I can’t wait until the movie comes
out condensed down to 2 hours.
3
Trump is using our Treasury as a personal piggy bank every weekend flying off to play golf in Florida and work his shift as front of house manager at his club and Congress does nothing. He plays President M-Th 11-6, little notecards in hand, openly defrauding us, mwith mock empathy.
Trump’s presidency and behavior has been so outlandish that the GOP in Congress will be forever silenced on the topic of the Democrats’ presidential behavior. The way they treated President Obama was a disgrace.
Mueller, not Trump, is fulfilling the GOP campaign promise to drain
the depths of the corporate political swamp.
Mueller is a hero to every US Citizen who dutifully files honest 1040, FBAR, and FATCA forms, as he methodically trawls through the swamp to see what comes in with the net. Congress has defunded the IRS to the point where the Trumps and Manaforts of this country scoff the laws and only the little people pay taxes. The IRS is a disgrace, too.
18
The nytimes is oh so careful to say that the charges don't involve president trump or his campaign. Except that trump, under no obligation to do so, accepted this man's volunteering to run his campaign. Why do I have a hunch that if an international, money laundering, criminal who previously worked for pro-Putin interests suddenly showed up as the head of Hillary clinton's campaign, the times would be saying things like this creates a cloud, raises troubling questions, calls into question her judgment, etc.
12
I'm guessing that Manafort is more afraid of a "troubled" Trumpf than of the FBI's Special Prosecutor Robt. Mueller.
At least Mueller won't have him "rubbed out" like a scene straight out of "The Godfather".
BTW, I'm not so sure that Agent Orange WOULDN'T have his goons "take care of him" once the heat from Mueller starts to REALLY singe his "orange comb(over)" ...
Especially if the heat arises from Manafort's testimony.
That said, don't forget that one of the GOP's "tools", Paul Ryan, is standing by with a "fire extinguisher" to put out the fire if someone files impeachment charges as a result of the FBI's investigation.
2
Robert Mueller is the only Republican I would ever, ever considering supporting for president.
18
The charges may not "involve the president and his administration", but there's no way of dismissing their guilt by association -- besides that, the Robert Mueller investigation isn't over yet.
Expect more distracting and outrageous tweets and comments from Donald Trump; like giving bonuses to armed teachers in the near future
10
The best people. Does anyone think Manafort will do a decade or more in prison to protect Trump?
3
But "no collusion"!
Can we have a list of all the crimes, fraud, deceit and malfeasance that the Trumps are likely guilty of?
I'd hate for him to walk away from this somehow unscathed because the focus is entirely on collusion.
Though any attempt to mitigate all the stink of the Trump swamp will be spearheaded by Putin's troll and bot army, so even to hide collusion, there is even more collusion.
4
Trump surrounds himself with grifters, highly unethical and shady characters who reek of nothing but self-interest and lack of concern for the common good. It is obvious through Trump's tweets and actions that there is no seperation between the man and who he chooses to surround himself with. There are those that believe he's cleaning the swamp. Looks like whatever he does, Trump will never wash himself clean of the slime he's been rolling around in.
9
Finally, a breakthrough is on the horizon. I can't see it, but I sense it. The same way I smell salt in the air while driving towards an ocean, even though I am still miles away.
It has been over 45 years since the Watergate break-in. I was 18 years old then. Anyone who was an adult the, followed politics and cared about our country knows exactly what I am writing about. I should also include anyone today who either read about the history of it, or learned about it in school. If you have not done so, I strongly suggest you watch the film "All the President's Men" (1976), or read their Pulitzer Prize winning book it is closely based on.
There were over 1000 newspaper reporters in Washington DC, and only 3 TV networks in the country. Only 2 large newspapers were even following the case: The NY Times (some), but it was 2 reporters, Bob Woodward and Charles Bernstein at The Washington Post who did the near impossible. Virtually single handedly, they brought down a very corrupt system, which (ultimately) ended with President Nixon resigning, and indictments and guilty pleas or conviction of all of Nixon's senior staff (all went to jail). 50 people in total. They were very smart, diligent, and connected all the dots.
I see a correlation between what Robert Mueller is attempting to do. In this day and age, it is incredibly hard; however, it can be done. Mueller should .as Woodward and Bernstein did. He should follow the money.
Start on the outside, and work your way in.
6
No charges affecting the Trump campaign...yet. Why is the Corrupter in Chief hiding his tax returns from us? What's he so desperately afraid of we might discover? His continuous parade of lies and deception can only lead to one inevitable conclusion.
24
"The charges do not involve Mr. Trump or his campaign"
Wrong. These were Trump's highest campaign officials, and they were beholden to the Russians. Trump's campaign altered the Republican platform under their watch. Trump close association with these Russian agents makes him involved.
22
If Trump doesn't release his tax returns they should be subpoenaed.
Then all his con artist maneuvering, lying and hiding them will be useless.
We'll need to take cover once Trump hits the fan. No telling what distraction he will incite. The illegitimate one can easily start a war.
22
Laundering 30 million dollars? Wow, this thing has certainly gotten interesting.
16
I understand that Paul Manafort worked for nothing for the Trump campaign. As they say, you get what you pay for, while Putin got more than he paid for. As far as a Presidential pardon, I don’t think that would help him for violating state banking laws for which Trump cannot pardon. Eric Schneiderman and Cyrus Vance are currently pursuing New York State charges against him. If Manafort has any real dirt on Trump, he would be smart to exchange that for a generous plea deal.
12
Apparently, when candidate Trump was chanting "drain the swamp," he left out the part about "refilling it with toxic waste."
15
In the scheme of things ,does anyone really think that Trump in his bankruptcies didn't look for money through different resources ? Many US banks did not want to touch a man who lost money by owning casinos. So what was left to Trump was a cash cow of laundering money in US real estate? Everything Trump knows is firsthand experience , getting his wife's family to chain migrate, getting a $900 million dollar tax break/welfare break for his business. Selling condos to Russians to get US citizenship for their children born in the US. Why isn't Manafort talking to Mueller as a witness? Oh ,let's just say he doesn't want to accidentally ingest anything by accident. Less likely to do so in prison than out of prison. Gates just wants to probably protect his family. Does Manafort have one? Finally ,what is the goal of Mueller? Evidence of collusion buried in lies of the administration. Very simple. When charges against Trump are made, where will Republicans hide? Just remember , you have a political party that is desperate to save the Trump administration ,whose political future is tied to it. We will see if the Republican shogunate is that committed to Hari-Kari . Meanwhile ,Mueller is currently committed to justice. If Russia interferes in 2018, you will see greater commitment to Mueller & regime change at every level.
11
Interesting to me that each new Mueller charge elicits the same refrain from the Trumpatistas: No Russian interference with election, no collusion here. They do seem to protest a little much.
10
Hopefully this will lead to something more than charging another 13 Russians that can’t be prosecuted.
5
These charges date back to the Bush presidency. At what point does Mueller begin laying charges alleging links between the Russians and the 2016 Trump campaign? He's been investigating for close to a year. If he has something he should say so. If he hasn't he should say so.
The threat of jail time is hollow and he knows it. Of course,"he is confident that he will be acquitted of all charges" because Trump will just pardon him.
The Trump sympathizers have lots of "splaining" to do. How is it every time you turn another page of reports on the Mueller investigation is it ALL about associates of Trumps' engaging in illegal activities tied to Russia?
The magnitude of how easily Manafort ripped off banks with bogus loans is incredible. How many of these banks would have been as lenient to middle income Americans?
Now we find out that it appears Manafort said he would work for free for Trump. Well sure. That way Manafort could load up the Trump so called cabinet with more political patronage jobs to Manafort and Gates comrades in Russia.
Don't forget now. Trump is an innocent lamb in all of this. Believe that and you can buy Trump Tower along with Manafort's VA mansion.
8
Is it a coincidence that EVERYONE associated with Trump is also associated with Russia? I think not.
5
I'm sure Mueller has a plan and if it brings results great. However bankrupting people and threatening to imprison their family, if they don't cooperate, leaves a nasty aftertaste. Few people can fight the government as they have unlimited resources. I just hope they aren't abusing their power in a single mined quest. From the previous actions by some on the Mueller team,this is not assured. They have used heavy handed tactics and their convictions were vacated. I know the left feels anything that gets Trump is justified, however this is walking a fine line between justice and blackmail.
They didn't shoplift candy. Both have committed federal crimes over a 10 year period and owe this country millions of dollars in back taxes and fines.
10
Yeah, it's so totally unfair that you can't lie, cheat and steal with impunity.
4
What leaves a nasty aftertaste is paying my fair share of taxes on my middle-class income, while high-rolling millionaire scofflaws gorge at the public trough.
2
I must live in a different world than these wheeler dealers---how do these guys move millions and millions of dollars from one bank to another; to one fake company after another; and then there is me, who in any loan situation is subjected to hours of paperwork, days of investigation, and even then, must correct a credit card mistake made ten years ago.
4
That's our world as the "little people."
The charges do not involve Mr. Trump or his campaign and are not significantly different from ones filed against the men in October. This quote from the article says it all, this is nothing but more of an attempt to prove things that the special persecutor wants to prove, a fishing plan. When might he be finished, how many rights will he violate?
1
As far as I can tell, the only rights Mr. Mueller has violated are the "rights" to steal money. I am delighted that he is doing so. It is true that the charges do not involve Mr. Trump, but I am happy for crooks to get caught even if they have nothing to do with Trump. Still, Manafort was very close to Trump for a while and directed the Trump campaign. I think the Mueller's fishing trip is well warranted and that Trump has nothing to worry about if he is not guilty.
24
Mueller is laying out a template for the case against the Trump and Kushner families. Trump in particular is likely engaged in the exact same things as Manafort and Gates: Bribery, laundered money, and tax evasion. It's as clear as a tarantula on an angel food cake.
1
You might be right, IF these were the only charges to be made. Don't bet on it. For the expert in fishing plans, see Kenneth Starr.
3
Trump picked up Manafort, of all people, and immediately sounded like a mouthpiece for Russia. He wanted to drop out of NATO etc.
24
Indeed, Trump has worked hard to deliver everything Russia is wishing for. It is hard to believe he is not in their thrall.
10
While The Donald is clean, so far, it is not unreasonable to assume that birds of a feather flock together.
1
They have been in touch with the White House and are expecting pardons.
10
They need to be found guilty to be pardoned, and only in Federal court. I understand some of the charges are State.
5
Ye, and Donald Trump always follow through on his promises. Ha Ha Ha. He is going to leave them twisting in the wind for a long time.
2
The indictment expands fairly significantly on the charges against Manafort. Apparently the reason for the second indictment relates to Manafort's defense lawyers. Their unwillingness to cooperate has created certain legal hurdles. The interesting part though is the indictment extends the time frame to include Manafort's time on the Trump campaign.
Specifically, the timing of the loan from Federal Savings is curious. We're now hearing speculation that Stephen Calk was offered a political exchange in return for approving Manafort's loan. Calk was never offered a cabinet position but he did serve on Trump's economic council. That's certainly qualifies as a material position with access to the White House.
The really curious part is why does Manafort refuse to cooperate? He's now been indicted by two grand juries. Tax documents don't lie. He's not walking away from this one clean. What does he know that would cause him to resist a plea deal so strenuously? Is he really expecting a pardon from Trump at this point? What does Mueller know that would cause him to pursue Manafort so tirelessly? I don't know but there's definitely a hole in this story.
15
Why would anybody cooperate with this if cooperation is making up stuff that does not exist. People charged with crimes don't generally cooperate, they might make a deal.
2
Manafort doesn’t really have a choice but to suffer two costly federal trials with possible pardon/s from Trump, then at least 2 state trials for tax evasion, bank fraud and/or money laundering…and a forced retirement to a white collar prison. The countries he’s worked for think nothing of assassination to protect their assets and secrets. You can’t tell one secret without inadvertently revealing others.
2
There's no evidence at all that the Mueller team has made anything up. That's wishful fantasy on your part. Mueller, a Republican it should be noted, has been painstakingly careful and methodical in building his cases.
3
Rule #1 for any investigation: Follow the money. And it seems most of the cash thus far has been in real estate deals, financed through offshore accounts by Russian oligarchs. I’d say in addition to tightening his grip on the immediate conspirators, Mueller may be establishing a pattern for further indictments.
14
I'm 69, been in a war, divorced, have three kids and two grandkids, yet I'm still naïve: How can intelligent adult men be so greedy, corrupt, and criminal? These men work long and hard and ruthlessly for a river of cash flow; they must have Trump's DNA. I thought movies and novels were exaggerated for entertainment's sake. Maybe they're understated.
Do you or even anyone you know act like these guys? Really? Then fact is stranger than fiction or my weltanschauung. Wonder if I can get a more coherent, realistic one from Amazon. (Well, they have everything else. You can even rent or buy goats for your pastures overrun with tall grass and weeds.)
Apparently, many earthmen needs a complete moral makeover.
37
It’s shamelessness and a desire for money and power. That’s why billionaires are going into politics. They have all the money and now they need to have power over other people’s lives. It’s never enough for them.
I was raised wrong, I was taught happiness is more important than money.
3
This is a grand novel being written in real time. Many American politicians and their "consultant" allies have strange alliances with Russian oligarchs, Middle East oil Barron's and warlords and American arms dealers. The Clintons were part of this web as are the Trumps. One has to think that Mueller has been putting his storyboard together for many many years. Hollywood can't even make up this stuff. It's mind bending and completely understandable how the low information voter is getting duped all the time.
10
Justice Is Coming.
November Is Coming.
28
When the mob moved to Tucson, they asked guys who gambled at their clubs which banks might give them good loans. Unbeknownst to these laundry owners, this is how money gets cleaned. The wise guys claimed to have cash to back up the loans, which only got back a "why do they need me, then?" from all their banking friends.
So, how much of Manafort's money is even his, and which end of this long con is up and over the back end? I know someone got robbed of their official reason for participating in sedition. To run the Army.
Smedley, are you seeing this disgraceful rerun of your own debasement? Because the NYTs has it on ICE.
4
Socrates just said it all. Our corrupt president knows how to hire the sneakiest most conniving criminals to shape his administration according to the devil’s plan.
10
Socrates believed in the devil?
1
Sadly, Harding's Tea Potted handlers took refuge in the willing arms of veterans who took comfort cashing in on their legacies while these same mugs were plotting to default on their bonuses. That big pay off voted in by Congress is for RUSSIAN arms dealers, not you little squealers!
2
And Trump and Manafort (and others) di not trade bromance money schemes while running? Trump has done nothing BUT scheme his whole life....
8
"Trump has done nothing BUT scheme his whole life...." - no matter where one stands on Trump, that is a fact.
1
These additional charges are clearly intended to flip Manafort. Hopefully, he will figure out that there is no deal with Trump and that Trump will never pardon him. Once he figures that out, he will flip and Mueller will have access to much needed information about potential collusion and/or money laundering Trump and company have engaged in over the years.
Manafort thinks himself the smartest guy in the room. When Gates flips, and he will; the 'smartest guy in the room' will be Mueller, who will be coming straight after Manafort with even more charges. This will not end well for Manafort.
10
Sure but perhaps not for the president, sure they were bad actors they are gone.
We dob't have conclusive evidence that the "bad actors" are gone. We do have proof that Meuller's investigation is not unfounded and will justifiably continue.
Remember on the campaign trail Trump talked about how he only surrounded himself by the best people. WOW! Manafort, Gates, Papadopoulos, Tom Price, Dubke, Gorka, Flynn....etc. etc. To my mind, you define yourself by the type of people that you associate with. If Trump thinks that these were the best people, what does this say about Trump?
I have my opinions. I leave it to others to draw their own conclusions as to how larcenous Mr. Trump is.
14
So, the con was on the dopes taking notes from Manafort? He was selling fake Cabinet positions by bribery for loans he used to shark the next big fish? Sounds like I'm dishing on Harding's handlers.
Tea Pot was blown when the slush funders that up ended the RNC's table for decades flipped their lids. Several left their assets behind to save their own kind. They held up in Paris and formed this fascist conspiracy to defeat us internally. I'm guessing half the GOP is being blackmailed.
Nigel Farage took an aide to Cleveland under a fake name who specialized in blackmailing his laundry clients much like the mob that used to run that joint. I want his hide like the mob wanted Danny Greene's.
I got a feeling many in the GOP took money from Manafort's little black bag which explains why the GOP are acting as guilty as Trump about the collusion thingy.
5
He's seeking a pardon and Trump will have no qualms in giving it to him, as repugnant as that would be.
Who stands up in America -at the prospect of this-, for all the people out here who rightly want to see this gross cabal not get away with it? and for good to triumph over evil?
3
The Business Plotters hoped to con a general into taking out the president and running our gubernet like France's emergency statement. No one thought FDR was a nut, but this one is ripe for the cracking! Already got a general all ginned up, and a puppet in Pence making defenses for sedition again.
1
My goodness! The irony! LOCK THEM UP....and take #45 with you!!
10
It's just another day in the life of the Trump administration. Heck, this stuff isn't even above the fold anymore. Isn't it amazing how quickly we have all become accustomed to having the destruction of our country normalized and swept under the carpet? Now I know how Weimar Germans of a certain cohort felt.
4
Trump's international dirty tricks makes Watergate look like a misdemeanor.
14
Wait, wasn't he just one of the coffee boys?
4
Manafort’s spokesman is truly speaking to an audience of one here.
1
I bet Paul has always run a laundry service, much like the one Hoffa ran for the mob until he got wise, and Nixon cut him out of their equation.
2
i thought the best part (not in this article) was that Manafort had a 300,000 dollar balance on his American Express card -- 90 days overdue -- and had Gates say it was really his charge(s) not Manafort's.
4
Where are Trump's Tax returns ?
He is an employee Of The People, even though we did not elect him. Surrounding himself with liars, confessed money launderers, molesters, etc.
A rouges gallery of the Trump cohort.
We have every right to know if he is a crook too!
Have his schemes been robbing our treasury?
Trump is hiding his tax returns. This should send up a flaming red flag warning to all, with horns blaring.
Especially after he lured gullible votes with his promise to release them after the....."Audit"
Another of his lies right to our faces.
Another of his endless sickening lies, swallowed hook line and sinker by his gullibles.
16
His returns are under audit, and if you think they have such details perhaps you should look at your return.
Self preservation should be more important than loyalty to the president for Paul Manafort and Rick Gates. At this point, the Mueller probe can’t just be blowing smoke and clutching at straws to box the president in. It’s hard to believe that the activities of these two men were unknown to the 2016 candidate, even if he didn’t properly vet them. The two new fraud charges will guarantee that the investigation will probably be ongoing during the November mid-term elections.
The money-laundering and pro-Russia lobbying tie in directly to the president’s own financial ties or obligations to Russian interests and may be the reason why he refuses to come clean about his tax information. Clearly, something's not on the level. The relationship between the president and Manafort isn’t just happenstance, but a murky business relationship of many years’ duration that promises to be very embarrassing for the president.
The tax fraud charges are also damning, and it ‘s certain that Mueller’s probe is heading in the direction of the president’s tax and financial information. It’s quite possible that the president was deeply involved in the many unsavory off-shore and foreign money schemes for which Manafort and Gates are charged.
This in't the president's personal "red line" that Mueller will cross. It's a huge red flag that he waved himself while thumbing his nose at the nation's tax laws and financial order of business dealings.
6
He certainly had the qualifications to work for the Trump campaign: extensive connections in Russia, experience in money laundering, and a ready willingness to lie. He must've been pretty good since Donald only hires the best people.
6
Integrity and honesty trump lieing, cheating and skullduggery.
There is a film called “Bloody Money” about Yanukovich & Manafort, et al, currently being held out of theaters due to a libel lawsuit in the UK. It would be great if the movie comes out just as Manafort gets sentenced..
2
I love it!! The noose tightens even as the plot thickens!
Tick, tick, tick. Drip, drip, drip. But the person who should be the most concerned about the possibility that Manafort may flip on his former boss is Kim Jong-un.
And passengers on the Trump train will interpret it this way:
"See! This all means Mueller got nothing on Trump! It's the long game to catch Hillary and Obama for murdering Jesus."
5
It's more than a bit ironic that Manafort and Gates probably would've gotten away with this if not for Mueller's investigation.
Following on the heels of the release of the Panama and Paradise Papers, one can only wonder how many hundred (thousands? Tens of thousands?) of similar money-laundering schemes like Manafort's are going on undetected?
Houston, we have a problem...
17
I want to amplify your remark with a call to our policy makers at the federal and state levels: no opaque money.
I understand that if opaque money was outlawed, then the price of real estate in London, Silicon Valley, Manhattan, LA, BC Vancouver, an so on, would drop 25 - 45% ?? because the demand for laundry service would dry up without a means to purchase secretly.
Haven't had this much fun since, since, I can't remember, actually. This is one big barrel of fun.
Mueller for President.
6
Mueller is very clever: Manafort, Gates, and the rest are just tasty appetizers. We haven't even come to the first course, yet, to say nothing of the huge entree.
7
I’m looking forward to this meal ending with just desserts!
1
And then there is revenge - a dish best served cold; very cold.
Unfortunately, even the NYT in this report is falling into the GOP-laid trap of viewing the Mueller probe as narrowly focused on alleged Trump-Russia campaign "collusion".
This is not the case. The Mueller probe is a full scale Russian counterintelligence investigation, which the DOJ and FBI are empowered to do under federal statutes. The investigation is focused on all aspects of recent Russian intelligence activity, including international money-laundering, Russian organized crime, the Ukrainian connection, foreign bank control, and phony real estate transactions. This is in addition to the direct Russian involvement in our elections, such as computer hacking and social media activity.
When former FBI director Comey dramatically announced to a congressional committee in March 2017 (long before Mueller came on board) that he had been "authorized by the DOJ" to announce an investigation into the 2016 election, he openly described it as a "counterintelligence" probe.
Seen in this broader counterintelligence context, the Manfort-Gates indictments are significant. They show the scale ($30 million) and depth of the international money-laundering operations in which money changes hands from Russians to Americans, as well as the greedy cast of characters who are engaged in this nefarious activity.
Having established this criminal background, Mueller has provided us with the financial context for the specific Russian activities that occurred in the tainted 2016 election.
11
RE: "GOP-laid trap of viewing the Mueller probe as narrowly focused on alleged Trump-Russia campaign "collusion".
That's funny the only mention of collusion in the piece was from a and a spokesman for Mr. Manafort, Jason Maloni, who was quoted “The new allegations against Mr. Manafort, once again, have nothing to do with Russia and 2016 election interference/collusion.”
The only ones falling for the GOP characterization are its followers and the right-wing media who are trying to redefine the investigation.
I am assuming, and I know what they say about that, that Mr. Mueller has subpoenaed Donald Trump's tax returns? Slowly but surely the dots are being connected. Stirring and stirring and stirring our brew!
1
Thank you, Mr. Mueller. You are giving the average citizen hope.
6
Rachel Maddow calmly and logically guided her audience through this extensive, meticulous indictment. Yes, it is an indictment, not a conviction. That said, the timeline suggests that Manafort and Gates were desperate for money and filed fraudulent documents with Banks and insurance companies in order to obtain illegal loans. The loan applications failed until Manafort joined the Trump campaign, and suddenly the money spigots opened like a fire hose. Manafort allegedly promised goodies to his potential lenders.
Yes, innocent until proven guilty, but Manafort will need a miracle to explain this scenario to the point that he can avoid conviction.
My opinion: He is a criminal on the scale of the Russian crooks with whom he was associated. My second opinion: Trump knew it and either benefited or didn't care.
15
Starting at the top. There are many, many people who wouldn't be facing the problems they are had not Trump won and called attention to themselves. If he had lost they'd all be happily getting richer now - by whatever nefarious means they had been using before.
6
Would not surprise me if there's are hush-hush deals with Trump to pardon all of these characters, Manafort, Gates, Flynn, Kushner, Trump Jr., and the rest of them for staying silent. Unfortunately we have a dictator in power who will do everything to protect his people and himself. We already saw how quickly he pardoned that crazy sheriff from Arizona. He doesn't care our justice system, it's suppose to serve him, not America.
4
Is Mueller oversteping the bounds of his commission?
According to his order of appointment, Mueller’s independent investigation was to be limited to:
(i) any links and/or coordination between the Russian government and individuals associated with the campaign of President Donald Trump; and
(ii) any matters that arose or may arise directly from the investigation; and
(iii) any other matters within the scope of 28 C.F.R. §600.4(a).
https://www.justice.gov/opa/press-release/file/967231/download
If Mueller does overstep the bounds of his commission it would fall to the DOJ official who appointed Mueller and oversees him in the special counsel role, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, to recognize that occurrence and take steps to refocus the investigation.
What Mueller is doing is entirely within his remit, i.e., looking into "any matters that arose or may arise directly from the investigation". He is doing it with surgical precision, following the money and joining the dots and getting results.
1
While American little people all over the world dutifully filed our US 1040, FATCA, and FBAR forms, Manafort and Gates and no doubt many others were above it all. Mueller is our hero, draining the swamp fulfilling Trump’s promise!
2
It's amazing how this truism has held up over the decades: "Follow the money."
6
I agree w/Trump! This is NOT about collusion to win the election. Winning wasn't the goal !! This is about money- loans, laundering & tax evasion.
Had this Team lost the election- as they expected- they would have stayed under the radar & continued their special way of business with no further scrutiny. I am sure President Clinton would not have been so vindictive as to go after them after winning the election.
1
So much for draining that swamp. Trump voters must be quite satisfied with their choice. Only the best for this administration.
2
When Trump said "drain the swamp," he was pointing one finger out at the world but three other fingers were pointing back at himself.
The psychological theory of "projection" reveals truths that require further investigation.
Listen to what someone says and not necessarily what they claim to do.
I guess it is early, but the Russian trolls aren't out in force yet to try to undermine these charges and absolve Trump. They are probably huddling to refine their message.
17
Which goes something like...that's all on Paul, we don't know nothing about his loan fraud!
1
Over on the Washington Post boards, the trolls never skip a beat. The only requirement is to sow dissent. Many of them are now taking a fiercely anti-Trump stance, like rats fleeing a sinking ship. Anything to appear ordinary, anything to engage other commenters and waste their time. It's a real industry, I tell you. Until WaPo begins censoring their reader's comment, like the Times, the horrorshow will continue.
1
I wonder how many bankers they promised cabinet shelves to self-elve upon?
Great! Finally someone in power will suffer legal consequences for their illegal actions. Find all of them and lock them up!!
43
When will NY state prosecutor indict Manafort and company? The prospect of a NY prison sentence out of the reaches of the President's pardon power may be the rock (or hard place) that is needed.
107
It appears the crimes took place in Virginia, not New York.
They are wisely letting the guy with the money - Mueller - go first; there is no benefit from launching a public prosecution any earlier that it must be done. I am certain the AG is ready to go as soon as the one will not interfere with the other.
1
Guess this is what Trump means when he says he only hires "the best" people.
50
And it's especially sweet when they volunteer and fill top-level positions "without pay".
This "circus" keeps going on and on. I applaud Mr. Mueller and his efforts to find out just who was doing what with whom. Perhaps, to use an old grade b movie term, they get both of these nefarious men to "sing like canaries".
58
Why did Manafort get involved in the Trump campaign? He knew that he hadn't paid taxes on bushel baskets of money. His past adventures in Eastern Europe were bound to come to light. I doubt any of this would have surfaced had he stayed out of politics. If he doesn't want to spend the rest of his life in prison he had better ante up to Mueller.
35
Per an article in The Atlantic Manafort thought he could use the position to pay off a huge debt to a Russian Oligarch. But he was short-sighted. Yes he brought this on himself thru hubris, greed and stupidity. That being said the Trump campaign did not look a gift horse in the mouth.
1
That' s the thing about Manafort: Why wuld you place a target on your own back?
At heart maybe he was just a typical Connecticut level crook - - like a former governor and the Mayor of Waterbury - or was it the police chief? - etc,etc, - - with a lot of contacts, but not so smart as he thinks he is.
Baffling for sure. Manafort was already on the FBI's radar, but to voluntarily step into the political limelight of such a contentious presidential race is astonishing. Why?
Both Manafort and Gates have deep ties to some pretty nasty individuals in Russia and Ukraine, who might be willing do anything to make sure that secrets between them don't see the light of day.
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"The charges do not involve the president or his campaign."
If Hillary Clinton's former campaign manager and aide were indicted on these charges, you can bet the GOP would be making it all about Clinton and her campaign.
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That is because the indictment is for actions taken years ago, not during the campaign.
The "Lock her up" chants would be deafening! The hypocrisy is astonishing.
2
Jon Galt, your statement is False. In July 2016, during the campaign, he submitted fraudulent applications for new loans from a Chicago bank headed by an economic adviser to Trump at the time, Calk. Manafort officially worked with Trump's campaign from March into August of 2016. Charges from earlier times show a pattern of dealings that continued during Manafort's & Gates' time with Trump.
For working stiffs like my husband and me, I am so disheartened that so much larceny is going on and in plain sight no less.
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My husband and I said the same thing! Despicable.
2
There's a lot of us - it doesn't matter whether we're urban or rural or what political party we're in - for those who try to act according to our ethics or values, seeing this arrogant thievery play out, day after day IS disheartening. They give nothing; they take all.
Although these new and other charges ostensibly have nothing to do with Russian election meddling and collusion with the Trump campaign, it surely is more than a little curious that Manafort’s tenure as its head coincides with the softening of the GOP platform language against Russia with respect to Ukraine. Manafort is paid tens of millions of dollars to assist Putin’s boy, Yanukovich, and then, just for good measure, and just in time for the Republican convention, alters the party’s position toward Ukraine so that it is exactly to Putin’s and the Kremlin’s taste. Like clockwork orange, Trump secures the nomination and, within weeks, encourages the Russians to release some 30,000 of Hillary Clinton’s emails.
It is more than passing strange that, in these instances, and countless others, Putin’s wish is Trump’s command—so much so that the latter presiding over our country becomes all but indistinguishable from the former, as if Trump’s political positions and policies were little more than a continuous game of “What would Putin do?”
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And lets not forget Flynn's meeting with the Russian ambassador soon afterward to assure him that sanctions would not be enforced if Trump won. I guess we have a fully staffed state department after all….its just that none of these actors are actually members of it.
The smoke is thick and blotting out the sun. Doesn't smoke have a source?
"clockwork orange" - was that a dig at The Dorito Colored Nutter's hair color? :-) If not, great humor...... :-)
The singing shall commence shortly.
With fear in some hearts, it could be a chorus.
And that moment will be a stress test for our Republic.
10
The third from last paragraph has a tantalizing statement: Manafort joined the Trump campaign to wrangle delegate votes out of the GOP establishment. With what we now know about Manafort’s background, it is worth asking, what are those relationships with the Establishment that we’re being leveraged?
It seems more and more likely to me that Russian money and electoral shenanigans are infused within the entire GOP, not just a rogue Trump campaign.
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With the company Trump keeps, it's no wonder he will not release his taxes. It is pretty clear that all of the people who "serve" with Trump are doing so to serve themselves and/or their cronies.
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See, no collusion, no collusion, no collusion.........
4
Wait for it....it's coming!
Worryingly, it's beginning to look like Manafort and Gates aren't the least bit concerned about these indictments. Perhaps they know something we don't. Perhaps their pardons are just a corrupt president's pen stroke away. As Ernie McCracken so eloquently put it, "Finally, Big Ern is above the law!" Scary stuff.
9
I keep reading that Gates is in negotiations for a plea deal. That his wife is urging him on to get this over with at the least cost to their family. I think he has 4 kids at home.
3
Can Trump pardon people for crimes that have not yet been brought to trial? For convictions that have not yet been sentenced? Can he pardon people involved in a conspiracy in which he is also guilty?
And once we get rid of Trump, how do we purge the rest of this administration and all of their appointees, including judicial appointments?
We must be careful in how that comes about, even though it should. Look what happened to Iraq when all Baath party members were given the boot by Cheney/Bush. Chaos when the baby is thrown out with the chamberpot.
As we live and breath... Good call.
Remember how Trump tried to convince everyone that HILLARY was the most corrupt team to ever seek the presidency? Oops.
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While conspiracy, between the Trump Administration and the Russians, is despicable, we must not lose sight of the fact that Russia consequentially interfered with a national election.
Manafort will lead Mueller to the truth.
9
With the news of this multi-count, superseding indictment against Manafort and Gates, involving a "complex" and "decade-long money laundering scheme", the premier investigators and prosecutors on the Mueller investigative team are also sending an unspoken, yet clear message to the Fake President and his family. If you have ever engaged in this type of covert, international criminal activity, particularly with the Russians, we will uncover (or have uncovered) such activity.
It will be interesting to see if Trump and his surrogates ratchet up their criticism of the Mueller Investigation in response to this serious, implicit threat to them. From many previous news accounts of business interactions with numerous Russian oligarchs, Trumpworld would seem to have a mountain of potential hurt to be worried about. Stay tuned.
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The real scandal here is not that this financial fraud and tax evasion have been done by people connected with the Trump campaign and administration, but rather that so many others with no such relations are doing it and getting away with it.
8
...and why was it DT was so interested in having Manafort on his presidential team? Experience with what?
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These new extensive and detailed charges tighten the noose around the Trump campaign, transition and administration. Mueller just keeps working his way up the ladder of Trump associates. Each rung gets nearer and nearer to Trump and his family. Manafort and Gates are both facing long years in federal prison if they don't make a deal to help themselves. The charges read like an indictment against a mob boss. Oh wait, I think they are...
19
We are only beginning to see the tip of the iceberg of the kind of problems that will arise when Trumps tax returns are finally brought front and center. It's certainly not hard to see why Trump is working hard to severely cut the funding for the IRS. His ilk have been getting away with these shenanigans for decades.
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Yes. Gotta wonder what Mueller is seeing with them - I am assuming they were one of the first things he started to look at.
Special Prosecutors are going to keep piling on the charges until these guys figure out they can
A. die in federal prison
or
B. be patriotic Americans and testify against the trump crime syndicate.
There is already ample evidence that is public to charge trump and several of his family members with violations of profiteering laws, public corruption, lying to investigators and obstruction of justice. But it is increasingly apparent that there is a massive money laundering operation that ran through the trump organization, the Kremlin, and Russian mobsters. Mueller wants to clean up a MASSIVE swamp not just nail a lying corrupt illegitimate trump or two
35
This article underlines the importance of leaders doing background checks, obtaining security clearances BEFORE hiring someone. Even a son-in-law. This crook was Trump's campaign manager. The millions Manafort accepted originated from Russian oligarchs and the Russian government, not Ukrainians. So Trump's Campaign Manager was living on Russian funds, while managing a U.S. Presidential Election. Think about that for a moment.
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This is a clear signal to Trump that - without even touching on the "collusion" in the elections - his years of shady dealings with the Russians will come to light.
25
So, these are examples of "the very best people" that the 45th President knows? From my perspective I have questions about the judgement of this President. Why are there so many issues of ethics emanating from this mans orbit?
12
Follow the money tree.
Paul Manafort was eminently qualified to run Donald Trump's presidential campaign because like begets like. Manafort was always dirty: a cheat, a thief and a liar. He refused to report millions in income by hiding it overseas. He defrauded banks. He's doubtless neck-deep in money-laundering for nefarious criminal enterprises and disreputable syndicates. Can there be any wonder why his star aligned with the real estate magnate from New York?
Manafort likely coached Trump on the ins and outs, the who's and have's of international money racketeering. Trump has always boasted that he's rich beyond measure yet American banks refused to loan him a dime. Why, then, would Trump refuse to disclose his income, tax credits and liabilities? He's obviously got much to hide.
None of these unsavory details can be a secret to the Republicans on Capitol Hill who have so much invested in his presidency. The donor class doesn't care where their money comes from just as long as they don't have to pay taxes on it. Mitch McConnell, Paul Ryan, the whole lot of money pirates that have dangled at Trump's tail now must share in the stench that is now is to come. Dirty money never gets clean but the crooks always try.
Robert Mueller's investigation into Russia's hijacking of American governance is surely yielding tasty fruit much to the dismay of the Right and their dishonorable "president."
Manafort and Rick Gates are going to "sing a mean tune, kid" (thanks, Chicago).
13
You may have the roles of "coach" and "student" reversed. Methinks Trump has been doing this a lot longer then Manafort and Gates.
2
Why in the world did he offer himself up to the campaign, for free no less? It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out who was behind it. Nor do I believe for a minute that the President knew nothing about it. Geez we need to get rid of this administration, and now!
27
How and why was this man chosen to be Trump’s campaign manager? The collusion may center on that question.
12
Monkey see monkey do. Trump also exaggerates his net worth. Banks here won't loan him money. We can't see his tax returns. He boasted of selling a Florida property for $100 million that he paid $40 million for to a Russian oligarch at the height of the Great Recession when many Americans owned homes that were underwater as they say in the real estate industry. Who would pay that kind of money for a property when properties were losing value? Sounds like money laundering to me. Paul Manafort was emulating what his guru,Trump, has been doing for years.
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Waiting for Secr. Ross's indictment to roll in, given he was Chairman at the Bank of Cyprus where Russian oligarchs (including Putin's BFF) were laundering their money - and the reason why Trump brought him into his Cabinet.
33
As I have been writing since July 2016, there is clearly a much wider Russian plot afoot that been in the making for well over a decade-and-a-half, and this is just one of the latest indications of this obvious reality, which I discuss at length in my groundbreaking piece here https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/think-you-know-how-deep-trump-russia-goes...
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NYT why do you feel the pathological need to equivocate when it comes to negative Trump coverage? You shouldn’t say trumps circle is uninvolved as you don’t know what’s coming. And who cares if the charges are similar to prior, it’s still new charges, meaning more proof, more cooperation, etc.
11
Mafia Don only hires the best unindicted felons.
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