New Trump news

[godnotgod]

I think we need IQ/education tests to be able to vote. It's the only way to prevent ourselves from destroying ourselves.

What we also need, and pronto, is a stringent battery of 'fitness' exams for any President and his Vice-President, and while we're at it, for all members of Congress, so we don't go to all the fuss in electing them only to find out they have some mental disorder while having their hands on the nuclear codes. We might also limit their salaries and get rid of the lobbyists.

 

[Stanyon]

I think we need IQ/education tests to be able to vote.

Since the public education system overall is abysmal and in some lower income neighbourhoods (black majority) completely broken, democrats would never want that.

 

[godnotgod]

Russian collusion has been well established, although not intrinsically criminal; but whether this involves "conspiracy", which could be "criminal", is another question.

We now have another Mueller conviction trying Trump and Manafort to Russian and Ukraine money in the form of illegal contributions to Trump's inaugural. Definitely criminal, and I think we're seeing the tip of the iceberg.

Lobbyist reaches plea deal connected to Russia and Ukraine work - CNNPolitics

"This is the first time the Justice Department has publicly charged a person for helping a foreigner secretly funnel money into a Trump political event. Under his deal with prosecutors, Patten is charged only with one criminal count. He faces a maximum of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the felony charge. A sentencing date has not been set.

Patten sought [bought?] tickets to Trump's inauguration on behalf of an unnamed prominent Ukrainian oligarch, according to court documents released Friday, ultimately paying $50,000 for four tickets. Patten used another American as a "straw purchaser," funneling the Ukrainian's money secretly to the inaugural committee through a Cypriot bank account.

"Patten was aware at the time that the Presidential Inauguration Committee could not accept money from foreign nationals," prosecutors wrote in the filing."

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

Little of which is relevant to the reason for the investigation.

Sure.. if you ignore "13 Russian nationals, 12 Russian intelligence officers, and three Russian companies."

 

[Stanyon]

We now have another Mueller conviction trying Trump and Manafort to Russian and Ukraine money in the form of illegal contributions to Trump's inaugural. Definitely criminal, and I think we're seeing the tip of the iceberg.

Lobbyist reaches plea deal connected to Russia and Ukraine work - CNNPolitics

"This is the first time the Justice Department has publicly charged a person for helping a foreigner secretly funnel money into a Trump political event. Under his deal with prosecutors, Patten is charged only with one criminal count. He faces a maximum of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the felony charge. A sentencing date has not been set.

Patten sought [bought?] tickets to Trump's inauguration on behalf of an unnamed prominent Ukrainian oligarch, according to court documents released Friday, ultimately paying $50,000 for four tickets. Patten used another American as a "straw purchaser," funneling the Ukrainian's money secretly to the inaugural committee through a Cypriot bank account.

"Patten was aware at the time that the Presidential Inauguration Committee could not accept money from foreign nationals," prosecutors wrote in the filing."

Also from the article:
"Rudy Giuliani, the President's lawyer, told reporters Friday Patten's case had nothing to do with his client."It turned about to be this irrelevant indictment, where I think Mueller has turned out to be a private prosecutor," Giuliani said. "What does this have to do with President Trump? Not a single thing. It has nothing to do with collusion, some guy who donated to the inauguration? My goodness,they had 500,000 people donate to the inauguration -- every time they get a speeding ticket is Mueller going to do it?""

 

[metis]

Also from the article:
"Rudy Giuliani, the President's lawyer, told reporters Friday Patten's case had nothing to do with his client."It turned about to be this irrelevant indictment, where I think Mueller has turned out to be a private prosecutor," Giuliani said. "What does this have to do with President Trump? Not a single thing. It has nothing to do with collusion, some guy who donated to the inauguration? My goodness,they had 500,000 people donate to the inauguration -- every time they get a speeding ticket is Mueller going to do it?""

And Giuliani is relevant because...? His job is to defend Trump, not to look for objective evidence.

 

[Riders]

We've been hearing this same old song for almost two years, it's about time someone shat or got off the pot.

Well Mueller is making a move to hopefully get to the bottom of the investigation soon. But if he Subpeonas Trump and he may,it may go on for months. But at least he is making some headway.

 

[Stanyon]

Sure.. if you ignore "13 Russian nationals, 12 Russian intelligence officers, and three Russian companies."

These Russians?
The Ron Paul Institute for Peace and Prosperity : Mueller Scrambles To Limit Evidence After Indicted Russians Actually Show Up In Court

From the article:

"Mueller also accused Concord of "knowingly and intentionally" conspiring to interfere with the election by using social media to disparage Hillary Clinton and support Donald Trump.

And Concord Management decided to fight it...

As Powerline notes, Mueller probably didn't see that coming - and the indictment itself was perhaps nothing more than a PR stunt to bolster the Russian interference narrative.

I don’t think anyone (including Mueller) anticipated that any of the defendants would appear in court to defend against the charges. Rather, the Mueller prosecutors seem to have obtained the indictment to serve a public relations purpose, laying out the case for interference as understood by the government and lending a veneer of respectability to the Mueller Switch Project.

One of the Russian corporate defendants nevertheless hired counsel to contest the charges. In April two Washington-area attorneys — Eric Dubelier and Kate Seikaly of the Reed Smith firm — filed appearances in court on behalf of Concord Management and Consulting. Josh Gerstein covered that turn of events for Politico here. -Powerline Blog"


"The Russians hit back - filing a response to let the court know that “[Concord] voluntarily appeared through counsel as provided for in [the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure], and further intends to enter a plea of not guilty. [Concord] has not sought a limited appearance nor has it moved to quash the summons. As such, the briefing sought by the Special Counsel’s motion is pettifoggery.”

And the Judge agreed...

A federal judge has rejected special counsel Robert Mueller’s request to delay the first court hearing in a criminal case charging three Russian companies and 13 Russian citizens with using social media and other means to foment strife among Americans in advance of the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

In a brief order Saturday evening, U.S. District Court Judge Dabney Friedrich offered no explanation for her decision to deny a request prosecutors made Friday to put off the scheduled Wednesday arraignment for Concord Management and Consulting, one of the three firms charged in the case. -Politico​

In other words, Mueller was denied the opportunity to kick the can down the road, forcing him to produce the requested evidence or withdraw the indictment, potentially jeopardizing the PR aspect of the entire "Trump collusion" probe."

​

 

[Stanyon]

And Giuliani is relevant because...? His job is to defend Trump, not to look for objective evidence.

So maybe we should do away with lawyers, especially defense lawyers, and just trust what any investigators come up with and charge anyone with because it is objective evidence beyond dispute?

 

[metis]

So maybe we should do away with lawyers, especially defense lawyers, and just trust what any investigators come up with and charge anyone with because it is objective evidence beyond dispute?

I never said nor implied that, so please do not put words into my mouth to create such a strawman.

 

[Stanyon]

I never said nor implied that, so please do not put words into my mouth to create such a strawman.

So what did you mean by this:

And Giuliani is relevant because...? His job is to defend Trump, not to look for objective evidence.

Does that sentiment apply to all equally or just to Trump/Giuliani and the Mueller investigation?

 

[Shad]

Sure.. if you ignore "13 Russian nationals, 12 Russian intelligence officers, and three Russian companies."

That is called interference not collusion.

Did you bother to read what you linked? Did you notice the names and the charges? Maybe you should do so.... Notice how far down the list the Russians are? Notice how high on the list people with no collusion charges are? That is called a media narrative....

 

[Subduction Zone]

That is called interference not collusion.

Did you bother to read what you linked? Did you notice the names and the charges? Maybe you should do so.... Notice how far down the list the Russians are? Notice how high on the list people with no collusion charges are? That is called a media narrative....

No, prominent people convicted were first, then those indicted. And of course the more prominent first. They are only second in the list of indicted people. Do you not think that the first indicted person was a bigger catch than the Russians? We are not very apt to punish anyone not in this country. There is hardly any narrative. Also , as even Giuliani has pointed out "collusion" is not a crime. That is why no one has been charged with it. It is the crimes that they perpetrated while colluding with others that they have been charged with. Claiming that no one has been charged with "colluding' is a bit of a strawman.

 

[metis]

So what did you mean by this:


Does that sentiment apply to all equally or just to Trump/Giuliani and the Mueller investigation?

I used the word "objective", and since Giuliani is Trump's lawyer, his job is to defend his client, not to be objective.