Although of course not intended as such.) The forfeitures by the criminal Manafort exceed the cost of the investigation. (Where does such money go? Ignoring private claimants to some of the Manafort money, does the government’s net revenue from such forfeitures go to fund DoJ investigations? Or just into a U.S. Treasury general fund?) It just goes into the Treasury, just like everything else. From what I understand, only Congress can authorize the spending of money, and any revenue generated by government operations that Congress has not authorized the department to reinvest in its own operations would simply get thrown on the pile. I have no idea if Congress has authorized anyone to use their own funds generated by their operations to spend money beyond their original appropriation, but I assume it’s possible for the same reason that Congress often explicitly lets the Executive branch write regulations to fill in the blanks of some laws that Congress doesn’t want to deal with the details of. ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2019, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/5660 "2019-02-12T22:10:12Z")
> [@glowacks](#): > > It just goes into the Treasury, just like everything else. From what I understand, only Congress can authorize the spending of money, and any revenue generated by government operations that Congress has not authorized the department to reinvest in its own operations would simply get thrown on the pile. I have no idea if Congress has authorized anyone to use their own funds generated by their operations to spend money beyond their original appropriation, but I assume it’s possible for the same reason that Congress often explicitly lets the Executive branch write regulations to fill in the blanks of some laws that Congress doesn’t want to deal with the details of. (Emphasis added.) I think the correct idiom for this case is “thrown into the pit”. ---
**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:** [February 20, 2019, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/5661 "2019-02-20T18:55:09Z")
Looks like the report will be done as early as next week based on CNN > **[Justice Department preparing for Mueller report as early as next week | CNN...](https://www.cnn.com/2019/02/20/politics/special-counsel-conclusion-announcement/index.html)** > > Attorney General Bill Barr is preparing to announce as early as next week the completion of Robert Mueller's Russia investigation, with plans to submit to Congress soon after a summary of Mueller's confidential report ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2019, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/5662 "2019-02-20T19:02:34Z")
But as late as… indefinitely. ---
**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:** [February 20, 2019, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/5663 "2019-02-20T19:05:16Z")
Like I said before, when Mueller himself says the report is almost done, I’ll believe him. Anyone else is just blowing hot air. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2019, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/5664 "2019-02-20T19:54:09Z")
Rosenstein \*was \*going to resign in mid-February, presumably when Mueller no longer needed protection from firing. Now it’ll be mid-March, although Barr is now in place as AG and it _shouldn’t_ matter when Rosenstein leaves anymore. So maybe Barr isn’t going to do it either? Maybe it’s just too late to save Individual-1 anyway? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799.md?page=282) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799.md?page=284)