FBI and Justice Dept Investigate Manafort’s Firm
The plot thickens
Earlier this morning Donald Trump’s campaign manager, Paul Manafort, resigned from his post.
Speculation Manafort was entangled in a pro-Russian lobbying scheme made headlines earlier this week and was cited as a possible reason for his campaign resignation.
That speculation has turned into a full-on federal investigation.
The backstory:
Also implicated in the probe — the Pedesta Group. You know the same Podesta’s that advise the Clinton’s?
CNN reported:
FBI and Justice Department prosecutors are conducting an investigation into possible US ties to alleged corruption of the former pro-Russian president of Ukraine, including the work of Paul Manafort’s firm, according to multiple US law enforcement officials.
The investigation is broad and is looking into whether US companies and the financial system were used to aid alleged corruption by the party of former president Viktor Yanukovych.
Manafort, who resigned as chairman of Donald Trump’s campaign Friday, has not been the focus of the probe, according to the law enforcement officials. The investigation is ongoing and prosecutors haven’t ruled anything out, the officials said.
The probe is also examining the work of other firms linked to the former Ukrainian government, including that of the Podesta Group, the lobbying and public relations company run by Tony Podesta, brother of Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta.
Anti-corruption investigators in Ukraine have alleged Yanukovych and members of his party ran a corrupt regime. He fled to Russia following a public uprising in 2014.
The FBI, Justice Department and Manafort declined to comment. A Washington attorney who represents Manafort and Yanukovych didn’t respond to a request for comment.
The Podesta group issued a statement saying it hired lawyers to examine its relationship with a not-for-profit organization linked to the ousted Ukrainian regime.
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Comments
What difference, at this point, does it make?
Except maybe to Manafort.
So long as it is an equal opportunity investigation, let the chips fall where they may.
And what if it is not and whatever makes you think it would be in this administration’s department of injustice?
I do not, but I also know this will be a thread that can be pulled. Further, we have allies that will be glad to assist.
Too bad he didn’t make donations to the Clinton Foundation, then this all could be swept under the rug.
He’s fine. As long as his law breaking is unintentional the FBI won’t prosecute him.
Hang on a second. Manafort isn’t a target of the investigation AND Podesta group is also being investigated YET the headline would seem misleading as readers are left with the impression Manafort is being investigated.
Excellent point, one is left to question why that headline got phrased the way it did.
Yep, Billary and the Podestas und themselves a scapegoat. The press accommodates by avoiding one story and harping another.
K. K.
Is it any surprise a compromised FBI & a corrupt Obama Justice dept. would launch an investigation into a man with ties to Donald Trump ; shortly after they both decline to pursue further action against the most corrupt woman on the planet who happens to be running against that same Donald Trump?
Pure distraction to give the Clinton & Obama media something to run with.
Wasn’t the phrase “Escorted out of the building” used with Manafort’s departure?
Well, well. What a coincidence.
The Constitution protects Congress and the Executive against petty harassment by each other, in particular to prevent them from mutual incapacitation. Congressmen are sacrosanct in their offices and when en route to the Capitol, so that the President can’t prevent Congress from achieving a quorum by having members arrested and detained on BS charges like jaywalking or spitting on the sidewalks. And the President is similarly protected from legal harassment by Congress; he can’t even be charged with a crime, BS or not, without first being removed from office via impeachment.
The cautionary tale which inspired the Framers was obviously the struggle between Parliament and the Stuart dynasty; pretty fuzzy to most of us today, but not yet ancient history when the Constitution was written.
But … there are no such protections for candidates. There is nothing preventing servile Federal police of one stripe or another from detaining a candidate on the way to a TV appearance, or a speech, a rally, or, for that matter, the voting booth. Hillary has no police authority … but Bammy does.
If the D’rats are even half as afraid of Trump as the GOPe are, I expect them to pull out the legal stops and treat us to a fine display of non-stop harassment. The press will, of course, cover for them. The election is almost a quarter of a year away; plenty of time for them to get really desperate.
I am sure that they will do a deep dive into Manafort deals and Podesta will get a passing glance since he is only there to make it seem balanced. They can’t get anything on trump so they are going after his team members. Trump train just keeps going with fresh faces.
Isn’t it amazing how fast the feds will investigate a firm linked to Hillary’s opponent.
The AP story is the most informative one I’ve read so far. From what I’m reading, The Centre for Modern Ukraine represented themselves as independent when they were actually controlled by the corrupt Ukrainian government which, at the time, was under Russia’s control. The group then hired Manafort’s firm to help find US firms to lobby for them, which is illegal if not disclosed properly. The Podesta Group was one of those firms.
Manafort will probably say that he had no way of knowing who the Ukranians stuffing wads of money into his firm’s bank account really were and that he just took their story at face value and passed it along. The trouble is, an associate at the Podesta group is now saying that Manafort’s partner at the firm, Rick Gates, told him that the whole point of the arrangement was to supply a source of money that couldn’t be traced back to politicians in the Ukraine.
People are rarely convicted for violating the disclosure act, but if what I’m reading is true, Manafort and his colleagues are in serious trouble. The Podesta Group will certainly do everything they can to deflect the blame their way.
So, how much did Obama, Clinton et al receive to reset the cold war with Russia and back the violent overthrow of the Ukrainian government?
Nothing as far as we know (albeit Soros was involved in it). They stepped into it for free.
More 1%er BSD MBA CEO Manager bullshit, designed to “caveat emptor” screw the 99%ers.
Of course the Conservative Republicans will flock to this, as they are desperately seeking to be the bosses, to serve the 1%ers and be on the top of the pile…
Aren’t the Clintons all 1%ers. Even old Socialist Sanders?
You’re such a cliche.
Bernie and his wife thank you for the donation so they could buy their 3rd house for the low, low socialist price of only $575,000 chem geek.
Sorry, no refunds of you donations and no personal finance records will be filed.
http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/sanders-wont-reveal-personal-finances/article/2599644
Sen. Bernie Sanders said Thursday that he won’t be releasing his personal finance records after twice delaying their release during the campaign, despite his constant call on the campaign trail for public accountability and transparency about money in politics.
According to the Center for Public Integrity, Michael Briggs, a spokesman for Sanders, announced that the Vermont socialist will not be releasing the records after receiving two 45-day extensions beginning in May.
“We were told that since the senator no longer is a candidate, there was no requirement to file,” Briggs said.
Any investigatory threads that point to the Clintons (or any other Democrat) will be ignored.