Tag: Trump campaign

The Bio Of The Professor At The Center Of The Trump–Russia Probe Has Disappeared From His University’s Website

The following article by Alberto Nardelli was posted on the Buzzfeed website January 1, 2018:

A source at Link Campus in Rome told BuzzFeed News that Joseph Mifsud hasn’t been seen at the university in many weeks.

Joseph Mifsud (left) during a program at Link Campus University in Rome. Credit: Link Campus University/Facebook

References to Joseph Mifsud, the Maltese professor who court documents say told Trump campaign foreign policy adviser George Papadopoulos that Russia had “dirt” on Hillary Clinton, have been removed from the website of the university in Italy where he’s worked for years.

When he was unmasked as the unnamed “overseas professor” cited in the documents filed in October by Trump–Russia special counsel Robert Mueller, Mifsud led a three-year degree course in political science and international relations, according to a bio then on the website of the Link Campus University in Rome. The Maltese academic was also listed as an overseas professor on the LCU’s faculty pages, archived versions of the website show. Continue reading “The Bio Of The Professor At The Center Of The Trump–Russia Probe Has Disappeared From His University’s Website”

How the Russia Inquiry Began: A Campaign Aide, Drinks and Talk of Political Dirt

The following article by Sharon LaFraniere, Mark Mazzetti and Matt Apuzzo was posted on the New York Times website December 30, 2017:

George Papadopoulos was working as an energy consultant in London when the Trump campaign named him a foreign policy adviser in early March 2016. Credit via Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

WASHINGTON — During a night of heavy drinking at an upscale London bar in May 2016, George Papadopoulos, a young foreign policy adviser to the Trump campaign, made a startling revelation to Australia’s top diplomat in Britain: Russia had political dirt on Hillary Clinton.

About three weeks earlier, Mr. Papadopoulos had been told that Moscow had thousands of emails that would embarrass Mrs. Clinton, apparently stolen in an effort to try to damage her campaign. Continue reading “How the Russia Inquiry Began: A Campaign Aide, Drinks and Talk of Political Dirt”

George Papadopoulos Helped Spur Russia Probe By Spilling Secrets To Diplomat: NYT

The following article by Lesley Wroughton and Roberta Rampton with Reuters was posted on the Huffington Post website December 30, 2017:

It happened “during a night of heavy drinking,” according to the New York Times.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Trump campaign adviser George Papadopoulos told an Australian diplomat in May 2016 that Russia had political dirt on Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, the New York Times reported on Saturday.

The conversation between Papadopoulos and the diplomat, Alexander Downer, in London was a driving factor behind the FBI’s decision to open a counter-intelligence investigation of Moscow’s contacts with the Trump campaign, the Times reported. Continue reading “George Papadopoulos Helped Spur Russia Probe By Spilling Secrets To Diplomat: NYT”

After questioning Spicer, Democrats want to depose Priebus about election night activities

The following article by Matt Friedman was posted on the Politico website December 29, 2017:

Angelo Genova, an attorney for the DNC, said “several points” Spicer raised should permit the DNC to depose Priebus and two Trump campaign officials. | Alex Brandon/AP

Fresh from interviewing former White House press secretary Sean Spicer over what he was doing on the fifth floor of Trump Tower on election night, Democrats now want to interview former Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus.

Spicer’s presence that night has caused some unease among Republicans because the expiration of a 35-year-old settlement, or consent decree, barring the RNC from engaging in ballot security operations may depend on it. The fifth floor, POLITICO has reported, was the nerve center of then-candidate Donald Trump’s poll-watching operations. Continue reading “After questioning Spicer, Democrats want to depose Priebus about election night activities”

Mueller probe outgrows its ‘witch hunt’ phase

The following article by Michael Isikoff was posted on the Yahoo News website December 27, 2017:

Steve Bannon’s eyes lit up. Several months before he left his job as a senior White House adviser last August, Bannon was talking to President Trump about the brewing political storm over the Justice Department investigation into his campaign’s alleged ties to the Kremlin. Suddenly, Trump had an inspiration. He looked straight at Bannon, jabbed at him with his finger and uttered the phrase that would become the slogan of the White House pushback against the Russia probe: “Witch hunt!”

Brilliant, thought Bannon, as he later related the exchange to colleagues. Continue reading “Mueller probe outgrows its ‘witch hunt’ phase”

Trump legal team readies attack on Flynn’s credibility

The following article by Carol D Leonnig was posted on the Washington Post website December 27, 2017:

Former national security adviser Michael Flynn leaves a Washington courthouse following his plea hearing Dec. 1. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

President Trump’s legal team plans to cast former national security adviser Michael T. Flynn as a liar seeking to protect himself if he accuses the president or his senior aides of any wrongdoing, according to three people familiar with the strategy.

The approach would mark a sharp break from Trump’s previously sympathetic posture toward Flynn, whom he called a “wonderful man” when Flynn was ousted from the White House in February. Earlier this month, the president did not rule out a possible pardon for Flynn, who is cooperating with special counsel Robert S. Mueller III’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election.

Attorneys for Trump and his top advisers have privately expressed confidence that Flynn does not have any evidence that could implicate the president or his White House team. But since Flynn’s cooperation agreement with prosecutors was made public earlier this month, the administration has been strategizing how to neutralize him in case the former national security adviser does make any claims. Continue reading “Trump legal team readies attack on Flynn’s credibility”

Robert Mueller May Indict Paul Manafort Again

The following article by Betsy Woodruff was posted on the Daily Beast website December 26, 2017:

The charges against the former Trump campaign boss appear to have been only an opening salvo in a legal barrage on the president’s confidants, informed observers say.

Photo Illustration by Elizabeth Brockway/The Daily Beast

From its inception, two things about special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation were clear: first, the White House’s biggest concern was that Mueller would follow the money; and second, Mueller is following the money.

It’s been seven months since Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein ordered Bob Muellerto take over the FBI’s counterintelligence probe into possible links between the Kremlin and people associated with the Trump campaign. Trump’s lawyers have long said they expected the probe to stay focused and end quickly. Instead, Mueller has assembled a team of prosecutors with expertise in handling financial investigations and white-collar crime, and obtained guilty pleas for crimes that weren’t committed during the election year. Continue reading “Robert Mueller May Indict Paul Manafort Again”

Prosecutors Said to Seek Kushner Records From Deutsche Bank

The following article by Ben Protess, Jessica Silver-Greenberg and David Enrich was posted on the New York Times website December 22, 2017:

Jared Kushner, President Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser, earlier this year. Deutsche Bank has lent hundreds of millions of dollars to the Kushner family real estate business. Credit Stephen Crowley/The New York Times

Federal prosecutors in Brooklyn have sought bank records about entities associated with the family company of Jared Kushner, President Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser, according to four people briefed on the matter.

In recent weeks, prosecutors from the United States attorney’s office in the Eastern District of New York subpoenaed records from Deutsche Bank, the giant German financial institution that has lent hundreds of millions of dollars to the Kushner family real estate business. Continue reading “Prosecutors Said to Seek Kushner Records From Deutsche Bank”

Ex-Trump adviser Carter Page accused academics who twice failed his PhD of bias

The following article by Luke Harding and Stephanie Kirchgaessner was posted on the Guardian website December 22, 2017:

© Getty Images

Carter Page, Donald Trump’s former foreign policy adviser, accused his British examiners of “anti-Russian bias” after they took the highly unusual step of failing his “verbose” and “vague” PhD thesis, not once but twice.

Page was a little-known oil consultant who lived and worked in Moscow when he joined Trump’s campaign in March 2016. The then-candidate named Page as one of five foreign policy advisers, calling him “Carter Page PhD” in a meeting with the Washington Post’s editorial board. Continue reading “Ex-Trump adviser Carter Page accused academics who twice failed his PhD of bias”

Republican senators show little urgency to pass law protecting Mueller

The following article by Karoun Demirjian was posted on the Washington Post website December 20, 2017:

Senate Intelligence Committee Vice Chairman Mark R. Warner (D-Va.) on Dec. 20 warned President Trump against firing special counsel Robert S. Mueller III. (U.S. Senate)

Republican senators who worked swiftly last summer to help write legislation protecting special counsel Robert S. Mueller III now are showing little urgency to get those measures passed.

The legislation, which would allow a panel of federal judges to review orders to fire the special counsel, was intended to prevent President Trump from pushing out Mueller before he completes his investigation of Russian meddling in the 2016 election. Continue reading “Republican senators show little urgency to pass law protecting Mueller”