Closer still.
1
There's a reason this revelation about Manafort wasn't yet public knowledge. Remaining targets of the Mueller investigation shouldn't know these details or that Mueller knows them. I wonder if the 'slip up' by Manafort's lawyers wasn't in some way intentional.
1
" Instead, they cast him as a sick man — troubled by “severe” gout, as well as by depression and anxiety — who made misstatements because of a faulty memory and lack of access to his own records."
Coward.
Gout is his defense?! Stay away from fatty foods, liquor, and rich desserts, Mr. Manafort. A continued prison sentence will do wonder for clearing that up.
3
After reading this article, I believe the NYTimes may be jumping to conclusions. First, everything points to Manafort being in debt to a big player in Russia and owed money by some in the Ukraine. He likely got in over his head with these characters, but polling data in the summer of 2016 pointed strongly to a) Trump getting the candidacy for the Rep party and b) Trump losing soundly to Clinton. While the first came true, the second was clearly incorrect. In neither case is polling data private; most is public and even the 'private polling data' seems suspicious to me. Regardless, this article is jumping to unsupported conclusions, as usual, and needs to be put on hold until the real investigation is completed.
One has to wonder if this was a blunder at all?
Was this information deliberately revealed in the filing to let Trump know just how close the Special Councils' office is, and what they have? Mr. Mueller's office has demonstrated that it cannot be cracked, there are no leaks and there never will be.
Per these filings, Mr. Mueller believes that Manafort has attempted to communicate indirectly with the President and other comrades, while he was "cooperating" with the Special Councils' office. The only reason he would do that is so he could let the President and their comrades know what Mueller has and where the investigation is headed. In fact, that may be the very reason he decided, or was instructed to "cooperate" (with the promise of a pardon) but with the real purpose of learning and communicating back to Trump and their comrades. Why not pretend to turn and cooperate when you know there is a pardon coming? And, it's a quicker and much more effective way of learning more about what the Special Council has. Multiple trials would take forever.
Mueller is close and Trump senses it, hence the most recent diversion at the expense of innocent Americans and immigrants. Now he knows just how close Mueller is.
Collusion in plain sight? The simplest answer is usually the correct one.
1
This is arguably one of the news stories Trump sought to distract the public from with his primetime address stunt.
This is arguably a smoking gun - The Trump campaign gave their polling data to Russian nationals tied to the Kremlin for the purposes of soliciting their help.
Trump knew this was happening. Trump knew.
3
Clearly, HIS lawyers aren't "the best people."
Given Russia's ongoing meddling in the US, their murderous support of supposed separatists in eastern Ukraine, and reluctance to leave the Crimea, the current level of sanctions are not sufficient. Even before the Mueller report details the full extent of their election meddling, it's time to increase the pain until Russia's gangster kleptocracy gets the message and corrects its behavior.
2
Perhaps the most daunting challenge this nation will face when it's finally proven the Republican party coordinated with the Russians to steal the 2016 elections is what to do next. There's no "annulment" provision in the constitution, yet we cannot allow the laws, judges and other actions taken by an illegally obtained election to stand. I think we're just at the tip of our constitutional crisis.
3
So what??? It is basically nothing, and surely nothing to do with the president. Not even news, polling data that is not a secret. I wonder if it said Hillary would win??
1
@vulcanalex "Most of the data was public, but some of it was developed by a private polling firm working for the campaign..."
To clear up your misunderstanding of the facts.
2
@vulcanlex
People who see nothing wrong with secretly coordinating with a foreign government to influence the outcome of an election? I think I know who you voted for!
3
Of two heretofore unimaginable scenarios, one of which must be true, (A) that experienced Washington counsel made a highly irresponsible mistake which disclosed confidential information they were bound to protect and (B) that they did this quite intentionally in order to communicate the information to co-targets of Mr. Manafort, the latter (B) is the more plausible. This raises the questions whether Mr. Manafort, the client, approved and whether Mr. Manafort or someone else is paying their fees.
5
Same Deripaska who got sanctions relief approved by the administration on 12/19. I know Trump is almost unimaginably incompetent in anything that isn't directly related to his interests but sickeningly so when it's about him. How thick with trout-in-the-milk does the air have to get before he's impeached/indicted/removed?
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/19/us/politics/sanctions-oleg-deripaska-russia-trump.html
9
A lot depends on the data that was passed to Kilimnik, who Manafort knew was Russian intelligence from their Ukraine work.
If it was private polling data (the Trump campaign did only state polling) that is bad. If it was the RNC voter data file, that would be the smoking gun. Remember, the Russians had already stolen the DNC voter files, so they had all of our voter data for their disinformation campaign.
If it was public polling data, why did Manafort bother lie about it to Mueller's team?
So now we know why the judge in the Manafort case asked why there wasn't a treason charge. He had seen all of the filings unredacted.
10
There is no way Manafort did all of this without Trump’s knowledge. Nothing ever happened in Trump World without Mafia Don’s being aware. I believe Mueller has the evidence. It’s only a matter of time.
7
I don't believe the revelation of this information was an oversight, it was the only way to communicate to Russia and to Trump what information the US prosecutors now have.
4
"Most of the data was public, but some of it was developed by a private polling firm working for the campaign, according to the person" Another breathless piece promising so much and delivering so little.
1
@Dan M - It shows a clear connection to the Trump campaign and Russia.
2
If the the Trump campaign manager collaborated with a foreign government to change the outcome of the election in any fashion, then that election result is invalid regardless of whether Trump knew about it or not. We can NOT allow other countries to decide our elections, PERIOD.
11
How did the Russian's target swing state voters so precisely in 2016? This new evidence shows it was enabled with the direct cooperation of the Trump campaign. Burying this story explains the urgency of Trump's sniffy prime time non-event.
15
Republicans seem to be under orders to treat this momentous revelation with shrugs ('nothing abnormal about sharing campaign data with a foreign country' one Republican representative said on television awhile ago). No!! This is proof of an active, Trump linked conspiracy to defraud the American people of a fair election.
7
How sure can we be this disclosure was a mistake? We know that Manafort has been feeding information on the investigation to the WH. Manafort knows the only out for him is via pardon. And the only way he is going to get that is to please Trump.
5
If they gave them secret polling information, they probably gave them all the illegally obtained Cambridge Analytica also. This may be the tip of the iceberg.
5
They rigged the election. They adhere to our enemies. They parrot the Moscow line.
The word we are looking for here is: TREASON. And Trump, his family, his cronies, and the leadership of the Republican Party, (McConnell, Ryan, McCarthy, Nunes, down the line) who ALL knew exactly what Trump and his co-conspirators were up to, should be arrested, indicted, and prosecuted to the fullest extend to the law; full penalties to apply:
18 U.S. Code § 2381 - Treason
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.
(June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 807; Pub. L. 103–322, title XXXIII, § 330016(2)(J), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2148.)
7
@Ignatz Farquad
You are overlooking the "enemies" component. Case law holds that for purposes of the treason stature, an "enemy" is a country that is at war with the US. Since we are not at war with Russia, nobody will be charged with treason. It is for this very same reason that the Rosenbergs were not charged with treason for giving secrets to the USSR, because we were not at war with them.
I bet Trump and republicans love that this story was pushed off of the main headlines fast, so we could get back to the many lies he probably told last night. I was not watching, and am more interested in the developing story on the Data that Manafort shared. This is the real National Security concern. Please don't drop the ball, NYT.
9
Treason + Conspiracy = Trump
4
So, Trump's campaign manager flew to Europe to give the Russians private polling data.
Left unsaid is: What for??
The only plausible reason is to aid the Russians election influencing campaign. The private polling data has no other use than electioneering. Trump's campaign manager fed valuable information to guide Russian efforts to influence our presidential election in 2016.
We're to believe Trump's campaign manager did this without the knowledge of Trump??
This is not 'collusion' - it's CONSPIRACY to commit TREASON.
Folks, this is a much bigger story than the Wall and the Shutdown; this is the smoking gun we've been waiting for.
Trump is toast.
18
@Sam I Am: "Trump is toast".
I would think so. However, so far he's still there. Which I find to be beyond belief.
3
This is the real news. This will prove collusion.
9
This really should have been the lead story at the top of the page. It proves, once and for all, that the Trump campaign did indeed attempt to coordinate with the Russians to defraud the American people of a free and fair election. The only question left, what did Trump himself know and when did he know it?
This is far more important than covering Trump's pointless T.V. cameo last night. NYT, please stop falling for Trump's deflection tactics.
11
So what?? Is this a crime. internal campaign polling data is regularilly published by the media
@Bruce
That is external polling data the media shares.
2
Don Jr. must be a very frightened man right about now as his daddy continues to deflect from a very serious situation...
10
This story should be the top headline on this site! It gets to the very heart of this administration's legitimacy (or lack thereof), and every other action by Trump - including his current ridiculous posturing about the wall - should be colored by all the evidence we've seen that the Trump campaign conspired with the Russians, topped off (for now!) by the fact that Manafort passed along polling data.
11
What did the President know and when did he know it?
Where ave I heard that question before?
And how did that end?
10
Yesterday was a bad news day for Trump. Maybe that's why he had his prime time extravaganza?
1) The Russian attorney that Trump Jr., Kushner and Manafort met in Trump Tower to get “dirt” on Hillary is charged with working with the Kremlin GRU in a money laundering case which has ties to Manhattan Real Estate.
AND
Manafort, at the time he was Trump campaign chair, shared polling information with Russian officials and lied about it after his plea bargain.
AND
The Supreme Court rules against the mystery corporation from ‘Country A’ fighting a subpoena in the Mueller investigation.
12
Isn't it just amazing how bad guilty is for one's health?
Before he was found guilty, he was steering his stuff! Now he is sick, depressed, and crippled.
I hear he is planning on being blind next week if that will work.
7
There's your collusion.
11
This should be the top story; not the reality star president distraction.
15
Disclosing and sharing public polling data????
It's a witch hunt, but who'd have though Trump would have hired so many witches?
9
" His lawyers cast him as a sick man — troubled by “severe” gout, as well as by depression and anxiety —. "
What about bone spurs?
8
What other accidental information has been hidden? Mr Mueller please dot all your "i's" and cross all your "t's." We the majority of decent patriotic citizens are counting on you. This has to stick and give the GOP Congress syncophants no were to hide or squirm out of.
7
The links: Manafort - Kliminik - Deripaska - Putin.
The “private briefings to make Deripaska whole” takes on a new, more sinister, meaning.
Sharing even public polling data in furtherance of a conspiracy would be criminal.
I can see why Trump is keeping a pardon dangling with Manafort. Trump may be looking at making the argument that Manafort was a rogue actor. Manafort won’t play.
49
@Rita
Yes. The polling data was the "something of value" that Manafort provided to the Russians, thereby "making Deripaska whole." In other words, Manafort's large debt to Deripaska would be forgiven. This explanation is by far the most likely hypothesis.
10
How can Trump justify a presidential pardon for someone who gave away secret political GOP polling data to a US adversary who at the same time was hacking into US elections?
5
@Rita. Well, no. *Public* information is just that, available to anyone to use for their own purposes. If it's used to promulgate a crime that's just one price to pay for an open society.
We've gotten way beyond collusion. It is now clear the Trump campaign actively collaborated with Russian intelligence operatives.
69
@Long-Term Observer
Not to mention that the Trump team were trying to create active back channels with Russia, I believe even after he was elected. I seem to recall Kushner doing this specifically.
5
Vladimir Putin and Sergey Lavrov are hesitant to take advice from Americans. Americans do not intimidate them. They come from an Jihadist fighting authoritarian regime. They are very creative and capable strategic thinkers. Americans now know this as fact. On the other hand, one of the great business trends of the past decades has been “networking.” Donald Trump was a very capable businessperson and deal negotiator. He has taken his skill set with him as president. President trump is willing to negotiate on all fronts. The investigation into American election tampering has come up with evidenced that a foreign entity tried to influence American public opinion by engaging in negative campaigning – a crowed filed. [Also cyber hacking]. The point is our own country suffers from gun violence and a seemingly bought Congress. The real crime has already been found. Now we are only going after human failing, which is all over the place.
Trump was a very successful con artist. His businesses failed, his management company takes management fees for letting properties fall into repair, and he has left a trail of ruined small businesses and lives behind while he declares bankruptcy, takes the money, and runs.
US banks stopped lending him money, so he turned to the Saudis and Russians. He HAD to go on television to make money.
He complains about businesses taking jobs from the US, while still applying for licenses in China.
We already know he doesn't pay taxes when he can bankruptcy himself out of them. What else is in his tax returns that he is afraid for us to know?
7
@1bite at a time
Trump is a titan who will and can challenge anybody on the planet. This is a good thing. Now we have somebody who can negotiate with leaders of ruthless authoritarian regimes. Trump likes conflict he likes to negotiate. He is good at it. Otherwise democracies over time will lose their hegemony, and we will lose our rights. Fight now why we are free to do so.
This curious thing here is why he lied.
That Manafort was loose or chatty or maybe boastful or trying to appear plugged-in, seems par for the course. So, he might simply have been showing how plugged-in he was or how his candidate might get elected or whatever, but why lie about it?
One reason could be that he was in contact with Trump and if he implicated Trump a pardon would go out the window. Or maybe he was sloppy and just plain forgot (didn't lie). Or maybe he thought by admitting this he might move into the realm of treason and make any chance of getting released --or a pardon--diminished greatly.
Curious.
3
Does Trump still think Manafort is a "good guy" after he gave Republican polling secrets to Russians to use? And is Trump still considering giving Manafort a "pardon"?
It's amazing that Trump has been tweeting this morning about withholding FEMA to California after the fires, but NOT ONE THING about Manafort!
PS. Those furloughed forest service workers in Ca. due to the Trump's shut down usually are managing controlled burns for prevention now during the rainy season and also they usually process new hires at the time. Because of Trump's shut down, none of that is being done at all, which further places California at risk for fires.
8
Be realistic, guy, if you could not be objective. In order, to prove the collusion, a prosecutor should show that the data are actually usable for Russian campaign and were used for this purpose, he should show that Manafort showed the data specifically for this purpose to the Russian who he knew is involved in Russian campaign.
I am a little confused. Is it a crime to share polling data? Or is the issue who he shared it with? But is that even a crime? It's unclear what the bogeyman word "Russian intelligence" means. Is that illegal? And if so, does participating in a legal activity with such a person constitute a crime? So if Manafort shares the information with anyone else, it's not criminal? What if that person had been convicted of a crime?
I'm not defending Manafort, but it would be a novel legal standard (and slippery slope) if a legal activity suddenly becomes illegal if conducted with a person deemed by some standard to be a criminal. Chew on that for a second.
1
@Joe Schmoe - Actually reading the facts of the matter might clear up your confusion.
5
When Manafort passed over polling data to the Russians, I wonder if current Trump campaign head Brad Parscale was involved in any way, or perhaps Cambridge Analytica, and therefore Steve Bannon and the Mercer family. Mueller probably knows the answers to these questions, but we still don't.
In any case, the whole Trump criminal enterprise is falling apart. In particular, Trump will no longer be able to say "No collusion!" The best he can do his throw Manafort to Mueller, like he would throw a baby out of the troika to a pack of pursuing wolves, while exclaiming at the top of his lungs: "I know nothing!"
9
Forget collusion. It's looking like conspiracy.
12
Poll data to Russians for the purpose of using social media in those districts where the race was close. Remember, 77,000 votes made the difference in MN, MI and Wisconsin.
Manford was Trump's campaign manager and absolutely Trump had actual knowledge of this.
My hope is that Mueller will issue and indictment against Trump (et al), then let the courts and Congress "fight it out". If the facts are so overwhelming..Trump cannot be defended by "his" Republican base...that would be political suicide....time will tell..
3
Oh dear, he shared POLLING DATA with a RUSSIAN! And it may have been DOUBLE SECRET PROBATION sensitive!
...and the nonsense continues.
The National Security advisor to Trump “arguably sold out his country” according to a conservative judge. Coordinating a political campaign with a hostile foreign government isn’t nonsense either.
9
@Bill
Motive, boyo, motive.
2
Finally a new piece of the puzzle to make sense of the Russian - Trump campaign conspiracy, and it appears very damning for Manafort, and for others. But, given that Mueller has this info, it remains unclear why more indictments haven't been forthcoming: Jared, Don Jr., et al.
In any case, this news report really hits home to explain the Russian motivation to corral the Trump presidency: they hate the sanctions inflicted on them by the Americans for killing Magnitsky, for invading Crimea, for conducting war against Ukraine, among other things they do.
And with the recent New Year's remark from Kim Jon Ung of North Korea wherein he highlighted his desire for sanctions to be lifted against his country, sanctions evidently work to get a tyrants attention and compel a change in policy, or at least compel negotiation.
At bottom, Trump campaign collusion is all about a quid pro quo to get campaign support in exchange for lifting sanctions so Russian oligarchs can be free to spend and launder their money as they see fit, and so the Russian state can act with impunity.
Does the House really need to wait for Mueller's report, of which they may never see? They should proceed with what they have, conduct some investigations, but proceed in Godspeed with Articles of Impeachment.
5
This Manafort is a real slime. He and the other indicted people around Trump really sound like traitors to me. And the slime keeps oozing out from Trump & his associates from the swamp he turned into a cesspool.
8
Dang it. Guess we all need to brace ourselves AGAIN for another Trump diversion.
6
Now why is this not the top story on the front page? It's buried way down, overshadowed by coverage of Trump's idiotic speech last night. This is by far a bigger and more crucial story. "This is the closest thing we have seen to collusion..."
16
@Elvira
Because it was the top story yesterday, when it came out
We had to recite it every morning in public school.
On assembly day the entire school went to the auditorium
and recited it. We were obliged to wear a white shirt/blouse and red tie. If every student in our class was able to meet their obligation, we’d all get a gold star.
“I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."
I suppose greed got the better of Manafort.
5
Greed? Yes, certainly. But please add Arrogance and Ignorance, just like AIG
1
Manafort was conspiring with a belligerent foreign power to alter the presidential election in favor of the candidate for whom Manafort was campaign chief.
But forget that, we have a border CRISIS!
12
Oops there goes the "no collusion" lie.
10
What did Shakespeare say about lawyers? Oh, can't say that here, as it would be considered inflammatory.
1
@Z
Those who have actually read, and understand, Shakespeare's Henry VI know that the line you speak of was meant as a compliment to lawyers.
@GMooG
OH I read and understand but do not share your interpretation, which is exactly what it is. I can only assume you are a lawyer. The typical lawyer's insistence on this bit of farce as compliment is yet another proof, as if we need more, of the overweening arrogance that so oftens infects the profession.
Shakespeareans?
1
James Lankford, a Republican senator from OK, was trotted out today to give yet another GOP version of "What me worry/ no collusion/ what's the big deal/ nothingburger/ what's the crime" defense.
At this point, it's clear that the GOP considers Putin and the GRU closer allies than the Dems and the FBI.
The Kompromat must be stunning.
12
The media publish polling data all the time. Is that collusion or attempting to influence an election?
1
Yeah, it was their private polling data given to a foreign power for what reason? I bet it wasnt camaraderie.
4
@Jackson Some of the data transferred was private, Trump's internal work.
4
So public data made its way to some obscure Russian. Did Manafort also communicated the temperature in Washington DC on October 3, 2016? It was also public data.
1
where did you read that it is public data? you really think he went to Spain to discuss public data
4
Manafort was talking to an agent of a hostile government about the election. What is the innocent explanation for that?
3
Manaford offers briefings to Russians and gives Russian intelligence polling data. Russians, what Russians says Trump. Oh, the ones who need a translator, with dirt on Hillary the floor beneath you, meeting with your son, son in law and your campaign manager. The one who offer to give briefings and polling data to Russian intelligence. Those guys. Trump is guilty as sin. If he wasn't president he would already be indicted.
9
Collusion, with a capital "C"
8
Seth Abramson said it all already, in his book "Proof of Collusion." He has careful and annotated details following each chapter. A fourth of his book is footnotes, for each chapter.
This story should have been above the fold. NY Times.
No wonder Trump wanted to talk on TV about his wall, to distract us all. Shocking, and thank god for Mueller.
12
In Watergate we had one smoking gun. In Russiagate we have multiple smoking guns!
PROSECUTE RUSSIAGATE!
5
Some time ago, the NYT published a story about Trump's hiring of Manafort -- how Manafort came into Trump's office and offered his services for free. Trump was delighted for two reasons: He is cheap, and his ego was tickled by the fact that someone wanted to work for him for free. He actually imagined that he was getting some sweet deal and that Manafort wanted to work on his campaign only out of admiration. He did not vet Manafort, apparently. Did anyone on the campaign? Jared Kushner? No questions asked? Anyone with a brain would have found the offer a tad fishy.
7
Recently talked family members who voted for Mr. Trump. Military family. Asked what they thought of Manafort. Their response: He's a traitor. I asked would they vote for Mr. Trump again. Their response: Not if he knew what Manafort was doing, that would make him a traitor also.
10
ok, I guess Dems should calm down - the victory in 2020 is in their pocket, doesn't matter who will run
I wish he and Donald J Trump can be cell mates for a long, long time. They could share fashion tips and ways to make money and spend it.
6
Manafort is just a Russian spy. All his activities are treasonous. I am afraid that he will get Trump ‘s presidential pardon. All his associates are criminals acted against America. They should get appropriate punishment. FBI should look for more Manafort like Russian moles and spies in America. It is dangerous.
6
@ASHRAF CHOWDHURY - For the umpteenth time, Trump has no reason to pardon Mannafort once he's ratted him out and Trump can't pardon state crimes.
1
There is no other reason to share the polling data other than to elicit some form of assistance from the Russians. If the polling data were shared, and the chances are astronomically high that it is true, there is no other conclusion than this is a clear instance of collusion.
11
There are plenty of innocent reasons to share the polling data in the private conversation. For example, to boast that support is better, or discussion what method of polling is better. It is much more difficult to figure out how Russians could use these data for their support.
1
@yulia Give me a break. You don't share data in a conversation for the heck of it. Sharing data is different than speaking generally about how the campaign is going.
7
Polling data are widely shared on Internet, in discussions and blogs to make one or another point, especially in election period. I am yet to hear what was so different about these particular data, and how they helped Russians in their campaign. Any idea on that?
Hey, @NYTimes! This should have been your lead story.
23
The document also revealed that during the campaign, Mr. Manafort and his Russian associate, Konstantin V. Kilimnik, discussed a plan for peace in Ukraine.
Damn Trump and his evil associates for even daring to taint the word peace by talking about it.
It seems a good legal secretary may have better luck nailing Trump than Robert Mueller.
2
‘Deripaska, a Russian oligarch who is close to the Kremlin .....’
He’s also very close to Javanka, with whom he socialises and holidays.
13
THIS is the top story of the day, especially in connection with the Russian agent/lawyer who was also an attendee of the now infamous "Trump Tower Meeting."
It is, to quote Narcissist in Chief - a smocking gun. Or another one.
Lying to nation last night is a non story, except in the fact that the networks were derelict in their duty for airing it.
19
This story deserves FAR GREATER PROMINENCE. Think about this for a minute. In our nation's history, Manafort's forwarding of campaign polling data to Russia will prove far more consequential than the Trump speech. Your editors must be more discerning in separating what is truly important from the Trump-preferred "storyline of the day"!
26
Keep in mind that this info wasn't hidden from Mueller, rather Mueller knew exactly what Manafort did and when he did it.
Combine this with last year's indictment of the Russians in the troll farm sabatoging our election, and it should be perfectly clear that proof exists of all of trumps treason.
And he knows it.
489
What Mueller knows would curl your hair. Would drop our collective jaws to the ground for months on end.
36
@KEM-Indeed. Raw intelligence findings in the Steele Dossier alleged that Manafort while Trump campaign chief managed the plot to exploit political information on Hillary Clinton in return for information on Russian oligarchs outside Russia, and an agreement to “sideline” Ukraine as a campaign issue. According to the report, Trump campaign operative Carter Page also played a role in shuttling information to Moscow, while Trump’s personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, reportedly took over efforts after Manafort left the campaign, allegedly providing cash payments for Russian hackers. In one account, Putin and his aides expressed concern over kickbacks of cash to Manafort from former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, which they feared might be discoverable by U.S. authorities. The Kremlin also feared that the U.S. might stumble onto the conspiracy through the actions of a Russian diplomat in Washington, Mikhail Kalugin, and therefore had him withdrawn, according to the reports."
Source: Just Security
26
so, finish nailing the coffin. This country is sick of the stress inflicted by Trump and resulting disfunction. We have best system if we have well intentioned, healthy human beings at top. Logic, laws and creativity are needed.
16
Team Trump colluded with a hostile foreign government in order to throw an American presidential election and un-democratically elect a man who would be sympathetic to said hostile foreign government. This same man is now kicking out the very foundations of our government from under us.
And yet media still treats this like a horse race - a he said/she said game.
Fifty years from now, the big story won't be that it happened. The big story will be how did we let it continue to happen even after we all knew the truth??
328
At the rate it’s going with voter suppression on the upswing, rampant gerrymandering, a deaf dumb & blind sycophant Republican Congress that has allowed those crazy evangelicals to craft anti-science policy & a SCOTUS that’s in tRumps pocket, it’ll be a miracle if we even have a functioning United States of America as our grandparents knew it 50 years from now.
Everything that tRump touches dies.
42
@Cloud Hunter
This is so true. How is it the GOP continues to abet the crime boss occupying the White House? The GOP is complicit in their undermining of the democracy by their inaction and even protection of the crime boss. It is past time they took action.
As someone else wrote, what do the Russians have over McConnell and his wife and the other sycophants in the GOP?There is much more to this story than currently meets the eye is my hunch.
NYT, please continue your diligence in ferreting out the stench at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
53
@Cloud Hunter I was a Communications major in the 80s, and learned about McCarthyism. I thought how stupid Americans must have been to let that happen, nowadays nothing like this would happen, news is everywhere... The generation not yet born are going to shake their heads and think the same thing of these times.
37
It's obviously essential that we compare this case to the "Chennault Affair" that helped Richard Nixon win the 1968 election. (Nixon, through a woman named Anna Chenault, convinced the South Vietnamese leadership to drag their feet on peace talks in order to create frustration among the American populace with Johnson's efforts at ending the war, and throw their support to Nixon.) To me, the most important lesson is the fact that it took decades to finally build a provable case for Nixon's chicanery, while the misbehavior of Trump & Co. is being played out before us almost in real time. This means that the laws that we have put into place as the result of Nixon's trickery are working.
This comparison is also the best possible response to those who insist that the Mueller investigation is dragging along. One thing we can easily see from Nixon's actions is just how easy it is for a person backed by the power of the presidency to circumvent such an investigation.
Mueller is our best hope of eventually finding the truth. The most important thing for any of us at this point is to resist the efforts by Trump and his followers to impugn the integrity of Mueller, his team, and the overall process.
It is impossible to overstate the importance of maintaining the independence and integrity of this investigation.
923
@TM
I agree. As someone who studied history and political science, and works in the legal field, it's so frustrating to try to explain to people that have never really had any serious interaction with our justice system just how long real investigations take from start to finish. And the larger and more complicated the case, the longer it takes to really get to the bottom of it all.
It took years and in some cases decades for the government to build the cases that eventually took down the various organized crime syndicates of the past. So demanding completion of a case that involves multiple parties, multiple countries, and many people with the money and power to evade Justice after only 2 years is absurd. And Republican lawyers and lawmakers that defend the president are doing the country and their profession a great disservice to suggest that the investigation should have ended already. Especially as indictments, convictions, and guilty pleas of top people close to Trump are piling up.
335
@TM
A superb comment, linking these current White House tricksters to the reign of Tricky Dick, and a well reasoned argument for the paramount import of the Special Counsel. Thank you for your historical and political acumen.
54
@TM
Great comparison with the Chennault case!
40
So. Paul Manafort was sharing campaign data with Russians during the 2016 elections, while serving as Trump's Presidential campaign chairman. Is there a bigger story than this on the planet right now? If so, I'd like to know what it is.
1336
Trump did not know about what Manafort did, Just as he did not know about the meeting with the Russian representative that took place two floors below him and Trump Tower, and if you believe this I have a bridge in Brooklyn to sell. But the question remains are these impeachable offenses?
45
@Htb, this formally ends the question whether the Trump campaign conspired with the Russians on the 2016 election.
183
Indeed! Throughout the unwinding of this investigation, I’v often had to take a step back and appreciate the magnitude of crimes from a holistic perspective. Certainly there are more grave revelations to come!
45
Manafort, his attorneys and any White House or Trump attorneys with which they had contact should be investigated, should be individually investigated for violations of their licensing and appropriately disciplined.
Further Manafort should spend the rest of his life in prison, and if pardoned by Trump, should be further investigated to see if additional charges can be brought against him, thereafter by state and other federal prosecutors.
This man compromised our democracy, and he should pay for his crimes.
255
@Quandry
Completely agree that Manafort should pay for his crimes for compromising the democracy by providing tactical polling information to a foreign power. This should extend to his boss at the time - the candidate for the position of President of the United States.
Trump will say he had no idea what his Campaign Manager, his son, and his son-in-law were doing on his behalf. Regardless of his denial, it is still absolutely clear that his Presidency is not legitimate as it was attained with the help of a foreign power.
32
@Quandry
If you cheated on your federal tax you cheated on your state tax. All states I know of start with federal adjusted gross income as the starting point. Paulie no nuts is the slammer for life.
16
If Manafort shared campaign polling data, that had to be private information / internal polling data because the Russians wouldn't need Manafort to obtain publicly available polling data. That just strengthens the case that Team Trump coordinated with Russia in an apparent quid pro quo to obtain Russian help to get him elected. And that's just what is publicly known about the Special Counsel's findings.
545
@The Real Mr. Magoo
You know this is just an accusation?
How valid have Mueller's other accusations about Russia-gate proven?
@The Real Mr. Magoo
Kushner is in on this. He gave the polling data to Manafort so Manafort could give it to the Russians. Wanna bet?
26
@Yaj
Um...have you been following the news? Like what happened to Flynn, Papadopoulos etc?
29
C-O-L-L-U-S-I-O-N 101 boys and girls! Now watch the Trump loyalists throw Manafort under the bus before you can say ,"Forget about it." How much more evidence can you need to realize the more Mueller digs; the more these Damon Runyon characters reveal what they really are? Low life opportunists who hitched their wagon to the Liar-In-Chief who does seem to have the unique ability to fool some of the people all of the time. As Ronald Reagan was so fond of saying, "Facts are a funny thing; they keep telling the truth at the end of the day no matter what." I really keep wondering how much longer can this farce of an administration last; when most of Trump`s inner circle keep heading to prison for their pathetic lies and cover ups? When does the biggest liar of all finally have to face the music and be sent into the trash can of history where he belongs?!
11
This story is enormous and is arguably among the biggest announcements to date with respect to the Investigation. It deserves more attention by the NYT.
14
So a campaign manager for a presidential candidate shares information with a Russian spy? I'm seeing a much greater threat to our security than a Central American woman carrying a child in diapers across the border, hoping to escape violence and abuse. At least we know one thing: the prison walls have already been built that will protect us from these scoundrels.
605
@Fester-"In a series of emails sent (in 2016) spring and summer, Manafort tried to offer “private briefings” about the presidential race to Deripaska, apparently, as one of the emails puts it, to “get whole.” Reports in The Atlantic and the Washington Post revealed those emails in the fall of 2017. Among the questions that remained unanswered was the identity of Manafort’s contact in Moscow, the one referred to in one of the emails as “our friend V.”
https://www.yahoo.com/news/exclusive-russian-ex-spy-pressured-130026181.html
15
Traitor. Forget the tax crimes -- I hope he dies in prison for being a traitor and helping the Russians with targeted election interference. Maybe then his life would be worth something, serving as an example and a warning to others. But I doubt it. Con men always think they're smarter and they'll get away with it.
7
The manager of President Trump's campaign shared internal polling data with an associate who was tied with Russian Intelligence, and continued to lie about it in violation of a cooperation agreement with the Special Counsel's Office.
That is really, really starting to look a lot like "collusion," is it not?
Perhaps, aside from personal obsessions, Mr. Trump's currently heightened battles over building a wall are in fact more of a diversion, to keep our focus turned away from these and other pending revelations about to emerge from Mr. Mueller's investigation.
657
@Michael-Indeed. "Mr. Manafort asked Mr. Gates to tell Mr. Kilimnik to pass the data to Oleg V. Deripaska, a Russian oligarch who is close to the Kremlin (Putin)". The very same Deripaska under investigation for money laundering and accused of threatening the lives of business rivals, illegally wiretapping a government official and taking part in extortion and racketeering. The very same Deripaska whose companies Trump removed sanctions against in December 2018!!
Trump Administration to Lift Sanctions on Russian Oligarch ’s Companies
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/19/us/politics/sanctions-oleg-deripaska-russia-trump.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/02/opinion/deripaska-sanctions-russia-manafort.html
28
Shouldn't photographs accompanying news articles of a convicted felon portray them in prison garb instead of a bespoken suit?
6
Meanwhile on Fox, the news is way way down with very very small fonts!!!
3
So what would Manafort have thought at the time that Russian recipients would do with the data he provide them? Put it on a nightstand for a little bedtime reading?
Not likely. It only had value in enabling foreign interests to meddle in our election - this while Manafort was actively involved as Trump campaign manager.
In other words, Manafort actively supported a Russian espionage operation against his own country. Let’s think of a top Trump supporter as a national traitor.
81
Yesterday, we learned that Paul Manafort, while acting as Trump's campaign chairman, was feeding data to the Russians. All Trump had to do was go on TV and make an empty speech, and he gets the big headline, pushing the Manafort story into a small box farther down on the NYT website. This is so discouraging.
21
Can someone explain to me how a “formatting error” in a legal document filed by the defendant’s lawyers inadvertently provides such damning evidence of collusion?
Sounds like there may be a story there, ya think?
4
@squrt29 Manafort's lawyers don't know how to use Adobe Acrobat
3
Little doubt Kilimnik has ties to the Russian mob is there?
4
Moving forward, shouldn't we be making every reasonable effort to prevent outside nations from influencing our elections in the first place? It is easier to do than pursuing investigations and proving collusion.
4
While it is a given that some lawyers are just smarter than other lawyers, it is also a given that very few of them are just plain dumb ... discounting, of course, Rudolph Giuliani!
There is no way that Paul Manafort's attorneys released that "explosive" redacted document by mistake as they want us to believe.!
Their objective was a last-ditch effort to temper Donald Trump's anger toward Paul Manafort, making it entirely possible that he may one day grant Manifort the presidential he so badly wants and needs.
We must remember that the prosecutors already knew what the redacted portion of the document reads.
The only ones who didn't know what the redacted portions were supposed to hide was, 1)The general public,
and 2)Donald Trump.
To the part of the public comprised of what's left of Trumsp's dwindling
supporters, this damning information means absolutely nothing!
IT IS ALL FAKE NEWS!
To Donald Trump, on the other hand, it may mean an eventual, even last minute protest pardon for Paul Manafort ... even as they are ushering Comrade Trump out of His Excellency's Living Quarters!
2
@Edgar Bowen a presidential pardon does nothing. Manafort's in hot water on state charges. He's in prison now, and he will stay there, regardless of what Trump does.
5
@James Oeming
No, that's not true. He has only been convicted of federal charges so far. So if Trump pardoned him, he would be free immediately.
"The economic sanctions imposed after Russia annexed Crimea damaged the Russian economy..." In this case, the point would be that Putin and oligarchs couldn't and can't get their money out of Russia. See "Red Notice".
3
If this isn’t direct collusion, then what is? The moving of the goalposts by team Trump and some of the media is turning into the theater of the absurd...
12
Approximately 124 million people voted in the 2016 presidential election. This polling data could have been the difference between Russians randomly spamming the entire country with anti-Clinton propaganda and Russians micro-targeting individuals in swing states who changed the outcome of the election by about 70,000 votes (0.05% of the vote).
11
What's so funny in some of these comments is the that the little details, twists, and revelations that are slowly emerging from these investigations are cited with contempt - seen as irrelevant minutiae.
These are in fact what is commonly referred to as evidence and findings -- a common product of countless professional investigations into crimes and misdeeds.
To say that evidence and findings represent the intelligence community seizing upon dubious bits of nothing expresses a self-serving desire to ignore the conclusions of this meticulous work.
10
Paul Manafort sought to work for Trump's campaign without pay, yet apparently no one in the campaign questioned why he would do that. Yet another example of the adage, you get what you pay for.
7
Collusion. Plain and simple.
7
Smoke meet Gun.
Why isn't this article top of page above the fold?
24
Now we know how it feels to have a Putin pocket puppet in our White House.
16
This article really shouldn't be below all the wall nonsense.
36
This is damning circumstantial evidence, have to say. Barr will choke on his words at next weeks confirmation. The GOP needs to put the wheels in motion to prepare for a primary challenge. That's if Trump finds a way to stay in office..
4
This should be the top story, not the border wall speech diversion. NYT, stop following the magician’s redirection to the shiny object.
53
Mueller is like Santa Claus, while he keeps bringing gifts and shiney legal trinkets to the masses, is he real?
Can he really give me what I want?
A big red bow bound Trump, being perp walked from the Twitterhouse. Come on Santa!
19
So, it was Paul Manafort and the Trump Campaign who gave the Russians the data telling them to focus their efforts on suppressing the African American voters in Detroit, Milwaukee and Philadelphia?
12
Its no coincidence Manafort worked for trump and less of a coincidence he had ties to Russian Intelligence.
12
No wonder this guy is safely stowed away in solitary confinement!
8
This should be above the fold, but the stupid wall speech pushed it out of the spotlight.
47
There are few accomplises left in Donny’s cabal. Conway is one. She was a pollster and undoubtedly conducted many surveys for Trump. It is these surveys that Manafort shared with the Russians. So in other words if there was collusion, Ms Conway was perhaps aware of it or part of it. Of course we don’t know for sure but it’s a likely scenario Mueller may be looking into.
18
Why do we assume that the Russian collusion happened through Manafort, Cohen, Flynn, Page to Trump? Might it NOT be possible that the Trump campaign was already colluding and hired them based on what the Russians (ie. Putin) thought advisable? Isn't it possible that the collusion predated any of their appointments to the campaign and the conspiracy to defraud the American voters of their choice in president was already in effect? Why else would ALL these folks with Russian connections be assembled under one campaign? I specifically remember when Trump was asked who was his foreign affairs advisors, and he quickly assembled a group and took a picture, but didn't even know the names of the people assembled. Russia was focused on getting Trump elected president for a decade before at least. The collusion began way before all these men were campaigning for him. Russia may have chosen and paid these men to get involved to assure their success in tipping the scales on foreign policy, sanctions relieved, and more support from American government way before Manafort colluded with Kilmanik. They had a master plan and Manafort was just a part of a much broader conspiracy.
29
Trump has been looking guilty for a long time, and the more we learn, the more guilty he looks, along with virtually everyone associated with his campaign and administration. He can try to distract us all with his border wall half-time show, but another wall is closing in around him. It's Mueller time, not to mention Schiff time.
26
Oh, that gout will really get you in trouble, all right!
9
Putin must be so proud of his deranged muppet. In just one year, Trump has created so much chaos. Fire the Electoral College.
29
Why is/did Manafort lie to Mueller?
So he can stay in jail and remain safe from R(ussian)s who would like to "close" their account.
11
May I politely ask, by this time, who is surprised (yawn)?
4
This article raises the question of what would a mentally ill Sherlock Holmes sound like. I suggest he would be finding collusion between the local constable and the emperor of Joseon, based on slight hints and unsupported inferences from “reputable” sources. The lack of hard evidence would not disturb this Holmes, and he would just have contempt for real investigators debunking his conspiracy theories. This reminds me of our mainstream media, who are slowly becoming parrots for certain elements of the intelligence community, reporting on the latter’s unsupported opinions about that “Satan” in Russia, and the need to stay in Syria, Afghanistan and so on. Having, as a spokesman for a more honest view of our perpetual foreign wars, a President who is competing with the mainstream media for biggest liar ever, doesn’t help either. Fortunately, many Americans are coming to see that the mainstream media is becoming no more than a tool for advancing the aims of the very rich, war profiteers, Republicans and establishment Democrats. All the propaganda in the world will not undo this unmasking.
5
@Timshel I don’t think you have been following very closely. There’s been many indictments and convictions. The evidence is pretty clear. Do you just not want to believe it. That’s your prerogative but the earth isn’t flat either.
4
Clearly not, otherwise we would have the collusion charges not 'lying to FBI' and 'obstruction of justice'
This is a new one on me. A man so far down in the tank that he is doing dirty business with one of our chief enemies, who in very short order is likely to receive a full pardon from our President.
5
@A. Stanton - It's frustrating to see people parrot this nonsense about a pardon.
Trump has no incentive to pardon someone who ratted him out.
Why is it a question of, “if trump knew?” He’s clear in his speech and from those he admires, that he wants plausible deniability. They are doing his bidding. He’s created the TV role of our time, “Mafia reality TV president”, and loves it. The ratings are big and beautiful to him.
15
Forget the wall and the shutdown and everything else he is trying to do to distract you and the media from THIS.
29
I must admit I have always felt that collusion was a bridge too far--mostly because, Trump's incompetence could never pull off the kinds of strategies required to work with the Russians on throwing this election. What I failed to factor in is collusion can be incompetently executed---but it is still collusion.
29
We don't need to be completely Trump-obsessed, but we do need to be Trump-concerned. While praising the intelligence of the American electorate, Trump secretly knows that they can be led around like bulls with nose rings - only instead of bullrings, he uses their beliefs and prejudices to lead them wherever he wants.
If DJT doesn't destroy our fragile democracy, he has published the blueprint and playbook for some other demagogue to do it later. If a democracy like America's is going to exist, there will have to be a paradigm shift in human thought throughout the world.
In the near future, we will program the human mind in the computer based on a linguistic "survival" algorithm, which will provide irrefutable proof as to how we trick the mind with our ridiculous beliefs about what is supposed to survive - producing minds programmed de facto for destruction. These minds see the survival of a particular belief as more important than the survival of all. When we understand this, we will begin the long trek back to reason and sanity.
See RevolutionOfReason.com
2
The Trump campaigned and the RNC hired and paid $12.5 million and $5.4 million, respectively, to law firm who then hired a company that was using a foreign spy who worked his Russian contacts both in and out of the Russian government to dig up dirt on Hillary Clinton in order to influence the election. Oh wait, my error, it was actually the other way around. Do you see the absurdity of this whole "collusion" story? So far the only hard evidence of actual collusion and coordination with millions of dollars paid between a presidential campaign, foreign spies and Russian government officials and non government citizens has been the Hillary Clinton campaign and the DNC. That's not to say Trump didn't also have contacts with Russians, but it deflates the hysterical Russian conspiracy/collusion narrative about Trump being pushed by Clinton and the Democrats. In general, our whole election system is corrupted by foreign powers such as AIPAC or the Saudi funded "think tanks" and lobbying firms that funnel millions of dollars to our politicians. The entire system is rotten to the core. Let's address that.
3
Your correct and Citizens United was a huge step backward. Unfortunately human nature is such that most people only absorb what validates their beliefs instead of a true unbiased assessment of the issue. Politics should not be like Madison Ave in terms of selling a product where money spent on campaigning is very effective. Lets even the field for candidates, with each allowed a government stipend (to which civic minded citizens can contribute in an nonpartisan way) and hear what they have to say in open debates with full fact checking muzzling those inclined to spin the "truth".
4
Let’s not forget that it was Kushner who tried to set up a back channel with Russia that was separate and private from the US government AFTER the 2016 election
29
Why does the article not mention the administration’s recent move to lift sanctions on Deripaska? Is that not relevant? Manafort was working directly with, and for, this close Putin ally. Why, other than to satisfy a debt, or prevent kompromat from being revealed, would the administration even consider dropping sanctions on Deripaska?
All the little pieces of this puzzle matter, and it is irresponsible journalism to omit even one.
Putin laughs every time he sees us unable to put the pieces together—further evidence of the success of his strategy to cultivate Trump, get him elected, and sow discord and confusion in the United States.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/19/us/politics/sanctions-oleg-deripaska-russia-trump.html
20
but... did "Mr. Manafort’s lawyers [make] the disclosure by accident, through a formatting error."? or did they mean to "make" it happen because they finally have a conscience? interesting way to look at it. don't you think? oh, yeah... "severe gout" and "anxiety" and "depression" are the reasons. he didn't lie; he "misstated." really?
2
So by receiving this data from Manafort, the Russian saved the price of a newspaper, did not have to Google for the info, or watch any of the talking heads on TV.
2
Well, some of it was campaign data, right?
2
@Captain Lefty
Oh - nothing wrong with a little treasonous collusion, eh?
5
@Captain Lefty You may have missed the last part of that sentence, "...but some of it was developed by a private polling firm working for the campaign..."
6
Love the fact that this devastating reveal of Manafort’s collusion and treason was caused by a formatting error his attorneys made when filing the document. Their rate is probably close to $1000 an hour. For those fees you’d think they could at least be counted on to use a good word processor or proof reader!
9
So... Collusion then.
9
As commenter TM noted, this is like the Mrs. Chennault Affair. But instead of a campaign conspiring with South Vietnam, an ally, a campaign conspired with Russia, an opponent - a very powerful opponent. Let that sink in as to how disturbing that is.
And worst of all, most Americans don't know about the Chennault-Nixon Affair. "Those who don't know history are doomed to repeat it." Meanwhile, those of us who are old enough, and who do know about this part of our history, we are waking up to the strains of Sonny and Cher singing "I've Got You Babe".
11
Can we please discuss the elephant in the room? We all know the real reason Manafort is not cooperating. The list of monsters he has done work for precludes that in the event of his full disclosure it isn’t his own skin he is worried about but that of his children. With journalists and political foes in Eastern Europe and Russia turning up dead - not intimidated - dead, is there really any wonder why Manafort is best off going to prison until he dies? Or he can live to watch his children have accidents. I’d dismiss it the stuff of novels if it weren’t actually real as many have found out over the last 15 years.
16
So did Manafort accidentally reveal the collusion?
2
The polling data was certainly not classified. The sharing of such data is meaningless. "Oh, how's your boss doing?" Well, here is our polling data. We have a chance." Would a Russian with intelligence association be interested, of course. Is it important or any attempt to collude trying to fix the election. Of course not. It is absolutely meaningless in a collusion investigation unless some talk about what help could you give occurred. It appears it did not.
3
@HenryC First of all, your argument begins with a strange disconnect, concluding that only classified data should be considered meaningful. Second, and more puzzling, is your conclusion that sharing polling data with a rogue outfit determined to undermine the election would not have been helpful to the rogue outfit.
7
@HenryC is stated explicitly that Manafort shared polling done by a private company for the campaign. This isn’t some casual chit chat about how your boss is doing. This loaf information was delivered to Kilimnik and then asked to be passed on to Deripaska. What could Russian intelligence want with polling data? They could create targets which data shows is exactly what they did. Please don’t brush this off as chit chat, you know you’re smarter than that. No need to defend criminals.
8
It is collusion and a conspiracy with the Russian government to undermine the election in favor of Trump in exchange for favors to the oligarchs. I don't care if you chose to ignore it. Connect the dots, if you can. You certainly are able to make wild speculations when it comes to the Clintons.
9
Individual 1 should have gone on TV last night to say "I am not a crook" rather than the repetitive nonsense about his precious wall.
19
@Maple23
Well, if we're going there, it should have been "I am not a lying, corrupt, treasonous, cowardly, narcissistic blowhard"
4
@Maple23 Actually, Nixon did an Oval Office address to the nation for exactly that during Watergate
John Dean, one of Nixon's attorneys, said Nixon wanted to use the Oval Office setting because it made him appear more serious and added gravitas to his empty lies. Just like Donald
6
I vividly recall that the Rosenbergs were executed, on much flimsier evidence, of spying for the Soviet Union. Manafort should feel relieved. Ten years in prison seems a laughably moderate punishment. Perhaps when Trump is no longer in office, and thereby unable to issue pardons, we’ll see prison sentences handed out to Individual One and Individual One, Jr.
11
Do we all really believe that revealing this information was an "accident?" Perhaps this is the case, but I think we should question it. Can we think perhaps of other reasons Manafort and his attorneys might want this information leaked without having to own responsibility for it? My first thought is that he is afraid to cooperate because of the nature of the people he will be selling out (the President and perhaps even more frightening, Putin and his disgusting band of brothers.) Perhaps this accident is an attempt to "cooperate" without cooperating. Although that is not why we should question if this really was accidental. This should be questioned because there may be other, more insidious reasons, Manafort and his team want this information out there. IDK how important this is, but it's the first thing that came to my mind upon hearing this last night.
12
Did Mr. Kilimnik cross the southern border into the U.S.? Therein might be the argument that sells "the wall" to the majority of America loving citizens.
22
Rather than "collusion," the better word is "conspiracy." Ask any low level drug mule in federal prison doing time based upon the weight of the kingpin about the definition. In essence, you have people taking actions working toward a common goal even if one doesn't know everything that the other is doing.
29
The polling data provided by the Trump campaign allowed hackers to delete voter registrations in a few key states such as Michigan on the eve of the election. The campaign orchestrated last minute visits by Trump to those same states as a cover up to explain his unexpected victory to be.
36
@Chuck How much more ugly can the results of the 2016 election get? We salute President Hillary, sadly, only in our dreams.
5
Conspiracy seems to be an endless loop that flows into infinity. There is conspiracy and then the cons[piracy to conceal the original conspiracy and then the conspiracy to conceal the conspiracy to conceal the first conspiracy.
2
Because there's plenty of evidence of Russian government support for Trump, and a distinct possibility that Russian propaganda helped Trump get elected, there's no need to invent a conspiracy theory about deletion of voter registrations. That's wacky and there is no evidence for it. What actually happened is bad enough.
2
This just shows how much integrity Mueller and his team have - to sit on revelations like this patiently for months to build a broad and comprehensive picture of what went on in 2016 has only bolstered their credibility in my eyes. Keep digging and let's find out the full truth.
54
Robert Mueller is a god.
5
Manafort should be investigated for treason. Working with a foriegn power to influence the election of the President of the United States. What did Trump know and when did he know it?
37
@robert zitelli
Yes and also the NRA bankrolled McConnell, who strongly opposed a public warning about the Russian operation before voters went to the polls
18
@robert zitelli. It's very simple. Either Trump knew from day one what Manafort and all those around him were doing and was trying to erase sanctions to facilitate a lucrative business deal with the Russians and insert himself in power or he is the most incompetent, clueless idiot that loaded his cabinet and top government positions with people who keep getting caught lying about Russian contacts and/or being Russian agents. He's either a traitor or someone so incompetent that he's compromised our national security. Either way he should be immediately removed from the Whitehouse.
5
In what possible way can anyone dispute that Manafort arranged for Kilimnik to regularly pass campaign info to Russian government contact points?
This is a solid program of collusion, established by a political operative who had worked for years obtaining and using similar information from pro-Russian Ukrainian contacts in order to manipulate pro-Russian political campaigns. It requires a flight of imagination to claim that it was all just chatter among friends, and that Russia had no interest in the American election.
19
Because, of course he did. This was Trump's campaign manager, Trump is highly tied to Russian oligarchy money, Trump winning the presidency would keep things tidy for Trump /Kushner Inc. Follow the money, as they say.
23
Trump wiped the Manafort story off the front page and replaced the lead story on every network with a shutdown. This is Not a coincidence.
Senator Schumer and Speaker Pelosi answered Trump’s lies but neither they or any news organization mentioned the timing or the misdirection that Trump staged. How long has Trump known about today’s Manafort revelations? Probably well before his staged meeting with Schumer and Pelosi.
The result: today’s headline is about the shutdown. Conspiracy is page 2 and bizarrely obscured.
43
@Joseph Huben
Yes it seems likely that Trump stayed inside the White House over Christmas not to negotiate re the wall, but to meet privately with his lawyers and spin doctors, meetings that would have been too visible at Mar-a-Lago
8
@Joseph Huben For sure Trump knew. A subpoena for...Whitaker.
6
what is difficult to understand from someone outside the States is why so many millions of Americans remain loyal to such an appalling president. No one seems capable of explaining this.
61
@Jo Ann Most of us despise him. What we are now working to change is the impact of years during which Republicans in many states have skewed voter districting to ensure their own victories. This highly partisan practice has resulted in their majority in our Senate, who have the related fear that more right-wing Americans will vote them out of office if they don't support Trump.
But those who genuinely remain loyal to the man do so out of their own fear of changing demographics in the country, and the related fear that their own way of life will never come back.
Note that the operative word throughout is fear, which Trump is despicably masterful at exploiting.
42
@Linda Barnes
Thank you Linda for your clear explanation. Yes, fear is so difficult to overcome, especially if it is deliberately exploited by someone with more authority.
16
@Jo Ann Americans are not loyal to trump. He lost he popular vote and his approval rating is under 40%. There are many people in different parts of our country who consider people like me to be elitists. (We are not.) These people want to oppose us even if it hurts them on issues like health care, environment, climate change, etc...
22
It appears to me that Mr. Trump's primary weapons to avoid, at a minimum, charges of conspiring with a foreign government to impact a U.S. federal election and perjury are plausible deniability and craven shielding by Republicans in the Senate. These weapons will prove to be inadequate.
Take heart, progressives: All bad things come to an end too.
11
I'm not sure this was a mistake on behalf of Mr. Manafort's lawyers. It might be intentional, for many different reasons...
14
Can we drop this awful word "collusion". It doesnt come close to describe, nor hold any legal bearing, for the crimes being perpetrated by this president, his family and those who work for him. I believe it will all end very badly for him, as it should.
23
@Independent
'Cahoots' is the word we'd have used when I was a lad (roughly the same time our so-called president was a lad).
Trump wasn't paying Manafort. Did the Russians pay him to work for Trump. Did Trump know that?
9
@Independent, I agree the use of the word "collusion" is not correct. I don't think there is a crime called collusion, even though the word usually denotes something nefarious. The correct word to use in this case is "conspiracy". Perhaps a more specific phrase would be "conspiracy with a foreign government". Treason could also be used appropriately here.
9
Wow. Kinda gotcha! But... The non stop “wall” noise on all channels will be the remarkable historical lesson in future analysis of this moment. It is telling that, from 2016 until today, the genius of Trump and his team in controlling the media narrative continues year after year as the USA slips deeper into chaos. Despite the noise, though, we begin to see that the organs of communication are the vector of our intoxication.
18
@Stephan Kuttner
Trump was controlling the media long before 2016. If he sneezed it was covered. And it didn't cost him a dime. I supposed the thinking was that it was such a train wreck, let's cover this ridiculousness. Well, that backfired. The weak ate it up while the rest of us were overly confident there was no way a country as great as America would fall for this con. I still have faith we will recover, but we'll be extremely scarred in the process.
6
That eyebrows weren't raised when Manafort came onto the Trump campaign was the beginning; he was deeply in debt for big time money, tens of millions and yet he willingly signed on to work for free for the campaign. And there was a comment he made to an acquaintance at the time saying maybe doing so would help him "get whole."
22
@TJ
Yes, and that the political press did not dig into the platform change at the Republican convention, making it more favorable to Russia re the Ukraine ( why would the Russians request a platform change? To see whether their contact had power to influence Trump and his campaign).
( in dramatic contrast, the political press obsessed about a few gossipy DNC emails released by the Russians on the eve of the Democratic convention forcing the resignation of the Convention chair)
7
@TJ - The only people who seemed to take notice was The Daily Show. They mentioned it right away.
3
It's entirely possible that trump instructed his associates to do whatever they thought they had to do to curry favor with the Russians (possibly to his personal advantage), and separately, to do whatever they thought was necessary to swing the election in his favor.
But, as he has likely done throughout his life, he probably let those same associates know that he did not want to be kept in the loop. This way, he would be at arms length from whatever impropriety those associates engaged it.
Same MO for trump U and his other business dealings. Have the underlings do the dirty work, then deny any knowledge. Pay a fine, pay some legal fees, then start grifting by proxy again.
19
Maybe Manafort's lawyers' guilt conscience is too much for them to bear, so they bare it all. If the Judge Emmet Sullivan has deemed Michael Flynn case bothering on treason, what do you call Paul Manafort? Whether Trump could distance himself from Manafort or not, the latter has been part of the GOP going back several decades. What does it say about the whole party. It is like a rotting fish...
13
I want to thank Mr. Manafort's lawyers who made the disclosure by accident (or otherwise). If his ongoing legal case(s) was a comedy, this move would be a very deft plot twist.
12
The untenable stage of Trump and company manifesting the virtue of profit have no Truth. Pure will to survive and power values have no ground to stand on - utilizing force to sustain its ultimate virtue, that is, to sustain itself. Trumpian ethics sacrifice prudence, peace and unicity, ect... ideologies now subordinated before the altar of this administrations baseless existence.
3
Quite honestly sharing polling data is not evidence of collusion. Even if that did actually happen what does it prove? Nothing. Does it prove that the Russians acted on behalf of the Trump campaign? No it does not. Does it prove that the campaign actually attempted to get help from the Russians? Absolutely not.
This entire debacle seems like death from a thousand paper cuts, not a real investigation. If someone in the campaign including Trump broke the law then I will be all for prosecution, I dont particularly care for the man. But not only does this not rise to the level of "high crimes and misdemeanors" it is not even illegal.
Once again, as it has already been proven, the DOJ and FBI are using a favorable media outlet to float unproven allegations. It is a shame that so many are willing to facilitate such stories, without really vetting them first.
4
Isn’t this still pretty thin? Polling data are guesses at best. Russians could easily have hired their own polling firm to ask the questions in the polls Manafort shared. This isn’t secret info because it isn’t information - it’s guesses at best. Still looks small to me.
3
@Djt - No, it's not thin. It is evidence of conspiracy between the Russian government and the Trump campaign to influence US elections.
41
@Djt Insofar as not all the polling data was public, it could help Russian efforts to target their own social media campaign to way public opinion in the U.S., and thereby influence the outcome of the election.
In and of itself, it may not be that much; it is in combination with all of the other exchanges between the Trump campaign and Russians with close ties to the Kremlin that it smells pretty foul.
15
@Djt, you probably think attempted murder is not a crime as long as no one is injured...
1
So....whatever it was that was on television tonight was really just a screaming contest to drown out this story, huh? Lol, border wall.
77
Another Trump traitor.
31
Kilimnik sends polling data to Deripaska, the Russian oligarch with ties to Putin. Deripaska's company has sanctions lifted by Treasury. Now with US blocking international trade, Russian companies pick up the slack. So if sanctions cannot be lifted via political action directly, Russian companies can still benefit from tariffs. And all this while Trump shuts down the government and creates a big distraction on the border. When will the right wing media echo chamber wake up?! Their support has been the key to the survival of the traitorous Trump regime.
99
For a campaign that didn't collude with Russia, they sure were doing a lot of colluding.
87
I have read all the comments. A bit uncivil, a bit nervous, a bit off or on?
Still....is this why Trump's speech tonight seemed to be way too short, insipid, false, because he knows the gig is up??
30
This information and it’s implications get lost by Trump blathering on about a wall. I doubt Trump gave immigration two minutes thought prior to his presidential campaign and then only adopted the view he was told to adopt. Trump’s usual tactic to divide, agitate and distract when uncomfortable information is made public or is about to be made public seems to be in operation.
28
@Concerned
We know Trump gave more than two minutes of thought to immigration!
And his thoughts were undocumented workers cost less and they are too scared to complain when we treat them badly. Hire them!
15
Follow the bread crumbs. Eventually they're going to lead to that man with the small hands in the White House.
68
Manafort is a traitor. Pure and simple. Let him serve his years in a tiny cement room amusing other convicts with hair coloring-tips and bouts of weeping. Maybe even write a soulless book about his transcontinental groveling. But can we please move on? The facts are dull and the defendant is an eyesore. Big world out there, right?
26
@POV
He worked for a traitor.
39
Not collusion, treason. Actively selling out your country for personal gain. I don't believe in death penalty, but Manafort should go to prison for life it the allegations are true.
78
Methinks this may not have been an accidental disclosure. It all depends on what this data is. If someone on the prosecutor side of the fence goes and makes a big stink over the sharing of the data with Russkies... but then it's revealed the data is info that could be got anywhere by anyone...well... egg on face.
It's sort of like the whole wikileaks thing... there was nothing in wikileaks so earth shattering that merited giant font headlines because it was just stuff that even the laziest of info gatherers would have known about. The trick behind wikileaks is that it caused not-so-friendly intelligence services thousands of man hours of perusal to discover this. An effective form of confrontation is to get your opponent to waste their energy.
So... doubtful this disclosure was so accidental, it may just be the flick of the wrist that reveals someone has been led down a garden path.
5
@Joey Deveever. The Wikileaks materials were stolen. Last I checked theft is still a crime. Conspiracy to commit a crime is still a crime too. Trump’s a felon.
40
How's this for an ironic scenario...
The Mueller investigation conclusively proves that Trump colluded with the Russians.
Furthermore , it also proves that Vice President Pence was also fully involved.
They are both cast from office.
Next in line....Speaker of the House....Nancy Pelosi.
84
We'd get the first woman president, after all.
7
This, alone, just proves there was "no collusion!".
Well, in the "alt-reality" world at least...
18
I believe the word is in fact Collusion, unless people want to go out on a limb with Treason.
23
@RW. I don’t need treason, just conspiracy to numerous felonies.
12
@RW
Collusion was the word trump grabbed onto early in the investigation. It's not known if he knew that collusion is not a crime; it's a word that describes one or more persons acting in a conspiracy to thwart an unwanted circumstance, as in being exposed for crimes. There can be one or more issues the contribute to collusion.
4
His lawyer inadvertently revealed his illegal activity!? Talk about a bad day at black rock. He should sue for incompetent representation. I hope Paulie at least gets to claw back these few hours of billing. Totally embarrassing.
8
@Steve Cohen
He’s broke and busted down in Barstow.
5
Well if it walks like a traitor and talks like a traitor then guess what trumpets? It’s a traitor. Where will all trump’s supporters hide when the traitorous truth comes out?
35
I’m the West Virginia Coal
Mines
2
I would have liked to hear the guffaws of attorneys reading about the gout defense for treason.
23
Election stolen from Hillary ...two Guatemalen children murdered by neglect who would be alive today if Hillary was president She should run again. Best qualified. She deserves it. The children suffering throughout the world need her Hillary and Kamala 2020.
10
I am as Democratic as they come, but never ever will
Hilary/Kamala win in 2020. Never
18
@as
If Hillary was such a great candidate she should have been able to beat Trump handily - with or without Russian attempts to influence the outcome. Fact is, Hillary is her own worst enemy - she knew exactly what she was doing when she installed that server in her home, and she was warned by the State Dept. again and again, and she chose to ignore it. On top of that, I find her extremely disingenuous, an opportunist, and dishonest. I voted for her because I'm no fool - the alternative was clearly going to be a nightmare - but I had to hold my nose. Obviously there were many who couldn't bring themselves to do what I did. Let's get over Hillary - she is old news, and she will not be the Democratic nominee in 2020 - too much baggage and too many people dislike her.
21
@C Coleman
I definitely think she could've retained enough of the Blue Wall to win in the Electoral College if it weren't for things like the speeches to Goldman Sachs. I'm guessing that, and not Russia, sent a lot of people Jill Stein's way.
6
I understand Trump will never willingly release his tax returns, but so many questions about who did what when and who knew what when could be answered with a descent forensic analysis of Trump's taxes.
I hope such analysis is on Mueller's agenda.
25
Doubtful. Trumps tax returns will show dividends collected from his various real estate investments and licensing deals, each of which is itself a corporation. The juicy stuff is probably in the returns of those various entities, rather than his individual return. Those returns are far beyond what presidents disclose.
I’ve always thought his reluctance to disclose the personal return was based on some combination of it showing not that much income earned, no taxes paid (thanks to the rules surrounding real estate investments) and an embarrassingly low amount of charitable contributions. And not some illegal issue.
7
@michael - The House is already on it. Mueller won't have to do the subpoena, and the House will be sharing that information with Mueller.
17
@michael
Mueller likely has had them subpoenaed long ago and you can take it to the bank the Dem's in this House will subpoena them. That's when trump's acting attorney general will take his mask off.
5
Isn't this pretty much the definition of collusion? I am continuously amazed that we seem to need months and years of legal wrangling to legally conclude that "Yuppers, it's collusion. Period."
19
This is big! I believe that manafort's lawyers intentionally filed this information publicly as a way to communicate with trump. This was not accidental. And, as usual, the media, pundits, bloggers and tweeters have all been distracted by "the wall." we need real journalism and media coverage of what's important to help save the country. No more distractions, please.
25
@Anon
Your theory makes no sense. Why would his lawyers go through this elaborate ruse to communicate with Trump? Doing it this way is not only highly ineffective, but also exposes them to professional liability for malpractice. Why would they need to do this to communicate with Trump when all they had to do is pick up the phone?
7
Well, no wonder he is locked up. One of the questions I have is why not lock up the rest of Washington D.C. lobbyists who have done equally as bad or even worse things? I mean, the other lobbyists are still doing them, or are we supposed to believe they aren't?
7
@rexl Context... This is possibly evidence of collusion with the President of the USA.... I dare say if Mueller comes across evidence of other lobbyist malfeasance, as he probably will, then no doubt he will hive the issues off to other branches of the DOJ -as he has done with other breaches of the law. The 'why not lock up the rest of Washington D.C. lobbyists' issue is, no offence intended if this is genuine curiosity...' is basically 'whataboutism'... The current allegations stand apart. And the issue of lobbyists also requires close examination, I surmise.
2
We had a coup in 2016.
Why does it take sooooooooo long to recognize it? Will the so-called establishment ever recognize it?
31
@kj
I’ve known since 8:30PM on November 7, 2016
20
Pathetic. 'Severe' gout does not affect the brain's function, nor is anxiety and depression in the present an excuse for malfeasance occurring in 2016. Manafort, Trump, and the rest of the creatures in the swamp need to punished to the fullest extent of the law. Show no mercy prosecutors!
63
>>“This is the closest thing we have seen to collusion,” Clint Watts, a senior fellow with the Foreign Policy Research Institute, said of the data-sharing. “The question now is, did the president know about it?”<<
Ya think?
43
@Lord Melonhead
Hmmm. let's turn to that fabricated story as to why the Russian attorney was meeting in the Trump tower in the first place? Who fabricated it? Trump Jr? No wait, it was his father!
34
No wonder trump has shut down the government and manufactured a phony immigration crisis. Anything to distract from the release of yet more evidence that his campaign collided with the Russians
106
Interesting that the day new revelations about Russian collusion by the Trump campaign were "inadvertently" left un-redacted by Manafort's lawyers Trump insisted on a national broadcast on a supposed crisis. Coincidence or simply more orchestrated misdirection by the grifter? Remember, Manafort's lawyers had already been caught communicating with the Trimp White House prior to this latest revelation. So why not continue the collusion between Manafort and his former boss to protect Trump? Conspiracy? Perhaps. Delaying the inevitable? Most certainly, but It gives more time for Trump to lay blame on others in an attempt to escape prosecution.
26
Collusion (illegal cooperation) of Trump's campaign with Russian interests couldn't be more clear. This, in addition of Trump'smultiple attempts to obstruct justice, ought to give us pause, and ask ourselves why we tolerate despicable Trump's abuse of power in such a cavalier fashion. This is a sick joke on us!
39
@manfred marcus
“ask ourselves why we tolerate despicable Trump's abuse of power in such a cavalier fashion.”
Trump’s firewall is McConnell and the Republicans, propped up with Russian/NRA money
2
Collusion’s the illusion.
Collaboration’s no aberration.
Complicity was simplicity.
Conspiracy is not the mystery...
because they had good reason
For treason.
34
This is life in the fast lane with Republicans. Good luck with that,
America!
18
The amazing thing is that it took so long to bring Manafort to justice. It was clear to anyone looking that he was dirty all along. Anybody paling around with Yanukovich was clearly not working for the best interests of the US.
26
Paul Manafort wasn't simply "a top official in President Trump’s campaign;" he was the director of that campaign for several months in 2016. Paul Manafort is a traitor whose treason was committed in the service of President Trump as he campaigned for the presidency of the United States.
Please, New York Times, call things as they are. Your readers can handle the truth.
89
January 15, 2017
”…did any advisor or anybody in the Trump campaign have any contact with the Russians who were trying to meddle in the election?"
Pence: ”Of course not.”
Lying or clueless? You decide. Either way….
81
And there you have it: conspiracy. Just in case you had any doubt.
46
Why isn’t this guy facing charges of treason?
36
No mistake on Manafort’s legal team “accidentally” sharing redacted info, just a last ditch effort to share limited insight with Trump’s team. Treason.
28
Republican voters seem to wandering about with their arms outstretched, parallel to the ground like the zombies from, "Night of the Living Dead," in search of brains to consume.
Normal people should send them back to the church from whence they came.
23
Well it’s looking bleak for the Republicans. Their candidate’s campaign conspired with the Russians to interfere with our elections. Manafort was the head of the campaign and he told the Russians where to direct their efforts for optimal effect. That’s conspiracy and that’s against the law. Manafort was a lawyer before he was a law breaker so no excuses about not knowing that what he was doing was illegal. Since Trump liked to be in control, he probably was not ignorant of what Manafort was doing. If so, that’s is a grounds for impeachment.
61
After reading this and hearing about it earlier in the day, why is trump still our president? Indeed, I was hoping to see an arrest live on TV which didn't happen. Instead I listened to a subdued campaign speech filled with propaganda and lies.
There's no collusion because it is a conspiracy.
38
@PAN
Still have to indict the kids. Except for Barron, he’s a minor.
6
Let's keep in mind the context in which this information appears: this is only what Trump's campaign manager's lawyers have accidentally made public about what Manafort has admitted to lying about.
The mind boggles. And the question comes up: what in the world is Mueller waiting for?
20
Something juicy and good I hope!
5
A resignation. This is all leverage.
4
For the people asking if sharing polling data is illegal, no not really BUT...
A. this is internal polling commissioned by trump campaign.
B. Who you share this with indicates who you are coordinating with. So the trump campaign would never share this with Clinton campaign for example but might share it with some other repub candidate.
To share their internal polling data with russia is a really big deal especially in light of russian trolling of social media during pre-election period and definite evidence of collusion.
84
@F
The article states that the greater portion of the polling data was public. This is a "scorch the earth" investigation and prosecution. I wish Muller would draft legislation to protect citizens from gun violence.
1
@Jeff Stockwell Sharing public data with Russians means collusion, doesn't it? Collusion has nothing to do with privacy, and every
thing to do with intent.
12
I am sorry, I am not still clear is or isn't the sharing polling data a legal definition of coordination? If it is not, cooperation is a pure speculation.
3
Mr.Manafort's lawyers say he is suffering from depression and anxiety.He has betrayed his country-he should be anxious and depressed.This should not affect his memory-he continues to lie hoping for a pardon.He lived a lavish life while he was working against the interests of his country.He offered to work for Trump for free so he could feed the Russians information and be handsomely rewarded.
86
Republicans should feel embarrassed and shamed, but do not have the honesty, dignity nor integrity to face facts.
Republicans have abandoned the goals and ideals of our Founding Fathers. Our nation's founders' ideas have been abandoned now because of Republican misdeeds.
26
Janet Michael: Bingo!
3
@Janet Michael
He was working for a traitor.
4
““This is the closest thing we have seen to collusion,” Clint Watts, a senior fellow with the Foreign Policy Research Institute, said of the data-sharing.” It is not close to collusion Mr. Watts, it is collusion.
58
Muller may have had all the evidence in front of him before Manafort was ever questioned. I suspect this is only the first layer of the onion, the easy stuff the FBI was working on a few years ago. I doubt we can even imagine the breadth and depth of the criminality of the Trump/Russia machine.
63
Then Alpha Bank covered his payables.
19
I hear manafort is complaining about his conditions in his VIP cell. Well paulie you shouldn't have lied and been uncooperative with the Mueller team and violated your terms of bail. Now you know how the brothers feel and you sold your soul to the Russians and its Tuesday and like wimpy in Popeye its time to pay up for that Russian burger you had.
32
@renaldo Recall that Manafort was moved to solitary confinement after he was caught contacting potential witnesses to try to influence their testimony—witness tampering. Too bad he isn’t thriving in isolation, but I have no sympathy for him.
5
You must leave now, take what you need, you think will last
But whatever you wish to keep, you better grab it fast
Yonder stands your orphan with his gun
Crying like a fire in the sun
Look out the saints are comin' through
And it's all over now, baby blue
Thanks to Bob Dylan
18
NYT this should be the top story.
118
It’s telling that Russia with all its supposedly sophisticated and technologically advanced intelligence gathering capabilities that it would need to rely on Trump polling data given to them from Manafort so as to know where to place their disruptive Facebook posts. It does more of a disservice to the bedrock of American democracy than service to reveal that it’s so cracked and flawed.
5
There are lot's of details about Roger Stone's connection to Manafort and Trump, along with how much Russians spent each month to influence the campaign that would have gone a long way to rounding out this story. Also, Veselnitskaya's & company's ties to the Kremlin and the financing it was doing.
19
What more evidence do we need now? This is not only collusion of the highest degree, but admitted to by his own lawyers. On paper.
How convenient for him that trump has once again convinced most of the news media, certainly broadcast media, to change the subject tonight with his prime-time parade of lies and libel against immigrants. Even the Times is running this story well below trump's address. Weakened though he is, he's still calling the shots.
53
Sharing polling data with a Russian? That's it? Not exactly a smoking gun. Where's the quid pro quo? What did Trump get for the polling data, not that such a thing is worth much. This is hardly worthy of front page news.
3
Scott,do you truly believe Mueller has shared anything with us.
"One little piece"
Do you know how investigations are completed.
One little piece at a time,
This ain't Perry Mason. It's real investigative work.
22
@Scott Werden
The polling data is probably a poll commissioned by the trump campaign. This indicates that they were working together. We already know about the russian troll farm efforts to influence people via social media.
31
@Scott Werden
"Where's the quid pro quo? What did Trump get for the polling data [...]?"
You mean, besides the presidency?
101
Seems like this is also a lesson to all those lawyers who electronically file documents. It sounds like this was revealed because the person responsible for efiling the document didn’t know how to properly redact and remove metadata!
8
If Paul Manafort slipped a Russian agent internal Republican polling data that was then used to better focus the concerted Russian attacks on our electoral process, this really should be over now. How can a president remain in office after getting elected in this sordid manner?
106
Mueller, if he is going to indict near Trump's circle, should start with Don Jr. This will make Trump blow his top. The spectacle of Trump really losing it may induce the GOP to call in the guys in charge of the straitjackets. It will get them out of the bind of having to impeach him.
29
Yawn again. Polling data are public domain - anyone can post a survey on the web or through a research group and gather public opinion. If Manafort does not give them data, they can get it on their own. The US does not block such free exchange of information even if foreigners wish to access the opinions of our citizens. This is a good thing.
1
@Dan
Wake up and smell the coffee. The polling data was internal trump campaign data and NOT in the public domain. This is an indication that russia and trump campaign were working together.
54
@Dan
You have to have a fantastic mind and suspend logic and facts to not see that this is a significant blow to Trump's charade. Remember the context and that this is likely but a fraction of what is coming down the pike. Heads are gonna roll.
13
Is there a law that forbids to share polling data?
1
@yulia
In this case, it is evidence of collusion. The trump campaign supplied their internal polling data and russia used it to help target people with trolls on social media.
Of course allowing foreigners to influence our elections is treason.
43
@yulia - For what legitimate reason would a US presidential campaign pass *internal* polling data . . . to the Russian intelligence services (of which Kilimnik was a member)? I'm all ears.
26
@F
This is rank speculation. The complaint does not allege coordination with Russian trolls or other political operatives, or even hint at what the "polling data" was used for.
Nor do we know the proportion of "private" polling data in the mix, or whether it was suitable to sue for micro-targeting issues or geographic areas.
It is not evidence of anything except that Manafort was doing what he could to get back into an oligarch's (Deripaska's) good graces, after stealing from him.
In 2020 and after four years of the Mueller investigation and the weekly drip drip inferences of Russian collusion from it, Chinese water torture will no longer be the benchmark for sadism. Trump will be gone but we’ll all have to live with the nightmares Mueller’s torturous devices will have left us with forever.
Exactly! Can you believe Mueller made Trump, his son, his son-in-law, his campaign chairman, his national security adviser, and others conspire with Russia to defraud America of free and fair elections?
7
Too bad we couldn’t have built a wall between the Trump Campaign and the Russians. But, the Russians got in.
12
Yes, it's a national emergency. We have a Russian mole in the White House.
Little wonder why Trump must hold a prime-time national address on his wall. Time for another diversion. Members of the media and the press, how about putting this at the top of your news stories and at the top of every news page, above all the speculation about the lies Trump is about to spew, and all the lies he'll offer once he speaks? How is Trump whining again about his wall, and lying that there's a national security emergency, news worthy of a prime time national address? Manafort's own attorneys, thorough pure incompetence, just revealed that Trump and Manafort were colluding with Russian intelligence during the 2016 campaign.
That's real news. You should be running it, not propagating and disseminating Trump's lies that his wall is about stopping terrorism. Trump's own administration already stated that no terrorists come through America's southern border. In July 2017, the Trump State Department said there was "no credible information that any member of a terrorist group has traveled through Mexico to gain access to the United States." Further, according to separate DHS data for 2017, all the people on the terrorist watch list encountered by U.S. officials tried to enter through airports (2,170) or by sea (49).
Report the news. Evidence just revealed proves Manafort and Trump Colluded with the Russians; Trump’s address is nothing but an attempt to distract from his criminality.
87
Oh my lord. The irony that this evidence of collusion was accidentally released by Manaforts defense.
29
@Joseph
Another poster suggested this wasn't an accident. It was a way for Manafort's lawyers to tip off Trump to the direction of the information Mueller has. That makes a lot of sense to me.
2
@Mark
Yes it makes perfect sense. because everybody knows that Trump's lawyers don't have phones, and neither do Manafort's lawyers, and so there was no other way for them to communicate with each other.
2
Are the polling data secret now? I used to read them in papers every week.
2
@yulia
With pinpoint local information?
10
@Richard
There is nothing in this complaint or the article supporting the claim that Manafort's polling data provided "pinpoint" information -- you made th is up.
@Jorge That's why the Russians were using a DNS server in Trump tower, probably put there in agreement with the campaign by Cambridge Analytics so they would know where to send their stories. The details are forthcoming.
8
Well finally sounds like we have a smoking gun.
19
@N Yorker
Close. It sounds like you have a smoking pipe, anyway.... no evidence here of a criminal conspiracy involving Trump.
1
Forget collusion:
how about treason, and a stolen election?
39
Combine this with the revelation still to come of what blocked number Don Jr called before the Trump Tower meeting (any guesses? ) and it starts to get real . Criminal conspiracy, not just collusion! The American people are the victims of the most egregious and treasonous fraud ever perpetrated on the electorate. Lock them up!
54
@Michele, the word "collusion" covers not only criminal conspiracy (to defraud the U.S.) but potentially also violations of wiretapping laws and computer fraud and abuse laws. Thus would Trump and his campaign and his company be dragged into the hacking crimes committed by the Russians.
1
I have a feeling that tycoon Trump will soon high tail it to Moscow with Mueller's hounds pursuing.
15
‘Manafort laid the groundwork for an elaborate scheme to mislead authorities by being born’ prosecutors say.
Sorry, I couldn’t resist.
2
This evidence proves that Trump and the Trump campaign conspired with agents of the Russian intelligence apparatus. We know that the Russian intelligence apparatus waged a disinformation campaign targeted at many different bubbles of American voters, we know Russia tried to penetrate voting systems in at least 21 states, and per the head of cybersecurity in the DHS (Jeanette Manfra), "...an exceptionally small number of them were actually successfully penetrated".
This campaign data allowed the troll factories to target messages, and it told them which states Trump might lose if the vote was fair. And Mueller has probably had proof that the Trump team conspired with Russia on this since before he indicted Manafort.
This is proof that there was a conspiracy. How is this not the top story on the front page of NYTimes.com? How is this below the free advert for Trump's free propaganda session on the networks?
30
Thinking of Humpty Dumpty tonight and his fall of his wall.
15
If you forget to redact you might just expose your client as apparently having conspired with Russian agents to affect the outcome of the US elections.
14
Imagine all the acts of treason yet to be revealed
13
"...gout, depression and anxiety" got you down, Paul? Not to worry about those! Medications are readily available!
Now, if I were you, I'd more concerned about turning over the ignition switch in your car........
16
Roger Stone has to much history with trump ...As does Manafort ...deny all you want , guys , the electronic and paper trail goes right from the trump campaign to these crooks .
16
He made his bed. Or said he did under oath. Now liar in it.
10
“Yes collusion, folks!”
11
Put yer feet up, folks. Pop open a cold one. Git ready to watch the fireworks light up Trumpskaya. It's Mueller time!
35
Who cares. Unless this is reported on Fox "News" the 35% illiterates won't even hear of this. Yes, they should be considered illiterate at this juncture.
18
Ba-booooom. Now we know why there’s a “crisis at the southern border” lol
20
So many Russians. So many lies. Such a grand Conspiracy. The Trump/Republican Crime Syndicate will require a tent city in the desert to accommodate all of these traitors.
17
Lock them all up.
18
Commander-in-chief?? More like, Liar-and-Thief to me!
17
They cast him as a sick man. No. Not sick. Just an ostrich leather jacket wearing sleaze ball who hitched his stupidity to the reins of greed.
18
@Patsy-Great characterization!
7
WASHINGTON — Paul Manafort shared Trump campaign polling data with an associate tied to Russian intelligence during the 2016 campaign, prosecutors alleged, according to a court filing unsealed on Tuesday.
***
Nytime and CNN announce polling data every time, They shared polling data with every associate tied to Russian intelligence, prosecutors need sue Nytime, CNN and every left wing media, They are US Tass. The left-wing political persecution is to make every one shocking.
1
@Dannny - Yes, Paul Manafort is a bastion of integrity and couldn't POSSIBLY have been colluding with Russia in any way.
11
@Dannny read: Manaford shared "TRUMP CAMPAIGN polling data" - i.e. PRIVATE polling data - not public polling data
3
Sounds like this is the missing link. We all knew what had happened, and we all knew someone in the bowels of this morass had proof. Looks like we're almost to the finish line. Thank heavens.
14
The wheels of justice turn excruciatingly slowly but meanwhile Trump runs amok screwing up everything in his path.
Any other organization would put a suspicious employee like Trump on extended leave till the full assessment is in.... but not the US congress.
While the courts grind slowly, year after year, 320 million Americans are forced to wonder "what will the incompetent Trump do next?"
17
I never once believed the naive narrative that Manafort was a stranger to Trump who ingratiated himself with a flattering letter offering his free services. His former partner, Stone was right there (coincidence?) helping too.
No, Manafort was kept under the radar and swept off stage as soon as he succeeded at his mission because he was the most critical operative.
He used his background in election tampering in the Ukraine combined with his US experience to steal the election on behalf of his Oligarch debtors for a president who they could pay to play for their policies.
113
@latweek read Jonathon Chait's piece in the New York Magazine - he nails the central role manafort played in all of this - the obvious lynchpin to aiding the POTUS in collusion. And yes - NYT - this should be your TOP story - not some bogus headline about Trump using the Oval Office for his ongoing campaign carnival barking.
Collusion? What collusion? All past Presidents have shared their campaign polling data with the Russians. In fact, several have said so. This President, though, is just better at it than anyone else in history.
Plus, what evidence is there that the President knew what his campaign manager was doing? He had more important things to do during the campaign. Sure, past politician Presidents liked to say "The buck stops here." But that's the genius of this blue-collar millionaire businessman President: the bucks never stop.
32
@AJ Sutter, your sources, please? No prior candidate has shared internal polling data with the Russians.
41
@J. It was snark.
14
@J.
Umm...I’m pretty sure this was satirical...
12
Remember back when the sole change to the Republican Party platform was to weaken US aid and support for Ukraine, a change that benefited Russia? Candidate Trump directed that change according to one of his campaign aides, J.D. Gordon, as reported in late 2017. Sounds like a quid pro quo to me in light of this latest development. Mueller is connecting the dots. No wonder Trump is frantic to redirect attention to his wall.
84
I agree...It was a huge red flag when the GOP changed the platform to favor Russia...But it seems so Ham Fisted! I mean if you’re gonna collude with Russia, Why do something so obvious?
Perhaps it was a signal to Moscow from Manafort...Like when Eddie Cicotte hit the first batter in the 1919 World Series to assure the gamblers who had paid him that the fix was in!
10
Well there you go. Manafort colluded with the Russians by supplying polling data. Obviously more detail will surface but this evidence strongly suggests that the Trump campaign was working closely with the Russians to help shape public opinion via social media to aid in Trump’s election. Now we need only establish that Trump and his staff were aware of this effort. I suspect Mueller has that connection established.
55
@Kevin Cummins
Excatly what benefit was that data to anyone, other, than the Trump campaign? Russian, or anyone else?
@Kevin Cummins
Why is it vital to tie Trump to this action right now? Let us please dwell on the fact that if true, the Trump campaign colluded with Russian agents, meaning, REPUBLICANS USED RUSSIA’S HELP AGAINST HILLARY CLINTON.
14
Of course he did (share campaign info in a quid pro quo).
All of us are being played by the border wall theatrics, which ultimately amount to little more than yet another diversion to keep us from the serious business of a failed presidency, innumerable crimes, graft, corruption, emoluments galore. I view this as yet another desperate attempt to prop up a family dynasty that is highly compromised by sketchy third-rate financing deals.
The only question is how long Americans will stand by and watch while our democracy serves a kleptocracy.
65
Why hasn’t trump been arrested yet? This is a confession. Everyone knows he’s guilty.
36
@Fred - Hopefully Pence will go down with him because then it would be Nancy Pelosi who would assume the presidency.
2
Wonder if Allan Lichtman (American University History Professor) and Helmut Norpoth (Political Scientist at Stony Brook University), were also Russian agents as they correctly predicted Trump's victory...9 months ahead of the elections.
5
Nice try lol
Seriously, remember how Trump insisted that no one - no one! - in his campaign had met with any Russians ? What are we up to now, 30? I’ve lost count. Of course they were just polite conversations about the weather, I’d guess. Lol. You guys have been taken hook, line and sinker. When will you realize how stupid you look to the rest of us? I mean, you’re worse than those people who sell all their belongings when the Leader says the world is ending tomorrow. Jeez.
24
@D
Not only those two but Anne Coulter predicts on Bill Maher show,( you will see) that Trump was going to win. As if she knew what was to come. I'll never forget that day. I have yet to see her on Bill Maher again; I wonder why.?
2
@Joe
There is no "try" at anything.
It's less a criticism of Trump and his ilk than it a criticism of us, the voters. We're fixated with the trivial, the real question is how did these two political scientists call the election well before Trump was nominated? What factors were they looking at which resulted in their predicted outcome?
We're fixated with trash, pawns in a game where misinformation (from both sides) is propagated to cause an emotional response. Have you ever wondered why both sides continue to knowingly lie? Because it works. Our politics is a symptom of our disease...a citizenry subsisting on entertainment rather than thought.
2
I am not sure how much more evidence of collusion you need. This guy was a big part of Trump's presidential campaign team in 2016, and was campaign chairman for part of that year ... and he was discussing internal Trump polling data with someone tied to Russian intelligence??
That is a DIRECT connection between the Trump campaign and Russia.
50
Still remember his campaign words " draining the swamp " he was describing himself and those around him then and now.
15
If I am understanding this correctly, and accurately remembering details from the first NY Times reports about off-the books payments, then
1. Manafort received millions of dollars paid into offshore bank accounts, and these payments originated from pro-Russian Ukranians,
2. Manafort shared polling data, information designed to gauge the electability of candidate Trump, with Russians,
3. Manafort may have discussed the sharing of this data with high-level Trump campaign officials,
4. Russian- backed Ukrainians shared their foreign policy aims with Manafort,
5. The Trump campaign successfully lobbied to have these same Ukrainian foreign policy goals encoded into the Republican party plank at the nominating convention in July 2016.
Holy cannoli, this is major!
70
Mueller has to fish or cut bait very soon. Period. Small fry fish, not enough. It's time.
8
@JL
What’s the rush?
Whitewater was 6+ years and zero convictions that cost more than $90 million US tax dollars.
18
Having worked on a number of elections I found polling data was vital to target different areas and groups. If Trump's campaign manager was sharing this info with the Russians who were using that info to promote Trump or attack Clinton in certain close states that should be clear evidence of collusion. Combine that info with conversations at the highest level regarding easing sanctions against the Russians is damning. Trump's presidency must end if these allegations can be proven.
75
@dht Sounds like this is the missing link. We all knew what had happened, and we all knew someone in the bowels of this morass had proof.
15
Ruh-roh. The jig is almost up.
29
Nice Scooby quote!
5
Manafort approached Trump first. www.nytimes.com/2017/04/08/us/to-charm-trump-paul-manafort-sold-himself-as-an-affordable-outsider.html No doubt Trump and his fellow swamp creatures sold our country out to Russia. For what exactly? How soon before it’s revealed that everything in the Steele dossier is true and then some. Kim is visiting Xi in China. Will Putin make it a threesome? Our government is shutdown and federal employees furloughed so Trump can test if Republicans in Congress will back him in declaring a national emergency for his manufactured border crisis. How far Trump gets will depend on how dirty McConnell, Graham, and the rest of the GOP are.
It would seem Manafort delivered Trump to Putin. Now it’s time for Mueller to deliver Manafort and the Trump crime family to the federal penitentiary. No eligibility for parole, ever!
48
Manafort conspired with the Russians in their electioneering interference. That’s somebody in Trump’s campaign.
29
Mr. Manafort's downfall seems to have been trying to stay on the sly while communicating illegally with the Russians. Mr. Trump, on the other hand, does it in the wide open - such as when giving the green light for Russian hacking of the DNC or disclosing sensitive Israeli intelligence on ISIS. Maybe that explains his boast about shooting someone in the middle of the street - "in the middle of the street" is the key device in his devilry. It dovetails with what we know to be Mr. Trump's fondness for Adoph Hitler's strategy of the "big lie." And it helps explain why he is taking the largest possible stage tonight to double down on the biggest lie of his political life.
50
So is Manafort holding out for a "presidential" pardon?
8
Manafort is not going to roll over - ever - he worked for the Russians and the Ukrainians - he knows he will be a dead man walking - and Trump is counting on it
15
@Bob D At 69 years old and facing decades in prison, I'd say none of his options are all that great.
9
corrosion
all delusion
no collusion
mass confusion
fox news illusion
15
What a bunch of amateurs. The Clinton Campaign laundered a couple million through a law firm to a PR firm to a former British spy to Russian intelligence operatives and no one cares.
2
@mkm
Maybe no one cares because it's a Trump Republican lie?
21
Wasn’t the Steel report originally funded by GOP donors who wanted to get a backgrounder on Trump? HRC or donors to her campaign funded the last part of their research. Laundered? Mueller knows the full story.
20
I wonder when we’ll hear about the Russians hacking certain precincts voting machines in those four midwestern states.
When?
...., I’m waiting
37
"There was no collusion." Lock them all up including "DOTARD!"
19
Poor Manafort has anxiety and gout. Boo hoo.
20
Toss him in jail, throw away the key,
Put Trump, Junior, the Dingbat brother, Jared, Pence, and Mitch McConnell in the cells right next to him. They're all criminals!
36
Wasn't there a book called "None Dare Call It Treason". Might be time to go to the library.
15
Trump is revealing that he is a puppet of the Evil Australian plutocrat, Mordouch, and just as evil, the Russian Mafioso Putin, while the GOP cheers on! What has the GOP done to America?
18
trump is the ringleader period
10
Treason. Not pure. Not simple.
19
Why is there no New York Times headline reading "Collusion between Trump Campaign and Russian Government Proven"?
19
@Christopher
Because (a) there is a difference between somebody saying X happened, and "proving" that X happened; and (b) while it took many months, the NYT writers finally understand what "collusion" really means.
1
it saddens me many Americans refuse to see what is obvious: trump is a fraud with diminishing mental capacity.
52
I’m so mad I’m practically in tears.
I saw a comment two years ago that said nobody should be surprised by anything that comes out of the Mueller investigations - that Trump and his colleagues did everything anybody can think of and more. Truer words, it certainly appears every day, have yet to be spoken.
All of this to secure a court system that my two-year-old great niece will be living with for the rest of her life. I tell you, I could just weep for what we have voluntarily done to our republic.
186
Cheer up, there are still leftist judges on the 4th and 9th Circuits and the the district courts thereunder.
8
@Matt At age 2, your great niece is going to outlive most of the judges currently serving on the bench. Small comfort, I know, but comfort nonetheless.
6
@Matt
In my wildest hopes, I foresee not only this entire administration booted, but also all the judicial and political appointments, on the basis that this president, et al, were wrongfully inaugurated.
(I've checked with Constitutional scholars -- there's nothing in the Constitution that allows anything more than the President to be ousted .... but I still hope.)
2
Does this mean poll data that could be used to then target certain states via Facebook etc, and hence influence the 70k votes that decided the presidency?
94
Exactly!
20
@GEvans no because M gve the info to russia, not vice versa.
2
@luckysimi
Yes and Russia needed to know where to target.
22
For the sake of the nation's sanity and well-being, Bob Mueller needs to drop the 'American' shoe of this investigation as soon as possible and let the chips fall where they may.
14
My sanity is not endangered by the investigation running its course. As long as there are crimes to investigate they should be investigated.
52
@Ian Didn't the White Water investigation last 3 times as long as the current Mueller investigation? The Mueller investigation is a real national security and needs to leave no stone unturned.
12
Is the associate tied to Russian Intelligence arrested?
Did Manafort know that this associate was tied to Russian Intelligence?
I shared my money (taxes) with criminals (corrupt officials and politicians) even when I knew they were corrupt. Does that make me a criminal and a part of a conspiracy?
2
@Anil
Sure he knew, they ALL knew. And if Manafort isn't guilty of this, he's guilty of something.
4
Manafort accidentally collided with a foreign adversary and Trump coincidentally changed the republican platform in said adversary’s favor? You are grasping at straws with hands covered in Vaseline.
12
I believe there is a jury in Virginia that has already found Manafort guilty of "something."
6
Depression, anxiety and gout are the least of Manafort's health problems. Not only does he not appear to have a brain or a heart - he doesn't have a soul either.
32
@Pdxgrl they're keeping Manafort in solitary because intel suspects Putin and Trump wants him out of the picture.
18
I think the Senate's inability to confront the president is directly related to Russian kompromat they have on many Republicans. This comes from these Republicans having accepted Russian campaign contributions that were laundered through the NRA.
Once this story is completely fleshed-out, I pray that the Republicans and the NRA are finished forever and they become absolutely toxic to bring up in polite conversation in my country - kind of like slave plantations, Richard Nixon, the Trail of Tears, McCarthyism, and denying women voting rights.
190
@IanC
this is one of the many stories within the big story that reporters and others will have to flesh together. It will probably take years. But let's hope that evidence against the Republicans that are being or have been blackmailed by the Russians will come out soon. But it probably won't happen until after Mitch McConnell and the other grifters are ensconced/exiled on some small island somewhere.
27
Former GOP Rep Dana Rohrbacher has built very close ties to the oligarchs. Mueller must know the Americans who were the links between the Trump Campaign and the Russians. Some of that might have gone through the NRA...the favorite organization of most of the American Right Wingers.
29
@Elle, why ruin a perfectly good small island when Siberia is so pleasant this time of year?
11
Where’s the fast forward button when you want it most? Nearly every morning when I tune into the news I’m hoping for inculpatory evidence against the president. Sad.
21
No collusion?
“Russia, if you’re listening, here’s some of our polling data. Maybe you can target voters like these with some social media hacking. Who knows? Maybe in some key U.S. states. Not that I’m asking. But maybe it would work. Who knows? We have some good polling data. Many people think so. Believe me.”
87
So, here’s the full story:
Hundreds of thousands of patriotic, hardworking Americans are not being paid right now because of a diversion created by “Individual-1”, an unindicted co-conspirator, and man known to lie about and deflect from his illegal actions, including Conspiracy Against The United States, for which there is now available evidence of collusion.
Can you run with the full narrative, media? Or, will you just look at what the magician wants you to see?
93
Another agonizing reminder of how little we know of how much Mueller knows. I suspect that this is an important reason that no matter what Trump says or threatens, people who know about the investigation won't or can't shut it down without catastrophic consequences to their credibility, regardless of their prior relationship to Trump.
People have already accepted that Russians interfered with the election on behalf of Trump, with some evidence that it may have affected the outcome. I have not met anyone who would accept the suggestion that Trump knowingly fed polling data to Russians for purposes of targeting voters with fake Facebook and other social media posts. If this connection is proven, I suspect Trump's support even among Senate Republicans would evaporate.
Unfortunately, we just don't know what the intelligence community knows, nor should we until the investigation is complete. (And for that matter, as far as Trump's tax returns are concerned, there are people at the IRS who know what's in them, too.)
The more that comes out, however, the more it feels like a Monty Python sized shoe is about to drop.
15
@ACA
While the Republican data would be helpful, the Ruskie hackers already had the Democratic Party data, and I that would be more useful to them.
The last piece I read talked about them targeting those on the fence as far as HC and the Dems (and they got that list already sorted by them in their hack.) Those were the recipients of the targeted FaceBook ads--on the theory that it is easier to swing someone on the fence, than to actually change a person's mind.
3
@ACA "16 Tons"
1
Like lifting up a large flat rock off a damp forest floor...
31
Trump and his toadies selling the country, and dismantling democracy, all at the same time. Collusion, money laundering, tax evasion, are just the tip of this massive dingle-berry.
37
Over and over and over again.
7
The man is a crook. Send him to jai for the rest of his life!
17
Sounds like, looks like, smells like COLLUSION !!!!!!!
Take that Trump.
19
Lock Manafort up for good. Let the traitor spend the rest of his days remembering the good 'ole days, when he could sell out his country for houses, clothes and rugs. Isn't it time to let the oligarchs know we are a law based Republic.
26
@Artemis Hudson
They have locked him up for good. For all intent and purpose, at his age, anything over a year, it's a life sentence. Good riddance.
13
Hiring Manafort in the first place:
You know that sort of creepy feeling you have when a person (or a party, in this case) appears to be doing something obviously stupid and corrupt --but you can hardly believe this person really could be that stupid and corrupt, being as how the actions are in full view of the public?
Well, I can't be the only one who had that creepy feeling about the appointment of Manafort.
It turns out that Trump and Company really are that conniving. And their treachery really does run that deep.
23
Zero value here as per usual with this category of Trump deranged NYT article. It is put on the front page because some careerist editor is playing "Trump, Russia, Manafort" like a broken record because that's what his bosses want to see, whether or not it has any news value.
2
@CK, but a manufactured ‘national emergency’ does have news value? A proposed waste of $5 billion to further inflate the bloated ego of the minority’s president and his merry band of xenophobic deplorables has news value, I suppose.
A neurosurgeon’s exam to show a major decline in cognitive capacity - now that would have real news value.
6
Is no one else exhausted by this already? It's been clear for two years the Trump campaign proudly wanted to create a relationship with Russia whether or not he won. Putin proudly hates Hillary but how can we ever get proof that there was an order from Trump to Putin to influence the election through hacking? What's our endgame? If we impeach, it will only be in the House not the Senate. It will energize his base and polarize the country even further. Why can't we focus on policy and getting bipartisan laws enacted that help working people and the environment. And do we really truly believe that Russian hacking influenced enough swing state voters in already red counties to vote against Hillary?
4
Exactly, treason is no big deal.
28
I’m not exhausted.
21
Yes.
Part of the way to put up guard rails around Trump and to prevent this from happening again is to investigate the heck out of this. We have a puppet for a president.
38
There's more collusion. He was working with the Russians on behalf of the Trump campaign. No wonder Trump is trying to create a fake emergency today; more deflection and utter madness.
88
@kay
2 years and nothing. Not even leaks. When did Democrats hold any secrets? And now this is associated with the border emergency? Get real.
This is an emergency when people can cross a barrier even when told that this is illegal. 11 million illegals and more coming in. That is an emergency.
Cant house the criminals without funding. I am surprised that the borders are open. Without funding they should have been partially closed.
2
@Anil Illegal immigration has been happening for decades and it's lower than it's been in years. Why is it suddenly an emergency? Oh, because Trump says it is with his hatred of brown people. The whole build the wall thing was cooked up to keep his addled brain on the topic of immigration. The only emergency is the guy in the Whitehouse. He's demanding $5.7B and he can't even give a proper accounting of what the money would be used for. Heck, Homeland Security didn't even spend all the money it got last year.
11
I've always wondered why Manafort agreed to work for Trump for free. How much do you want to bet that a. the Russians were paying Manafort, or would have paid him once he turned over the information they wanted, or b. Oleg Deripaska was going to forgive at least part, if not all, of the millions Manafort owed him in exchange for the information. Or a combination of both.
Nice to see the dots starting to connect, since the spider at the center of the web has to be Trump.
126
@JoanC
Party loyalty, I guess. Much the same way that someone spends millions for a candidate or a party. No one is complaining about that.
Anil, folks pay “millions” to a candidate in order to control them. It’s a total racket. The rich get laws and judges that they like and the poor and middle class run around like chickens with their heads cut off, screaming about “illegals”. Where were republicans’ screams in 2000 when illegal border crossing was 5 times worse than the present numbers. Google it.
15
Absolutely...Perhaps Manafort was actually terrified by his huge Russian debt...plus Manafort’s domestic finances were crumbling...Manafort was maybe VERY HIGHLY MOTIVATED to do something Extremely Unconscionable (passing info to Russia)...
But Why would Manafort inform Trump about the game he was playing?
I think Manafort would’ve been happy to silently MANIPULATE Trump...Somehow I do not yet see Trump as “in on the plan” w Russia...
(Finally this story is coming together!)
1
It should be noted, The Times reported in May of last year, that Ukraine stopped investigations on Manafort, and seemingly let Konstantin Kilimnik , escape back to Russia, out of reach to the Mueller investigation. For their troubles, it looks like Trump paid them off with anti-tank weaponry.
45
@Walter Ingram
Pretty wild. The truth will eventually come out on how crooked is the Trump Team.
11
On the surface I say, so what. Then I’d ask, why?
@YFJ
"The importance of this is that it allowed Russian intelligence, through social media, to organize rallies, spread information to vulnerable demographics, etc. in order to influence the election. And they did so with the help of Trump's own campaign manager. "
72
@YFJO
On the surface? This guy is beign paid by foreign powers while working for a presidential candidate and trying to make deals on how the new US govermnet will deal with russia and the Ukraine! He has been investigated for more than 2 years. How is that on the surface? DO you want to see this traitor and corrk go free? really?
12
This is why our government is shut down right now. This is why we're being subjected to endless arguing, and now a national address, about a border wall. This right here.
It's looking increasingly likely, based on what little has sifted out of recent court filings, that the Trump campaign actively committed conspiracy with Russia during the 2016 election. Manafort, Cohen, and Flynn are only a fraction of the story and only a few of the participants. It's not hyperbole to say that the Russian situation is shaping up to be the biggest political scandal and crime in our nation's history.
The "wall" isn't really about a wall. The shutdown isn't about a wall, either. Nor is the stonewalling of Mitch McConnell in the Senate. It's all about this. And we're only now starting to understand publicly how big "this" is.
264
@Dominic
The Wall has been built and is being extended as the cities expand over four plus decades. Both parties have built it.
The current situation is totally political. It is about votes. Elections are so close that keeping voters linked to illegal immigrants happy is enough to swing an election. Most illegal immigrants have work and a place to live with family and friends. The family and friends will vote for "sanctuary cities" like in California.
This is how a country will breakdown. If nothing is done about this, we will soon be a country like Mexico and Lebanon where there are rich and poor. The rich will continue to live a rich and richer life each year and will have enough poor to do their work for them.
3
@Dominic:There was no conspiracy by the Trump campaign but there was campaign conspiracy by the Clinton team when they hired a foreign company to do the dossier. There was a campaign conspiracy too by Clinton when she financed the DNC thereby, like Liz Warren said, rigged the election for her versus Bernie. There was a campaign conspiracy too by Clinton when she was given debate questions in advance like Donna Brazile the DNC chair admitted
@Larry Uh neither are illegal, #1 Hillary paid a foreign company for oppo research, and it was reported. The law you're talking about prohibits any kind of spending by a foreign national to influence an election. Spending meaning anything of value to a campaign (hence the Trump Tower meeting was illegal, it was a conspiracy to do just that)
#2 The DNC is a private organization, not a government entity. They can choose who their candidate is by any means they want, according to the courts. (this was litigated)
25
I hear that Manafort's lawyers are suing Sharpie for faulty blackout performance.
28
I only knew him for a little while...he worked for others...like Romney..He worked for him.. so... no collusion, no collusion, and even if there was, there would be nothing wrong with it...I could do it if I want... and everybody knew..everybody knew....witch hunt.
41
Finally, and at long last the truth is coming out - that Donald Trump and his band of imbeciles have been compromised by a hostile foreign power, namely Russia. We have sensed this in dribs and drabs for the last two years but now as the details come out we will soon know what we have intuited for 24 months – that Donald Trump and his team have betrayed America.
We should make sure that we find a way to prevent this president from being pardoned, if indeed he is implicated in such a heinous wrongdoing.
96
A traitor, plain and simple. He should rot in jail, as should his boss.
56
This damning information was “accidentally” revealed by Manafort’s own attorneys in a court filing?
Talk about serendipity!
50
Another Trump suck-up being oh so Trumpian. Trump and all his trashy hangers on doing what they do best. Stealing, lying and cheating.
Donald, you are a pip. The lowest of the low.
You and Manafort deserve each other. You both fell out of the same garbage bag.
28
How is this not the lead article on your page, NYT?
101
This is the lead story today, not the stupid wall. The chair of Trump's campaign gave data to the Russians which they in turn used to help the Trump campaign. That's a conspiracy.
258
If Manafort shared campaign polling data with Russians, then he colluded. The odds that Trump didn't know are very slim. Whitaker likely tipped Trump off. Hence, the massive distraction with the shutdown. The walls are closing in.
92
That's the ONLY wall I want.
7
"Guilty, Guilty, Guilty!" - G. B. Trudeau
28
Trumpty Dumpty is about to fall off of his Wall
45
This is conspiracy, plain and simple: conspiring with a foreign adversarial government to undermine a democratic election. This is just what Mr. Mueller was charged with finding. Holy cow. My goodness. For Pete's sake. In 2016 the chairman of the Trump campaign team gave their own private polling data to a known associate of Russian intelligence and the Kremlin. This, Mr. Trump, is what huge really looks like. This is special-afternoon-edition, front-page, above-the-fold, 256-point-typeface big. Go ahead, Mr. McConnell, make my day. Keep on protecting this traitorous what-she-said (Tlaib).
91
Oops.
13
Corrupt,lying,traitor working for Trump.Bye bye.
15
Manaforte can’t go cryin’ to his Mamy,
If to Ukraine he can’t go on the lamy.
Polling data to Russian banksters,
Surprise--Putin and Trump are both gangsters!
And Roger Stone may soon get his wish for infamy.
17
Are we there yet?
13
Heaven only knows what else Manafort discussed, disclosed, revealed to the Russians. There is a quid pro quo in every deal, isn't there, Mr. Trump? What were you giving up to our enemies? Our country? What were you getting in return? Cash? Laundered money? Loans? The Golden Shower video?
48
Trump is such a terrible negotiator, he probably gave Putin more than enough rope to hang him- if they wanted. Lets hope Mueller takes Trump down before the Russians decide Trump’s presidency is no longer advantageous.
7
Of course he did.
6
If *you* were running for President of the United States, and your national campaign manager did that, you'd blow a gasket. You'd be furious!
Unless...
35
Gosh, I'm loving this. So the Manafort gang couldn't redact straight. Let us not forget the precedent, set when Manafort himself didn't know how to make a PDF. Keep it up, folks!
https://slate.com/technology/2018/02/paul-manafort-couldnt-convert-pdfs-to-word-documents.html
16
The government shutdown is all about keeping this very story off the front pages. May the NYT strive above all to follow meaningful developments, rather than the razzle dazzle constantly being sprayed skunk like out of the Oval Office.
61
Surely, ignorant and arrogant Jared and Don Jr. must have caught wind of this.
22
It seems that the proof of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia would be the least painful option for the Republicans to get rid of a President who is right now working hard to destroy the residual credibility they might have left. I therefore expect more leaks to develop shortly.
12
The nut doesn't fall far from the tree...connect the dots and impeach Trump now!
9
Illegal campaign, illegal election, illegal president.
Congresswoman Tlaib was 100% right - Impeach now!
30
Hey donnie daycare, looks like the border “ crisis” will have to wait as your life unravels before the American public.
Oh, and the world!
15
At this rate Mueller may just go to the White House and arrest Trump himself!
22
Good!
7
Pence had better prepare himself for investigation as well because Donald is toast. Ha! No collusion eh? Rudy looks the liar he is as well.
Can hardly wait for the Nancy and Chuck rebuttal tonight. I'll not waste time with the Liar-in-Chief.
18
@LaPine
I hadn't planned to watch either but they are going to real time fact check it so it might be interesting.
2
Closer and closer.......
6
Game. Set. Matchafort.
9
Tick Tock, Tick Tock...........
7
After Manafort is convicted, watch Trump pardon his liar-in chief.
2
@NM Treason is one crime that can not be pardoned!
5
Hey McConnell! Are you reading this story? When will you revoke your self-imposed MIA status and do your job? You have nothing left to gain by staying out of the way of this corrupt, disgraceful and likely treasonous crowd.
32
@Frank: I think we will eventually confirm that McConnnell was getting his share of the tainted funds through the NRA. Why else would he refuse to stand aside President Obama to warn us of the Russian interference in the presidential election? He knew all along but wanted to ride the wave.
25
@Artemis Hudson
And he is running in 2020...
2
NYT, can you point us to the court filing?
4
Donald Trump is a Russian agent.
18
Really? And so what! What a lame story!
1
Two interesting data points. Manafort didn't deny sharing the information with someone he knew would likely pass it on, but treated forgetting to disclose it as an oversight (one of cosmic proportions). And Mueller knew from independent sources that he hadn't disclosed it. This is beginning to get very specific.
17
God, I sure hope Manafort does have gout, anxiety, and depression. That pretty much describes what he's done to every American citizen for the last two years.
45
No collusion ...
Just a CRIMINAL CONSPIRACY.
Indictments of Manafort for lying about sharing polls with the Russians, and of Veselnitskaya for offering documents in US Court that were false, and which were written in collaboration with the Kremlin.
That June 2016 meeting in Trump Tower is really going to play a major role in this prosecution.
Donnie Jr and Jared will also be implicated.
The blocked number that Donnie Jr repeatedly called is now of extreme interest.
It is going to get to be time to do some "LOCK HIM UP" activities, multiple times.
I hope the FBI/US Marshalls/Secret Service have placed an order for a set of handcuffs, extra small ones, gold plated, with a capital T monogrammed on each bracelet.
I will wait to celebrate until they frog march Donald Trump out of the White House wearing those handcuffs.
59
My favorite line in this article:
Paraphrasing: "Manafort misled federal authorities because he had gout"!
16
Trump campaign polling information would have been very, very useful indeed to the Mueller-indicted Russians' efforts to influence the election through minutely targeted fake online accounts and other illegal social media activities. Certainly sounds like "collusion" a/k/a criminal conspiracy.
21
Interesting question: if Trump pardons Manafort for crimes X and Y, can he still be convicted and sentenced for crime Z? Can a presidential pardon apply to crimes that have not yet been adjudicated? Manafort's trail of slime seems endless, and no doubt we haven't seen all of it. I doubt if there's any case law that applies here.
9
Russians needed to know where to concentrate their misinformation campaign. Manafort gave them the answer. Russians were part of the Trump team. No other way to explain sharing the polling data. The only remaining question is, what did Trump know and when did he know it?
38
When and until there is indisputable evidence that Mr Trump was directly involved or engaged in these highly questionable activities, not just implicit approval, all of these "findings" are at best circumstantial and presumptive.
In history, the smartest leaders and business icons always were one or two steps removed from the action while pulling the strings via intermediates. In politics that is a practiced religion because it insulates the power movers and shakers from being directly implicated, good or bad. These people surround themselves with eager devotees that will gladly sacrifice their lives for the privilege of having had a place at the power table. Remember Monica?
Trump deserves a lot of credit for aspiring to the highest position in the free world. I doubt that his actions weren't well thought-out and premeditated, what confounds is his unconventional execution that challenges decades of growing burocracy, self dealing and contrivance.
We've seen how the power of that office can be used to skirt obvious scandals of epic proportions and I for one feel that President Trump will ultimately prevail.
Being a non-conformist is something that our "system" doesn't eagerly embrace. Challenging the status quo got him elected and now look at the foul mouthed newbies being lauded for their spunk and spirit. Our future leaders....God help us
@Nick S You admire criminality and possibly treasonous behavior in pursuit of money and power? Not only are you granting far too much credit for wits he obviously lacks, you appear to have some serious character issues yourself, sir.
6
There it is .... collusion or conspiracy with 100% evidence. Yes this is it guys proven COLLUSION. Now how far did it go, who was involved, who got what for what, this is the beginning of the end of Trump’s presidency.
17
If Team Trump actually discussed the terms of a "Ukraine peace plan," would that violate the Logan Act?
11
A tantalizing omission is the time line. Did Manafort share polling data during his tenure as campaign manager or after?
4
the fact that manafort's own legal team exposed this through shoddy workmanship speaks volumes...
only the best and brightest, right donald?!?
8
can someone please pinpoint the events that put paul manafort at the head of the campaign? - i don’t mean the ouster of lewandowski, but how Manafort landed in the mouths of the hirers. There’s your smoking gun.
9
This is much larger than this story. Manafort could not have gotten this data alone. Pence and Priebus must have known, as would have Jared, Jr. and Sr. The missing link has always been what American citizen with inside knowledge helped Russia microtarget the disinformation: it was microtargeted down to the precinct level. This is evidence of collusion and perhaps the beginning of revelations about a larger conspiracy by the Trump campaign to manipulate the 2016 election with Russia’s help. Manafort may have lied not only because of the enormity of the consequences for others in this country, but also because of what Putin could do to him or his family.
43
@Rose RE: Manafort: This is a good time to invoke the Chinese Proverb: "Lay down with dogs; get fleas."
It takes no genius to figure that one out.
2
No collusion just surrounded by Russians everywhere and owe them much money. Maybe he can learn from Nixon but say instead, "No, your president is not a traitor, just a puppet."
6
What collusion, what conspiracy? They are just old chums, one guy from Russia and one from the USA both sharing scientific data to no end? Yea sure, and you want to buy a bridge in New York, have we got a deal for you? Really, they expect us to believe it's all innocuous nothings? This doesn't take an Einstein to compute what's going on here, so when are we gonna lock him up?
10
Two words: Presidential Pardon.
1
Whoever gets the book or movie rights to the Paul Manafort story is the real winner! More skeletons in his closet then a graveyard.
8
He’s locked up.
Throw the key away.
6
Dear NYT:
Another "bombshell" that goes off with a dull wet thud. There is nothing compelling in this story, except that it appears to be an [un]intentional "leak" by Manafort's lawyers to clear the air before sentencing.
Two factoids, each difficult to assess:
1. Manafort gave "campaign polling data to an associate tied to Russian intelligence." So what?
The Russian agent was his longtime business partner. And was this "polling data" a single data point -- such as Trump is behind by 18 points? Was it already publicly available? Or was it nonpublic and substantive and so revelatory that the "polling data" could be used -- ostensibly -- to design a facebook propaganda program around? If so, was the timing of this sharing conducive to the latter interpretation? If not, this is more silly prosecutorial sensationalism.
2. These two discussed a "Ukraine peace plan.” But consider: Kilimnik was Manafort's longtime partner in lobbying for a Russia-aligned politician in Ukraine. Why is it a shocker that the two of them discussed a Ukrainian peace plan?
This "peace plan" talk was publicly known years ago and Trump never embraced it. Absent some quid pro quo involving Trump himself -- and there is no allegation much less evidence supporting this -- it means nothing.
Altogether, along with the Veselnitskaya indictment, this all seems like a final cleanup operation that Mueller is undertaking before calling it quits.
1
@Jorge"So What?" He lied to the special counsel. He lied and he lied and he lied........this is still America and it's still a crime.
18
Sure, big guy.
6
This is a bombshell, and yet the paper of record has relegated it to the bottom of its coverage, instead leading with "What to Look For" in Trump's faux-crisis speech. Two years ago, this would have been treated like the bombshell it is. It's disappointing that even the Times has allowed itself to become desensitized to major news of the Trump campaign's corruption. Do better.
22
Lest we forget: the meme "October Surprize" comes from the 1968 campaign, Nixon pre-Watergate. LBJ was trying desperately to recover his historical reputation, after declining to run again, by negotiating with the North and Vietnamese, as well as the South Vietnamese and the VC. On behalf of the Nixon campaign, the South Vietnamese were secretly assured that they would get a better deal by waiting a few months until Nixon was in the White House. It "worked". The South Vietnamese balked at the peace offer, and although LBJ learned of it through phone taps, he did not go public, both because it would 'look bad (Jim Comey) so close to the election', and because his taps were illegal. Result: Humphrey lost a squeaker, and with 42.7% of the popular vote to Nixon's 43.4%. Oh, and the war continued until 1974, another 25,000 Americans and about 1 MM Vietnamese died. Less than a year later the NVA conquered the South.
*************************************
All this happened because a presidential campaign illegally negotiated with a foreign power about peace negotiations despite the fact that American private citizens are not allowed to do such things, Mr. Manafort
14
Let us hope Mueller has proof that Trump knew about Manafort's sharing of this data. We know Roy Cohn's student rarely commits any information to paper, but he is sloppy about details.
Thank you Bob Mueller and your team for your highly skilled and tenacious work. There is hope for our nation because of your patriotism.
22
@EB I often scold myself for lack of attention to detail. One cannot function at the highest levels of power without respecting and mastering attention to detail. If a leader lacks such skills it is absolutely imperative that he/she find a deputy who excels in this area.
2
Some poor, overworked, underpaid paralegal in a silk stocking law firm just framed what could turn out to be the whistleblower lawsuit of the century. Thank you, Mr. Special Counsel. Timing is everything! Tonight's oval office address ought to be a barn-burner of the proportions of the Great Chicago Fire. Someone will be in need of asbestos underwear! #mrsolearyscow #muellertime
7
Manafort's "deeply in the soup," eh? Let's hope there's still room in the pot for some Trump dumplings.
11
I really hope Roger Stone is next. The King of dirty campaigning needs to be taken down a notch. Or two. The cockiness of these people makes me physically ill.
23
We can pretend no longer. Only the most naive simpleton will still believe "there was no collusion".
Welcome to Hotel Collusionifornia.
10
Stick a pin in any of the Trump campaign; Russians pop out. "Collusion" is Trump's catch phrase; we never said that. Working with Russians is treason. Treason. Treason. Ray Sipe
15
I adore your comments, Ray Sipe!
Keep ‘em coming!
3
Sing Paul Sing. You might get sent to a safe place your family can visit.
6
I certainly expected this to be the case and am glad it is coming out. The Russians poured tons of money (literally, if it had been in paper money, it would be many tons) into this but they could not have been so effective without Trump's campaign sharing data.
52
Glad to hear Manafort has gout!
26
Donald Trump's campaign manager shared polling data with Russian intelligence huh? Sounds like COLLUSION.
60
@Logic but according to Giuliani, "collusion is not a crime." Simply amazing.
7
@Logic Following orders from the master is not a collusion. It is a puppet show.
5
@Notmypesident and the puppet master is not in the White House but rather in the Kremlin.
3
And more good news: in the mystery case, reasonably believed to be part of the Mueller investigation, SCOTUS has now ruled that the foreign owned corporation under subpoena must hand over the documents and the daily fines for not doing so will stay in effect.
https://thehill.com/regulation/424389-supreme-court-refuses-to-block-mystery-grand-jury-subpoena
36
And more smirking silence from Mitch McConnell and the merry band of do-nothing GOPs. But hark! Is there a junior Democratic congresswoman to berate or something else as equally pressing?
87
I worked in analytics and polling for the 2012 Obama reelection campaign. These data are some of the most fiercely protected data from any campaign. My question is who else was in on this? Did the Trump campaign have Russians sitting with them at headquarters?
143
@Hmakav No the master does not usually come to the drone's place. It is by remote control. Maybe that's why the crown prince, what's his name, wanted to set up a back channel of communication.
No collusion, just surrounded by Russians who are pulling strings. That's not a collusion.
Sad!
11
@Hmakav I’ve worked on issues of smelly elections v Election Integrity, and access to polling data and voter rolls (we learned the Russians sought and won access to the latter, from Election offices and the DNC, and now learn that the Trump campaign shared polling with them) yield the numbers needed to program credible manipulations of the vote Count on a very granular level — precincts— using suppression tactics (confusing undesirable voters, messing with their registrations or mail ballots) bynmathematically-concocting digital algorithms that affect the counting and deliver a credible win that is explicable by selective pre-polling data—or simply saying “people responded to social media, we’re so polarized.” I am hopeful this will lead to finding an instance of this. .
11
@Mimi Kennedy
Cambridge Analytica and Brad Parscale are two names that come to mind.
12
Gout is no fun, and I'm not equating it with moral turpitude, but if I had to imagine the kind of tawdry, mercenary traitor who would sell the Royal Navy rotten meat for its warships, while dining on goose and sherry and dressing in scarlet crushed-velvet waistcoats and knee breeches in eighteenth-century London, I would picture them with gout. So, too, the Marquess Lord Manafort and all his ilk. Condos and Italian suits are the last refuge of many a scoundrel.
55
Beautifully put
8
@Tony Nice use of imagery and metaphors
10
lock him up. lock all of them up. guess Flynn and trump and the entire campaign were simply projecting and telling us what we should do with them. this is criminal and traitorous conduct. no collusion indeed.....
34
I wonder what Fox News knew and when. It seems like a huge coincidence that they urged Trump to stand by his wall now, when he needs the biggest deflection possible. And one of the prosecution's problems with Manafort may be his "forgetfulness" about briefing Trump about what he was doing.
35
The speech tonight will be from a man who smells the stuff coming down the pike Desperate and confused. Rat in a corner.
39
Yeah. And when he says "the bombing begins in five minutes," he won't be joking as Reagan did during a mic check. Gotta take the heat off somehow, and change the narrative. That new shiny object is not a steel border "wall," but the ICBM's headed for Iran.
5
Mueller is slowing down? Nothing on Stone or Corsi? Perhaps the grand jury extension was a ruse to conceal a final report delivered Mid-February, as was reorted? I know he had to show judge probable cause - that could be Stone and/or Corsi. Not Don Jr., Jared and POTUS as many here wish for.
@Frank Leibold This kind of speculation is as big a waste of time today as it was a year and a day ago. We'll all know soon enough.
4
With apologies to Merle Haggard:
I turned seventy-one in prison, doing life without parole
No one could teach me right but Mueller tried, Mueller tried
Mueller offered me a plea deal but I lied and lied and lied
Now there’s only me to blame ‘cause Mueller tri-ied
27
The pathological liars of the Trump administration prove that dishonesty is contagious.
It seems the president almost never tells the truth.
We must ask if he knows the truth.
Clearly, Paul Manafort is a sick man. He has probably lied so often it’s a habit.
Trump must be removed. Mike Pence can stop shilling for him. Both should go. Leader McConnell is no better. The GOP is broken.
Speaker Pelosi for president?
Will Democrats be better?
20
@S B Lewis In answer to your question, I don't know how the Democrats could be worse.
7
@ Lewis
I could support Pelosi for Pres...
5
Sometimes a witch hunt actually finds witches.
43
Throw away the key on these self-serving clowns.
Then let's have that parade.
31
Kilimnik is a Russian-Ukrainian who ran Manafort's Kiev office. Manafort violated no campaign election laws by sharing polling data with Kilimnik. It is not "classified" information. Campaigns sometimes share polling data with the news media. Manafort could have shared polling data with Vladimir Putin without violating election campaign laws.
William Case,
But you're ignoring the very important fact that the Russian government (which Kilimnik has ties to) helped Trump get elected. Remember that?
13
@William Case …which might be true in a legal sense but would mark the end of the Trump presidency - if any connection to Mr.Trump himself could be proven.... because that is exactly what the Mueller investigation is about: collusion.
10
@William Case It was a quid pro quo. Trump was accepting help from a foreign government. That is illegal. From the Times' article:
In one portion of the filing that Mr. Manafort’s lawyers tried to redact, they instead also revealed that Mr. Manafort “may have discussed a Ukraine peace plan” with the Russian associate, Konstantin V. Kilimnik, “on more than one occasion.”
17
Is this why Trump is proclaiming “emergency”?
24
@Patrician, New York: Friend, doesn’t it seem setting up like it is? That the “real emergency” is the Trump/Russia “collusion” truth that now threatens his “presidency?” I thought that, too. Isn’t everything manufactured by him for its maximum concealment behind all the lies that he tells?
9
@Red Sox, '04, '07, '13, ‘18,
Friend,
As I read your note, I thought of “This is it.” Said by Don Jr. to Sean Hannity about the Trump Tower meeting, supposedly about adoptions (rolls eyes) where Natalya Veselnatskaya (looking forward to Colbert taking his glasses off during his monologue!) was present... and now indicted :)
Well, this IS indeed it. This story proves Mueller believes there was collusion between Trump campaign and Russia. And, if he is charging Manafort with lying about it, he has evidence.
Wouldn’t it have been great if the networks had refused Trump time, like they refused Obama?
Everything Trump says is a giant diversion from what he doesn’t want you to look at...
Good to read from you!
6
“No collusion!”
3
What exactly would you have to do to be charged with treason?
19
"a document filed by Mr. Manafort’s defense lawyers that was supposed to be partly blacked out but contained a formatting error that accidentally revealed the information." Interesting, no?
9
"Mr. Manafort’s defense lawyers said...their client has gout, depression, and anxiety".
Perhaps your client wouldn't suffer those maladies if he wasn't a grossly self-indulgent swindler and liar.
20
Collusion, collusion, collusion.
Now will the NYT FINALLY EVER get on the biggest story in the history of our country?
12
Drip drip drip...
And DT didn't know? Not likely.... please connect those dots Mr M.
8
See? It's mere 'conspiracy.' So there. MAGA!
3
"I love it."
8
The only wall Donald Trump must see in 2019 and beyond is the inside of a prison wall, preferably one constructed by a highly skilled and hardworking Mexican American workforce.
31
What's the operative word here? Co-... coll-... It's in the tip of my tongue...
21
Next move for President gaslight....
Convince America that collusion isn’t collusion.
Sharing data with Russian spies, who used said data to target America for cyber attack....???
What could be “collusion” about that???
:eyeroll
14
Tonight our so-called president is going to go on T.V. to try to convince us that there are scary brown people coming here to kill Americans. That he needs to hold 800,000 American's paychecks hostage until Congress hands over 5.6 billion dollars for a down payment for a wall that he promised his supporters that Mexico was going to pay for. Meanwhile, the evidence that his campaign conspired with Russian intelligence to influence our election piles up. The only national emergency is that this lying incompetent individual (1) is still president.
72
@Jimo
One of the best comments so far. Thank you.
Collusion or treason?
20
Remembering an interesting tweet from Maggie Haberman:
"Maggie Haberman
Verified account @maggieNYT
9 Nov 2016
And a detail that got cut from our final days story the other day - Manafort sent at least one memo advising Trump to focus on Wi and MI"
44
This is what happens when you hitch your wagon to the Trump train.
If he hadn't hooked up with The Donald, Manafort would still be free to fleece corrupt governments out of their propaganda funds, and launder it through some shell company in some far off land. All under the radar.
But, like some many others already, and so many more to come, Manafort's life is over now. All because of his association with Donald Trump.
Food for thought for anyone else thinking of jumping on board the "Trump Gravy Train". Because that train is headed in only one direction. Off the cliff.
119
@Chicago Guy
Agreed. And this country is also suffering dearly due to its "association with Donald Trump".
Not many folks any longer thinking of "jumping on board the 'Trump Gravy Train'."
Go directly to jail. Do not pass 'go'. Do not collect $200 million.
75
Manafort was Russia’s Guy in the Ukraine misinformation campaign. Stands to reason the Kremlin would install Manafort with Trump in their attempt to influence the Trump campaign. The fact Manafort continually lied to Mueller implies Manafort felt greater pressure from somewhere besides the US justice system; Moscow perhaps? Cohen says Mueller knows everything. For the sake of our democracy, let’s hope he does.
75
I’m glad to see Manafort nearing his sentencing. He deserves the time he will serve as he is a perpetual conman, not so very different than the crime boss sitting in the White House.
They both think they are above the law. Manafort has learned now he is not above the law, which likely is why he is suffering anxiety and depression. He is probably safer in solitary confinement than with the general prison population as I’m sure there are a few folk who’d like to take a swipe at him.
34
What will it take to end this whole sleazy tale? Do we really have to endure two more years of this? If the Republicans don’t see that this can’t end well they are truly delusional. Surely self preservation will kick in any day now...
38
@Rmski77 Putin’s got them by the short hairs. Compromat. https://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/commentary/2017/08/03/tangled-web-connects-russian-oligarch-money-gop-campaigns
Let us not forget that Mr. Manafort was moved to solitary confinement after he was caught at witness tampering.
40
Small wonder Trump is not taking consideration of a presidential pardon "off the table" for Paul Manafort.
12
@Dennis Paden The way I see this is either Trump didn't know and he won't pardon them because they led to all this-- or he will because they covered for him. It will be interesting.
1
If this is not criminal conspiracy, what is?
41
"There is no Collusion...." (But there is criminal conspiracy.)
3
Collusion evidence weakens Trump's legitimacy as a fairly elected president. Trump's insecurity on this issue ever since his inauguration may be a sign of guilt. Be prepared for more attacks by Trump on Hillary and the Democrats.
In fact, maybe it is this pressure by Mueller that is driving Trump's erratic behavior over his wall. Trump and his allies need to keep America divided. They are ever more desparate to paint the Democratic Party as sore losers and unpatriotic.
A united and informed citizenry will vote this president out and take down the far right with him.
50
Just another day in the work of Mr. Mueller III. This man just keeps plugging along.
30
Yes COLLUSION, apparently...
13
Let's just wait and see how Republicans and Fox News and its commentators explain this away, too. They will clarify that this is just a nothing burger.
20
Gout and heel spurs are foot disorders, not excuses.
23
BOOM! Case over. When do we get to "lock Trump up?"
12
And we are told he is depressed, and has severe gout owed to the "new" harsher jail environment. I have no sympathy. He cared no more about his Country than Trump does. He wanted money and Trump wants applause. Two selfish narcissists. We are getting nearer to the proof, although there will be many who still will not believe what they are too shallow to believe. Trump is guilty of betrayal.
38
Collusion.
15
Perfect timing!
Tonight, Trump happens to be giving his first prime-time infomercial from the Oval Office . . . I'm sure that he'll spend a few minutes clearing-up this matter.
14
On the other hand, if you take out Trump, you end up with Pence. There's a strong argument that Pence is worse.
8
@Stu Yes, the right to a safe, legal abortion will be history. From the moment of conception that 2 cell blob will be granted person hood. If person hood is granted and said woman miscarries, she may be facing murder charges. Pence would like to see all of us in church, evangelical churches, but even stone face Pence realizes that is impossible....I hope.
2
@Stu It was Manafort who talked Trump into naming Pence as VP. So he will be going down, too. Next in line would be the Speaker of the House. Isn't karma fun?
4
"No, collusion! No, COLLUSION!!" Not! Clearly evidence of conspiracy including intent. There's no plausible alternative explanation for giving significant polling data to a Russian operative unless there was intent that they'd use it to target their disinformation campaign. This is the first whiff of the acrid smell of a "smoking gun." And did Trump know? It also strains credulity that he wouldn't know what his campaign manager was doing. Manafort surely knows; hopefully Mueller does, too.
26
What is undeniable, unspinnable is that Tom Barrack and candidate Trump knowingly hired someone who had been a powerful Kremlin agent for a decade and owed oligarch Derepaska millions.
And this is very, very, very unsettling.
55
This is front page news which will be forgotten because of the speech Trump will be giving in a few hours. I wonder if this was planned this way? Trump if nothing knows how to work the news cycle.
11
Let’s make this very clear so everyone can understand. He gave them that data so the Russians could help Trump get elected, and in return Trump would hand over Ukraine to Russia. Quid pro quo. One hand washes the other. A good “deal”. Any way you say it: That’s Collusion!
43
@EW
Can an election be vacated? If a candidate colludes with a foreign power to influence an election is that not treason?
6
Yep. No surprise there. Manafort was just making sure Trump’s bosses knew what was going on.
12
If you are a supporter of President Trump, please explain to me how the first sentence of this article isn't an example of collusion. Or is it just another example of a liberal conspiracy against Mr. Trump? What would constitute sufficient proof for you of collusion between the Trump campaign and the Russians? Anything? Has the cognitive dissonance between what President Trump states and what the (emerging) facts are become loud and shrill enough yet? Or are you deaf to that too?
16
There is no thing, no thing to convince these people. Everything is seen through the eyes of liberal conspiracy.
“Easier to fool people than to convince them they have been fooled.” Attributed, maybe incorrectly to Mark Twain but whoever said it saw these days clearly.
6
Hear that 800,000 unpaid civil servants?
You thought it was all about a wall.
28
Collusion! Sad!
3
Comforting for Mueller’s team to know that Manafort is being defended by “The Gang That Couldn’t Redact Straight.”
11
Collusion, anyone?
9
Why isn’t this article the screaming headline at the top of the page? It is extremely revealing about a direct connection between the Trump campaign and Russian intelligence. That seems to me to be pretty important.
31
The entire Republican party knows this and is doing NOTHING.
21
Pretty much kills to 'no collusion' delusion
12
Perhaps the redaction "miss" was intentional to send Trump and his lawyers a message that Mueller has him on talking to a foreign agent and sending him polling data. This would be valuable information might even be worthy of a pardon. Wink, wink.
4
I have not been impatient about the Mueller investigation for two reasons. First, because I want it done carefully, correctly and completely. Second, because I'm more worried about a President Pence than Don the Con. That said, this new development is YUGE. Whether the polling data was shared inadvertently or not, let's not be confused by multiple fires: this is one of the smoking guns, and not where I expected it.
9
"No collusion. No collusion. No collusion. I hardly even know Paul Manafort. He worked with me for what, six months? He was a nothing in the campaign? We gave him a little title, chairman. Nothing. No collusion."
13
Surely, there is an innocent explanation for the chairman of an American presidential campaign to provide valuable campaign polling data to be used to get the candidate elected to a foreign adversary?
There has to be an innocent explanation for what appears to be providing ammunition to the Russians for loading their disinformation cyberweapons to be fired at American voters as part of an organized effort to get the chairman's boss elected.
Right, Mr. President?
24
Quiz:
Which sounds most like collusion:
a) illusion
b) profusion
c) "Campaign Manager Manafort Shared Trump Campaign Data With Russian Associate."
19
@C. Whiting
Funny!
3
"... and illness for his mistakes, saying their client has gout, depression and anxiety." What, no bone spurs?
19
@Johanna
Good to chuckle when times are dark. Thanks!
4
So the man who led Trump's campaign for a time was giving Trump's polling data to Russia? Why? What did the campaign want the Russians to do with this information?
Since we now now without a doubt that the Russians interfered with our election, at the very least by targeting American voters, the reason seems pretty clear and pretty appalling. Witch Hunt indeed.
12
Notice that this comes out just before Trump's national address on the crisis on the southern border. It's all part of an orchestrated conspiracy by the media and the political establishment to smear Trump.
@Lester B
Per prior court orders, Manafort's lawyers filed their response today, and orchestrated this with the fake media and the liberal political establishment to smear Trump's planned address, which was announced yesterday. Like our stable genius, you've a veritable, astute observation in drawing this insights on the collusion between the liberal media and Manafort's team.
2
@Lester B What does the Media have to do with the release of the document? are you saying that our Judiciary is part of the Media?
1
@Lester B
Trump is smeared with dirt from his orange hair to his bone-spurred feet...and it's pretty much all self-inflicted. The man is his own worst enemy; no wonder he blames everyone and everything but himself. He cannot live with the truth about himself.
2
Wouldn't you have to call this collusion? Or a better word might be conspiracy.
11
Lest we forget: the political meme "October Surprise" comes from the 1968 campaign, Nixon pre-Watergate. Before his first election LBJ was trying desperately to recover his historical reputation
2
Once, in junior high, I wheedled my mom into notifying the school that I wouldn't be in class that day because I was sick, when, in actuality, I hadn't studied for an important test.
Now that isn't quite the same as getting your dad to get a doctor who rents his office space from your old man to put pen to paper and lie about some heel spurs to spare you from any possible injury that might result from serving your country when there were plenty of other candidates without your connections who could be called up in your place.
And it certainly pales next to a case of gout as an excuse for meetings with Russian operatives that may well be tantamount to treason.
Mom told me I owed her one in return for her fib. At least one person of the three referred to above --make that two; I never asked her to lie for me again-- felt any shame for their roles in breaking a trust.
2
Paul Manafort is indeed deep in the soup. As campaign chairman, he actively conspired with a hostile foreign government to elect Trump. Ladies and gentlemen, behold conspiracy against the United States.
14
The President’s campaign chairman flew to Madrid and turned over confidential polling data to a known associate of Russian intelligence at the same time the Russian GRU was conducting a massive disinformation operation intended to help Trump and hurt Clinton. Then he lied about it in violation of his cooperation agreement.
How much more do we need?
And why is this buried on the front page?
12
He's still hoping for a pardon. It's all he's got left, not dying in jail. He passed up his chance to turn on Trump.
5
If anybody wants to read the unredacted document, find a site that is making the redacted one available for download. Use a PDF editor, the redactions are put in using PDF and the original text is underneath, just move the original half a line, delete the black bar, and move it back.
People who don't know how to keep secrets shouldn't be trusted with them.
1
Some paralegal, somewhere, is definitely looking for work.
4
@Sostafari: or perhaps a patriot.
Query:
If you were interested in doing some intense and focused targeting of political messaging,
how do you determine the best targets?
Answer:
Internal polling data.
Query:
If you are not a part of the American political system,
who might provide you with the most accurate polling data?
Answer:
Work with campaign insiders.
Query:
Who in a campaign?
Answer:
A campaign chair. Family members of the candidate.
8
It is unclear from this report whether Manafort was campaign chairman at the time he shared this data - presumably so, though report does not nail it down.
2
GOPers either don’t care if collusion happened or don’t trust sources. But I am sure they will throw a fit if Trump gets impeached and even bigger fit if he gets thrown out of office.
2
Yet another weight added to the scale of justice, tipping evermore toward Trump's guilt. How much evidence can Republicans ignore before enough of them jump ship? Are we at the point where the benefit/risk calculation feels to them like it's approaching zero?
1
If Trump wasn't already prepared to declare a "national emergency" in order to distract from the obvious collusion between his campaign and Russia, this development will seal the deal for sure. But Robert Mueller seems like a patient man. He can outlast Trump's frenetic attempts to manage the news cycle, hour by hour, minute by minute.
3
Gout and depression can drive you to do some rather
awful things. Anxiety usually drives me to eat potato chips and dark chocolate.
7
"Paul Manafort shared Trump campaign polling data with an associate tied to Russian intelligence during the 2016 campaign, "
All by himself? Seems ... unlikely.
If Manafort is holding back on what Trump (and/or his kids) did, knew and when they knew it, then Trump is caught between an obstruction of justice rock (pardon for silence) and a hard place (conspiracy with a foreign country to commit election fraud) when Manafort.realizes he is going to die in prison without a pardon.
Criminal and impeachable.
4
Picture Mr. Trump, in orange jumpsuit and restraints, being transported in a repurposed school bus down a long, dry road toward the federal prison. People line the road. He sees them but not their signs reading "It's about time" and You got what you deserved" and such. Noticing that his window is open at the top by an inch or so, he pushes himself up, presses his lips to the opening and bellows, "see, no collusion!"
4
This is the best nothing-burger I’ve ever had!
4
Trump praises Manafort for "not breaking" in other words for not becoming a "RAT" as our "crime boss" president views the world. All crime bosses hate "flippers" as Trump says he wants to make flipping illegal as it may bring him to justice . The MUeller report and the House will end Trump's chances of re-election as 35% is not enough to win in 2020. Trump may face legal action not protected by a pardon.
1
Obviously Manafort was chosen as Trump's campaign manager because of his "in" at the highest levels of power with Russia. Trump and his family wanted to do business in Russia and Russia wanted sanctions against it lifted. In order for Russia to have an "in" in this country Trump had to get elected, so Russia did everything it could to see that that happened. These dealings do rise to the level of high crimes and misdemeanors for everyone involved. Manafort would have needed the backing of Trump to be in talks with Kilimnik to make a deal about getting sanctions lifted.
The only fealty Manafort and Trump and his family have is to greed. they certainly have none to this country. This is bordering on treason. No wonder Kushner wanted a back channel to Russia.
May the punishment for all involved suit the crimes. The election should be overturned - I don't care if there is no mechanism currently - one should be allowed in this instance.
Can't wait to hear the Trump and the rest of the Republicans and conservative talking heads twist themselves into pretzels explaining all this. Lies will be flowing like wine.
6
So where did Manafort get the polling data that he shared with the Russians? Could it have come from Jared Kushner, the person in charge of this crucial aspect of the campaign?
9
@Chris Pope
Also, how did Manafort transmit the polling data to the Russians? Looks like the Times should check out the October New Yorker story about computer traffic between Alpha Bank and the Trump organization.
2
The facts are now obscene and absurd! The Trump administration is rotten to the core. Trump's Russia's major foreign policy asset. If the GOP cannot grasp the deep crisis, the ethical debacle, and the serious and profound damage that this "Republican" administration is now fully identified with, then there is only one feasible road to recover: (1) Impeachment and (2) let the GOP crash and then reconstitute itself if it has any moral and ethical marrow left in its broken bones. A reconstituted GOP, returning to the earlier profile of Reaganism, can eventually peel off some of the Independents and some Democrats who have, as of the mid-terms, abandoned the GOP. A rehabilitated GOP can compete with the Democrats -- and leave the Trumpist hard core voters to wither into irrelevance. If it cannot retrieve its better past, then it is time for the GOP to wither into the dustbin of history. Needless to say, the country will be better off if Trump's know-nothing, xenophobic, so-called base is recognized as a social segment that cannot offer the needed moral anchor for a revitalized democratic polity.
2
Isn't it wonderful that these stories of bravery and patriotism and personal sacrifice for the nation are finally coming out so we can properly appreciate the heroes whose under cover work started making America great again before we even knew it? Let's all salute Paul Manafort! Let's all toast a round of campaign collusion kool aid in honor of the victorious Republican Party that not only has brought us Putin-style presidential dictatorship, but even now stands courageous in its defense!
3
Just like I told my boss today, it's really, really, REALLY important to take care of us IT folks.
That's especially true if you are, like a law firm or something.
6
Collusion, conspiracy, treason, you have them all in this toxic Manafort-Trump-Kilimnick brew!
Interestingly enough, just days ago, Seth Abramson, author of the impressive *Proof of Collusion: How Trump Betrayed America* (Simon and Schuster, 2018), figured this link out all by himself and posted it on Twitter.
He deserves both praise and some honor for deductively figuring out what Manafort's lawyers so clumsily and accidentally (?) revealed.
128
Can anyone spell collusion? This just could be the smoking gun we've been waiting to come to light.
189
@Jack
All in all
It's just another brick in the wall.
Then there's the Trump server - Alpha Bank server connection during the campaign.
All the pieces just start falling into place.
Incitatus Kushner seeking a dark connection to Russia.
Prince's meeting in Maldives.
So many connections to Russians in the Trump campaign/administration.
Sheer coincidence?
Yeah, probably.
8
@Jack ...or as the Trumpsters like to call it, the "smocking gun".
7
Can you PLEASE just say “conspiracy”? Because THAT is the crime.
7
"No Collusion" *that's* the delusion
116
“A man is known by the company he keeps”
― Aesop
Birds of a feather flock together.
Take your pick of these or other similar quotes. Tiny Trump is surrounded by ethically and morally challenged people, many of them actual criminals, all of them despicable. This is not an accident or bad luck, these are his people, he is one of them. When will his base accept that they fell for and continue to support a reprehensible and amoral criminal who cares for nothing save himself and stop deluding themselves that he cares one whit about them?
311
@arusso
Don't expect a revelation from his base. Perhaps a continued shrinking as some wise up. For the most part, they are not savvy enough to be rational thinkers or can't bear the thought of admitting how badly they were fooled. Opposition uniting, though. Many independents and swing voters getting wiser. Democracy isn't always pretty, but we must give it a chance to work.
14
Re: "...Birds of a feather flock together..." {@arusso}
Actually, when it comes to 'creatures, flocking' as Trumpian_Metaphor...I was thinking, more, 'long the lines, 'O, 'brown trout'; ...the colloquial_name for which, (ironically, enough!), rhymes, with...'bird'...
3
@arusso
Lie down with a dog and you will wake up with fleas.
4
This makes it politically IMPOSSIBLE for Trump to pardon Manafort. The only course open to Trump at this point is to say he knew nothing about Manafort's contact with Russians, and if he had known, he would have reported it to the FBI immediately. A pardon is totally out of the question. It would probably trigger impeachment proceedings.
146
@Htb Nothing is politically impossible in Trump's world. After the last three years, it's very hard to imagine that there are political norms he feels constrained by.
15
@Htb What did the president know and when did he know it? This is Watergate redux.
7
@Htb
Why is a pardon out of the question? Trump doesn't care. Trump pardons Manafort, Trump resigns, Pence pardons Trump.
9
No collusion, my foot.
158
@Michael
My gout!
2
@Michael: His toe.
4
So, yes, there was collusion by the highest official in Trump's campaign with Russians to influence the 2016 Presidential election via shared tactical polling information. Why are the Republicans in Congress still colluding with the traitor in the White House?
802
@Mark Burnette
I believe the possibility exists that there are Republicans in Congress who are similarly in bed with the Russians (through Russian money laundered by the NRA, another bedrock of Trump's "Great America") and may have their own criminal conspiracy proceedings to look forward to.
147
@Mark Burnette Easy answer: because they can and they retain power.
15
@Mark Burnette Has that not been the question on everyone's lips all along? Theories abound: they're getting rich; they're complicit, they're compromised; or, most likely, they're just as small, petty, racist, amoral, corrupt and criminal as Trump, and will do anything, bar nothing, to retain what power and control they currently have.
When a "never Trumper" meets with him for a few minutes on a golf course and walks away a true believer, I'm quite sure it isn't Trump's foreign policy expertise that swayed their opinion. My guess is the conversations go like this: "Get on board with Trump or I will expose you on _______, ________ and this _____. That's why only the lily whites like Mitt Romney dare speak up. Trump nor the Russians have kompromat as leverage.
33
Of course he did. And he won't talk because he fears the Russians more than Mueller/US Government and likely knows that eventually Trump will pardon him "for not making up lies about Trump", so Trump will say.
35
The vultures are circling overhead . . .
79
@Paul Bernish
In the great words of Kramer (Seinfeld): "I'm loving every minute of it, Jerry !"
2
More and more we get further insight into Manafort's criminality, and now can see why he lied to the Special Counsel. Manafort wants a guilty verdict and sentenced to jail. His one and only hope is a pardon from Trump.
He still believes loyalty to the President means something. It does, only if it benefits Trump. So Paul, you will probably spend years in jail. You no longer serve any purpose to the President.
48
This assumes he will be protected from harm in prison. From all those who wish to silence him forever for breaking his silence . . . .
1
It seems to this observer that many of the charges against Manafort contain veiled presumptions of treason––not punishable by law, perhaps, given the legal definition of treason; but punishable by the scorn of the public, the latter holding in great contempt he who would betrayal his nation for any reason, lucre among them.
32
@Taz Mr Mueller has not published a report detailing a conspiracy to defraud the USA Government or Campaign violations yet or put up other charges on Everyone around the President. He has not spoken publicly or a final report issued, but we are seeing enough evidence that points trouble for Mr Trump. This observer knows that a team like Mueller is not a bunch of Amateurs like your assumption entails.Sit back and let’s wait for a final verdict.
1
Looks like collusion by Trump’s campaign chair. How does this not fit the definition of collusion - “secret agreement or cooperation especially for an illegal or deceitful purpose”?
45
@Gino
where's the "illegal purpose"? Nothing illegal about sharing info
@GMooG
Are you blind? That data was not shared because it was good bedtime reading. It was shared because it told Russia, not a friend of the United States, exactly where to put its chips in electing a complicit, beholden candidate to the presidency.
5
Here some theories of what happen that was not mentioned by Mr. Manafort's defense lawyers:
1)The cat shredded the papers of Mr. Manafort, and the dog finished the job by eating it.
2)Mr. Manafort borrow the shredder machine of Colonel North.
16
Gout, anxiety and depression are not a valid defense for treason.
264
@Ronald Frump-they are side effects, not valid excuses.
1
If you want to know the real reason for the Government shutdown, look no further. Trump is hoping to divert attention from news such as this.
502
@Richard Thurman
True, however the distraction also allows mueller to work without the light on him.
28
@Richard Thurman Yep! Also the emoluments case against him (by MD and DC) is paused due to the shutdown. It'll proceed once gov't re-opens. Another reason he wants to keep things closed as long as possible.
15
And the federal courts are going to run out of money to operate very soon, which is, hmmmmmmm, um, “convenient”.
13
the only real way manafort should get an "easy" sentence is if he fully helps convict Trump and testifies in open court as to Trumps involvement with the Russians.
Sadly Trump would not understand that conspiring with Russians to steal the election is somehow a crime and even if/when he is convicted he still won't get that selling out America for his own profit is both wrong and criminal.
87
@mike Trump will just say he was being "smart" like when he cheats on his taxes.
5
@mike
Yeah, I know. The fact that all Trump sees is dollar signs is disturbing in so many ways. He is truly a damaged and therefore a very dangerous man. He is like a cornered animal and I am starting to be able to see the whites of his eyes - eyes filled with fear. And god-only-knows what he will try and do to escape.
This is so tragic for our nation.
9
So basically, Paul could shoot someone on Fifth Avenue right now and it would not alter the prosecutors' case against him.
13
I always wondered how Russian trolls could know which individuals in Pennsylvania counties to target. This is sensitive political data. Was the information shared or stolen? Hopefully the Mueller report will answer this question.
139
@Dunning Kruger: I wondered the same thing but figured that it was the keeper of all the closely held detailed polling data - the son-in-law.
16
And you thought he was just bad at PDFs related to accounting.
25
Isn't this enough to prove the Trump campaign's collusion?
68
Individual-1 is causing mayhem by shutting down the government bc he wants his wall... and trying to subvert our attention from the Mueller investigation. Sure he wants the stupid wall but he also wants the public’s attention elsewhere. 2 articles in one day, (the Russian layer’s indictment) and now the new Manafort info going to drive trump to create a national emergency at the border.
89
The crisis at the Border is all ginned up to starve the Justice Department aka the Muller Department. The FBI, and the closing in of the investigation into Trump and the Russians!
Nothing was accidental about Manaforts Lawyers released today!
Mitch and his Chinese wife have some secrets that Putin have got on them!
Time for Donnie and family to resign. Along with Mitch!
47
@MJS
Everyone wonders why Mitch McConnell is so obviously avoiding his duty as head of the Senate in order to serve Trump. That Trump (or Putin) has something on him is a most interesting thought.
13
if this is not “collusion”, then what is?!
43
One more brick in the collusion wall, donnie....
34
Here's the collusion. Let's see how this plays out in tonight's primetime address about the 'border crisis'. 100 rubles says the president goes off script...
88
Never before has low-hanging (rotten Manafort) fruit tasted so juicy.
18
When the dust finally settles from the worst timeframe in American history (2016 to present day), Manafort should see the sky only between noon and 1:00 pm... from behind high walls and barbed wire... for the rest of his natural life. Anything else would be a miscarriage of justice.
64
@ZenPolitico
That's probably a mistake, Mr. Manafort, in pleading gout as an excuse. Have you thought of switching to bone spurs?
4
The maximum penalty for treason is death.
The next guy to attempt something similar might not be a complete and total moron. A possible death sentence might give pause to future potential traitors.
3
“In their filing, Mr. Manafort’s defense lawyers said that Mr. Manafort never intentionally misled federal authorities. Instead, they blamed a faulty memory, lack of access to his own records and illness for his mistakes, saying their client has gout, depression and anxiety.”
I know this is serious business, but I think back to how the Trump campaign as constantly putting on these “tough guy,” hyper-masculine airs and mocking liberals as being elites (unlike their billionaire candidate).
That’s why the fact that Manafort not only has “gout,” but cites it as a possible explanation for lying to investigators is priceless. The wannabe playboy with closets full of expensive suits stuffed with tens of thousands in tax-free cash (just in case he’s going out that night) is so full of surf-n-turf that he’s got gout? Manafort may as well try an “affluenza” defense for all anyone is going to overlook him “forgetting” this bit of Russian intrigue on account of... “gout.”
Seriously?
114
Warning: Common side effects of treason may include memory loss, stomach ulcers, loss of appetite, forfeiture of ill-gotten wealth, gout, depression, mood swings, severe anxiety, acute kompromat, and upset oligarchitis.
If you experience these conditions and they persist or get worse, see your Special Counsel prosecutor immediately and beg for mercy.
376
@William - Best comment of the day.
17
@William
In times of stress, a little levity can go a long way.
Thank you!
18
@William OMG, epic comment!
17
“You’re fired!”
11
Wow!!! No wonder Trump has been trying to distract us with the wall. The man does protest too much. I am starting to think that Trump has known for a while about Manafort...
55
......is ANYONE surprised?!
20
That's game, set, and match. Mr Trump, your campaign manager conspired with Russia to steal the election, committing treason. And there is ZERO chance you weren't aware of it. And your family members knew about it. And your vice president knew about it. It's all over but the cry'in...
178
@markymark
Impossible that Trump wasn't aware of it. If Pence was as well, then consider that third in line to the presidency is: Speaker of the House. A Pelosi presidency would be just what the country needs.
16
@markymark
And Jeff Sessions knew about it.
11
NYT, I love what you do. However, why do you call his former campaign manager an aide? That would be like calling a foreign policy advisor a "coffee boy".
22
So Trump's campaign manager gave the GRU all the data they needed to attack and target our voter system using the troll farms in St. Petersburg. Unbelievable.
121
Who cares polls are public information and they all said Hillary would win! LOL! Here Russia have some fake polls...
2
@David M You seem to think that a poll consists of but a few (who is +/- what and where) data-points.
Detailed polling data, especially that from CA, who had their fingers in facebook data, includes fine details that may extend down to the individual voter. It's this latter information (not the +/- which is public) that they were sharing with a foreign entity in the hopes that same would help them to sway voters. That's called Collusion.
46
@David M. Hey David, MAGA! You're right! If this were the only information in Mueller's possession, it would be useless. HOWEVER, it is just one part of a drip, drip, plop, plop of allegations, and facts which demonstrate that there was a great exchange and interchange of information between Russia, a kleptocracy and police state which had a keen interest in facilitating the victory of El Gran Naranjo, and members of the Trump campaign who have, and have had extensive dealings and personal economic interest in with Russia (see "Manafort, P./Trump, D.J"). The theme of collusion has been proven. All that needs to be filled in is the unifying thread to tell the complete story. Stay Tuned!
2
oh boy Trump is going to want that wall to build around him
14
Why Manafort is being charged with treason is beyond me. We all knew that without Russian sabotage and interference and help there would be no Trump in our WH.
The evidence is mounting up against Trump, his family, and his supporters. They will soon all look alike, like orange creamsicles.
17
"Nothing to see here"
except for everything
46
If this is true, it would contitute treason, and we all know what the penalty for that is.
P. G. Dougherty
18
@Paul G Dougherty
Look, I hate Trump, but I am getting very tired of people just spouting off ignorant comments. This is not treason. Treason has a very specific meaning, and it requires giving "aid & comfort" to an "enemy." The law has defined "enemy" for treason purposes as a nation with which the US is at war. We have many issues with Russia, but the fact is that we are not at war. NOBODY is going to be charged with treason.
2
@GMooG: Perhaps not treason by the definition you cite, but it sure smells a lot like sedition to me.
3
@GMooG
Thank you. My thought exactly.
1
How does one even comment at this point?
36
@Wayne Doleski Word!
See President Trump. See President Trump seriously wound our nation.
49
The fast and loose nature of how Trump ran his campaign foretold how he'd run his administration.
Our country is being sorely mismanaged, likely sold out to people who do not have our best interests at heart.
And yet, Republicans stand behind this.
648
@Suzanne Moniz-Speaking of being "sold out", I'm wondering who's paying Mr. Manafort's lawyers, especially as he appears to have either run out of money or been adept at hiding it. I can't imagine any of Mr. Manafort's former (big question mark) Kremlin-linked clients care about disclosures that implicate them. But they do care about not being his creditors.
6
The Republicans have made it clear they don't have Americans' best interests at heart. They haven't for at least 40 years. It is obvious.
9
"No collusion.....no collusion..."
Except for everywhere you look.
Investigate
Impeach
Indict
Incarcerate
Time for Putin's little puppy dog Donald to get thrown out of the White House and into a shared federal prison cell so he and Paul Manafort can lie to each other from morning til night.
There isn't an American bone in Trump's or Manafort's body.
Anybody who voted Republican in 2016 voted for the Kremlin.
1134
@Socrates
Sock it to 'em, Socrates!
Courtesy of Donny Deutsch and addressing anyone who thinks Trump is good for this country: Do you want YOUR country or do you want HIS?
HIS is a dystopian mess where whatever respect we've earned in the past 240-plus years has evaporated seemingly overnight. There is no choice.
63
@Socrates Let's not call Trump a puppy dog. That's an insult to all puppy dogs everywhere. If Trump had the loyalty and love of a puppy dog, we wouldn't be in this mess. I've always thought that his not having not having a dog (or cat or snake, or even a pet tarantula) spoke volumes.
54
@Socrates Could you please provide a little additional room for Pense?
53
Trump's campaign manager Paul Manafort, who took no salary despite being heavily in debt to a Russian oligarch, shared polling data with an associate tied to Russian intelligence.
Manafort was working as an agent of the Russian government to influence the election. Is it any wonder that he lied to prosecutors?
The question is, did the rest of the campaign, and especially Donald J. Trump, know about this?
386
@L his campaign manager for a couple of months in 2015, when his campaign really wasnt? Got it.
How would he NOT know? it's not as if this campaign had 1000 people working on it! Manafort and Trump (and Stone of course) all were well known to one another, and I'm sure were part of the one big plot to work with Russia to tip it to Trump.
This is conspiracy, clearly, if not outright treason.
223
@bob
Give me a break. Manafort joined the campaign in March 2016. He became campaign manager June 20. As campaign manager, he participated in the notorious Trump Tower meeting with the Russians, which Trump Jr. and Kushner also attended. Manafort remained campaign chair during the Republican National Convention July 18-21 at which Trump formally became the nominee of the party and the party platform was altered in a startlingly pro-Russian way. Two days after Trump received his first security briefing (August 17-19), it was realized that Manafort was so compromised that he had to go.
Nice try, bob. Manafort was in the thick of things when it most mattered--not when voters were getting to know Trump and he was stumping, but when Trump had secured the nomination and Russia had the most to gain by getting him elected.
104
"Paul Manafort shared Trump campaign polling data with an associate tied to Russian intelligence during the 2016 campaign, prosecutors alleged, according to a court filing unsealed on Tuesday."
What does this have to do with Hillary electing Trump by taking "her" win of PA, MI, FL, and NC for granted?
"The accusations came to light in a document filed by Mr. Manafort’s defense lawyers that was supposed to be partly blacked out but contained a formatting error that accidentally revealed the information."
And what, if any, evidence supports these accusations? Or are they like the various evidence free accusations Mueller has made against Russian intelligence officers?
2
@Yaj
Comrade, I saw your comments on another story in today's NY Times. Same song, different article. You pretend you're "knowledgeable" about the ins and outs of the Muller Probe; except for one thing: you'r not.
Your comments come across as weak, pleading efforts at misdirection; never failing to misstate the facts or to try to change the subject.
69
@Yaj
Not only does he have evidence. He has indictments. Just because he’s not sharing the evidence with the public does not mean it does not exist.
77
@Yaj
How would Hillary’s Campaign know that her opponent was conspiring with Foreign governments to influence our electorate ?
6