Russian Connection 4: Do Not Congratulate

[AmazonGrace]

 

[fraurosena]

24 minutes ago, formergothardite said:

He will not sit by and let Pence become president. 

If he prevents Pence from becoming president, it will be the one (and only) good thing he has ever done. 

 

[fraurosena]

1 hour ago, AmazonGrace said:

 

From the article:

Quote

The White House is bracing for Comey to share his story, with aides fearful of how the President will react and how it could influence the escalating Mueller investigation. The well-orchestrated RNC strategy could, of course, be upended by the President himself through a tweet or off-the-cuff comments about Comey.

Come on now, we all know for a certainty that this will happen.

[Audrey2]

1 hour ago, fraurosena said:

If he prevents Pence from becoming president, it will be the one (and only) good thing he has ever done. 

 

Yikes! Just thought about it, and hope the reason Paul Ryan announced that he isn't running again is that he knows how deep Trump and Pence are in this mess, and that he'll be President. Washington these days  is letting the dark side of my mind run free, creating conspiracy theories.

[fraurosena]

Here's another, quite awful,  conspiracy theory for you @Audrey2. 

More and more R's are covertly, and some even overtly stating that they might impeach the presidunce (possibly if and when Mueller gets fired). Maybe they're thinking that the presidunce's usefulness has ended and his continued presiduncy is detrimental to the midterms. And maybe they're thinking that with Pencey-poo in the Oval Office they might stand a better chance in November.

Damn, that is a scary thought. 

[formergothardite]

Just now, fraurosena said:

And maybe they're thinking that with Pencey-poo in the Oval Office they might stand a better chance in November.

The thing is, I think with Pence they would stand a better chance. He can lure in all the evangelical Christians that are put off by Trump. He appears normal and calm. But I'm holding out hope that if Trump goes he will latch onto Pence and take him down with him. Can you imagine the blow to his pride if Pence got to be president while he was shoved out? 

[fraurosena]

Trump, Mueller teams prepare to move forward without presidential interview

Quote

Special counsel Robert Mueller’s office and President Donald Trump’s legal team are now proceeding with strategies that presume a presidential interview will likely not take place as part of the Russia investigation, after months of talks between the two sides collapsed earlier this week, according to multiple people familiar with the matter.

On Monday Trump’s lawyers were discussing a possible interview with Mueller's team and had begun to hash out the final sticking points, including the timing, scope and length, according to people familiar with the discussions. One person familiar with the strategy said the president’s lawyers had sought over the weekend to expand his legal team to include individuals who would prepare him for an interview. Another person familiar with the matter, however, said preparations had not yet gone that far.

But the prospects for a presidential interview drastically dimmed once the FBI raided the home, office and hotel room of Trump’s long-time personal lawyer, Michael Cohen on Monday, these people said. The president criticized the raid as out of bounds in Mueller’s investigation into Russia’s interference in the 2016 election and possible collusion with Trump aides.

The president’s lawyers wanted any interview to last only a few hours, according to one person familiar with the matter. They also wanted Mueller to agree to write a report within at least three or four months after completing the interview, this person said.

Prior to Monday’s raid, Mueller’s team had been aiming to finalize a report on its findings on whether the president has tried to obstruct justice in the Russia investigation in the coming months, as early as May or as late as July, three sources said. That timeline hinged in part on reaching a decision on a presidential interview, these people said. One person familiar with the investigation described a decision on an interview as one of the last steps Mueller was seeking to take before closing his investigation into obstruction.

Now, according to two sources, Mueller’s team may be able to close the obstruction probe more quickly as they will not need to prepare for the interview or follow up on what the president says.

The raid on Cohen “significantly complicated” any negotiations for the president’s legal team, according to a person familiar with the discussions, who also cautioned that “you never say never” in terms of a possible interview. This person said the president’s legal team is still in frequent contact with Mueller’s team on other issues related to the investigation.

The president’s lawyers declined to comment for this report.

Three sources familiar with the investigation said the findings Mueller has collected on Trump’s attempts to obstruct justice include: His intent to fire former FBI Director James Comey; his role in the crafting of a misleading public statement on the nature of a June 2016 Trump Tower meeting between his son and Russians; Trump’s dangling of pardons before grand jury witnesses who might testify against him; and pressuring Attorney General Jeff Sessions not to recuse himself from the Russia investigation.

Mueller would then likely send a confidential report to Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who is overseeing the Russia investigation. Rosenstein could decide whether to make the report public and send its findings to Congress. From there, Congress would then decide whether to begin impeachment proceedings against the president, said two of the sources.

Rosenstein met with the president at the White House on Thursday. A White House official told reporters the meeting was about "routine department business." A Justice Department spokeswoman said it was part of a scheduled meeting with officials from other agencies as well as DOJ.

The special counsel’s office declined to comment on this report or whether it would seek to subpoena Trump to testify before a grand jury.

Since the FBI raid seizing Cohen’s documents and electronics, Trump has soured on the idea of sitting for an interview with Mueller, people familiar with his thinking said. Trump’s lawyers were wary of him agreeing to a sit-down, but in the days before the raid they had started initial preparations for Trump to take part in a possible interview in part because the president could overrule their advice, people familiar with the discussions said.

Prior to the FBI raid on Cohen, Trump’s legal team also had been preparing various approaches depending on how discussions with Mueller concluded, people familiar with the matter said.

If Trump were to decline a voluntary interview, his legal team discussed making the case that a sitting president can’t be subpoenaed, according to people familiar with the discussions. The argument hinges on the idea that a sitting president can’t be indicted, with Trump’s lawyers surmising that if a president can’t be indicted he can’t be subpoenaed.

Two people familiar with the investigation said they expect a flurry of activity from Mueller’s office on the investigation in the next six weeks around the anniversary of his appointment as special counsel.

It’s unclear what other top Trump aides Mueller has left to interview. He still hasn’t requested an interview with Vice President Mike Pence and may be unlikely to do so, two people familiar with the matter said. Trump’s son-in-law and senior White House adviser, Jared Kushner, and Donald Trump Jr. have both been focuses of the investigation.

Mueller has indicted Paul Manafort, Trump’s former campaign chairman, and secured plea deals and cooperation agreements from Trump's former national security adviser Michael Flynn and campaign aide Rick Gates, as well as Russian individuals and others accused of lying to the FBI or helping Russia interfere in the U.S. presidential election in 2016.

Buckle up, everyone! It looks like we're in for one hell of a ride in the next six weeks. 

[Howl]

2 hours ago, fraurosena said:

Here's another, quite awful,  conspiracy theory for you @Audrey2. 

More and more R's are covertly, and some even overtly stating that they might impeach the presidunce (possibly if and when Mueller gets fired). Maybe they're thinking that the presidunce's usefulness has ended and his continued presiduncy is detrimental to the midterms. And maybe they're thinking that with Pencey-poo in the Oval Office they might stand a better chance in November.

Damn, that is a scary thought. 

Well, the whole thing with Paul Ryan bailing has thrown a spanner in the works for Republicans and their original agenda. 

[AmazonGrace]

Rosenstein might be getting canned shortly 

 

[fraurosena]

40 minutes ago, AmazonGrace said:

Rosenstein might be getting canned shortly 

 

From the article:

Quote

Those same sources spoke to Rosenstein multiple times over the course of his tenure as the No. 2 attorney at the Justice Department and say Rosenstein now seems less anxious than he has been at previous times when the president has criticized him.

The fact that he now seems less anxious than he did before could be an indication that he has certain fail-safes in place. Maybe his whole focus was on getting enough dirt on whoever was involved in criminal acts during and after the campaign that he knows that even if he is fired, they will go down and justice will be done. And now that the FBI has it's hands on the Cohen stuff... well, he might think that he's done all that he can achieve anyway. 

[Howl]

Rosenstein has enough years in harness at DoJ to retire with benefits, so at least there is that.   However, Rosenstein is the first domino to fall on the way to firing Comey. 

[onekidanddone]

I just popped some Xanax 

[onekidanddone]

1 hour ago, onekidanddone said:

I just popped some Xanax 

ETA: Okay I now don't actively feel my hear slamming into my rib cage, but I'm still anxious as all fuck

[onekidanddone]

I want some stress eating for dinner. I want to numb my panic with food. I kind of just want sweet tarts and popcorn.

[AmazonGrace]

 

[fraurosena]

So... what is the administration doing about those Russian bots? Or is it only, don't listen to them, listen to us?

[AmazonGrace]

 

[onekidanddone]

On 4/12/2018 at 11:21 AM, formergothardite said:

Trump is going to attempt to bring down every single person he can. He will not sit by and let Pence become president. 

When his back in really against the wall, and only Junior and Eric are left they get tossed over to the Mexican side of the great and wonderful wall. He will keep Treason Barbie, but Jared has to go.

[AmazonGrace]

 

[AmazonGrace]

Any idea whom he represents?  

 

[Howl]

That's very interesting, and scary at the same time.  I'm also a little shocked that he's alluding to his clients in such a way.

I am amazed that Sessions, Rosenstein and Mueller are still standing.  What or who is holding Trump back from firing them?

[AmazonGrace]

 

[GreyhoundFan]

I guess he's realizing he might not be the "best" negotiator ever: "Trump sours on talking with Mueller after FBI raid of lawyer’s office"

Spoiler

The FBI seizure of records from President Trump’s personal attorney last week deeply rattled the president — souring him on his long-stated preference to sit down for an interview with special counsel Robert S. Mueller III and prompting him to renew efforts to hire more legal firepower, people familiar with the discussions said.

Trump, who had previously expressed a desire to submit to a special counsel interview, changed his mind following the April 9 raid of lawyer Michael Cohen’s office, home and hotel room and is now leaning against an interview, according to two people familiar with his turnabout.

The president’s lawyers are still open to talks with Mueller’s office about the possibility and advisers caution that the president frequently changes his mind, but his legal team now sees a Mueller sit-down as less likely. 

Trump was infuriated by the seizure of possibly sensitive correspondence involving work that Cohen — his close friend, consigliere and personal “fixer” — was doing on his behalf and believed Mueller’s team was operating in bad faith, two people familiar with the president’s frustration said.

Trump was so upset, in fact, that he had trouble concentrating on plans that were laid out for him that day by his national security team about potential options for targeted missile strikes on Syria, and told aides he was cool to the idea of doing an interview, said two people familiar with his comments, who requested anonymity to discuss internal deliberations.

After last month’s resignation of attorney John Dowd, the president’s legal team consists primarily of Ty Cobb, the White House lawyer dealing with the investigation, and Jay Sekulow, Trump’s personal attorney on the Russia matter. Trump and his advisers expect the legal team may expand in size as early as the end of this week, according to one person familiar with the discussions.

Both Sekulow and Cobb declined to comment Tuesday.

Trump’s team has reached out to Robert C. Bonner, a former federal judge and former member of President George W. Bush’s administration, about representing Trump, two people familiar with the outreach said. Bonner is a former Customs and Border Protection commissioner and is credited with ushering in a more consolidated government approach to securing America’s borders in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

Unlike other lawyers the Trump team has approached, Bonner retired from his role as a partner at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher in 2008 and thus does not have to worry about potential objections from law partners that might prevent him from taking the job. 

Bonner declined to comment about his status as a potential candidate to represent Trump.

 On the day that news of the Cohen raid broke last week, Sekulow and other Trump advisers were in a preparatory session for a scheduled meeting that afternoon at the special counsel’s office to negotiate final terms for a possible interview with the president.

Sekulow and Cobb had been proponents of having Trump sit down for a limited interview with Mueller’s team on four predetermined topics in hopes of speeding up the conclusion of the probe into the president’s actions.

But the raid alarmed and angered Trump and led to a tense afternoon meeting between Trump advisers and Mueller’s team, according to one person familiar with the talks. The president viewed the raid on his personal attorney as a breach of his team’s cordial working relationship with Mueller’s investigators and swiftly turned on them, another person said. 

“That greatly diminished the trust the team had,” the first person familiar with the president’s reaction to the raid said.

Mark Corallo, a former spokesman for Trump’s legal team, said that unexpected raids like the one executed against Cohen “are generally reserved for mafia dons and drug kingpins.”

“It is not every day that you see no-knock search warrants authorized by a federal judge on a lawyer and a law firm in white-collar matters,” Corallo said. “I don’t know how serious it is for President Trump, but it is very serious for Michael Cohen.”

Mueller’s team had made no prior mention of federal investigators’ focus on Cohen, which they would not be expected to divulge before a pending raid. The special counsel’s office had privately referred their investigative findings about Cohen to the U.S. attorney’s office in the Southern District of New York.

That office conducted the raids last Monday, following several months of investigating Cohen for possible bank fraud, wire fraud and campaign finance violations, according to people familiar with the probe. A search warrant indicated the probe is focused on Cohen’s role in tamping down possible negative publicity for Trump during the campaign and payments that were made during the campaign to women who claimed to have affairs with Trump.

In recent days, Trump has grown increasingly agitated, railing against members of his beleaguered team, said someone familiar with the situation. The president has also been personally involved in the hunt for new members of the legal team, making phone calls to potential additions, this person said. 

There is a growing sense that Trump’s lawyers are not prepared for the rigors and challenges still to come in the Mueller probe, although James Schultz, a former Trump administration lawyer who now works at the law firm Cozen O’Connor, rejected that notion.

“I haven’t seen any indication they are overwhelmed by work,” Schultz said. “They don’t seem overwhelmed to me.”

Within Trump’s orbit, the concern surrounding the raid targeting his lawyer is largely focused on what remains unknown about the dealings of Cohen, whose reputation was for handling Trump’s dirty work. One White House aide described Trump as angry at the what appeared to him to be a violation of attorney-client privilege.

Trump’s legal team has struggled for weeks to bring additional lawyers into their ranks. 

One outside adviser, who requested anonymity to discuss internal deliberations, said Trump is upset that he hasn’t been able to attract top-notch lawyers, but he has long struggled in business to attract good lawyers because he underpays and sometimes pays late. He is also a difficult client, the adviser added.

New York litigator Marc Kasowitz, who has helped Trump in a series of business disputes and was the original leader of the president’s Russia legal defense, is still involved with Trump’s team and has been helping in the search for new lawyers, two people familiar with the situation said. 

Corallo said that while he believes the president deserves top-notch representation, he also understands the particular challenges facing Trump. 

“I think the president of the United States — no matter what you think of him — deserves the best legal talent he can get, and I think a lot of the big law firms have not covered themselves in glory saying no the president,” he said. “Now on the other hand, I do understand why a lot of high-profile lawyers don’t want to take the case.”

Legal struggles have dogged Trump’s presidency. The Trump campaign paid $4 million between January 2017 and March 31, 2018, in legal consulting fees to 13 law firms and Trump Corp., a company run by Trump’s two older sons. The bulk of the fees — about $2.7 million — have gone to Jones Day, a law firm representing the campaign in investigations by Mueller and several congressional committees into Russian interference in the 2016 election.

The reelection campaigns of sitting presidents typically would spend less in attorneys fees in a nonpresidential cycle, hiring one or two law firms for ongoing campaign finance compliance needs, said Brett Kappel, a Washington campaign finance lawyer. Issues that arise over campaign finance or personnel matters typically are resolved within a year or less, Kappel said. 

 Since January 2017, however, the president’s 2020 campaign has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars each on law firms representing the president’s oldest son, Donald Trump Jr., Cohen and the president in the special counsel investigation, as well as a new legal challenge from an adult-film star, Federal Election Commission records show.

Though the expenditures are notably high, there is nothing illegal about the use of campaign funds. Under federal election laws, campaigns can pay for any expenses that relate to their candidacy or activities that occurred while holding elected office. 

 

[AmazonGrace]

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/apr/17/nikki-haley-russia-sanctions-confused-white-house-trump It sounds like they're trying to smoke Haley out

[AmazonGrace]