Robert Mueller, Former F.B.I. Director, Is Named Special Counsel for Russia Investigation

Serious question: is it illegal for any candidate running for federal office to settle a potential lawsuit or other claim confidentially to protect reputation? Because that could impact the result of the election. Is the violation that the Trump organization paid for it and thus contributed more than allowed? If Trump had simply paid through a personal account, would it be ok?

The filing against Cohen seemed to indicate that Cohen caused his own newly formed entities to pay the money but it reads like at least the second payment (trued up for taxes) was paid back. If so, how was that a contribution?

 

I would change threatening to marketing toward. It might even be based on advanced internal polling. trump people really believe this. Amazing delusion bound the trump clan.

 

In other words, can any federal candidate pay someone off for their silence (through settlement or "buying the story") during an election if he or she uses personal funds? Is the violation the use of either a Trump entity's or (maybe the first payment) Cohen's funds because that exceeded the allowable campaign contribution?

If so, seems like Trump would have saved himself a world of trouble by just paying it personally than through all these machinations.

 

You mean essentially he's giving a talking point to his cult followers so they can say to their friends "well the economy will crash if Trump get's impeached".

I dunno how convincing that is as a talking point. I think its more of a threat IMO but regardless its insanely delusional.

 

...well see that's the thing...
...most of us are creatures of habit...

...good habits, bad habits...I mean who really has time to keep up with those things...?

Donald Trump is simply being Donald Trump. It makes a certain type of sense, actually. This has always been the way the man has done business...or conducted his personal affairs...or comported himself behaviorally...

He's always been as crooked as a country road, so it's no surprise that the straight-and-narrow is foreign (possibly even anathema) to him.

I personally am more than a little disappointed in the Donald's handling of all this, though.

I get the whole bull-in-a-china-shop thing with him...sells well to the marks and the rubes...but he's had more than enough practice with skirting the truth to know better than to tell a lie (or 358 of them) he doesn't have to tell...

...and being a mark in your own con is a new low...even for him...

 

Trump did pay it personally.

The problem is that the payment has to be considered a campaign contribution AND declared. Trump did not declare the payoff.

 

You can't pay someone off to effect an election that is illegal, whether he did it himself or through a proxy, it is a felony.

DD

 

oh man... they were one irrational Trumper away from guilty on all 18 counts.
And this was told to us by one of the jurors who herself is a proud Trump supporter and looks forward to voting for him in 2020, and drove to court with her MAGA cap in the car. She could do her job and admit that according to the evidence, Manafort was guilty on all counts.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/201...am-from-winning-conviction-on-all-counts.html

 

I thought the filing indicated that the Trump organization paid it? An individual can self-finance as much as they want, right? You may be right that Trump would have had to declare it if self-financed.

Not excusing it: but how does any sitting federal official who is likely to run for re-election ever settle lawsuits confidentially? Seems like it could always impact the election and therefore would be a "contribution".

 

This occurred to me in the George Will thread. We've gone on an uncommonly long time on economic expansion and there are reasons to feel like we're just waiting on some catalyst to send us back into recession. Trump staying in office and engaging in a trade war with China might do it. But, an impeachment also might do it. So I think Trump might be right it could happen, though not because he's some mastermind economic architect that would be lost to the world. It's just because every forest fire starts with a spark. It's not really something to be avoided though. It is inevitable that we will sooner or later enter recession.

I'm obviously not any kind of expert, but I don't think there is any payment mechanism he could have used that would have made it okay to not be reported to the FEC, if you buy the argument that he was motivated by the election to do it. If the campaign pays for it, it should be reported; if he pays for it, it should be reported; if his or someone else's company pays for it, it's an illegal campaign contribution because its over the limit, and anyway should be reported; if a private citizen pays for it (like Cohen) it's a donation in kind that should be reported; if you pay the citizen back, it's a campaign loan that should be reported. So whatever the vehicle, in my understanding, if Trump knows about the payment and is motivated by a desire to maximize his election chances to authorize it being paid, then it had to be reported to the FEC. Of course, that would have undermined the whole point of paying hush money. But then, transparency is something we want in elections. If he's the kind of guy who would cheat on his wife with p*rn stars and then pay them off to shut them up, that's a character flaw some voters might feel is important in their decision-making.

I could see morphing into a free speech debate. I can see Trumpers turning their backs on campaign finance law in general and declaring that there shouldn't be rules about reporting how much money you spent and for what purpose, rationalizing that it abridges people (including corporations) from free and anonymous speech.

 

...you're good.

...I mean, the whole character flaw angle with Donald Trump...I TOTALLY missed that one...

 

Thanks. You are right. I got on the FEC website and it appears that a candidate can "loan" his campaign money (and then forgive the loan) thereby bypassing the caps and self-fund.

But, every expenditure needs to be disclosed. So, unless Trump can pull off the defense used in the Edwards' pay-off -- that it was for personal, not election reasons, he was obligated to disclose it.

 

https://www.rawstory.com/2018/08/ex-watergate-prosecutor-need-question-legitimacy-trumps-presidency/

DD

 

...well, truth be told...

...(and not by the Donald, of course)...

...he was in this deep when he schlepped down that escalator of his a couple years ago...

 

If you adhere to the batshit crazy proclamation that he and only he can fix things, it’s effective. If you don’t, you see the insane delusion. If you are confused, you can get wrapped into the delusion as well.

I don’t see a threat, but I wouldn’t ruled that out as an intention or even a consideration after the fact. He is usually a bit more direct with his threats. In this case, I think he is selling himself and he believe it (the delusion is massive).

 

Don't read Time Magazine, so I missed that the current cover is part three of a series... February, April August.

 

Always the opportunist businesswoman, ivanka just published a new book...

 

Wow, huge gut and all haha