The Russian Connection 3: Mueller is Coming

[onekidanddone]

5 minutes ago, AmazonGrace said:

 

Just how far can Trump and Bannon throw each other under the bus? 

[AmazonGrace]

I find this lawyer situation a bit odd. https://www.thedailybeast.com/will-russia-investigators-crack-steve-bannon-like-an-egg/

Quote

 

At 9:30 on Tuesday morning, Steve Bannon will sit down in an uncrowded room.

The former White House adviser may have been disavowed by his most generous donors, deposed as chairman of Breitbart News, and even semi-disowned by a candidate he endorsed.

But there are still people interested in him—namely, the staff and members of the House intelligence committee, who will question him Tuesday morning. Or at least, those congressmen and women who managed to get back to Washington after a holiday weekend.

For months, Bannon insisted that the investigations into potential connections between the Trump campaign and the Kremlin would never give him any heartburn. He even boasted that he would never need an attorney. But things have gotten complicated for the bomb-thrower, and The Daily Beast broke the news last week that he finally had to lawyer up.

That attorney, William Burck, also represents White House Counsel Don McGahn and erstwhile White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus. Burck also represented Reza Zarrab, a Turkish gold trader who pleaded guilty to charges related to his alleged effort to help Iranians launder billions of dollars worth of gas as part of a scheme to dodge U.S. sanctions. There is speculation that Zarrab also helped Special Counsel Robert Mueller build a case against retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn.

 

Isn't it a conflict of interest for the same lawyer to represent  people currently in the WH and people who got fired?

I wish he'd take Trump down... but if Bannon was prepared to sell Trump down the line and reveal lots of dirt would he choose McGahn's lawyer? It seems like that would ensure  Trump et al. get instant info about everything that Bannon has to say about anything. I'm sure there are some other lawyers in DC.

[fraurosena]

I wonder what this could mean...

Was he sitting in, and then running to the WH to report on what Bannon is testifying? 

Something's up.

[fraurosena]

 

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that Seth's theory about Sater cooperating with Mueller turns out to be true.

[fraurosena]

Ka-BOOM! 

Bannon Is Subpoenaed in Mueller’s Russia Investigation

Quote

Stephen K. Bannon, President Trump’s former chief strategist, was subpoenaed last week by the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, to testify before a grand jury as part of the investigation into possible links between Mr. Trump’s associates and Russia, according to a person with direct knowledge of the matter.

The move marked the first time Mr. Mueller is known to have used a grand jury subpoena to seek information from a member of Mr. Trump’s inner circle. The special counsel’s office has used subpoenas before to seek information on Mr. Trump’s associates and their possible ties to Russia or other foreign governments.

The subpoena could be a negotiating tactic. Mr. Mueller is likely to allow Mr. Bannon to forgo the grand jury appearance if he agrees to instead be questioned by investigators in the less formal setting of the special counsel’s offices in Washington, according to the person, who would not be named discussing the case. But it was not clear why Mr. Mueller treated Mr. Bannon differently than the dozen administration officials who were interviewed in the final months of last year and were never served with a subpoena.

On Tuesday, Mr. Bannon testified behind closed doors before the House Intelligence Committee, which is also investigating Russia’s meddling in the 2016 election and ties between the Trump campaign and Russia.

Mr. Mueller issued the subpoena after Mr. Bannon was quoted in a new book criticizing Mr. Trump, saying that Donald Trump Jr.’s 2016 meeting with Russians was “treasonous” and predicting that the special counsel investigation would ultimately center on money laundering.

After excerpts from the book, “Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House,” were published this month, Mr. Trump derided Mr. Bannon publicly and threatened to sue him for defamation. Mr. Bannon was soon ousted as the executive chairman of the hard-right website Breitbart News.

Some legal experts said the subpoena could be a sign that the investigation was intensifying, while others said it may simply have been a negotiating tactic to persuade Mr. Bannon to cooperate with the investigation. The experts also said it could be a signal to Mr. Bannon, who has tried to publicly patch up his falling-out with the president, that despite Mr. Trump’s legal threats, Mr. Bannon must be completely forthcoming with investigators.

Prosecutors generally prefer to interview witnesses before a grand jury when they believe they have information that the witnesses do not know or when they think they might catch the witnesses in a lie. It is much easier for a witness to stop the questioning or sidestep questions in an interview than during grand jury testimony, which is transcribed, and witnesses are required to answer every question.

“By forcing someone to testify through a subpoena, you are providing the witness with cover because they can say, ‘I had no choice — I had to go in and testify about everything I knew,’” said Solomon L. Wisenberg, a prosecutor for the independent counsel that investigated Bill Clinton when he was president.

Significant grand jury activity may undermine the case that White House officials have made for months: that they believe the inquiry is coming to an end and are convinced that the president will be cleared. Mr. Mueller has told Mr. Trump’s lawyers that he will probably want to question the president before the investigation concludes, but no interview has been scheduled.

Mr. Bannon has limited firsthand knowledge about two key issues within Mr. Mueller’s purview — the president’s firing of James B. Comey as F.B.I. director, a decision made without Mr. Bannon present, and the drafting of a misleading statement about the subject of the June 2016 meeting with Russians, in which they promised damaging information about Hillary Clinton.

But even Mr. Bannon’s secondhand knowledge could be used to draw a contrast with statements from people with firsthand knowledge whom Mr. Mueller has already interviewed. And Mr. Bannon was directly involved in a number of other major moments, including the decision-making around the firing of Michael T. Flynn, the president’s first national security adviser, who was dismissed after he lied to Vice President Mike Pence about phone calls with the Russian ambassador during the presidential transition.

Mr. Bannon also helped run the transition after Chris Christie, the outgoing governor of New Jersey, was fired as head of that team. And Mr. Bannon was the chief executive of the Trump campaign in October 2016 when WikiLeaks began releasing thousands of stolen personal emails from the hacked account of Mrs. Clinton’s campaign chairman, John D. Podesta.

In “Fire and Fury,” Mr. Bannon was quoted by the author, Michael Wolff, as suggesting that Donald Trump Jr.; the president’s son-in-law and senior adviser, Jared Kushner; and Paul Manafort, his campaign chairman at the time, were “treasonous” and “unpatriotic” for attending the meeting with Russians at Trump Tower. Mr. Bannon said that he believed there was “zero” chance that the younger Mr. Trump did not take them to meet his father, who has said he knew nothing about the meeting.

“The three senior guys in the campaign thought it was a good idea to meet with a foreign government inside Trump Tower in the conference room on the 25th floor — with no lawyers,” Mr. Bannon said in the book.

Mr. Trump erupted in anger after the excerpts were published, calling Mr. Bannon “Sloppy Steve” on Twitter and saying he had “cried when he got fired and begged for his job.”

“Now Sloppy Steve has been dumped like a dog by almost everyone,” Mr. Trump wrote. “Too bad!”

Days after the excerpts were published, a statement was issued in Mr. Bannon’s name in which he tried to back away from his assertions in the book. He said that his reference to treason was aimed at Mr. Manafort, not the president’s son. Mr. Bannon did not apologize, however, and though he had approved the statement, an associate sent it to reporters without his knowledge.

The president appeared to ease his anger toward Mr. Bannon at the end of last week. When asked in an interview with The Wall Street Journalwhether his break with Mr. Bannon was “permanent,” the president replied, “I don’t know what the word ‘permanent’ means.”

People close to Mr. Bannon took the president’s comments as a signal that Mr. Trump was aware that his fired strategist would soon be contacted by investigators.

Mr. Trump has a history of reaching out to people he has fired, including those under investigation, directly or indirectly, as he did with Mr. Flynn after he was dismissed and before he struck a plea deal with Mr. Mueller’s investigators.

Mr. Bannon has hired William A. Burck of the Washington office of the Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan law firm to represent him in the defamation threats from Mr. Trump and the congressional inquiries. Mr. Burck also represents several current and former administration officials who have been interviewed as witnesses by Mr. Mueller’s investigators. Among them are the White House counsel, Donald F. McGahn II, and the former White House chief of staff, Reince Priebus.

 

[GrumpyGran]

Lots of thoughts. So is Nunes feeding the WH info on what people are likely to take to Mueller? I think Bannon would have enough to do some serious damage. If nothing else, to expose several people's lies to Mueller.

And why hire a lawyer you know has contact with someone in the WH? Also who has defended someone involved in this money-laundering situation? Are they running out of lawyers who will deal with them?

And will Chris Christie be involved at some point? There's a man with an ax to grind.

[fraurosena]

Here are Seth Abramson's thoughts on Bannon being subpoenaed in a teeny-tiny little itty-bitty thread (well, for Seth that is):

 

[fraurosena]

Welp. No wonder Nunes went off running to the WH as fast as his colluding little legs would carry him!

 

[fraurosena]

More confirmation of Bannon's refusal to answer:

Makes you wonder what Bannon's playing at. Does this have anything to do with Mueller's subpoena? Maybe Bannon's refusal to testify the reason for Mueller's subpoena in the first place...

Interesting.

[fraurosena]

Things are getting curiouser and curiouser. I stand corrected. Apparently it was Nunes (!!!) who authorised the subpoena. 

Bannon refused to answer House panel's questions about time in White House

Quote

President Donald Trump's former adviser Steve Bannon refused to answer questions Tuesday from the House intelligence committee about his time in the White House, prompting panel members to subpoena him on the spot, according to a person familiar with the interview.

Bannon appeared before the committee as part of its investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, speaking just weeks after a falling-out with Trump over comments he made in an explosive new book.

Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) confirmed Tuesday that he issued a subpoena for Bannon.

“Of course I authorized the subpoena," he told reporters. "That’s how the rules work.”

According to the person familiar with the interview, Bannon's attorney told the committee he wouldn't discuss anything about his time in the White House or during the transition after the 2016 election. During that period, Trump allegedly sought a pledge of loyalty from then-FBI Director James Comey and later fired him.

The source said Republicans lawmakers — including Rep. Mike Conaway (R-Texas) and former federal prosecutor Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.) — were frustrated that Bannon was not more forthcoming. Bannon did not invoke executive privilege, the source said.

Bannon, his attorney and his spokeswoman were not immediately available for comment. It was not immediately clear whether Bannon asserted executive privilege to avoid answering certain questions.

A White House official said the lawmakers overlooked a standard practice of coordinating with the White House to get information. “It’s a grandstanding move,” the official said of the subpoena issued to Bannon.

The dispute inside the committee room comes as Bannon was also reportedly subpoenaed by special counsel Robert Mueller in his criminal probe of Russian meddling. The New York Times reported that Mueller's subpoena was the first grand jury subpoena issued against a member of Trump's inner circle in the probe.

Bannon occupied a senior position in the administration when the Times revealed a June 2016 meeting organized by the president's son Donald Trump Jr. and Kremlin-linked people. Mueller has reportedly been interested in a series of misleading statements that emerged about that meeting.

In a new book, "Fire and Fury" by Michael Wolff, Bannon described that meeting as "treasonous" and suggested Trump Jr., as well as Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, could be in legal jeopardy. Bannon later expressed regret about his comments about the president's son.

Does beg the question how he could authorise the subpoena if he is recused, though. 

Also noteworthy is that Conaway and Trey 'Draco-wannabe' Gowdy were frustrated that Bannon wasn't answering their questions. Is this because Bannon is now in the presidunce's bad books? Is it because they are trying to gauge what he knows and what he's willing to tell Mueller?

Oooohhhh, I want today's transcript so badly now! 

 

[GrumpyGran]

16 minutes ago, fraurosena said:

Is it because they are trying to gauge what he knows and what he's willing to tell Mueller?

I'm going with this.

Yeah, this is confusing. Does Bannon really think he can just give everybody the middle finger?

[fraurosena]

Well, this is a relief!

 

[onekidanddone]

6 hours ago, fraurosena said:

On Tuesday, Mr. Bannon testified behind closed doors before the House Intelligence Committee, which is also investigating Russia’s meddling in the 2016 election and ties between the Trump campaign and Russia.

Good thing Muller has got him now. The Republicans on the House Committee are a waste of space and I didn't think a damn thing would come of his testifying there. 

Bannon is a rabid dog with no tether. Trump, the Mercers and Breitbart all threw him under the speeding train. He answers to no one now. I hope he fucking rots in hell, and bring Trump with him.

Oh Rufus, please watch and protect Robert Muller.

[fraurosena]

So this is why Bannon claims he isn’t talking. 

I can’t link/quote the article in the tweet as it’s such a hassle on my phone, but you should really read it.

This so-called gag order is also probably why Mueller subpoenaed him. I wonder if this is a potential case of witness tampering. If there really is a gag order, it is imperative to find out when exactly it was drawn up and signed. Before or after the election? Before or after the inauguration? Before or after he was fired?

Oh my! If the gag order came from the WH, as Adam Schiff claims, there really could be a case for witness tampering! 

 

[fraurosena]

And the plot thickens even more...

How can this not be witness tampering?

Plus, how can the WH now claim to be cooperating with the investigations? How can they believably claim they have nothing to hide if they won’t allow Bannon to testify?

[fraurosena]

More in-depth information on what happened during Bannon’s testimony today. It includes the fact that Bannon told them he would cooperate with Mueller’s subpoena and would answer his questions there.

 

[fraurosena]

After reading this article, I think I know what the WH play is. By now broadly invoking executive priviledge, they are blocking potential incriminating evidence reaching Congress. Why? Because Congress has the power to impeach. And they think they have less to fear from Mueller because they believe a sitting president cannot be indicted.

https://twitter.com/kylegriffin1/status/953459583036600330

 

 

[fraurosena]

FBI agents visited Steve Bannon’s home last week to discuss subpoena in Russia probe

Quote

FBI agents showed up at Steve Bannon’s Washington home last week intent on serving him with a subpoena to appear before a grand jury investigating possible ties between President Donald Trump's campaign and Russia, according to a source familiar with the proceedings.

The agents were unaware at the time that Bannon had retained Washington lawyer William Burck just hours earlier, according to two people familiar with the events that took place on Jan. 9. Once redirected, the agents sent the order to Burck, who is also representing two other witnesses in the probe being led by special counsel Robert Mueller, a former director of the FBI.

Bannon, who served as President Donald Trump’s chief strategist until he departed the White House in August, could end up being interviewed by Mueller’s team before the end of the month, according to one source who agreed to discuss the matter on the condition of anonymity.

The subpoena compels Bannon to testify before a grand jury, skipping the voluntary interview with Mueller's team that many in Trump's orbit have elected to take. But Mueller may still leave open the option for an interview in lieu of grand jury testimony. Bannon is likely to accept such an option if it is made available, according to a source close to Bannon.

Three people familiar with the special counsel’s investigation suggested Mueller moved to subpoena Bannon, rather than ask him to voluntarily appear for questioning, in order to thwart any potential attempt by the White House to pressure Bannon into refusing to cooperate.

Bannon revealed he’d been subpoenaed by the grand jury when he met with lawmakers Tuesday behind closed doors on Capitol Hill, where he was questioned for more than 10 hours.

During the course of questioning, Bannon told members of the House Intelligence committee that the White House had instructed him not to answer questions related to his tenure in the administration and the transition period between the election and inauguration, citing a desire to exert executive privilege. The committee responded by issuing a separate subpoena to compel his responses to lawmakers.

Bannon is expected to be more forthcoming with Mueller’s team. “He’ll answer any questions” Mueller wants, one source close to Bannon told NBC News.

Bannon, who headed the right-wing conservative website Breitbart, was instrumental in Trump’s election and a key figure in the White House. But his abrupt departure from Breitbart last week came amid tensions between the two men that exploded in public after the publication of “Fire and Fury,” a book by Michael Wolff which extensively quoted Bannon criticizing Trump and his family.

In the book, Bannon suggests that Trump knew of, and possibly even met with Russian agents who had shopped potential dirt on his political rival to his son, Donald Trump Jr., and to his campaign chairman Paul Manafort. The White House has denied that Trump met with any of the Russian participants at that meeting inside Trump Tower in June 2016.

According to the book Bannon called the meeting, which also included Trump's son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner, "treasonous" and "unpatriotic."

After the book’s publication, the White House issued a scathing statement about Bannon, who later expressed regrets for his remarks. But the president’s anger with Bannon led to the loss of his job at Breitbart after the site’s funders sided with the White House.

Rep. Mike Conway, R-Texas, who leads the House Intelligence Committee, said the committee’s subpoena remains in effect and described the interview as in “recess.” It was not clear whether Bannon would appear again before the committee, though Rep. Eric Swalwall, D-Calif., indicated late Tuesday that he was hopeful Bannon would return Thursday.

The White House defended consulting with Bannon's legal representatives prior to Tuesday's closed door hearing.

“As with all congressional inquiries touching upon the White House, Congress must consult with the White House prior to obtaining confidential material,” Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said. "We have been fully cooperative with these ongoing investigations, and encourage the committees to work with us to find an appropriate accommodation in order to ensure Congress obtains information necessary to its legitimate interests.”

Burck, who is representing Bannon before the special counsel and the congressional investigations, is also representing White House Counsel Don McGahn and Trump’s former chief of staff, Reince Priebus, both of who have met with Mueller late last year. 

 

[Howl]

21 hours ago, fraurosena said:

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that Seth's theory about Sater cooperating with Mueller turns out to be true.

For any curious person who'd like to fall down the Felix Sater rabbit hole, Josh Marshall at Talking Points Memo got really interested in Sater in Spring 2017, and has been discussing him and his relationship to Trump in detail since early August 2017.  Sater is indeed a player, in numerous circles.   Let's start at the beginning:  

Quote

And what’s the connection between Felix Sater and Michael Cohen? Long before they were top Trump operatives, managing building projects with Russian capital, they grew up together in the Russia emigre world of Brighton Beach. 

Learning Eye-Popping Details About Mr Sater from February 2017 is a good overview,  but let me pull out a few enticing details about this sweetheart of a guy.  Sater was a college dropout who worked as a stockbroker but got derailed when he spent time in prison for stabbing a guy in the face with a broken bottle during a bar fight.  After prison, he got caught in a major securities fraud scheme, and (murky but all details point to this being true) managed to get out from under a big prison stint and major fine by  becoming an informant for FBI and CIA for 10 years. His CIA gig apparently was related  to the weapons black market in Russia and Asia.  Again, murkey, but all signs point to this being true.  He was also sued now and again for other financial securities skullduggery. This was all pre Trump.  Wouldn't YOU trust this stand-up guy to help you put together your multi-million dollar real estate deals?  Moving right along to...

...this tidbit from Another Thought About Felix Sater  February 20, 2017 

Quote

Sater was also clearly dirty. He had been convicted of securities fraud in league with New York City organized crime families. He had been sued multiple times for defrauding investors in other projects. He had also played a key role arranging investments from Russian and post-Soviet sources to fund various Trump enterprises. There are other things which may be true, for which there is a substantial amount of circumstantial evidence. But everything I’m focusing on here rests on very firm foundations.

Here are a few more: 

Stinger Missiles And Shady Deals: Ex-Biz Partner To Trump Has A Tall Tale To Tell August 1, 2017

How Could Donald Trump Have Not Known About Felix Sater’s Dark Past? August 25, 2017

It's fascinating reading because it clarifies at least one way that Trump is connected to Russian dirty money.  As someone pointed out, all Russian money is dirty money. 

[GrumpyGran]

1 hour ago, fraurosena said:

FBI agents visited Steve Bannon’s home last week to discuss subpoena in Russia probe

 

Here's what came to my mind: Did they take Bannon's passport? They seem to be giving him a lot of time to cooperate and wouldn't leaving the country solve a lot of problems for Bannon and Dumpy's administration?

[fraurosena]

1 hour ago, GrumpyGran said:

Here's what came to my mind: Did they take Bannon's passport? They seem to be giving him a lot of time to cooperate and wouldn't leaving the country solve a lot of problems for Bannon and Dumpy's administration?

It's a thought, but wouldn't that be illegal? I mean, nobody can just come into your home and take your passport like that. Certainly not without indictment, and an order by a judge (like in the case of Manafort and Gates).

[GrumpyGran]

13 minutes ago, fraurosena said:

It's a thought, but wouldn't that be illegal? I mean, nobody can just come into your home and take your passport like that. Certainly not without indictment, and an order by a judge (like in the case of Manafort and Gates).

I assume they aren't at the passport seizure point with the subpoena, yeah. That's why it seems they're giving him a lot of leeway and opportunity. They're hoping he'll talk to them tomorrow? Did they give him a day off to do his laundry? Let's face it, he's either going to roll on Dump, or get slapped with contempt and then it's off to jail. Or lie, but then he has to explain all of the stuff he said to Wolff and he also has to hope that everyone else Mueller has talked to hasn't told a different story.

The easy way out now would be to run. It also gets him out of that pesky child support situation.

[fraurosena]

32 minutes ago, GrumpyGran said:

I assume they aren't at the passport seizure point with the subpoena, yeah. That's why it seems they're giving him a lot of leeway and opportunity. They're hoping he'll talk to them tomorrow? Did they give him a day off to do his laundry? Let's face it, he's either going to roll on Dump, or get slapped with contempt and then it's off to jail. Or lie, but then he has to explain all of the stuff he said to Wolff and he also has to hope that everyone else Mueller has talked to hasn't told a different story.

The easy way out now would be to run. It also gets him out of that pesky child support situation.

The House Intelligence Committee is hoping to speak to him tomorrow. I don't think a date as been set (or if it has, the public doesn't know) for Mueller's subpoena questioning. 

I'm not sure if he'll do a runner though. He could, but Bannon the loose cannon is an anarchist at heart. He wants nothing so much as to 'blow things up'. That may be part of his reasoning not to talk to the Intelligence Committee, gag-order or no. It could be the reason he says he'll answer Mueller's questioning. Then again, he could just be saying that to fuck with everybody. If nothing else, he's an attention whore, and all eyes are fixed on him now. Will he, or won't he?

If you think about it, he really has the whole country on tenterhooks, no matter which side of the equation one is on. I'm willing to bet he's thoroughly enjoying that fact. He can make or break any side he chooses.

[GrumpyGran]

1 hour ago, fraurosena said:

The House Intelligence Committee is hoping to speak to him tomorrow. I don't think a date as been set (or if it has, the public doesn't know) for Mueller's subpoena questioning. 

I'm not sure if he'll do a runner though. He could, but Bannon the loose cannon is an anarchist at heart. He wants nothing so much as to 'blow things up'. That may be part of his reasoning not to talk to the Intelligence Committee, gag-order or no. It could be the reason he says he'll answer Mueller's questioning. Then again, he could just be saying that to fuck with everybody. If nothing else, he's an attention whore, and all eyes are fixed on him now. Will he, or won't he?

If you think about it, he really has the whole country on tenterhooks, no matter which side of the equation one is on. I'm willing to bet he's thoroughly enjoying that fact. He can make or break any side he chooses.

I agree with your assessment of him but at some point he has to do something. I do think he'd love to draw this out as long as he can and he loves the chaos. But what does he want at the end of the day? Back into the fold, a return to July when he was in charge, before Kelly? Or to hijack Dump's base? To develop his own crazy crew? I can't see him back in the WH because he can't be trusted. And he's over-reached with all of the info he let out.

I think he thinks he's in a better position than he really is.

[Howl]

2 hours ago, fraurosena said:

but Bannon the loose cannon is an anarchist at heart. He wants nothing so much as to 'blow things up'. That may be part of his reasoning not to talk to the Intelligence Committee, gag-order or no.

Trump would love to drive a stake through Bannon's heart (disloyal!), which puts Bannon in a dicey and vulnerable position. 

Bannon may well see the committee as amateurs,  have zero respect for them and zero confidence that the Republicans on the committee won't leak like a screen door on a submarine and totally compromise him.  Nobody should trust that snakey bottom dweller Nunes, at any time, ever.  Yes, Nunes recused himself, but he's lingering in the shadows. 

Bannon may also want to save burning Eric and Jr. at the stake for Mueller.  Interesting times ahead.