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

IIRC Manafort has state charges as well, so Trump can not pardon his slate clean.

 

Hasn’t been convicted or plead guilty on state charges yet has he?

I think the Whitaker appointment has changed things. If I were a suspect in this case I’d try to run out the clock and feel pretty confident that if they all band together on the “mueller wants me to sign a false plea” that it will make it easier for trump to pardon all of us. He doesn’t have to talk about anyone specifically, just say that mueller was proven to be seeking false confessions and pardon everyone he went after

 

This is all I can think of. Waiting for Manafort to pull a gun on Muller. Eric Roberts' slimey gangster makes a surprisingly good Trump stand-in.

 

Pretty interesting theory going around the inter webs that Mueller has found a trap door with Manafort to release essentially “the report” on the Trump campaign by backing out of the Cooperation agreement where the Judge is now asking for a full report on the crimes Manafort has commited in consideration to his sentence.

It’s an interesting theory and something Mueller can use in the future but I feel like it would be last resort in this case, and Mueller has several more chances to do this. Or his attorneys do if Mueller gets fired. Namely the Indictment of the Russian nationals.

Still I think they will be forced to at least not hold back on what exactly Manafort has done other than just the previous financial crimes. Basically .... if Manafort isn’t reported to have committed any crimes in relation to Trump in the filing coming in the next 48 hours, he likely didn’t commit any crimes with the White House at all, which most people find to be highly unbelievable and would make zero sense as to why he wouid go to jail for Trump in the first place.

 

That only works until Mueller actually releases the indictment and documents exactly what you lied about. Also getting the grand jury to issue the indictment adds another layer of credibility. Nearly a dozen other people believed you to be lying as well.

Still I do think this crazy radio guy is trying something when messing with the public. Angling for a pardon seems to be the best bet.

All this talk about pardons should make people realize that this wouid signal the end of the Trump presidency. Only pardon Trump could survive would be his kids imo. Mueller has avenues to get the evidence in the public at some point anyways. Trumps best play is to let everyone go to jail, hope for the public to really like him like they did with Bill Clinton, and maintain his standing with the Senate who control whether or not Pelosi starts the impeachment process.

The trains already left the station. The only way he gets away with it is through authoritarian tactics and completely destroying law and order in this country or just by having an incredibly sympathetic public with a Senate that serves Trump over the entire country.

 

Okay this is new

 

Guillani confirmed today that Manafort's attorneys have been in regular contact with him and expressed the president's outrage at the "unAmerican" treatment of Mr. Manafort by Robert Mueller.

No wonder things have changed. Trump has appointed Whitaker and has made it clear he's going to pardon or commute sentences for these guys. No need to cooperate further. Only damage at all to be done now is political damage to Trump and that's of no concern to Manafort, Stone, etc. They have to believe that Trump's new AG won't let this investigation go on much longer which means worst case scenario they are in jail for a year.

 

Jesus. This is surprisingly brazen and ridiculous even for these evil morons. London has CCTV cameras all over the universe so there's definitely video of him if he did visit the embassy.


I guess NO COLLUSION really meant "No, COLLUSION!"

 

obstruction

 

They are certainly trying to create a pretense to the American public for shutting down the probe, firing Mueller (citing some unknown conflicts), and since the charges are unfair coming from a conflicted prosecutor (apparently), the charges in courts should be pardoned (which Trump can do for federal crimes).

That's super wishful thinking from team Trump, and sounds like they are really REALLY at a point of desperation beyond what we have believed up to this point if they are seriously thinking they can pull this next step off.

The biggest question that nobody from team Trump can answer though is even if that is true (that Mueller is conflicted enough that America will rally around the president), is even at that point, how do you with ONE person as a lacky at the DOJ (Whittaker), shut down the entire justice system essentially by destroy sealed indictments, destroy/burying evidence, and shutting down court cases already in the process such as the case going to court regarding the Russian Nationals? Especially now with a Democratic congress that will call Matt Whittaker in on day 1, and expose him to the American people as the lacky Trump & co. are hoping he is.... and obviously hoping he is a miracle worker Ninja within our Justice System.

That's a HUGE task even for most autocrats in dictatorship 3rd world countries much less the US with the infrastructure we have. If this is really a signal from Guiliani that they are about to go there now (have Whittaker shut down the probe & order all cases shut/evidence destroyed, and Trump to pardon everyone under the sun), that's just not something that can be done quietly, and we are about to see the end of the Trump presidency, or the end of law & order & the beginning of true American Autocracy.

 

All the above being said, the biggest factors in Trump being able to pull off what he's trying to pull off is this-

https://news.gallup.com/reports/225...utton&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=sharing

The other two unknowns are his continued support with the Senate (who has newly elected Senators such as Mitt Romney who could be a problem for Trump support in Congress)

and the Supreme Court which ultimately will be forced at some point to rule on the powers of the presidency over law & order.

Point being.... Trump has a super tall task to get his way out of this catastrophe, and virtually everything has to break right for him these next two years, and wrong for all the rest of us.

Just an incredible moment in our nations history, and I think few really comprehend it at the moment.

 

Manafort pleaded guilty of all charges in his first trail, as a part of his plea deal.

Liberal link.

 

From last night:

 

Holy schitt, Stone is going down. Looks like Mueller might have Trump dead to rights, and might even implicate him in this Manafort ruling.

Huckabee Sanders said "The president was not involved in any collusion" today, which is very different from past verbiage. He is distancing himself from the posse, this is crazy.

Mueller played 4D chess with Manafort, seemingly let him be Trump's mole, then waited until Trump turned in his open book test to tell Manafort he knew he was lying all along.

 

wow! if true about the tactics used by mueller and team, it's brilliant.

 

He was a corruption and white collar crimes prosecutor for a long time. My guess is, he's probably done all of this stuff 1,000 times before, and done it to people a whole lot smarter than Manefort and Trump.

He prosecuted BCCI (cartel money laundering - the prosecution of BCCI was a huge thing at the time) and the Gambino family. Manafort is a rank amateur in comparison.

 

May you all go under investigation by such unscrupulous means and an illegal immigrant show up at your door. Happy Holidays!

 

I guess I’ll just have to feel safe in the knowledge that I didn’t collude with a foreign power, pay hush money to any p*rn stars with campaign funds, use my charity as a slush fund, or......never mind. You could almost fill a page with all of the things that I don’t have to worry about being caught doing.

May you wake up one day and not put party over country so you can avoid voting for someone who has been a lifelong turd because he hates immigrants as much as you do. Happy holidays to you too.

 

Can't say I agree. We're always waiting for the one big scandal to top all scandals that will sink Trump, but it never comes. He's solidified the narrative among his base about the 'witch hunt'; they believe him. Pardons may increase his disapproval ratings, but his approval won't go below 38, maybe not even 40.

The only power that can remove him (25th amendment won't happen) is 2/3rds of Senate convicting after the House impeaches. With his base enthralled, there's no way 18 republican senators end their careers for this.

 

Can someone clarify this for me:

The judiciary can interfere with the president's power to pardon? I've never heard of that. That's in the constitution?

How is Manafort compelled to testify if he is successfully pardoned?