Trump Campaign Aides Had Repeated Contacts With Russian Intelligence

[treis]

@Johnny_Ace

Easy to say at the very beginning of an investigation that is likely to take many months if not years, very little of which appears to have been made public. Note also that even the longest-lived investigation, that of the FBI, is continuing.

They’ve been investigating Trump-Russia for about a year now and the investigation has been leaking information like a sieve. It’s hard to imagine at this point that they are going to find something they haven’t or that they have found something and it hasn’t been linked.

[Euphonious_Polemic]

@treis

They’ve been investigating Trump-Russia for about a year now and the investigation has been leaking information like a sieve. It’s hard to imagine at this point that they are going to find something they haven’t or that they have found something and it hasn’t been linked.

Not that you’re pre-judging it or anything though, right? But since you personally have not heard of anything bad coming from this investigation, they might as well stop the investigation because there’s nothing there. Because the leaks have revealed all.

You’re just being fair and impartial, that’s all.

[Fiveyearlurker]

@treis

This article is a nothing burger. It says:

And there’s no evidence that these contacts were anything other than what would be expected from people doing business in Russia or Eastern Europe. With all of these intercepted calls and leaks nothing has come out that is clearly inappropriate or points to collusion.

Seems odd that they all failed to mention these innocuous meetings until they were confronted with them.

[SingleMalt]

@treis

They’ve been investigating Trump-Russia for about a year now and the investigation has been leaking information like a sieve. It’s hard to imagine at this point that they are going to find something they haven’t or that they have found something and it hasn’t been linked.

Huh. My imagination is not so limited. I believe that there is likely a wealth of classified information that is still outside of the public eye.

[Ravenman]

@treis

They’ve been investigating Trump-Russia for about a year now and the investigation has been leaking information like a sieve. It’s hard to imagine at this point that they are going to find something they haven’t or that they have found something and it hasn’t been linked.

I think some people were saying that several months ago, and look what we have learned since then.

Frankly, your post sounds like the 19th century patent commissioner who claimed that we have nothing left to discover.

[treis]

@Ravenman

I think some people were saying that several months ago, and look what we have learned since then.

What exactly have we learned since then? OP describes this news as “breaking” but AFAICT everything in the article is something we have known for months now.

[YamatoTwinkie]

@treis

What exactly have we learned since then? OP describes this news as “breaking” but AFAICT everything in the article is something we have known for months now.

To be fair, OP was written several month ago, too.

[treis]

@YamatoTwinkie

To be fair, OP was written several month ago, too.

Oops I totally missed that.

[garygnu]

The US political right would be screaming “Treason!” from the rooftops if a Democrat was so linked to Russia. Instead we see them not just turning a blind eye but actively defending him. Their claims that all this isn’t even really smoke would be slightly more convincing if we couldn’t also SEE THE FIRE. The Crimea annexation thing in the Republican platform, trying to set up unmonitored communication, the immediate attempt to end sanctions upon inauguration, the moves to return the shuttered spy compounds, the firing of the guy looking into it all, the bragging about it and of intelligence sources to Russians. It’s a damn inferno.

I was willing to believe he was merely a useful idiot to Putin. Indirectly weakening American standing in the world and sowing international chaos so Russian could step in. It’s more than just that.

[Merneith]

@treis

What exactly have we learned since then? OP describes this news as “breaking” but AFAICT everything in the article is something we have known for months now.

Since mid-February, there’s been a number of developments re: Manafort

1. AP article, 22 Mar 17, about how Manafort had worked with Putin’s government, before joinging the Trump team, on a plan to benefit Russia:

@AP link above

Before signing up with Donald Trump, former campaign manager Paul Manafort secretly worked for a Russian billionaire with a plan to “greatly benefit the Putin Government,” The Associated Press has learned. The White House attempted to brush the report aside Wednesday, but it quickly raised fresh alarms in Congress about Russian links to Trump associates.

Manafort proposed in a confidential strategy plan as early as June 2005 that he would influence politics, business dealings and news coverage inside the United States, Europe and former Soviet republics to benefit President Vladimir Putin’s government, even as U.S.-Russia relations under Republican President George W. Bush grew worse.

2. NYT artice, 14 Apr 17, detailing Manafort’s shady loans on the day he stepped down from running Donald’s campaign, along with confirmation of the LEdger detailing payments to Manafort, and also that Manafort needed to refile his paperwork on his work for Ukraine. (It’s a long article).

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/12/us/politics/paul-manafort-donald-trump.html

@NYT link above

Last month, a Ukrainian lawmaker released documents that appeared to corroborate one of the ledger entries, and on Wednesday The Associated Press reported confirmation of another payment. The two payments in 2007 and 2009, totaling $1.2 million, were routed through shell companies in Belize to a bank account in Virginia belonging to Mr. Manafort’s consulting firm.
Photo
A page from the handwritten ledger kept by the political party of the deposed strongman Viktor Yanukovych, released by anti-corruption officials in Ukraine. This page does not include Mr. Manafort’s name.

Mr. Manafort has previously claimed the ledger is a fake. On Wednesday, he issued a statement that did not dispute the ledger entries, but suggested that any payments he received were legal because they were not made in cash.

“Mr. Manafort has always denied that he ever received any cash payments for his work and has consistently maintained that he received all of his payments, for services rendered, through wire transfers conducted through the international banking system,” the statement said.

Separately on Wednesday, a spokesman for Mr. Manafort said he had “received formal guidance recently from the authorities” on the need to register, retroactively, for lobbying work in Ukraine, and was “taking appropriate steps in response.” Mr. Manafort was advised last week that he should file the belated registration within 30 days to come into compliance with the law, according to a person with direct knowledge of conversations between Mr. Manafort’s lawyers and the Justice Department.

3. NBC, 16-May-17, about Feds subpoenaing records on Manafort’s shady loan

Feds subpoena records for $3.5M mystery mortgage on Manafort's home

@NBC link above

Federal investigators have subpoenaed records related to a $3.5 million mortgage that former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort took out on his Hamptons home just after leaving the campaign, according to a source familiar with the matter.

The mortgage document that explains how Manafort would pay back the loan was never filed with Suffolk County, New York — and Manafort’s company never paid up to $36,000 in taxes that would be due on the loan.
[Subpoena issued regarding Trump associate]
Subpoena issued regarding Trump associate 10:02

In addition, despite telling NBC News previously that all his real estate transactions are transparent and include his name and signature, Manafort’s name and signature do not appear on any of the loan documents that are publicly available. A Manafort spokesperson said the $3.5 million loan, which was taken out through a shell company, was repaid in December, but also said that paperwork showing the repayment was not filed until he was asked about the loan by NBC News.

4. AP article via Talking Points Memo, 02 June 17, reports that the AP has learned that Robert Mueller is including Manafort in his investigation.

talkingpointsmemo.com/news/special-counsel-probe-manafort

@TPM link above

The Associated Press has learned that the special counsel running the U.S. investigation into possible ties between President Donald Trump’s campaign and Russia’s government has assumed oversight of an ongoing investigation involving former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort.

The investigation by special counsel Robert Mueller may also expand to look into the roles of the attorney general and deputy attorney general in the firing of FBI Director James Comey.

Hopefully this helps you keep up.

[Fiveyearlurker]

Congress is set to pass new sanctions on Russia. Bipartisan. Including a provision that requires Congressional oversight in case the president wants to weaken them for some unknown reason. Can’t imagine why we’d need to specify that last part.

[Johnny_Ace]

@Fiveyearlurker

Congress is set to pass new sanctions on Russia. Bipartisan. Including a provision that requires Congressional oversight in case the president wants to weaken them for some unknown reason. Can’t imagine why we’d need to specify that last part.

In case Vlad calls.