# 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:** 8
**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 6, 2017, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/142 "2017-04-06T17:54:05Z")
> [@oft\_wears\_hats](#): > > [Nunes “temporarily” steps down from Russia probe](http://www.politico.com/story/2017/04/nunes-to-step-aside-from-russia-probe-236951): > > Finally. Hopefully Nunes stays out. Anyone know much about his replacements with respect to their relationship to Trump and their opinion of Nunes’ behavior? Gowdy was one of the main stooges around the Benghazi clusterfuck. He also spent the entire day trying to deflect from Trump and attack “leakers” when Comey publically testified a couple weeks ago. ---
**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:** [April 6, 2017, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/143 "2017-04-06T19:47:05Z")
Oh goody. So we’ll see a lot of progress then? ---
**Author:** ![Silver\_lining](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aca169/32.png) [@Silver\_lining](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silver_lining)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2017, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/144 "2017-04-07T19:29:44Z")
> [@skdo23](#): > > So do we get to say “go back to Russia” to conservatives now? > > [http://www.cnn.com/2017/03/22/politics/us-officials-info-suggests-trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians/index.html](http://www.cnn.com/2017/03/22/politics/us-officials-info-suggests-trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians/index.html) The headline says **MAY have.** The news is at a low tide. The headline is usually juicy, then they uses worlds like allegedly, or according to sources. Um, right. After a few months, you want sources or proof, of which there is none. KUDOS to the press. They are just a few steps away from emulating Jerry Springer. As for who meets with who, they all do. ---
**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:** [April 12, 2017, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/145 "2017-04-12T02:06:14Z")
> **[FBI obtained FISA warrant to monitor former Trump adviser Carter Page](https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/fbi-obtained-fisa-warrant-to-monitor-former-trump-adviser-carter-page/2017/04/11/620192ea-1e0e-11e7-ad74-3a742a6e93a7_story.html)** > > The Justice Department and the FBI convinced a judge of probable cause to believe Page was suspected of acting on Russia’s behalf. Trump aid Carter Page was being monitored through a FISA warrant. ---
**Author:** ![mikecurtis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mikecurtis/32/3284_2.png) [@mikecurtis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mikecurtis)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2017, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/146 "2017-04-12T02:27:28Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > Was that the guy who wrote “Kill my landlord?” I like his stuff. 😉 [tyrone greene](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZ0up_MjsLk) mc ---
**Author:** ![Belowjob2.0](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Belowjob2.0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Belowjob2.0)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2017, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/147 "2017-04-12T06:28:12Z")
> [@bobot](#): > > [https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/fbi-obtained-fisa-warrant-to-monitor-former-trump-adviser-carter-page/2017/04/11/620192ea-1e0e-11e7-ad74-3a742a6e93a7\_story.html](https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/fbi-obtained-fisa-warrant-to-monitor-former-trump-adviser-carter-page/2017/04/11/620192ea-1e0e-11e7-ad74-3a742a6e93a7_story.html) > > Trump aid Carter Page was being monitored through a FISA warrant. It occurs to me that Page may be facing a devil’s choice: keep your mouth shut, don’t implicate Trump, and be rewarded with tens of millions in Russian bribes, that will never actually materialize, because Trump never pays what he owes. Or, implicate Trump, and die at a moment of Russia’s choosing. What is it, Mr Page? Would you rather “accidentally” fall out a window, or “accidentally” drown in your bathtub? ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2017, 6:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/148 "2017-04-12T06:38:25Z")
The Carter Page connected to the Manafort, the Manafort connected to the Mike Flynn, the Mike Flynn to the asshole, now hear the word of the Law… “And welcome to another episode of Plea Agreement, Let’s Beg for a Deal! Mike, are you ready to spin the Wheel of Consequences, or do you want to sign this paper?! Ten seconds!” ---
**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 12, 2017, 7:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/149 "2017-04-12T07:03:16Z")
> [@bobot](#): > > [https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/fbi-obtained-fisa-warrant-to-monitor-former-trump-adviser-carter-page/2017/04/11/620192ea-1e0e-11e7-ad74-3a742a6e93a7\_story.html](https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/fbi-obtained-fisa-warrant-to-monitor-former-trump-adviser-carter-page/2017/04/11/620192ea-1e0e-11e7-ad74-3a742a6e93a7_story.html) > > Trump aid Carter Page was being monitored through a FISA warrant. All this ‘clear his name’ bullshit is just that. There’s no way he can prove what documents he handed over to Podobnyy, nor do I think even if he were to bring the Russian agent in to testify that the intel committees would buy a word that he says. ---
**Author:** ![Belowjob2.0](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Belowjob2.0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Belowjob2.0)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2017, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/150 "2017-04-12T16:18:18Z")
Will they hold fast? Is there honor among traitors? Per my previous post, are they choosing between a (false) promise of a multi-million dollar payout on the one hand, or a painful, ignominous death on the other? > **[KremlinGate and the Limits of Classified Evidence](https://observer.com/2017/04/kremlingate-and-the-limits-of-classified-evidence/)** > > The FBI’s been investigating possible links between the Kremlin and President Trump for nearly a year—here’s why it’s moving so slowly > [@](#): > > Comey faces a particular problem, little understood by the public or even by most journalists covering KremlinGate. That’s the fact that classified evidence is inadmissible in court, and top-secret information will never be shown to a jury. FBI agents therefore face the uncomfortable difficulty of knowing (from highly classified reports) what was going on—and finding unclassified corroboration if they want to prosecute anybody. > > Hence the pressing need to get co-conspirators to “flip” on each other and, even better, coercing confessions from those facing possible prison time. This is the usual FBI modus operandi, and it’s most effective against smaller fish who aren’t eager to take the rap for bigger ones. We can safely assume that the Bureau will lean on former members of Team Trump to get confessions; here the recent ham-handed effort by Michael Flynn, Trump’s disgraced former national security guru, a man with plenty of odd ties to the Kremlin himself, to get immunity in exchange for telling what he knows seems relevant. > > Without such cooperation, including confessions from at least some members of Team Trump, the transition of KremlinGate from the investigation phase to prosecution is likely to stall. We don’t know exactly what the FBI knows, but some examples from past counterintelligence cases can illuminate the conundrum the Bureau faces right now. ---
**Author:** ![Fiveyearlurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@Fiveyearlurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveyearlurker)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2017, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/151 "2017-04-13T00:22:10Z")
I’m sure there is [nothing to see here](https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/12/us/politics/paul-manafort-donald-trump.html?smid=fb-nytimes&smtyp=cur). On the morning of August 19th, Manafort stepped away from the campaign because of his links to, of course, Russia. That day, he started a shell corporation and got millions of dollars worth of loans from Mr. Trump’s businesses. But, I’m sure this is all on the up and up. ---
**Author:** ![Fiveyearlurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@Fiveyearlurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveyearlurker)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2017, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/152 "2017-04-13T13:47:11Z")
[Carter Page](http://www.politico.com/story/2017/04/carter-page-sanctions-russia-237192) doesn’t sound so confident that he didn’t offer to ease sanctions on Russia: \* “Absolutely not,” he said, adding: “I never offered that. No, nothing along those lines. Absolutely not. I mean, it may — topics — I don’t remember. We’ll see what comes out in this FISA transcript.” But when Stephanopoulos pushed Page, Page said “something may have come up in a conversation,” before adding: “I have no recollection, and there is nothing specifically that I would have done that would have given people that impression, George.” \* ---
**Author:** ![Belowjob2.0](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Belowjob2.0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Belowjob2.0)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2017, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/153 "2017-04-13T15:26:04Z")
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DlN4Sh06po](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DlN4Sh06po) 3:10 > [@](#): > > There is no cannibalism in the British navy, absolutely none, and when I say none, I mean there is a certain amount. More than I’m prepared to admit. > > **Graham Chapman, Monty Python** ---
**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 13, 2017, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/154 "2017-04-13T19:50:34Z")
> [@Belowjob2.0](#): > > [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DlN4Sh06po](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DlN4Sh06po) 3:10 That is disturbingly apt. (Not _literally_, one hopes-- but the tone is spot-on.) ---
**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 13, 2017, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/155 "2017-04-13T20:41:09Z")
As I noted once before, Page is such a crazy loser and Russian sycophant that he’s a bigger risk of becoming a handy scapegoat for the whole issue than he is in linking Trump to Russia. I’m sure that he’s done sketchy things in the name of Russia, and that may well get him in trouble, but it seems unlikely that anyone would trust him with anything of merit, even Trump. Unless something truly explosive comes out of the transcripts on him, and those are directly linked to directives from Trump, I don’t think it’s worth spending any more time on him than necessary to keep the Russian connection in the news. ---
**Author:** ![phreak9](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/45deac/32.png) [@phreak9](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phreak9)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2017, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/156 "2017-04-14T12:05:24Z")
The trail of 5-8 dead Russians involves many who clearly died for reasons far and away from the U.S. Russia ties. Maybe 1 or 2 COULD be relevant an the rest clearly are not even remotely relevant to the U.S./Russia ties. > **[Nine months, nine prominent Russians dead | CNN](https://www.cnn.com/2017/03/24/europe/dead-russians/)** > > Nine Russians -- all in key positions in Russian politics -- have wound up dead in recent months. Now conspiracy theories are swirling. ---
**Author:** ![Fiveyearlurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@Fiveyearlurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveyearlurker)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2017, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/157 "2017-04-18T22:29:18Z")
FISA warrant issued due to that [dossier](http://www.cnn.com/2017/04/18/politics/fbi-dossier-carter-page-donald-trump-russia-investigation/index.html?adkey=bn). Very relevant part: “Officials familiar with the process say even if the application to monitor Page included information from the dossier, it would only be after the FBI had corroborated the information through its own investigation. The officials would not say what or how much was corroborated.” Remember when certain people on this board pretended that this dossier was actually a 4chan hoax?: > [@Leaked report of Russian blackmail of Trump](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leaked-report-of-russian-blackmail-of-trump/776846/27): > > This whole thing started as a hoax on 4chan /pol/ : > > [https://archive.4plebs.org/pol/thread/95568919/#95571329](https://archive.4plebs.org/pol/thread/95568919/#95571329) > > A lot of people are going to get fired 🙂 Turns out he was wrong, but I hope he’s right about that last part. ---
**Author:** ![Fiveyearlurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@Fiveyearlurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveyearlurker)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2017, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/158 "2017-04-20T15:53:28Z")
Chaffetz [first announced](https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/19/us/politics/jason-chaffetz-congress-utah-house-oversight.html)that he is not seeking reelection. Now, this morning, he is [strongly hinting that he might not even finish his current term](http://thehill.com/homenews/house/329716-chaffetz-considering-early-departure-from-congress). Anyone think this sudden change of heart is a bit odd? ---
**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 20, 2017, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/159 "2017-04-20T18:24:46Z")
Now I’m hearing that he may resign _tomorrow_. WTF? ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2017, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/160 "2017-04-20T18:57:49Z")
Twitter rumors are either an extra-marital affair or Russian _kompromat_ (which might be about an affair). ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2017, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/161 "2017-04-20T19:05:27Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > Twitter rumors are either an extra-marital affair or Russian _kompromat_ (which might be about an affair). Something along these lines. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799.md?page=7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799.md?page=9)