Mueller proceeding as predicted: Rounding up the usual suspects and process crimes
Manafort indictment expected, but Papadopoulos plea raises question: Why is anyone voluntarily talking to the feds?
Sorry I’ve been mostly absent the past week.
The Vassar meltdown threw me for a loop. I devoted much more time getting ready for the lecture due to the campus hysteria, and have had to devote more time than expected after the event starting the process of addressing the malicious lies spread about me by people who seem to care little for the truth.
Then I had a family event to travel to the entire extended weekend, then we lost power in Rhode Island on Sunday night and Monday due to an unexpectedly strong windstorm.
So I’ve had to watch several news cycles without being able to jump in. One of those cycles was the indictment of Paul Manafort and the guilty plea disclosure for George Papadopoulos.
Certainly this is not the end of the Mueller investigation story, but so far, it’s proceeding as predicted: Rounding up the usual suspects close to Trump and process crimes.
Nothing in the Manafort indictment has to do with Trump. Apparently Mueller was unable to flip Manafort against Trump prior to filing charges (or did he?) so the pressure increases. Manafort may not have anything to give up on Trump, he may just have been in the wrong place at the wrong time and now is a target.
Expect Mueller to find crimes by others in the Trump orbit, having nothing to do with Trump.
Papadopoulos is more interesting, but his was a process crime – lying to the FBI (before Mueller was involved) and thereby obstructing justice. There’s a lot of speculation that Papadopoulos is somehow more of a danger to Trump because at least superficially there was a connection to the campaign. Papadopoulos lied about communications relating to the campaign, but there’s nothing so far to suggest the communications themselves were illegal. There’s also speculation he wore a wire.
So certainly Mueller is just getting started, but so far no surprises.
Which raises another question. Why is anyone voluntarily speaking with the FBI or Mueller’s team about anything related to the investigation? It’s a field of landmines, where even someone trying to be honest could make errors that are indictable as obstructing justice. Memories just aren’t that good, and nothing is going to be forgiven when it comes to Trump.
Which also reminded me of this video I first saw a few months ago on why even completely innocent people should not talk to the police. The video apparently is something of a classic, but I had never seen it until a few months ago.
I was going to write about it them, but it fell by the wayside. I was reminded of it again by Jeff B on Twitter.
The best thing for me about the video is when I was watching it for the first time, a few minutes in I realized, hey that’s Jim Duane, my law school classmate! He was a very good guy and very smart, and he has some smart advice. But it’s easier said than done to not talk to the cops — we want to be helpful, we want to trust good intentions, and we want to prove our innocence.
Which is probably why a lot of people are talking to the feds about Trump. Which means there are going to be a lot more unintentional process crime indictments.
This is old, like "Bush administration Web 2.0" old, but it's still a perennially valuable lecture: https://t.co/ghIY6EznEg
— Jeff B., who on earth is this guy?? (@EsotericCD) October 30, 2017
Stop. Talking. To. The. F. B. I. You. Incredibly. Stupid. Arrogant. Motherfuckers.
— CeaseAndDesistHat (@Popehat) October 30, 2017
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Comments
Grasped straw until proven otherwise IMO
But don’t do that. Ask “am I free to go?” If not, say “I want a lawyer.” And then for God’s sake shut up.
Seems ironic that the best advice is to pay a lawyer to protect you from the people you pay to protect you!
An American not in an illegal racket would like to think that their government law enforcement agents and prosecutors shun Gestapo or Soviet NKVD tactics. But apparently not. Except if you are in the Establishment, and get Tier-One treatment: a pass.
If hillary clinton is not prosecuted while she is still alive – and she’s barely kicking – we will never recover from the current, vast mistrust of our government.
CORRECT ! We can’t get out of a parking ticket. But DC is full of FEDERAL FELONS walking around free as birds !
They have the right not to speak but apparently not the ability to .
I am confused about what Mueller is trying top accomplish here.
He must realize by now that he is not going to be able to “Get Trump” on collusion and anything less than homicide is going to fall by the wayside.
While the Manafort indictment provides political cover against Trump firing Mueller as SP, it also links the Podesta Group to Manafort’s activities, thereby dragging the DNC and the Clintons into the mix. It also opens a huge can of worms for every sitting Congressman and most of the influence peddlers in DC, as they all have had contacts with foreign nationals and accepted money from them in one form or another without disclosing that fact. In fact, the Dems, and many of the Reps, are sweating bullets over this situation. And, he can not control outside investigations or media reports.
So, as I said, I am confused as to exactly what Mueller is attempting to accomplish here.
What he’s trying to accomplish is to give political cover to the fact that Clinton and the FBI just got caught funding the bullshit research about Trump.
I said over a week ago that Mueller was going to file whatever crap charges he could scrap together just to try and distract people from the fact that the FBI literally funded the document it used to obtain FISA warrants against Trump personnel.
Frankly I wouldn’t be surprised if they tried to indict Trump on something like tax evasion.
I considered that, but it flies in the face of the working theory that Mueller, Rosenstein, et al are attempting to protect Dems, Clinton and the Obama administration [including themselves] from exposure.
The funding of the dossier is a nothing-burger, as far as criminal ramifications are concerned and of limited political damage to the Dems. In order to use it against anyone in the FBI, it would have to be proven that the FBI employee swore to the dossier’s accuracy while knowing it was false. This is a near insurmountable hurdle to overcome. The Steele Dossier is only mildly embarrassing to the Dems as it further undermines the credibility of their claims of Trump/Russia collusion. And, that cat is out of the bag already.
I considered that Mueller might be using the Manafort indictment to force Congress and the DOJ to back off on the U1 scandal, as this appears to be criminal in nature and would likely involve Mueller. By essentially opening the barn doors on the lobbying practices in DC, he puts pressure on everyone, except Trump to back-off or be exposed.
I also considered that this could all be a counter punch to the Trump alliance counter punch involving the U1 scandal and the Steele Dossier funding. I think this might be the most likely reason. It could well signal to Trump, that Mueller is going to go after Trump associates and family members, unless investigations into such things as U1, domestic surveillance and leaks are abandoned. If it is, then it shows extreme desperation on the part of Mueller. By essentially opening the entire federal political hierarchy to attack over foreign money and lobbying, he faces the duel problems of being unable to control the response and to making himself highly expendable to the ruling class.
As I said, the Manafort indictment, as issued, doesn’t make any sense from a political standpoint. And this is all about politics. Perhaps the reasons will become clearer as time passes. I’ll just have to wait and see.
“The funding of the dossier is a nothing-burger, as far as criminal ramifications are concerned…”
I believe that to be factually incorrect. It’s a megaburger. Federal statutes are very clear on compensation to foreign entities to effect an election.
That’s why they are bending over backwards to hide the money trail.
I don’t have the specific citation handy, but Andrew McCarthy wrote about it in NRO.
The funding for the Steele dossier went to a US company, the Podesta Group for “opposition research”. The Podesta group paid some of that money to a foreign national Steele. He, in turn paid money to contacts, who may or may not have worked for the Russian government, for information. So, it would be incredibly difficult to prove that anyone in the Clinton campaign or the DNC knew that money was going to a potential foreign state actor.
The U1 scandal is entirely different. There is more than sufficient circumstantial evidence that foreign actors paid money to the Clinton foundation in order to influence the government action necessary to allow the sale of U1. THAT is the hammer. Not the Steele Dossier.
Mueller is attempting a coup by extortion.
He’s as foul,corrupt and anti-American as any obama/clinton toady ever was.
I am not a lawyer nor do I play one on TV.
Could Mueller protect Hillary (and other Dems) by charging them (indict) based on evidence gathered via searches based on the fake dossier? Could the charges then be dismissed with prejudice (fruit of a poison tree) then protecting Hillary et al from further prosecution?
It would not be as good a getting Trump but a silver metal might do for them.
Since that is EXACTLY what Rosenstein and Mueller did in Uranium One, as documented by Andrew McCarthy, yes.
http://www.nationalreview.com/article/452972/uranium-one-deal-obama-administration-doj-hillary-clinton-racketeering
Look at the section labeled “A Sweetheart Plea Deal”.
The DNC, GOP, and mainstream media, are trying to force a Watergate resignation; but, so far, Trump has resisted their conspiracy, and deprived them of their unjust desserts.
Meanwhile, the unholy collusion of Obama, Clinton, Russian agents, post-coup Kiev government, and British intelligence assets, to disenfranchise American citizens and prevent/remove Trump from office has been overshadowed by revelations exposing the Pro-Choice Church as a first-order forcing of catastrophic anthropogenic social liberalism, including rape, rape-rape, pedophilia, and sodomy.
Maybe Mueller could indict Vassar?
Just an idea.
The West Wing not my favorite show, but once in a while…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wf8Vl0ORBaE
I’ve several times posted a link here on LI to the “don’t talk to police” video.
I watch this video every few months to remind me of its message. I’m a blabber-mouth – I find it very difficult not to tell the truth. The video makes it clear – when dealing with government investigators of any kind, even speaking the truth is unwise.
He talked because they lied to him. It is that simple. They encouraged the lie.
We’re not interested in you we just want Trump; or It will go easier on you if you just come clean; or We just need some help with our investigation.
He should have just STFU!
“Which raises another question. Why is anyone voluntarily speaking with the FBI or Mueller’s team about anything related to the investigation? It’s a field of landmines, where even someone trying to be honest could make errors that are indictable as obstructing justice. Memories just aren’t that good, and nothing is going to be forgiven when it comes to Trump.”
Thankyou!! I’ve been thinking the same thing, but haven’t seen anyone in the media make this point.
Given the fact that everyone that talks to them gets charged with, essentially, lying to the Feds – why talk to them at all. Just tell them that, on advise of counsel, given that everyone that gets interviewed gets charged as a criminal for supposedly lying, even when they tell the truth, that you are not going to say anything at all on any topic.
Is there the chance this foreign policy chap is nothing more than a democrat mole?
That video is great. I downloaded it years ago to watch it again every once and awhile and to make sure I never lose it.
Opening your mouth tends to only allow you to switch feet.
Padadapolis was connected to Fushion GPS and was on some advisory board to the State Dept in 2011 ( Hmmm who was Secretary then ? ) He repeatedly tried to have meetings with Russians just as other Fushion connected personnel Lawyer Veselaykiya and two others sucked Donald Jr into am meeting.
The meetings that Pap suggested were rejected
“I fear the Danaans [Greeks], even those bearing gifts” or “even when they bear gifts” Aeneid 11
He also misrepresented his resume to get the volunteer job with Trump .
Can we say Plant or mole ?
Yes, this advice is very true, even the most well intentioned can say things that the investigator can turn against you. In their “Quest for the truth”, the police usually have a pre-determined version of “The truth” that they are then trying to prove and any evidence/testimony that exhonerates you is mentally thrown out. Add to the fact that a person with good intentions that is accused, stresses over the sudden realization of being accused, loses sleep, and is in no way capable of defending themselves in front of an experienced investigator with a pre-determined story to prove.
Why doesn’t Trump just Fire that Mueller ? He is wasting Gov. money to TRY, to dig up something on Trump, that doesn’t exist. Isn’t it strange how the CLINTON name keeps ” Popping Up ? “
A little late to the thread, but applicable. One thing the prosecutors have in their list is:
“…And prosecutors say that in March, he registered a phone and an email account using an alias. He then used that phone to travel to China, Mexico and Ecuador.”
To this, I humbly respond: “Of course, you idiots. You’re a big-money big-shot going to China. Your phone and email account you use there is going to be POUNDED. Anybody rich with a shot of common sense who does not want to bring back an infected phone that copies everything you send to some Chinese hacker will bring a burner phone, a burner laptop, and use a burner email account during the trip. When you direct millions of dollars worth of money transfers a year, the last thing you need is for somebody to (censored) with them.”