Russia Collusion Scandal (aka A Leftist fantasy)

[nsacpi]

Donald Trump raises a fair point in asking why Obama did not do more to stop Russian interference including the infiltration of his campaign.

I also think it is fair to ask why the Trump campaign did not report the various approaches to the FBI.

[57Brave]

The better question is why did Mitch O'Connel refuse Obama's request for a bi partisan statement.

Had Obama done more publicly it would have been seen as the Kenyan exacting revenge

Even better question is why did Obama let Bush and Cheney off of the hook for Iraq

[nsacpi]

McConnell didn't cover himself with glory...but the buck stops with Obama on a decision like that...and he choked imo...bigly

[nsacpi]

Mifsud friend Stephan Roh explains it is all a "game" involving "western intelligence services and the Clinton network."

https://www.thelocal.ch/20180514/why...-in-russiagate

extremely clever of him to blame western intelligence and Clinton in an attempt to distract from the fact that he and Mifsud are part of that very network

[Runnin]

http://amp.dailycaller.com/2018/05/2...mpression=true

Going to be real juicy when those FISA warrants are made available to see what Halper told the FBI. If they continued this sham of an investigation on faulty information just as they opened it on faulty information say goodbye to the mueller probe.

I can't believe you are still clinging to that fantasy.

[nsacpi]

More on Roh and Mifsud

https://www.theatlantic.com/politics...utm_source=twb

[thethe]

Nothing to do with collusion. Move along

[Julio3000]

Nothing to do with collusion. Move along

You can say with a straight face that the presence of a suspected Russian agent, another guy thought to be a target of Russian intelligence, and a guy who owed millions of dollars to a Russian oligarch isn't adequate cost for a counterintelligence investigation?

[thethe]

You can say with a straight face that the presence of a suspected Russian agent, another guy thought to be a target of Russian intelligence, and a guy who owed millions of dollars to a Russian oligarch isn't adequate cost for a counterintelligence investigation?

Page as a Russian agent - don't make me laugh

Papa who was a late entry into a campaign who had no authority

Mana fort was shady but again his dealings were long before any campaign activities.

Where is the proof? When does that have to be furnished?

[Julio3000]

Page as a Russian agent - don't make me laugh

Papa who was a late entry into a campaign who had no authority

Mana fort was shady but again his dealings were long before any campaign activities.

Where is the proof? When does that have to be furnished?

That's not my question. I want to see the results of the investigation, too, but that isn't in the cards atm. I'm saying that there was more than adequate grounds to begin a counterintelligence investigation, based even on what we know as public information.

Page was a target of Russian recruitment. We KNOW that, based on information that predates Trump's candidacy.

Manafort's current criminal charges mostly predate his involvement with the campaign, but the fact is that he was cashing big (and illegitimate) checks from Russia-friendly interests, and he was $10M in hock to a Russian oligarch.

It's not black-bag deep State ****ery to suggest that these folks' actions and motives should be subject to scrutiny.

[Julio3000]

And, lord, the people who are pushing the narrative that Mifsud and Papa were somehow part of a Western intelligence op just don't strike me as honest brokers.

[nsacpi]

That's not my question. I want to see the results of the investigation, too, but that isn't in the cards atm. I'm saying that there was more than adequate grounds to begin a counterintelligence investigation, based even on what we know as public information.

Page was a target of Russian recruitment. We KNOW that, based on information that predates Trump's candidacy.

Manafort's current criminal charges mostly predate his involvement with the campaign, but the fact is that he was cashing big (and illegitimate) checks from Russia-friendly interests, and he was $10M in hock to a Russian oligarch.

It's not black-bag deep State ****ery to suggest that these folks' actions and motives should be subject to scrutiny.

Not to mention the various good reasons to follow the money trail from the shift in the Trump Organization's practices to favoring cash transactions about 10 years ago to the recent payments by Vekselberg to Cohen. The financial entanglements between Trump (including family and others close to him) and Russians (some government affiliated and others organized crime affiliated) should be thoroughly investigated. The financial leverage and also potential kompromat that has grown out of the these financial entanglements need to be understood and evaluated. My own suspicion is that an understanding those entanglements will turn out to be a prerequisite for a full understanding the quid pro quo that occurred during the campaign.

[Julio3000]

Seems to me like Trump and the people in his circle take the Clay Davis approach to financial backing--I'll take any mother****er's money if he givin it away...

The original sin here is voting for the guy when his finances were completely opaque. So now we're in a spot where anyone who's splashing cash (and donations-in-kind) has a seat at the table: Russia, the Gulf States, China, Israel. When all is said and done I think the basic cupidity and corruption of the Trump crew is going to tell the story..

[thethe]

It's a great fallback to just scream about financial entanglements. By nature those are going to take a long time to unwind.

At some point in this investigation real proof has to emerge and further what Russia has actually received for their 'assistance'. All I'm seeing is an administration that is worse for russia.

[57Brave]

Seems to me like Trump and the people in his circle take the Clay Davis approach to financial backing--I'll take any mother****er's money if he givin it away...

The original sin here is voting for the guy when his finances were completely opaque. So now we're in a spot where anyone who's splashing cash (and donations-in-kind) has a seat at the table: Russia, the Gulf States, China, Israel. When all is said and done I think the basic cupidity and corruption of the Trump crew is going to tell the story..

interesting you bring up Clay Davis -- been re watching 1st season of The Wire
Lester Freeman pronounced " if you follow the drugs you get the drugs. If you follow the money, no telling what will pop up"

Also in Season 1 with the advantage of knowing who in the end is and isn't dirty -- it is interesting who is trying to shut down the investigation into Avon Barksdale and why.

Comes back to Trumps tax returns
and why does everyone lie ?

[thethe]

Don't agree with the characterization of a complete lie but of course it's not what was originally reported.

[thethe]

Now this begs the question. How was it characterized to the FISA court?

[nsacpi]

Now this begs the question. How was it characterized to the FISA court?

maybe the FISA application replaced gin and tonic with Moscow Mule?

now THAT would be a story!

speaking of which, what were they drinking at that bar in the Seychelles...that seems a rather important detail to me

[thethe]

maybe the FISA application replaced gin and tonic with Moscow Mule?

now THAT would be a story!

Love mules.

But continue to avert your gaze to what's happening.

[nsacpi]

I posed this question a few days ago regarding Vekselberg's 1M payment to Michael Cohen: what did Vekselberg expect in return.

In that regard, it is worth noting that Swiss banks have frozen almost 2B of his assets as a result of U.S. sanctions. That's just the Swiss banks. So it would seem he is strongly motivated to have some influence over U.S. sanctions policy.

Vekselberg is but one oligarch. Multiply by a few dozen and you get an idea of how much the Russian oligarchic class has riding on what happens to U.S. sanctions policy (aka adoptions policy).

As an aside, if charges are brought against Vekselberg and other oligarchs for conspiracy against the U.S. and other crimes, I believe they stand to forfeit a large amount of those currently frozen assets.