Tag: Russia investigation

Gates agrees to testify against Manafort in Mueller probe: report

The following article by Jacqueline Thomsen was posted on the Hill website February 18, 2018:

Credit: Mark Wilson, Getty Images

Richard Gates, a former campaign adviser for President Trump, has agreed to testify against his former associate Paul Manafort as part of a plea deal with special counsel Robert Mueller, the Los Angeles Times reported Sunday.

The former adviser and Manafort business associate is reportedly nearing a deal with Mueller’s team and will plead guilty to fraud charges in the next few days, according to the Times.

Gates and Manafort were both indicted in Mueller’s probe in October and pleaded not guilty to the charges. Continue reading “Gates agrees to testify against Manafort in Mueller probe: report”

Schiff Says He Fears Mueller’s Findings Won’t Become Public

The following article by Gopal Ratnam was posted on the Roll Call website February 16, 2018:

Top Intelligence Committee Democrat concerned about politicized decision-making

House Intelligence ranking member Adam B. Schiff is concerned the findings of special counsel Robert S. Mueller III into Russian meddling in the 2016 election won’t be made public. Credit: Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call file photo

The complete findings of special counsel Robert S. Mueller III’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 elections may not become public when the probe is completed, California Rep. Adam B. Schiff, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said Friday.

“One of the issues I have raised with the deputy attorney general” Rod Rosenstein is “how are we going to deal with this when the investigations come to an end?” Schiff said, referring to findings of the Mueller probe. “Will there be a report to Congress and what will Bob Mueller be able to disclose publicly?”

Schiff’s comments came at an event hosted by the Council on Foreign Relations in Washington. Continue reading “Schiff Says He Fears Mueller’s Findings Won’t Become Public”

Why the public may never learn what Robert Mueller discovers

The following article by Alison Durkee was posted on the mic.com website February 15, 2018:

Special prosecutor Robert Mueller’s investigation into President Donald Trump’s campaign and its potential Russian ties has now entered its 10th month. While millions around the world are waiting eagerly for the next shoe to drop, it’s possible that the information Mueller uncovers may never actually reach the public.

Since Attorney General Jeff Sessions recused himself from the Russia inquiry in March 2017, Mueller’s investigation has been overseen by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who retains the power to fire the special prosecutor. However, Trump has reportedly expressed his dissatisfaction with Rosenstein, prompting concerns that his job — and Mueller’s, by extension — could be at risk. Continue reading “Why the public may never learn what Robert Mueller discovers”

Biden: If I were Trump’s lawyer, I would advise against Mueller interview

The following article by Rebecca Morin was posted on the Politico website February 6, 2018:

Former Vice President Joe Biden on Tuesday said President Donald Trump has “some difficulty with precision” and that he would tell him to not consent to an interview with special counsel Robert Mueller.

“You are in a situation where the President has some difficulty with precision,” Biden told Chris Cuomo on CNN. “One of the things I would worry about if I were his lawyer is him saying something that was simply not true without him even planning to be disingenuous.” Continue reading “Biden: If I were Trump’s lawyer, I would advise against Mueller interview”

Hero or hired gun? How a British former spy became a flash point in the Russia investigation.

The following article by Tom Hamburger and Rosalind S. Helderman was posted on the Washington Post website February 6, 2018:

The Russia probe got its start with a drunken conversation, an ex-spy, WikiLeaks and a distracted FBI. (Meg Kelly/The Washington Post)

In the fall of 2016, a little more than a month before Donald Trump was elected president, Christopher Steele had theundivided attention of the FBI.

For months, the British former spy had been working to alert the Americans to what he believed were disturbing ties Trump had to Russia. He had grown so worried about what he had learned from his Russia network about the Kremlin’s plans that he told colleagues it was like “sitting on a nuclear weapon.” Continue reading “Hero or hired gun? How a British former spy became a flash point in the Russia investigation.”

Trump Propagandist Devin Nunes May Release 5 More Memos Trying to Discredit Justice and State Departments

The following article by the AlterNet staff was posted on their website February 4, 2018:

The chilling plan plays right into the president’s authoritarian hands.

© Getty Images

According to a new Axios report, the propagandistic memo from Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA) is just the beginning of Republicans’ war on government agencies that don’t fall into line behind President Donald Trump’s authoritarian administration.

“The House Intelligence chair and his team have told members and associates they’ve found other examples of politically motivated ‘wrongdoing’ across various agencies, including the FBI, the broader Justice Department, and the State Department,” Swan writes.  Continue reading “Trump Propagandist Devin Nunes May Release 5 More Memos Trying to Discredit Justice and State Departments”

Rep. Adam Schiff, leading Democrat in Russia probe, gets a new Trump nickname

The following article by Noah Bierman was posted on the Los Angeles Times website February 5, 2018:

President Trump flashed anger at one of his leading antagonists in the Russia probe, mocking Rep. Adam Schiff’s personal appearance and accusing him without evidence of illegally leaking “confidential information.”
Continue reading “Rep. Adam Schiff, leading Democrat in Russia probe, gets a new Trump nickname”

Panetta: Trump will do damage if he fires Rosenstein and Mueller

The following article by Rebecca Morin was posted on the Politico website February 4, 2018:

Credit: Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Former CIA Director Leon Panetta warned President Donald Trump on Sunday against firing special counsel Robert Mueller or Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein.

“If he tries to go after them and tries to somehow appear to be obstructing the process that’s involved in this investigation; he’s going to hurt himself,” Panetta said on “Fox News Sunday.” “But more importantly, he’s going to hurt the country.”

Trump has grown increasingly frustrated with Rosenstein, who is overseeing Mueller’s probe on whether Russia colluded with the president’s 2016 campaign. Continue reading “Panetta: Trump will do damage if he fires Rosenstein and Mueller”

How Trump’s Allies Fanned an Ember of Controversy Into Flames of Outrage

The following article by Mark Mazzetti was posted on the New York Times website February 2, 2018:

Outside a meeting room used by the House Intelligence Committee on Friday. Credit: Eric Thayer, The New York Times

WASHINGTON — The release of the memo mattered less than #releasethememo.

After weeks of buildup, the three-and-a-half-page document about alleged F.B.I. abuses during the 2016 presidential campaign made public on Friday was broadly greeted with criticism, including by some Republicans. They said it cherry-picked information, made false assertions and was overly focused on an obscure, low-level Trump campaign adviser, Carter Page. Continue reading “How Trump’s Allies Fanned an Ember of Controversy Into Flames of Outrage”

Trump claims GOP memo ‘totally vindicates “Trump” in probe’

The following article by Jenna Johnson was posted on the Washington Post website February 3, 2018:

President Trump approved the release of a controversial and classified congressional memo on Feb. 2. Here are some of its main claims. (The Washington Post)

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — President Trump said Saturday morning that a disputed four-page House Intelligence Committee memo that was composed by Republicans and released on Friday “totally vindicates ‘Trump’ ” in an FBI investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, including possible ties to his campaign.

“This memo totally vindicates ‘Trump’ in probe. But the Russian Witch Hunt goes on and on,” the president wrote in a tweet at 9:40 a.m. Saturday. “Their was no Collusion and there was no Obstruction (the word now used because, after one year of looking endlessly and finding NOTHING, collusion is dead). This is an American disgrace!” Continue reading “Trump claims GOP memo ‘totally vindicates “Trump” in probe’”