The Russia Investigations and other Trump-related cases

[yovargas]

I saw that earlier and was a bit confused by it cuz, like, isn't there already an investigation under way for the same thing?

[RoseMorninStar]

You know it funny, but I've seen lots of people raving over this Randy Rainbow video, but I liked it a lot less than some of his previous ones that I've seen. There must be something about it that I just don't get.

Have you seen the movie/play 'Chicago'?
Randy Rainbow is genius.

I will probably be disappointed but so much damage that Trump has done has been right out in the open. I can't imagine ANYONE getting away with what he's already done. Hillary's e-mails and NOTHING compared to what Trump does on a daily basis.

[River]

This one's in the House, yov. There's also Mueller's investigation, which has spawned other investigations in other parts of the DoJ (when Mueller's team finds something out of their scope, they kick it over to whoever's scope the finding fits in).

[RoseMorninStar]

From what I understand, the various investigations have different purposes.. different focus. Voronwë could probably better explain that than I can.

[Voronwë the Faithful]

There is an ongoing investigation in the Senate Intelligence committee that has been fairly bipartisan in nature, focusing on Russian interference in the 2016 election and possible collusion with the Trump campaign. It is that committee that subpoenaed Michael Cohen, who is still scheduled to testify to them next week (we'll see if that actually happens). There was a previous investigation in the House Intelligence Committee when it was still run by the GOP which was essentially a whitewash: they announced that they found not only no collusion with the Trump campaign, but that there was no evidence that the Russians actually interfered with the election in favor of the Trump campaign, in contradiction to the findings of all of the intelligence agencies, with the chairman Devon Nunez coordinating closely with the administration. This investigation is also in the House Intelligence committee, which is now run by Democratic chairman Adam Schiff, but is much broader, focusing on Mr. Trump's finances in general and whether financial considerations were driving decisions made by the administration, including with regard to the Russians, but not just with regard to the Russians.

[RoseMorninStar]

From what little I know & understand, it seems to me that the Republicans have shirked their duty & are complicit in a cover-up. If so, they should be held accountable.

[Voronwë the Faithful]

That is true about the Republicans in the House Intelligence Committee. That is not true about the Republicans in the Senate Intelligence Committee, which has conducted itself in a true bipartisan fashion.

Sent from my LG G6 using Tapatalk

[Frelga]

You guys are following the Whitaker testimony, right?

[Voronwë the Faithful]

Such as it is.

[Voronwë the Faithful]

Michael Cohen's public testimony before the House Oversight Committee has been rescheduled for a week from today, February 27. According to a memo released the Chairman of the Committee, Elijah Cummings:

After consulting with the Department of Justice and with Rep. Adam Schiff, the Chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, Chairman Cummings has set the scope for the Oversight Committee’s hearing with Mr. Cohen to address the following issues:

• the President’s debts and payments relating to efforts to influence the 2016 election;
• the President’s compliance with financial disclosure requirements;
• the President’s compliance with campaign finance laws;
• the President’s compliance with tax laws;
• the President’s potential and actual conflicts of interest;
• the President’s business practices;
• the Trump International Hotel in Washington, D.C.;
• the accuracy of the President’s public statements;
• potentially fraudulent or inappropriate practices by the Trump Foundation; and
• public efforts by the President and his attorney to intimidate Mr. Cohen or others not to testify.

It seems unlikely that they will be able to cover all that in one day!

[Voronwë the Faithful]

Judge Jackson has modified the gag order in Stone's case following his bizarre Instagram post attacking her, banning him from making any public statements about the case or any of the participants, but leaving him out on bail. She said that any further violations of the gag order will result his bail being revoked and his being jailed. She said she was giving him a second chance, but that "this is not baseball" and there will be no third chance.

[Primula Baggins]

I thought that was a good line.

I was hoping she'd revoke his bail today.

[Voronwë the Faithful]

I knew there was no chance that was going to happen, despite the media frenzy over her order including that as a possibility. But she won't hesitate to do so if he slips up again. Normally I would say that is not likely, but this is Roger Stone we are talking about here.

Meanwhile, CNN and others having reporting that the investigation will be ending next week. I call more poppycock! There are just too many loose ends still out there for them to be done, even with the understanding that various aspects of the investigation will be completed by different U.S. Attorney offices.

[River]

Over the course of today it's been shifting from "next week" to "next weeks".

The CNN stalking crew has noted lots of files being moved around and also prosecutors detached to Mueller getting rotated back in to their previous positions. And CNN recently hired someone from the DoJ as some sort of editor, so she may have said something that, when combined with the stalking crew's observations, snowballed into "THE REPORT IS BEING FILED!!!"

[RoseMorninStar]

I had also heard that some of the people who had been pulled from the DOJ to work with Mueller have gone back to their regular jobs.

[Voronwë the Faithful]

Over the course of today it's been shifting from "next week" to "next weeks".

The CNN stalking crew has noted lots of files being moved around and also prosecutors detached to Mueller getting rotated back in to their previous positions. And CNN recently hired someone from the DoJ as some sort of editor, so she may have said something that, when combined with the stalking crew's observations, snowballed into "THE REPORT IS BEING FILED!!!"

And of course CNN is now reporting that as per a "Justice Department official" the report is NOT expected next week. Well duh!

They (and others) also postulate that the special counsel will "tell all" in the sentencing memorandum due in Manafort's case by midnight EST today. Like they won't redact the hell out of any pertinent information, as they always do?

Poppycock!

[Primula Baggins]

[Voronwë the Faithful]

Nothing in the docket yet, which means one of three things:

1. They missed their deadline, which is roughly as likely as Robert Mueller tap-dancing in a pink tutu in the lobby of the Trump Tower in Moscow (which of course, doesn't exist);

2. They filed it under seal with a motion to seal the entire thing, which I think is possible but highly unlikely; or

3. They filed it under seal with a motion to seal portions of it in which case we will eventually see a redacted version, with all the juicy parts blacked out. That's what I think is most likely

[Voronwë the Faithful]

It was no. 3, and if there are any juicy parts, they are blacked out.

[River]

Take home lesson: Don't tell lies. If you do tell lies, stop after you've entered a cooperation deal. Yeesh.