Indictment-O-Rama, Act 3: Cohen Up the River

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We're close to the end of this investigation, it seems:

Mueller preparing end game for Russia investigation

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This Rachel Maddow segment is well worth watching.  

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Get Ready for Mueller’s Phase Two: The Middle East Connection

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https://twitter.com/natasharothwell/status/1086124293908398081?s=21

They were the only ones with the balls to publish the dossier too

Which is exactly why I'm not going to buy this for now

Interesting -and which part of the dossier did you find was false? 

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From last week -looking through this thread, it seems everyone missed it:

Kremlin Blessed Russia’s NRA Operation, U.S. Intel Report Says

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And Mueller is now taking an interest in the Trump campaign's ties to the National Rifle Association, according to CNN.

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We're getting closer to the 'invasion of Sicily' moment when Trump's supporters on the GOP will all turn on him at once, especially now Trump has caved on the wall.

Which 'invasion of Sicily' are you referring to?  There are so many.  The one in which the Athenians overplayed their hand during the Peloponnesian War and lost decisively, or the allied invasion after North Africa was secured from the Nazis and General Rommel expelled with his army?  And then there's the Roman invasion that led to the Punic Wars, and ultimately resulted in Rome -at the expense of Carthage, it's closest rival- becoming the undisputed master of Mediterranean world.  And I haven't even touched on the medieval period yet.    

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Roger Stone is a truly repulsive human being. No one deserves this fate more (other than Trump, I guess).

Not even Stephen Bannon?

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Roger Stone is a truly repulsive human being. No one deserves this fate more (other than Trump, I guess).

Not even Stephen Bannon?

I actually forgot about Steve Bannon. Yeah he is about as repulsive. Though he knows better than to get a tattoo of Nixon on his back. I wonder what he's been up to. Probably using elementary school toilets and not flushing, just for fun. Something like that.

Last I heard he's traveling abroad, spreading Trumpism in Europe. 

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Thank goodness:

Barr confirmation vote delayed after Democrats raise Mueller report concerns

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CNN Poll: Almost everyone wants a public report on Mueller's findings

And that includes 80% of all Republicans. 

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Roger Stone needs to die in prison like Manafort probably will.

They may need to, but I highly doubt Trump will let them.  They are both betting on a presidential pardon, which explains their risky antics. 

You don't think Trump is going to pardon Paul Manafort?   

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Roger Stone needs to die in prison like Manafort probably will.

They may need to, but I highly doubt Trump will let them.  They are both betting on a presidential pardon, which explains their risky antics. 

You don't think Trump is going to pardon Paul Manafort?   

Nope

Why not?  Trump has every incentive to. 

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We now have a name on who is to replace Rod Rosenstein as Deputy Attorney General: Jeffrey Rosen.

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Bloomberg News

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If Mueller wants, he could continue his probe into Trump's Russian connections until the end of September....

Mueller probe already financed through September: officials

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NBC currently complaining the sentence is light


The idea that 7.5 years in prison for non-violent offenses is a "light sentence" just once again highlights the strain of vindictive punitiveness that runs through American politics, namely among liberals who otherwise like to posture as being above it all

Bill and Hillary Clinton know all about it.   

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Remember Elliott Broidy, the RNC fundraiser who paid a Playboy supermodel for her silence, and is rumored to have covered up an abortion?

Federal Authorities Raided Trump Fundraiser’s Office in Money Laundering Probe

A sealed search warrant obtained by ProPublica shows federal agents scoured Elliott Broidy’s office for documents related to China, Saudi Arabia and a Miami Beach club promoter.

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I'm beginning to think perhaps Mueller didn't find anything impeachable if Trump seems so nonchalant (or relieved?) about releasing his findings to Congress and the public:

Trump Backs Public Release Of Mueller Report

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Trump reelection campaign shifted $1.3 million of donor money into his businesses: analysis

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Trump reelection campaign shifted $1.3 million of donor money into his businesses: analysis

I'm not sure if this is illegal if the donors donated knowing full well it was just going into his pockets.

You're probably right, but it looks slimy even if it technically doesn't violate the letter of the law:

It’s a key question because federal regulations allow candidates to put campaign money into their own businesses only if they pay going rates. Given the varying opinions on whether $3,000 a month constitutes a fair price, however, it seems unlikely that the payments will spark an investigation by the Federal Election Commission.

 “If something is really egregious, yeah, it’s there,” says Bradley Smith, a Republican who served as a commissioner of the FEC from 2000 to 2005. “But they’re just not going to try to pick apart things on a difference of a few percentage points and try to second-guess what should be paid.”

That means Trump should be free to continue shifting his supporters’ money into his business for the rest of the election cycle.

From the Forbes article linked from the original.

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The report is going to leak if Barr doesn't release it soon.

It would be better if it were leaked -that way we can avoid Barr's over-redacting it to protect Trump. 

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To the surprise of no one, Nunes wants to investigate the investigators who started the Russia collusion probe:

House Democrats are crying foul over a plan by the Intelligence Committee's top Republican, Rep. Devin Nunes, to meet privately with Attorney General William Barr to push the Justice Department to pursue criminal charges against officials involved in the investigation of President Donald Trump's 2016 campaign and Russia.

Nunes’ accusations of misconduct are aimed at a slew of former FBI and Justice Department officials, who he alleges committed crimes in their pursuit of allegations that Trump's 2016 campaign conspired with Russians to influence the election.

Nunes has in recent days foreshadowed plans to send eight "criminal referrals" — informal requests for the Justice Department to investigate — directly to Barr. He said on Sean Hannity's Fox News show Thursday night that he intends to meet with Barr "when appropriate" to discuss the referrals, and plans to bring fellow GOP intelligence committee member John Ratcliffe, a former U.S. attorney, to the meeting. Nunes said he wouldn't name the targeted officials publicly but would share his recommendations with Barr.

Barr told lawmakers earlier this week that he was anticipating Nunes' information.

https://www.politico.com/story/2019/04/13/devin-nunes-william-barr-meeting-1272835

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https://twitter.com/washingtonpost/status/1123363379903705088

“The summary letter the Department sent to Congress and released to the public late in the afternoon of March 24 did not fully capture the context, nature, and substance of this office’s work and conclusions,” Mueller wrote. “There is now public confusion about critical aspects of the results of our investigation. This threatens to undermine a central purpose for which the Department appointed the Special Counsel: to assure full public confidence in the outcome of the investigations.”

In short, it confirms what we already suspected -Barr misrepresented the Special Counsel's findings in his letter to Congress and public to protect Trump and undermine any potential bipartisan backing for impeachment.  

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I'm sure Devin Nunes is high up there on that list of suspects in Congress who obstructed the investigation. 

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Deutsche Bank Staff Saw Suspicious Activity in Trump and Kushner Accounts

Anti-money laundering specialists at Deutsche Bank recommended in 2016 and 2017 that multiple transactions involving legal entities controlled by Donald J. Trump and his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, be reported to a federal financial-crimes watchdog.

The transactions, some of which involved Mr. Trump’s now-defunct foundation, set off alerts in a computer system designed to detect illicit activity, according to five current and former bank employees. Compliance staff members who then reviewed the transactions prepared so-called suspicious activity reports that they believed should be sent to a unit of the Treasury Department that polices financial crimes.

But executives at Deutsche Bank, which has lent billions of dollars to the Trump and Kushner companies, rejected their employees’ advice. The reports were never filed with the government.

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Deutsche Bank May Give Trump's Financial Records To Congress, Judge Rules

And in other news:

Wells Fargo, TD Bank turn over Trump financial records to House Dems

Keep following the money, House Democrats -that may be what brings down Trump if 2020 doesn't do it.