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

[Absentee Voting Ghost of Ruin]

From that bastion of far-leftism, Forbes:

Mueller Exposes Putin's Hold Over Trump

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[Sir Mohamed]

Rudy offers a compromise for having Trump sit down with Mueller

Giuliani: Trump will only sit for interview with Mueller ‘over my dead body’

Unorthodox, but sounds acceptable to me.

Even America's Mayor turned-to-Trump-lapdog knows full well that if Drumpf sits down with Mueller under oath, it's going to be an orange jumpsuit.

[Person Man]

Rudy offers a compromise for having Trump sit down with Mueller

Giuliani: Trump will only sit for interview with Mueller ‘over my dead body’

Unorthodox, but sounds acceptable to me.

Even America's Mayor turned-to-Trump-lapdog knows full well that if Drumpf sits down with Mueller under oath, it's going to be an orange jumpsuit.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cp0I9qLE0VA

[Silent Hunter]

Business partner of Michael Flynn charged with being a foreign agent for Turkey.

[Person Man]

Maybe Trump is draining the swamp by having so much attention drawn into it by being involved in it.

[The Dowager Mod]

I need more popcorn.

https://twitter.com/vermontgmg/status/1074623888766713857

[GeorgiaModerate]

https://twitter.com/ZoeTillman/status/1074813472389648384

[Person Man]

Can't wait for the restitution sale!

[Absentee Voting Ghost of Ruin]

Russian disinformation teams targeted Robert S. Mueller III, says report prepared for Senate

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[Gass3268]

Woah:

https://twitter.com/stevenportnoy/status/1075072332853624844

https://twitter.com/mkraju/status/1075074364511543296

[Hindsight was 2020]

Woah:

https://twitter.com/stevenportnoy/status/1075072332853624844

https://twitter.com/mkraju/status/1075074364511543296

Good on the judge. As a general and IC guy Flynn knew what he was doing was serious

[Silent Hunter]

Is it common for a judge to ignore a sentencing recommendation in a plea deal?

[SteveRogers]

Is it common for a judge to ignore a sentencing recommendation in a plea deal?

Not uncommon. Depends on the judge (and often the likely media visibility of the case).

[Koharu]

Sullivan really let him have it. It sounds like he thinks that the prosecution could (and should?) have pressed for treason with Flynn? I'm not sure on that though, by missing the in-person body language and the like.

I do agree that of all involved, Flynn knew exactly what he was doing.

[Silent Hunter]

Doesn't treason actually require the US to be at war with Russia?

[Koharu]

Sullivan also walked back his comments.

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https://www.cnn.com/2018/12/18/politics/michael-flynn-sentencing-mueller-russia-probe/index.html

[Silent Hunter]

More on this Turkish agent indictments

[Obama-Biden Democrat]

Treasonous Republicans on the intelligence committee declined to to issue subpoenas for Trump's phone records, even after finding out that Trump Jr made a phone call to a blocked number after the infamous Trump Tower meeting with the Russians. Trump is a known user of a blocked phone number. They know damn well who Trump Jr was talking to, they are afraid of the answer.

[GeorgiaModerate]

Treasonous Republicans on the intelligence committee declined to to issue subpoenas for Trump's phone records, even after finding out that Trump Jr made a phone call to a blocked number after the infamous Trump Tower meeting with the Russians. Trump is a known user of a blocked phone number. They know damn well who Trump Jr was talking to, they are afraid of the answer.

In a couple of weeks, Republicans will no longer control the House Intelligence Committee.  This should have Trump & company shaking in their boots.

[Badger]

Is it common for a judge to ignore a sentencing recommendation in a plea deal?

Not uncommon. Depends on the judge (and often the likely media visibility of the case).

In this case the latter doesn't apply too much considering this judge has a lifetime appointment.

[Absentee Voting Ghost of Ruin]

Trump signed letter of intent for Trump Tower Moscow project despite Giuliani insisting he didn't

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[pbrower2a]

Doesn't treason actually require the US to be at war with Russia?

Treason can include dirty deals before a war or a 'hostile takeover'.

Article 3, Section 3 defines treason as a offense to be prosecuted:

Definition: In Article III, Section 3 of the United States Constitution, treason is specifically limited to levying war against the US, or adhering to their enemies, giving them aid and comfort. Conviction requires two witnesses or a confession in open court.[2]

Penalty: U.S. Code Title 18: Death,[8] or not less than 5 years' imprisonment and not more than life imprisonment without the possibility of parole (minimum fine of $10,000, if not sentenced to death). Any person convicted of treason against the United States will permanently lose the right to ever hold or run for public office anywhere in any capacity within the United States. [9][10]

(Wikipedia)

The idea is to limit the charge of treason to very specific offenses against the sovereignty of the US. That includes a rebellion with the intention of overthrowing a lawfully-constituted US government (the Confederacy never intended to do that),  participating in a puppet regime of a foreign power (think of Quisling or Laval) or giving a foreign power assurances that US forces will be unable to defend themselves (such as by stealing or destroying munitions for a border garrison, guiding enemy forces in an effort to conquer territory, or promising to suppress resistance). Aid and comfort does not mean something so trivial as food and lodging.

There must probably be some malign intent or unjustified reward (money or political authority).

A treason charge is difficult to prosecute. Other acts of treachery from desertion to to terrorism to ervice in an enemy army to espionage to war crimes are easier to prove. Such people, let us say Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, are typically prosecuted as spies, or like John Walker Lindh for illegal transactions with an enemy. 

[Person Man]

tl; dr. But Question-

Could someone get Death over all of this?

[GeorgiaModerate]

https://twitter.com/KenDilanianNBC/status/1075896645584338944

Tick.  Tick.  Tick.

[Absentee Voting Ghost of Ruin]

Ethics official said Whitaker should recuse from the Mueller probe, but his advisers told him not to, officials say

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