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Connecting the Trump-Russia Dots

Discussion in 'BBS Hangout: Debate & Discussion' started by adoo, Mar 8, 2017.

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More ridiculousness from Trump's WH... "What are we supposed to do?" the official asked. "Not meet with the Russians?"

The official also pushed back on critics who have questioned whether Trump should have met in the Oval Office with Russian ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak, whose interactions with Trump campaign officials have come under scrutiny by federal and congressional investigators.
"It is ridiculous to say that an ambassador can't meet with the President as part of a visit from a foreign minister. It's standard practice," the official said. As for the timing of Lavrov's meeting, it was scheduled well in advance of Comey's firing. Russian president Vladimir Putin requested during a recent phone conversation that Trump meet with Lavrov, the official said. The official also rejected security concerns about allowing Russian officials into the Oval Office, including Kislyak, who is widely considered to be a spy by US intelligence officials.
"What are we supposed to do?" the official asked. "Not meet with the Russians?"
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http://www.cnn.com/2017/05/11/politics/oval-office-photos-donald-trump-russians/

#461 NewRoxFan, May 11, 2017

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Directors of all six intelligence agencies say Russia hacked 2016 election.

#462 NewRoxFan, May 11, 2017

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NewRoxFan said: ↑

Directors of all six intelligence agencies say Russia hacked 2016 election.

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While trump is backslapping and bafooning for a TASS photographer in the GD Oval Office with Lavrov and Kislyak....truth is stranger than fiction.

#463 wouldabeen23, May 11, 2017

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A foreign power hacking our presidential election ... sounds like an act of war.

Trump's response:

For those keeping score at home, if Hillary had done this, the Republicans would have become completely unhinged. We are talking about a 100x Benghazi response.

#464 No Worries, May 11, 2017

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McCabe calls Russia investigation "highly significant," contradicting White House
The acting FBI director, Andrew McCabe, calling the investigation "highly significant" contradicts what deputy White House press secretary said yesterday during the press briefing.

"The FBI is doing a whole lot more than the Russia investigation," she said.

#465 NewRoxFan, May 11, 2017
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The precipitating factor?

Comey infuriated Trump with refusal to preview Senate testimony: aides

By Steve Holland and Jeff Mason

(This story corrects reference to Russian ambassador in paragraph 10.)

By Steve Holland and Jeff Mason

The anger behind Donald Trump's firing of FBI Director James Comey on Tuesday had been building for months, but a turning point came when Comey refused to preview for top Trump aides his planned testimony to a Senate panel, White House officials said.

Trump, Attorney General Jeff Sessions and deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein had wanted a heads-up from Comey about what he would say at a May 3 hearing about his handling of an investigation into former Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server.

When Comey refused, Trump and his aides considered that an act of insubordination and it was one of the catalysts to Trump’s decision this week to fire the FBI director, the officials said.

"It gave the impression that he was no longer capable of carrying out his duties," one official said. Previews of congressional testimony to superiors are generally considered courteous.

Comey, who testified for four hours before the Senate Judiciary Committee, said it made him feel "mildly nauseous" that his decision to make public his reopening of a probe into Clinton's handling of classified information might have affected the outcome of the Nov. 8 presidential election. But he said he had no regrets and would make the same decision again.

Trump's sudden firing of Comey shocked Washington and plunged Trump deeper into a controversy over his campaign's alleged ties with Russia that has dogged the early days of his presidency.

Democrats accused the Republican president of firing Comey to try to undermine the FBI's probe into Russia's alleged efforts to meddle in the 2016 election and possible collusion with members of the Trump campaign, and demanded an independent investigation. Some of Trump's fellow Republicans called his dismissal of Comey troubling.

The Trump administration said on Tuesday Comey was fired because of his handling of the Clinton email probe.

Before he axed Comey, Trump had publicly expressed frustration with the FBI and congressional probes into the Russia matter. Moscow has denied meddling in the election and the Trump administration denies allegations of collusion with Russia.

A former Trump adviser said Trump was also angry because Comey had never offered a public exoneration of Trump in the FBI probe into contacts between the Russian ambassador to Washington, Sergei Kislyak, and Trump campaign advisers last year.

According to this former adviser, Comey's Senate testimony on the Clinton emails likely reinforced in Trump's mind that "Comey was against him."

"He regretted what he did to Hillary but not what he did to Trump," the former Trump adviser said of Comey.

Clinton has said that the Comey decision to announce the renewed inquiry days before the election was a likely factor in her loss to Trump.

Aides said Trump moved quickly after receiving a recommendation on Monday to terminate Comey from Rosenstein, who began reviewing the situation at the FBI shortly after taking office two weeks ago.

Trump's move was so sudden that his White House staff, accustomed to his impromptu style, was caught off guard. Stunned aides scrambled to put together a plan to explain what happened.

White House spokesman Sean Spicer ended up briefing reporters about the move in the dark on Tuesday night near a patch of bushes steps away from the West Wing.

Comey, who was in Los Angeles meeting with FBI employees on Tuesday and returned later to Washington, has made no public comment on his firing.

'FIG LEAF'

Many questions remained about what caused Trump to move so quickly.

Two former senior Justice Department officials said it made little sense to fire Comey while the Justice Department Inspector General was still doing a review of the FBI’s handling of the Clinton email investigation.

“I take Rod (Rosenstein) at his word that be believed everything in that memo but he must know that it’s going to be used as a fig leaf to fire Comey,” one former official said.

U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein, the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, told reporters it was her “understanding” Comey had been seeking more resources for his investigation into the tangled Russia controversy.

White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Trump had pondered dumping Comey as soon as he took office on Jan. 20, but decided to stick with him.

Trump shrugged off the political firestorm he created with Comey's dismissal as he met with former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger in the Oval Office on Wednesday.

Asked by reporters why he fired Comey, Trump said, "He wasn't doing a good job, very simply. He wasn't doing a good job."

(Additional reporting by Joel Shectman, Julia Edwards Ainsley and Susan Cornwell; Editing by Caren Bohan and Frances Kerry)
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#466 Rashmon, May 11, 2017
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Acting FBI chief declines to say if Trump is under investigation

The man who took over from ousted FBI Director James Comey declined to say on Thursday whether he ever heard Comey tell Donald Trump that the president was not a target of an investigation into possible collusion between Russia and Trump's 2016 presidential campaign.
In testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee, acting FBI director Andrew McCabe also pledged that he would inform the panel of any effort by the White House or others to interfere with the agency's probe into alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 election.
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http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-fbi-idUSKBN1871I7

#467 NewRoxFan, May 11, 2017

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Interesting...

One intelligence official who works on Russian espionage matters said they were more determined than ever to pursue such cases. Another said Comey’s firing and the subsequent comments from the White House are attacks that won’t soon be forgotten. Trump had “essentially declared war on a lot of people at the FBI,” one official said. “I think there will be a concerted effort to respond over time in kind.”
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https://www.washingtonpost.com/poli...18f6849a004_story.html?utm_term=.92fdffe99ffe

#468 Rashmon, May 11, 2017

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Rashmon said: ↑

Interesting...

https://www.washingtonpost.com/poli...18f6849a004_story.html?utm_term=.92fdffe99ffe
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Until Trump plops in his replacement to quash the investigation.

First question of job interview: "Will you continue the Russia investigation? Yes or no?

#469 krnxsnoopy, May 11, 2017

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#470 REEKO_HTOWN, May 11, 2017
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krnxsnoopy said: ↑

Until Trump plops in his replacement to quash the investigation.

First question of job interview: "Will you continue the Russia investigation? Yes or no?
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We are going to find out really quickly how deep the GOP is in their Trump loyalty with the confirmation hearing of the new FBI director. if they roll over to help install another sycophant like Sessions than we know the axis of power for Trump has now been complete. A new FBI sycophant Director cannot immediately just wipe the slate clean with the Russian investigation, but they sure can stall it, defund it, and direct the FBI in different directions also while not complying with the Senate & Congressional investigations.

#471 dobro1229, May 11, 2017

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REEKO_HTOWN said: ↑

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Apparently Louise Mensch has been on top of things (grand jury subpoena story).

She posted this yesterday: ‘First Trump Russia Arrests Possible’ Thursday

Then this a few hours ago:

Several separate sources with links to the intelligence communities of more than one nation, and with links within the US state and federal justice systems, have outlined evidence that exists against multiple men in the line of succession to the US Presidency, as it relates to Russia’s hack on America. I can also exclusively report a RICO case is being considered against the Republican party for laundering Russian money.

These sources say that Senator Orrin Hatch of Utah, who was the ‘Designated Survivor’ at the inauguration of Donald Trump (yes, really) is likely to become President if charges are pursued, according to the evidence, of illegal collusion with Russia, money laundering, and obstruction of justice.

On Donald Trump there is voluminous evidence he knowingly colluded with the Russian state in the hacking of the U.S election, and laundered Russian money through shell companies. This evidence is both data-based, for example, based on the way the server he registered laundered stolen voter registration databases with the DNC’s Vertica database in order to target Russian propaganda at voters.

He has additionally both directly obstructed justice and conspired with others to do so. Rather than repeat previous reporting in this piece I will devote a separate article to the case against Mr. Trump.

On Mike Pence, there is evidence that he obstructed justice, conspired to obstruct justice, and knew that General Mike Flynn was co-ordinating Russia’s propaganda message on behalf of a foreign power. Pence also violated the Logan Act and obstructed justice when he conspired with Donald Trump to order General Flynn illegally to discuss the removal of sanctions while Barack Obama was still President, and that Pence, Trump and Flynn did so to undermine the action a sitting President was taking against a foreign adversary, as President Obama was expelling Russian spies. I do not mean in this list to exclude evidence of Pence’s espionage, sedition and money-laundering offenses which may have happened during the campaign; it is rather that sources have been more explicit as to Pence’s constitutional and legal violations around President Obama’s actions against Russia, conspiring with Trump to undermine the President of the United States in his action against a foreign adversary.

On Paul Ryan, Speaker of the House, normally third in the line of succession, I can report as fact that sources say that Ryan has been legally intercepted, and is on tape, admitting that he knew Russian money was being laundered into the Republican party. Without co-operation pending resignation Ryan may find himself swept up into a RICO prosecution involving the apparatus of the Republican party who accepted laundered Russian money.

This report is a clarification of what I have previously said I had heard on Twitter; namely that Ryan himself was taped at the Republican convention talking to Sergei Kislyak accepting Russian money into the campaign. Following the unconstitutional dismissal of patriot FBI Director Comey by Sessions and Trump, sources have become more forthcoming. It was, they say, Reince Priebus who was taped talking to Sergei Kislyak and other Russians at the convention, agreeing to accept laundered or disgused Russian contributions, and Speaker Ryan is on a later intercept admitting that he knew of this plot, which places him at risk of a large number of criminal charges. A RICO case is being examined against the GOP itself, sources say.

The fourth person in the line of succession is Senator Orrin Hatch of Utah, as President pro-tem of the Senate. Sources with links to the intelligence community say they do not know of any collusion by Hatch in either money-laundering or in accepting Russian intelligence; this does not mean, they warn, that such evidence does not exist.

Some readers have expressed dismay that President Trump may use his powers of pardon to escape justice by pardoning his own confederates in their crimes. Several, separate sources with links to both the intelligence and justice communities note that any person or candidate who accepted laundered donations through banks with branches in Wall Street (even if they are from, say, Wisconsin) is liable to charges from New York’s state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman. Further, it is understood that the FBI and Federal Prosecutors are working on multiple sets of charges both carefully and individually. Were Mr. Trump to pardon General Flynn for violating the Logan Act, as one example, Flynn would have to accept he committed the crime and Trump would thereby admit his own guilt, leading to impeachment. Prosecutors might then bring separate, subsequent cases against Flynn for RICO, violations of FARA, lying to the FBI, lying on his SF-86, and so forth. At the same time, state courts, where Trump has no powers of pardon, would proceed against Flynn on money laundering crimes, and obstruction of justice charges against Trump might be laid out by Federal prosecutors before the Senate. Violation of the Logan Act is one charge against Flynn which applies to both Trump and Pence, and some lawyers read the power of Presidential pardon as not to apply to cases involving a President’s own impeachment.
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#472 Jugdish, May 11, 2017
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REEKO_HTOWN said: ↑

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The buffoon-in-chief poked a hornets nest by pissing off the FBI. I've been in government a long time and know how fast an investigation can get ramped up by amped up investigators who are pissed off.

Especially if they know that changes, like a new boss, may be coming soon.

#473 Rashmon, May 11, 2017
Last edited: May 11, 2017

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Sara Huckabee literally just said in the press briefing that-

"Yes, we fired Comey to bring Russia Investigation to its end"

I'm not a lawyer or anything but if that isn't a clear case of abuse of power and obstruction of justice than I don't know what is. The GOP leaders will twist themselves in knots again to defend this one. They have no shred of dignity, and our country is a laughing stock.

Thanks America.

#474 dobro1229, May 11, 2017

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dobro1229 said: ↑

Sara Huckabee literally just said in the press briefing that-

"Yes, we fired Comey to bring Russia Investigation to its end"

I'm not a lawyer or anything but if that isn't a clear case of abuse of power and obstruction of justice than I don't know what is. The GOP leaders will twist themselves in knots again to defend this one. They have no shred of dignity, and our country is a laughing stock.

Thanks America.

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Trump: I was going to fire Comey regardless of DOJ recommendation

"I was going to fire Comey," Trump told NBC News' Lester Holt in an interview. "Regardless of the recommendation I was going to fire Comey."
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#475 Jugdish, May 11, 2017

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Jugdish said: ↑

Trump: I was going to fire Comey regardless of DOJ recommendation
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He may want to stop talking.

Nevermind, book more interviews! Keep his lips flapping. Trumps always say the silent part out loud.

#476 JeffB, May 11, 2017
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Jugdish said: ↑

Apparently Louise Mensch has been on top of things (grand jury subpoena story).
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I thought Grand Juries proceedings were secret.

I'll wait for this story (Russian collusion, money laundering via Trump companies, etc) be triple sourced and published by NYTimes or WaPost. Until then, I am assuming that this is fake news.

#477 No Worries, May 11, 2017

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REEKO_HTOWN said: ↑

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It looks like this raid is unrelated. The FBI thinks they were fundraising without approval from Trump and misappropriating funds.

No Worries said: ↑

I'll wait for this story (Russian collusion, money laundering via Trump companies, etc) be triple sourced and published by NYTimes or WaPost. Until then, I am assuming that this is fake news.
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Agreed.

#478 JuanValdez, May 11, 2017

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Rashmon said: ↑

Russia is trolling the U.S. over James Comey’s firing, accusations of Trump’s Russian connections
Russian media — not U.S. media — gets to see Trump's meeting with an infamous Russian diplomat

(Credit: Twitter/Russia in USA)

President Donald Trump met with two powerful Russian officials at the White House only one day after his controversial firing of FBI Director James Comey.

Although Trump’s schedule showed that he was supposed to meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Wednesday morning, the Russian embassy in the United States also tweeted out a picture of Trump meeting with their U.S. ambassador, Sergey Kislyak.

Kislyak has been described by the American intelligence community as both a spy and a recruiter of foreign agents, although Russian officials deny that this is the case.

While American media was shut out of the U.S.-Russia summit, Russian news agency TASS was invited in to take candid shots.

Photos of Trump's meeting with Lavrov and Kislyak just hit the Getty wire and they're all credited to Russian news agency TASS pic.twitter.com/qE9lWB6KuS
— Matt Novak (@paleofuture) May 10, 2017

Earlier in the day, as Lavrov met with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, the Russian Foreign Minister gave off the impression of being surprised at news of Comey’s termination.

“Was he fired? You are kidding! You are kidding!” Lavrov blurted out before walking away with Tillerson.

“Was he fired? You are kidding!” – Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov asked in US about ex-FBI chief James Comeyhttps://t.co/IrFi991lJz pic.twitter.com/xbEnYQJJsC
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) May 10, 2017

On another occasion, when pressed about allegations of Russian collusion with the Trump campaign, Lavrov condescendingly told the reporter that “I thought we are all adults here, I didn’t know I would have to answer these types of questions in your democratic America.” Meanwhile Russian President Vladimir Putin was asked by a CBS Evening News reporter about his take on Comey’s firing. The leader, at a hockey game, replied that “your question looks very funny for me. Don’t be angry with me. We have nothing to do with that. President Trump is acting in accordance with his confident and in accordance with his law, the constitution.”
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JeffB said: ↑

Here is more:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/worl...2beef8121f7_story.html?utm_term=.ff514e74341c

Presence of Russian photographer in Oval Office raises alarms

A photographer for a Russian state-owned news agency was allowed into the Oval Office on Wednesday during President Trump’s meeting with Russian diplomats, a level of access that was criticized by former U.S. intelligence officials as a potential security breach.

The officials cited the danger that a listening device or other surveillance equipment could have been brought into the Oval Office while hidden in cameras or other electronics. Former U.S. intelligence officials raised questions after photos of Trump’s meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov were posted online by the Tass news agency.

Among those commenting on the issue was former deputy CIA director David S. Cohen. Responding to a question posed online about whether it was a sound decision to allow the photographer into the Oval Office, Cohen replied on Twitter: “No it was not.” He declined to elaborate when reached by phone.

The administration official also said the White House had been misled about the role of the Russian photographer. Russian officials had described the individual as Lavrov’s official photographer without disclosing that he also worked for Tass.

“We were not informed by the Russians that their official photographer was dual-hatted and would be releasing the photographs on the state news agency,” the administration official said.

As a result, White House officials said they were surprised to see photos posted online showing Trump not only with Lavrov but also smiling and shaking hands with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak.

Kislyak has figured prominently in a series of damaging stories for the administration. Former national security adviser Michael Flynn was forced to resign in February over his contacts with Kislyak last year and over misleading statements about the nature of those conversations to Vice President Pence.

The administration official said that “it is standard practice for ambassadors to accompany their principals, and it is ridiculous to suggest there was anything improper.” He added that White House rooms “are swept routinely” for listening devices.

Russia has in the past gone to significant lengths to hide bugs in key U.S. facilities. In the late 1990s, the State Department’s security came under fire after the discovery of a sophisticated listening device in a conference room on the seventh floor, where then-Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and others often held meetings.

Speaking to reporters at the Russian Embassy after his White House talks with Trump and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Lavrov did not hide his irritation with repeated questions about Moscow’s alleged meddling in the U.S. presidential election to boost Trump’s chances and damage Hillary Clinton’s.

“I never thought I’d have to answer such questions, particularly in the United States, given your highly developed democratic system,” he said, according to a simultaneous translation of his remarks into English.

Lavrov said that no evidence exists linking Russia to hacked Democratic Party emails released during last year’s election campaign and that the issue of Russian interference in the campaign did not arise in his meeting with Trump that morning.

U.S. intelligence agencies said they concluded with “high confidence” that Russia tried to affect the outcome of the 2016 election. Lavrov at turns characterized such allegations as “noise” and a “humiliation” for the American people.

“We are monitoring what is going on here concerning Russia and its alleged ‘decisive role’ in your domestic policy,” he said, according to a quote reported in Tass, which added a remark phrased less colorfully by the embassy interpreter. “We have been discussing specific issues, but never touched upon this bacchanalia.”

.
.
.
Before a separate, early-morning meeting with Tillerson at the State Department, Lavrov professed mock surprise when asked whether Comey’s dismissal had cast a shadow over his visit.

“Was he fired?” Lavrov said, arching his eyebrows. “You’re kidding! You’re kidding!”

He then jerked his head back in a dismissive gesture and walked away, shaking his head.

In Moscow, the reaction to Comey’s dismissal also has been acerbic.

“A Comical Firing” was the headline on the Comey story on Russia’s pro-Kremlin NTV news channel. In the report, Konstantin Kosyachev, a senior Russian legislator, said that the FBI director was let go “because he’s not supposed to act like he’s the president.”

The main purpose of Lavrov’s visit to Washington was to discuss the ongoing conflicts in Syria and Ukraine.
.
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Russia is having a good time with this "humiliation." The pictures are sending the message to the globe that the White House is compromised. It is chilling and a well played move. And Trump... I have no words.

I wonder what Russians have on GOP leadership, since we know from last week's hearings that the RNC was hacked but didn't have their data dumped.
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NewRoxFan said: ↑

Could our White House be any more embarrassing? "They tricked us." "That's the problem with the Russians -- they lie".

White House furious after being trolled with Russia Oval Office photos

http://www.cnn.com/2017/05/11/politics/oval-office-photos-donald-trump-russians/
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Remember when posters like Texxx would tell us that Obama was weak? Lol.

#479 JuanValdez, May 11, 2017

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JuanValdez said: ↑

Remember when posters like Texxx would tell us that Obama was weak? Lol.
Click to expand...

LOL... I remember that guy. Seems him and RocketLegend are looking for other safe spaces... like starting political arguments in BBS Hangout.

#480 NewRoxFan, May 11, 2017

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