If all the top US intelligence officials, and even today H.R. McMaster agree Russia is waging war against the US and Trump ignores it and fails to act is that not treason?
That is chargeable as a CRIME--no impeachment necessary.
As it is becoming clearer that the Mueller team are not destroying despite best efforts the Trump ‘Presidency and the Democrats appear to be failing equally
the Times is ‘whistling past the graveyard’as they realize despite gallons of ink to the contrary there is no there there,if one can effect an election with face book posts there is little hope for this country left.Further the indictment of Mannafort is a joke instead of using Cyprus to hide his earnings he should have hired the lawyers in Panama and no indictment would have happened.
" The investigation has already brought the indictment of the former Trump campaign chairman — albeit on charges unrelated to Russian collusion..."
In other words, if Mueller investigates someone long enough he is likely to find something to charge them with. It may not be collusion with Russia but, hey, they work(ed) for Trump so they must be guilty of something.
2
seems a fair conclusion given the track record.
birds of a feather.
Why can't Trump Jr. pay his own legal bills? Do donors to Trump's campaign know they've donated so a quarter of a million dollars goes to Jr's lawyer?
1
Mr. Mazzetti said:
"during the Cold War, when the Soviet Union was often assisting a leftist candidate"
Horrible choice of word, "leftist."
What does he mean by "leftist"?
By "leftist" does he mean pro-Soviet and anti-American?
Maybe the NYTimes should stop using these bumper-sticker labels and say what is meant.
7
Robert Mueller is about six months behind Chris Matthews.
Chris delivers the news and Mueeler investigates. That's how we knew about Mannafort, Page, Don Jr. etc long before they came under Mueller's microscope.
The problem is - Chris seems to be running out of news.
Isn’t the below just what Trump did on national television when calling Russia to hack Clinton? His candidacy should have stopped right there.
“If, for example, campaign officials told Russians to break into the Democratic National Committee’s servers, then the officials could be in legal jeopardy.”
4
These are depressing answers and I don’t see any hope in them. Basically, it sounds like any campaign can collude with a foreign government to win elections as long as they don’t do anything illegal. It sounds like we are doomed, and no matter what Mueller finds, Trump and his family will escape justice. It’s even entirely possible that Mueller will present a rock solid case to Rod Rosenstein and Mr Rosenstein will decline to make it public. So here we will sit, with an unresolved mystery and possibly crimes against our nation, with a possible Russian asset in the White House, and nothing will be done. Meanwhile, Trump and his minions, knowing they have successfully evaded prosecution, will begin to start open acceptance of bribes and direction by Putin. Very, very depressing.
3
Russia's kompromat on and 'loans' to Trump are paying off big time for Putin. Trump's cozying up to this hostile foreign dictator has no other even vaguely probable explanation. This fact, coupled with the additional fact that the American oligarchs have bought the GOP and care about nothing except not paying their share of taxes, have placed our country in the most dangerous position since the height of the cold war.
5
Replace Russia w Benghazi and it all feels like deja vu
1
The Dems must take the House in Nov. 2018
4
We need some strong law and order type to introduce legislation to make treason against the United States a hanging offense.
I know it would never allowed to get out of committee because so many might end up on the shot end of a rope.
3
If Russian influence into the 2016 presidential election and the upcoming 2018 mid-term election were believed to be aimed at helping democrats you could be sure Congress would be actively trying to prevent it.
4
Might the NYT and it's commenters try to understand that collusion by itself is not a federal crime in the USA? Until we do, commenters will continue to be barking up the wrong tree.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/collusion-is-not-...
By contrast, conspiracy to commit an offence is.
18 U.S. Code § 371 - Conspiracy to commit offense or to defraud United States
'If two or more persons conspire either to commit any offense against the United States, or to defraud the United States, or any agency thereof in any manner or for any purpose, and one or more of such persons do any act to effect the object of the conspiracy, each shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than five years, or both.'
https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/371
5
In reading the comments section I notice many of the pro-Trump responders say The NY Times is too hard on the President and mont of the anti-Trump responders accuse The NY Times of being too timid on the President. To me that says you are doing the right thing and reporting the facts as they present themselves. If both sides are against you, then fairness in reporting is “trumping” bias. Well done NY Times. Your reporting on this issue (and others) is why I am a subscriber for life.
5
How much has this investigation cost thus far? I'd like to know.
Did Russian meddling change the outcome of the presidential election? I’d like to know.
I keep hearing from Trump supporters that the Steele Dossier is a lie, and the investigation is a lie.
My thought? Prove it. Quit shooting the messengers, assailing the FBI, and just put everything out there. The problem isn't the investigation. The problem is that it is dragging on because where there is smoke there is fire, and the White House is using smoke and mirrors, and countless documented lies.
5
Seems Mueller isn't moving fast enough for the NYT cultural Marxists who see Trump as an impediment to their Obama-years dystopia of multiculturalism and equity--never defined but always a shibboleth used to separate the "common good" from the manifest evil--Trump.
3
Your comment and others like it beg a few very simple questions: If there is no there there, why is POTUS fighting every single aspect of the investigation? If he has nothing to fear, wouldn't POTUS' cooperation soon bring proceedings to an exculpatory conclusion? What, just what, is POTUS hiding?
1
Why didn't democrats stand by Hillary after her deplorable comment?
If you support the president who is committing treason(yes we all knew back then), why is it shocking to have your ideas called deplorable?
Shame on democrats for failing to properly support and defend their overly qualified candidate. She'd be punching the Russians in their nose right now, bless her!
3
I think the NYT and the liberal media have sold out. They have a vision of a world in which there are open borders, tolerance of others who are different, curbs on global warming, and shared leadership in which the US "leads from behind." Fine goals. The only problem is that Hillary and Obama being politicians are more concerned with their own necks than with the ideals that they publicly profess. As a result, the whole liberal enterprise begins to sink because it is dependent on the integrity of the politicians who must implement its ideals in an imperfect, morally corrupt world to which they themselves are susceptible. Maybe Obama was up to the task if we are to believe his self-projected image, but Hillary? I'm not so sure she even makes the effort. Historically, there has always been a tradeoff when the situation begins to go awry. You stick with someone as long as you can but at what point do you jump ship? Thus far the NYT has remained as a staunch defender of the personalities involved, but at some point the ship needs to be righted with the realization that one may have gone too far to one side. The NYT must be willing at long last to make this reckoning and to consider at least the possibility of Democrat corruption and collusion, and, in faithfulness to its mission, go to wherever the evidence leads, before it, too, goes down. In the final analysis it is only our system of government and the operation of law that will save us. It is the only thing we have.
2
What? The NYT had very lopsided election coverage that helped Trump get elected. Constant articles about Clinton's private email server (which by the way half of Trump's staff also have), running propaganda Clinton Cash coverage, and other Clinton bashing. But very little coverage of Trump's lifetime of scams, failed businesses, US mob ties, Russian mob ties, lies, sexual abuse, faking his net worth etc. But most devastating was the NYC article that falsely stated the FBI saw no ties between the Trump campaign and Russia - when we know now, there was an active FBI investigation - whoever the sources were for that article had the malicious intent to tip the election in favor of Trump with this false information. And even now, certain NYT journalists are Trump cheerleaders and skew the reporting.
3
Does anyone watch Rachel Maddow on MSNABC? She connects all the dots, including 8 phone calls between Trump and Putin, only publicized through Russian media, which is how American journalists found out. What’s up with that, and the bot assault on the Russian originated Twitter accounts, supporting release of the Nunes memo questioning the FBI’s surveillance—despite the FBI’s recommendations? Are there moles in the WH, given intolerable laxity around exercising security clearances? I’m concerned; too many loose threads being woven into a more threatening narrative.
5
My daughter registered to vote in Florida for the 2016 election as did several of her friends, all at the same time. This was in Palm Beach County. None of them were allowed to vote. They were told that they weren't on the voter registry. These were all first time voters in Florida.
I believe we really don't know how deeply the Russians interfered. I've never felt so unprotected and so unsafe in my entire 66 years as an American. I feel like Putin owns us all.
8
Russia Gate is an illusion . Bots,trolls , spies never gave the election to Trump. The Dems did it all by themselves .
5
Tell that to the CIA, the FBI, the NSA, the DIA, and the NGIA. Those are the agencies that serve as the nation's bulwark against terrorists, spies, and foreign bad actors. Illusion? Their respective directors today all testified to the contrary.
1
On reading “currently abroad, and I feel a growing frustration with the U.S.”, I personally witnessed in London in the House of Commons debating Russia interference and mocked the US, and the house of lords where they debated global warming and mocked the US. So it is not the NYT that is doing a disservice; it is our president‘s disservice and the NYT is simply reporting on such.
2
There are two things to note regarding the Trump supporters who respond here (some of which has already been noted by others):
1- A little knowledge is a dangerous thing;
2 - There are none so blind as those who will not see;
3- Some people just like to regurgitate what they've heard in their echo chamber.
As to the non-Trump supporters, I wonder what has happened to issues that used to matter:
1- Trump's refusal to provide his tax records;
2- Allegations by many women of sexual assault by Trump;
3- Trump's dictator-like accusations of 'fake news' against all media outlets that report his bizarre behavior;
4- Etc., etc., etc. You know what they are...
Its not possible to reason with Trump supporters to understand what the Muller investigation is about or why its important-- they refuse to understand what doesn't jive with their world view. The best you can do is to keep reminding them of all the ways this imposter is unfit to 'lead' our country.
4
Post of the day right there.
Where is the link to the video from the event?
I do sincerely hope the findings are damning enough to compel action from this congress that seems to not realize what’s truly at stake - the viability of our country. If these careless republicans sweep this investigation under the rug we will literally be signing the death warrant to the health and credibility of the United States of America. We’d be laughed at and ridiculed as a once great power that will go the way of Rome and Greece, which is to say, our continued existence will only be documented in pages of dog-eared history books - and for good reason. The Republican Party has proven itself to behave little more than one would expect from a pack of chimps doing all they can to take what they can for as long as they can before the zookeepers return. When we as a people shrink the concerns and needs of our country to be equal to that of our own...all is lost. Ever wonder what a Roman citizen circa 500 C.E. witnessed with his or her eyes as the once great world power ceased to exercise the influence that was abundant in years past? Wonder no more, we have our own front row seat to extinction and Trump is our modern day Nero, tweeting as opposed to fiddling, as our once great democracy burns.
4
If Trump is a wife and woman abuser and suspect in Russian collusion, how did he get security clearance from the FBI?
3
U.S. presidents are not subject to security clearances. The majority of the electoral college, not the FBI, is all the clearance a president needs.
1
Most nations that perceive they are affected by U.S. foreign policy—which is to say most nations—meddle in U.S. elections. Russian meddling in the 2016 election was relatively minor. Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto compared Trump to Hitler. Mexico urged Mexican nationals residing legally in the United States to apply for U.S. citizenship so they could vote against Trump. Mexico Consular General Carlos González Gutiérrez said, “There are more than 600,000 Mexican legal residents living in Texas who have the right to U.S. citizenship. We have been instructed by the secretary of foreign affairs to promote aggressively the benefits of dual citizenship.” Trump flew to Mexico City in the middle of the campaign to ask Mexico leaders to tone down the anti-Trump rhetoric.
Hillary Clinton asked the millions of Mexican nationals residing legally or illegally in the United States to make their voices heard. Waving Mexican flags, thousands of them marched through U.S. cities. DACA recipients—who are 94 percent Mexican—worked as Clinton campaign volunteers. They stuffed envelopes, organized rallies, conducted voter-registration campaigns, posted anti-Trump messages on social media websites, and made campaign speeches. They helped Clinton roll up her four-million vote margin in California, which accounted for her victory in the popular vote.
And it was all legal.
1
I find it sad that too many--even if a minority of Americans -will stand up for Trump no matter how outrageously he behaves. No matter the harm he does to the Office of the Chief Executive. Fact--by standing up for a wife-beater, he will cost the Republican party not just the 2018 election but possibly their majorities in Congress-writ large.
It's simple. He doesn't care about America or Americans and to think so------makes you yet another successful target of a con-game he's played on people his entire adult life. He's made your tax dollars a target for his family business. He is bilking you. He isn't making America Great again. He's making Trump actually wealthy beyond words for once--for real!
2
There is no proof that the Russians had anything to do with the Dems emails and the NYTs does a grave disservice I perpetuating that falsehood.
1
With no new news about the Russia/Trump inquiry let’s take time to explain the inquiry. The Russia/Trump inquiry reminds me of long version of Geraldo Rivera’s Al Capone’s vault. Remember that in the 80’s? The whole nation tuned in as workers dug under a building. The show was so hyped. At the end ,if I remember right, they found a few old beer bottles. But media made so much money doing the hyped up story that was nothing. Hmmmmm....
As the Democrats’ and their media lackeys’ ability to whip up public terror about the man in the White House with horns and cloven feet declines, the smear campaign over the disembodied fiction of Trump–Kremlin collusion to rig the 2016 presidential election becomes ever more threadbare.
Wrongdoing has shriveled down to: cherry picking among the allegations that could be made to reveal the fraudulence of the whole nonsensical Russian-collusion business
It is likely that the Mueller investigation was implicitly largely based on the Steele dossier, but at least there are other matters — the Trump Tower meeting, the Papadopoulos–Downer drink-out in London — all nonsense unlikely to lead anywhere, but Rosenstein should try to make amends for a very unimpressive performance to date by telling Mueller to wrap it up as soon as he can, or at least make an updated interim statement that the president is not a suspect of serious wrongdoing. This whole episode has been a jolly-hockey-sticks, Keystone Kops farce, and the president is entitled to be free from half-wit cable-news announcers who shall be nameless, regularly announcing that “the noose is tightening around the president’s neck.” It isn’t; he’s just reaching for the sick bag as he listens to these idiots.
Conrad Black
Live by the sword die by the sword "Lock them up".....
1
Hillary schmillary!
Collusion: yawn!
Espionage. Yes, yes without doubt. With criminal conspiracy and a big dash of obstruction of justice swirling around the pot -au-feu of not so clandestine infiltration of the Oval Office.
What else is there not to know?
Well, I would like to know: where are the cops?
The fake news Russian collusion has set sail, the NY Times has to bite the bullet and start to cover the corruption at the FBI, State Dept and DOJ. That's the real news
2
There is no there there. This is a frantic, desperate ploy by NYT, WaPo, leftovers in the civil service and former WH staffers to "stop" Trump by any means necessary.
Layer upon layer of exaggeration, mischaracterising, and character assassination, followed by presenting illogical, unwarranted conclusions as "facts", then slathering on more layers of faulty premises and exaggeration to arrive at more unwarranted conclusions, then presenting these as "facts" upon which to spin even more fabrications... this is incredibly partisan, irresponsible, and destructive of the social and political fabric.
Meanwhile, events outside the US grow worse. Venezuela is on the edge of collapse. We are talking about tens of millions of people who are not very far away. The US may soon experience the sort of misery-driven, desperate attempts to immigrate which Italy and Greece have been facing.
We need to quickly return to real debates on real foreign policy and stop all this counter-productive partisan nonsense. There is no there there. There is, however, a world of trouble outside our borders.
6
Basically there is a there there. This guy was not eligible for a security clearance, and this was ignored. Trump’s white house lies about everything potentially negative, when they could have just come clean at the start “yeah we knew about the allegations and don’t care”. That’s the truth. But they claimed not to know, falsely, at times when they did know. They knew long before that this guy was a wife beater, but that didn’t matter to them until it was reported. The ethics on display from the White House in this matter are repulsive, and that’s not partisan. Really, if Obama had done something like this Republicans would hold hearing after hearing and cry and cry. But when Trump does it, no there there. Hm.
2
Yes, you describe exactly what Nunes and his team are doing in their attacks on the fbi and doj. Perfectly stated. Instead of attacking the fbi and doj they should be focusing on real threats, like Trump and his cronies putting U.S. security at risk and their other illegal activities. I absolutely agree that we should be focusing on external threats, which is why the DoS budget should not be cut as Trump plans. Thanks for your level-headed assessment sir!
1
Please look up what Gertrude Stein meant when she said, "There is no there, there." It's not what you think.
All the deflections in the world aren't going to render this less important, and all of the wishing isn't going to change that.
“It’s still difficult to imagine the circumstances under which the Republican-controlled House of Representatives would move to impeach the president”:
Mueller’s report will probably emerge before the next election cycle. The question of “why you have not impeached” will be in every congressional debate this fall!
20
One extraordinary aspect of this case is that it involves a hostile foreign power. We have, since before the cold war, monitored that power with agents and other assets on the ground. Now we have a president suspected of colluding with, and being beholden to, that foreign power. Proving or disproving those allegations would certainly involve information that those agents and assets have developed.
So any case against the Trump team would involving putting those agents and assets at risk of being outed. Being outed certainly renders them ineffective, and can mean death.
So in bringing indictments, Mueller must move carefully, and give the intelligence services adequate warning. I suspect that that's one of the major holdups to more indictments.
We have never had a president that presented such a threat to national security. In the long-running 'war' between the Russian mafia and the FBI, he has clearly taken sides with the mafia.
28
What a disappointment to learn that a sitting president cannot be indicted for crimes, financial or otherwise!
With such a loophole, wouldn't it be incumbent upon some government agency to vet an incoming president for any criminal actions he may be involved in prior to taking office? Why wasn't that done for Trump?
For those of us who want to see Mueller succeed (specifically for getting rid of Trump) it's devastating to find out that money laundering with Russian oligarchs prior to becoming president could not be used to indict him. Though I'm not a criminal lawyer, I propose to Mueller: Indict Kushner, Donald Junior and any other family member who attended the Trump Tower meeting with Russians. See if that action doesn't entice the president to forgo his immunity for the sake of his family. Use the same tactic used in the Flynn indictment when Mueller indicted Flynn on a lesser charge and didn't indict Flynn's son, who was also involved. Unquestionably, Mueller used this tactic to induce Flynn's guilty plea, no doubt to save Flynn's son from prosecution.
Why not use the same tactic to force Trump out of office?
11
Do you really think Trump would sacrifice himself to save his son? You have not been paying attention.
It's just guide, not a law. He can refer it to a grand jury if he chooses.
The farther we go along in The Investigation the more hedging of bets I'm seeing in the press and the diminishing of expectations that even if crimes have been committed there will be any enacting of justice to follow. Just what is the message here? Has this nation sold its soul for a bunch of temporary tax cuts so that even if a finding of treasonous attempts arises, we have no hope of due process? Sadly all the questions posed and supposedly answered in this column haven't produced any new information or insights into the situation. And the question that really needs answering is what is our recourse if crimes have been committed against us, the American people, and our elected officials and our judiciary system refuse to come to our aid? The distinct possibility that this may be the scenario we eventually face keeps being floated out there but no one has offered a course of action in that event. Please give us an article on this very important and critical subject.
13
being careful to get the facts is not hedging bets.
the "news" you watch lies straight to your face every single day. at least theyre not hedging on the lies.
The question about Russian attempts to hack election systems is probably the most important issue in the whole investigation. It is clear that a number of states have election systems and laws that are so poorly designed that any interference in the actual counts would be undetectable. For example, no state makes any effort to audit actual physical ballot counts versus the results reported by the tabulation programs. Thus, we have no way of knowing if the tabulation is a correct count of the actual ballots, or, even how accurately the machines count when no hacking has occurred. As many people have pointed out, slot machines have better security, and better code reviews than election machines.
While it is unlikely that these problems will be fixed for the next election, the Times should cover the issues more thoroughly. As a loyal reader, I am disappointed that The Times is not pushing for audits at the very least, especially as we are being warned to expect Russia to interfere with the upcoming midterm election.
10
I think it is quite clear now that the Russians did not need any assistance from Trump to meddle in our elections. Whatever they did (plant fake news, steal emails) they will be able to do in the next election. There is no collusion because Trump didn't have anything to bring to the table to make a deal with the Russians. Don't say ease sanctions, because the Russians know that this can't be done without Congressional approval. Besides if they did cut a deal then they would have by now released the tapes that recorded the deal being made throwing our country into more chaos.
1
Trump has already said he won't impose the sanctions voted overwhelmingly by the Congress. Russia is getting more from their investment than we know. Why release the incriminating tape when they can continue to hold it over the dupe's head?
5
My God, we even managed to get the NRA implicated in this. I do note a lack of curiosity among the questioners regarding alleged Russian collusion by Hillary and possibly even Obama. Does the quest for truth and justice as well as the NYT reportage extend only as far as Trump? Investigations have a way of spreading, but I daresay, based on mounting evidence now coming to light, an inquiry into Hillary's and Obama's conduct is the next logical step, not Trump's tax returns. I think the media are getting it all wrong again. They were all in for Hillary and ended up being embarrassed on election night. I think they are in for another surprise. So we follow the breadcrumbs no matter where they may lead.
3
Again, there is no evidence that Hillary Clinton or President Obama joined Trump in conspiring with the Russians to harm the Clinton campaign or American democracy more generally.
1
The Republicans will certainly try to deflect attention from Trump to Hillary and Obama. One thing I recall is that not once in Obama's presidency did the Rebuplicans accuse him of any illegal activity. They definitely attacked his policies. I doubt very much the investigations will reveal anything dirty about Obama.
1
Think about this...
If we don't impeach trump over the Russian attack then the election in 2020 will be vastly different.
Russia will openly help the entire GOP get elected and we will effectively be invaded by a hostile foreign power because there is nothing to stop them anymore and no reason to be quiet about it because GOP voters obviously don't care anymore as long as their team wins.
Unlike democrats because look how fast they abandoned their candidate when unproven accusations were thrown at her.
8
Very disheartening to hear that you do not think trump will be charged for the crimes he has committed. We all have seen more than ample evidence of obstruction, but if there are other crimes, and it is highly likely there are, he should be charged like anyone else would be. No one is above the law. It is especially important because as you say the Republicans in the House will never initiate impeachment, and are doing everything possible to obstruct a real investigation and throw sand into the legitimate investigation going on at DoJ. Nunes could be given a video of trump shooting children in the Oval Office and he would find some way to try to hide it.
7
I’m at the point when I’m asking “what’s the point?”. Trump won’t be impeached. He’ll resign if things get too hot. Then what have we got? Pence. There is no strength on the Democrats’ side and no resolve to fix any of the deeply destructive problems in our electoral systems. No corrective actions are even being discussed. It’s all Trump Trump Trump. Campaign finance reform? Nope. Term limits? Nope. NRA’s obscene influence bought and paid for? Nope. Out of control social media? Nope. No consequences for dishonesty in the main stream media? Nope. On and on and on it goes. Our democracy is being held together by masking tape and Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
7
The Times seems to have missed President Trump's May 2017 Executive Order*, which holds Agency heads responsible for protecting their networks. Some additional homework is necessary to report to readers what is actually being done in that regard.
*********
* "Trump signs order on cybersecurity that holds agency heads accountable for network attacks", https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/trump-signs-order...
3
So what? The head of any agency is responsible for its cyber defense. Not much of an executive order to state the obvious.
The Times is reciting the same storyline over and over to no avail.
Let the investigation run its course then if The Times never ending Trump basing is merit less, I'm sure there will be retraction on the back page in small print! Cannot wait to read it!
7
Are you saying you're tired of reading the daily retractions and coming out of the White House in not so small print?
Gonna be a long wait for all that sourced and verified information to be retracted. Might as well keep screaming Fake News, it's all you got.
1
Tired of reading the same rehashed story on Russia every day. This is not news just the Times using its print space to express its disdain for Trump. When the investigation is concluded, The Times will write some "cock and bull" editorial demonizing Trump and the GOP, and blame their lack of cooperation for its failure. Any concession on the part of The Times will be a small box comment on the package. The "investigative reporting power" of The Times has yielded nothing. No breaking news, just the rehashed nonsense.
The broad outline of Trump's strategy to defeat the Russia investigation seems pretty clear: Fire Rod Rosenstein, replace him with a lackey who will fire Mueller and decline to make Mueller's findings available to Congress or the public. Some pundits have argued that the investigation would continue with or without Mueller, but this seems like wishful thinking; Trump is perilously close to evading the reach of law. Think about that.
Results of the Mueller investigation must be made public when the investigation is concluded, whether concluded by Mueller or Trump. Trump and his Republican enablers will attack Mueller in either scenario, this is a certainty. But squelching the investigation without showing its results, in effect, hiding results behind bureaucratic rules of the Justice Department, deprives us of the opportunity to see what, if anything, Trump has done to assist Russian interference in our election. If there is no there there, Trump is exculpated; otherwise, there is hell to pay.
11
One has to hope that somehow, somewhere, someone is taking steps to ensure that whatever is being established will not be buried deep at midnight on a dark moon.
6
Expect NYTimes to invite POTUS 39 JIMMY CARTER to write an OP-ED offering his assessment of current Russian-influence situation and the related continued slide of Democracy into debilitated decadence.
6
It would be nice if the NYTimes could answer the most basic of questions surrounding the "Russian Investigation". What was the basis for the investigation and the subsequent FAISA warrant? I betcha 99 out of 100 Americans can't answer that...
10
Betcha I can.
1) George Popadoupolis (might be wrong on the spelling) mouthing off to an Australian woman about having "dirt" on Hillary Clinton in 2016. This is exclusive of any Steele information.
I want my kewpie doll!
3
Reply to Chriva. Answers to those basic questions were well summarized by the Times' conservative columnist, Bret Stephens, in this recent article: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/02/opinion/devin-nunes-memo.html?
1
The Trump Administration is an ongoing criminal organization and the principals should prosecuted under the RICO Act.
18
I trust Trump like I trust Putin.
17
Posted Question:
If it is proved that Trump campaign officials received information from Russians and used it in the campaign, is that a crime?
NYTimes answer:
Where campaign officials could get into trouble is if they were coordinating with Russia to do something that violates American law.
US Law:
11 CFR 110.20 - Prohibition on contributions, donations, expenditures, independent expenditures, and disbursements by foreign nationals
(b)Contributions and donations by foreign nationals in connection with elections. A foreign national shall not, directly or indirectly, make a contribution or a donation of money or other thing of value, or expressly or impliedly promise to make a contribution or a donation, in connection with any Federal, State, or local election.
(g)Solicitation, acceptance, or receipt of contributions and donations from foreign nationals. No person shall knowingly solicit, accept, or receive from a foreign national any contribution or donation prohibited by paragraphs (b) through (d) of this section.
(h)Providing substantial assistance.
(1) No person shall knowingly provide substantial assistance in the solicitation, making, acceptance, or receipt of a contribution or donation prohibited by paragraphs (b) through (d), and (g) of this section.
My Comment:
A contribution in kind of opposition research is a “thing of value.”
Therefore, opposition research (DNC hacked emails) would be a violation of the law if they came from Russia or a Russian national.
13
I’m concerned that the National Rifle Association may have been a weak spot for the United States since it’s so conservative (and pro-Trump). Did Russia perhaps find a way to donate to Mr. Trump via the N.R.A.?
— Pete Lindner in New York City
At least $30M dollars in 'dark money' filtered through the NRA's political action arm has been subject to speculation. The source of a considerable portion of this has involved the well-known Russian friend and Mafia crime boss (alleged) "Putin's Banker" Aleksandr Torshin. I am concerned that the Times tip toes so sketchily around such relevant and known information. It is part of a troubling pattern and timidity that was no where in evidence that the New York Times was going after Charlie Rangel for what was treated like the capital crime of the century of having more than one rent protected apartment in the same building - which turned out to be perfectly legal.
Just saying - those of you trying to paint the Times as the arbiter of bravery and last bastion of Liberalism, think again. It indulged Trump for decades of his criminal and fraudulent activity because he seemed a funny joke and good copy, and now we're paying with our freedom and government, while they try to put the milk back in a broken bottle.
7
Never mind the traffic ticket of impeachment - should Trump be proven guilty of colluding with Russia and now appears increasingly likely, convict and execute him for treason as he deserves. Let justice be done.
14
Who is Sydney Blumenthal and what does he have to do with this?
5
NYTimes:
This is nice, but can we get some reporting on what 3 key Russian intelligence agency bosses were doing in the US this past week?
One of then, the head of the GRU, was barred from the country by sanctions last year.
what's up with all that?
16
One of them was Sergey Naryshkin, head of Russia's foreign intelligence, GRU. He's still under sanction and barred from entering the USA. Yet he strolls right into the White House.
1
What's up with the 3 top Russian spies visiting recently? Russia owns us, that's what's up. They just haven't wanted to tell us the bad news yet.
2
With never any new news about the Russian inquiry we will explain the inquiry. The Russian/Trump investigation reminds me of Geraldo Rivera’s Al Capone’s vault. All the hype but finding nothing. The NYT is doing the same. Turning nothing into big ratings.
4
One of the biggest difficulties in all this is how complex these matters are. Supporters of POTUS have proven that they have no patience for anything except sound bites and Twitter posts. Everything else is, to them, de facto "fake," i.e., untrue, even if it is true. And the Republicans in Congress have proven that they'll support Trump, pretty much no matter what. Facts be damned.
It seems that even when the facts are revealed--assuming they ever are--they'll be dismissed as fake or slathered over with more denials and nonsense statements. George Orwell, as it turns out, didn't go far enough.
7
Thanks. Not only do Trump supporters not have the patience for detail, but also many fair minded people don’t have the time for the detail in their busy/distracted lives. I look at Trump who will not read a National security briefing, and that he is able to connect to his audience with a fourth grade level of Communications. Political junkies and retirees like myself make time to parse the ninth grade reading level of the NYTimes, and add to the conversation.
3
Doesn’t it say something that even ardent members of The Resistance among the Times readership aren’t entirely clear what the Russia case is supposed to be about? Ukraine and Manafort? Turkey and Flynn? Trump Jr. meeting a sketchy Russian lawyer lobbyist ingenue? Robert Mueller’s square jaw? This is the Dems Revenge for Ken Starr/Whitewater. And what was Whitewater about again? A stained dress?
6
Oh please. No one knows because the investigation is confidential, not because there is nothing substantial behind it. This is not about revenge, it's about holding our elected officials accountable for their actions. They are not above the law and I think most Democrats would tell you that they would hope for the same investigation were it revealed that a Democratic POTUS was suspected of doing the same. Country over party.
10
Beantownah,
The mind is staggered by the volume of dirty dealing. Uniform depravity doesn’t equal innocence.
1
No, it doesn't say anything. Investigations like this are typically secret.
In one of the responses below the Times columnist suggests that despite Paul Manaforts indictment on matters unrelated to the investigation, such indictment warrants further investigation. How? If it’s unrelated it does not in any logical way “warrant” further investigation. Bad job by columnist
4
Both Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton met with foreign heads of states during the 2016 presidential campaign to discuss foreign policy issues. Both met privately with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in New York City. Hillary met with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko in at the United Nations while Trump flew to Mexico City to discuss NAFTA and the border wall with Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto. Trump could have flown to Moscow to ask Vladimir Putin for his support, along with any incriminating information the Kremlin might have on Hillary, without violating U.S. laws. Doing so would have been political suicide, but it would not have been unlawful collusion. The furor over Donald Trump Jr.’s meeting with Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya at Trump Tower and George Papadopoulos’ failed efforts to arrange meetings with Russian purported to have “dirt” on Hillary is ridiculous. It merely provides members of congressional investigatory meetings a chance to posture on television.
5
No, Trump definitely can't have solicited or accepted information illegally stolen from American government officials by a foreign espionage agency.
I'm sure Trump's careful compliance with the law forms the legal backdrop of his every effort to obstruct justice in this case...
Did anyone in the Democratic Party try to establish a secret communications channel to Putin using Russian spy equipment?
Jes wonderin', . . .
1
Jared Kushner's efforts to establish back channel communications with Moscow vi the Russian embassy occurred during the transition period. This shows the Trump campaign had no back channel communications with Russian during the election campaign. The Clinton campaign and Democratic National Committee have admitted they pay former British spy Christopher to solicit "dirt" on Donald Trump from Russian intelligence operatives and Russian Foreign Ministry officials.
This is just depressing. Trump and the Republican henchmen are (seemingly) above the law. That’s all this article says, really.
Trump has been self serving and corrupt for decades! Republicans continue writing a budget that is rife with little Valentine Cards to lobbyists. And the base is so easily appeased and anesthetized it’s terrifying.
Government has become deeply insulting at best, and so frightening there is no word for the depth of that fear.
But I guess everyone gets away with it in the end. That’s what you’re saying.
.... Disgusted.
6
I am skeptical of the answer relating to collusion. Don’t campaign finance laws prohibit donations (financial or in kind assistance) from any foreign source?
6
Obviously Americans have poorly developed critical thinking skills and will believe ANY propaganda: Golf of Tonkin, Iraq's WMDs, America is a democracy (bringing liberty and freedom around the world), waterboarding isn't torture, war crimes aren't crimes, meddling in other countries' elections and installing puppet dictators is an American god-given right, having 1000 bases around the world is for peace, corporations are people, the media is fair and balanced, FBI and CIA are outstanding, righteous institutions, etc...
The latest installment of brainwashing an already dumbed-down electorate is the new McCarthyism 2.0 and its greatest victims are self-professed liberals.
Blaming Hillary's loss on Russia is an easy out for their poor brains that are in such agony, much easier than realizing they've been supporting the wrong people like Bill, Obama, and now Hillary.
People who used to distrust the media and the intelligence agencies are now fully vested with what they are telling them, bereft of any sense of detachment and skepticism with regard to these claims of Russian interference in their elections and their lives. It's as if liberals are struggling with a mass psychosis. The same people that ridiculed their parents' uniformed, easily manipulated fears have surrendered themselves heart and soul to conspiratorial Cold War imagery, complete with wild accusations of treason and demands for authoritarian solutions, even using the same McCarthyite lexicon of insults.
Pathetic.
9
You seem to blame the effects of conservatism on liberals.
Waterboarding and grand theft and wars for oil and "greatness", and immense deficits from unending wars are consequences of conservatism.
1
So Trump is the "right person," by your logic? Does the "right person" have rape allegations made against him and support men who have been accused of similar actions? Did the "right person" cheat people who have worked on his properties out of the money they rightfully earned? Did the "right person" mock a disabled reporter? Is the "right person" a racist who refuses to pubicly condemn Neo Nazis? Are you sure we are talking about the same "right person"? I'm not convinced.
1
Yeesh. It takes all those words to say you're a Trump/Putin supporter?
1
The most disturbing and scary lines in this article are " If such report goes to Congress, in theory the House Judiciary Committee could begin impeachment proceedings. Again this is difficult to imagine in the current congress." Then why all these investigations? Are we wasting time and money? Most of the Republican House members are Trump's puppet , highly partisan, timid and love their party more than their country, USA. Look at the Nunes memo where the whole Republican Party want to protect Carter Page, a Russian recruit. In cold war, America was winning and finally Reagan dismantled Soviets. Now same Reagan's Republican Party has become Putin's Republican Party. Sad.
6
There are times in our nation's history which have dictated the need for a rigorous press to examine those who are chosen to lead this nation. This is an extraordinary time which dictates the press, led by in my opinion the New York Times and the Washington Post, now carry execute that responsibility.
We cannot trust only those in government to bring light to how we are governed. We depend on a free and proactive press to do so. The New York Times, now answering questions many have regarding the process the press uses and its responsibilities in that role, is not only noteworthy, it is necessary.
I lived through the Nixon years and I never believed in my lifetime I would live through another such moment. President Donald J. Trump however, has brought that moment back with a much more dangerous element. The possibility he and or his operatives actually worked with a foreign power to affect an election. Even Nixon would not sick to such depths. The New York Times must continue its investigations and not stop until we the people, have the answers we need to pass judgement on Donald J. Trump.
7
How about reporting on how Hillary and the Democrats tried to win the election by funding a fictitious book they used to obtain illegal FISA surveillance of Trump.
And that the real Russian scandal is the uranium one deal the Clinton's made and the payoffs they received.
5
"Hillary and the Democrats" did no such thing, and Uranium One is not what you think it is; nothing illegal took place, the Clintons did not profit--man, am I getting tired of trying to snap Trump fans out of their collective coma. Their willful blindness is doing real damage to our nation.
1
This drip, drip, drip, of reporting, has dulled our senses with the investigation into the Trump campaign. Most of us that grew up watching Hollywood movies expected the investigation to be over and done with in a couple of months. We expected Trump to be led out in handcuffs. Yet, it's normal for such an investigation to be both very complicated and to take a while. It's like his bad behavior which has now lowered standards so much. Very soon, we'll probably not bat an eyelid if he turns around at one of his campaign events and takes a leak on the secret service guy's leg.
10
It has been reported that Russians "hackers" hacked into voter registration and records in 21 States. I would be interesting whether these are potential "swing States" and whether the hackers were primarily interested in information about swing districts and swing voters who they then use facebook ads and other social media devices to dissuade these voters. The Russian hackers demonstrated profound knowledge about US voting systems, and Voters likely behavior that suggest that they were privy to voter information that only paid professionals hire by US political campaigns to target US voters..... Is there any way for the special Counsel to determine whether other micro US voter data was provided to the Russians by US individuals and businesses to help them target those social media ads? (Facebook and other media companies should have info about how those ads were targeted) Finally, Could Cambridge Analytics claims of superior data mining techniques was made possible by an "assist" from Russia?
11
My daughter and several friends - all new to Florida - registered to vote in Palm Beach County (Lake Worth) and on election day were denied; they were all told that they did not show up on the rolls.
I'm pretty sure Russia got into Palm Beach County.
1
Did the trump team work with any other countries? Do any other countries try to influence our elections?
What about Russia’s interference in the Baltics and Caucasus?
"the danger posed by future attacks on voting software has received too little attention."
Wake up America!
All future votes must be by paper.
All computer systems, including voting software, can be hacked remotely.
7
I sure am glad I read this column this morning, because it expanded my concerns from a narrow focus on Trump and the Russia investigation to the need to pay even more attention to the domestic manipulation and corruption of our democratic election process by the American flag waving GOP and the virulent right-wing big money donors and media that are hell bent on weakening government oversight by lying, dirty tricks, and election tampering.
Little is going to change until we change the structures in our so-called system that aid and even promote such contamination of our elections: ending Citizens United and moving to publicly funded elections; ending the skewed Electoral College that favors low-population states and rural areas as gate keeper of popular election results; gerrymandering; and voter ID.
Then I don't know how to do this, but in a democracy Truth Matters! Somehow there must be consequences for politicians and media outlets that intentionally lie, wage campaigns of disinformation, and trample all over the truth in key areas such as climate change, outright irresponsible damaging slander (e.g., birther movement), campaign and election dirty tricks, and blocking responsible open debate and rebuttal (e.g., Nunes and the House Un-intelligent Committee).
We really need to clean up our own backyard. I know the GOP isn't up to it and will block it, but I am not confident about the Democrats either. Our two-party system isn't working either. Now what?
6
Interestingly this Times article doesn't even try to claim that the Steele Dossier is reliable or accurate, and in fact, doesn't even mention the Steele Dossier. What has the Times done by way of independent investigative reporting to verify the contents of the Steele Dossier?
Nothing. Because they know it's a fabrication, and they know this so very clearly that Steele's name isn't even mentioned here.
15
Also because the Steele dossier isn't actually central to the investigation. It's simply being used as a straw man by Trump supporters to attempt to discredit the investigation. When the FBI was made aware of the dossier, they were already investigating Russian involvement with the Trump campaign: it simply added another straw to the camel's back--and it certainly wasn't the last straw added.
9
Maybe nobody asked them, and the point was to respond to readers' questions. And maybe if you read their reporting, nothing so far contradicts Steele at all.
4
The consensus of 17 US intelligence agencies:
"The U.S. Intelligence Community (USIC) is confident that the Russian Government directed the recent compromises of e-mails from US persons and institutions, including from US political organizations. . . . These thefts and disclosures are intended to interfere with the US election process. Such activity is not new to Moscow—the Russians have used similar tactics and techniques across Europe and Eurasia, for example, to influence public opinion there. We believe, based on the scope and sensitivity of these efforts, that only Russia's senior-most officials could have authorized these activities."
1
Question: Did the Clinton campaign use any of the info from the GPS/Steele dossier?
8
Irrelevant. It's a tip off to the FBI, which then does its own investigation.
Also: The consensus of 17 US intelligence agencies:
"The U.S. Intelligence Community (USIC) is confident that the Russian Government directed the recent compromises of e-mails from US persons and institutions, including from US political organizations. . . . These thefts and disclosures are intended to interfere with the US election process. Such activity is not new to Moscow—the Russians have used similar tactics and techniques across Europe and Eurasia, for example, to influence public opinion there. We believe, based on the scope and sensitivity of these efforts, that only Russia's senior-most officials could have authorized these activities."
6
I was asking about its use as opposition research. The GPS/Steele documents were opposition research - first payed for by a republican who didn't like trump, then picked up by the DNC - so my question is was this opposition research done by the DNC ever used in the campaign. I don't recall hearing this stuff until after the election.
1
By keeping the lie alive that Trump colluded with the Russians to win the election, the Democrats and liberal media are doing real damage to the United States. Their goal is to foment distrust in the integrity of the elections and when Trump wins again in 2020, declare the election null and void. The Socialists/Communists were SO close to completing their takeover of the United States that it losing to Trump is driving them insane.
13
If it is a lie, why did Trump change his story so many times? There is smoke, so the inquiry needs to keep going to see if there is fire.
6
Even Jr. himself was eager to collude with the Russians for dirt on a political rival of his father. He told us himself after his emails about the Trump Tower meetings were revealed. This along with so much other damning evidence suggests that treason, or the very least, obstruction of justice has occurred. So, no, an investigation of Russian influence on our elections is warranted and critical. Sorry if that bothers you.
1
In the main, the media merely reports the actual words and actions (or non-actions) of this deeply unethical, untruthful, compromised, and inept administration. And If POTUS is standing in a political hole it is almost entirely one of his own making. That his ongoing protection and appeasement of the historic mothership of the socialism and communism you claim to detest is the sad irony of your post. You have misidentified the enemy
1
Let's be frank for a minute. The New York Times and other progressive news outlets cover this non story because it attracts sorely needed eyeballs.
Even when the Mueller excursion ends the same outlets will continue the meme for months selling the what-if scenarios.
9
I, for one, think an investigation that's likely to lead to articles of impeachment is the opposite of a "non story."
9
OCCAM'S RAZOR: One should not make unnecessary assumptions and that the answer to a problem is often the simplest.
Russia has been spying on the United States since the Russian Revolution (100 years ago)!
I believe the so called “Russia Investigation” about Russian meddling in 2016 election is a hoax conjured up by the Democrats. Can anyone answer my questions?
- How did the Russians tamper with voting machines?
- How did the Russians tamper with the Electoral College?
If you suppose the Russians tampered with the voting machines then the "Russian Hacks" of the voting machines helped Mrs. Clinton win the popular vote.
BTW, I filled-in a ballot by hand and passed it into a vote counting machine.
7
Question: Why are you distracted by voting machines when the Mueller investigation has a wide ambit and doesn't depend one whit on the success or failure of Russia's interference?
3
If Mueller finished his investigation this year, while Republicans are still in control of everything and are willing to kowtow to all of trump's whims, wouldn't the investigation be for naught? Shouldn't Mueller and Rosenstein hold off until a credible elected government is elected in? Republicans will no doubt bury the findings and classify as Top Secret.
10
It might be too late by then.
4
I agree. It might already be too late right now. Besides, the Republicans will not lose their near absolute power without a fight or several more dirty tricks in their Russian bag of one-party tricks.
2
It behooves the Times to show proof of this: "Intelligence agencies have concluded that Russia took active steps to disrupt an American presidential election."
I've been reading the Times' coverage and so far have read no credible evidence that supports this generalization. Please inform your readers, instead of passing rumors on.
19
FYI “ASPEN, Colorado July 21, 2017 — Daniel Coats, the director of national intelligence, said Friday there is no dissent inside U.S. intelligence agencies about the conclusion that Russia used hacking and fake news to interfere in the 2016 presidential election — despite comments by his boss, President Donald Trump, that have seemed to cast some doubt about the unanimity.
In an interview with NBC Nightly News anchor Lester Holt at the Aspen Security Forum, Coats said that the reason only four of 17 intelligence agencies signed onto the January assessment describing the Russian effort is that the other agencies were not involved in gathering and analyzing the intelligence.”
1
Don’t trust your intelligence communities? Start learning Russian.
Social media has been proven to have been coopted by Russian and other anti democratic forces.
1
The conclusion reached by the agencies was big news when it came out, I'm surprised you didn't read about it. Here is a link to a report that proves that intelligence agencies reached that conclusion:
https://www.dni.gov/files/documents/ICA_2017_01.pdf
1
If Hillary was the President with the same information about Russia the democrats and the media would be laughing at the republicans saying they were sore losers.
16
Actually, no.
Clinton would have imposed the sanctions required by Congress. Comey might have been fired, but at the beginning of the Presidency and clearly for the breach of DOJ protocol. Clinton would have tasked DHS to work with state election officials to protect state voter rolls from hackers. And she would have insisted on other steps to protect us from such interference.
And Congress would be seriously investigating the interference instead of running interference.
34
Too funny. So Hillary actively works with Russian intelligence, through the law firm and Steele, to influence the US elections. How could she sanction the Russians when she committed even worse crimes, ie Treason?
4
I think you're wrong. Sure, political bias would be present, but not to the degree we are currently experiencing.
1
Just because Trump bleats out “Fake news, no collusion” doesn’t make it true.
Trump’s actions and his strange allegiance to Putin make it obvious that he’s literally thick as thieves with several Russians.
What more will it take to dump Trump?
24
Let the investigation proceed. Remember, DT is a fan of "due process". With a shift in political balance in Congress, his fate may not be under his control.
9
When the 34th state consents to a constitutional convention then its game over.
Maybe some patriots will step up.
Maybe not.
Sorry I don’t have a better answer for you.
Oh please God... let that be true. The Republicans are willing to do one thing only: holding Trump's hat and coat while their Golden God destroys America.
1
I had a dream the other night, related to this and the seeming deterioration of our president's manner and actions since he has become president, whether by legitimate or other means. It was spurred by the news that in his affair with a porn star while Melania was recuperating from the birth process, Trump apparently did not wear protection during sex. Could his waning ability to handle routine tasks be the symptoms of venereal disease? Specifically, as I recall from long ago classes in health, the latter stages of syphilis cause mental issues. I would look this up online, but then the Internet would suspect that I was the one with the disease. I know this is tangential to the issue at hand, but it would perhaps explain the cascade of improbable events since the inauguration. No?
7
I would dance in the street if Donald Trump was forced out of office. This would be nice. Unfortunately, he will be president until 2020. Between now and then, if you oppose him and the Republicans (who are the real toxic bunch), you need to get involved. Get your neighbors involved. Start speaking about solutions to real problems instead of worrying about the daily distractions. Demand concise and documented evidence from your elected officials that they are serving YOUR needs and not just those of the wealthy elite. Vote and make sure everyone you know registers to vote and does so!!!!!
The problem at our doorstep today exists because Americans have been apathetic and univolved with the political process. You get the government and country you deserve.
14
Yes this story is a big deal...You're talking about an American presidential candiate possibly asking a foreign adversary to help him win an election...In return, if Trump is elected, might agree to remove sanctions...
If Trump committed conspiracy against the United States, i think it is the biggest story since the Allied Powers won WW II....
14
I have no brief for Trump, but how is Donald Trump, Jr. meeting with Russians hoping to get dirt on Hillary different from the Clinton campaign paying someone to get Russian dirt on Trump.
I would welcome it if someone could point out any distinction that I am overlooking.
3
Possibly...if...might...If...think...
Sounds a bit weak
The dossier was made up of fake lies created by Russian agents who gave it to Steele who gave it to fusion who gave it to McCain who gave it to the FBI so they could get a FISA and spy on Trump. Always was a hoax always will be a hoax.
13
Slow down speed boat ... let the investigation proceed, and let your mind be open.
5
Much of the dossier has been confirmed as fact, and nothing in the dossier has been proven false.
11
The FISA warrant was not issued to spy on Trump; it was to investigate Carter Page, who worked on Trump's campaign, and it was issued after Page left the campaign. the FISA warrant at issue was a renewal. Page had been investigated since 2013. You may want to get your facts straight before stating unsupported conclusions.
6
It's a linguistically flawed narrative in the Times and virtually the whole media that uses -Russia- as the tag for what essentially is the Putin regime. Why blame the entire country and culture for what comes from the ruling elite? This tends to misinform the reader and cause him/her to think in strictly nationalistic terms. Us vs Them. This is how huge demographic enmities develop and grow. Could the Times journalist not make the R-word into something more accurate, like "Kremlin rulers" as a minimum?
4
Your point is well taken.
The global oligarchs which include Putin are the real danger.
The Russian people haven’t behaved very well either. It’s not unfair to fear the Russian people themselves. They love Putin deeply.
Putin couldn't be more happy that he has his clueless puppet in the WH. Trump knows that Putin has damaging materials about him. This stable smart genius is compromised period.
12
If the Republican party pays DT jr's legal fees, is that counted as income?
I would wager DT Jr was paid a salary by the campaign.
4
Distilled to the end point, the DNC and Hillary Clinton paid for a dossier that was made up/fake and the FBI used this document to convince a judge to issue a FISA warrant to spy on an American. Simple enough for a liberal to follow.
12
Except for the made up fake part, and except for the convince the judge part. Most of what is in the dossier has been corroborated, some of the corroboration the FBI knew when they first saw it. And it was what the FBI knew that was used to convince the judge. The warrant was issued after showing probable cause that Carter Page may have been working for a foreign power. It's an espionage warrant -- it is for a counterintelligence operation, and Carter Page was actually bragging that he had work from the Kremlin.
Mike Flynn, the lock her up guy, the pleading the fifth means your guilty guy, has plead guilty to lying to the FBI, Paul Manafort is charged with working for a foreign power against the United States.
Us liberals may be dumb but we're not stupid. You need to do a whole lot better than that before you ask us what we can or can't understand.
14
Most of what is in the dossier has not been corroborated. If it was, the NYT would have a giant section describing what has, and has not, been corroborated. Since they haven't, we can infer that the picture is much muddier.
1
The following excerpt tells it all:
"At the same time, I’ll defend the amount of attention that The Times has paid to the Russia story and to Mr. Mueller’s investigation. It is an extraordinary moment: Intelligence agencies have concluded that Russia took active steps to disrupt an American presidential election, and the Justice Department is investigating whether President Trump or his advisers helped assist that campaign."
More damning than what we know about Russia's ham-handed attempt to interfere in the 2016 election, are the myriad of things we don't know, such as:
How much did the Obama Administration know about what was going on? And what did or didn't they do to intervene?
Ditto on the above regarding the Clinton campaign?
Is this whole imbroglio an indication of how inept Russia was in their attempted interference? Or are the Russians crazy like a fox by taking a willfully amateurish ploy to twist it in to the national tempest it now has become?
What attempts were made by others, especially the Chinese, the North Koreans, the Israelis and Arab nations or their agents, to similarity influence the election? Especially in regards to "contribution", direct or indirect, through organizations like the Clinton Foundation or global businesses like Goldman Sachs?
In other words - our whole system and all of our "leaders" are corrupt and have debased every national interest for money and power. President Trump is just the most venal and most blatant of them all.
7
How is that tyranny working out? Still hoping for a fair election in 2018? Even after trump has told you that the elections are rigged? Who says trump has run out of suckers....
#calexit - there's no other way to freedom.
6
"...the Justice Department is investigating whether President Trump or his advisers helped assist that campaign. The investigation has already brought the indictment of the former Trump campaign chairman — albeit on charges unrelated to Russian collusion — and Mr. Trump’s former national security adviser has pleaded guilty to lying to the F.B.I. during the course of the investigation...
The progressive narrative grows more shrill and fabulist by the day...
The net of this piece and the commentista echo-chamber is that we should be concerned because Trump or his team...
"may have conspired with the Russians"
First - how???
> Talking with people isn't collusion...
> Neither is digging up political dirt on the opposition...If it were, Obama's and Clinton's teams - evidenced by their role in creating and disseminating the Steele dossier - would be overcrowding Federal prisons by now...
> Likewise nope, for talking with representatives of foreign countries...
Bluntly, I think the investigation - which has devolved into a witch-hunt in a pin-striped suit - was hoping to bludgeon some of the underlings into divulging an improper disclosure of classified information to some Russian representative...
Even if incidental and trivial, a 2nd circle of bludgeoning could then begin...
You all know what classified information is, by now...
It's the stuff that was selectively leaked in torrents by the former administration - and blissfully drunk up by media like the NYT...
5
You realize that this is a national security story, right? That we're talking cyberattacks and espionage and propaganda aimed at our country, the United States? And you think it's okay for Americans to get involved, communicate, coordinate, ask for stolen information, set up secure back channels, help out the campaign of our foreign adversary?
1
I have paid close attention to all the reporting and the only collusion that i can see is the Clinton Campaign and DNC paying a foreign agent (Steele) to gather dirt (Dossier) on a political foe using Russian intelligence sources. I'm sorry, but why is there not a special prosecutor for this?? My guess is that no one could believe that the cash flush Clinton machine could possibly lose to a political novice with no campaign cash or infrastructure, therefore DJT cheated. The irony in this investigation is staggering.
14
The photo of Trump with Putin shows Trump being submissive.
Given what we know of how Trump usually uses his handshake, we should all be concerned that here he is being dominated and seems okay with it.
4
As Mark Mazzetti points out, collusion with a foreign power to influence an election is only unlawful if it involves violations of U.S. laws. Accepting or soliciting disparaging or incriminating information about political rivals from foreign powers is not a crime. So forget about the Trump Tower meeting or George Papadopoulos’ failed efforts to arrange meeting with shadowy Russians.
So far the only crime that committed during the 2016 election campaign appears to be the DNC email hack and its subsequent publication by WikiLeaks. The U.S. intelligence community has never asserted as established fact that Russia hacked DNC email. In its report (Assessing Russian Activities and Intentions in Recent U.S. Election), the intelligence community stated it had “high confidence” in its judgment that Russia hacked the DNC servers. But in Annex B (Estimative Language) of its report, the Intelligence Community explains that “high confidence in a judgment does not imply that the assessment is a fact or a certainty, such judgements might be wrong.” Meanwhile WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has offered to provide proof WikiLeaks did not get the DNC email from Russia. The United States should take Assange up on his offer. If the evidence Assange provides proves conclusive, The Justice Department should close the Russian investigation.
6
You've tried this move before; it's still nonsense. It's the same kind of nonsense that leaves global warming deniers shrieking, "The scientist says they only have HIGH CONFIDENCE in warming!! SEE! They DON'T KNOW!!"
The way this work in modern scientific parlance and general discussion is this: one may only have various levels of "confidence," in anything: a scientific fact, a poll result, a lab result, whatever.
We only have high confidence that the sun will come up tomorrow. That doesn't mean you shouldn't set the alarm clock and plan to go to work.
Please learn the lingo, or stop trying to make it say something it isn't saying.
2
I think you misread my comment. My point is that "high confidence" isn't proof.
Is it true that Trump and the Republicans want to import 11-20 million Russians in order to win future elections?
I have heard they intend to import all those people and then tell citizens they are college kids / army veterans / selfish volunteers all brought by their parents.
2
In my opinion, the NYTimes would be more effective in its editorials if it took the less frenzied approach seen in this article. It also wouldn't hurt to explain and explain in some detail the general process of using anonymous sources more often. The NYTimes seems frenzied at times on the issue of Trump rather than calm and dignified and fair.
Trump is unfit to be President in a thousand ways. He had no experience and has no understanding of the Constitution. He's a narcissist, serial liar, and sex assaulter. He's corrupt. He's got his finger on the button. But the founders--for all their faults--anticipated all this except the last and the question is how to best get him out of office.
5
Mueller is getting to the bottom of the matter......let us hope that the Trump Machine does not derail him. It is time to clean this house of shame of Donald Trump.....let us get on with it. Democracy is in danger, all over the world. And the primary cause lies with us.
9
This is a Democratic train to nowhere .. Trump has brilliant lawyers and spending millions defend himself -- OJ only spent $10 million and got away with murder.
It's going to take more than DACA, #MeToo and better movie roles for transgender actors if the DEMS think they can they can reclaim seats in 2018 and beyond..
3
Trump's "brilliant lawyers" can't agree on anything and refuse to get out of each others' way. Watching his legal brain trust in action gives this Democrat hope.
5
"The expectation is that Mr. Mueller will deliver his findings to Rod Rosentein, the deputy attorney general, who will then decide how to proceed from there."
Rod will spare the spoiled child.
2
Downright Shakespearean!
Excellent Q & A!
Keep them coming!
3
The place to go for detailed and exhaustively researched information on past hacking is Mike Farb, @unhackthevote on twitter. He also has good advice for states and polling districts on preventing future meddling in elections.
4
Hope for full disclosure on the Russian inquiry lies with S.C. Mueller and the Congress, not the White House.
Greater than Russian collusion is Democrat collusion that is preventing us from moving past 2016. All kinds of objections and criticisms of Trump are put forward by the poor losers who can't accept that they lost but hypocritically pretend that their chief concern is for the good of the country. They are only fooling themselves.
1
I am really concerned about Russian interference in our elections.
I am equally concerned about all the illegal immigrants that the Democratic Party wants to grant citizenship to.
It is the same thing- foreigners being involved in our elections. I don't want Putin involved and I do not want millions of illegal economic migrants involved.
4
You represent the very center of American thinking.
There is a vacuum at the middle can be filled by folks like yourself.
Personally I’m pro immigrant but I understand your position.
When did your family come over?
Let's never forget that Trump himself wouldn't pass a security check, if it weren't for his special situation.
5
The Russian collusion scandal is fake. There is no collusion. Never has been. Russia collusion is a democrat attempt supported by the willing lapdogs in the media to sabotage this presidency. It isn't working. We got tax cuts. Soon we will get the wall. The agenda is on track. Nice try.
3
You may parrot Trump's lies all you like. Manafort, Gates and other Trump henchmen have already been indicted for conspiracy against the United States.
The GOP can't win without the Russians. They can't win without Trump. So the GOP sides with two despots because they lust for power.
5
Why is it that what is being questioned is whether the CIA or whom ever, started the investigation illegally or with evil intent?
The only pertinent question is whether the President acted illegally or had knowledge that his subordonates or asociates did so.
For the President of the US, tryng to stop the investigation on technicalities like a any gangster would do, is simply shamefull;
Worse, it makes him look not only guilty, but knowing that he is, and just trying ro get away from the consequences
6
"Whoever, owing allegiance to the United States, levies war against them or adheres to their enemies, giving them aid and comfort within the United States or elsewhere, is guilty of treason and shall suffer death, or shall be imprisoned not less than five years and fined under this title but not less than $10,000; and shall be incapable of holding any office under the United States."
We need to look very closely at the "adheres to their enemies, giving them aid and comfort" clause. Mueller can easily see that: 1) Russia under Putin - and the rest of the oligarch mafia, for he does not stay in power without their assent - is indeed an enemy of the United States; 2) the connections between Russia and the Trump campaign and administration are real; 3) installation of top officials in cabinet posts who are dedicated to tearing down the departments they are supposed to oversee is a destruction of the United States from within. There is more than simple coincidence going on, and it needs to be called out for what it is: treason.
7
Why does the Times refer to the Steele document as a "dossier"? Based upon the amount of things proven, wouldn't the term "novella" be more appropriate? Now we are learning the "novella" contained information developed by, of all people, Sydney Blumenthal. We knew the Obama administration worked with the Clinton campaign to spy upon Trump, but that little factoid settled any argument about their intentions and purposes. Obviously, the collusion of the two was political spying, not investigation. The Times appears to still be "all in" on Trump-Russia "collusion". When Fusion GPS and Sydney Blumenthal use Russian "sources" to facilitate the Obama administration spying on Trump, does that count as "collusion" also? Considering the large amount of Clinton-Russia business interests (Clinton Foundation donations, John Poedesta's company) the lack of interest is surprising. (Just joking. It's no surprise.) Like the Justice Department and FBI, the Times has had its thumb on the scale since the beginning. Ya'll better start thinking about the consequences if it turns out the Trump-Russia "collusion" was all a ruse to justify the Obama administration working with the Clinton campaign to spy on Trump. I think most people would consider it unusual for an administration to work with one campaign against another using the nation's intelligence services and justice department.
4
The dossier is a collection of memos.
Did you meet at the Mayflower hotel with the Russians:
(1) Sessions: I don't recall
(2) Kushner: I don't remember and I left it out of my security clearance forms many times over but it wasn't important
(3) Corey Lewandowski: I was there only for a short time including being campaign manager
(4) Bud McFarlane: Why are you asking me?
(5) Paul Manafort: Same as (3)
(6) Trump: I was not there and when you see what is going on in our country and you see that and lots of other things, you know what is going on
8
There are always those elephants in the room who may escape fair scrutiny: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, the Internet, Fox News, and every form of social media that there is. Enemies are enemies, but when does the victim become complicit in the crime? And that alleged email server....really? Does it compare?
And then the "legitimate" press, who never called out lies during the election, and still seem weak. Look at what we have now, and wonder.
When the Clinton and DNC aspect of this gets fully aired, many a liberal "news" outlet, like this megaphone for the muddled, will exhibit circus-like contortions running away from it. Timing? Oh, how about September, 2018? Does that fit your midterm strategies? Well, it fits some others'.
4
I think the preparations for the funeral are a bit premature. It reminds me of when the Republican senators filed in for Clinton's impeachment all dressed in funereal dark suits and wearing grim expressions on their faces. It was somewhat comical,but at least they had Clinton on a perjury charge. However, to their disappointment it was their own funeral.
2
Your responses tell me that no matter what Mueller's investigation reveals, nothing in the way of punishment will happen to Donald. I guess we'll have to do it the old fashioned way - vote the guy out of office.
4
If there is evidence of money laundering, but a sitting president can’t be indicted on criminal charges, would there still be a path to impeachment based on the “high crimes and misdemeanors” standard? Money laundering is a rather “high crime,” isn’t it? Would an impeachment path depend on whether purported money laundering makes Trump vulnerable to manipulation, thereby creating a national security risk or at least extreme conflicts of interest? Unfortunately, I have little doubt that even if they’re presented with clear evidence of money laundering, this GOP Congress would take absolutely no action against Trump.
5
Let me augment the non-answer to the question comparing CIA complicity in election disruption with similar Russian complicity. If the US does it, it is OK; if others do it, it is bad. This applies to election interference, nuclear weapons and a wide range of other things.
1
Trumps first year of his first term:
6 members of Trumps inner circle are under federal criminal investigation, 2 indictments and 2 guilty pleas.
Jared Kushner is being investigated for $money laundering. So, why does he have access to classified information?
6
How can a sitting president be above the law? I do not understand this concept. Can a constitutional scholar please explain? How is impeachment sufficient if a sitting president should be charged/indicted? Can it happen after impeachment?
5
Maybe the next wave of Democrats should become Putin's new BFF's? Figure out what Putin is getting out of Trump and kick it up a notch?
I assume that those who are investigating this Russian issue are being paid by the hour. Would that not serve as an incentive to keep the investigation going as long as possible? Is there any kind of control to keep that from happening?
3
The team Mueller has assembled have each given up million dollar salaries to serve their country. They are losing money daily. They are not motivated by a government salary - get real.
2
'If, for example, campaign officials told Russians to break into the Democratic National Committee’s servers, then the officials could be in legal jeopardy.'
Trump invited the Russians to hack into Hillary Clinton's deleted emails during a debate. The whole world heard it, and yes, it put him in legal jeopardy, or at least it should have. Those were State Dept. emails. Yet apparently the Justice Dept. took no action. A terrible cowardly folly.
7
America has yet to face the fact that it lost a cyberwar to Russia in 2016, the result of which was the election of Trump. The destruction and discord he is wreaking is precisely what they were after and they have achieved it beyond their wildest dreams. It has not been lost on the Russians that their defeat in the Cold War was largely due to military spending; bankruptcy in other words, of which Trump is the master. The Russians know a useful fool when they see one. As do the Mercers, Kochs and Murcdochs who joined the alliance.
Defeat is hard to face; but every delay in addressing the hard facts makes matters worse. This is no time for parades. It is time to put down that vicious, corrupt pack of curs known as the Republican Party, once and for all.
9
Too bad no one asked them if they thought this endless investigation of a US President was damaging in any way to the United States and if there had been ANY evidence produced so far that indicated Trump had "conspired with the Russians in some way.
That might have shed some light on the ramifications of this politically motivated inquiry and it's ramifications.
5
Trump will almost certainly contrive a foreign conflict. In the ensuing military chaos, he will arrogate even more imperial powers to himself and detonate nuclear devices, thus burying any chance of a discovery on the part of Mueller.
7
Is gross negligence a crime? This administration is knowingly and purposely not dealing with a national security issue. How can this be legal?
4
The responses by Mark Mazzetti to readers’ questions are appropriately measured and restrained. It would be unfortunate, however, if the impression is left that Republican control of the House precludes irreversible progress from occurring in the Mueller inquiry before the November election.
The fact is that one or two more indictments of persons close to Donald Trump, with even a bare minimum of information in the charging documents, may be enough to accelerate the process. Many Republicans in both the Senate and House may find themselves politically compelled to call for appointment of a Select Committee on Impeachment on a date certain.
2
I would like some explanation for why when we have had interaction at least eight times with Russian officials or Trump/Putin meetings or calls information about them has come from the Russian Press not American media. Why did the three Russian top officials come here to meet with CIA and NSC? How did one enter the country when he was under sanctions? This is strong Russian influence and direction of the Trump Administration and the American government in plain sight, yet nothing is said or done by our media, the GOP or even the Democrats in Congress. Are we already being more than influenced by Russia and Putin? No one wants to answer that question, or even ask it except Rachel Maddow.
7
It is particularly alarming that Trump made it so easy for the Russians. He publicly encouraged and embraced them. Trump and the GOP have provides a confidence to our enemies large and small.
4
The president openly sought the interference of Russia in the campaign when he publicly encouraged them to seek out Hillary Clinton's emails. It couldn't be more clear that he cares nothing for the rule of law. His enablers in Congress do nothing. Meanwhile the courts are being stacked with partisans. Either we right ourselves in the next election or I fear that our American experiment in Democracy is at an end. Trump will not resign in disgrace or change. He will, if possible, impose martial law and start locking up his political enemies.
4
The answer on whether it would be a crime if Trump of his associates received information from Russian officials during the campaign (or the transition) should also mention the possibility of a Logan Act violation.
Under the Logan Act it is a federal crime for a person who is not an authorized government official to attempt to negotiate any "disputes or controversies with the United States" with an agent or official of a foreign government.
Surely Mueller is looking for evidence that the Trump campaign and/or transition attempted to negotiate a softening off sanctions in exchange for Russian release of hacked Clinton e-mails.
5
I have a beef with this statement:
"That said, stories about the Russia investigation — or any sensitive national security issue — would not be possible without the use of anonymous sources."
Flagrantly untrue. The US news media (or any member of it) could easily adopt a strategy the precludes such a condition. And while we have experienced many examples of greater information and earlier reporting as a direct example of the practice, I cannot fail to note that other countries/cultures have some benefits from keeping a tighter lid on news:
1. Untoward effects from publicizing something: in the Manchester concert bombing, the British police forces announced they were no longer speaking to their American counterparts or media because their threads of investigation were uncovered.
2. The profit-motive has imbued media here with an absolute frenzy to be the first to pass on a bit of information. But is this actually beneficial? Was our collective consciousness (not to mention final legal and social resolution) of the Las Vegas shooter actually advanced by hearing a second man was under investigation? It turned out to be a hobbyist bullet maker, and I don't doubt he'll be punished in some appropriate way for a technical crime...but I argue that stoking this vast demand for any fact is net destructive.
All the news that's fit to print does not equal all the news that's fit to read.
2
As in many criminal investigations, just follow the money. Therein will you find the answer to most of these questions, not just about Trump or Russia, but about many other nations, particularly those who benefit from US largesse. Of course, considering how many elections around the world that the US has influenced and governments we have toppled, as in 'regime change', not to mention leaders we have 'neutralized', it seems we are being a bit too sensitive. We're still doing it...and not just with elections, i.e., Syria. Let's face it, our hands are not all that clean, either.
I have prosecuted countless tax cases. Indeed, Mueller can get Trump's tax returns for various reasons. But no tax case can be prosecuted without approval of the Tax Division of the Justice Department. So Mueller does not have the final word on tax charges. The head of the Tax Division is a career professional, and appears to be a faceless bureaucrat. He should be a straight shooter. Another thing -- if there is a tax investigation ongoing, there is an IRS agent working with Mueller -- that is required. If the press got to know the investigators, they could tell us right now if there were a tax investigation being conducted.
Russia's meddling and Trump's winning have been conflated by the press. Even though he's acting like a guilty child it doesn't mean he assisted them in the meddling. He's annoyed that it's been such a distraction and being hyped as a weapon to discredit the legitimacy of his election.
None of that is to excuse any of his policies or behavior. There are ample issues to discredit the man sitting in broad daylight without spending all of our time and energy investigating a shady world of the unknowable.
2
The average American watching the Trump administration do everything possible to stop this investigation has to conclude that Trump is guilty of something. The longer we have to wait to find out what it is the more danger we are in. Please, please Mr. Mueller it is time to start leaking your findings so we know if we are in danger.
3
The NRA is just a Putin patsy and probably not directly gaining influence for Russia but the US oil and gas industry is another story. Just look at what Tillerson is doing ... at the annihilation of our state department for example. Other foreign interests are given free access to US power as investors in our major corporations that are treated as citizens and make hefty campaign contributions all the time. Trump says the "Open for Business" sign is out; but it is rather more "For Sale".
3
I believe David Cay Johnstone that Trump would be likely to just ignore a subpoena, or just as with the absurd rigged election claims in 2016 would break normal conventions and start an insurrection even if Mueller did manage to succeed. What about the current attempts of Nunes to flagrantly throw a spanner in Mueller's works? Perhaps Nunes will himself find the FBI knock knock knockin' on Devin's door.
3
The suggestion that Republicans simply will not impeach is wrong. If Trump shared state secrets with the Russians, he’s a dead duck. If his people stole sensitive documents from Hillary and turned them over to the Russians, he’s a dead duck. If he helped the Russians to tamper with voting, he’s a dead duck. If you give the Republicans something that they can sink their teeth into, they will indict. Technical violations and illegal acts that didn’t affect anything will not do the trick. Firing Comey, for example is a non- starter. I think these are the correct priorities for the Republicans and I am note convined that they will vote against impeachment whatever the evidence may be.
The longer this goes on the more it shows a weak country, both past Federal and State Governments and individual voters, being pushed around by outside forces. Welcome to America.
3
I am shocked that a top Russian Official is a long time member of the NRA. The "National" in its title should prohibit that. Is there a counterpart for that, a top US Official in a Russian national organization? Because the NRA exerts a lot of power and influence in US right wing politics this is frightening.
3
It's impossible to express how baffling this--this pretense that there is no "there, there," the laughable assertions that this is just guesswork or a malign attempt to bring down someone dangerous, the assertion that we have to wait until there is evidence-- is.
It's like being caught in "Groundhog Day" played in slow-mo on a continuous loop 24/7. There are days I think stabbing my eyes out with a dull pencil is the only way to survive watching evidence mount as the GOP fails to do its job.
No there, there? Other than the 8 times DJT has contacted the Russians without telling his own staff, security council, Congress, or we, the people and we only learn about it from Russia. The former Ambassador to Russia confirmed last night that it's unprecedented in our history with them.
Other than the numerous clandestine meetings between WH advisers and Russians in secret locations hither and yon. Other than the June meeting between family members and top aids and Russians, including a known spy, an event which two former Watergate prosecutors have confirmed would --ipso facto & alone-- have been enough to bring criminal charges. Wine-Banks noted last June that that was proof enough of both collusion and cover-up and was impeachment worthy.
Sure. Other than the fact that we can't go a degree out from DJT in any direction without bumping into connections with spies, former KGB, or the evidence of $ laundering. Other than all of THAT there's nothing there. Right.
It's insane.
I have to wonder: Though Mueller's investigation has been largely free of leaks so far, will that change? It's quite possible that a few carefully-chosen and well-timed leaks leading up to the mid-terms could assure that the Democrats take the House, provided the Democrats run enough attractive candidates in key states. If the investigation has in fact uncovered criminal acts, and Mueller's team can bring charges, that would be one way of assuring that the POTUS and his cronies are held accountable.
1
This kind of dialog is really useful - it’s one thing to read everything, but it’s another to engage in a dialog with your readers reminding them of meaningful journalism. I take for granted that best journalistic practice is being observed by the Times, but obviously not everyone does. That aside, pulling together the context and pulling things into historical context is helpful.
The primary purpose of Mr. Mueller’s investigation is not to take down Mr. Trump. It’s to protect America’s national security and the integrity of its elections by determining whether a presidential campaign conspired with a foreign adversary to influence the 2016 election — a proposition that grows more plausible every day.
5
An interesting way for The Times to break the bad news to its most ardent anti-Trump readers. Impeachment is a dream. So far no one near Trump has been indicted for anything relating to Russia. (Had the Feds gone after democratic lobbyists, they would likely have swept up a few, too.)
The best defense is a good offense. Remember Russian hacking attempts took place on Obama's watch. Hillary needed an excuse for her loss. Everyone hated Trump and believed just about anything, including an unsubstantiated piece of campaign opposition research. The result: "Trump collusion".
6
THIS CLEARLY WRITTEN COLUMN Is of great help, since it clarifies succinctly many complex issues and questions about the issue of Russian meddling in the US election of 2016. What remains to be seen is what form the Russian interference will take going forward. The dark clouds on the horizon look ominous.
1
I think we need a law that states a person winning the nomination to run for President has to have a top level security clearance. If we had that law today we would not have Donald Trump in the White House.
One note of caution. None of us know whether Mueller has any real evidence of anything. People assuming impeachment if House flips to Democratic control in November also need to assume that Mueller has something real, not obstruction of justice in the form of firing Comey.
2
Mr. Trump behaves in many abhorrent ways, but his behavior to this time does not constitute evidence of collusion with Russia during the campaign and does not constitute evidence of financial wrongdoing with the Russians. The article offers assumptions and speculations that again do not amount to evidence. These pieces provide enjoyable reading to those of us who "believe" the President is guilty of some impeachable or other offense or crime, but until we see evidence, more likely than not coming from Mr. Mueller's probes, we should not jump to conclusions not supported by evidence. The wheels of justice grind slowly but exceedingly fine and we must show patience until we know more about the evidence. Waiting patiently will reveal the underlying truths about Trumps' (Donald, Donald Jr., Ivanka, Jerold) misdeeds. In the meantime, we must all practice an insistent vigilance that our 2018 election is not polluted and jeopardized by Russian influence through social media manipulation, hacking and other electronic interventions.
1
My additional question would be: How much of the Mueller investigation's findings will in fact ever become public knowledge? I have heard that it will be up to the Deputy AG to determine how much and what information will be publicly released. If Trump succeeds in installing a sycophant in position after firing Rosenstein, again if, is it possible we could never be told of the investigation's results?
1
It is burningly obvious that Trump is covering up something, dividing the country intentionally, even actively working to undermine the GOP as well as our institutions. What is astounding to me still, is that the GOP is rolling over for him--paying legal fees for a con artist, really? Why? That's insane. What little hope I had that they would recognize Trump for the cancer he is, and do the right thing when the investigation concludes, is completely lost.
This investigation has been going on for months without any results. It will continue like this indefinitely. Is this stupidity? Inefficiency? Incompetence? Not at all. It's American.
1
What if it turns out that Trump has not so much colluded with the Russians in the sense of consciously working with them to subvert our democratic system as been compromised by them through loans and complicity in money laundering to such a point that—whether he realizes it or not—he is unable to act independently?
1
Another one of these trump lies and blatant collusions and yet no consequences. Don’t we have checks and balances in our government, so where are they? trump is clearly breaking the law in the highest office. We need to stop entertaining intellectual curiosity items about this guy and hold him to account for doing everything from obstructing investigations to enriching himself by refusing to divest interests. His henchmen keep trying to normalize the abnormality of his behavior. Nothing about his time in office has been normal and nothing about him has changed. He is grossly incompetent and proves it daily. He is using the office to enrich himself and his spawn, and proves it daily.
3
I have a question and a follow-up: Is the Trump administration behaving the way that innocent people behave? If so, then how do you account for the fact that two former members of that Mr. Trump's team have already pleaded guilty?
2
It seems their only way out is with an all out attack on reason itself. Facts get countered with counter-facts or false equivalencies.
We were raised on reason, objective truth, and two wrongs not making a right.
This administrations Russian connections combine with their lack of security clearances to spell out in capitol letters what’s going down.
Maybe reason itself is not ingrained but is an acquired trait. It never occurred to me to think that...until now.
1
Newspapers continually repeat the talking point that no e evidence of votes being changed.
You have no proof that they were not changed because there is no way to check. IT is repeated over and over because the validity of the election would be 100% in question. 100% in question. Could you imagine the panic and anger .The massive civil unrest? The talking point is a way to keep the peace.
1
Trump is dangerous.
I heard today that Trump and the Republican Party intends to import 11-20 million Russians into this country.
They are going to portray them all as innocent kids who did no wrong. All college kids and army veterans who volunteer the few times they are not working hard.
Then they will force the country to grant those 11-20 million Russian illegal economic migrants with citizenship. They expect, rightfully, that those they help, by refusing the enforce the law, will vote for them.
And, folks, 11-20 million new voters will make a huge difference in elections. In 2012 about 129,000,000 ballots were cast. 20 million new Russian votes, from illegal economic migrants intentionally allowed to come into the country, would be over 15 percent of the electorate.
And that, folks, is how democracy dies. Don't like your own citizens? Create new citizens. People won't vote for you? Bribe foreigners to vote for you.
I am disgusted by the behavior of Trump and the Republicans. Can't win elections on the merits? Just import new voters until you win.
4
Hmm... sounds like the DEM plan right now with the 12-20 million illegals currently here.
A central question, that seems to get lost in this coverage, is whether President Trump has been compromised by the Kremlin. Despite the Russian investigation, Trump continues his bizarre infatuation with Putin. Add to this, the Trump Organization's history of using questionable, if not unsavory, sources of financing its business. Only by following the money will Mueller and his team uncover the existence and extent of the underlining Kompromat.
One thing that's left out of these uncomfortable discussions is that no charge has been made against Trump.
The Russians interfered with our elections. But the charges made against Trump's associates are about things like lying, and taxes. Not working with the Russians to swing the election.
Mueller is investigating whether Trump or his associates did, in fact, work with the Russians, and to what extent.
But many people are convinced that he did. And frustrated that it'staking so long to prove it, so he can be impeached.
That is mixing up wishful thinking and the legal process that is taking place.
7
Talbot, don't forget that there is plenty of evidence of coordination and contacts with the Russians!
The charges about lying are directly related to that as several leading Trump aides lied on federal forms and to Congress about their *Russian* contacts. Not just any old lying, but specifically about their Russian connections. Another hid his well-paid work for Russian-backed Ukrainian politician-- another of the charges. That definitely forms a pattern.
Then, keep in mind, that big meeting in Trump Tower with Trump's campaign manager, his son-in-law, and others with the Russians -- to get the dirt on Hillary -- and Trump's own drafting of a cover up, misleading statement about it!
Connect the dots with his praising of Putin, his changing the Republican Party's platform to a pro-Russia stance on Ukraine, his unhinged repeated tweeting about "no collusion, no collusion", and his repeated calls for the Russians to release Hillary's emails and other material, and you have prima facie evidence of malfeasance.
Add in Trump's firing of Comey and his order to fire Mueller (which was blocked), his pressuring aides to declare loyalty to him and to publicly declare him innocent, among other actions, and you also have clear evidence of obstruction of justice.
So, there is good reason people are concerned and why even these early steps are, in fact, connected evidence!
1
The questions are good.
The answers are, perhaps, too brief but fairly good as summaries.
Except for the answer on the use of anonymous sources. “Just trust us at The NY Times to understand why the anonymous source is leaking what they are leaking and to make sure that the story reflects the, perhaps, slanted nature of the leak.” Is not good enough from the newspaper that got burned by Judy Miller.
15
Yes, the Times’ answer about anonymous sources was a bit of an avoidance dance. We have to trust them; they have to earn our trust. How are they earning our trust, especially with answers like this one?
1
Look where she is now! Fox no news, opinions and speculations only!
Would someone please explain this to me in Mother Goose language? A sitting president can be impeached for high crimes and misdemeanors, but a sitting president cannot be indicted?
9
Arguably the Constitution says that the only remedy for high crimes and misdemeanors is impeachment.
2
I'd like that explanation too. Doesn't it have something to do with an opposition that might try to hamstring the president with petty matters? Still, it really is preposterous. Imagine a malicious administration. The president commits all sorts of crimes, but cannot be indicted. After his term is over and he's indicted/charged/found guilty, he's exonerated by the new president. Pretty sweet deal.
1
It has to do with where the President is being charged I believe. An indictment is made by a grand jury or a prosecutor and results in a legal proceeding. The House impeaches and results in a trial in the Senate.
"Americans understandably do not want the Kremlin to have a covert role in determining who becomes the American president."
This sentence virtually leaped off the page when I read it. Like many who post here regularly, I've followed this investigation with increasing despair because of the way so much of it has become politicized.
It's as if the Russian hacking and interference is some sort of big nothing in the minds of many, an awful lot of them elected officials in Congress.
This is the first time in US history that a sitting president and members of his party have actively worked to discredit the people conducting this investigation. Had I asked a question of the Times, it would have been this: why aren't more people really concerned about how this country seems to be losing it's grip on the rule of law?
Why aren't more disgusted by the antics of Devin Nunes and the participation of the Judiciary Committee to persecute the infamous author of the "dossier," instead of the fact that this president's campaign could have conspired with a foreign adversary to steal a US election?
This to me is the most salient aspect of this investigation, should it be allowed to continue (by no means certain): why are so many Americans, in and out of Congress, so willing to protect Donald Trump from this investigation?
116
Because Nunes is an opportunist. Look at his votes and decisions - his background and education is in farming and agribusiness. He is not a lawyer, not a student of history and not the least interested in the Common Good - except by way of the lobbyists' definitions. This is the professional politician of your nightmares. Because the Republican Party has no evolved ideology for the 21st Century beyond naked capitalism, it is not full of these types of opportunist.
Not the first time by a long shot!
Andrew Johnson, Harding, Nixon, Reagan, Clinton, Bush, and now Trump.
The one thing that gives me hope is that even in Nixon's case, most of the Republican Party kept backing him, kept denouncing it as the political witch hunt, and kept decrying the investigation -- right up until the moment when the revelations rewatched a tipping point, the tapes were exposed, and the crimes and cover up became so obvious, they could no longer be ignored.
They, then, got him to resign.
Same thing will happen here -- I hope!
The Republicans see the big blue wave coming in November. Their only hope is that Russia can help them win again in 2018.
Many commenters question the wisdom of the ongoing investigations, revealing their incomprehension or indifference to having a foreign government impose its will upon them. I do believe that finding the truth is legitimate and justified, and many Americans deserve to know what went on in 2016. These investigations take time, but for the sake of history, they need to be carried out.
67
Yes, why the desperate refusal to provide tax returns? Why does he not sign the sanctions that the GOP Congress has passed? This is not a nothing burger- its more of a Saint Petersburger.
Good, but let us follow the bread crumb trail to Hillary and Obama. Do you want to go there?
1
Mark Mazzetti: "Yes, I would assume that Mr. Mueller has access to any financial documents he wants, including the president’s tax returns."
No wonder Trump wants to scuttle the investigations. Even if Robert Mueller has evidence of money laundering or other criminal activities, he can't bring charges against Trump, because "a sitting president cannot be indicted." The question is whether the charges could still damage Trump in a way that citizens or public opinion might still be able force him out of office? Could Mueller persuade Trump to resign of his own volition, to spare the humiliation? But then Pence would replace Trump - not exactly a palatable idea.
45
The Russia investigation is a smokescreen to cover the Democrats refusal to mount a state by state campaign for a $15 minimum wage, free college tuition and other badly needed social reforms that their voter base desires but which would offend their corporate funders.
20
Your moniker is appropriate and your comment is ridiculous.
The Intelligence Community of this country and of our allies know what Russia did and why they did it.
The only smokescreen is the one put up by Trump and his foreign and domestic allies.
21
@Red Allover, although I question your logic, I do despair that the Dems haven’t done these popularly-supported things. Money talks, and evidently money isn’t asking for free college tuition. More’s the pity. Imagine how popular the Dems would be in a state where they implemented single-payer health care and free tuition.
It is naive to think that America is not first and foremost a corporate oligarchy. There are very few statesmen alive in either party that will risk calling for Trump's neck now. Not because there is yet another conspiracy to soil him, but because they are all hedging their bets that he will survive at the hands of a Republican Congress. And when he does, his control over the investigative arm of the government (FBI and Justice Department) will be pointed at anyone that he sees as a critic.
Your choice of the word "smokescreen" implies that your intrepid leader Donald Trump could not possibly be guilty, or is not acting like he is guilty, or is not spending money defending himself like he is guilty. A smokescreen is unnecessary. Russia is a mafia-run nation and Trump is indeed Red All Over.
I think it’s interesting that it is never mentioned that approximately 4-5 percent of the people who will be eligible to vote have not reached the age of 18 yet and the flip side is that same percentage will have passed away before the 2020 election. If I was the GOP I would be quite concerned about that knowing the debt they have created for these young people, the rising costs of a college degree and their environmental policies do not sit well a vast majority of people this age.
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Nice stat! Alas, most young people do not vote while a majority of their elders do, meaning that the potential 8 percentage point swing is far, far less.
Plus, many older folks voted Democratic and many younger voted Republican, so that makes the demographic change have even less of an effect.
Still, getting out the vote is key!
The Republicans are counting on the consistent trend of voter turn out, which skews toward older voters.
Americans are counting on our younger voters to get out during the next few crucial elections and right the wrongs that have been done to their generation.
Do not fool yourself. There is a very large number of old people who are concerned about what is happening in our nation.
If there is evidence that Russia's interference had conspiracy help from the Trump election campaign personnel and even Trump himself, and election laws were violated to the extent that the whole election is found, by the Courts, to be null and void, then the House and Senate are not legally elected bodies and can't impeach and convict Trump. So the U.S. needs a totally new election, in that case, starting from the primaries. So Mueller should just impeach Trump and ry him in federal court.
Didn't Flynn and Papadopoulos plead guilty to lying to the FBI over their being Russian Agents?
15
And then another "election" after that. Can't you see that you can't keep rolling the dice till you win?
Roger, there is little or no evidence that the entire election was tainted.
The courts do not declare elections null and void, anyway. For example, when the courts throw out district gerrymandering, they do not mandate new elections to replace the old, but new districting going forward.
Mueller does not have the power to impeach Trump or remove him from office. Only Congress does.
Mueller may not even have the authority to indict Trump.
While lying was part of the charges, it was not that they were "Russian agents". As to Manafort, it was his failure to register as a foreign agent -- of Turkey and a Ukrainian, Russian-backed party.
Time for both of us to review the charges and make sure just what was stated.
It may also be the tip of the iceberg. Other charges could be brought against these individuals!
With so many people close to Trump being connected with Russia and Trump himself having so misrepresented his own connections with Russia why are his supporters continuing to ignore the obvious reality there is something not right?
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The die-hard supporters will ignore any and all facts because they believe them to be fabrications by the media, Democrats, the intelligence community and FBI/DoJ. The die-hard supporters are also in general uninformed on how the government should work and how the Trump administration is trampling on the investigation process. Even Nixon, after resigning, had 20%+ who supported him. Next election, folks need to turn out and vote to ensure this situation does not happen again.
Answer: They don't read. They don't think for themselves. They watch Fox news?
There is really no doubt that Donald J. Trump was Russia's candidate for the Presidency and they supported his campaign from the beginning to the successful triumph on election day. That Trump owes his success to the Russians is a viable explanation for his hiring so many Russia friendly aides and Cabinet appointments, from Rex Tillerson, long a friend of Vladimir Putin, as Secretary of State (was Tillerson Putin's choice?) to General Michael Flynn who was feted in a Russia dinner and seated at the same table as Putin, Manafort who had a long list of business dealing with the Russian oligarchs, Carter Page who was under FBI investigation for his Russia leanings well before other evidence of Trump's Russia connections were disclosed, and Jeff Sessions who failed to disclose Russian connections in congressional testimony.
Russia certainly does not wish this country well. Why then does there seem to be a love affair between Trump and Russia? From revealing an intelligence secret to the Russian Ambassador who visited him in his White House office in the first weeks of his administration to the lack of concern among fellow Republicans about the close ties between Trump and Russia, have they all agreed to sell us all out? Are the Republicans conspiring with Trump even American any more?
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Trump is sitting on the Schiff Democratic memo because he knows that Americans are easily distracted by his twists and turns, so each day he has a new tweet or enemy lined up. The Investigation of Russian interference in our election and Trump’s part in it must stay on everyone’s radar screen if they care about democracy in this country. The major offense that Trump and the GOP lackeys are guilty of is aiding and abetting Putin to destroy democracies. May they all fall down.
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Anonymous sources can be quite important!
Don't forget the greatest anonymous source of all time - Mark Felt.
He played an important part in reveling Richard Nixon's obstruction and Nixon's resignation. Alexander Butterfield was not anonymous but provided the straw that broke the camel's back.
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An extraordinary moment indeed, as we will find if our democracy holds against the onslaught of foreign enemy interference in our election, campaigns financed through hidden sources like the N.R.A. and greed of oligarchs worldwide attempting to gain more riches while killing the future for our grandchildren to have clean air, water and a country with nature preserves and national parks. May our law enforcement, courts and Congress hold all those accountable and not above the law, who have acted or cooperated with actions to undermine our Constitution and laws, even if it be the president of these United States of America. "Long may our land be bright, with freedoms holy light. Protect us by thy might, Great God our King."
27
If President Trump were not hiding dark secrets, wouldn't he be leading a fight to prevent Russia from continuing to meddle in our elections? His silence on this matter is a give-away that he is well aware that lines were crossed separating the permissible from the illegal in the months that led up to his surprising elevation from bankrupter of casinos to The White House.
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Donald Trump is actively trying to divide our nation for various reasons, and perhaps assist the Russians in doing so. Whether this is as a "witting" or "unwitting" ally of Putin is one thing Mueller is trying to ascertain and quantify.
There is no doubt that he has been at least providing unwitting assistance to Russia. Anyone who can read reliable sources like the NYTimes knows this.
But witting or unwitting, he is operating as an agent for Russia. This is enough to have him removed from office because, apparently, he doesn't recognize or respect that this is true or important. And neither do his followers and enablers in Congress.
They too are, at a minimum, unwitting agents of Putin. It's very weird and I suspect (as do many) that blackmail and kompromat is the lever the Russians are using.
1
The best thing I've read today is the answer to the question, "Will Mr. Mueller be able to access Mr. Trump’s taxes?" The answer was, "Yes, I would assume that Mr. Mueller has access to any financial documents he wants, including the president’s tax returns."
Just thinking that Trump is squirming at the realization that Mr Mueller's team is poring over those mysterious tax documents gives me hope. And IF Mueller finds malfeasance and IF Trump resigns or is removed, he is no longer shielded by the "sitting president" proviso.
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Dream on buddy. Trump's taxes are and have been audited every year by the I.R.S. He's very good at the tax avoidance game but that's a legal game. The trick in real estate investing is to minimize reportable taxable income and maximize actual cash flow. It's all very legal.
2
Okay, but if Mueller does find Trump's taxes crooked [let's use one of his favorite words], then isn't it up to the IRS to bring charges? Or has munchkin put a ban on that?
1
Blackwater - At your "sitting president" proviso, image immediately flashes to mind of DJT running from Oval Office out to a PortaPotty placed on WH grounds for precisely that purpose.
The only impact Russia had on the 2016 election was to give Hillary Clinton her most successful talking points. Americas knew Putin supported Trump because Hillary kept telling them so in her campaign speeches and in the presidential debate. The intelligence community assessment stated that Putin initially praised Trump and disparaged Clinton, but it noted that in June 2016 Putin stopped praising Trump because Moscow realized that “any praise from Putin personally would backfire in the United States." Indeed Hillary Clinton used the Putin’s support from Trump as a major talking point in her campaign, asking voters if it were wise to vote for a candidate approved by Putin. The post-election assertion that Putin’s endorsement was an advantage rather than a liability for Trump is absurd. People forget that reporters and debate moderators frequently challenged Trump to defend his relationship with the Russian leader. There's no doubt Russian support cost Trump votes.
15
You're confusing interference with effect again. You're saying that U.S. agents of foreign espionage services shouldn't be punished at all unless their missions are successful (according to a standard that you establish).
You haven't been paying attention to the facts and the intelligence reports.
1
My comment address the effectiveness of Russian meddling in the 2016 election. It wasn't effective.
What "U.S. agents of foreign espionage services" are you talking about? Name them.
It has felt to me that the behavior of the Republicans is like an occupying force, that they are like an invading nation, and instead of using military force, they have used political force to insinuate themselves into American society. Whether it's gerrymandering to the extreme, being the party of "No" for 8 years, whipping up their base into a froth using lies and gross misrepresentations of fact, acting to strip government support for the masses of people in favor of enriching the very wealthiest few, empowering corporations over the people at every turn, voting for draconian sentencing laws that clearly target minorities, and seeking to limit the voting rights of people not likely to support them, etc.
So it is with little fanfare and surprise that we see the Republicans hardly concerned that the Russians sought to impact our electoral system, indeed, the Mueller investigation is looking into the possibility the Republicans, Trump in particular, colluded with them to infiltrate our democratic process. Republicans do appear to be an enemy occupying force, and they would overlook the collusion of one or more of their own at the expense and welfare of our nation. That is treason, right?
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Yes, I agree fully with your assessment.
1
This letter sums up the situation. We, the majority, are being bullied and ripped off by this minority that has been conspiring for years to subvert - destroy might be more accurate- our democracy.
If Special Prosecutor Mueller is able to wrap up the Investigation before November, would a Republican-controlled House sit by and do nothing should President Trump be found to be involved with Russian monetary or some other kind of kick-back or blackmail because of nefarious dealings or money owed by the Trump Organization, the President or a member of his family; money laundering -- with or without the Russians -- involving the Trump Organization or properties; obstruction of justice; or some other "high crime or misdemeanor"? And would the President pardon anyone and everyone who might be indicted and convicted of such crimes? Would the President pardon himself and if he could not, after being removed from office would the Vice President pardon him, as Ford did for Nixon?
And, if Donald Trump should resign from the Presidency, would he then be indicted? If so, if he were convicted would the Vice President then pardon him? How will justice ever be served with all these Presidential loopholes?
It is my hope that if we -- that is, the country -- get out of this mess relatively unscathed and the U.S. is still a democracy with the Constitution intact, I believe Congress -- it is hoped that a Democratic Congress -- will pass some new legislation restricting future Presidents' abilities regarding the nuclear codes, pardons, conflicts of interests and nepotism, as well as require candidates to undergo federal background checks -- economic, criminal and mental/physical health!
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It is hard to imagine Congress passing such bills and the President -- any President -- signing them. And if Congress passed such bills and the President vetoed them, it is hard to imagine Congress overriding those vetoes.
3
Yes, Congress will sit by and do nothing. Impeaching Trump would be terrible for the GOP. It doesn't matter what Mueller reports. If (still a big "if") the Democrats manage to take the House in November they may well impeach. However it takes 2/3 of the Senate to convict. GOP Senators will not vote to convict. We are stuck with Trump until at least January 2021.
2
"If Donald Trump should resign from the Presidency, would he then be indicted? If so, if he were convicted would the Vice President then pardon him?"
Your hypothetical doesn't make sense. Trump would never resign unless he was going to get a pardon in advance from Pence, like Nixon got from Ford.
3
If I can’t see with my own eyes supposedly what is right in front of me in plain sight, the last thing I want is some stranger explaining it for me. Perhaps try to convince that person with the white cane on the corner over there that they can trust you.
3
Explanations typically mean little to the willfully blind.
2
Last Spring appeared an article on the Internet, From Russia with Oil, by Yonatan Zungman, that described the Trump/Putin deal. It had four parts. 1. Russia would hack the election so Trump would win. 2 & 3. If Trump won he would try to lift U.S. sanctions against Russia and turn his head if Russia invaded Ukraine. 4. For Trump's efforts Russia would pay him 19% of the profits from Rosneft, Russia's largest oil company. In one quarter in 2014 these profits were $251 million. That's more than a billion $ a year Russia would pay directly to Trump, which he undoubtedly would deposit in an offshore account. Ever since, everything Trump does seems to fall in place and fit this scenario perfectly. If you don’t believe this may be true, read the article and decide for yourself whether you believe Trump is selling out America to Russia for huge amounts of money —a treasonous act to the highest degree.
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This is a nice theory but it totally lacks scale and focus.
Putin needs to cover about $200,000,000,000 off the books that the Panama Papers indicate he has funneled into his off shore personal wealth via various asset parking schemes employing his 'close friends.'
To cover this grand theft, and restore the Russian economy Putin needs to restore the market position of oil. None of his strategies have worked so far because market forces have overwhelmed Putin's war in Syria, and skirmishes in Yemen using third party surrogates.
Nor has Putin joining OPEC and attempting to corral pricing in concert with Saudi while Russia controls or greatly influences Iran dented pricing. Why? because of the abundance of oil on a market combined with the Saudi's competing need for capital mirrored in Iran. An all out Mid East war between Iran and Saudi with US and Russia involvement that hurt Europe's economy is about the only path that would restrict and disrupt deliveries and production significantly enough to affect world pricing competitively despite US prodigious production and natural gas resources.
The U.S. economy along with Russia's ally Exxon Mobil would also greatly benefit. Mattis and Kelly both have Iran hawk histories consistent with pursuing this scenario. This is the most probably Putin strategy because it benefits Putin and Russia which would also benefit as the main seller of arms systems to Iran.
Russia owns Trump outright. He owes them $1.5B already.
21
1.The election was already by the time you say the Zungman article appeared on the Internet.
2. Trump hasn't tried to lift sanctions.
3. Russia invaded Ukraine while Obama was president. .(However, Trump did authorized the deliver of weapons to Ukrainian forces.)
4. Russia hasn't paid Trump 19 percent of oil profits.
I think you simply took the script from the Clinton Foundation and changed the players.
There are none so blind as those who will not see. Trump has attacked the free press, independent judges, the independent FBI and intelligence community, all sorts of minorities and almost anyone with a public profile who disagrees with him about anything. He attacked the NATO alliance. He says terrible things about all sorts of US citizens, but only has kind words for the Russian dictator. And then he lied over and over again about the Russian connections, starting out with the lie that their were no connections and that it was fake news. Trump supporters know in their hearts, just as the Democrats know with their brains, that the election was stolen by the Russians. And no amount of lying and whitewash will put Humpty Dumpty back together again.
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And yet he gets more attention by defending himself and his aids who regularly assault women, and when he ignores the victims of his and his predatory staff's sexual aggressions, than he does with all his lies and sinister plots against the righteous among us. He may not like that attention, but it could eventually do him in despite his feeble claims of innocence.
1
his supporters have no hearts
I have enjoyed the drama that The Times provides in its stories about the current Administration. I have come to the conclusion that all I can do is listen and watch. All I hope for is that cooler heads prevail.
3
You can also keep contacting your Senators and Representative in Congress to express your concerns and suggestions and ask questions. And you can vote. And, of course, keep commenting on social media. There is much we as citizens can -- and must -- do.
45
Keep commenting on social media? Isn’t that how this mess started?
Social media=the end of social society.
3
This isn't "All My Children" but the future of our country at stake.
5
Follow the Money. " Trump Properties" is merely the front, the public face of HIS real business. That would be Trump International Money Laundry.
I said it from the beginning. Who else would buy his brand of " luxury", except despots, tax evaders, scammers and other morally challenged individuals? They WANT gaudy and tacky. Seriously.
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The Russians clearly "meddled" -- but their real objective was not to swing the election to one candidate over another. It was to create distrust in our civic institutions and further polarize the country. By that measure, they were quite successful.
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Exactly, Mr. Sperling, which makes Mazzetti's observation that no evidence of vote changing seem quite lame. Russia's goal is destabilization of western democratic governments so that its system of oligarchical/military direction becomes more appealing. The Russian hackers didn't need to change even a single vote; all they wanted to do was penetrate our ballot systems to leave the clear impression that they could, if they wanted, change votes.
And the real kicker is that this Administration is doing absolutely nothing about it.
1
How do you happen to know what Russia’s real objective was?
2
If they didn't want the Pro-Putin Trump elected why did they spend so much time and money helping him?
3
There are several questions which should have been covered:
1) No mention of federal conspiracy charges. All it takes are two or more people conspiring to violate a statute with one or more overt acts.
One person can be an unindicted co-conspirator.
2) Federal tax returns are easily obtained through a federal grand jury. (Otherwise IRS is loathe to supply them) Trump could be charged after he leaves office, so long as the statue of limitations has not expired, if in fact probable cause exists.
3) Any person acting in a capacity as an intermediary for a foreign government legal or illegal needs to register as an agent for a foreign government. To me, this is Mueller leverage with all of the Trump associates wheeling and dealing to impact the 2016 election.
44
Reading the comments here it is clear the liberals are believing their own myth. Clinton lost because she ran a poor campaign and her cyber security was also poor. No ballots were changed. If there was voter fraud it probably helped Clinton not President Trump. The plus side to this is the liberals will continue to believe their myth and will also continue to lose.
28
There was no voter fraud.
People who research this stuff find when they start really looking hard at the supposed number of fraudulent votes, they can't find any evidence to support claimed numbers fraudulent votes.
16
There is an investigation because it has been proven that the Russians interfered with our election through social media and web sites. Whether there was collusion or not remains to be seen. We don't know yet. I do think it very important for the investigation to find out all his financial dealings and his taxes. It's very clear to most of us that he's hiding something since he has refused to reveal his taxes. We will see what we will see. There are no "myths" here. Just a great deal of understandable suspicion.
19
The issue isn’t whether the Russians got Trump in or not, it’s that they were meddling in an American election, period.
That’s bad. And if the Trump campaign was involved, we should find out. Just as we should find out whether the president, or anyone with his campaign, has been involved in any crime.
1
This investigation is taking so long, it won't matter.
The damage Trump is doing to our country will last for decades. And it will be irreversible.
60
The Watergate investigation took approximately 26 months. The Mueller investigation is only 10 months old. The investigation does and will matter - please be patient. In the meantime, do everything you can to help defeat the GOP in 2018 who are enabling the monster in the White House to destroy this country.
2
It's no secret that Donald Trump doesn't read, but there's one possible explanation that I've never seen or heard raised by any news source: Is it possible that Trump is dyslexic? Many people with dyslexia will go to extremes to hide their disability, so Trump's reluctance to read any extensive reports could very well be a ruse to hide the issue. Has anyone else ever suggested the possibility?
23
The investigation is at warp speed. Phase 1 should be complete within the next year or two providing additional leads to start Phase 2 supporting phase 3 in which the information will be organized for better analysis by additional independent analysts. Before you know it they will be able to decide if any collusion occurred.
1
Yes. But, Rex Tillerson provided a simpler explanation.
22
I've heard people raise this possibility before. I used to teach students with learning disabilities and it's quite possible that he does, but having a learning disability does not make a person have a proclivity to lie nor have impatience for detailed information. He also has a very short attention span so it seems more likely that he has ADHD.
10
Russian "meddling" certainly occurred, and there is a mountain of evidence to that effect. That Russian crowd that met at the Oval Office with the President might as well have brought in some Bolshoi Ballet dancers, while barring the press. It's also interesting that for Trump and his campaign, they may not be subject to prosecution since collusion that is specific to changing election outcomes is not easy to prove.
There are three key issues that are inadequately reported here and everywhere else:
1. Voter suppression was rampant in the last election, including in the key states of Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Florida. It took many forms, including longer lines in Democratic precincts, Crosscheck (which took many likely Democratic voters off the rolls), tinkering with paperless voting machines owned by Republicans (key districts' votes often did not match exit polls), and more. We don't win this by pointing fingers at the Russians, but by insisting on cleaning up our own practices, making us worthy of being called a democracy.
2. The Russians are the soul brothers of the Koch Brothers and Exxon Mobil. All have gangster like cultures focused on extracting fossil fuels and selling them. As a result, we are rapidly losing a chance to salvage a livable climate. The Times focuses on this far too little.
3. The White House is openly criminal and incompetent. We need a Liebling, Thompson, or Mencken. Or a Matt Taibbi, who is still with us.
346
We meddle in the entire world's affairs, their elections, we instigate civil wars, and wage real wars. Whining about Russians meddling sounds utterly ridiculous coming from a country that meddles in Russia day and night.
1
Collusion and obstruction of justice, the Trump campaign and administration are clearly guilty of both but the news media, the Times, refuses to come out and state it.
2
In the USA, collusion by itself is not a federal crime.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/collusion-is-not-...
By contrast, conspiracy to commit an offence is.
18 U.S. Code § 371 - Conspiracy to commit offense or to defraud United States
'If two or more persons conspire either to commit any offense against the United States, or to defraud the United States, or any agency thereof in any manner or for any purpose, and one or more of such persons do any act to effect the object of the conspiracy, each shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than five years, or both.'
https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/371
2
What is the NYT doing to help inoculate U.S. citizens/voters against any ongoing interference by outside interests (or by domestic interests, for that matter?) I doubt we can eliminate 'bots' and 'trolls'. So doesn't it make sense to teach people how to recognize and deal with them? And if the government isn't taking the lead in such an effort, shouldn't the media step up to do so?
84
It is very disconcerting that the repulsives really don't seem to care that there is a huge potential that Russia could disrupt the 2018 elections. Our hope is that the Dems will gain seats and in 2020 potentially regain control of the government. With the absence of repulsive concern and "will" to do something, I fear that 2016 could all happen again.
69
You think this is all an accident? Let me put on my conspiracy-theorist hat...
Let’s say Democrats do win in November, the Republicans can say that Russia interfered and the vote is invalid. Since the GOP controls most everything in this country, who will gain-say them? Do you think it’s an accident that Democrats get more votes nationwide but control almost nothing?
My grandfather was a solid Democrat but always told me to follow the money. The Koch brothers have pledged $400M for November, a small part of the BILLIONS they will save in taxes.
We no longer live in a democracy.
148
Do you remember the Koch Industries Super Bowl halftime ad recently? “Koch Power”. They aren’t even being subtle anymore.
3
Working with a foreign adversary to cyber attack US citizens or to help them spread stolen illegal gotten gains, is illegal. It's called Conspiracy against the USA.
156
Could you please explain that to, say, the President of the United States of America? Because he doesn't seem to get it.
2
What I cannot understand is why we let this two bit country interfere with our election when we could destroy Putin with a well placed embargo. We could at least threaten that.
19
An embargo of Russia would be an act of war. Do you really want war with the planet's second most powerful nuclear armed military? Like the US, Russia has nuclear armed submarines, ICBMs, and long range bombers that can carry nuclear weapons.
Not to speak of the fact that Europe, which depends on Russian oil and gas, might be on THEIR side.
10
Um, the GOP controls most everything and they are getting paid by Putin and/or his buddies?
22
I think that interfering with out election was an act of war.
2
Treason has been and still is occurring. It was done for money. The treason investigation has been and still is being obstructed.
129
There's no "treason" investigation. Treason is a specific thing and nothing credibly alleged so far comes close to it. Nonsense like this undermines the actual investigation.
17
That is nonsense. The heads of FSB intelligence and Kaspersky Labs security were thrown in prison after Flynn met with Kislyak over sanctions and U.S. counter intelligence reports after Trump/Flynn's first full briefings. Flynn and Papadopoulis would be the two eyewitnesses to betraying our intelligence assets and intent to trade information that would satisfy the requirements for treason witnesses according to our Constitution. And, nothing, like that type of self-evident speculation does a single thing to undermine the actual investigation. Republican obstruction is the only nonsense that is doing so. And Nunes's type of obvious interference and front running is clearly attempts to obstruct and interfere.
9
I don't know if it will go this way, jwp - but I pray that it does, would most comfort my soul. Treason is clearly what Trump is about at his core, or lack of core, character, soul, whatever you want to term it.
RE: "The current Justice Department guidance is that a sitting president cannot be indicted, and most legal experts believe that Mr. Mueller will follow that guidance." Kind of a non-answer, legally. This is an almost completely untested area of constitutional law. A DOJ "guidance" as a predictor is not saying all that much, particularly given a DOJ led by an AG as suspect in regard to objectivity as this one. Who are these "most legal experts?" What is their reasoning? Of course, conservatives would be of this opinion. Doesn't make it settled law.
48
Although I would favor use of Federal expertise in election security (assuming there is any real expertise sufficiently untainted), I would definitely want to guard against their participation in the actual elections (registration, counts, etc.). Just as the posse comitatus act was enacted to prevent a federally inspired and operated coup, whether by or using our own military, so would a federal role in elections lead to hijacking worse than that of Florida and SCOTUS. The next real battlefield in political corruption is going to be over the census where the entire nation will be subjected to the corrupt gerrymandering already in practice at the state level. Banana republic here we come!
13
In response to the question 'what's the big deal?' if the CIA does it: It's a big deal to those countries that it happens to AND it's a big deal to us. The amount of apathy that appears to be expressed on this subject by some citizens is shocking in its naivete.
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No, Chris W., it is not apathy and naïveté that most people feel towards this whole Russian imbroglio.
Rather, it's cynicism and disgust at how far this country has fallen. All at the hands of an out of touch, smug, self-entitled elites that are more concerned about getting theirs in the new global order than putting the interest of America and the American people first.
Trump, in many peoples' delusional hopes, was suppose to be an antidote to what ails this country. Instead, Trump is just like the rest of our debased "leaders", only worse since he may turn out to be the last drop of the bitter poison that has been coursing through and killing this country for decades.
Sic Transit Gloria Americana.
1
In the case of the 'memo', the source of the outrage is not that Carter Page was 'surveilled' but that the surveillance was initiated by deviating from the already lax rules that would have triggered it and that the motive was tilting the election to favor Bill Clinton's wife. To that extent, the initial comparisons and references to 'Watergate' are proper.
Here's a question that might point to the answer. Do Russian still enjoy the benefit of the doubt -- in the interest of lack of evidence?
8
The Dossier wasn't the only evidence used to do surveillance on Carter Page. Furthermore the surveillance of Carter Page had nothing to do with the start of the Russian investigation.
"Do Russian still enjoy the benefit of the doubt -- in the interest of lack of evidence?"
It's never too early to start planning your defense strategy, tovarich.
2
What is with the "Bill Clinton's wife" usage? It must be pejorative but I can't even twist it around enough to figure out how.
1
Thank you for this very helpful article. I believe the Russian interference in the last election was "an extraordinary moment" that deserves an extraordinary quality and degree of attention from all of us especially the very entities that have by all accounts done almost nothing, namely, the White House and Congress. For instance, there should already be a plan in place for a national voting system which can be audited and cannot be hacked.
56
Votes are already audited and there has been little to no fraud found. Keeping polls open so everyone has the opportunity to vote and making it easy for citizens to vote has nothing to do with voter fraud.
12
Thanks for your reply, Greg. My aim here was more along the lines of methods for insuring reliable counts/recounts, verifying that the machines are working correctly, letting folks be able to verify that their vote was counted, etc.
Greg wrote:
"The Democrats won't allow a voter audit since their stance says any questions about voter eligibility penalizes minority voters."
3
These articles about collusion and obstruction certainly appeal to those who must cling to the notion that Trump will be gone in just a matter of time. But, the reality is he will not be gone until he is not re-elected. In he year plus that the FBI or other agencies have been investigating Trump and those in his retinue nothing has been found other than Flynn's dirty business, Montefort's in the distant past laundering( if that) and the small lies of Mr Papadapoulos. If there was any substance in the collusion and obstruction charges against Trump himself, it would have been unearthed and promptly either leaked or announced. We need to get back to business and deal with Iran, Russia, China, North Korea and the middle east and that is speaking as to foreign affairs and defense. Domestically, we have immigration, health care, education, infra structure, and the national economy. These are the topics that should be occupying us and our government. We are just hurting ourselves by not doing so and instead spending resources on an investigation that will turn up nothing.
14
The investigation has already turned up a great deal. Two Trumpites have pleaded guilty to felony charges and two more have trials coming up in the Spring. The two that pleaded guilty have told Mueller a lot that YOU don't know about. Many legal experts think that obstruction of justice charges against Trump HIMSELF are already justified by evidence publicly known, but ignored by folks like you. Mueller is a man of high integrity conducting a righteous investigation launched by the Republican Dept of Justice. Your diatribe, though presented in civil terms, it at heart partisan and wrongheaded.
23
Or... Mueller is playing his cards close to the vest. Let’s say he charges Page with treason, then Trump can pardon him so he won’t testify against Trump. However, if Mueller leaves the worst charges to the state DAs, then Trump cannot pardon his buddies.
Since Mueller has only used the (apparently) least charges to get pleas, that leaves plenty of room for state DAs to nail the accused if other options fail.
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Phobos: If the con Don pardons Page, Page can be compelled to testify because a pardon takes away his fifth amendment right to self incrimination. To accept a pardon you affirm that you’re guilty. The pardon just protects you from jail time, not from testifying. You can still be subpoenaed.
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Very thorough and detailed article answering the many questions involving this complex investigation. Breaking down the issues succinctly is helpful since there is so much to keep up with the many twists and turns. Many of us were too young with Nixon so this is highly unusual for us. Well done and I look forward to more articles such as this.
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"Many of us were too young with Nixon so this is highly unusual for us."
As a teenager at the time I can wholeheartedly assure you that it was highly unusual for us too — and the current crisis of an even less fit president seems that much harder to tolerate.
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The thing about Nixon was that he was crazy and paranoid but he always believed he was acting in the best interest of the country. He was trying to do the right thing in his mind.
Donald Trump and ilk don't even bother to pretend they are acting in anyone's interest but their own. This is all a mad grab for power and money, and they don't hide it. They just say tough.
And that is a huge difference.
4
Future elections must be safeguarded against hackers, foreign or domestic. It’s important to discover what probing by hackers happened in 2016, but also to test every electronic system in use for vulnerabilities. Is this being done?
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Perhaps the problem is less the quality of our electronic systems than the quality of our leaders.
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or the quality of our voters. Time to re-thing universal suffrage?
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"It’s generally assumed that Mr. Mueller would make recommendations to Mr. Rosenstein, who would then pass them along to Congress."
A very balanced -- perhaps the most balanced I've read in the NYT in quite a while -- analysis of where we stand with Trump, Inc. and the hostile takeover of democracy in the United States.
But it is very serious business indeed, calling for the ouster of a President of the United States. It is too easy to fall down the slippery slope and have every opposition party to a president, if holding the majority of the House, try to impeach every president they don't like, thus negating our electoral system entirely.
Hence, it is right for Congress to consider very, very carefully whatever Mueller finds. Unfortunately, right now our Representatives and Senators do not possess the moral fiber necessary to do what is correct, if it needs to be done. I'm afraid we're stuck with Mr Trump for another 3-1/2 years.
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Check your math... Trump has been president for over a year in a 4 year term...
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"Does the administration have a plan to prevent outside interference in our elections, whether it’s from Russia or China or another country? So far, I have read many news reports about the investigation, but very little about preventing a recurrence. Dorothy Signal"
Great question, Dorothy and the answer is a a definite "no". As long as the GOP controlled Congress and committees think Russia is on their side, the focus of Congress and the Administration will remain on deflecting the widespread evidence of collusion between the Kremlin and the GOP.
Facebook, Google and Twitter haven't exactly inspired confidence that their sites can't be manipulated again, as Russian bots continue to push out the GOP story on Intelligence Committee memos.
In France and Germany, the government took an active role in heading off similar Russian interference in their elections. In the US, the GOP controlled government is putting out the story that there was no interference and a minority of voters are inclined to go along with this fable.
But its likely that the 2018 mid term elections will have two important national themes, #MeToo and Russia.
The Russia question is very simple: why all of the lying? Don't expect an answer from Fox News.
And Democrats will have a powerful incentive to take over the House to get rid of Trump and block the rapacious actions of the Administration through better oversight, especially HHS, Interior and EPA.
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Trump is not helping himself when he uses his Twitter account to attack others or praise them. The GOP is not acting like a party of the people but a party of the economic elite despite their claims to the contrary. I remember Watergate. I remember the uproar and upheavals that accompanies it. I had hoped that we'd never ever see something like it again but we are.
This is the fault of the GOP and Trump. The Democrats did not hold a gun to Trump's campaign personnel or the GOP and tell them to put forward a completely unqualified candidate, to have him fire Comey on what appears to have been a whim, not a reason, to create the least diverse cabinet in decades, and to protect a man who regards personal loyalty as more important than loyalty to the country they are sworn to serve. And we did not ask for a caricature as president.
We didn't ask for a man who is incapable of telling the truth. The popular vote went to Clinton, not Trump. Trump demonstrated well before 2016 his fundamental lack of integrity. If Trump is truly threatened with impeachment my fear is that America will never be united again because it will be the second time a GOP president has been found to have committed acts worthy of having articles of impeachment drawn up. No matter who we support we will never be able to trust them again. It might have started with Nixon but it didn't end with him.
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My worry is becoming this: Mueller will get the goods on Trump, efforts will be made to remove Trump, he will launch a major military distraction, and those of his supporters with guns will take up arms to defend him.
This leads me to conclude that might be better to lay off and even ignore Trump - until he is voted out of office in 3 years, scary as those years might be. Trump may even turn out to be more valuable to the Democrats as President than Pence as President until 2920 - and if Pence replaces him, Pence might well get elected himself in 2020.
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Unless there’s a major change in the midterms, an effort to remove Trump is pretty unlikely — no matter what Mueller uncovers.
The way things are, I think a second Trump term is entirely possible.
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