Russiagate

[DanG 1]

Rush takes a very Nixonian view of the truth.

When the president says it, it becomes truth.

- Dan G

[tkhayes 126]

I tend to agree. When you are standing in front of a judge, entering into a plea deal, the truth actually matters because the consequences are massive. Possibly decades in prison with no recourse, no appeal, surrendering all your rights etc.

Easy to say someone was unscrupulous when they were actually committing the crimes, therefore they would also be unscrupulous when standing in front of the judge during a plea, but before that, they do not feel they are going to get caught.

Now they are 'caught'. and even a single misrepresentation could wind you up in jail instantly.

Look at Manafort and his bail revocation. Judges do not take kindly to defendants that piss around with their trust

I remember sitting in court with our former bookkeeper who plead guilty to fraud and theft and the judge reminding her of the consequences if she did not comply with the plea deal. they were and are grave. And he made sure they she understood every single possible outcome of any variation from the agreed upon deal, which extended for 15 years. Any non-compliance could and most likely would result in her behind bars for whatever time the judge felt like giving her.

Cohen might be slimy, but he is not going to jeopardize more of his freedom for some greater cause. He struck a deal, he's going to jail, he is simply trying to minimize his personal damage at this point. lying about anything is not going o be part of that.

[Phil1111 911]

LeeroyJenkins

******Cohen is so unreliable that he's not really usable as a source; too easy to discredit. Kind of like Omarosa. Because, well, they have the same approach to the truth as the Tweeto-in-chief.
"whatever gets me what I feel I want at this particular moment."

Wendy P.

you're right on Wendy. Given that he's given completely opposite stories in the last 2 months it's hard to take anything that he says with anything less than a grain of salt

Rush, really? Trump has contradicted himself in the same breath. Do you agree that he is also unreliable?

Many trials feature unreliable witness, multiple convicted felons. Mob trials are almost always like this and in the absence of FBI tapes. Its up to judges or juries to make "sense" of the lies.

trump's statements on Fox offer true insight into the minds of his supporters. Crimes matter not, it only matters that you remain loyal to fellow mob members. Loyalty above the law.

Did I say mob, I meant tribe, er... cult.

[yoink 321]

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-45285585

“Impeach me and the market crashes”, says Trump.

[billvon 2,400]

Loved this line:

"I watched a number of [TV] shows. Sometimes you get some pretty good information by watching shows. Those two counts aren't even a crime. They weren't campaign finance."

Explains a lot (and could explain some recent statements by posters here.)

[DJL 232]

billvon

Loved this line:

"I watched a number of [TV] shows. Sometimes you get some pretty good information by watching shows. Those two counts aren't even a crime. They weren't campaign finance."

Explains a lot (and could explain some recent statements by posters here.)

I saw that. What a gem.

"I encourage all awesome dangerous behavior." - Jeffro Fincher

[yoink 321]

It would have to be a pretty fucking specific TV show to deal with the workings of paying off porn stars via dummy corporations and the legality of it in relation to campaign finance and a presidential election.

I'm not sure I remember an episode of Sesame Street quite like that.

[billvon 2,400]

Quote

It would have to be a pretty fucking specific TV show to deal with the workings of paying off porn stars via dummy corporations and the legality of it in relation to campaign finance and a presidential election.

Pretty sure Scandal covered something like that.

[pchapman 261]

yoink

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-45285585

“Impeach me and the market crashes”, says Trump.

Best delivered in a stereotyped mobster voice. "... It ain't no threat or nuttin, I'm just sayin', do we understand each other?"

[billvon 2,400]

I also liked this statement:

"But if somebody defrauded a bank, he’s gonna get 10 years in jail or 20 years in jail, but if you can say something bad about Donald Trump and you’ll go down to 2 years or 3 years, which is the deal he made . . . In all fairness to him, most people are going to do that. And I’ve seen it many times, I’ve had many friends involved in this stuff, it’s called flipping and it almost ought to be illegal."

He's had "many friends" indicted for things like defrauding banks who cooperated to reduce their sentences?

Only the best people.

I also find it funny that he considers an interview a "perjury trap." I guess that's true in the same way that a bank is a "theft trap" - they are just begging you to rob them, and if you do, you get all the blame. Unfair!

[ryoder 1,384]

pchapman

***https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-45285585

“Impeach me and the market crashes”, says Trump.

Best delivered in a stereotyped mobster voice. "... It ain't no threat or nuttin, I'm just sayin', do we understand each other?"

Or: "Nice little market you got there; Be a shame if sumpin 'appened to it."

"There are only three things of value: younger women, faster airplanes, and bigger crocodiles" - Arthur Jones.

[SkyDekker 1,122]

billvon

I also liked this statement:

"But if somebody defrauded a bank, he’s gonna get 10 years in jail or 20 years in jail, but if you can say something bad about Donald Trump and you’ll go down to 2 years or 3 years, which is the deal he made . . . In all fairness to him, most people are going to do that. And I’ve seen it many times, I’ve had many friends involved in this stuff, it’s called flipping and it almost ought to be illegal."

He's had "many friends" indicted for things like defrauding banks who cooperated to reduce their sentences?

Only the best people.

I also find it funny that he considers an interview a "perjury trap." I guess that's true in the same way that a bank is a "theft trap" - they are just begging you to rob them, and if you do, you get all the blame. Unfair!

Yup, the President of the United States thinks cooperating with a federal investigation should be illegal.

[billvon 2,400]

A few more great lines from his recent interviews:

"But [Cohen] was somebody that was probably with me for about 10 years and I would see him sometimes."

The classic "Michael who? Oh yeah, I remember now. I'd see him occasionally. Didn't really have that much to do with him."

"Those two counts aren't even a crime. They weren't campaign finance . . .what Michael Cohen pled to weren't even campaign related. They weren't crimes . . .And they put the two counts of campaign violations in there but a lot of lawyers on television and also lawyers that I have say, they're -- they're not even crimes."

So he knows they are not crimes because he saw "a lot of lawyers on TV" say so. I wonder if the lawyers were from Law and Order? Beverly Hills Cop? Smoking Gun?

This is where he gets his knowledge on the US justice system.

"You know the only reason I gave him[Sessions] the job. Because I felt loyalty, he was an original supporter. He was on the campaign."

So nothing about qualifications. He pledged his loyalty. That's it.

"So I give myself an A-plus . . I would say I would honestly give myself an A-plus and so would many other people."

Well, glad that's settled.

And finally we have the trifecta.

First, the 'I didn't do it' claim: "[Cohen] made the deal. He made the deals."
Next, the 'OK but it's not that bad': "You know, campaign violations are considered not a big deal, frankly.'
And you all know what's coming next: "If you look at President Obama, he had a massive campaign violation but he had a different attorney general and they viewed it a lot differently."

[SkyDekker 1,122]

Quote

So he knows they are not crimes because he saw "a lot of lawyers on TV" say so. I wonder if the lawyers were from Law and Order? Beverly Hills Cop? Smoking Gun?

Fox News of course.

http://insider.foxnews.com/2018/08/22/mark-levin-rips-cohen-lawyer-lanny-davis-dummy-plea-deal-and-trump

[billvon 2,400]

Uh oh. Sessions just stood up to Trump. Looks like there will be another ex-member of the Trump administration soon.

"While I am Attorney General, the actions of the Department of Justice will not be improperly influenced by political considerations. I demand the highest standards, and where they are not met, I take action. However, no nation has a more talented, more dedicated group of law enforcement investigators and prosecutors than the United States.

I am proud to serve with them and proud of the work we have done in successfully advancing the rule of law."

Sessions chose integrity over Trump? I suspect Trump won't take this lying down; look for a string of angry tweets followed by a sudden discovery that Sessions is "no good."

[kallend 1,623]

Hmmmmmm.

Allen Weisselberg, Longtime Trump Organization CFO, Is Granted Immunity in Cohen Probe

www.wsj.com/articles/allen-weisselberg-longtime-trump-organization-cfo-is-granted-immunity-by-federal-prosecutors-in-michael-cohen-investigation-1535121992

...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[billvon 2,400]

kallend

Allen Weisselberg, Longtime Trump Organization CFO, Is Granted Immunity in Cohen Probe . . .

As well as the publisher of the National Enquirer, a man with the unfortunate name of David Pecker.

Meanwhile, as predicted, Trump is attacking Sessions for daring to stand up for justice. "So unfair Jeff, Double Standard."

[kallend 1,623]

billvon

***Allen Weisselberg, Longtime Trump Organization CFO, Is Granted Immunity in Cohen Probe . . .

As well as the publisher of the National Enquirer, a man with the unfortunate name of David Pecker.



Trump had better hope Pecker doesn't leak.

...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[billvon 2,400]

Looks like Trump may face additional legal woes from New York State stemming from his illegal payments to Daniels.
====================
Trump Organization may face charges from New York DA's office: report
By Lukas Mikelionis
Fox News

The Manhattan district attorney’s office in New York City may push for criminal charges against the Trump Organization and two senior officials at the company over hush money that former Trump attorney Michael Cohen paid to an adult-film actress, according to a report.

Investigators led by District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance Jr. would look at how the company accounted for its reimbursement to Cohen for the $130,000 he paid to Stormy Daniels, who claims to have had an affair with President Trump, the New York Times reported.
. . .
According to prosecutors, the reimbursement payments were phony legal invoices that were connected to a nonexistent retainer agreement. Cohen reportedly issued sham monthly invoices for $35,000 in “pursuant to retainer agreement.”

The former Trump attorney, who pleaded guilty to federal campaign finance charges, didn’t actually do any legal work concerning the issue.

“On its face, it certainly would be problematic,” one official familiar with the district attorney’s office review told the Times, adding that such reimbursement scheme could be considered a felony under state law.
==============

[jakee 1,255]

Ahhh, that explains the incredibly convoluted tweet from a few months back.

Do you want to have an ideagasm?

[kallend 1,623]

It's SAD that it took a special counsel investigation into another matter to uncover these white collar crooks. It makes you wonder how many other rich and powerful people (*cough* TRUMP *cough*) just get away with it because no-one is looking.

...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[kallend 1,623]

Fox News anchor Bret Baier: "he [Trump] was not 100% truthful".

An interesting way of saying he lied.

Fox News anchor Shep Smith: "the president was not telling the truth".

...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[kallend 1,623]

And now Fox News analyst Brit Hume criticizes Trump over McCain tweet.

Has Hell frozen over?

...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[billvon 2,400]

Good to see Associated Press getting over its timidity and desire to be politically correct:

=================
AP FACT CHECK: Trump's bent reality: Cohen, clean air, taxes
By HOPE YEN
Aug 27 2018

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is living in an alternate reality when it comes to special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation and other controversies swirling around him.

He laments the threat of a "perjury trap" in explaining why he's hesitant to be interviewed by Mueller in the Russia probe, even as Trump's lawyers assert that Mueller had ruled out trying to indict a sitting president.

Trump also makes the head-scratching claim that the crimes of his ex-lawyer, Michael Cohen, are not criminal and falsely suggests that Paul Manafort, the president's former campaign chairman, should be viewed as innocent even after being found guilty on several bank fraud and other charges.

The statements came in a week of distorted truth in which Trump also complained about a politician plagiarizing his slogan despite his history of doing the same, wrongly claimed his tax cuts are the biggest ever and defied data in declaring the U.S. is No. 1 in environmental quality.
==================

[rushmc 18]

Have you heard of Mr Halper on your preferred new sites yet?

Starting to get interesting.

"America will never be destroyed from the outside,
if we falter and lose our freedoms,
it will be because we destroyed ourselves."
Abraham Lincoln