Unbelievable! If true, this is beyond dirty politics. In this country we don't try to harm political opponents like this. This type of action is so corrupt, I'm not even sure there is a word to describe it. Depraved, perhaps?
I am a lifelong Democrat, but I am ashamed at the levels the Republican party has sunk to. This is the United States of America, not some fascist-infected banana republic!
Register and VOTE!!
28
Government by revenge never ends well.
14
Not only has “You can do anything” Trump sexually harassed women for years but he also colludes with those who politically harass wives of federal employees of the Obama administration.
And the Republicans want Trump to receive the Nobel Peace Prize? What a travesty that would be. The man has no honor whatsoever.
Let’s see how Trump-supporting candidates do with women’s votes in the fall.
12
If a creepy intelligence firm from any country other than Israel spy on a US administration officials, Congress would be up in arms and would investigate the firm. If this creepy intelligence firm is an Israeli firm looking to enhance Netanyahu's agenda, like opposing the Iran deal, the Congress (including the Democrats) are dead silent. Don't we have a single politician courageous enough to defend our democracy and stand up to AIPAC and Netanyahu?
21
Trump's MAGA has come to fruition.
Morons Are Governing America.
Whenever you see or hear MAGA, ensure everyone knows what it REALLY means.
24
Let me get this straight: former Israeli intelligence officials form a private spy company in the US, and the best cover they can come up with is to claim that they're a private equity firm wanting to invest in an elementary school? That's barely one step removed from the Nigerian prince scam. If it weren't so tragic, it would be hilarious.
29
It’s true, most pi’s and their ruses are not very clever. The sad part is the vast majority of the time they don’t have to be.
We’re gullible as hell. The joke is on us.
6
This absolutely reeks of Steve Bannon. I would bet the ranch that, if this is actually investigated, we will find his psychopathic hands all over it.
15
This confirms (one) of my suspicions about Trump----his MO is to get dirt on people to hold them ransom, or to sabotage their efforts---I bet he purposely hired a firm like Black Cube (if not this one), to get dirt on every Republican in the Senate (and House)---
That is why there is no pushback from the GOP.
(He probably collects dirt on every single person who is in his orbit---friends and enemies alike, because, well, you never know.....).
8
The Israeli Intelligence gathering outfit, Black Cube, is one of the dumbest such organizations on this planet. In a response to the claim that it tried to spy on Americans, Black Cube responds in clear English but uses a Hebrew language word processor which betrays this outfits incompetence. All the lines in their text are right justified (as it would be in Hebrew) and the last line in each paragraph starts with a period on the left (not justified), then continues with lower case letters of the word following the previous line. If they can't get a simple word processor working right, what hope do they have. You can see this and judge for yourself in the middle of this link:
https://wonkette.com/633592/that-time-trump-people-hired-israeli-spies-t...
The Mad magazine characters in Spy -vs- Spy were more adept at their jobs.
11
As long as Netanyahu and his thugs are in power and current and former Mossad agents do the bidding of those who wish to do our country and it’s citizens harm, I am living proof that it is possible to be a Jew and be anti-Israel.
17
How much more can we take? How much more will it take to deliver us from evil? How can this president be protected by the GOP for another second? My god, I am beginning to believe we are, in fact, lost.
Mr. Mueller, please, please hurry.
18
Either the Trump Administration is finished or The United States of America is. I'm too depressed to make or take bets on this one.
25
Shipping company=adoption agency.
Black Cube=Cambridge Analytica.
21
Is it even legal for any group within the U.S., but especially the government, to hire foreign spies against an American, let alone a federal employee?????? At the very least it involves sharing state secrets. In Trumpland its always worse that you really think it is. Treasonous.
25
I am uncertain about the details of the legal question you raise, but private companies, here and abroad, are allowed to collect information about American citizens. The biggest holders of this kind of data: credit reporting agencies, on which there are very few restraints even if they conspire to ruin your financial life, but accident or by design. Credit agencies, as everyone knows, compile information about purchases, credit history and merchant's assertions about unpaid bills, but they also offer "full reports" on you and anyone else for those willing to pay the price. These reports go far beyond credit relationships.
4
U.S.A. may be on the verge of U.S.T. (U.S. of Trump) because he is willing to go to war with Iran and North Korea just to distract the voters from the Russia probe, the Stormy "probe," reports of suddenunaccounted for infusions of cash just before his decision to run for office (which Eric Trump has indicated came from Russia: "we have all the money we need from Russia." Make America Great AGain is really Make Trump Great (let's face it, he's never been great -- 7 bankruptcies with billions owed in some cases, three marriages, multiple documented affairs, untold instances of stiffing his contractors, a lifetime of lying --- keeping his base under his sway is worth the potential deaths of American soldiers if we go to war with Iran or North Korea. And if a nuclear war breaks out, oh well, at least the Donald will go out while still in office.
6
Israel seeks to defend herself. Obama sought to diminish her.
4
Obama didn't diminish Israel. He just didn't give Israel extra special treatment that it was used to. Apparently anything less 100% obedience to Israel's wishes is considered diminishing it.
42
Sure. Allowing a regime sworn to destroy Israel a path to a nuclear bomb in 10 years while allowing it to build its ICBM capabilities now certainly helps Israel. Not to mention the $150 billion in cash Obama allowed funneled over to Iran into the hands of the Revolutionary Guard which controls the economy. As an Iranian dissident asked: name one school, hospital, road or bridge built with that money. Want to know where it went? Just look at the Iranian bases and Shiite militias its financing setting up shop in Syria for the purpose of attacking Israel. Yes, Israel was not used to that type of treatment. You're correct on that one, Soroor.
Not at my expense.
4
Outrageous and and an attack on our nation. This will not stand. Congress must hold immediate hearings at all costs to find out who is responsible and "lock them up!"
Oh. Wait. I'm sorry. This is a GOP operation. Nothing to see here. Move along. Move along.
30
It would be nice if someone would investigate this situation. Trump and Netanyahu are way to devious and chummy. I always wonder just whose bidding is Trump doing? Add in the hatred for Obama that Trump and Netanyahu share, these two are not to be trusted. I would not put it past Trump to have okayed Bibi's idea to spy in the US.
21
There is nothing wrong in digging up dirt. I recall the glee you and your colleagues evinced when the Russian dossier on Trump surfaced.
6
This is not "digging up dirt". A suspect company has attempted, now and previously, to manufacture scandal. Nor is it a matter of simple campaign shenanigans while running for Office.
This is an issue of a woefully inept Presidential Administration attempting to undermine existing National policy and/or lawful executed agreements purely out of spite and pettiness.
25
The difference is the DNC nor Hillary paid for it, and Fusion GPS didn't have anything on this to sell.
2
I don't know who you mean who expressed glee, but I wrote on the Times online that the report should be taken as having almost no credibility because it was poorly sourced (no sources at all were known, in fact) and was written like some kind of short action report rather than a carefully gathered narrative of information. It struck me, no supporter of Trump, as a pretty amateurish effort. It brought me no joy reading it.
1
The person who should be investigated, the only person that I have heard of in the Trump administration commenting on Rhodes and Kahl is Sebastian Gorka. Likely he initiated this with Trump.
11
Was anyone who is alert surprised? The Israelis are not our friends. They hate Obama because he wanted a two nation solution to the middle east misery--they love running roughshod over everyone and of course taking our money...
26
No proof, few facts, a lot of speculation, and "a great many unknowns". In other words, a typical Goldberg column.
5
I would bet money that dirty ops was used to bring down Eric Schneiderman. Maybe even by someone under investigation by his office. Too many connections to be coincidence.
9
Regardless of whether or not the Trump "team" knew or played an active or any role in this latest scandal it IS obvious that it was done to help advance Trump and his enablers.
Just like the Russian hacking 'pogram' was devised to undermine HRC's campaign and the Democrats whether or not Trump knew it or not. Duh.
Of course numerous Trump team members including sons, took meetings and responded to emails offering 'bad stuff' on Clinton.
One more point to consider: how and why was it than ONLY negative info on Democrats and their emails were 'wikileaked' NOT any from Republicans.
Are "we" so 'stoopid' to think that the Russkies (et al) only hacked Democrats. No way. They just chose to help Trump and Republicans since they determined helping get the Trump team in Office would undermine the USA. While helping enable Putin to advance his agenda. And boy has ras-Putin succeeded bigly beyond all expectations.
There was a time when Republicans would have been up in arms about this Russian interference. Even their overrated Saint Ronnie of Regan wouldn't have accepted it. But McCONnell, Ryan, and company can't be bothered.
Nope party above Country 24/7 in order to retain power. THAT Trumps all other concerns. Just sayin...
VOTE Them OUT
23
Common knowledge?
I read the Washington Post, The NY Times and the Wall Street Journal and I have never heard of the Penn Quarter Group.
Also, the Dossier that was complied by Fusion GPS was initiated by Republicans and later continued for the Clinton Campaign. This is a fact that is actually common knowledge.
I have read the dossier and the house and senate intelligence committees transcripts, and everything in it has been proven to be true, except for the most salacious of the charges, which happens to be the least important charge.
The remaining charges on the dossier are boring, involving money laundering, illegal solicitations and slush funds to get business done in places like China and Mexico.
Very boring stuff, also completely illegal and impeachable.
Get your facts from somewhere other than Fox and Limbaugh. You might learn something because the ignorance that people like you espouse is dangerous and ruining our democracy and our lives.
17
This administration has crossed so many lines in such a short period of time, each one becoming more serious than the last and a wholly complicit republican congress says, does nothing. With what Ms. Goldberg is reporting, and a fulfilled expectation on my part that trump would scuttle the non-proliferation agreement with Iran, I fear there are no more lines to cross - except one.
God forbid, but when trump surreptitiously dictates the actual shooting, of someone "in the middle of Fifth Avenue" who and what is going to stop him? Given his words and actions to date (recall his coded message to the "2nd Amendment people" to take care of HRC), I'm afraid the answer is nothing and no one. I sincerely believe, that's where we are. Please let me be wrong.
7
Why?
Money
Simple answer
1
Donald J. Trump is a dirty thug who uses illegal and unethical means to get what he wants.
I hate to say this because it has become a cliche, but can you imagine if Obama had done this to discredit Bush’s people?
In fact, I believe because Obama didn’t prosecute Bush administration officials that were accused of war crimes and lying to the American people about Weapons of Mass Destruction, we are in this predicament today.
Obama’s weakness on the foreign policy stage vis a vis Syria and Russia helped to cause this governmental chaos and President Trump’s presidency. His empty threats to Assad made him seem weak and allowed Putin to get the upper hand.
It really does matter what the US president says and does or doesn’t do.
Just ask President Hillary Clinton.
Oh that’s right, she’s not President because of another timid mistake that the great and powerful Obama made.
Vote in November and give Democrats a veto proof majority in both houses and maybe, just maybe we can start to investigate the crimes of the Trump kleptocracy and have some justice and closure.
13
Great reporting, Michelle.
Complicated stuff but laid out well. Keep it up, please.
11
This is the result of us having the knack of voting for the wrong people. Ralph Nader is reduced to the laughing stock, Jill Stein the same, Sanders finishes 4th, behind the people who did not vote, Clinton and Trump. Along with Sen. Sanders, Senators Feingold and Chafee got Iraq right so we vote against them. We have met the enemy and he is us. Who was it who said, ''we get the Government we deserve''?
6
Your entire comment contradicts itself.
‘Well meaning preppies?’
Well meaning preppies acting in concert to discredit former government officials to advance their own illicit and illegitimate agenda is a conspiracy.
Not collusion, mind you, but a conspiracy.
3
Political parties have become an impediment to democracy.
My first presidential ballot went to Dwight Eisenhower and since then I have probably voted Republican more often than Democratic. But in those days of yore there were Republicans such as Goldwater, McCain and Reagan whose probity was unassailable. Today I see no such Republicans.
Though there are Democratic senators and representatives whom I admire, my disgust with the Democratic Party itself is inexpressible.
Therefore I support doing away with political parties altogether. Their main objective seems to be supporting their party through the invention of superdelegates, gerrymandering and whatever else they can do to remain in power. National benefit has become secondary.
The Electoral College had a function 200 years ago, but no longer, so I believe that should be scuttled as well.
We would be much better off by simply voting directly for people we respect.
So let’s keep it simple and vote directly—one citizen one vote.
6
The Electoral College, in a more fair and just system, might have a future function in helping to decide close elections so that the nation can move forward. However, the imbalance of vote allocation whereby even the smallest population states get three EC votes distorts the outcome toward rural states. We need a system, one, that requires a certain percentage of the popular vote, plus, perhaps, the EC to win and, two, that allows for an encourages a third party.
As it is, the two dominant parties have monopolized our nation for their own benefit and cast us into a permanent war against ourselves from which there is no escape. The Republicans have led the way toward gutter, money grubbing politics, but the Dems are more or less forced to follow or try to find a way to overcome the rancid methods of their opponents.
1
Trump bases every decision he makes on his hatred for Obama. Trump is a disturbed, troubled, and dangerous person.
29
it is Trump's base that's obsessed with Obama, so that's the peanut gallery he plays to, because it works. Trump himself is unlikely to care very much, because there's not much space left for caring in a mind and personality so clearly self obsessed. if something seems to be a big deal to Trump... it is, to him, somehow mostly about Trump.
7
There are so many scandals in the Trump administration, but this one is pretty minor. It does have the benefit of an Israeli connection, so that allows the sanctimonious Ms. Goldberg to condescendingly pen the words "Creepy Israeli Intelligence Firm" in the title. It looks to me like Black Cube (a great Bond Villain name) found a right wing pro-Trump/Netanyahu rich guy to hire them to look into Mr. Rhodes and Mr. Kahl. Since Mr. Rhodes seemed to have it in for Israel in his advice to President Obama, essentially blaming Israel for not giving up everything before the start of negotiations with the Palestinians, he probably seemed like fair game to the money people behind this.
The far right wing, behind Pres. Trump, is steeped in conspiracy theories, so they probably figured that Rhodes and Kahl were part of one, and Black Cube kept the retainers coming by feeding them. There is no conspiracy, just some bumbling, well meaning preppies who thought that they knew better for Israel than the Israelis know for themselves. Not much to see here.
4
@ Chazak who wrote "this (scandal) is pretty minor":
I bet you wouldn't think so if it was your privacy that supposedly "former" agents of a foreign nation were violating here in the U.S. or were trying to set up your wife. But if its Israel, according to some Israelophiles it's "pretty minor". Why the double-standard? Would you have written the same thing if it were the Russians doing it?
9
I would find it major if the Russians were doing it since the Russians are our enemies and the Israelis are our allies and the Russians have been interfering in our elections while the Israelis have not.
@ Chazak: So you don't think this is interfering in the right of Americans to reach their own decisions without outside interference on one of the most important of national considerations involving possibly going to war? And that Israel should be given leeway to possibly drag us to war because they are our "allies"?
If you really can't or don't want to see what is wrong with that picture than it is not worth discussing it with you anymore.
In view of the fact that former National Security Advisor Gen. Michael Flynn was investigated by Special Counsel Robert Mueller with regard to his contacts with Russian and Turkish officials as well as with a Turkish businessman allegedly having ties to the Turkish government, I would like to know if Mueller or the FBI will also investigate this possible unlawful attempt to violate the privacy rights of several U.S. citizens by the Trump administration and/or foreign nationals acting in concert with it? Or when the possible perpetrator is Israel or unregistered foreign agents acting on Israel's behalf, whether they get a free pass?
The other point that comes across loud and clear is how weak the Trump Administration and Netanyahu's case against scrapping the Iran nuclear agreement must be for them to have to resort to this kind of dirt-digging and to try to muzzle former Secretary of State John Kerry by accusing him of unspecified illegality for expressing his personal opinion on the subject.
13
I am rather more concerned about overt Israeli manipulations of our government and our foreign policy (witness Netanyahu's juvenile Powerpoint presentation last week to generate enthusiasm for a strike on Iran and another Middle East adventure by the USA) than I am about "shady" covert operations.
13
This is not rocket science: The grand plan is to start a war with Iran or some other country right before the next presidential election so Trump can position the vote as "If you do not vote for Trump you are un-American and do not support the troops." Trump has only one interest at heart and that is his own.
31
Kristine -- don't you think that's a little loony?
1
Ralphie: It's a lot loony.
While, if true, this story is disturbing on a number of levels; It would be easier to get worked up about this story if former President Obama hadn't meddled in the last Israeli elections.
IMHO, that action was a far bigger threat to democracy than some over-zealous spooks attempting to scuttle a contentious political deal.
For the record, the press barely even covered the Obama adminstration funding of an anti-Netanyahu political campaign and some other underhanded actions intended to sway the Israeli public...
6
Speaking of Netanyahu, in 1996, Netanyahu addressed a joint session of Congress where he darkly warned, “If Iran were to acquire nuclear weapons, this could presage catastrophic consequences, not only for my country, and not only for the Middle East, but for all mankind,” adding that, “the deadline for attaining this goal is getting extremely close.”
Testifying again in front of Congress in 2002, Netanyahu claimed that Iraq’s nonexistent nuclear program was in fact so advanced that the country was now operating “centrifuges the size of washing machines.”
Netanyahu said in 2002, "If you take out Saddam’s regime, I guarantee you that it will have enormous positive reverberations on the region."
Why would anyone listen to Mr. Netanyahu?
22
@ Independent: A leopard does not change his spots. Netanyahu is the same guy who previously told a group of terror victims in Israel, apparently not knowing his words were being recorded: "I know what America is," ... "America is a thing you can move very easily, move it in the right direction." (source The Washington Post, 07/16/2010: http://voices.washingtonpost.com/checkpoint-washington/2010/07/netanyahu....
He will tell us whatever he thinks will benefit Israel (in his opinion); even if it leads to Israel starting a war with Iran by preemptively bombing their nuclear facilities once they resume full production, which would then inevitably drag us into it.
2
Takes a special kind of nerve to complain about this when we are now aware of the massive oppo research campaign by Fusion GPS to bring down Trump and the ongoing efforts of the well-funded Penn Quarter Group to continue that efforts.
It's common knowledge that the Obama Administration surveilled opponents of the Iran deal, including Israeli diplomats in the US and members of Congress, plus Israeli officials, who threatened Ben Rhodes' infamous "echo chamber," created to keep the American public in the dark about secret side agreements that dragged the Iran deal over the finish line.
6
East Germany's Stasi. Instantly it's what I thought.
We begin to sound and look like the Roman Empire. Acton and Tacitus had it right on the corrupting influence of power.
4
It's fun to read an espionage novel but not fun to live in one
7
"And if Trump’s team had any role at all in using foreign spies against American citizens, it should end his presidency, even if it probably won’t."
Of course it won't.
Your country is rotten to the core.
8
First know this: there are a lot of Americans that are NOT rotten to the core. Second, do you have any more room for us up there in Canada?
2
Electroman72: I was born in Winnipeg. Contrary to the wide-spread belief that Canada's borders are open to all, applicants for immigration are carefully vetted.
You won't make it.
Oh, and RM: We're not rotten to the core. As a naturalized citizen, I am proud of the USA. Condemning an administration is one thing. Condemning the most giving nation on Earth out of spite is quite unacceptable -- indeed, reprehensible.
Enjoy your -45 F winters and treeless plains . . .
Why you are using the word “creepy” in a formal headline is the real question
5
You know this is the Opinion section, right? Things are rarely formal here.
1
Even with the Black Cube cutout, this is the government of Israel. A simple trade, like the one made with Russian intelligence. Kill the Iran deal and recognize Jerusalem, in return for set of propaganda focused on helping Trump win the election.
Trump only cares about winning, and rules and ethics just get in the way.
9
I read about this yesterday and I cannot fathom why this was not headline news.
Imagine if Obama had been linked to a foreign investigation outfit spying on members of W's administration to get dirt on the decision to attach Iraq.
13
Where in this article a article that does not document the story is there a link to Trump.
1
Hiring ex-spooks to smear opponents. Deja Vu. Nixon.
11
I remember, as a boy, when Israel was a source of pride and idealism to young Jews like myself. This belief still dies hard. But it is dying every day, thanks to Netanyahu, AIPAC, and their ilk who betray the aforementioned ideals.
21
Why do you not look at it from their point of view.
If your country was being threatened by a foreign power with atomic weapons would you think they should just accept it.
Do you remember the Cuban missile crisis.
JFK put a embargo on a country that did not declare war with our country.
They would not be betraying the ideals they stand for by doing things that are being done to protect their country from being destroyed.
I guess you do not care.
That is so sad.
1
I think we now know who was the creepy guy who confronted Stormy Daniels and her daughter in that parking lot. Somebody from Black Cube.
No, Stormy Daniels is not a distraction. She's been a key to unlocking this filthy, corrupt mess of an administration.
13
Why are readers and the NYTimes acting as if hiring a firm to investigate/look for dirt/or spy on the 'other' side is a GOP thing? There is no objectivity here at all; no rule of law that applies to all.
NEWS FLASH - politicians have been spying on each other and digging up dirt for thousands of years. The tactics may be new, but the strategy is as old as man. Is it okay? No, not when it breaks the law. But was a law broken? It doesn't seem as thought Black Cube, like Fusion, was in it based on their political bent. Just for the money. And because Black Cube is made up of ex-spys from Israel doesn't mean it has anything to do with politics either - spys from Israel are some of the best on the globe, and turning their talents into a company is not illegal. Lastly, for those calling for yet another investigation on the tax payer's back - we've spent over 20 million on Mueller in a little over a year. How's that working out?
3
Fact check: last accounting on the Mueller investigation was 7 Million at the end of 2017. It has produced several arrests and a trial to begin in September. Fifteen more indictments were issued last week. It's very active, and producing results. Don't confuse the actions of a special counsel, and its purpose with a congressional hearing investigations. The former is legal, the latter is political. And if you think the Mueller investigation is only political and not legal, then I can't help you.
19
So, that "Deep State" the Repubs are always talking about ???
It is THEM : Cambridge Analytica, Black Cube, Koch Brothers, Bannon et al, Trump and Michael and their Russian co-conspirators.
When they distract by calling up the "Deep State", the joke on us all is that it is really THEM.
16
The clear and simple term, Empire, most accurately and historically describes the behavior of a supposed government or regime.
All people can easily see and understand whether a government is a real government "of, by, and for the people" or whether it is "acting like an Empire" and merely 'posing' as their country.
1
It looks like Trump is relying on Black (Magic) Cube to save him.
1
Nothing like the kettle calling the pot black.
2
Netanyahu is a silly old fool. He has no path to peace besides Israel being the only functioning state in the Middle East and North Africa so that it cannot be threatened ever again. He willing to achieve this with the full might and resources of the U.S., even if it destroys millions of Americans lives and impoverished it, forever. In his mind, it amounts to justice for twenty centuries of mistreatment of Jewish communities since the Romans destroyed the state of Judea.
We know that we cannot fix the problems in that region of the world with our military. We’ve tried and failed. It’s one thing to destroy a well identified and finite foe. It’s not the same for achieving peace. Trump, Bolton, and Pompeo don’t know this.
7
The Roman people didn't destroy it, but rather the Roman Empire did.
'The people' are not an Empire, but only the citizen/'subjects' of an Empire.
"Creepy" Israeli firm? But the original Observer article from which the story came, made reference to a "Israeli private intelligence agency". And private eyes exist in every country and every city.
So why slander Israel in the headline?
6
Forget the scandal overload. The real reason this won't be investigated is that republicans are in control of congress. We are talking about the "Party Over Country" crowd. So, to bring attention to this, would mean bringing sympathy to the Obama Admin. And Republicans are too busy demonizing them to care about foreign influences on our country. After all, we knew about Russian meddling in 2016. And still no mention of it from the GOP congress.
25
Republicans determined effort to weaken government and to force what remains to operate on deficits, in the hope that all that is not needed for courts and defense is eliminated, is driven by a cold hatred of democratic institutions which can be dominated by their adversaries and all the stupid losers who cannot find a way to become rich. It has and probably can only lead to more and more new wealth accumulating in fewer hands who have no obligation to invest it nor to provide the resources needed for infrastructure and advancement of others with potential but few resources. But it does something else which Republicans will not take seriously. In a society with huge inequities, unscrupulous people can and do use their money to evade laws and to exploit others. People with that kind of power have and can get away with murder. They can hire private firms to conduct espionage, extortions, sabotage, assassinations, disinformation, and even covert military style operations. They can act without the constraints that people impose upon governments. Only strong and well funded government can assure the rule of law according to the will of the people.
7
Nice try at spin control, but Goldberg still needs practice. What she wants you to think is that Trump colluded with Israeli intelligence to spy on an Obama aid. The reality is that this is about a private company doing opposition research. Nice try, though, trying to puff up the fact that the company hires former spies...you know, people who are trained to gather information discretely. Why would an opposition research company want people like that?
6
Rhodes and Kahl are not running for political office nor do they work for any campaign.
There is no justification for "oppo" research on them.
4
She seems to forget the fact that the DNC and the Clinton campaign laundered their opposition research efforts with Fusion GPS through their attorney as "legal fees" and the hired-spy that conducted the research colluded with known Russian agents to compile of dossier of dubious validity.
Sadly, Ms. Goldberg has chosen to excoriate Trump for the exact same thing that her favored candidate did during the campaign and for which she still offers her full-throated support.
Even more sadly, Ms. Goldberg and see neither the inconsistency in her thinking or its inherent irony.
4
Opposition research?
A group of former WSJ reporters founded a business to do investigations for a variety of reasons. It seems they work for whomever will pay their fees.
Is this similar or are the former Israeli spies something a little different? Who paid them to do this oppo research?
Netanyahu has some serious political problems. Maybe fear of Iran can negate those problems.
It could be legitimate fear. Or it could be something related more to firing up the base.
Does it have to be Trump who's involved in this? There are a lot of wealthy people who support Trump and who are also involved with the welfare of Israel. Is all of that involvement benevolent or do dirt tricks help the cause?
There are Trump supporters who would like to distract from Trump's own troubles. Discrediting people who worked with the Obama administration would help with that.
I appreciate the information about this Black Cube organization. It's not just the Russians who are meddling in international affairs.
4
Once upon a time, spies working for a foreign government were risking execution, at least warehousing for prisoner exchange deals. Now, its just business.
Beyond that little detail, if these goons were actually brought in by administration goons, the it’s almost a given that they would take the opportunity to retain intel on their employers, for insurance or double-dealing purposes. Just business.
From the NYTimes itself:
"Rhodes’s innovative campaign to sell the Iran deal is likely to be a model for how future administrations explain foreign policy to Congress and the public. The way in which most Americans have heard the story of the Iran deal presented — that the Obama administration began seriously engaging with Iranian officials in 2013 in order to take advantage of a new political reality in Iran, which came about because of elections that brought moderates to power in that country — was largely manufactured for the purpose for selling the deal. ... Obama’s closest advisers always understood him to be eager to do a deal with Iran as far back as 2012, and even since the beginning of his presidency. “It’s the center of the arc,” Rhodes explained to me two days after the deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, was implemented. He then checked off the ways in which the administration’s foreign-policy aims and priorities converged on Iran. “We don’t have to kind of be in cycles of conflict if we can find other ways to resolve these issues,” he said. “We can do things that challenge the conventional thinking that, you know, ‘AIPAC doesn’t like this,’ or ‘the Israeli government doesn’t like this,’ or ‘the gulf countries don’t like it.’
Now THAT sounds creepy. That Israelis weren't buying the Obama administration's manipulations makes them protective of the lives of their citizens, not creepy. But a very interesting choice of language NYT...
5
https://www.blackcube.com/
"A select group of veterans from the Israeli elite intelligence units that specialises in tailored solutions to complex business and litigation challenges"
Have fun going through the company.
Anything Trump operatives do is just fine as long as they don't meet on tarmacs or keep a private email server! Ask Paul Ryan, Nunes, Gowdy and Mitch - they will never investigate anything as long these two things don't occur.
7
Michelle Goldberg uses the term "creepy" for the subterfuge by an Israeli spy firm, but what about Ben Rhodes who by his own admission mislead journalists in order to push through what he deemed to be the greater good by selling the agreement with Iran. That agreement ended sanctions and infused enormous amounts of cash into a regime, that along with their Hezbollah proxies and Russian air power have propped up a man responsible for the death of nearly a half million people.
5
I wonder whether the people calling for investigations of using retired foreign intelligence services to dig dirt believe the same when it's a retired British agent investigating Trump?
I personally question this move because it looks like conspiracy theory garbage from Sebastian Gorka, and the seedy investigations Black Cube has already done, not to mention that it's a bad thing to exit the Iran deal.
But believing that it requires an investigation seems a lot like Michelle Goldberg, bless her pointed head, is arguing for Devin Nunes' investigations of Christopher Steele.
3
Spying is bad enough. I fear that politics will escalate to the next step. To put it politely and suitable for the faint of heart and reality deniers--politics will go kinetic, another description for violence.
So far, the only way in which this does not resemble Watergate is that there was no illegal breakin of someone's office. Nonetheless, it needs to be investigated by Congress. If Trump is behind these dirty tricks, then Congress needs to confront him, even though it's ignored all the other scandalous behavior that Trump has engaged in to date.
2
The jury is still out on the question of the raids on Manafort and Cohn...
If they are declared to be unauthorized, we have an even more sinister problem than what the Watergate break-in presented.
We have a prosecutor using the power of the law to "break down" doors and invade the privacy of a private individual.
And, it is beginning to appear that there is at least one federal judge that isn't buying what Robert Mueller and his team are trying to sell.
2
Mr. Mueller is not trying to "sell" anything at all. He is following the leads he was hired to follow. He passed on information to the U.S. Attorney in NY, who got a warrant to search Cohen's office, etc. That's following the law, whether you like it or not.
If Black Cube is "creepy," isn't the same true for Fusion GPS? Both firms focus on "Opposition Research" - AKA digging up dirt on opponents at the behest of the political attack dogs running both parties these days.
Unfortunately, Ms. Goldberg's partisan blinkers prevent her from realizing this obvious equivalency. While she now demands an Congressional investigation of Black Cube, her piece on Jan 2 belittles Republicans' demands to do the very same kind of investigation on Fusion GPS.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/12/opinion/the-republicans-fantasy-inves...
She even calls Christopher Steele - the ex-British spy peddling a salacious J. Edgar Hooveresque report on alleged urinating Russian prostitutes - "an earnest, upright figure."
I guess "creepiness" is in the eye of the beholder.
5
The lies become his truth and the truth, his lies. How can I say this, other than to say, I'm extremely concerned for our country and how we will be able to dig out from under this mess. Eventually he'll go away, but the trash will be hard to collect and dispose.
4
Can we at last stop pretending that Israel is neutral in US politics. Israel has gone all in for one party, the GOP. Let's remember that when, or if, the democrats become the governing party.
3
Clearly, HBL, the United States was far from neutral in Israeli politics as the Obama administration openly tried to tip the parliamentary elections there against Prime Minister Netanyahu.
It is a misconception that Israel is "all-in for one party, the GOP...."
Nothing could be further than the truth. Israel is all in for Israel, period.
Currently, that tilts in the favor of Trump and the Republican. But history shows that Israel has supported Democrats that support Israel as often as they have supported Republicans.
2
It's time for "dual-citizenship" Israelis to make a choice.
One way or the other.
No more "fence-straddling." No more convenience.
One cannot be loyal to both the U.S. and to Israel.
6
I'll go one step further...
No one living in America should retain dual citizenship.
We have far too many here, today, whose loyalties are divided and divided as a matter of convenience.
If you are a citizen of the United States, you need to be a citizen of the United State. If you wish to retain your original citizenship, give up your US privilege and return to your own country.
1
Nope. I pay US taxes. I will retain my US citizenship. Besides, the US government does not recognize "dual citizenship," at the border you are either a citizen of the US or you aren't.
when we talk about normalizing fascistic tendencies and all the rest, we don't realize just how much the country has been truly thrown off the map of our democratic proprieties. if this latest offense is accurate, it is just one more glaring alert. that the republicans are so compromised is even more alarming. Mr. Mueller, please....
3
Maybe this will shut the republicans up about the Steele document?
1
Nope, there are GOP supporters saying, "How is this different than the Stelle dossier?" That their party initiated Steele is immaterial to them.
1
It’s not abnormal for political campaigns to hire private investigative firms to investigate political rivals. Hillary Clinton and the Democratic National Committee have admitted they hired Fusion GPS to investigate Donald Trump and his associates. (The fact that Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya also hired Fusion GPS make Fusion GPS seem a little “creepy.”) However, there a difference. Clinton and the DNC have admitted they hired Fusion GPS. As Michelle Goldberg points out, there are still “a great many unknowns” in Black Cube story. The biggest unknown is whether the Trump campaign or Trump administration was involved with Black Cube.
1
They didn't admit it. Their lawyer did.
To my knowledge, no official from either the DNC or the Clinton campaign has owned up the the knowledge of or their role in the hiring of Fusion GPS.
That they willfully mislead the Federal Elections Commission by claiming the funding as "legal expenses" because they laundered their efforts through their retained law firm certainly shows that they had no intention of making it connection public.
1
"In a remotely normal America, Congress would immediately plan hearings into Black Cube. Of course, that’s not the America we live in. “We’re in an era right now in which there’s so many scandals that it’s impossible to appropriately react to all of them because we would just be completely emotionally drained,""
If this were a Democratic president this congress would be in Bengazi mode..... investigating 24/7.
The only thing that motivates this so called president is tearing down what our last real president built.
"Of course, that’s not the America we live in." If republicans are not removed from government in this midterm election my wife and I will not be living in "this America" much longer period.
3
Let's see...so there's no hard evidence Black Cube had anything to do with spying on Rhodes and Kahl. In fact, there's no hard evidence anyone spied on Rhodes and Kahl. We're supposed to believe them. The same people who bragged about lying to the public and the press in order to sell the horrid Iran Deal. Quite the story.
4
We've already had "a creepy Israeli Intel" spy operation. It was the Benjamin Netanyahu show broadcast in English for our, and you know who's, benefit. They didn't need the "dirt" on Obama aides; they had tons of it scooped up by their chief spy firm, the Mossad, on Iran making the phony case to trash the nuclear deal. The only surprise is that the Republican Congress didn't invite him here for the performance. But Bibi did have new war hawk, posing as our chief diplomat, Mike Pompeo, in attendance. So, we know where this is headed--a nuclear arms race in the Middle East where we already are in two wars in Syria and Yemen, and with Netanyahu on the warpath with Iran a likely military confrontation with the John ("Blowtorch") Bolton long-standing goal of regime change. And, here we were getting ready to award Donald Trump a Nobel Peace Prize. That's really "creepy"!
6
You might be shocked to know that English is taught in Israeli schools to students between the ages of 7 and 18.
You might also want to consider that English is one of the languages of both commerce and diplomacy. Important statements from many a non-English speaking nation are usually made in English.
Your indignation, Mr. Wortman, is as inwarranted as it is self-righteous.
Indeed, your analysis falls into the realm of "creepy" itself.
3
The condemnation implied in this article is, by its own words, poorly supported by evidence. Kahl himself declared that "he has no idea who was behind the approach to his wife. " And added “I have zero — zero — evidence that Trump aides did this”
The cited New Yorker article that "confirmed" what Black Cube was up to is a pastiche of innuendo, and its citing reports in the Observer as support of its claims does little to add substance to that.
The NYTimes is noted for digging deep, getting to the reality behind suspicions. This article isn't nearly up to its standards.
4
Paul Findley. A voice from the past who had the courage to speak up about Israel.
2
If Congress doesn’t investigate it will add to the argument they too are as complicit in the White House scandals. Will it do any good to send them emails we’re watching? Oh, that’s right, Republicans are campaigning a midterm vote for Democrats, is a vote for Congressional investigations. Well America, you’ve been challenged to decide how this country moves forward. I pray the country votes for accountability—legal and moral, and a government for all the people, not just the Fox and Friends crowd. The US electorate was wooed by a snake oil salesman, hopefully, they will return to their senses in November 2018.
16
This is yet another issue that needs to b investigated. I hope the Dems win the House on Nov 6 and start with stuff like this.
11
Agree, but do not just hope...VOTE... and get everyone who may not be registered, yet who are outraged, registered to vote!!!! What happening is scary. Trump's supporters...other than the zillionaires he is giving a free ride...are the very population he has always "dissed". Yet they will follow him to their own demise and love him all the way down and find someone else to blame. We need those who actually read the facts to vote for the nation we want to keep. We are on a slippery slope.
1
This story sounds unfair; except, the same happened in reverse years ago when Bibi was running for office. Yep, Americans were interfering in the Israeli election process, and still, Bibi won. Ms. Friedman and her sleuthing aside, Trump, not alone, believes, without outside influence, that the Iran deal stinks. It is working, to a degree. But, it was never meant to curtail the other Iranian efforts-their proxy wars, continued development of the ICBMs, and especially their goal to attack Israel from two fronts, with really nasty weapons. Any effort to curtail/sanction Iran on the latter two will have them (not us) quitting the JCPOA.
So, Obama pulled out a limited solution. He never expected what follows; he likely assumed their regional aggression wouldn't expand, that Iran would invest their newfound money in its people.
So, while many commenters get nasty about Israel, try to think what's really at stake. Plus, Hezbollah now has a greater alliance in Lebanon's Parliament, and the threat of curtailing their militia (far stronger than the Lebanese army, which it largely controls anyhow) is effectively over.
3
As reprehensible and revolting as this appears to be, it is just one more example of why the best way to uncover what Trump has done, is doing or will do is to pay attention to the accusations he flings at others. Hence, if he says Obama was "spying" on him or that member's of that administration or its allies are in a cabal to undermine him, you can be sure that he is planning to "counter-punch" a contrivance meant to deflect from his own underhanded behavior.
Nor is it difficult to imagine that even though Black Cube is not directly connected to the Israeli government, that the PM and his henchmen were fully aware of this effort, if not encouraging. Israel has its own reasons for wanting the Iran deal to be quashed and it appears it will be getting its way regardless of the opinion of members of the military and intelligence services in both countries, ours and theirs.
Of course, this should be investigated, but it's hard to have faith that it will be if the GOP led congress is involved or Trump's compromised Justice Department, which is busy defending itself from relentless assault.
9
What should now be investigated is how many other dirty tricks projects has Trump, his family, his campaign funding and continued donations, financed and continued to finance. He confesses to installing cameras in hotel rooms and bugging phones, and the Oval Office, so he collects compromising information to use, most likely, for blackmail purposes. This one incident must be, like the women he has assaulted, just one of dozens or hundreds.
7
"Dirty tricks" in American politics have certainly reached a new and sinister low. So who was behind this attack on our democracy? If I was to look I would start with who was instrumental in inviting Netanyahu to speak to Congress right after Obama's State of the Union speech in 2015, as a rebuttal to any Iran deal. Who pushed Boehner to make such an invitatuon, breaking a precedent that went all the way back to Jefferson as Sec. Of State? This, Netanyahu's 3rd address to Congress, put him in rare company (only Churchill). And I'd look at who received special invitations and at deep pockets - former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich and GOP donor (and Israel supporter) Sheldon Adelson.
15
Rhoades boasted that they were able to sell the Iran deal by snookering their willing partners in the media--especially the New York Times. So one doesn't really need much more than his own words.
As for the outrageousness of foreign operatives spying on Americans, I agree. I felt the same way when I learned that the Clinton campaign paid for a British spy to get dirt from Russian spies about her political opponent to use as an "October Surprise" in the 2016 election.
5
Yes open an investigation into Trump's campaign team, family, Trump, & Israel's involvement in this spying operation? Oh wait there is one on Russia. Israel now attempting to interfere in Obama administration & new elections? Trump really wanted to be dictator really, really bad. And other countries were willing to help by doing returnable favors.
10
This should go on the list that the Dems are keeping of items that need investigating if they control the House. The only danger is that AIPAC has so much control over the Dems, as well as the Republicans, that no one will investigate it.
13
Would somebody explain to me why Israel can have, and hide, nuclear weapons, refuse to be a signatory to the Nuclear Proliferation Treaty, with no repercussions or public outcry?
22
I wish no-one had nuclear weapons but am also pretty sure no-one has lost a night's sleep worried about Israel's indiscriminate use
3
What do your comments have to do with this case. If it occurred at all, it was not the Israeli government that is alleged to have done this. It was a private group of Israeli former spooks who no longer work for Israeli intelligence. Of course, none of our own former spies, police officers or government prosecutors would dream of going into "private practice" once they retire.
3
Even though I agree something should be done to review this type of scenario, why is it now so important now when it has happened before? I don't for a minute think the president had anything to do with it. There are many who want this deal revoked. Why is a former Sec of State getting involved at this time and under what authority? A review needs to include this as well.
1
Business as usual. And also as usual, the real, as in prosecutable, crime will occur during the denial and subsequent coverup. The lawyers will ultimately do the winning, also as usual.
6
If nothing else, this raises the question of who will want to go into public service in the future. These were civil servants, not people running for office. This happened after they left office. And one of their wives was targeted at their kids school? Who would want to put up with that in order to get a salary that's a fraction of what they could earn in the private sector?
12
Geez, this sounds like the implausible plot of a poorly written political potboiler. But with Trump in office, I find it increasingly plausible. Trump is turning the country into the proverbial banana republic. If we survive, this will provide material for hundreds of PhD theses and scholarly books over the next century or two.
19
It seems to me that all Congress did during the Obama administration was holding committee meetings to invest the Dems. Now under a republican administration nothing is investigated. Well two investigations into the Russian thing, one bogus. 80% of Republicans support this guy. It simply boggles the mind.
20
Ms. Kahl should have agreed to meet with that woman, but instead of herself, it should have been an FBI agent.
It's going to take a long time to unwind the damage that Trump and his supporters have done to this nation. And as Fox "News" keeps spinning its demagogic tales, there will be a poorly educated segment of the population that is manipulated by them.
43
Some clearly are coming to their own conclusions here, letting the rumors and innuendo fit their narrative. I'd like to know the truth before drawing any inferences of my own. Do I think something like this could have happened..sure. But I also think it could just as easily be nothing at all. Let's figure out what really happened and then deal with the fallout.
5
Israel has lived in a state of war for seventy years. It has not much hope of ending this unless it’s most recalcitrant foes give it up. It cannot do this alone but it cannot trust that true peace will come without a war of conquest. Israel does not trust anyone else who lives in the region. The U.S. invading and sweeping away all their foes would do the trick. But no rational person thinks that that can happen. Peace will come through diplomacy and that is something that is very hard and worrisome if no trust between adversaries can be found.
12
Why does this justify their harrassing and spying on US citizens who have nothing to do with them?
That would be why the negotiated peace between Egypt and Israel since Camp David has been so problematic and hard to maintain?
1
Songsfrown, Of course, as you well know, when Egypt and Israel concluded a peace treaty, Israel returned all of its captured territory to Egypt. The two are close to being allies now. Israel has always proclaimed land for peace. They did the same with Jordan when they signed a joint peace treaty. And "Scientist", you are not much of a scientist if you can't distinguish between former Israeli spies (now in private practice) and the Israeli government.
This incident raises important questions about the role of private intelligence firms, perhaps similar to previous debates we've had regarding private security contractors like Blackwater in military operations overseas. The main business of Black Cube and companies like the (US based) K2 Investigations is due-diligence and litigation support--where they have often been able to obtain otherwise unobtainable evidence that has helped the court reach the proper decision--where there are constraints on their tactics because the evidence collected needs to admissible in court. However, many of these firms have recently been found to have been involved in influence campaigns, smear campaigns, and political operations, which has attracted much negative attention. I would imagine they will be more careful with selecting clients in the future, but the US government should still investigate this particular situation and our lawmakers should propose any necessary legislation.
It's hard to imagine the Israeli government using Black Cube's services here, when they have their own intelligence services and operatives that would be more than capable of doing this job without detection. It will be interesting to learn who commissioned this work, and what their motivations were.
14
I wouldn't put anything past Israel. They want to be sure America remains bound to them and their interests. Hiring foreign intelligence officers to spy on Americans is beyond the pale.
1
Anna, Do you have evidence for this charge? If not, you are lying.
It is high time the United States and Israel cleaned up their relationship. This coy "We're the 51st State at our whimsical option but will often act unilaterally against US interests" dance is not in anyone's long term interest. That it serves a lot of short-term ricebowls exposes the corruption of both nations. Are we really going to allow US foreign policy to be run by Likud?
38
First, I have zero faith in any capacity of investigation to reveal the truth by the GOP US Congress. They just don't care. Power is all that matters.
More importantly, I believe the country must wake up to the fact that Trump is a sociopath – Driven only by the need to always be correct, to always win, and to destroy anyone who would defy him, and destroy anything which makes him look less than totally unique, wonderful and omnipotent.
One need look no further than his trashing of one of the most dignified and decent leaders in the history of our country, President Obama.
Or look at how he trashes Senator McCain. An honorable man who has dedicated his life to public service, from a family of public servants, both before him and after. Trump has continued his petulant and vile trashing of the Senator even after his terminal cancer diagnosis.
Trump is not well. He is not healthy and balanced. He does not possess a conscious. No moral compass, which does not point directly to him. He has no capacity for empathy. He feels no guilt for the harm he causes, because it benefits him, therefore it can't be bad. He can't change. His appetite for self-aggrandizement is utterly insatiable. He is far beyond a narcissist.
His behavior is normalized at the country's peril.
A truly dangerous man.
55
Not that you are wrong but what you say isn't relevant to this article is it.
Why are you making this comment when you do not even refer to the article in any way.
You are just using this as a opportunity to tell us you hate Trump.
1
Well, we will have to disagree.
I did in fact reference the idea in the column that there needs to be an investigation.
I think this is also about Trump, his orbit, his surrogates, and those who support and work on his behalf.
Trump stains and poisons everything and everyone because of who he is. He is destroying our government and institutions bit by bit.
I think we need to look at the larger, more complete picture and that includes the head of the snake.
Not sure why that does not make the comment relevant.
He's diabolical, although his presidency is marketed entertainment. We're in the second season of The Autocrat. He's dangerous. Still operating through back channels. Still obsessed with Barack Obama as his main nemesis.
Let's not forget Donald J. Trump compared the size of his nuclear button to that of the North Korean president. Ego drives his every move. Recklessness is his norm. World peace hinges on a single tweet.
We're seeing a loss of traditions in domestic and foreign affairs. Our very democracy is at stake.
His presidency is mere commodity for your consumption.
This could be the end of the young experiment known as American Democracy.
21
Why is this hard to imagine - this spying , manipulation behind the scenes ? Even though it is a private firm it's activities mesh with policies / objectives of Israel foreign policy .
16
Do you think we do not do the same thing or is it only wrong when you think Israel has done it.
1
This column leads with the strong imputation that aides to Trump hired the Black Cube spies. Then, many paragraphs later, it provides a denial of that fact, and the question of the administration's role is left open. In all journalistic fairness, the denial should have come immediately after the imputation.
7
Why Did a Creepy British Intel Firm Spy on Trump Alums? Same reason, they were paid to do so.
11
Why did the Brit ex-spy keep pushing after the paycheck ended? Because the Trump alums were ready to sell out their country (and the West) to Putin just to win an election.
6
Yes, Michelle, this "scandal" could certainly have the legs to crack the top of the list.
But, I'm still waiting for more investigation into that NRA funding link to the Russian fake news/ad buys on Facebook. That's also a scandal which has undeservedly taken a back seat to others and needs a lot more attention.
28
Authoritarian regime always need an external enemy to legitimize their rule. Wars with Iran and N. Korea would fill that need.
12
I actually searched the times and post after reading about this in the Guardian a couple of days ago - before they had the info about the wives of these men being approached. Nothing until now. I'm tired of the endless loops of Rudy v. Trump v. Rudy that dominates the air waves - this one may well be much worse. Early days, but glad Ms Goldberg is calling it out here.
15
"In a remotely normal America, Congress would immediately plan hearings into Black Cube. Of course, that’s not the America we live in. “We’re in an era right now in which there’s so many scandals that it’s impossible to appropriately react to all of them because we would just be completely emotionally drained,” said Trita Parsi.
Why? Because it benefits the GOP and it’s not a Democrat who commissioned the smear campaign.
The GOP is redefining “normal America” by suppressing votes, deporting Dreamers, separating immigrant families and villainizing minorities. The GOP is complicit in their failure to “appropriately react” because it’s their party’s president.
The GOP is enabling trump as their cover, a distraction, without regard to his possible criminal behavior in order that they use their control of congress to continue to legislate for the wealthy.
As soon as they secure the House and Senate this November, Social Security and Medicare will be the next target because there isn’t enough revenue after the 2017 tax “reform.”
14
While the Trump administration may have been seeking to discredit these Iran nuclear negotiators, what we do know is that the Netanyahu government has been pulling out all stops to scuttle the treaty.
Whether they chose to act through the Trump administration or a private entity is of little consequene to their ultimate goal. They have made it clear that they expect US policy to be an extension of Israeli interests.
Of course some of this is quite legal. AIPAC is a licensed lobbiest and moves considerable money and influence on Capital Hill. But when legal methods aren’t effective, our ally Israel is not above using extralegal means. One need only remember the Pollard spy affair.
But what seems strange is why resort to this level of dirty dealing? Trump and Bibi seem to be best buds and so far Trumps Middle East policy might as well have been written by Bibi himself.
It could be that they see Trump as reliable, but unpredictable and so boxing him in on the whole Iran treaty would be an insurance option.
But while Ms. Goldberg is right, their will not be any hearings that might reveal emabarrasing information about Bibi’s manipulations. On that score AIPAC always prevails. And we will go back to chasing the ghosts of the Kremlin while the neocons push for yet another war.
101
So on the money. This is it in a nutshell!
2
This supporter of Israel is getting very exasperated with the Israeli tail constantly wagging the American dog.
Who is the senior partner here?
15
Who benefits if the US is headed by an easily blackmailed, easily manipulated believer in Conspiracy Theories? It's not the United States. Our president serves Russian and Israeli interests. Future historians will zero in on this as the cause of America's fall.
5
The real Jack booted thugs revealed. How's it feel republicons? Real patriots, these people. It's laughable if it weren't so sad.
9
What's 'creepy' is Rhodes, at least as shown by the NYT magazine interview or if that's nots damning enough, the Washington Post. Both paint a portrait of an individual who fed false narratives to gullible reporters to get the Iran deal approved. His 'creative writing' skills raised eyebrows at numerous publications, since he had zero foreign policy experience. Substitute 'creative writing' for propagandist. Digging up dirt on this guy is like finding weeds in Central Park. As to those who hired and defended him, and any of his pals, Ms Goldberg is right about what should be done, just wrong about the target, it really should be investigated why was Ben Rhodes hired to deceive the American public about such a consequential agreement? That core of dishonesty is what is undermining trust in the wisdom of the Iran deal.
6
so nixonian, so donald trump.
11
This is a disgusting operation, but there is something disturbing about the reporting on it. Would anyone make such a big deal about the nationality of Black Cube if its owners were Americans or British or Australian or German? Why the stress on Israel when it is a private company hired by Americans? There seems to be a subtext of Israeli=evil that isn't far away from classic Antisemitic themes. While the Times will refrain from crossing that line we already see it crossed by others--especially on social media-- and the fact that the Times and other mainstream media highlight the connection encourages such line crossing.
7
"Would anyone make such a big deal about the nationality of Black Cube if its owners were Americans or British or Australian or German?"
Not if its owners were Americans. But, yes, if its owners were any other nationality.
Spying on U.S. government officials, present or past, by any outside government, is a big deal.
10
I think the concern has more to do with the general competency and effectiveness of Israeli intelligence/security force if used for a questionable purpose. Israeli special operations forces are certainly notable for their success and would not wish those to be employed for other than limited and state specific ends. Just as one would not want our own Navy Seals potentially robbing banks.
4
There is only one country urging the US to pull out of the Iran deal: Israel. That is why the nationality of Black Cube is relevant to the article.
3
"Why Did a Creepy Israeli Intel Firm Spy on Obama Alums?"
Why did the Israeli government have Jonathan Pollard spy on the US?
Why did the Israeli Air Force try to sink the USS Liberty?
Etc, etc.
Would Israel throw itself into a fight to aid the USA, as we might reasonably expect Canada to do, or as we would do for them? I do not think so.
Very simple: we are their friend, but they are our frenemy. We will help fight their battles, and they will help ... themselves. Maybe that's what it is to be a small, threatened country. Let's just be clear about it.
23
Why, other than in,an Op-ed form here, had the Times maintained complete silence on this? It is arguably the most despicable things to come out of this White House yet.
18
What better way to destroy a president's reputation and legacy by spreading this kind of virus about President Obama and his administration.
Mr. 45th president, why are you so obsessed with your predecessor? You were elected to govern America and steer her forward in this young 21st century. Since your election win, you've done nothing except pick fights with opponents of both parties and politicians you defeated in primaries and in the general election.
Your lie about being wiretapped by Obama was found out easily enough but now you seek to repay him in kind with a smear like this?
You, sir, are a loathsome human being. I wouldn't blame Kim Jong-un if he cancelled the summit meeting with you because you can't be trusted. What lies would you disseminate about him or any world leader if negotiations don't go your way? Did you become a vaunted dealmaker as a businessman by slinging mud at your competitors and win through intimidation?
Don't worry about being censured by Congress for this latest offense. They'll esteem you all the more for your execrable behavior because it was "only" President Obama you offended. Republicans might even award you a Congressional Medal of Honor for what you did.
16
An Israeli firm was hired to do "dirty ops," that is, to spread the lie that aids to President Obama were corrupt.
Trump aids like Gorka and Miller have publicly asserted that the Obama aids were "deep state puppet masters."
The Observer wrote that the firm was hired by Trump aids. Mr. Farrow heard that the firm was hired by a private client.
This does not sound like our Mr. Trump. He would never tell a lie or promote a conspiracy theory or attack Obama.
5
The Israelis are not our friends! They just want to use us to further their aims.
18
The Obama Administration meddled in the election for the Israeli Prime Minister a few years back.... might that have a role here?
5
Not Trump,BlackCube says, but "on behalf of a private-sector client." Speculations, any one? How about Eric Prince? Or Michael Cohen? That creep who runs the National Enquirer?
C'mon, ladies and gents, who do you bet on? Which private sector person was pulling the strings behind the scenes?
5
I am sick of my tax dollars going to a country that continuously meddles in our internal affairs. Time to cut Israel loose.
12
Your own newspaper reports exactly the opposite...that there is nothing to link the Trump administration to this report...but don't let this stop you from playing your favorite parlor game...Trump Piñata.
4
Why Did a Creepy Ben Rhodes completely undermine Israeli security and design a horrific foreign policy program? This very paper covered it in detail.
4
Because Israel is not the little David in the "David vs. Goliath" story any longer.
5
Israel understood that Obama and his people hated the Jewish state and clearly preferred Palestinians -- even the terrorists. So it makes sense that Israel would spy on these enemies.
2
Black Cube spying on Americans is nothing new. There is a history of Israel's abuse of America's hospitality and protection, even to the extent of the congressional cover-up of Israel's murder of 34 and the wounding of 171 U.S. sailors by the Israeli Air Force in June, 1967.
The U.S. President, for all practical intents and purposes, declared Jerusalem the capital of the United States on December 6th, 2017. So it's not difficult to see why every Israeli atrocity is brushed aside as a mere footnote of history, or why the U.S. Congress and Senate rise like performing seals to applaud every outlandish remark by Netanyahu.
Yes, Israel can do no wrong in America's eyes, and both are encouraging blowback, each in its own way. The U.S. has bullied even its allies to maintain Dollar hegemony for a century, while Israel has waged a brutal war of attrition against indigenous Palestinians for 7 decades. Both phenomena -- Dollar hegemony and the survival of Israel in its current Apartheid state -- are suffering from self-inflicted wounds.
And now we have the prospect of war with Iran, Netanyahu's self-fulfilling prophecy war that will damage both Israel and the U.S., possibly irreparably. And MBS should stop smirking and playing with the $1.3 billion of trinkets he recently bought on personal whims: Saudi Arabia is no less in the crosshairs than anyone else.
Hopefully all the chicken-hawks will be at the front lines and not playing war from the safety of their armchairs.
10
Will this lead back to someone in the Trump mafia? Or Netanyahu? Or both? An investigation is certainly warranted.
10
Black Cube is likely Netanyahu's private intel service. At this moment, it may have more pressing tasks, like fomenting a coup against Israel's judiciary which otherwise may convict Netanyahu of corruption, ending Bibi's long running control of Israel and shaking the blind faith of his followers here.
4
Trump is linked to his latest scandal and we know why. He wants a staff of complete morons who don't know how to think and will do anything stupid like his hand picked administration. Investigations and we will find out Facebook was being used by the spies also. DEMOCRACY needs to be saved by all of us.
1
Is this the crack we are looking for to bring down the deplorable president?
3
What’s so creepy? Hillary Clinton hired a British intelligence firm to dig up dirt on Trump- I don’t recall you caring about that
3
Implausible? Don't think so. After all, Donnie's just doing Bibi's bidding.
2
Michelle, this is not something new. Cannot ever forget how Bibi Netanyahu tried to humiliate President Obama, right here on American soil. Back in Israel, Obama was depicted as the gog (of gog magog notoriety), "The connection between Gog and Obama was made more directly in November 2015. Breaking Israel News published a viral news story about a 15 year-old Israeli boy named Natan who had a near-death experience. In a video interview, Natan, a previously secular student, returned from his experience quoting Biblical prophecy regarding the End of Days. In that video, Natan clearly named President Obama as Gog." This video went viral. Sheesh.
8
Spoiler alert: The Mossad are only marginally concerned with the ethical standards of its applicants/employees.
4
A look at founders, employees and "advisers" of Black Cube says it all. Reads like a Who's Who of Israeli intelligence.
Looks as if we're in for another nifty little Middle Eastern war, from the same folks who gave us Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq . . .
5
Ms. Goldberg,
Your headline exposes one of your many biases: Anti-Israel vitriol.
In the body of your opinion piece you state that Black Cube is an organization of former Israeli intelligence agents. Whether this is true or not, Black Cube is certainly not an Israeli Firm.
While this is indeed an opinion column, for your integrity, you should try to get some things right.
5
What's to explain? This is they way fascists roll. Later comes people falling out of windows on the 10th floor. And then people disappearing. Too bad we stopped teaching history. We have to learn what is the difference between a Nazi and a Neo-Nazi? There isn't any but the ones in Congress don't wear arm bands. And you want to argue about the rule of law, in a country where 5 un-elected justices can amend the Constitution at will with no recourse. .
6
The title appears to make it sounds as if it was an Israeli government sanctioned spying. In fact, it was a private firm, so I'm not sure why it's relevant that they are Israelis, at least in regard to the title.
And also, what makes an private investigation firm creepy? the whole title is so salacious, and really speaks poorly of the journalistic integrity of the columnist.
2
Would it be surprising to find that Benjamin Netanyahu had hooked up the deal?
3
Netanyahu, like Trump, has never been able to accept the fact that a black man was President of the United States. Bibi's name is sure to be linked here eventually.
You can figure out why it's called Black Cube from there.
6
We have the sleaziest, most shady, unethical person to have ever obtained the presidency. He, his family and associates all appear to have ties to the Russian mafia and other lowlifes. He and they weave and live in a web of deception and fraudulence.
Does anyone, even his loyal supporters, believe Trump is above employing dirty intelligence operations to smear his real and perceived enemies to get his way, get his revenge?
How far have they dug into Mueller's past? Rosenstein's past? Were they part of hacking Clinton's and Podesta's emails?
We are mistaken, at our own peril, in viewing Trump as an inept clown, an incompetent fool, a lying, self-centered child-man. He is a conniving, clever con artist who slithers in behind the scenes in a world of corruption. Now it comes to light, he has fangs, conveniently provided by Israeli dirty ops; and who is to say the fangs are not official Israeli government ops?
Democrats running for office and all others who stand up to Trump, including members of the media, ought to keep eyes wide open, look over your shoulder and guard against shadowy Trump dirty tricks.
4
The only way the republican dominated Congress will investigate Black Cube is if Fox News uncovers that their real Benghazi Circle.
1
It's time for a modern Woodward and Bernstein to track this down and see if it is true, and if so, were any Trump aides involved and finally, what did the president know and when did he know it. It might also be useful to ask the same questions with regard to Netanyahu and his government. But first, is it true?
9
Is Black Cube an Israeli government entity, or not? Michelle Goldberg slips between identifying the employees of this firm as Israeli agents or foreign spies and former Israeli government intelligence officers. One certainly wonders who they are given how amateurish and easily identified these individuals have been.
In any event, do Times readers know the activities of United States trained former espionage professionals? I think not, but they too are active across the globe, as are former United States military personnel. And who do people think drafted the so-called Steel Dossier, and how was that information obtained, and who paid for that former British intelligence officer to conduct that intelligence gathering in Russia and elsewhere in Europe?
3
Bannon's hero would be proud. As Hitler proudly explained in "Mein Kampf," his rise began with his role as propaganda officer for the rag-tag, half-dozen nutballs who eventually metastasized into the National Socialist German Workers Party. The effectiveness of disinformation, provocation, and coercion--intellectual, emotional, and physical--was proudly extolled by Hitler. Was is truly chilling is that Trump's base seems only to grow more ardent in their support as the extent of his ruthlessness comes to light. I fear that today's journalists may actually be documenting piecemeal what historians have failed to explain to my satisfaction: how, on earth, a mad man could come to hold a nation in his thrall, and transform the populace into a vast, teeming reflection of his own evil hubris.
20
Amen. And, thank you, Michelle Goldberg, for writing about this. The New York Times has been needing you for a long time.
3
The American taxpayers send about 3 billion dollars a year to support the State of Israel. Yet their Mossad operatives are harassing Obama administration national security officials to undermine the Iran nuclear deal.
Shameful.
22
It's not hard to imagine what an organization like Black Cube has on President Trump.
7
The Black Cube spying expose must be understood in a larger context. It is not only one small piece of Trump’s game to discredit every positive act that Barack Obama took as president. He’s done this many times this past year. But he has a larger goal. And that is to create a false "reality" his base wants to hear, so that he may stay in power indefinitely.
Trump knows that if he feeds enough lies to his rabid supporters (via ops like Black Cube), they will literally do anything to keep him in power. We heard Trump say just last weekend that he would consider “closing up the country for a while” – music to the ears of his base. We’ve heard him say many times before that journalists should be jailed – again – exactly what his base wants to hear. We’ve heard him say that neo-Nazis and the KKK are some very fine people – and once again, exactly the affirmation his base wants.
Trump may well withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal, and use Black Cube’s fiction as support for his actions. But he will use these lies in a much broader narrative, which is to continue to feed his base what they very much want to believe – that is, that they only, as whites, are the “deserving” Americans, and the rest of us must answer to them.
There is no guarantee that Trump won’t try to seize absolute power before 2020. Those who believe we will have an opportunity to vote him out at the end of his first term are incredibly naïve. He will not go quietly. And neither will his base.
20
Trump can hire some detectives on his own, as he did when he had them investigate Obama's birth certificate. He claimed he did, true or not, only he knows. They did get lost along the way, never heard from them again. Maybe he never paid them for work done.
Trump, Bibi and former Israeli secret service people and Israeli Hasbara make a potent brew.
I see no reason to think that the typical Trump supporter cares about Israel and are against the Iran deal.
There are many reasons that justify being against the Iran deal and why Israel would be justified in their actions if it is being done for national security.
This is what is wrong with this article even if all the arguments it makes can be proven.
Why would Israel want to destroy the Iran deal if they did not have a god reason.
The fact this article makes statements that are not documented and claims Israel is behind it as if Israel
would only do it because they are evil is not good journalism.
If Israel is behind this it and I am not saying they are I can think of many reasons that would justify it.
More work of the Deep State.
You called it a “creepy spy firm” and wrote “It’s grotesque that Black Cube did so by targeting the spouses of former Obama administration officials.”
Isn’t that the nature of spying and their tactics, that they’re creepy and grotesque?
Of are their certain rules of spy etiquette?
5
The Trump cabal is even more creepy, anything is possible.
Answer: They didn't like Obama, like many of us.
1
Let's see ... why would some Israeli intelligence agents be investigating people who were complicit in handing a billion dollars in cash to a regime that has threatened to nuke their country while training and arming terrorists who are launching rockets and mortars at civillians ... oh, of course, it has to be Trump.
3
Investigating, is that what you call a smear campaign? Nice work if you can get it.
This is terrible. Unremarked, of course, is that this bumbling bunch of amateurs can't even spy without getting caught. Trump's gang that can't shoot straight simultaneously sets new low bars for awfulness and ineptitude.
4
Israel wants the Iran deal dead. If that happens, then Israel should handle the Iran problem themselves. America first.
10
Perhaps you missed the memo. There’s been a coup. We now have an ignorant , hateful dictator and a rubber stamp Congress like those we used to wonder about when we thought only places like the USSR and China had them.
18
First, Trump asked Russia to find Hillary Clinton's emails. Now Trump aides are enlisting Israelis to make character assassinations.
This is the farthest from making America great.
11
So, the Israelis have Black Cube...but, we have Eric Prince's Blackwater, which was so plagued with horror stories that they were forced change their name to Xe, which became an international embarrassment, so they changed their name again, to Academi.
The United States is both the kettle and the pot when it comes to the profiteering from spy-craft and special operations run by taxpayer trained mercenaries.
12
"In a remotely normal America, Congress would immediately plan hearings into Black Cube."
If a creepy intelligence firm from another country spy on American officials, Congress would indeed immediately plan hearings, investigate the heck out of it, and quite possibly the agents of that intelligence firm could mysteriously disappear and waterboarded at a CIA secret black hole in a third world country. Just imagine what would happen if an Iranian intelligence firm spy on Trump administration officials who are working on killing the Iran deal.
When the creepy intelligence firm is an Israeli firm and is working on a project strongly advocated by the Israeli government - opposing the Iran deal - no politician, let alone the ones in Congress, would/could dare say anything because they would immediately be accused of anti-Semitism and AIPAC would shame them to political death. Congress has more loyalty to Netanyahu than to American people; American people can vote a politician out of office but Netanyahu, AIPAC, Sheldon Adelson would label a politician they don't like anti-Semite and kill his/her political life.
Are we living in the United States of America or United States of Israelites?
9
Congress must act ASAP.
The lawlessness and depravity of the Republican Party is destroying our country.
2
We have no Congress. Dems don't have the votes, and the Reps don't care. We have an idiot for president and a cabinet full of thieves and morons.
The similarity to Watergate is beyond belief, except that the Israelis are now playing the role of the White House Plumbers. The word complicity is no longer adequate to describe the behavior of the Republic Party. They are sitting back while a con artist and professional liar is destroying the country and endangering the world. This past few days Trump, Pence, Cornyn, Cruz. and Abbot were keynote speakers at the NRA - an organization that just appointed a convicted felon to become its president. What was North convicted for? For lying to Congress about the Iran-Contra affair, in which the Reagan administration arranged for the Israeli government to sell American arms to the Iranian Revolutionary Guards. These are the same Iranian Revolutionary Guards that theTrump family laundered money for by developing a hotel in Azerbaijan. You can't make this stuff up!
7
Ms Goldberg: it might be nice to finnd out if the story is true before you write, no? There are abundant indications that the rumor is unclear.
And that's setting aside your laxck of experience as an abortion expert to wrtie about things above your pay grade. On the other hand, perhaps KI'm wrong. Writing about things about which one knows little to nothing is hardly alien to the op-ed staff.
3
Let's see how many newspapers put this story on the front page...where it belongs.
9
It's quite possible that the entity which hired Black Cube was the Israeli state.
Netanyahu hates Obama and loves Trump, and thinks Trump is going to help Israel get rid of Iran.
7
How about Sheldon Adelson as the client of Black Cube?
9
Yes, that makes sense. Deep pockets, pro-Israel and pro-Trump, lacking in human intelligence about what a nuclear-level war between Israel and Iran will look like for all of us (curtains, and not before time, us predators need our egos clipped).
4
A credible theory. Adelson is obsessed with Israel to the exclusion of everything else except getting rich. He's probably the biggest private donor in the world supporting the nation's interests. He has amassed enormous wealth from his casinos and sleazy businesses including a "club" shut down by Las Vegas for featuring strippers simulating urination on each other. Guess who was an enthusiastic patron of that place? Donald Trump, of course. Head of the"family values" GOP.
Another anti-American scandal to top the last anti-American scandal by the anti-American "right." Russian puppets led by a Russian puppet, no shame, no loyalty to country, wretched people with wretched morals.
4
Because the creepy Republican Party set zero moral standards.
6
I am certainly tired of israel meddling in US affairs - filling their pockets with US tax payer dollars - and now attempting to draw the US into a war with iraq.
14
To those who wonder why Mueller is taking so long to complete his Russia investigation : It's simple, there's so much corruption, leading in so many directions, so many crimes and crooks that it could last for years.
We need three or four more Muellers .
10
When do we quit complaining there is any explanation other than other than mass psychopathy by uncontrolled and uncontrollable monsters?
How do we know this isn't Israel, which receives billions in U.S. tax dollars every year to prop it up, interfering in our foreign policy? Israel could be using their greatest patriot, Sheldon Adelson, to pay the bills on this one. Most of the GOP are traitors who care more about Israel than the U.S. & our foreign policy reflects it.
8
Grotesque- that is the word for it.
4
“Something is rotten in Denmark?”
No, everything is rotten in “Trump’s” Denmark.
9
What's the difference with this and Hillary hiring Fusion GPS who hired an ex British spy to collude with Russians to get dirt on Trump?
2
The difference is that fusion was hired by the RNC, not Hillary. The dems just carried the investigation forward. Also, fusion is a private company, looking into a candidate, not a foreign spy agency undermining USA policy.
1
Steve:
In order:
1)The DNC hired Steele and Hillary was largely responsible for funding the DNC. Fusion had been hired by other republicans but not Steele - he only became involved after DNC took over
2) Black Cube is a private company, just like Fusion GPS. You have no idea if they are a foreign spy agency. Remember, Steele was a former British spy.
3) In what way is investigating 2 Obama officials considered "undermining USA policy"?
I’m more interested in why creepy Obama officials (Susan Rice, Samantha Power) illegally spied on Trump campaign officials via “unmasking” before the election.
4
My guess is the trail will lead back to Jared Kushner and his family's fixation on Israel.
6
Soon-to-be-President-Trump instructed his staff on 1/19/2017 to see every day as an episode in a television show in which he vanquishes rivals. And, boy, he has a long list of enemies, and many of them are citizens whose leader he is supposed to be. If their vanquishing requires mercenaries involved, so be it, as long as their qualifications are the best. And who better than Netanyahu's ex-Mossad guys, who succeeded in quashing millions of Palestinians into hopelessness and helplessness?! And believe me, Trump enemies are legion. The fact that they happen to be law abiding American citizens only makes them more dangerous.
7
Ms. Goldberg’s comments — characterizing a private, non-governmental, for-profit firm, owned apparently by private Israeli citizens as “Israeli spies” and “foreign agents” — are reckless and irresponsible.
She also describes this firm as a “creepy Israeli intel firm” and describes their actions as “spying”, despite no evidence of anything untoward — not to mention surreptitious — other than emails suggesting meetings.
No wonder some readers — upon uncritically reading Ms. Goldberg’s commentary — begin to question, in their sadly misguided words, “our so-called ally Israel”.
No matter how one feels about Israel, Ms. Goldberg’s indictment of Israel by innuendo is shameful. She should apologize and correct the record to make clear that there are no allegations whatsoever of Israeli governmental involvement in this matter.
9
Sorry Jerry, but Israel attempting to influence US foreign policy IS creepy. It's a pity that you have more loyalty to Israel than the US.
7
Ed,
Respectfully, your comment -- and your misreading of who is involved here, if indeed there is anything going on at all -- underscores the accuracy of my observations.
I draw your attention to Black Cube's publicly available listing of their 'Board of Advisors'. One of these advisors is listed only by his initials - and most are described as long time members of Israeli intelligence, including the now dead director of Mossad. There's no innuendo about the intentions and actions of Black Cube. They are a for-profit intelligence operations business. And creepy is possibly the most benign description of their activities.
1
They all end up nay being part of the Israeli mega intelligence services, Mossad and auxiliaries!
The issues at hand are:
are any of them free from the domination and guidance of the mother/father institution
Do the ultimately serve their employer, who pays them, or the mother institute
Is there any possibility of trust that they will not serve two, opposite or non complimentary, setups
Is there any possibility of ever being truly independent and objective
The “intelligence business “ is ,almost by definition , certainly by practice, a dirty business where faith and trust are totally unknown
One can deal,with them, only under pressing conditions with great caution , they usually end up biting the hand of their feeder and his objective .
1
Politicians have been spying on each other, seeking information and advantage, for decades, nay, for centuries.
As Kahl himself is quoted by Ms. Goldberg in the article, “I have zero — zero — evidence that Trump aides did this, Kahl told me. None....."
Lack of evidence of course makes it fair game for Ms. Goldberg, so she can continue her incessant Trump-bashing.
3
Trump and his close associates seem to be obsessed with corruption and such dirty tricks. They are unfit for almost any public policy and leadership position, including in any civilized and knowledge based company.
Their intellectual and moral bankruptcy and inability to oppose or support any policy decision on its own merit or demerit provoke them to undertake such tricks. They also seem to think that Trump's core vote banks of "basket of deplorables", who survive on alcohol, bible, guns and cheap soap operas on TV (like desperate house wives, Jersey shore, Bachelorette etc.) would love such staff.
3
What will the Congress do? Oh, right...nothing... because they are controlled by Republicans.
8
I am sick and tired of seeing the parallels between the 1930's in Germany to 2018 Trump United States Maybe if our understanding of history was better we would be in the streets Our holocaust museum spends everyday working to educate students, police, educators. As a docent I leave after each group feeling sick and less forbearing
7
The Holocaust Museum is an organization doing an excellent job in the service of a crucial mission. After using their website for something I was writing, I became a donor. They do a great service to our nation and the world.
Really Michelle? I suppose it's much better to have US intelligence spy on American citizens. You present nothing other than wild rumor and jump to the following:
"But at a minimum, it’s outrageous that Black Cube, a company of former Israeli intelligence agents, appears to have spied on Americans to undermine the Iran nuclear agreement, which Trump seems poised to pull out of on Tuesday. It’s grotesque that Black Cube did so by targeting the spouses of former Obama administration officials. And if Trump’s team had any role at all in using foreign spies against American citizens, it should end his presidency, even if it probably won’t."
Seriously, the left has simply gone off the rails. First -- where are examples of the actual attempt to portray former Obama officials as corrupt? I suppose the left is now taken up the Mueller view that you don't need a crime to investigate people.
Second -- you think we should launch an investigation based on a story in the Observer? With no evidence? Surely you jest.
Third -- where's the evidence of spying? You don't have to spy on anyone to dig up dirt on them. Obtaining Fisa warrants and listening in on conversations is spying. Listening in on Trump's attorney's phone conversations is spying. Digging through their financial dealings isn't.
The left is getting scarier (and sillier) daily. If Russian collusion won't work, it's obstruction. If it's not money laundering, try sex scandals. Now this? Get a grip.
6
Just one more bit of evidence on the slimy and overbearing influence the government of Israel has in this country. Going all the way back to their use of own foreign aid dollars to pay Jonathan Pollard to spy on us, his own government, Israel has shown a total lack of respect for our country and its security, let alone our lives. This latest case proves that they would rather draw us into a nuclear war than mind their own business and leave our international policies to ourselves. It's just a shame that Netanyahu has a stooge in the White House who he can control. The investigation into Russian tampering in our election is the best thing that could've happened to Netanyahu; while we are focused on Russia, Trump has he given him the keys to the kingdom, and his spies and burglars and thieves can romp at will in the one country without which his own would sink. If you think you will hear something from our FBI or CIA about these break-ins, forget it. They have been told "hands off" any crimes committed in this country by Israel.
12
Time to stop this administration.
11
A bit of perspective seems missing here. Back up the story to Ben Rhodes, who proudly crowed that he had run a disinformation campaign for the Obama administration on the Iran deal, working with numerous reporters who were more than happy to publish various falsehoods about the deal. Move forward to today, with former Sec of State John Kerry working with Iranian officials and various European leaders, in violation of the Logan Act, to undermine Trump and his desire to get out of the deal. If anyone hired Black Cube it was likely operatives of supporters of Israel who were baffled over what would make Obama and company sign such a one-sided agreement - Kerry's activities again raise suspicion over what really motivated these Americans to sell out the Israelis to a group of thugs in Tehran who hate the US as well.
3
Dunno. Why did the Obama Admin use the FISA court as an excuse to spy on people who opposed his Iran deal? Or wink and use the old dual-loyalty charge dog whistle (and guess who that was directed towards).
3
1. He didn't.
2. You have an all-fired nerve talking about dog whistles with your reverse racism!
5
Another slash at Democratic Government, death by a thousand cuts.
4
Character assassination is on page three of the right wing playbook. (Pages one and two are particularly good.) Notice how often they use this tactic, and to great effect. There are now - as of a few minutes ago, that is - tens of millions of American who know - just know - that Kahl and Rhodes are traitors, rogues and mountebanks. And they always knew this, it's just the deep state (as if) has been so effective at the cover up. And something about George Soros and the Illuminati and Barbie dolls, but they're still working on that.
America is crazy.
3
You're joking, right? Anything anyone does in opposition to any Democrats is OK with the trumpist Congress, and if it is against Obama, that is just OK with whipped cream and a cherry on top.
3
Collusion 2.0
4
Remember the Moral Majority? An Amoral Minority has hijacked our Government; their traits include pathological lying, transcendental hypocrisy, sociopathic selfishness and, when appropriate, shameless subservience to their paymasters.
The damage this anti-democratic cabal is doing to our culture, and our children, is beyond calculation.
Remember in November!
8
Things that are being discussed these days sound so far out that I am starting to wonder how anyone could even dream them up. If it is all so rotten to the core, I'm afraid it's too late to do anything about any of it. Our world/society sounds like it has ground to a halt - come apart at the seams - become so meaningless - well - there's nothing to do about it. It's over. Finished.
2
It is so sad that the story means more than making sure it is the truth. Maybe it is but you don't know yet and the Israelis for one have motives of their own . They don't really seem to like Obama or the Iran deal. It wouldn't be responsible to blame the Israelis since I have no proof but I would prefer that was the story so let's just say it happened and talk about what the consequences should be. For honesty's sake after we discuss their culpability we can finish the article maybe a paragraph or two from the bottom with the quote showing that we have no evidence maybe that will protect us in case of some kind of legal proceeding. The people who actually believe we have a criminal in the white house should be the most upset the media has surrendered its founding ethics and credibility.The result is that half the country knows you have a dog in this fight and will not listen. Your entertainment for the like minded. Shameful.
1
War is coming.... and those jobs for coal miners ? They likely involve khakis, courtesy of bone spurs....
4
Is Trump privatizing the "deep state"? and taking it global?
1
Israelis have been overtly and covertly influencing our foreign policy for decades influencing all levels of our society.
Over the past decade and more they have been doing this overtly with impunity.
They own our congress, and now they own the Presidency.
The run huge social media campaigns to influence the general public.
All this with our taxpayer dollars sent to them.
What the Russians did this past year is nothing compared to how beholden our entire government is to the Israeli lobby.
If this isnt a national security issue, Im not sure what is.
12
Just as important...why do we keep allowing revelation after revelation of grotesque wrongdoing to unfold without consequence?
This IS a test. We are failing it spectacularly. I call it the Criminal Paradox. Somewhere along the way and with this man alone we seem to have decided that even while it was self-evident that the bar has never been set lower for the country, it has never been set higher for a sitting president.
Revelations of sexual harassment, adultery, lying, chicanery, lying , corruption, lying, malfeasance, lying, spying, lying, and lawbreaking keep tumbling out of the mouth of this political beast and NOTHING happens to the man responsible for all of it. Not. One. Thing.
For a year, I have listened daily to historians, prosecutors and pundits who tell us that any one of dozens of stunts he's pulled already constitute: treason, collusion, covering up and criminal wrong doing. Multiple former Watergate prosecutors maintain that just the meeting in the towers represents clear-cut evidence of conspiring with another nation to undo our own. Now this ugly stunt.
We're locked in a deadly game where we keep asking for levels of "proof" never before demanded and pushing the bar as high as it will go before taking action that just might save this country. Why?
This petty thug is doing pull-ups as he towers over those of us he's pushed into the toxic swamp of his making. Unless "accountability" becomes an actionable word, this nation is in its death spiral.
7
Will someone please explain to me how the Republican Party, the party of America first and patriotism and flag waving and big defense budgets, can support a president who colluded with the Russians to help win the presidency and now hires an Israeli private intelligence firm to dig up dirt on fellow Americans?
Is protecting the wealth of their donor class more important to Republicans than protecting the sovereignty of our country? If so, then we need to vote these people out of office at the very first opportunity!
"Register and vote" has never been a more important slogan.
10
It was not only the Russians who interfered in our nation's governance on behalf of trump and the GOP. The Israelis too interfered - Netanyahu going behind Obama's back to preach to a joint session of Congress of Republicans and via Black Cube looking to sabotage the Iran deal.
There is a reason trump moved up his destruction of the Iran deal regardless of and counter to what true American allies have requested. So why are the Israelis and trump so determined and eager for Iran to restart its nuclear program?
Worse! Why is Israel is trying to egg us into a war with Iran? Inciting us into war with Iran? Israel now has the perfect stooge in trump to go ahead and get us into another war of choice, arrogance and greed - and for what? Israel?
It is time to recognize Israel, like Russia, as the enemy of America it really is. They care for NO ONE but themselves and keep proving it over and over - from the many times they have spied on us to now inciting us into a war on their behalf that will cost American lives and treasure we cannot spare.
And trump hadn't yet even been elected as he conspired with Israeli's to sabotage our State Department and POTUS at the time. Add another traitorous act Mueller has to investigate - Congress won't!
11
Dark Money... DarkInternet... Blackwater... BlackCube... Foreign Spies... Russian CyberWar...
If our "Intelligence Agencies" and our "Security Services" don't do their jobs and shine some light on this Darkness, we will lose our Democracy.
What next?
2
"Creepy"?
Seems to me that some of Mr. Rhodes' activities and pursuits were "creepy".
Ms. Goldberg takes it as a given that Mr. Rhodes and Mr. Kahl are honest and did not or engage in any type of fraud.
It is more likely that anybody who is in this business stretches the truth beyond what most people would call truth. That is why "creepy" companies like Black Cube exist because there is a lot of creepy activity in litigation/corporate/investment/cyber et al. If it were not for such companies a lot of "creepy" activities would not see the sunlight.
Did Black Cube break any US laws? Then charge them? Would Ms. Goldberg be happier if a US creepy firm did the digging? Are Mr. Rhodes and Mr. Kahl immune from investigation? Or is Ms. Goldberg just doing a white wash of some creepy characters?
On Mr. Rhodes and the truth see, e.g.:
https://nypost.com/2016/05/05/playing-the-press-and-the-public-for-chump...
https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/obama-official-says-he-pu...
6
Donald Trump wants to undercut the Iran nuclear deal.
What better way to do it than to attack Barack Obama’s former staff? How Trumpian is that? First, of course, you simply dig up some dirt on Obama’s senior aides.
And so, the mystery of the Black Cube unfolds – but not really.
Once again, the Trump White House finds itself under a cloud of scandal, but they can shrug it off for now. No one on the outside can make a direct connection between the Trump staffers and outrageous misconduct against American citizens in America by shadowy Israeli spies.
Trump aides are probably confident that their boss has the Department of Justice, the U.S. intelligence community, most of the U.S. federal courts and the leaders of the Senate and House of Representatives in his pocket. The staffers may be right.
Before America became Trumpland, there would have been an immediate bipartisan outcry about this incident. Now? Don’t hold your breath.
2
Why is it, that i find just about every bit of slime washing over this trump presidency and what it lamentably represents to democracy and basic human decency... credible? Because, where he’s involved, it likely is..
1
Why did our government spy on the Trump campaign using a British firm in cahoots with Russian operatives?
1
It’s rather amazing to learn how persistent the GOP propaganda - lobbying- legislative machine is. This group of what might we now come to say fascists, simply, and said honestly, does not appear to be working in the interests of America or Americans.
From Americans for Prosperity (apparently just not yours) to Fox News and The Heritage Foundation. From the NRA to the US House of Representatives. From ALEC to Scott Pruitt and onward to Ryan Zinke.
In the last decades we’ve seen GOP “Investigations” and propaganda campaigns made up out of whole cloth, out of context factoids used to justify years of hearings and stir the fires of hatred and discontent. These grifters make millions off of your misery instead of acting for the Common Good. Period.
It is high time they be held fully to account for what they hath sown
2
Can't help but wonder who else they've been running their dirty ops on.
3
All this is ugly but COMPLETELY NORMAL. This has been the modus operandi in politics, business, and any high-stakes game forever.
Let's continue to protest the ugliness, but drop the rhetoric about heretofore-unseen shocking behavior. The U.S. has operated this way forever, England operates this way, Israel operates this way, ...<pick any country> operates this way, and so do local politicians, and businesses, and etc.
4
The lack of short term memory here is astonishing...and comical. Remember when liberals thought "meddling" in foreign elections was "cool"? The Obama administration spent taxpayer money to try and oust Netanyahu. They were the most hostile administration toward Isreal in history, openly ridiculing the leadership and undercutting their strategic defense plans by sharing intelligence with Iran. You don't think Isrealis are going to remember that? There are just no adequate words to describe the delusion that is the "progressive left".
5
The fact that anti-Semitism is growing and growing all over the world is no wonder if such stories are originating out of Israel. What did those people in this spy company think they were doing? Something potent, something unique or something no other would dare to try?
Ethical behavior is becoming a rare thing. Sometimes I get the feeling that nobody reeds the Torah anymore, everything is getting business.
3
This is what you do, of course, when you know you have no legitimate intellectual basis for your position. In the unlikely event that there were to be "dirt" a legitimate answer would be "So what." but as we know it never works out that way. See the Hillary email non-scandal.
1
So, let me get this straight. The Times and Post dig up thousands of state documents for the past two years and actively call for those working in Washington to come forward as righteous activists to help "tell the story" about Trump, but get tipsy when one person is investigated on the Obama side of the political line. Where do you actually find the nerve to be outraged over this?
7
This isn't a story about an "investigation" of Obama staffers. It's a story about an incoming administration trying to dig up dirt to discredit a political opponent in order to undermine our democracy. And of course they were unable to find any dirt and the operation failed. In the case of the Times and Post doing their journalistic duty, they are simply covering the many legitimate DOJ investigations into Trump, where there is already plenty of evidence of crimes having been committed- in fact, ongoing crimes as we speak. Now you have it straight. You're welcome.
It all just gets stranger and stranger. Good bye America. It was nice to know you.
5
A dispute between shipping companies? That's not how these things happen. I have my doubts though that it was Trump's people who got this ball rolling. This looks more like an Israeli operation to me, although an American supporter of Israel may have come up with the idea originally. And it's not because there are so many scandals at present that this won't get investigated properly. Rather, the undue influence exercised by Israel over American politics is the real issue. Never forget that the Israelis got off scot-free after murdering 35 American sailors in 1967, and Rachel Corrie in 2003. They can do almost anything they want and pay no price.
12
"When I grow up, I'm going to be a coward".
That is the real answer Congressional Republicans should have given when, as children, they were asked, "What do you want to be when you grow up?"
4
The notion of Trump depicting someone else as sketchy is laughable. Where does his sleaziness end? With Russia, with affairs, with fraud, with harassment, with payoffs, with the lies, with his hidden taxes...?
Trump is so drowning in scandal that, perversely, reneging on the Iran deal, grave as it is, would barely be a drop in the bucket.
It is too absurd to consider that Trump could raise doubts about the character of the Obama administration.
1
It is becoming apparent that the Times hired Ms. Goldberg primarily to be the in-house conspiracy theorist. The twist and turns of her bizarre theories are head-spinning. It is impossible to keep up with the cast of characters and tangential links in the byzantine narrative she weaves without some sort of board with pictures and a morass of lines showing the connection, which she must have in her office or perhaps hidden away in a basement somewhere. But wait, in classic conspiracy theory form, it is not her theories that are “implausible” because there is “zero—zero—evidence.” Rather, the entire implausibility of it is evidence of just how nefarious the target of her theories is. We know that the Clinton Campaign hired a former foreign intelligence agent to spy on Americans. We know this foreign agent worked with senior Russian government officials to produce dirt on an American presidential candidate, the most salacious details of which have never been verified. We know that the Obama Administration used this Russian/Democratic dirt to target their political opponents with the legal and intelligence apparatuses of the US government. Yet none of this concerns Ms. Goldberg. Instead, she is obsessed with a completely speculative connection between Black Cube and the Trump Administration.
7
Suspicious context pointing to the Trump administration as Black Cube's client occurred yesterday when Trump tweeted:
"The 13 Angry Democrats in charge of the Russian Witch Hunt are starting to find out that there is a Court System in place that actually protects people from injustice...and just wait ‘till the Courts get to see your unrevealed Conflicts of Interest!"
So we've long seen that his chronic strategy against opponents is to try to find dirt on federal employees and their families. We know now from this tweet he's ramping that up now to stop Mueller.
Black Cube fits a little too neatly into that strategy.
2
In Trumplandia it is well known that Ziva Dovid ran this flawless operation, and that White House Secret agent Devin Nunes will not allow the House Intelligence Committee to expose this highly successful operation.
It feeds the base therefore was a success to the Majority of the Majority. Mitch has no interest. Any hope for an investigation is DOA.
Ms. Goldberg:
>>> ". . . if true, should rocket into the top tier of Donald Trump scandals."
Mr. Kahl:
>>> ". . .it needs to be explained. . ."
Yes and absolutely yes. When I read the story in The Observer, I was actually shocked, no small achievement for a story about a Trump scandal. I have been wondering, since, whether and when the media would pick this up and give it the broad and deep consideration it needs.
This is, potentially, a very big deal.
2
I’m not convinced that it is In Israel’s best interest to be this closely associated with an administration that so closely mirrors their “historical” worst enemy.
5
So finally we know why Kushner is having such a low profile lately, and was even called "expendable". This was Kushner and Sheldon Adelson trying to do Bibi's bidding and bamboozle an ignoramus narcissist who happens to be the President and who's animus towards his predecesor and thirst for flattery renders him useful tool for those crafty enough to see his character flaws.
2
Imagine serving your country in good faith to make it safer, and in return you and your family are subjected to smear and spying by creepy foreign spies hired by political enemies of your former boss. The evidence shows there is a rot in American politics and it stinks to high heaven.
It cannot be cured by merely telling people to vote in future elections. The whole system of Democracy, being a popularity contest disconnected from finding qualified professionals to manage and conduct a nation's business, is beyond laughable. Diagnosis: the rot is connected to big money and greed. Start the surgery there and perform reconstruction of the botched structure.
6
Is this country really being run on behalf of, and for the benefit of Israel? It certainly seems to be the case.
5
Isn't it odd that the same day this new tRump outrage surfaces, one of his chief antagonists, NY AG Schneiderman, is exposed as an abuser of women and, unlike all of the Republican abusers of women, is forced to resign?
Coincidence? Really?
2
Black Cube is known for its close ties to current and former power players in Israeli politics and intelligence. According to the company’s own website, many Black Cube employees are former agents of Israel’s Mossad and “Israel’s élite military and governmental intelligence units”.
The fact that aides to Donald Trump secretly hired an Israeli private intelligence gathering company to run a campaign to undermined the Iranian deal is very troubling. It’s even more troubling when employees of the private company also have close ties to the state of Israel, whose prime minister has actively sought to undermine the Iran deal. And it is the height of hypocrisy that Israel itself has secretly built at least 200 nuclear weapons on its own, without the same international oversights the current treaty imposes upon Iran, a treaty that independent international organizations have confirmed Iran’s compliance with.
At a time when the United States is deeply concerned about foreign governments manipulating the elections process in the United States, Americans must also become aware of the unhealthy influence Israeli covert actions are having on influencing and shaping American foreign policy. The United States and Israel are politically allied, but the interests of a nation the size of Haiti are not always the best interests of insuring the security of the United States of America.
8
"The fact that aides to Donald Trump secretly hired an Israeli private intelligence gathering company to run a campaign to undermined the Iranian deal is very troubling."
It might be troubling, if it were a fact. At the moment it is a completely unsupported allegation -- no more.
No surprise here for me coming from Romania. The same company, Black Cube spied on high profile law enforcement officials.
Eventually the Romanian prosecutors managed to arrest and indict two former Israeli spies (five others escaped back to Israel) on the account of trying to illegally collect damaging information on the Chief of the Anti-Corruption Squad and her family members.
The methods used were pretty shadowy: phone call harassment, e-mail hacking, fake news spreading, etc...
This lady as Chief of "DNA" is an iron lady and she's fighting on all fronts with corruption from the political spectrum figures to corruption in the State Administration, Mayors, City Council members even corrupt Police officials.
Nothing new on the Eastern Front.
4
If in fact the Black Cube narrative is true, it would seem that the Israeli government would be more likely to have hired them than some unnamed Trump officials.
4
"In a remotely normal America, Congress would immediately plan hearings into Black Cube. Of course, that’s not the America we live in. “We’re in an era right now in which there’s so many scandals that it’s impossible to appropriately react to all of them because we would just be completely emotionally drained,” said Trita Parsi, head of the National Iranian American Council and author of “Losing an Enemy: Obama, Iran, and the Triumph of Diplomacy.”"
It's not the "era". The GOP is not an "era". "covfefe" is definitely NOT an era (and to call these times the "Age of ["covfefe"]" dignifies him). Nor is the problem with our country "Washington"; the GOP is not the capital of our United States any more than a floating logo is a corporate CEO. The GOP (like the typical CEO) commit and abet crimes like Black Cube's.
Brands don't kill democracy and world peace. People do. Call them out, one and all.
1
What bothers me is the bias present, you have no problem with the probes into the current administration but have an issue with those in the Obama administration being investigated?! and to justify it just in the title you use adjectives to demonize those doing so!
I support probes into current admin but the blow to the Iranian people and its ripple effect on the issue of Syria and Iraq under the Obama administration is far greater than any ill Trump has done.
As an Iranian American I think Ben Rhodes needs to be investigated for ties with the lobbies of the Iranian regime and the likes of NIAC and I really wouldn't be shocked if some in the Obama admin would be charged one day for treason in regards to their relations with the Iranian regime
This is coming from someone who actually voted for Obama but Obama betrayed the Iranian people starting in 2009 when he extended his hand to Khamenei while people were chanting "Obama, Obama, are you with us or with them (the regime)!" and well he chose his side! his silence and turning a blind eye on atrocities of Iranian regime and his constant efforts to paint a rosey image of the notorious regime is a crime against humanity and something we will never forgive or forget!
5
Who paid Black Cube? American taxpayers? Adelson? Private citizens violating the Logan Act?
Trump outrages never end. Smear campaigns seem to be a specialty, many led by Trump himself including about the Central Park youths, the birther lie, Hillary Clinton's health, FBI supposed affiliations, and numerous others. This gains Trump notoriety and perhaps silences or demoralizes his targets.
Roy Cohn protégée that Trump is, these McCarthy tactics are illegal. At a minimum, they constitute libel and slander. At a maximum they show criminal intimidation and financial malfeasance.
Yes, there should be investigations but who would lead them? Nunes? He is too busy carrying out other Trump-directed smear campaigns and has acted suspiciously enough to be under serious investigations himself.
The White House becomes more tainted every day.
4
Yeah right a dispute between shipping companies? Thanks to the columnist for the coverage, but if the last is any precedent most of her fellow journalists will soon tire of the story, much like they did of trying to uncover the connections between Russian military intelligence and Wikileaks or the story of how some FBI agents persuaded/pressured James Comey to swing an election based on likely garbage reports about a laptop with no new information.
1
A plea to the great Gray Lady, the New York Times: please follow up on the Black Cube story for us.
We need you to do it, and there is another Pulitzer in this for you, for sure!
2
Of course there won't be any hearings. For this right-wing Congress, Israel can do no wrong.
4
So it’s ok to hire GPS to dig up dirt on Trump but not the reverse???
3
In most respects Trump is a uniquely vile bit of Americana, a political figure with no proper American analogy (Musolini does come to mind), but in this particular case his alliance with Black Cube is like an upscale version of Nixon and his plumbers.
1
It is becoming clear why trump and his associates are convinced everyone is out to get them--spying, wire taps, dirty tricks, deep state conspiracy theories, etc.: It's what THEY do. Projection: "Since we're doing it to them, they must be doing it to us!"
1
I assume that Ms. Goldberg is quite comfortable with the Clinton Presidential Campaign's use of foreign spies through Fusion GPS to solicit derogatory information on Trump from past and current Russian government officials. More "creepy" is the Obama Administration's use of intelligence resources to spy on the than incoming Trump Administration.
3
I'd ask James Comey about this -- he probably oversaw a similar program to get administration enemies when he was in power.
3
Does anyone still really doubt that Mr. Trump and his inner circle aren't totally bag-of-cats crazy enough about what Mr Obama accomplished, to do this, to do ANYTHING to destroy it all?
No surprise - Republicans worked with Netanyahu to discredit President Obama - and the recent “revelations” featuring none other than Netanyahu were another orchestrated attempt to undermine the Iran deal. It’s all an excuse by the Saudis and Israel to involve the US in a war with Iran. Surely Pompeo knew about this as top spook and probably helped orchestrate the Netanyahu “Iran Lied”. Nixon is beginning to look like a Boy Scout. Interesting that the British newspapers get the scoop while the US papers are focused on Rudi’s side show.
1
whoever hired foreign nationals to find dirt on US diplomats should be on trail. A special inquiry should be opened to incriminate the guilty. This is as bad as Russian meddling in elections.
In other times this article might seem like think gruel, but today, the opportunities for corruption seem almost endless. And the scent of corruption draws buzzards, such that a conspiracy theory that would have had me scanning and moving on to another article in prior years makes me stop and think today. Who are the buzzards? More importantly, who do they work for?
Queare: are Trump's arguments for abandoning the Iran deal so thin that he thinks he needs clandestine smear tactics to "sell" his position? Could he possibly have the mental capacity to be aware of such a need, given his massive self-confidence (paranoid narcissism in disguise)? Has Trump given any thought (what a concept!) to the aftermath of withdrawal from the deal? What if the other six nations/entities stick with it? Iran will sell its oil to anyone, and the U.S. isn't dependent on it. So how would it look if America is left on the outside, looking in at Iran and its remaining trading partners merrily going their own way in accordance with the deal? And more amusingly, what would Bibi's next Power Point presentation look like?
2
This brings to mind the scheme of Jared and the Trump brothers to meet with that Russian woman when promised "dirt on Hillary". Come to think about it, this report also reminds me of Roger Stone and his dealings with Wikileaks.
Involving their wives is about as low as you can go!
1
What makes this believable is that Trump has a history of attacking a person's background as a way of achieving some objective that has nothing to do with the person's background. Has he no shame?
Parsi believes it will be. “I think this is just the beginning,” he said. “I think we’re going to find out more about what this firm has done, and what this administration has done.”
Yeah, right, and next we'll find out what Bush-Cheney knew on September 10, 2001.
4
Ex Israeli spies working to discredit Obama?
If true sounds illegal to me.
Another foreign government working to unduly
influence the American election process with
the help of American operatives?
Possible ties to Jared Kushner?
Kushner has strong and certain ties to the Israelis.
And certainly this shows what is possible.
2
Fabricating up another war, an even worse one.
3
Once again, we will see the Trump Vichy government come to his defense and ignore the profound corruption of our system. The time one could see his antics as "crazy uncle" passed a year ago. The man with the nuclear suitcase and unhinged ego needs to go or to be politically muzzled
Here is what will happen. Trump's popularity will continue to improve. His behavior will not change. And, the Republicans will pass a house binding resolution making him President for life. Anyone who disagrees with that will be assassinated by an unknown entity.
Hard to believe that "an America first" authoritarian racist who finds common cause with bigots and racists and who would attack a sitting president on his citizenship would become our president, the leader of the "free world," the America we once knew as the beacon for democratic idealism, tolerance, and civitas. So that now we know for certain, that one of Trump's major aspirations is to discredit everything that President Obama stood for, aspired to do, and accomplished. In any other business, social or cultural setting, such monomania would be considered pathological and grounds for removal for leadership and high office... but then again, Mr. Trump's greatest accomplishment to date is to have the American public accept his grotesque past bad behavior, and his present obsessions as president as the new normal.
2
Of course ,they were watching 9/11 unfold before there was a 9/11.
1
The undeniable fact is that Iran has publicly threatened to wipe Israel off the map. The world have already seen what happened to the Jews when a leader threatened them with annihilation. It makes sense that Israel will act in what it sees as best for itself to ensure its survival.
3
Sounds like an private sector investigative firm doing work for somebody - doesn't matter who. Investigations and spying aren't the same thing. Maybe somebody was just trying to track the Iranian payoffs for the nuclear deal. I am sure that will be a fascinating investigation. How's fundraising for Obama's library going?
3
It is obvious that Trump will commit any crime he once alleged Hillary or Obama . He thinks they are losers if they did not.
Hiring foreign agents to spy on Americans seems exactly what Trump will do. US now acts firdt for the interest of Israel, Saudi Arabia, or Russia! US is up for grabs, to the highest bidder, or just whoever praises Trump better, who needs policy?
1
If we could somehow accuse Hillary of doing this congress would investigate it for years.
1
Israel is not an ally; an ungrateful dependent that has our president and Congress in their pocket. The Iran deal is good for the whole world; but the criminals in Israel don’t like it because if we made peace with Iran then Israel would need a new boogeyman to distract from the illegal and morally wrong occupation.
6
"In a remotely normal America, Congress would immediately plan hearings into Black Cube." Sadly, what we are seeing almost by the hour from the Trump administration IS the new American normal.
The Trump administration is one long, salacious, demeaning, mirthless joke. it is the refuge of the paranoid, people who require enemies in order to support and satisfy their endless need for straw men to knock down.
Under the control of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the current Israeli government is very much part of this sorry scenario of perpetual conflict. For people like this, the operative slogan is "Give war a chance!"
2
Are their fervent supporters in Netanyahu’s Ice Cream Cabinet who would bankroll this type of activity?
The same type that would “donate” $500 million to move the US Embassy? Who donated $25 million to Trump’s Presidential campaign?
The Jabba the Hutt look alike?
2
Congress should make it a crime to hire foreign agents to spy on American citizens in America, unless the foreign citizens notified the FBI of their activities.
1
Trump's entire life reads like a spy novel. So, I will not the least bit surprised if he did in fact established his very own covert operation to discredit the Iranian Nuclear deal. It's the guy's M.O. He has no idea nor does he give a rip that refusing to renegotiate this deal is' throwing the baby out with the bath water'.
Keep digging NY Times. Thoroughly investigate the information published by The Observer. I agree, "if true, (this) should rocket into the top tier of Donald Trump scandal".
Parsi is absolutely correct; “I think this is just the beginning,” he said. “I think we’re going to find out more about what this firm has done, and what this administration has done.”
This matters, it matters a lot and again if true, it is a piece of the puzzle that fits in nicely with other behind the door covert operations this little man fights so vehemently to hide.
173
I would also suspect Netanyahu. But Trump himself isn't bright enough. It's the real "deep state"; the people ensuring tax cuts for the rich, keeping those "uppity" people down, criminalizing poverty, repressing women, hyperarming partisans, etc. uber alles, including but not limited to the Kochtopus.
25
Rather than Trump's life reading like a spy novel, I'd say more like one about the mob. He thinks and acts like a mobster, not a spy--spies try to do their business unobserved. Trump needs to be the biggest toad in any swamp. And he has goons. Spies don't have goons.
12
my thoughts exactly Mary but, I wasn't sure to use that analogy.
The truth be told that is exactly who he thinks and acts, he's the Boss. He has (or did have regarding Cohen) his Consigliere, he's got his Soldiers that keep him once or twice removed when stuff goes wrong.
Someone ordered and paid for this surveillance and smear campaign. It is one thing to look into folks who are in the policy making world. It's another thing entirely to go after their families. I presume by families, that includes children. So it comes down to this: Should this type of activity be allowed or condoned? I am sure everyone will deny it. Do you think guys who have "fixers" and try to smear every person who opposes them would do something like this? I sure do. And if you feel that the means justifies the ends, then we are headed down a path where anything goes. So if it is proven this was a behind the scenes "fixer" approach, then I guess having a thug threaten a porn star is entirely acceptable and is likely to be true And if you oppose, say, the mayor in your home town, it is OK for him to use his or her "fixers" to go after you and your family. Where does it end? When you are threatened right before you enter the voting booth? Can't happen here in America? Think again.
164
The means justifying the end was already in place when McConnell effectively vetoed Garland, then used the prospect of having a friendly Supreme Court Justice to fire up his base. Republican voters then used Trump, who was obviously not qualified to be president, as the means of nominating said Justice.
14
There can be no doubt that once again Netanyahu and his right wing government’s hands are all over this. No other international actor has been so adamantly opposed to pursuing diplomatic steps to get to the current deal with which the international community can keep Iran from developing nuclear arms. Now with this simple minded illiterate in the White House who can be swayed by personal compliments, Netanyahu has found someone easy to manipulate. Trump has some sick hateful obsession with tearing down anything Obama touched from the Iran deal to First Lady’s vegetables garden, he was putty in the hands of Netanyahu, who held Obama in such contempt, he actively appeared to campaign in parts of Florida for Mitt Romney.
3
At this point in time, in America, nothing would surprise me anymore.
2
This is not opposition research, it is a conspiracy to commit criminal activity.
4
The real scandal is not Russian interference but brazen Israeli interference. Remember that Flynn's call to Russia was forced on him by Jared Kushner who is clearly a lackey of Netanyahu. Israel used to covertly influence US middle east policy. With Trump in power, they realized that they do not need to be so covert. I would not be surprised if MBS of Saudi also had hand in all this.
5
Just what we need in this Country, one more scary happening.
And a do-nothing Congress. Not a good combination.
The Senate Intelligence Committee needs to dig in and get the facts. It has to be the Senate, the House Intelligence Committee, led by Nunes is not to be trusted. They ought to disband as they are just puppets for Trump.
1
This sounds like something Trump would do in his private practice.
1
If the allegations are true, are they at the same shady significance to Mr Kerry running around the world in the past two weeks to fish the Iran deal out of the garbage can?
Or to the illegality of the Iran deal to begin with, because it contained frank lies on the part of all parties, inc the US govt, Europe, Russia, Iran, and the IAEA? There was reckless endangerment of Iranian and regional [esp Syrian] lives in the implementation of the deal.
Or to Mr Obama intervening with whose several million dollars to try to defeat Bibi in Israel in the last election?
Also, what is the legal case against each?
Can the alleged victims in each of the above dirty tricks claim injury? Maybe yes, maybe no.
2
After months of ignoring the tawdry connections behind the Steele Dossier we finally see what it takes to get Ms. Goldberg outraged about US citizens hiring a foreign company to dig up dirt on political opponents; the targets have to be Democrats!
Too funny.
4
You forget that Republicans initially started the Steele report and paid for it. Keep deflecting!
2
@Steve
You are wrong. After all the reporting on Fusion GPS and the Steele dossier- including in the NYT- I am surprised when folks conflate early Republican use of Fushion GPS with the later compilation of the Steele dossier, which was solely the result of DNC monies.
If you read Jane Mayer's New Yorker article, you might understand there is nothing tawdry about Steele.
In any case, they are not comparable situations. The Steele dossier was opposition research in a political campaign, and initiated by a GOP donor. This latest development is research - funded by whom? Trump, the GOP, the U.S. government? - initiated by the U.S. government to discredit former government officials.
The biggest problem I see is foreign governments using this to black mail former diplomats and selling that info. How is that info used. The only way to get around this is transparency. It protects our own interest to our Government officials variable to groups who go on these campaigns like this "Black cube" group has done here. There is no evidence that Obama administration has done anything wrong here. The fact it was attempted to smear them and who authorized that campaign is highly suspect. We deserve answers. Like the article mention there are so many scandals currently in play that its tough to give them the benefit of the doubt without some questions that need to be answered.
This is not news. This is something that happens all the time in American politics and is part of the strategy of all parties.
2
Israel is not our friend. As an American Jew I do not see the interests of Israel, and the US to be in alignment.
Without a fundamental change in our Middle East policy we will continue to be drawn in to conflict and expenditure of treasure which we could well do without. When are we going to learn after 70 years of following the Israeli lobby down the path to nowhere?
7
Nothing will be done about this because there is too close of a relationship between Cambridge Analytica, the GOP and Trump.
"...zero - zero evidence..." seems to be the way of the world these days, like students with zero study habits, we google our way to an agreeable opinion, mint it as a slogan, on tee shirt and brickbat....and, so, has debate gone the way of the dinosaur.
the safest bet is to assume, to quote screenwriter william goldman's summary of the entertainment industry, (caps mine) that "nobody KNOWS anything."
3
This is a seriously weird story, with implications that extend way beyond Trump. It represents yet another example of an international cabal of interests (Trump/US + whoever hired Black Cube + most likely Bibi N) who are willing to use their money, ability to to traffic in information real and fabricated, and their political connections, to influence national and international political processes while trying to keep out of public view. It'll be interesting to eventually find out who was involved and funded this... But understanding "who dunnit" isn’t the biggest challenge. We now multiple have cross country alliances of corrupt and very rich individuals messing with nation states and the international system in an increasingly brazen but anonymous fashion. I'm not sure that Europe and the US hasn't fully understood what we are up against or has the vocabulary yet to articulate the threat to our governance systems... national and international.
2
This administration seems to be getting its directions from three foreign sources primarily: Russia, Saudi Arabia, and Israel. They can do no wrong apparently. Our other allies of long standing are ignored.
I'm wondering if they found anything interesting. Just asking?
Ben Rhodes was one of the primary movers behind the Iran Deal. Should it really surprise anyone that an Israeli-linked firm is looking into him? Given the scandals we have seen the last few years with the Clinton Foundation, or Bob Menendez, or the new one with Mitch McConnell's wife -- is it really too much of a stretch for someone to be looking to see if there is some "personal interest" in keeping the Iran Deal alive? A lot of money changed hands when the Iran Deal was done.
The Israelis are looking out for their own interests of course - their revelations (and document dump) about the Iran Nuclear Program show that Iran lied to the IAEA about their program. If someone had a plausible explanation why Iran continued ICBM development after the nuclear deal was signed I have yet to hear it. If the Iran Nuclear Deal was such a slam-dunk good deal then it should have been submitted to the Senate as a Treaty for Ratification.
2
U.S democracy was lost years ago thanks in part to Supreme Court on Dark Money .
Mix some sociopathic billionaires with Dark money, artificial intelligence and Facebook data [amongst others] and any hope for restoration of a benevolent Government is lost.
The Republican party along with many enabling business people have acted more like Putin's Puppets than Patriots.
Y'all invited the likes of Rupert Murdoch and Fox News to enter your home.
So Trump and his ilk are here to stay.
4
This is very frightening for anyone who might consider a career in our government or who is working in our government and is dedicated to serving the American people. To know that there are people like Trump and his supporters who would personally target public servants and their families in an effort to discredit their work is beyond the pale. If your views and policies are good they sell themselves. You don't have to destroy others to achieve them. Trump and his henchmen need to be held accountable before they completely destroy our democracy!
I was raised by my dad a WW2 air force vet with a deputy respect and support of Israel. As Israel has become more like other countries that support is seriously wavering
Lord Acton was right: "Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely".
The saddest aspect of this imbroglio is its furtherance of the idea anything is appropriate in the war on the "other side". Politics has ceased to be an arena for a contest between ideas. It is now a sideshow, a horse race to be followed by lazy reporters only intent on telling us who is up and who is down. Meanwhile, the puppet masters wheedle into the lives of anyone who might be influenced to change a position or shamed by a scandal created by an army of trolls. Nothing is off limits in total war. Lie, cheat or steal. It's all OK if you win the day. The only things you sacrifice are your honor and your immortal soul.
We have become unmoored. It is neither truth nor the commonweal nor justice nor equity which guide us. Now it is raw power which is our North Star. Thanks, Donald.
Will not be investigated unless Democrats control Congress.
Hopefully, the CIA will investigate whether Americans enlisted a foreign entity to spy on fellow Americans. Congress will not. Our failure to support a multi-lateral world by withdrawing from the Paris Accord, TPP and now, failing to live up to our agreements made in the Iran deal are an abject surrender of power.
If Israel, our putative ally, did so on its own initiative, we should modify our support of a nation that, under Netanyahu, has worked hard to discredit itself as the honorable agent in the Mid East.
Would our allies Germany and France trust us if we spied and actively sought to undermine Macron or Merkel by smearing them with dirt elicitied from their fellow citizens?
This is a big deal and the truth should be pursued.
1
People enable Trump out of greed. Let's follow the dollars here.
1
"The growth of vegetation combined with the lack of oxygen to support decay means wetlands can accumulate large amounts of carbon. This starts out as peat and eventually becomes coal"
Trump's handlers are not into nation building. They're into Swamp creation. Layers of festering lies targeting honest, hard working Americans. Underlying racism and profiteering overshadowed with promises of "Greatness".
The sub-heading of this opinion piece on the home page of the online edition calls for a congressional hearing on this matter just as some commenters here suggest congress should investigate. Has it not already been demonstrated that congress is incapable of serious oversight of this or any other matter involving the current administration.
The putrefaction of elected representatives is not just mold on the edge of a wedge of cheese that can be sliced away. The rot runs much deeper.
1
The writer would have one believe that this purported incident is somehow uniquely associated strictly with the Trump administration. In fact, Israel is the single largest foreign spying entity operating within the US, and has been for decades. Its network is vast and includes all branches of government and nearly every sensitive industrial and scientific sector. This particular story is small beer.
3
Please remind me, which of the Trump associates owns a shipping company? I know there is one but I can't remember which.
So I think it is time to follow the people who are very close to trump. Trump has stated in the past that he only uses notes to communicate with people he is negotiating with. He uses notes so as not to leave a trail. He creates plausible deniability, he is a con artist. He is deplorable yet the blind keep following him blindly what will it take to get rid of him? That is most defiantly THE QUESTION of our time.
Trump wouldn't spend his own money to achieve a policy goal that doesn't enrich himself. More likely, it was a third-party who funded the operation. But why solicit help from Trump's incompetent and leak-prone aides? Seems like an unnecessary risk. Maybe this is related to the Russia-flynn venture to sell nuclear power?
The thing that worries me for the future of our country is the widespread corruption as a key feature of the Trump administration. Having worked for many years
... in countries where corruption runs rampant, from government agencies and law enforcement, down to daily retail transactions, I came to the conclusion that a country can not do well economically with entrenched corruption.
Every day we learn about another diminishment of our constitution or rule of law by this administration.
What have we gotten ourselves into with this administration? First Putin and now Bibi...with their perfect puppet, Trump...so that their will may be done. We are losing our identity as a democracy; we are without leadership. We have lost control. And the most frustrating about this unstoppable, notorious triumvirate above is that we have a cowardly, thereby complicit, Republican Congress which does nothing. And don't get me started on my fellow Americans so blinded by the Trump aura that they do not see him for what he is...corrupt and disgraceful.
So we await the "final decision" in just a few short hours. If it goes the way I suspect it will, Trump will be closer to destroying our sovereignty and pride as a 21st Century nation.
1
Outrageous. If true that the Trump administration had any hand in it, it would make Iran-Contra look like a Sunday picnic.
who hired this firm, who financed it and what does Trump know about it?
If there is a retired federal prosecutor in the audience
I am hoping he or she will state for us what statutes may have been violated.
The right is so much better at the politics of innuendo, smear and the unapologetic lie than the left. We can out-think them but they are ever so much better at being
Evil. Joe McCarthy, Richard Nixon, Dick Cheney—they all offer themselves as foils against what it is to be human.
May God protect us/ May he protect our Democracy.
The idea was to smear her campaign to discredit her presidency bid as a whole.
The idea was to smear his testimony to discredit him as a witness in Mueller ‘s investigation.
The idea was to smear his investigation to discredit him as a prosecutor so that the investigation will go away.
Nothing is too low or too creepy for this so called stable genius to do to bring down this country. He is Putin’s puppet, and he will never be my president.
1
Hopefully the scuttling of the Iran deal should in the end be the scuttling of Netanyahu. Least we forget his speech to Congress during the Obama administration, this Netanyahu has been meddling in other people’s affairs far too long. Israel would do well to start looking for a new generation of leaders. The Don and Bibi show seems to have no shame or sense of proportion. Move the doomsday clock another minute forward.
1
Thanks for this article. But I think before it went online, an alert was sent to AIPAC about what was being published and they are already working the phone! So if anyone is expecting anything from congress, don't hold your breath, it's been taken care of and no further action would be needed!
2
Are there recordings ? Lordy Lordy, I hope so.
2
Does this have anything to do with today's upcoming withdrawal, (directed by Israel?) from the Iran Agreement? Or is the withdrawal just Donald and Pruitt, pushing world oil prices up by cutting off Iran's international sales? So, like, re-start the Iranian nuclear program, start new wars, blow up the planet, so that Donald's pals can get a better margin on their oil?
2
The leader of the majority of the majority will decide that their base is more interested in investigating Hillary Clinton.
Benghazi chapter 23 here we go.
They will do their best to bury this.
The longer this administration lasts, the more it resembles organized crime. Will we ever know what offers Trump and Netanyahu weren't able to refuse?
With the exploding number of investigations, trials, and appeals that these and newly reported accusations predict, it becomes more obvious why Majority Leader McConnell's main legislative focus is to install as many conservative judges as possible before the new Congress convenes next January.
If the facts are against you, attack the law. If the law is against you, control the judge.
Vote on November 6, 2018.
3
It is great to see the continuing exposure of how dirty real life politics is, and the absolute corruption of the people in power. The Constitution has failed us. Our government is incapable of stewarding the country forward. May be time to start over. I just hope Trump is not the dictator we actually choose. The oligarchy is already in place
If the Steele Dossier hadn't existed, I might have believed this breathless report. But now, my working hypothesis is that Michelle Goldberg is running a disinformation operation.
I've been wondering for a long time why we put so much effort into this "friendship" with Israel. They seem pretty happy to get billions of dollars worth of free weapons from us. Yet they spy on us, decry every move we make toward peace in the region. Just last week their leader was spewing outdated information in an effort to get our leader to dump the Iran deal.
Can someone please explain this friendship? What have they ever done for us?
5
It should absolutely be investigated. Right wing media and politicians used the gambit about the DNC, FISA courts and the Russia Inquiry to deligitmize government investigations. Yet, if this is true, suggests they were projecting their own worst behaviors.
I would not put it past Netanyahu or Trump, or their most rabid supporters, to at least implicitly approve of the hiring of such a firm.
3
Neo-Cons intimately connected to the Likud Bloc played a central role in fabricating "intelligence" to take this country into a disastrous war of aggression in Iraq. How is it that the very same actors surrounding Netanyahu are allowed to do this again against Iran while spying on American officials on American soil using Israeli intelligence officials? When will the American people say enough is enough and take actions against craven politicians who are complicit in this in both the Republican and Democratic parties?
4
The show House of Cards used to seem so outlandish.
The only outlandish thing about it was that the bad guy was a Democrat. Given the recent state of politics, I found that aspect of House of Cards unbelievable.
No one is surprised that Trump would stoop to dirt-digging. But surely he wasn’t spending his own money on it, but other people’s. There are plenty of pro-Israel donors ready to foot the bill.
Apparently his entourage contacted private investigators in May 2017 after his first visit overseas to Saudi Arabia and Israel, where he discussed the smear campaign with Benjamin Netanyahu, telling his Israeli host that Iran would never have nuclear weapons.
Their plot shows a high level of spite and malice, not so much to scuttle the deal but to discredit those behind it. Not only does Trump want to deliver on his campaign pledge, he can’t stand the attention being focused on the legacy of Obama, which looks better and better every day that Trump is in office.
11
Just voting is not going to be enough. If Trump is enabling people to hire former spies to develop compromat to discredit policy, public servants and parties, imagine what he will do to discredit the upcoming elections.
Unity, great journalism and staying alert. Protect the investigations. The leadership test should be is he or she a boring wonk who has facts at their fingertips and a demonstrable belief in rule of law. No demagogues. Watch the late night comedy shows but don't put your faith in them saving the country.
11
Who else have they or are they investigating? Fact that question even needs to be asked is very sad. Even sadder is that it most likely won’t get asked in any real way.
13
Numb yet? Because that is the strategy - as Bannon has been quoted as saying, the intent is to "flood the zone with BS". First you kill the concept of truth, and then you can have your way with the nation's collective "mind", if at this point there remains such a thing. We've passed completely through the looking glass, except this isn't Alice's Wonderland - it's full-on Orwellian now, and literally anything is possible. When a nation loses its grounding in principle and ethics, and when morality becomes a malleable concept, it simply has nothing else to lose. And when it wages perpetual war, targeting and disparaging those who champion peace, the end is in sight. And so it is if drastic change does not occur in November.
21
All I can do is vote for a Democrat each and every time I go to the polls. Everything from the local school board to Congress to the Presidency.
21
You can do more. I asked a retired CIA guy who is interested in peace issues for some tips on how to be effective. All he said was "find a half dozen people you trust."
The implication was work together. Support each other on line. Call Senators and Representatives. Plus, continue to do what you're doing right now...commenting on articles.
Keep in mind the words of Benjamin Franklin describing what the Constitutional Convention had given the Country..."a Republic, if you can keep it."
We all absolutely have to do more.
1
If this doesn't get Obama to take a break from his fundraising and enrichment to talk about something actually critical, then nothing will. I know that precedent goes against this type of speaking out but trump has dissolved all precedents. Dystopian is an understatement. We are on the precipice of authoritarianism with a know nothing ruler and a do nothing subservient congress.
14
Obama is striking back against extreme gerrymandering. He thinks that is the most urgent issue. He knows a lot more about threats to US democracy than I do, so I will defer to his judgment.
9
I have a harder and harder time believing that we will ever see Trump suffer any consequences for his behavior, regardless of what the special counsel finds. His Teflon coating seems to have accompanied him into the White House and he knows it. The sheer magnitude of the scandals surrounding him and this administration is beyond comprehension. Any other president would have been long gone after just one of them.
22
This is by far the most sinister development to come out of the entire Trump administration, and that's saying quite a bit at this point.
One would think that this would prompt at least some of the Republican quislings in Congress to reconsider their loyalty to this rotten regime, but I'm not sure any of them now remember that they were Americans before they were Republicans.
We're in much more trouble than I realized.
20
Too many comments ignore the core story.
All this espionage, twitter, and, scandal are diversions that Democrats are falling for. While Democrats are horrified at these, Trump goes on giving tax breaks to the wealthy, ending the regulations that protect us, and avoiding prosecution for Russian money laundering (or whatever he did that he is hiding in his tax forms).
Republicans brush all these off, and instead they focus on the issues that matter to them.
Keep your eyes on the prize -- what our government is doing in terms of policies. Trump doesn't care if Korea and Iran have nuclear weapons -- they are others' problems. But focusing on them diverts us from what he is doing to our government, our economy, and our social relations.
Don't get distracted! Keep the focus on taxes, deficit, Social Security, Medicare, health care. He is getting away with murder, literally.
15
I vehemently disagree with your comment. It is possible and necessary to pay attention and respond to more than one thing, and this story is massively important.
Not only does it involve an American administration hiring a spy firm to smear its political opponents, that spy firm is from an ally whose own behavior over the years has become more fascistic.
You accuse other commenters of ignoring "the core story", but it strikes me that you yourself are missing a very important point.
4
Why does anything happen? Why did the FBI spy on the 2016 election even though it is a law enforcement agency and not a spy agency? Why does the peanut butter side always land face downward on the floor? Why does there need to be a proposed conspiracy theory before actually thinking and then making it the the truth? Maybe, just maybe, this is how our new world works and we're simply learning to adjust to it. Or maybe there's some conformation bias going on here.
4
Investigation is in the FBI's name, and one of the things they do is investigate foreign actors committing crimes in the U.S.
1
"And if Trump’s team had any role at all in using foreign spies against American citizens, it should end his presidency, even if it probably won’t." Come on. Is a political columnist for the NYT really this naive about how politics is conducted in this country? This is just another example of the time honoured (but far less than honourable) political practice of "opposition research". Politicians, political parties, individuals and corporations engage these types of "risk and intelligence" firms to engage in these types of inquiries all the time. No need to engage in some Kabuki theatre just because the firms are now digging up dirt on people considered part of your team. Remember it was a foreign firm of ex spies (including ex MI6 Steele etc...)that produced the Trump Moscow report. The Israeli firm was chosen because it had the Middle Eastern connections to do the job the same reason Steele was chosen because he allegedly had the Russian contacts. Yes. I am shocked. Shocked that opposition research is going on. Unless you want to change the whole system of digging up dirt on your opponents - which I'm quite open to but would put quite a dent in the retirement savings of ex reporters and spies - there is really really nothing to see here.
5
I see Netanyahu chicanery behind this , his obsession with the destruction of Iran and his obvious disdain for President Obama are clear motivation.
I would not be surprised if the Trump campaign was involved , Netanyahu, Kushner are old friends and they together with Trump are birds of a feather who thrive on shady dealings.
As an American who believes in our values of human dignity and freedom I resent us outsourcing our foreign policy to two leaders
Putin and Netanyahu who do not live by those values
18
Kudos to MG, to Ronan Farrow, and to all who helped to expose the Black Cube operations. For me, the key phrase in Goldberg's article is "In a remotely normal America..." We know this is not a remotely normal America, but we seem to be compelled to accept this state of decay as the new normal. Demagoguery seems to have turned this world of fast-paced change into a devouring monster, devouring our ethics, morality, and our standards of decency. The fish rots from the head down.
14
The Trump administration acts as though it is impervious to consequence. The most telling words Michelle Goldberg writes are, "In a remotely normal America..."
This story exemplifies the melding of two global trends; Democracy's Achilles Heel and the egocentric soul of a billionaire. The former is the corruption that accompanies the assumption of power by a party that was elected by a minority of voters. The latter are that those with such strati-spherically unequal wealth are able to contrive and sustain such administrations.
It's the soul of a billionaire that can act without consequence, a reflection of the reality that American courts are "pay to play". It is a symptom that a US Billionaire President, who lost the popular vote, can hire Israelis to spy on former US officials will not result in a consequence for the Trump administration. It is a symptom that Trump can arrogantly deny a connection can be found between it and the hiring of Black Cube (thanks Bibi). It just gets added to the cacophony of other symptoms already ricocheting through American culture and gets in line with those yet to come.
These symptoms indicate a disease which is the slow-motion-train-wreck killing of our American democracy. The cancer needs to be excised all the way down to the Electoral College and the undemocratic influence of billionaires. History however suggests we still could have a long way to go down before a remedy is taken if one is ever found.
13
Chilling. And it raises the question - who else has hired Black Cube? Do they work both sides of the aisle? What happened to the other victims? Could this explain why certain individuals have abruptly quit politics? Or switched policy positions? Yes, we do need to know more.
9
Although this hasn’t been linked to Trump, Congress should investigate. I wish another group could investigate because Congressional investigations always turn into partisan spectacles.
14
They don't always turn into partisan spectacles, just too often. People are, after all, sent to Congress representing political parties as well as their constituents. But I note that the Senate committee investigating Russian involvement in the elections does not (yet?) have a Devin Nunes to shield Trump from any responsibility for his actions.
3
In the hands of an ideologist (of any stripe) this sounds conspiratorial. In the hands of a good investigative journalist (like Michelle Goldberg), by definition not an ideologist, the column is hypothetical. The distinction is critical and should determine how we read and respond to corruption allegations. This reporter’s hypotheses are based on clear facts and we all need to follow the facts, in this case and others, regardless of Trump’s and his cronies’ attempts to discredit them.
21
We need a psychologist to understand why people like Nunes and Ryan and Mitchell enable Trump.
But even the so relatively "normal" Republicans like John McCain and Lindsey Graham and Susan Collin all voted for the Republican tax bill that is increasing our deficits.
All to please their donor class at the expense of the good of our country.
And they all wear their flag pins.
I understand Trump has a personality disorder and the symptoms that go with it.
But any psychologist who can explain Nunes and Ryan and McConnell, let me know.
64
You don't t need a psychologist to explain Nunes, McConnell, and Ryan. Just a banker.
2
If the Iran deal is so bad. then Trump's argument should sway enough people. If he or Netanyahu have to resort to low ball tactics involving going after people's families, then that is an admission you haven't convinced enough people your view is the right one. They don't offer an alternative to the current deal, other than war. Do you think if Israel goes to war with Iran, we will just send a few thousand advisors and some military hardware? And do we have any experience attacking a country based on our belief they have dangerous weapons? How did that work out for us? What the middle east certainly needs is another country that, agree with the present regime or not, has its government toppled and replaced with instability, a destroyed infrastructure and a crippled economy. Destroyed by countries that then walk away with the philosophy "We broke it, you fix it". Gives me a warm, fuzzy feeling all over. The real question is: Do we get drawn into World War III or are we the ones that start it?
50
Let us remind ourselves that just two years ago Ben Rhodes was described, in this paper and the Washington Post, as creating an 'echo chamber' to market the international nuclear agreement with Iran. It would be just as easy to ask why such a "marketing campaign" was required if the advantages of the agreement were so unambiguous.
Methinks the outrage, of Goldberg and the bulk of the comments, is not entirely based on the details of the story, but rather the same marketing campaign working to assure us that the rather lousy Iran deal was actually a stroke of brilliance.
1
The parallels between this administration and the Watergate era of Mr Nixon continue.Richard Nixon had his "enemies list"but it was well known and one he developed without spies.The activity of hiring foreign agents to spy on American citizens is a grave betrayal of our rights and is a huge warning sign that Mr.Trump is shredding the Constitution.He must be stopped by the courts or the voters- soon!
34
One more scandal, one more outrage that in a normal Presidency would be major news. But the Trump Presidency and strategy is based on creating chaos, a constant, mind-numbing parade of scandals and outrages - until they all become background noise or normalized. As the press legitimately tries to cover every scandal, every outrageous tweet, it cannot focus on all of them - most are simply forgotten after a few days of coverage, or the media seems obsessed with Trump and to Trump supporters sounds like fake news. Instead of Trump being held accountable, the press becomes delegitimized. It’s a disturbingly effective and deliberate strategy from Trump - a man who is a life long con artist, absolutely loves to wallow in mud/tabloid journalism, has mob values, a reality tv star.
The economy is doing well (actually inherited from Obama), North Korea is moving towards peace and denuclearization (potential progress, but we are far from a solution given North Korea’s track record), tearing up Iran nuclear deal (a Trump campaign promise and anything related to an Obama accomplishment is automatically bad to Republicans, regardless of the actual data - the Iran deal makes the world safer).
RealClearPolitics now has Trump at 44.2% average of polls approval. FiveThirtyEight has him at 41.5% average approval. Gallup weekly has him at 42% approval, 88% Republicans approve.
Trump’s poll numbers have steadily gone up in 2018. He is now near his highest approval rating.
Bread and circuses.
30
The problem with these endless scandals is they aren't hurting Trump much. They may be helping.
20
I'll play devil's advocate for a moment. The natural response to the Black Cube revelation is the Steele Dossier. The two things aren't really equivalent but they are going to be presented as such. Two wrongs make a right or so the argument goes. The details will eventually surface and they will be dismissed. No matter what proof emerges, the administration will cry "witch hunt" and Trump's supporters will agree with him. Who cares about truth when your side is "winning."
The good news is Black Cube is probably going to put a damper on public criticism concerning the Steele Dossier, at least for now. The knife is sharp on both sides so the argument cuts both ways. We'll see what information ultimately comes to light. That will decide which edge is sharper.
9
But how are they not equivalent?
That any Country who sees the Iran agreement as a threat to its safety would work both in front of and behind the scenes is to be expected.
4
But there is only one country with that negative view ; Israel . The people of the USA and the E.U. support the Iran Deal .
4
There are lots of things we expect from some countries, but it doesn't mean it's legal, or right.
What I find so hard to understand is that there are many people who still support Trump. I take solace in thinking that when our country was founded I assume that a good number of citizens knew less about their political candidates due to being illiterate or lack of access to good reporting than we do today. And still the US seems to have ended up going in the right direction albeit one must consider a very long view to arrive at that conclusion. Please tell me this makes sense to someone else. Am I wrong?
7
Because of the deep connections with Israeli power brokers, I suspect a now-disposable Kushner connection. Although this story seems highly political in nature, the history of Trump leads me to consider a financial motive that is at least as important. As Trump said, Rudy is still "...learning the subject matter". Between Trump, his family, and his familiars, there is a great deal to learn.
11
Unfortunately stories like these disappear rather fast. Pressure from the anti-defamation league I suppose? Thank you for your very informative article and I hope to see you on the T.V. news shows discussing this, but I have my doubts they will give this any more then a token investigation.
6
In reading this article, as well as the article referenced in the Guardian, my first thoughts are there is no way anyone within the American government especially Trump could ever be this criminally dumb by spying on American citizens to help justify ending the agreement with Iran. However, given everything that is known about the Russian investigation as well as the Stormy Daniels affair it is certainly plausible. If true, there will certainly be additions added to the articles of Impeachment as well as additional Indictments for any other individuals involved.
26
I don't know if in general we are becoming a rather disturbed people, but we sure have allowed rather disturbing officials both elected and appointed to take control of our once relatively free society.
My sense is our culture is turning away from the freedom we espouse, which we have been told throughout our lives is the basis of our nation, to the acceptance of a more controlling dictatorial regime.
Our president and his appointees are are paving a road to a government which is truly oppressive. How and why we are allowing, let alone acceding to the point of welcoming, the curtailment of our commonly accepted freedoms at all levels, from censorship to exclusions based on created fears, is not a mystery. It is one which our "god fearing" electorate have practiced from birth.
Racism is not a naturally acceptable human state, neither is the disparity of wealth, idol worship of any sort, or the myriad demeaning social constructs under which we live
We are trained from birth to accept the yoke of these artificial constructs which if under even cursory examination lose any viability as anything, but means devised to benefit a few through the discard of reason, through mental slavery
Belief may be a very inspirational tenet, but the drawback is the fact it inevitably demands exclusion of the enemy, the unwashed, the non believer. It is, in a word, exclusionary, the antithesis of freedom
November will determine whether we are free or enslaved
We must think and vote
62
As crazy as this is, it gives greater creedence to the idea of Trump cavorting with prostitutes in a Russian hotel. And it makes that Republican nomination of a Nobel for the current president all the more ludicrous. History will not be kind to the Trump mafia.
50
If this is true, facts will be found and published. But so far, this sounds a bit wacky.
I can forgive the ease of slipping into conspiracy theories, but in our vigilance and resistance, let’s not become “them”.
2
This isn't a conspiracy theory. Read the Guardian article. Read the New Yorker article.
1
As Thomas Freidman points out, we live in a hyper connected world. This has led to an ability to gain the perspective of others- if one desires to do so. In the US our perspective is that the last centuries have given us notorious leaders like Stalin who have been responsible for millions of deaths. At this point it’s not difficult to imagine how DJT could easily join the ranks of world leaders directly responsible for millions of deaths. No matter what you think about this awful excuse for a man, it’s hard to argue that he wasn’t fairly elected. So we have that on our collective consciousness.
14
I am still not so sure that Trump was “fairly” elected. A few thousand votes in swing states for the Electoral College swung the total to him. Some of those were reportedly on Diebold voting machines, which do not leave a paper trail. Diebold machines are known for starting to count backwards, and for wrongly recording votes. Although other events contributed to this perfect storm, in which the winner of the popular vote lost the E.C., I would not discount hacking of voting machines as a possibility.
28
It's difficult to believe he was fairly elected until we know EXACTLY what role the Russians played in the 2016 election. Whether or not there was "collusion ", did they or did they not influence our election? That question requires a definitive answer.
7
His presidency is illegitimate, and the election was not fair in any sense. With Comey twice putting a damper on Hillary, Russia, Facebook, Wikileaks, media all but anointing him with all the free coverage he received, and more, the election was anything but fair, and she still won the popular vote.
1
The current Republican party lacks any morality. And as such is easily influenced by anyone that appears to help them regardless of the cost to America.
In this case Israel and Netanyahu are probable the puppeteers that are stringing Trump along for their plan against Iran.
76
This could have been paid for by more Russian operatives. What would be the most immediate outcome of dropping the deal? A classic middle east tension rise in oil prices. Who's economy is desperate for cash and is almost entirely funded by oil exports? Yep. Follow the money. For the same reason, the deal will definitely be dropped.
54
More likely the Israeli's who have manipulated Trump into entertaining the fantasy that Iran is on the brink of destroying Israel (as well they might be....ergo Obama and other other allies entering into the Nuclear Deal that Trump now wants to destroy). If Trump and Netenyahu succeed, Iran will be back on its fastrack, without allowing for a period of time when other negotiations could have led us toward a more peaceful, nuclear-free world.
2
Words are powerless to describe my feeling of dumbfounded, jaw-dropping astonishment as a result of the daily onslaught of revelations into the actions or omissions of our present day government. I am numb, but it will not keep me from voting.
233
I agree.
6
Here we have a potential scandal that directly involves nuclear proliferation and national - even world - security. After the normalization of scandal and mistruth in the Trump administration congress will barely pay attention to this and if they do it will be completely politicized. Now we begin to pay the real price of Trump.
137
This is politics. Such things, through one means or another, go on at all levels if government. We all need to be a little more grown up about this. Does the dossier which has at least partially fueled the Mueller investigation ring a bell?
This reminds me of the Facebook scandal. Data had been used for targeted campaigns for all sorts of things for years. We were all ok with it, until it benefited someone we didn’t like.
9
One was an investigation into the person running for the highest office in the land. The other was an investigation into the people who used to support running it.
Looking for conflicts of interest in the people who want to hold the levers of power is warranted and healthy.
These former Obama staffers were involved in making this deal. Their influence has ended. If this was about the Iran deal, it should rise or fall on its own merits.
18
Let’s not forget that it was the firing of Comey and Trump’s subsequent tweets and comments to the Russian ambassador about why he fired him that fueled the Mueller investigation. Trump brought it all on himself but he is trying mightily to devalue the investigation. I was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt but then I wondered just why he was behaving like a guilty man if he wasn’t.
8
When you are in a fight of a political nature to dismantle a previous policy, do you think it’s uncommon to attempt to discredit those responsible for the original policy? I don’t.
It's also possible that Netanyahu is part of this. Clearly he is doing all he can to see to it that Trump destroys the Iran deal.
276
You can bet Netanyahu is part of this. Netanyahu won’t stop till he gets his all-out Middle East war at our expense!
17
I feel that Netanyahu would make a deal with any devil available to start a war between the U.S. and Iran. That and of course his unreasonable hatred for Obama.
18
Because it’s a bad deal that endangers Israel. Why should that surprise you?
Yes this needs to happen and most probably will only happen after the Dems take back this House and or Senate and only then. The GOP has abdicated their duty and responsibility.
134
A Trump silence means its not important. So key issues get diminished by his silence, including this most recent story of dirty tricks fueled by the media-mad impresario, seeking dirt for smears and lies on the officials who wrote the Iran accord.
Trump is silent on the benefits of the Iran nuclear accord: it ended Iran's nuclear production, allows for open inspections without restrictions. It removes a nuclear and war threat from a region already made unstable by fights and proxies.
Trump is silent on Europe's unanimous agreement to remain in the accord.
Trump is silent on the stupidity of stepping out of an accord that makes the world safer and reduces a nuclear or war threat.
222
The Iran deal, among other initiatives, is proof that President Obama deserved the Nobel Peace prize.
14
The parallels with Watergate here are obvious. But unlike the 70s break-in, the means of uncovering what happened, when, and on whose authority, are much more readily available today. There is always a data trail. Always.
The thought that a President would harm his country's negotiators for the sake of his own vanity is breathtaking. Who would dare undertake any delicate diplomatic work for the nation while the threat of the toddler-president's ego looms? Is there anyone the man won't undermine, if he feels the urge?
215
Breath taking that Trump would harm his country's negotiators for the sake of his own vanity?
He daily harms the country to obtain revenge on Obama for fifteen minutes of jokes and barbs aimed at him.
11
What's more breathtaking is the enabling and complicit GOP congressional members who continue to allow these assaults on our democracy and don't say or do anything about it. Shame on them for discarding their sworn Constitutional duty to hold him accountable and protect us from domestic enemies.
5
I suspect that Mueller has to decide how to contain the scope of his investigation because new angles keep emerging nearly weekly.
I have this picture in my mind that looks like the scene in the office of John Nash in the movie, "A Beautiful Mind", with a diagram on the wall with lines and arrows pointing everywhere.
In just the last week or two, we have learned a lot more about a new player, Michael Cohen, Trump's personal attorney, also deeply connected to money laundering, fraudulent schemes, organized crime and lots of Russians.
And before that it was a GOP finance chairman pedfling foreign government access to Trump for millions in cash and defense contracts.
And before that, an endless parade of characters like Page and Papadopoulos and Sader and Sater and Flynn and Manafort and Gates and Erik Prince and so on and on, all with some link to Russia or Ukraine and likely money laundering.
I think Mueller already has a pretty good outline of the nefarious activities of the Trump empire and only wants to know how Trump has maintained his distance, like an experienced mob boss.
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His mandate is to investigate "any links and/or coordination between the Russian government and individuals associated with the campaign of President Donald Trump; and
(c)
(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).
If the Special Counsel believes it is necessary and appropriate, the Special Counsel is authorized to prosecute federal crimes arising from the investigation of these matters."
A front for Israeli intelligence spying on US citizens for the purpose of blackmailing or discrediting them certainly warrants an investigation, but not by Mueller. This is something Congress and the administration should investigate -- but wont.
14
Mueller is most likely doing this on purpose to stop Trump and his enabling GOP congressional members before he comes out with the real dynamite to take them all down. I'm sure that's why Trump moved up his arbitrarily set date to pull out of the Iran deal so they can ramp up quickly to yet another Mid-East war for oil.
1
EVERYONE needs to VOTE.
No excuses, not now.
And I do mean everyone, let's try to have referendum (other than moving house) on this administration, and seems we need to act quickly.
360
Indeed, indeed, Ivy. This is no time for decent people to take a seat. But then, there is no time for this. Yet, decent people did it in 2016.
6
Vote Democrat, not GOP.
1
One could say Trump (and his best buddy Netanyahu) have the luck of the devil. Schneiderman is a gift to them.
This is a scandal that should be shouted from the rooftops far and wide. Are we that dead to morality and truth that we can accept this and move on?
Are we so exhausted by the continuous assault on humanity that we are willing to submit to this? Is it not scandal? Is it not corruption? Is it not evil?
Time to wake up.
Now that Trump wants Iran to develop nuclear weapons, I guess we should not be surprised. It's too bad people don't realize what a coward he is. Like all the worst bullies, he's all about fear.
If we let ourselves be deadened, we all lose. Lies are not truth, and scandal is not probity. It must stop!
257
"Schneiderman is a gift to them."
Amen. I feel as betrayed as when John Edwards fell. Time for Governor Cuomo to appoint a woman as NY AG.
15
Schneiderman's gift will last only until Preet Bharara is appointed acting NY AG.
14
Sure as heck hope Bharara gets the job. Wonderful hope!
14
Ms. Goldberg,
I confess I have not read your columns enough. This column is brilliant reporting and commentary of the kind that Professor Krugman writes (only on different topics).
I too am appalled beyond exasperation, am deeply concerned, and fear that this scandal like the others will get lost in the unfathomable depths of corruption and abuse that Republicans and their leader have contributed to our civilization, such as it was.
280
I would not be surprised if this is an effort by Netanyahu to derail the Iran deal. Who has everything to gain if Trump pulls out of the Iran nuclear agreement?
392
No one will gain.
Only the military arms manufacturers!
12
Could somebody explain how Israel benefits, if Iran is suddenly freed from the current agreement, and able to immediately restart its nuclear weapons program?
5
You are 100 percent correct.
6
Oh Good. When we all pitch in to hire foreign agents to finish Mueller’s work via Go-Fund-Me, there will already be a precedent.
69
You have to wonder whether anyone in the WH realizes that the clearest immediate consequences of unilateral withdrawal are the loss of connfidence of our allies, an incentive for Iran to renegotiate its agreement with our allies instead of us, an emboldened Israel, prolonging the US misadventure in Syria, and the DPRK refusing to negotiate an denuclearization agreement with a country that cannot be trusted to negotiate in good faith or honor its agreements. Other than that, what could go wrong?
191
Expat,
As I’m sure you’re aware, the short answer is NO. Consequences aren’t relevant. It’s almost as if they get a perverse erotic frisson of excitement by pursuing the anti-logical avenue.
Also, in the end, No is easier than Yes. Yes requires thought, consideration of alternatives, and a strategy to work together to achieve a goal. No means you can cross your arms defensively and accuse the other side of failure, WHATEVER THAT OTHER SIDE REPRESENTS.
Trump revels in his “contrarian” reputation, but he’s not really a contrarian. He’s mentally, emotionally, morally, and ethically lazy. It’s too hard to build consensus. It’s impossible to heave credit to those who have tried. It’s reprehensible to try to work together with those who don’t fully agree with you in all matters, let alone those who refuse to bow and scrape at your feet.
His idea of “the deal” was never about negotiation or reaching common ground. It’s always been about submission, whether by up front concession to his terms or post facto endurance with his failures to pay or his pursuit of soul sucking lawsuits.
Ultimately, he has to face his own failure as an autocrat. He doesn’t have the nerve to declare his intent, no matter how audacious. He doesn’t have the stomach for the physical cruelty used by others, finding an ill man near his table “disgusting.” He doesn’t have the smarts, no matter how perverse, to outwit his opposition. And he can’t find a way to subvert to law to support only himself.
12
What really is scary is that Trump and the enabling and complicit GOP Congress are quickly aligning our country with a true axis of evil - Saudi Arabia, Israel while Bibi's in charge, Russia, and all of the other dictatorships around the world that Trump is so fond of so they can corner the market on oil. I'm sure one reason why Kim Jong-In is making nice really fast with South Korea is because he realizes he needs all of the allies he can get against us. I'm sure he sees what's coming and is planning accordingly.
11
"...there’s so many scandals that it’s impossible to appropriately react to all of them because we would just be completely emotionally drained."
This is exactly trump's strategy: flood our society with so many crimes that we get overwhelmed to the point that none of them is prosecuted adequately or at all.
This is exactly what we must not do. Man up, folks. This is the fight of our lifetimes.
620
This seems to be what happened after WWII in the Nuremberg trials. After two years of prosecution, people were tired of it and some war criminals did not receive the punishment that many thought was due.
17
As opposed to the scandal propagating Clinton’s who seem to be incapable of any truthfulness no matter how simple the matter
Nothing will happen to impede the Trump administration march toward authoritarian rule. The Republican Party, its extremist allies and Fox propaganda will lie and obfuscate and American voters will support them.
72
Mr. Trump and those who back him are so outrageous that a suitable punishment for them is hard to devise. But in the meantime they are destroying everything that is decent in the United States and we will suffer the consequences for generations.
But we made him president and a nation gets the government it deserves.
80
NO, WE did not make him POTUS. A minority did, via the states privileged by the Electoral College.
9
With help from the Russian government.
3
In the words of the old joke, “What you mean ‘we’?” Most voters pulled the lever for his rival.
3
It’s appalling that this was done, but as long as extreme oppo research, including attempted entrapment, is an acceptable and legal activity, I predict that we will see more of this.
Frankly, it seems to me to be in the same vein as the Steele Dossier. And it’s a sad commentary that we all have heard literally ad nauseum about hearsay golden showers, but far less about the activities that caused Steele to contact the FBI.
I don’t care a whit about any public figure’s consensual intimate activities. I’m very concerned by dirty tricks, bribery, fraud, and potential for blackmail.
And just so no one thinks I’m too sympathetic to Trump, I was sick that he won and remain hopeful that he will get bored and leave office before 2021.
23
But this was not "oppo research." It was not an honest effort to unearth the misdeeds of a political candidate. It was an illegitimate and illegal foreign cyberspying operation conducted against private citizens in the U.S. in an attempt to shape current U.S. national security policy.
6
Christopher Steele is ethical. He “entrapped” no one to gather the information in his report. That is the contrast. This Black Box is merely dirty tricks.
3
Only likely after a Democrat takeover of the House.
1
We should all remember that the current Congress investigates with zeal only Democrats who may have broken the rules. Perhaps a shooting in the middle of 5th Avenue might prompt some interest, but I wouldn't count on it.
82
The last few days I've despaired whenever black cube or cambridge analytica was pushed out of the U.S. news cycle by Stormy Daniels. If what brings Trump down is failure to notify a government agency that he spent some of his money on enabling infidelity instead of the use of foriegn intelligence services to fight against American politics, then we will still have failed to draw a line in the sand. The GOP is terrified right now because of the sheer audacity of these extreme dirty tricks, but their inner monologue is "can we really get away with this?" The number 1 priority has to be ensuring they learn the answer is no.
Right now we're saying "yes, as long as the FEC was notified and the pornstars' paperwork was in order."
143
There are a number of state actors who would like to derail the Iran deal. That short list is far more likely to be behind it than any Trump associate, though Trump would gladly watch the deal fail.
21
There is only one name on that short list DJT cares about...hint: VP.
Every single progressive policy in the United States is wildly popular ( many polling into 90% ), yet not all of them are implemented ? Why is that ?
It is because the powers that be ( usually on the radical right/republicans ) fight said policies and ideas by always going after the people that have any chance at implementing them. (usually Progressives/Democrats )
This seems like the plan since time has begun and is no different here, where the west/U.S. might develop a comprehensive policy of peace in regards to Iran. ( and further for the whole Middle East )
This is obviously counter to all those that would want to continuously demagogue the issues to hold onto power and especially counter to a two state solution where all peoples would have to treat all other peoples with the same dignity and respect.
Can't have that ...
82
Generally, with few exceptions, Republicans thinks like winner-take-all capitalists; democrats tend to be more 'intellectual' and look at the 'fairness' of the proposition.
31
If all these progressive programs were free of cost, then they'd have been enacted. Unfortunately the 90% popularity doesn't factor in economics.
1
Yeah...completely unbiased analysis. I'll take logic over feelings any day.
And Republicans accuse Kerry of infringing on the Logan Act. Here the GOP hires a foreign private?? intelligence agency to find dirt of US government officials.
Then Again I am Proud unlike the crums in the Trump White House they came out clean.
This should be investigated in the US and in our so called ally Israel. They increasingly look like a friend with a lot of demands but few benefits.
119
I just can't understand our governmental preference for Saudi Arabia over Iran. Saudi Arabia is not our friend!
Additionally, just how much Israeli meddling in US affairs is too much? Aren't they our friend?
303
Israel is our friend for the billions of dollars in foreign aid each year the U.S. spends helping to underwrite the country’s economys. In return we get agitation towards Iran. Time to quit enabling Israel’s thuggery.
169
How did you go so quickly from A to Z on that one?
The article states that FORMER Israeli government workers are members of this organization. Freelancers. They are not members of the current government.
But then that aid-thing pops up, as it always does for people with a certain political/ethnic bent.
Ah well, next time anyone from the EU digs into personal affairs, we need to stop funding NATO immediately. “They are only our friend for the money.”
4
We rely on Israeli intelligence in the Middle East. Remember the Israeli spy who infiltrated ISIS and who Trump tipped off to the Russians in the Oval Office? During the Gulf war the Israelis gave out military temporary bridges for our troops, and intelligence gathering, among other things.
5
another example of the weird world we are living in. a scandal a day keeps the...
just in congress could care less. until this stings with the GOP and or it's enablers trump is sfe. not safe at home mind you. he desires a return to home but now HOME is an abstraction to the president.
i feel our nation will weather this storm with success. it may take the rest of my life to clean up parts of this mess, but i have no children to worry over. good column. thanks
16
Because they were well paid to do so. Period.
21
Period? End of story? Who paid that money, and why?
'Follow the money' is always the key thing.
34
"An article that, if true."
This says everything. A new witch hunt as big a time waster as the Russian agent witch hunt.
People who worked for the failed Obama administration didn't need secret agents to make them look bad.
10
The Obama adminstration had obstructionist republicans like Mitch McConnell and Jim DeMint to help make them look bad - you`ve managed to make yourself look bad single handedly. Well played. And, just to clarify, there is no hunt for a Russian agent being conducted...
6
Exactly what part of Obama’s administration was a failure, again?
The part where they put us all back on track fiscally? Or the part where they got us the AHCA, which is Still working, despite this horrid administrations attempts to shut it down. Maybe you mean when they stood up to the Bully of the Middle East, Israel, by calling them out on their many abuses, while supporting a deal with Iran to denuclearize? Hmm....?
Just not sure exactly what you could be talking about. This current administration is an embarrassment to our great Nation. The lies, cheating and double dealing is disgusting and we should stay strong and prosecute it all.
5
@mrmeat: Barack Obama pulled our economy back from the brink of a second Great Depression. George W. Bush had left us in that precarious position by slashing taxes on the rich while lying us into an unjustified, multi-trillion-dollar war in Iraq. Obama made smart, courageous decisions that rid the world of Osama Bin Laden. He gave millions of Americans access to healthcare for the first time. He regained the world's respect after a GOP President and Congress badly tarnished our country's reputation. Your knee-jerk, inaccurate use of the terms "failed Obama administration" and "witch hunt" reflects a serious lack of judgment. Wake up and smell the coffee, brother. Don't wait to wise up as long as it took the last time we were afflicted with an incompetent Republican President.
9
We can't actually think of any specific ways to improve the Iran deal,... so instead let's try and dig up some dirt on the people who helped write it so we can justify tearing it up (and maybe even start a distracting war with Iran).
How can these underhand actions *possibly* be justified in the best interests of national security?
397
And if Iranian oil exports are cut, the price of oil will likely rise, making the Saudis (and others) very happy.
52
Not to mention the glutinous American oil and gas industry, Hector.
@ Hector: The big plan all along and Trump's raison d'etre - hook up with Vlad to make a killing on the ~ $500 billion in oil that Vlad is dying to get out there since he's pretty raped the country of any wealth it may have had, and those sanctions are starting to hurt. Trump wants to play with the big boys and be a real billionaire, not a made-up paper one.
When will this end! It is so hard not to be resentful and spiteful toward the millions of people who voted for the travesty we witness on a daily basis.
539
Not hard at all. I resent every single last solitary one of them.
25
We need to be compassionate and realize that those who voted for him are miserable, literally sad and angry people who need to be able to point to somebody as the agent of their wretched lives. Happy people dont need to be fearful and angry and hateful and in fact turn away from those who try to elicit fear, anger and hatred from them.
12
I blame Hillary Clinton, and her supporters. Had she not hijacked the primary, we'd be dealing with a much less scandal prone, and much more democratic administration. This paper is also responsible, for pushing such an unpopular candidate, and ignoring, to judge by the size and enthusiasm of his rallies, the most popular politician in America. Of course, the Times, being more of a propaganda sheet than a legitimate news source, will not publish this rebuttal.
"In a remotely normal America, Congress would immediately plan hearings into Black Cube. Of course, that’s not the America we live in. ... We’re in an era right now in which there’s so many scandals that it’s impossible to appropriately react to all of them because we would just be completely emotionally drained"
Congressional exhaustion is not the problem -- it's Republican congressional complicity that has kept congress from fulfilling its sworn duty to "defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic".
"And if Trump’s team had any role at all in using foreign spies against American citizens, it should end his presidency, even if it probably won’t."
As long as the Republican's control congress, Trump will not be held accountable for anything as the "jury" is filled with his co-conspirators. It doesn't matter if he and his administration's growing list of scandals start to resemble RICO charges more than articles of impeachment -- removal from office is a pipe dream as 67 senatorial votes are required.
But Trump, and his third rate pirate ship he calls an administration, can be neutralized. If the Democrats control the House post Nov 2018, there is little doubt that they will find investigating all of Trump's scandals more energizing than draining,
365
If Congress did investigate this, it would be Republicans seeking to link it to Benghazi, Hillary’s e-mails, Captain Queeg’s missing strawberries...
96
We are definitely on "story" overload, Michelle. I am concerned that the only way we can handle the constant barrage of changing stories in the news is to tune out. The manipulation on all (Trump) accounts is amazing and continuous, but I will persist to read and stay on top of things.
So now, you present this "creepy" spy story. Tragedy...daily. How long will it take to remove the corruption? I cry for my beloved country.
89
We mustn’t tune out. We cannot accept this as normal. That’s what they want. We must continue to resist. I’m not asking for “America to be great again”, I’m just asking for leaders who demonstrate civility, ethics and inclusion.
69
The degradation of morals, ethics and the rule of law coming from POTUS is truly remarkable. How are people like this created? What drives them to these depths? And how do they have the stamina to create so many scandals? I'm exhausted just reading of them.
97
Gratitude to journalists who keep shining the light into the shadowy back corners.
Just ask any New Yorker who's been paying attention since the '80's. DT has always operated in, cough, certain ways, just in a more limited scope than the US government.
Keep up the good work Press Corps!
29
People like this are created furtively, in dark night-time underground labs, in which mismatched parts are fitted together in a haphazardly Frankensteinian fashion, but without even the minimal quality control the good doctor utilized.
(Good a theory as any.)
3
Trump tried to take down President Obama. He failed.
Trump tried to pretend that the Iran accord was the worst deal, ever. He failed to make the case.
So what's left? Casting doubt on those close to President Obama and to the Iran deal. In that vein, Trump has been talking breezily and baselessly about John Kerry the criminality.
Trump turned to the rumor mill because he can't make a case for himself.
165
Obama took down himself...and sold out to Wall Street long ago.
This is beginning to be very, very frightening. It makes Watergate look like child’s play. There needs to be an immediate and thorough investigation into all of this.
454
That will only happen if congress returns to democrat hands in November. Otherwise it will not get out of a closed door committee, on a 5-4 partisan vote.
49
What we need is not an investigation but we need get out on the streets en masse
12
You've heard of "house arrest"? The current administration must be placed under White House arrest.
How did we get here and how can we make sure that this never happens again. With Reagan it was the Iran Contra scandal. With Bush Jr a CIA agent was outed to distract us from the article her husband had written called "what I didn't find in Africa" when he tried to warn us that we were being lied to about the Iraq war. Now it's possible that those associated with Trump used foreign spies to discredit those behind the Iran deal. All of these things happened under Republican presidents.
This is not normal. This is not healthy long-term for democracy. The GOP the end justifies the means mentality cannot be allowed to go unchecked. Otherwise, at some point the rest of the world will decide that we're a threat that must be contained and they will act accordingly.
706
We start to make sure this never happens again by voting Democrats to take over both the House and Senate.
43
All recent Republican administrations ran a criminal enterprise out of the White House: Watergate, Iran-Contra, war crimes and torture, Trump's long list.
Criminal corruption, like economic and military disaster, are prominent features of Republican politics.
20
I agree. But insist those who get elected whether Democratic or Republican members will have a backbone and investigate and prosecute any wrongdoing.
When Trump said that President Obama had spied on him, it was just a matter of time before we learned who would really delve into espionage.
755
It's called projection. It's a habit of Trump's. He accuses others of offenses of which they're innocent and he's guilty.
734
And he does it again and again. He is Opposite Man. We can be sure that anything he accuses others if is exactly whathe does and they do not do.
Politicians have been spying on each other, seeking information and advantage, for decades, nay, for centuries.
As Kahl himself is quoted by Ms. Goldberg in the article, “I have zero — zero — evidence that Trump aides did this, Kahl told me. None....."
Lack of evidence of course makes it fair game for Ms. Goldberg, so she can continue her incessant Trump-bashing.
2