Tag: Trumpgate

FBI wiretap of Manafort is big news, but not because it vindicates Trump’s claim

The following article by Aaron Rupar was posted on the ThinkProgress website September 19, 2017:

Trump’s accusation remains as groundless as ever.

Credit:  Michael Robinson Chavez/The Washington Post

On Monday night, CNN broke news that federal agents wiretapped former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort during stretches of time both before and after the 2016 election, including early this year — “a period when Manafort was known to talk to President Donald Trump.”

Not only does CNN’s report suggest there could be records of communications Manafort had with Trump, but it indicates investigators had good reason to believe Trump’s former campaign chairman was serving as an “agent of a foreign power.” Manafort reportedly made millions working for an oligarch closely tied to Putin, and presided over the Trump campaign during a time when it first came under FBI scrutiny for its Russia ties. CNN reports that “[t]he FBI interest in Manafort” dates back to when he was working on behalf of pro-Putin interests in Ukraine in 2014. Continue reading “FBI wiretap of Manafort is big news, but not because it vindicates Trump’s claim”

Former Justice Dept. official joins special counsel Russia probe: report

The following article by Brandon Carter was posted on the Hill website September 16, 2017:

Robert S. Mueller

Special counsel Robert Mueller has hired yet another high-profile prosecutor for the ongoing investigation into potential ties between President Trump’s campaign and Russia, according to a new report.

Politico reports Kyle Freeny, a former Department of Justice lawyer who specializes in money laundering, has joined Mueller’s team. She was reportedly present during the grand jury testimony on Friday from a spokesman of former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort.

Freeny was previously working on a DOJ case in their Kleptocracy Asset Recovery Initiative, part of the DOJ’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, which aims to reclaim money from foreign corruption. Continue reading “Former Justice Dept. official joins special counsel Russia probe: report”

Stephen Bannon’s nervous defense of Trump on Russia is telling

The following article by Aaron Blake was posted on the Washington Post website September 11, 2017:

Stephen K. Bannon labeled the Russia investigation a “farce” and a “waste of time” during his interview with “60 Minutes” this weekend. But those strong words papered over what was otherwise a pretty nervous and nonsensical defense of President Trump on Russia.

If you watch the video above, you’ll see Bannon repeatedly stumble over his answers to Charlie Rose’s questions. Bannon echoed the Trump White House’s long-running strategy of deflecting on Russia, responding to questions about whether there was interference by saying there was no collusion and that it didn’t have an impact. Both times Bannon tried this, though, Rose called him out for not answering the question. Continue reading “Stephen Bannon’s nervous defense of Trump on Russia is telling”

Lobbying activities of Michael Flynn’s son being examined by special counsel on Russia

The following article by Tom Hamburger and Devlin Barrett was posted on the Washington Post website September 13, 2017:

Then-national security adviser Michael Flynn at the White House in February. Credit:
Carolyn Kaster, AP

The lobbying activities of Michael G. Flynn, the son of President Trump’s former national security adviser, are being examined by the special counsel investigating possible coordination between the Trump campaign and Russia during the 2016 election, according to people familiar with the probe.

The inquiry into the younger Flynn, first reported by NBC News, follows other indications this week that investigators are increasing pressure on his father, retired Army Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, who advised Trump during the campaign and briefly served in the White House before being ousted for misleading statements about his contacts with the Russian ambassador.

Mueller is looking at the younger Flynn because of his role as chief of staff to his father at the Flynn Intel Group, a lobbying and consulting firm that worked for international and domestic clients, according to the people familiar with the inquiry, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss an open case. Continue reading “Lobbying activities of Michael Flynn’s son being examined by special counsel on Russia”

Mueller gives White House names of 6 aides he expects to question in Russia probe

The following article by Carol D. Leonnig, Rosalind S. Helderman and Ashley Parker was posted on the Washington Post website September 8, 2017:

President Trump has weighed in on special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election time and time again. Here’s a look at how he can limit the probe, and what Congress is trying to do about it. (Jenny Starrs/The Washington Post)

Special counsel Robert S. Mueller III has alerted the White House that his team will probably seek to interview six top current and former advisers to President Trump who were witnesses to several episodes relevant to the investigation of Russia’s meddling in the 2016 election, according to people familiar with the request.

Mueller’s interest in the aides, including trusted adviser Hope Hicks, former press secretary Sean Spicer and former chief of staff Reince Priebus, reflects how the probe that has dogged Trump’s presidency is starting to penetrate a closer circle of aides around the president. Continue reading “Mueller gives White House names of 6 aides he expects to question in Russia probe”

Donald Trump Jr. to Meet With Senate Russia Investigators

The following article by Nicholas Fandos was posted on the New York Times website September 6, 2017:

Donald Trump Jr. in February in his office at Trump Tower in Manhattan. He has also agreed to testify at a public hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee. Credit Todd Heisler/The New York Times

WASHINGTON — Donald Trump Jr., the president’s eldest son, is set to meet with Senate Judiciary Committee investigators behind closed doors on Thursday to answer questions about his June 2016 meeting with a Kremlin-connected lawyer, committee officials said.

Committee aides said the interview, Mr. Trump’s first with congressional investigators, will be transcribed and could last for much of the day. It will largely focus on the meeting in Trump Tower, which appears to have been set up to deliver harmful information about Hillary Clinton to the Trump campaign, according to emails disclosed in June.

Democrats, led by Senator Dianne Feinstein of California, the committee’s top-ranking Democrat, said on Wednesday that Mr. Trump had also agreed to testify at a public hearing before the committee and that he would probably be subpoenaed if he did not follow through on that agreement. Senator Charles E. Grassley of Iowa, the panel’s chairman, declined to discuss the committee’s dealings with Mr. Trump. Lawyers for Mr. Trump could not be reached for comment.

The closed-door interview is the clearest indication yet that the Senate Judiciary Committee — after months of being eclipsed by the Senate and House intelligence committees — is emerging into a higher-profile role in investigating the president, his family and his associates in the coming months. Continue reading “Donald Trump Jr. to Meet With Senate Russia Investigators”

Senate Judiciary’s meeting with Trump Jr. scheduled for Thursday

The following article by Karoun Demirjian was posted on the Washington Post website September 5, 2017:

Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr, here answering reporters’ questions in May 2017, said Tuesday that it was his “aspirational goal” to conclude the committee’s probe and release its findings by the end of the year. (Melina Mara/The Washington Post)

The Senate Judiciary Committee will meet with Donald Trump Jr. on Thursday to discuss the Trump campaign’s contacts with Russia, according to three Democratic members of the committee.

The meeting, which is expected to be comprehensive, is the first opportunity that members of the committee will have to grill someone from President Trump’s inner circle about the campaign’s alleged attempts to engage with Kremlin surrogates, during a period when the intelligence community believes Russia was taking steps to influence the 2016 presidential election in favor of Trump’s candidacy.

Trump Jr. will be the first Trump campaign member who participated in a June 2016 meeting with a Russian lawyer to speak with the Senate Judiciary Committee. Committee members still hope to interview Trump’s then-campaign manager Paul Manafort, and the president’s son-in-law and senior adviser, Jared Kushner, about the meeting they held in Trump Tower with the Russian lawyer claiming to have damaging information about Hillary Clinton. Continue reading “Senate Judiciary’s meeting with Trump Jr. scheduled for Thursday”

Russia Probe Intensifies

The following article was posted on the TrumpAccountable.org website September 1, 2017:

While much of the country (and the White House) was transfixed with the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, there is compelling evidence that Robert Mueller’s Russia probe is gaining steam. Here are the key developments:

Top Trump Organization executive asked Putin aide for help on business deal

The following article by Rosalind S. Helderman, Carol D. Leonnig and Tom Hamburger was posted on the Washington Post website August 28, 2017:

The Washington Post’s Carol Leonnig and Tom Hamburger explain the Trump Organization’s efforts to build a Trump Tower in Moscow. (Jenny Starrs, Meg Kelly/The Washington Post)

A top executive from Donald Trump’s real estate company emailed Russian President Vladi­mir Putin’s personal spokesman during the U.S. presidential campaign last year to ask for help advancing a stalled Trump Tower development project in Moscow, according to documents submitted to Congress on Monday. Continue reading “Top Trump Organization executive asked Putin aide for help on business deal”

Kremlin says it got the Trump Tower email but didn’t respond

The following article by Andrew Roth was posted on the Washington Post website August 30, 2017:

President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov in Moscow on April 6. (Pavel Golovkin/AP)

MOSCOW — A spokesman for Russian President Vladi­mir Putin confirmed on Wednesday that he had received a request for assistance on a stalled Trump Tower real estate project in Moscow from a close aide to President Trump during the 2016 presidential campaign, but added that the Kremlin did not respond to the letter.

“I confirm that among a number of emails one from Mr. Michael Cohen came to us. This indeed happened,” said Dmitry Peskov, a personal spokesman for Putin, during a telephone briefing with Russian and foreign journalists. “But as far as we don’t respond to business topics, this is not our job, we did not send a response.” Continue reading “Kremlin says it got the Trump Tower email but didn’t respond”