Tag: Russiagate

The Gripping Story Behind the Case for Trump-Putin Collusion

The following article by Jefferson Morley was posted on the AlterNet website August 1, 2017:

Bill Browder’s explosive testimony provides compelling insight for the corrupt bargain at the heart of the Russia investigation.

The most important witness so far in the investigation of President Trump’s ties to Russia didn’t even qualify for CNN.

While the Washington press corps and the rest of the world was distracted last week by the antics of the Mooch, Spicey, and the Donald, Bill Browder, an American-born British banker, was relegated to the side stage of C-SPAN3. For the Senate Judiciary Committee and the hard-core cable audience, Browder laid out what NPR called “a terrifying and complex picture of Putin’s Russia.”

A week later, Browder’s testimony remains the #1 article on TheAtlantic.com website, and for good reason. It is a gripping story that makes sense of the motive forces behind the collaboration of Trump and Putin in the 2016 election.

While Browder was only summoned to Capitol Hill to talk about the Foreign Agent Registration Act, his testimony about Putin’s government provided something that Washington and the public at large sorely need. Amid a welter of revelations and allegations, Browder provided a coherent narrative of how and why Putin sought Trump’s help. Continue reading “The Gripping Story Behind the Case for Trump-Putin Collusion”

Trump Tweets Suggestion of an ‘Uprising’ if Trump-Russia Grand Jury Indicts

The following commentary by TommY Christopher was posted on the Independent Journal Review website August 4, 2017:

President Donald Trump is engaged in a monumentally dangerous new phase in his battle against the ever-progressing Trump-Russia collusion investigation, a phase which the mainstream political media has so far missed badly.

At his West Virginia rally Thursday night, Trump issued a thinly veiled threat that his millions of supporters are counting on special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation to go his way.

Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA) noticed the new strategy on Friday morning, observing that Trump retweeted a much more explicit suggestion along the same lines: Continue reading “Trump Tweets Suggestion of an ‘Uprising’ if Trump-Russia Grand Jury Indicts”

Russiagate: The Depth of Collusion

The following article by Max Bergmann was posted on the Center for American Progress website August 2, 2017:

Introduction and summary

President Donald Trump meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the G-20 Summit, Friday, July 7, 2017.  Credit: AP/Evan Vucci

According to the U.S. intelligence community report released on January 6, 2017, Russia mounted an “unprecedented” intervention into our 2016 presidential election with the expressed intent “to undermine public faith in the U.S. democratic process” and to elect Donald Trump. Therefore, there were effectively two campaigns to elect Donald Trump in the 2016 cycle: the Trump campaign and the Russian campaign. At question is whether these campaigns acted entirely independently of each other or whether there was collusion—which, in this context, entails secretly working with the Russians to advance their campaign in a U.S. election. It is now clear there was collusion.

Continue reading “Russiagate: The Depth of Collusion”

Witch Hunt?

The following article was posted on the TrumpAccountable.org website August 3, 2017:

Donald Trump has repeatedly referred to the ongoing Russia investigation as the “single greatest witch hunt in political history.” In tweets, through his press secretaries, in speeches, and interviews, Trump has pushed back on what seem to be solid facts emerging from the investigation.

Here’s a central (and basic) question: If there’s no connection between President Trump’s campaign and Russian efforts to influence the election, why is he consistently misleading the public about what happened? If he didn’t do anything wrong, why is he lying?

Trump’s boldest misleading statements on Russia include: Continue reading “Witch Hunt?”

Flynn files amended disclosure report showing additional payments

The following article by Tom Hamburger and Matea Gold was posted on the Washington Post website August 3, 2017:

Michael Flynn, who served briefly as President Trump’s national security adviser, filed an amended federal financial disclosure report late Thursday providing new details about his contracts with the Trump presidential transition, a company connected to an Iranian American businessman, and the parent company of a data science firm that worked for the Trump campaign.

In a letter accompanying his revised disclosure, Flynn noted that his initial disclosure reports were filed under rushed circumstances without the customary consultation and review provided by White House lawyers and the Office of Government Ethics. The letter said Flynn did not receive the attention afforded others because he was no longer a White House employee at the time.

Flynn resigned his post just 24 days after taking office amid reports that he misled Vice President Pence about the nature of his contacts after the election with the Russian ambassador to the United States. Continue reading “Flynn files amended disclosure report showing additional payments”

PowerPost Senators unveil two proposals to protect Mueller’s Russia probe

The following article by Karoun Demirjian was posted on the Washington Post website August 3, 2017:

Two bipartisan pairs of senators unveiled legislation Thursday to prevent President Trump from firing special counsel Robert S. Mueller III without cause — or at least a reason good enough to convince a panel of federal judges.

Senators have raised concerns that the president might try to rearrange his administration to get rid of Mueller, who is spearheading a probe of Russia’s alleged interference in the 2016 presidential election and any possible collusion between the Kremlin and members of the Trump campaign and transition teams. Continue reading “PowerPost Senators unveil two proposals to protect Mueller’s Russia probe”

Special Counsel Mueller using grand jury in federal court in Washington as part of Russia investigation

The following article by Carol d. Leonnig, Sari Horwitz and Matt Zapotosky was posted on the Washington Post website August 3, 2017:

Special counsel Robert S. Mueller III began using a grand jury in federal court in Washington several weeks ago as part of his investigation of possible coordination between the Kremlin and the Trump campaign, according to two people familiar with the inquiry.

The development is a sign that investigators continue to aggressively gather evidence in the case, and that Mueller is taking full control of a probe that predated him. Continue reading “Special Counsel Mueller using grand jury in federal court in Washington as part of Russia investigation”

White House Acknowledges Trump Helped Craft Son’s Statement

The following article by J

Credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

ohn T. Bennett was posted on the Roll Call website August 1, 2017:

In a reversal, the White House acknowledged Tuesday that President Donald Trump offered what it said was fatherly advice to his eldest son about a statement explaining a June 2016 meeting with a Russian lawyer believed to be bringing Kremlin-supplied dirt on Hillary Clinton. However, the president’s top spokeswoman said the elder Trump did nothing wrong.

Trump’s team initially denied the president was personally involved in drafting the statement, but a Washington Post article published Mondayevening — citing multiple sources — painted him as its primary author. Trump dictated the statement to Hope Hicks, one of his closest advisers, on Air Force One last month as he returned from a G-20 summit in Europe, according to the Post report. Continue reading “White House Acknowledges Trump Helped Craft Son’s Statement”

What Sessions Should Tell Trump About Pardons — Before It’s Too Late

The following article by Joe Conason was posted on the National Memo website July 27, 2017:

When Donald Trump issued a tweet reminding everyone that as president he has “the complete power to pardon,” did he mean to suggest that he can pardon himself? Or simply to boast that he can issue pardons without consulting any other authority or facing any consequences?

The impact of Trump’s provocative statement — along with news accounts suggesting he may issue a flurry of pardons to stonewall special counsel Robert Mueller — forced a denial from his lawyer Jay Sekulow. But whatever impulse propels him now, someone ought to tell Trump that while the pardon power is indeed a solo prerogative of his office, it isn’t quite absolute. And should he appear to use that power for a corrupt purpose, such as obstruction of justice, he could place himself in serious legal jeopardy. Not only could he be impeached, since the Constitution specifically prohibits pardoning any impeached official, but he might just be criminally prosecuted as well. Continue reading “What Sessions Should Tell Trump About Pardons — Before It’s Too Late”

Trump dictated son’s misleading statement on meeting with Russian lawyer

The following article by Ashley Parker, Carol D. Leonnig, Philip Rucker and Tom Hamburger was posted on the Washington Post website July 31, 2017:

On the sidelines of the Group of 20 summit in Germany last month, President Trump’s advisers discussed how to respond to a new revelation that Trump’s oldest son had met with a Russian lawyer during the 2016 campaign — a disclosure the advisers knew carried political and potentially legal peril.

The strategy, the advisers agreed, should be for Donald Trump Jr. to release a statement to get ahead of the story. They wanted to be truthful, so their account couldn’t be repudiated later if the full details emerged. Continue reading “Trump dictated son’s misleading statement on meeting with Russian lawyer”