If Trump pardons election crimes, what’s the point in running an honest campaign if you’re opponent will win by cheating, then just pardon him/herself and his/her team.
54
Manafort wants a pardon. Practically everyone else is spilling in hopes of lesser sentence. Don’t you love games of ‘chicken’? Let’s find out who blinks.
15
If the Statutes of Limitation allow for it, Mueller should make it known he is going to delay many further indictments for a year or so. That would cause defendants to worry about whether Trump will still be president and able to issues pardons, when their trials are over and they are convicted. If Manafort is indictable for his recent lying, bring him to trial 18 months from now.
27
Mr. Manafort lied about “whether the Trump campaign conspired with the Kremlin’s operations.”
17
One can but hope that this assertion that this minuscule amount of money can be reinterpreted as a campaign donation (and amounts to treason, no less) will be treated with all the seriousness it deserves, i.e., none whatsoever.
TDS kills.
1
Nonsense, it is plain and simple that the payments violated campaign law. This is an actual crime as oppressed to the Clinton impeachment which involved lying about legal activity.
25
It feels like I am in some sort of time warp these days. If you substitute the names Flynn, Cohen, and Manafort for Mitchell, Halderman, and Erlichman; and you will get my drift. The fact that once again we have a Republican administration up to it`s eyeballs in both a criminal investigation and grounds for both Impeachment and prison time seems to say something more than your garden variety low lives. There seems to be a deep seated arrogance that they are the natural ruling class; and in the words of Jessica Hahn and good old Oliver North, "Sometimes you have to go ABOVE the law." The rules don`t. apply to them! Thank God for a man like Robert Mueller; who unlike the gang who not only can`t shoot straight, but can`t. tell the truth even when there is no need to lie: who will go down in history as perhaps the man who saved democracy in the U.S. with his dogged and patient pursuit of justice and the truth. As for Trump..."and now the end is near; and so you face the final curtain!"
35
"His lawyers say he believes he was honest ..."
11
Manafort's 'job' is to protect The Boss, who will then, in return, give Manafort a get-out-of-jail card. Trump has the pardon card and nobody can take it away from him.
4
45 can’t pardon state
Crimes and Manafort’s tax dealings and money laundering have him nailed -
19
Even so, Maniford may spend the rest of his life in prison for state crimes. I believe he thinks that if he protects Don Jr. re. the Trump Tower meeting someone will step in and take care of his family.
16
Broken Windows policing does not apply to the rich.
14
Tragic that someone would work hard all their life only to spend their retirement in prison.
5
I’m ashamed and embarrassed for America’s current political climate. It’s nothing but a circus full of unqualified controversial people who’ve done nothing to better our society. Leadership, synergy and structure are always key in ensuring a great democracy. Yet the current administration believes that lying, name calling and bullying are acceptable. I pray and hope our country moves swiftly from this administration because I’ve had more than enough of this masquerade!
27
Small business owners wanting the swamp drained should question how the source of a $6 million donation at a key point in time can lead the SBA and its programs for their interests.
12
OK children sit down now class is about to begin. Thank you. Today’s word is Hypocrisy. Now because hypocrisy is usually something subtle I wanted to start off by using examples that are very easy to understand and couldn’t possibly be misconstrued. Now it’s important to note that you won’t typically see examples this obvious in the real world. Let’s begin.
1- A person accuses another of using private email for work purposes and then his daughter does the exact same thing and that person says it’s not the same.
2- A candidate chants “lock her up” about his opponent and then goes on to have 13 people and counting indicted on felony charges in his own cabinet and one who led the chant.
3- A man laments about illegal immigrants in our country and hires them to clean his home and at his golf resort.
4- A man says drain the swamp to clean up a corrupt system and then appoints criminals and cronies to those exact same roles.
5- A man lies about involvement in a crime and then when his lawyer tells the authorities he says his lawyer is a liar.
Again kids, these things wouldn’t happen but I wanted to use these examples so you would understand what hypocrisy means.
40
Let's see now - how does it go? "Lock 'em up"!
22
"Hardly knew the guy."
12
Most likely, this is at least one of the many issues on Trump's mind as he sat emotionless at the Bush funeral.
17
Oh, yes... yes indeed....closer still. Within a year, we'll see 45 escorted from OUR WHITE HOUSE, or blubbering his way incoherently through his pathetic "I resign" speech. And the one thing I want for all Americans, especially "the FORGOTTEN MEN AND WOMEN" who were led by the nose through Russian-corrupted social media to vote for him.... I want 45 to APOLOGIZE to his supporters... and to all Americans. And maybe privately to Barack Obama, our best President in the last half-century. BUT... I'll settle for the "I resign" speech. IT. IS. OVER. almost.... patience, good people. And GOD BLESS AMERICA...!!!
26
What's it called when someone continually lies to protect a superior, rather than tell the truth to protect himself and his family?
It's called a 'cult.'
19
I find it discouraging and well, depressing, that Americans who fervently support Donald Trump have taken up his chant of "witch hunt!" and with each revelation from Mueller's office they crow jubilantly that there's collusion been shown.
Does it not matter that the POTUS has surrounded himself and bestowed power on liars and crooks? That he continues to focus on enriching himself at the expense of any coherent foreign policy-making? Does it not matter that the evidence strongly suggests he has lied repeatedly to the American people about paying off porn stars?
Is the bar so low now that short of murdering someone in broad daylight, his supporters will overlook the rest? And to think that Obama was publicly pilloried for putting Dijon on his hot dog. Quelle horreur!
26
Trump must be getting so tired from all these winnings.
8
This further cements my theory that Manafort had zero interest in 'colluding' with any Russians to help Trump win and was only interest4ed in using his proximity to trump to enrich himself and pay off debts
1
It would be best if his term plays out. I fear for the life of the next president if Trump is not simply voted out of office. I hope that the FBI is on top of the people who are calling for social unrest in the event of his impeachment.
He never expected to be president. He was using our most precious institutions as his play toy to promote himself and make money. This is criminal. He doesn’t seem to think so. I look forward to the day when he realizes that it is indeed criminal.
The good thing to come out of this is that big money will learn not to try to take the place of hard working politicians who know the rules because they live and breathe them.
If only this could be true for Darrel Issa today.
Mike Bloomberg can also sit down, as good as his intentions may be.
Other thought : what will be our response to Russia? Perhaps we should start having that conversation as citizens.
17
Mueller team is not leaking information to the press. We just have to wait for it. Cohen did a lot of dirty work. He must have a lot of dirt. Manifort was also involved with the "adaption meeting", a meeting that after which, president Trump orchistrted what many could call a cover up. It's all just waiting for Mueller's team to release it.
11
And Trump maintains a 40% Gallup job approval rating. Is there anything his electorate won't endure? What an utterly devolved and shameless lot ..
46
Let’s not forget that Steve Bannon, an obnoxious and despicable human being, but also an extremely intelligent man, once said that Trump’s firing of Comey was the biggest political mistake of all time.
We’re just starting to learn why he would make such a bold statement. And he’s probably right, assuming Trump finishes his days sitting in a Federal Prison, which is looking more and more likely with each new Mueller filing. And it all started when he fired Comey.
20
Most people with enough sense to know how to tie their shoes knows the outcome of this one. Trump has telegraphed to Manafort fall on the sword for him and he Trump will pardon you. The question should be answered is after the pardon Then What? It is a pipe dream to think you will think you will get twenty GOP senators to impeach Trump. In less than two years we the voters will be able to be the judge and jury on Trump. Can the spineless Right ever pretend to hold the high ground again on any thing?
20
Abortion, Immigration:
That's the musical sign for repeat, which they do every election and polls show works. The Right were willing to elect this circus sideshow because of it.
The conservative agenda scores higher with them than a functioning democracy. Putin scores higher with them.
13
I dislike like trump and his groupies more than anyone but it should not be a crime to lie to a federal investigator. They already have the upper hand in terms of power in an investigation.
Now if you do lie, it better be a good one or be prepared for the full sentence
1
Who would have known that "Drain the Swamp!" was Trumpspeak for "Fill as many seats with soon to be felons as humanly possible!"
When the toxic dust clears, perhaps in a year or two, we will be amazed by Mueller's and the federal prosecutors' accomplishments:
Manafort will be in prison until his death. (He might not know that yet, but the rest of us do).
"Lock her up!" Flynn, who has admitted to his felonious criminal behavior, will live out his life in disgrace. (He should lose his military pension, but that probably won't happen).
Cohen will be imprisoned for years. When he gets out, he might score a deal as a cable news commentator, but most likely he'll simply fade into the sunset.
President Donald J. Trump, provided our legal system does its job, will serve prison time. Many members of his family and inner circle will do the same. If we are lucky, Trump and those who sold our nation to Russia, Saudi Arabia and others in exchange for personal profit and power will never again see the light of day.
Mueller is going to look amazing with the Presidential Medal of Freedom around his neck. God knows he's already earned it, several times over.
37
Manafort, Cohen and the young guy in prison now mist want Trump to go to prison. All 3 were elusive before their involvement with Trump.
I have yet to see a photograph of Manafort where he doesn't have a smirk on his face. He and Trump are birds of a feather, both believing that the law does not apply to them. Their hubris is off the scales, and my only hope is that very long prison sentences are in their future. Let's see if Manafort smirks then!
14
MANAFORT Had been accustomed to having unlimited access to people at the very top in Ukrania and Russia. He engaged in overreach in the US. He also thought foolishly that Trump's tweets and braggadocio would give him some modicum of protection. Manafort is going to learn the hard way, as have so many before him and so many to come after him, is that Trump's word is worthless. He's not going to pardon Manafort if he thinks that it will make things harder on himself.
13
My father had this saying “we all dig our own holes”. Trump set himself on this road and now he has to follow it to the end.
21
Graves. My mother said it, but used graves.
5
I also like this one, I believe from Woody Guthrie: “The first thing to do when you find yourself in a hole is to stop digging.”
I doubt Manafort ever read that one. Ouch.
6
Trump keeps confusing senior Exec. Branch officials with members of the Secret Service, who are sworn to take a bullet for the president. Cabinet and Justice Department employees are sworn to uphold The Constitution. Perhaps General Kelly can explain that to Trump before he is fired for being lazy and disloyal.
19
Mueller is doing an extraordinary and through job of building a case for impeachment. Given this, I would strongly recommend to Democrats in the House and Senate to NOT the next term with a flurry of committees investigating Trump.
A far better approach would be to focus on what needs to be done in our economy, bringing back cival discourse, putting place a job training program with the caveat of no age discrimination especial for those in the rust belt that won't see those jobs come back and putting in place laws governing sexual harassment that tries to balance the rights of the accuses and the accused. Find common areas that would have Republicans on infrastructure. Put in place gun control laws such as closing loopholes surrounding private sales and banning of automatic and semiautomatic rifes plus the bullets. Rewriting the tax law so that the top 10% pay a lot more in tax than the bottom 90$. Begin the process of reigning in technology by working with the EU on tax reform . We see with Apple Iphones one of the most glaring example of inequality Between rich and poor and as it stands this area is only going to get worse. Most importantly, work to make sure that ALL groups have a seat at the table even groups you might not agree with their philosophy.
"I believe that, as long as there is plenty, poverty is evil."
RFK
25
Mueller is doing great work — on Russian conspiracy. He’s not examining Trump’s numerous other ethical and legal breaches, such as emoluments, tax fraud, corruption. Those cannot be ignored by the incoming House and must be investigated.
11
@nathan, are you saying that the president is above the law? According to DoJ guidelines Mueller cannot indict the president. Therefore the only group that can act is Congress, and they *should* act if the case is strong enough, otherwise no one is keeping the president accountable.
8
I halfway agree. The Democrats need bring a people focused agenda and push it hard. There’s tons of need and economic stress and the abandonment of working people is what gave rise to the insanity of Trump. Sanders too rose from Democrats dumping working people and aligning with the monied class. Remains to be seen if some of the new young Democratic idealists can re emphasize people. If they can we all win. But it will take ground up civic engagement from us. Regular folks. At the same time United States Laws have been horrible broken. The Country was taken over by criminals and money. I don’t agree that committees and prosecutions should not occur. The story needs be told and consequences need occur.
4
Astounding to see how many individuals’ careers and reputations are being consumed in their misguided interpretation of loyalty to Trump. This living breathing train wreck will throw anything and everything behind it in order to stall the inevitable.
26
This whole epic is beginning to read like either a comic book or a Geek tragedy. It starts with the press being suckered in to the birth certificate circus. Right then and there the media opened a door into a nether world where absurdity sells. Our eyeballs and our clicks fueled the devils bargain that algorithmicly snowballed, propelled by online advertising revenue and people glued and addicted to the politics of polarization. It ends sometime. It may end tragically. It could even end comically and tragically.
16
“He [the President] has finally figured out that this is about him,” he said. “I think he has finally woken up.”
Donald Trump: An illusion living in a delusion.
14
I am so sick and tired of hearing about Russia..
Although it has been proven a few Russians attempted to influence the 2016 election, not one person can be identified who voted for Trump instead of Hillary because of the Russians. Trying to influence the selection of a foreign govvernemnt’s leaders is just what countries like Russia, United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, China and even the United States do as part of their daily activities. The CIA has been involved in toppling governments which they decide are dangerous to the interests of the United States. Maybe the people of these countries don’t want the United States interfering in their decision who will be their leader, but it doesn’t stop the CIA from doing it.
While the Russians did not change the outcome of the 2016 electionr, they accomplished something even more harmful to America. The Russians are very smart and understand the 2 party system in the U.S. is our Achilles heel. The attempt to influence the election was intended to harm Trump, not help him. But it harmed the United States more, because it sewed the seeds of hate between Democrats and Republicans. The Democrats were played like a Stradivarius. The Democrats took the bait and are using it to do as much harm to Trump as possible. The Russians just sit back and laugh. They correctly calculated that not only Democrats, but the establishment Republican elites, hate Trump more than they love their own country.
5
I adore the Klein bottle logic of arguing that the Russians didn’t change a thing, and anyway look at all the times Russians and others have changed things, and anyway why’d they pick on that nice Mr. Trump.
But words fail at the task of conveying my stunned hilarity at being told that Trump, Trump, and only Trump is the only true patriot. I mean, there’s drinking the koolaid, there’s chugging the koolaid, and then there’re loading a firetruck with the koolaid, sticking a four inch hose down the old gullet, and turning the valve to “Wide Open.”
12
What a twisted, bizarre interpretation of events. Regardless of Russian intentions, it's clear that we have a monstrously corrupt president who surrounds himself with equally corrupt people who continually lie and dissemble on his and their own behalf. They clearly did take the bait which the Russians laid out for them and that is certainly a punishable crime. Had Trump and his cronies been true patriots they would have gone straight to the FBI and been viewed as heroes instead of as criminals.
20
@Samara: if the President is a crook and lies reflexively then he cannot be trusted in *anything*. If you ignore this you are hiding your head in the sand and you do not love your country and you are against justice. Sorry to have to be so blunt.
6
Question 1.: If, after all the lies and scullduggery are exposed, it were proven that Trump's actions in getting elected were illegal, would this mean that he would be removed from office?
Question 2.: If Trump was elected illegally, wouldn't that mean that Pence was also illegally elected, since he would not have become VP if that were the case?
I didn't want Trump and I don't want Pence. Isn't there some way we could start over?
21
If this mess gets the Trump administration to look at what they have done and what a tangled web of treasonous lies they have wrought it will be worth the hassle, but their mindset is so fixed that it may not change. It is true that money and power corrupt the average person. Only the exceptional people escape this seductive trap.
3
So many people who have been employed by Trump have been exposed as corrupt. In another culture, a leader would be so ashamed he would at least resign, with head bowed. In another culture, he would have fallen on his sword.
The shame should be overwhelming.
Our disgust certainly is.
21
Given the preponderance of evidence that has come out today about Trump's lieutenants' and his own lies, it's about time the RICO statues were implemented. Just because a racketeer conned his way to the presidency isn't a good reason to not apply the laws of the United States.
22
As far as I am concerned this is probably the best Friday of the last two years. The best because Trump can no longer deny guilt or that he is the center of this investigation. It is a pretty safe bet at this point that Trump will eventually pay one way or another for his crimes. Hopefully sooner than later. The only remaining questions are to what degree and when. Karma is at the door Trump and it is demanding retribution.
75
@Rick Beck
When Hillary and Obama pay for theirs. Not happening.
@Alice's Restaurant Seems to me that the years of non productive republican led investigations were probably more than enough for Hillary. I don't recall Obama being investigated for anything beyond being the last vestige of decency in the Whitehouse.
15
Anyone who is surprised that these people, known covert wheeler dealers, lied to prosecutors is seriously out of touch with reality. They make a living out of distorting facts and hiding the truth. It's what they do.
The sad reality for us is that they will not have to pay for their crimes with corresponding prison sentences.
Two weeks in jail would hardly get someone like Papadopoulos' attention, much less scare him into trying to make amends for what he did and "go straight."
15
It's good to read the NYT refer correctly to the alleged *conspiracy* between on one side US citizens or non-citizens tied to the Trump campaign, and on the other side powerful members of Putin's gang.
In my view, it's significant that Trump and his supporters refuse to use the correct term of conspiracy, instead referring endlessly to the misleading euphemism 'collusion'.
Referring to conspiracy, which is a clearly identifiable US federal crime, as 'collusion' which isn't, muddies the waters. Because collusion is not listed in the statute books as a federal crime, at least not in the US, it means that Guiliani and other Trump apologists and fellow travellers can create the strawman argument that yells, 'But in any case collusion isn't even a crime – so what if there was collusion!'
In Trump's case, it's not entirely clear if he uses the term collusion out of ignorance, because he can't spell 'conspiracy', because he can't roll his Rs as well as he would need to in order to use the term 'conspiracy' in his rabble rousers without sounding like a wabbit, or if he's trying to create a smokescreen.
Whatever the reason for Trump insisting on using 'collusion', anyone who uses 'collusion' at this point to refer to the crime of conspiracy is either a Trumpite or hopelessly ignorant about US federal criminal law.
51
When one reads Mueller's memorandum, the logical conclusion was Manafort engaged in improper communications with the White House while his indictment was pending. Thus, someone in the White House knew of the communications and FAILED to stop and FAILED to report it to authorities. Consequently, there could be criminal liability for White House staff members or the President himself.
This makes me wonder whether the President could pardon a person when the President is an unnamed co-conspirator. The plain language of the Constitution states in part:
"Shall have Power to grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offenses against the United States, except in Cases of Impeachment."
So if Trump is part of the conspiracy, can he pardon for an offense that he has committed himself, by a co-conspirator? Remember, Nixon did not pardon HR Haldeman, though Haldeman asked for a pardon before Nixon resigned.
35
Ben, Thanks for the information about presidential pardons not being allowed in cases of impeachment. I hope this limitation is not interpreted narrowly by the Republicans who, at this point, do not seem likely to start impeachment. The reasons to impeach are "high crimes and misdemeanors" and I think these terms should be kept in mind as the president's activities and behavior come into clearer focus.
3
What does it take to educate and have the public demand IMPEACHMENT of President & Cabinet
And
What does take for the public to want the same ie. Impeachment of the party who has no loyalty to democracy, liberty, the republic of USA, the constitution, civil obedience?
The Republican Party is the source of our situation.
30
Based on Manafort’s testimony and deep mendacity, Trump should be charged with treason for the ‘synergy’ forged with Russia leading up to and following the 2016 election. The results of the race should be declared null and void and all of Trump’s actions as president should be reversed or held in abeyance until a new election is scheduled. This bizarre saga is abhorrent; let’s hope Trump and his extended crime family pay a severe price for placing American democracy in severe jeopardy. Impeachment and imprisonment are essential in sending a clear message to anyone tempted to follow Trump’s felonious road to the White House.
28
I worked on K St. as an attorney in the 70's and had WH Clearance under several Presidents. Mueller v. Trump is making Watergate look like a misdemeanor crime.
64
Manafort's lies about his communications with Konstantin Kilimiik are key to the allegations of conspiring with the Russian government to subvert our election.
The fact that Manafort continued speaking with Trump after he agreed to cooperate with the special counsel and knowing at the same time he continued to lie about his ties to Kilimnik, implicates Trump in the conspiracy with the Russian government.
20
The Republicans might be able to salvage some respect from their "leadership" era if they would overwhelmingly Impeach and Convict Trump - very soon.
Dream on!
20
One of tonight's Muller filing revelations that most struck me was that Manafort was lying about his communications with Trump ADMINISTRATION officials, not just 2016 contacts with Trump campaign. One wonders who these officials were. What were they discussing with Manafort and why did he feel he had to lie about those contacts. Could they have involved the possibility of ultimately obtaining a pardon from Trump if he kept his mouth shut about the most vital matters? My guess is that they did.
24
The pattern of abuse of power is the tactic of the Republicans . In every way- caving in to the worst criminal president in the history of the United States, voter suppression, environmental destruction, separation of children from parents at the border. There is no depth to which the Republicans will not sink. Their investigations stink of nothing but a self-serving approach to Justice.
29
Truth to Manafort and all of Trump's retinue is like the outdoor game of horseshoes. The truth can be absent, compared to other tellings, be missing altogether, or a winning leaner.
5
"Only the best people", often misunderstood, really means that Trump only hires people who are the best at lying.
The idea that they leave behind piles of evidence of their lies totally escapes the President.
Maybe that is because he himself has told more than 5,000 lies, most of which can be easily be proven false by his own video or tweeted statements and other public information.
Let's see, Manafort makes and launders millions in secret cash paid by the pro-Russian Ukrainian Party of Regions from taxpayer funds, has an office manager connected to the Russian GRU, which hacks Democratic and GOP Party emails, dangles this in a Trump Tower meeting and then coordinates carefully timed releases of only Democratic emails with GOP operatives associated with Stone. Then Manafort pressures the GOP Platform committee for changes favoring Russia, while Trump's guys plan to offer Putin a penthouse in the proposed Moscow Trump Tower.
Meanwhile the Mercers are paying Bannon and Cambridge Analytica to execute a digital campaign led by Jared Kushner targeting Russian misinformation ads to voters selected with stolen Facebook personal data.
This is only a part of the overall story. The Flynn part, which involves deals to relieve sanctions on Russia, worth billions, has yet to be uncovered, except for tantalizing tidbits.
But the awesome depth of lying from all Trump associates will be revealed in the forthcoming Mueller Report.
Makes Watergate look like a kindergarten caper.
58
"Manafort Lied About Contacts With Trump Officials" is what qualifies as a news headline? This is news?
As to the other defendants in the various cases Mueller is prosecuting, they only became cooperating witnesses after they were caught with their hands in the cookie jar. It's funny how many people feel remorse after being caught.
14
Caroline Polisi, his lawyer, wrote in an email that Mr. Papadopoulos is “doing well, and looking forward to moving on with his life.”
Good plan, George. Just, don't plan on moving too far for the immediate future.
8
Every day, I wonder if Redford will be around to write and produce this movie. If not Redford, who?
8
@fhc. With a bit of makeup, I can also see Redford in the leading role. I think a movie directed by Oliver Stone would be a gas.
6
What is the use of all this Trump talk, his followers don't care what he has or has not done. They are in his pocket for the long haul. His continuing call for an end to the Mueller Committee signals there is something in the report that can possibly bring down the current administration.
What is it?
14
When a personal friend says Trump, "has finally woken up and realizes this is all about him," we should be asking if Trump is not only an egotist but also deluded and, possibly, just plain senile. He could be removed for medical reasons. It would be cheaper than an impeachment and subsequent trial.
28
I’ll take any crumb that this corrupt administration might be held accountable. I’m hoping Mueller’s references about Manafort’ lying about his double-crossing of the special counsel, by feeding the Administration information is extremely significant to the outcome. At this point I’ll take that Mueller’s investigation is still alive as a hopeful sign. God speed Mueller,
13
It’s like Christmas every few days around here. Popping all the popcorn for a long night of tv.
13
Mr. Mueller’s team has left open the possibility that it could file new charges for lying against Mr. Manafort. Mr. Manafort’s lawyers say he believes he was honest during his interviews with them.
So this is a leak, which may become charges.
3
Dude, it’s a COURT FILING.
7
Pap did not due his full 14 days, he went a week ago Monday, got 15% off for good behavior in prison, rounded to his benefit. Thus he did 11 days of hard time. Flynn will escape that fate because he spent 18 months in full cooperation and repentant mode. Pap renounced any cooperation at the end, and wanted out of the deal. Thus the 11 days of hard time. Fair is fair.
8
When Trump said he only hired the best we had no clue they were the best among crooks, grifters and grafters.
Nixon, if he were alive, would be pointing at Trump and proclaiming that he, Nixon, wasn't so bad after all.
13
@Dan As much as it pains me to say this, Nixon looks pretty good right about now.
9
I sincerely hope that Robert Mueller and his entire staff have bodyguards.
22
Actually, I would pay cashy money to see Trump or the Mooch or that Miller character lose their proverbial and try to come over the table at the likes of Bob Mueller.
5
After all the dust is settled and the newspapers have yellowed and turned crisp, it is my hope the name Trump will be looked upon with revulsion for generations to come as Ponzi and Nixon have so endured with revile and rebuke.
38
We’re holding our breath as if we needed Mananfort and others to know things about Trump’s character that we know already, and were unacceptable for a President until not long ago. The President is a lier, has no respect for his wife, he’s a racist, dismissive of the environment, and only protective of the interests of the richest. And it should be clear as day by now, collusion or no collusion, conspiracy or no conspiracy, that he’s compromised and has adopted the international policies that are helpful to Russia. When will America say that it doesn’t need any more information to rid itself of him?
10
Oh, my goodness! Someone once in Trump's inner circle was accused of lying? What's this world coming to? Can't trust anybody anymore.
(end sarcasm)
1
I can live with the (perceived slow) pace of the Special Counsel’s work, but I remain incensed that Twitter gives any oxygen to the dumpster fire that Donald tends to. Not even FOX provides this loud a megaphone.
It’s a travesty that reporting his tweets makes no difference.
Twitter really needs a “dislike” button.
18
Such a web of lies makes anything he says incriminating about Trump suspect and unusable...is this 'mission accomplished'?
1
Of course he lied! The real news in this "revelation" is that Mueller knows he lied, and only brings it up because he has the proof with which to accuse Manafort. That is the same proof with which Mueller will accuse members of the Trump campaign. One has to wonder if those member include Jeff Sessions and Mike Pence.
--
Things Trump Did While You Weren’t Looking https://wp.me/p2KJ3H-2ZW
24
Trump knows GOP staunchly supports him as long as they remain in power. Trump being aware of it takes full advantage of it, as he continues to commit his devious plots and deceptions ,provided Mueller can prove how Trump conspired with Russia to win his election, he feels he has a "carte blanche" .
12
Where is all the money for the investigation coming from. I saw a graphic recently that it has only been a few million dollars as opposed to 100 million spent on whitewater.
With new congress will there be more resources?
I hope so.
17
We are now learning that redactions speak volumes. With the brilliant Mueller, I feel I am witnessing a poker game in which Mueller has good cards showing but a bonanza between his fingers. I get the feeling that all of Trump's castoffs (Sessions, Tillerson, McMaster, et al) are licking their chops awaiting Mueller's bombshell.
36
It's 4:45 pm on the East Coast. Where are the filings? I have been waiting since this morning!
14
Thank you Mr. Mueller and his his team of prosecutors. This nation owe you gratitude.
37
In his report on Manafort in particular, wouldn't it be wonderful if Mueller defines "truth" and "facts" clearly, for the entire public to see, along with what they are NOT (e.g., "something is not true or false simply based on what someone wants to believe")?
8
Mueller needs to bide his time, lest Trump cause a constitutional crisis by attempting to pardon himself...slow and steady RM...
14
There is only one detail that Mueller's team needs to reveal and that is what can they charge the biggest idiot of a president with to get rid of him!
11
Mr President and his Crook's Boy the chips are down. what a disgrace to this Nation.
8
What was Papadopoulos's role in all this? Something to do with Israel, wasn't it??
Meanwhile, Trump is in desperate need of a grownup to delete (or at least moderate) his Twitter feed.
Today he essentially CONFESSED claiming that they are working on a reply to Mueller's report. That would seem to rely on knowledge of what Trump has done and the assumption that Mueller has found it.
20
I don't think this report will ever see the light of day without a leak. Trump will have it redacted. Asking about how the report will be treated should be the first question asked of the AG nominee.
17
@Joe Barnett
possible but it is also possible the Mueller will ask the Grand Jury to release the report to the public or the full congress and that is out side of TRumps control or Rosensteins or whomever takes Sessions job.
2
What was released today is not a "report.". It is the prosecutor's sentencing statement to the Judge by the Special Prosecutor and the Southern District of New York. They include information as to why they are recommending the sentences proposed. Remember Cohen has plead guilty. The documents submitted by Mueller go to the Judge, they are unredacted and they are sealed. This is a strategy used by the prosecutor to preserve the findings. It is also called "circling the wagons."
1
Mueller is allegedly conducting a confidential investigation. He shouldn't be revealing anything.
3
@Bob - You didn't read the article did you?
23
@Bob
you really don't know how this all works do you?
Mueller is required by the courts to substantiate the information in his sentencing memos and in other court filings. some stuff will just have to be revealed.
10
The most disturbing thing around this whole debacle is so many yearning for Trump to be taken down as some sort of validation for HRC spectacularly botching the election (cue the howling about popular vote - who cares). Mueller has communicated no evidence of any collusion and has charged x-Trump associates for crimes that occurred before they were part of his administration. Each non-headline after another is followed by hysterical comments with speculative expectations and interpretations about what's coming next from Mueller. The phrase "We don't know what Bob Mueller knows" is repeated constantly in the MSM as though its some sort of profound prophecy, when it's really just a statement of fact. People's reaction to potentially NO collusion between our President and a foreign nation to influence our elections is...disappointment...anger? Really?
6
haha crickets
12
Yep. It has nothing to do with HRC - only Republicans talk about her anymore. This is about the sitting President and the permanent damage he is doing to our collective American soul. He's a liar. He's a cheater. He's a draft dodger. He is a con. Goodness gracious man.
87
@BostonStrong - We want Trump down because he's a liar, a cheat, a racist and a traitor who is damaging our democracy, polluting our air and water and endangering our security.
79
Dealing with Manafort reminds me of that old cliche: "If you lay down with dogs you get up with fleas." My apologies to dogs and I don't mean to suggest that Mueller or his team have done anything wrong. But to expect that this guy would suddenly become truthful was foolish.
13
Untruthful = Lying
Falsehoods = Lying
"The truth is not the Truth" = Lying
Dishonest = Lying
Insincere = Lying
Deceitful = Lying
Fraudulent = Lying
Lying = Lying
And then there are the sins of omission.
Why is word "Lie" changed? To make it not sound so bad? To allow the liar to get away with it? To allow the lie to wander off and be replaced by yet another lie?
14
A TV cop once said all criminals are stupid, that's why they get caught. Even so, Manafort's sheer dumb behavior makes one wonder how he managed anything over the years. Maybe they just paid him millions for using his passport to launder money. Then he got sucked in because in spite of having millions and mansions he was going broke so he moved to illegal activity to keep up appearances.
And then he lied to the federal prosecutor breaking a plea deal? Hoping to get a hint hint promised pardon from the liar in chief, who protects no one but himself? After being caught tampering with witnesses?
Stupid is as stupid does, as Forrest Gump said, except he was never stupid. Paul Manafort is. Jail awaits, he's already talked and Trump will forget he ever knew him.
18
Just as I said on here before. My popcorn is being replenished. Mueller is just getting warmed up. Sadly, I do not think any of the big fish will be getting any serious jail time (although they most definitely should). Only the sprats will be thrown in. I just hope that Mueller gets the job done and done right.
11
The odor of corruption in our White House is overwhelming again. Not since Nixon have we had such feeling. The president is involved. His behavior suggests Putin and Saudi Arabia are in some sort of control of him. China is corrupt. Dictatorships are all compromised. Our president seems to respect North Korea, Russia and Saudi Arabia. Historically, these are dictatorships of the worst kind. Those associated with the president, good or bad, are damaged by their association. The nation’s reputation and the world are damaged by this president. The GOP with a few exceptions seem unable to speak on this president. November’s result in the House has failed to move the Leader of the Senate.
Robert Swam Mueller III stands alone. His work and the work of those working with him is essential to our republic.
Our constitution and our people are being tested. November 2016 was a perfect storm. Many voted for a change.
We must do better. We must produce candidates that bring experience and a certain virtue to public office.
I like Amy Klobuchar. She seeems willing.
Let’s think about a change that matters.
40
Some witch hunt, Mr Trump. It sure seems like there are a whole lot of witches around. The descriptor "witch hunt" only makes sense to us if nobody is actually a witch, or in this case, a felon.
Lock them all up.
33
This entire mess was so foreseeable given the reigning architecture of money in politics. Until they stop this practice and invoke strict campaign finance reform, all we do is read the same headlines - again, and again
28
The President will plead 5th Avenue. On 5th Avenue he gets away with anything. His words. His experience. So far, he's been prophetic. My belief is that he manufactures controversy as a means to hijack the press by their own algorithms. To put it simply he gets coverage, and cover, by being the superstar media salesperson of all time. All the trumped up drama is contrived to consummate a devil's bargain with the press that sells advertising in exchange for coverage. An elaborate pay to play scam. And he was right, it worked. The Trump card is the money card, is the 5th Avenue card.
6
Interesting to see how many times Individual 1 is referred to.
16
The irony is that Mr. Trump and his troupe have openly done far worse to the United States, the world, and our future than Mr. Mueller will ever reveal.
A little light collusion with the Russians seems like sandbox play when viewed alongside the destruction to the environment, acceleration of climate change, division within the country, trauma at the border, distrust by our allies, base dishonesty and unkindness of presidential discourse and media, craven greed and corruption . . .
133
I sure hope this is not a case of ‘ The emperors new clothes’. All this while, we the people have been building up imaginary scenarios of what might happen. So far except for tantalizing bites that totally add up to a lot of smoke, we have yet to see the fire. Color me cynical, but I expect an anticlimactic end to this whole investigation.
3
Many of us here are so eager for news, any news, that we will leap at any headline that promises more information from likely one of the most tight-lipped special counsels in US history.
I suspect that we're going to be similarly disappointed at the number of redactions in each new filing.
It's easy to understand why: you'd have to be living on Mars not to know that showing your hand to this administration could jeopardize the entire investigation.
Robert Mueller knows he's walking a tight line in his race against time to wrap up things up and and finally issue a full report to a public hungry for the truth about one of the most amazing casts of characters and events in our country's history.
I just hope he gets the chance to show us the fruits of his hard work, persistence, and thoroughness.
934
@ChristineMcM
Well said, thanks--
44
"for the truth about the most amazingly corrupt and reasonous casts of characters and events in our country's history."
FIFY
12
@ChristineMcM Please, cite the authority that allows Mueller to issue any kind of report. He is an employee of the DOJ that answers to Trump and is not some independent agent.
9
My guess is extensive recommended prison time for Manafort, nominal for Cohen.
Mannafort double crossed the special counsel and can expect no lienency. I just hope the State has a few charges in reserve, not pardonable by Trump, and not subject to double-jeopardy concerns, such as failure to pay State taxes.
Cohen was also bad actor for years, but appears to be desperately attempting to redeem himself, likely out of self-preservation.
13
For some time now I have been concerned that Mueller is taking way too long.
My bet - hope I am very wrong - is that a few more go to jail, Trump walks after one term and gets full pardons. The GOP runs Romney/Pence in 2020.
If the Democrats do not put the Clintons, Wasserman-Schultz and company in a box soon and the new hardish left Dems go the way the Tea Party 'wave' went when they arrived in the House it will be Mitch x 2, Mike and the plutocrats for 4 more years.
If that does happen it will be the end of our wonderful experiment.
6
@Bill Wilson - Romney won't want anything to do with Pence, assuming that Pence gets away with his own share in the Russian debacle.
No one will want anything to do with Pence. Trump is already talking about ditching him and Trump's rejects aren't in very high demand.
11
Mr. Trump promised to drain the swamp and it appears his minions are doing it for him. It's long overdue.
2
Thank you for not quoting his garbage tweets. That has got to stop and I'm glad NYT is seeing its way clear now.
22
"Mr. Comey ... ultimately reached a deal with lawmakers, who agreed to make a transcript of his testimony public."
I wonder if Jim Comey now has a better appreciation for Hillary Clinton's endurance of sham congressional hearings.
17
Lying is Manafort's default setting.
8
"Unlike for Mr. Papadopoulos, prosecutors have asked for little to no prison time for Mr. Flynn, the former general who served more than 33 years in the military, citing his cooperation with the special counsel."
Uh, in what universe is fourteen days not "little to no" prison time? When your term is measured in days and not months and years? Though I guess, by white-guy-in-a-suit standards, two weeks is basically throwing the book at him.
11
We need to have Trump taken out of office in handcuffs for collusion with the Russians with asking them for help in the campaign in 7/2016 and for the treasonous act with his son Donald meeting the Russians at the Trump towers. Manafort had 33 off shore tax free accounts for years with Russian money in it so I want to know now how many the Trump family have had and how long they were living it up without paying their fare share of taxes. Then our slow brained GOP voted him in knowing all these red flags. Very sad.
15
"Lawmakers are investigating possible F.B.I. wrongdoing."
This is rich! Trumpsters want to investigate the investigators as some sort of diversionary slime-screen?
Lock them ALL up and THEN only let out those Trump minions who sing like canaries.
16
@NYer
Their wrongdoing began while Obama was still in office.
6
@AACNY "Wrong!"-Donald Trump
2
@AACNY - Name it.
3
Trump's credibility is reduced commensurate with the number and absurdity of each of his fantasy laden and false Twitters. Eventually his credibility will be reduced to such a low level that his statements will be ignored and viewed as virtually useless.
11
For all the hot air he's been blowing, the only thing Don the Con has accomplished is to make it increasingly obvious that he is hiding things, and probably feels guilty of criminal actions. Otherwise, if innocent, he would keep his mouth shut (imagine that!) and let things take their course.
13
He is not capable of guilt. It is my opinion that, like a child, he views this entire investigation as "Not fair!", and believes that he is being persecuted.
5
Has Trump’s 3.30 pm tee off been cancelled yet?
18
Ponder the fact that we now routinely refer to the president's "FIXER," a term generally associated with organized crime.
Or, as Merriam-Webster puts it somewhat more gently:
"a : a person who intervenes to enable someone to circumvent the law"
Something's broken.
32
"Mueller to Reveal New Details in Manafort and Cohen Inquiries"
"Mr. Comey had initially rebuffed attempts to force him to appear behind closed doors but ultimately reached a deal with lawmakers, who agreed to make a transcript of his testimony public."
Then why have the testimony behind closed doors? Why not have it on TV for us to see and hear the members of the committee and Mr. Comey?
13
Question is, if the strategy of the legal team is to pretend to cooperate with the federal gov't.... are the attorneys now on the hook for fraud, conspiracy and perjury too? Is Rudi going to be a target too? Is a pardon that is illegal because it is obstructing justice still legally binding for the pardoned person?
12
The only thing more tedious than the "collusion" allegations is the lip smacking speculation on what Mueller is going to do to Trump. He's going to produce a report. Then everyone will spin off like whirling dervishes into the next big thing.
Meanwhile, I wish prison reform could be passed and a deal could be made on immigration. Real progress versus self-indulgence in animus.
7
He will issue a report like the CIA issued on MBS. Trump lied about it. Bolton and Pompeo lied about it. Sanders lied about it - but that is like saying the sun came up today. The President's hypnotized cultists believe only him, but everyone else knows he lies. Nobody knows what Mueller will say, but anyone following this closely should suspect that it will scream treason, if not saying it openly. And Trump's house of straw will implode.
9
Trump attacks the Mueller probe as a hoax as if the intel agencies have not concluded that Russia interfered with our presidential election to favor Trump. Trump lies about just everything ,attacks witnesses cooperating with law enforcement and praises those who are not "rats" sounding like a mob boss. Cohen and Flynn testimony will bring down Trump or at least make him damaged goods going into the 2019 campaign. Trump cannot win re-election with only his cult following of some 35% the GOP senators know this now so they are backing away on Saudi as it becomes obvious Trump is making foreign policy decisions on his family biz interests.
12
I can hardly wait to open my Christmas present from Bob Mueller, I am simply filled with glee!
11
If '*' = 'redacted', expect today's reveal to look something like: (Person 1 has not been very cooperative in the case regarding *******************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************. We request the judge to allow us to contact **************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************). Or something along those lines leaving the media and public to continue our speculations.
10
@Michael Traum
CNN will have a 45-minute panel discussion reading between the blackened lines. Democrats like Schiff and Schumer will call the blacked out sections "indictments". Trump's critics will claim supernatural powers and be able to interpret the blacked out sections as being about [fill-in-the-action].
5
When is Twitter to be charged with aiding and abetting?
27
Still no collusion? Just the drip, drip, drip of lying to investigators about paths taken unrelated to Trump.
7
@Midwest Josh
Never mind the perjury trap. How about the Godfather plea process? Justice makes you an offer you cannot refuse (ex., involving your family) and then you agree to its plea deal. Imagine if Justice had threatened Hillary that Chelsea would be prosecuted if she didn't agree to plead guilty? No? Neither can I.
4
@Midwest Josh We still don't know anything much either way regarding Don the Con, but we do have a whole lot of guilty pleas already. No doubt more to come. Mueller wasn't put in place to find "collusion" whatever legal meaning that word has, but to find out about Russia hacking our election.
19
@Midwest Josh
How do you know that anything related to the known Russian connections between Trump’s staff are unrelated to Trump himself ... his word?!!??
Read today’s interview w Trumps former Sec of State, Tillerson, to get a feel for Trump in action behind closed doors.
300
So many tweets, Mr. Trump! Guilty???
19
This purportedly is a "news" article and not an "opinion" piece. Yet it smacks of opinion. "He (Trump" has repeatedly called it (the inquiry) a witch hunt and a hoax, in an apparent attempt to undermine public perception about the inquiry". That is the opinion of the writer and certainly many, but not definitive and not believed by half the country. "On Friday, the president unleashed his frustration in a series of tweets attacking Mr. Mueller and another key prosecutor on the team, Mr. Weissmann." In an objective piece, if the author felt it necessary to comment on the President' communications, the writer would provide the basis for the statements (according to the speaker) and not according to his own assessment of the speaker's frustration. These types of bias run throughout the story and unfortunately almost every straight news story in the NY Times.
3
@edward smith If you don't like the reality we have, vote the GOP out. Since Nixon the GOP has given us around 150 federal indictments in the White House staff (and growing monthly). The left by contrast is under 5 indictments I believe. Trump invites comments about his behavior in both the opinion and news sections because his behavior multiple times a day is erratic, irrational, thoughtless, rude, inhumane, stupid, criminal, and self incriminating. You can't separate the man from his words. (or his tweets).
15
@edward smith Reasonalble inferences are a part of objective news reporting. Journalists are not stenographers.
14
@edward smith Trump's tweets alternate between misspelled rants and hysterical tirades. There is no need for the author to provide "basis for the statements." It is a very obvious fact to anyone who can read.
16
For those who voted for Trump because he was not a politician and they wanted someone “different” they gave us an ignorant sociopath who will be brought up on criminal charges sometime in the future.
Thanks to all the Trumpanzees for turning the White House into an insane asylum and giving us a leader who is a laughingstock to both our allies and our foes.
It is painful to think that we might have to go through two more years of Trump’s stupidity and his assault on our economy, our Justice Department, our FBI and our Constitution.
225
@KJS
Yes, you elect a lying sociopathic gangster, you don't exactly get Pericles or Washington
19
Just looked at the nice valuation for my 401K, received slightly higher property tax bills for my real estate holdings because of substantial increases in values, gave my employees 7% pay increases and hired 6 more employees because business is great !
If they ever get around to proving any “collusion”, please let me know.
1
@Happy Republican, my brother (also a republican) has been so confident in this economy, that he suggested our mother should invest a great percentage of her excess operating cash into the market (her financial adviser placed it into emerging market securities which has lost around half of it's value from when purchased) and many farmers are filing bankruptcy from declining grain sales due to our too-late trade war with China. The housing market was going gangbusters, too, pre-2008.
25
While I don't expect "Santa Mueller" to unload his entire bag of todays today, I certainly hope there will be enough to be a nice Christmas present this year and the promise of better Christmases to come. To paraphrase Paul Simon, Bob Mueller, our nation turns its hopeful eyes to you.
309
@CP It's "lonely eyes." Which, if you think of it, is more fitting.
6
@CP By disclosing anything during a "confidential" investigation he makes himself nothing but a political hack.
3
"George Papadopoulos ... is scheduled to be released from federal prison in Wisconsin."
Two weeks in federal prison; that's it.
Two judicial systems; one for the rich and connected, another one for every one else. Nice system they created for themselves.
546
@rls severity of the crime is also of consideration.
10
@Indy voter
Treason equals two weeks? :`)
27
@rls Especially galling when you recall the young man who did three years pretrial at Riker, was acquitted when finally tried, and killed himself within a few years. A juvenile who was innocent. How DOES this guy get two weeks?
66
Maybe we don't want the publication of the Mueller report just yet. I like to think that Mueller is like the cat, playing with its food before eating it.
39
I, for one Democrat, am beyond weary of reporting on the "Mueller Investigation".
If Mueller has something factual and substantive that indicates Trump, or his campaign, coordinate with the Russian government to sway the election in his favor, then, out with it and lets get on with it.
So far we have hung Manafort, who illegally took money from Ukraine (not Russa), and, Cohen, who maybe illegally took a lot of money from Trump to (pay off hookers etc.).
But, nothing on the main issue.
As a Democrat who wishes to focus on things that matter, let's move this Mueller thing along so we can focus on something that matters for a change.
8
@Michael - stick around. The big guys get nailed last after the little guys are squeezed.
57
@Michael how many times that you SAY you're a Democrat,...makes us believe you are NOT a Democrat. Your response makes sense ONLY if you support Trump....and I have NEVER met a Dem that supports the Orange Bone Spur in Chief...
47
@Michael: Why do I think perhaps you are not a Democrat? Regardless, Mueller is slow, methodical and thorough. I think we will see the great fruits of that effort today.
44
Trumps tweets today hit a new low, if that is possible.
22
@jhanzel: The closer Mueller gets, the faster and further they go downhill. At this rate, they'll hit the bottom of the Marianas Trench soon...
1
Sir Walter Scot said it best: "O, what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive".
32
Will President Pelosi be willing to work with the Republican majority Senate?
21
@Blue in Green
Has President Mitch McConnell ever worked with the Democrats in the House?
2
But Nancy Pelosi is third in line for the presidency, get it?
1
Maybe if Mueller has been a good boy, Santa will put something on Trump under the tree for him for Christmas. Hopefully wrapped in red from Russia.
12
Don's going to wish he'd never said he was ok with waterboarding.
18
A dead fish stinks from the head down.
10
Donald T is too great a prez to deserve the wall with México.
He deserves walls on ALL 4 sides of him. The holding space should be large enough to accommodate some family members and some cronies like Whittaker and others.
20
The first thing I do at 3:30am is type out a rant about my perceived enemies on twitter, move on to statements that roil the markets and then cap it all off with some words of praise for myself. From there it is all downhill unless I've scheduled a rally.
Another thing that gets my goat are all these old timer Republican politicians that keep dying off and stealing away the President's limelight. Well, gotta go hire a couple of more people crazy enough to serve after they swear loyalty to me.
I don't know if I have made my position known on the Mueller investigation. It is a total witch hunt. I made that up all by myself. Pretty nifty, don't you think.
51
@richard wiesner Sarcasm is LOST on conservatives ..
14
Nom nom nom...nothing burger
2
How ironic that the firing of James Comey may be the best accomplishment of the Trump presidency because it produced Bob Mueller and he is producing damning information that will shape how Washington operates for decades.
702
@Didier
And bonus! He can credit Jarad and Ivanka for pushing him to fire Comey!
4
14 day sentence. For Treason. We need criminal justice reform!
13
Trump is already freaking out.
11
@Shim
Of course.
HE knows what he and his crime family are guilty of.
The louder he screams the more guilty they are.
7
George Papadopoulos got 14 days for lying to the FBI in this, the biggest and most important case of the 21st century. He explained that he was enthusiastic about being part of the Trump team and he was young (30) and ambitious. If you fail to carry the minimum car insurance, you are sentenced to between 1 and 5 years. You will also get between 1 and 5 years for forging a credit card. Please see the incongruity and remember that things in this country of equality are sometimes lopsided as hell.
31
Obviously, it is with great expectations that we await the Mueller Report, and the hope for drivel, that won't come, from the filings while awaiting it. In the mean time, take solace. The excitement that you feel, while awaiting it, is to the absolute other end of the emotional spectrum on Trump's part. He answered the questions easily, but it took over a week. He did the answers himself?? Expect misspellings and a lot of CAPS. Some things you just can't lie your way out of.....
12
@Reuben Ryder
It took him almost 9 months. He had the questions since March 2018. I am sure one of his excuses that he could not read or did not understand the meaning of Mueller's questions.
13
@Reuben Ryder
His lawyers answered the questions- they know Trump would lie if they let him answer on his own. He’s a pathological liar - does it all the time.
5
@Shim Is that a World or Olympic Record?
1
I hope when Mueller releases the sentencing memorandum, it has as little information as possible so Trump's imagination can keep spinning on what will happen to him when the whole truth is revealed. Same for Trump Jr., Kushner, et. al. who were involved in Trump's intentional or unintentional collusion with the Russians. I think they were stupid and let themselves be caught up in Putin's game. Follow the money.
60
Problems with synopsis:
1. If the article is about Cohen and Manafort, can the author make an effort at objectivity and write a synopsis about Cohen and Manafort amd NOT about Trump ? I understand your desperation, but you are a journalist and should exercise some impartiality. You are a columnist not a calumnist !
2. could the author stop using the derogatory term "Trump fixer" for Cohen ? He was Trump's lawyer. How would like if I called you, the author, a pundit instead of a journalist ?
4
Oh come on, Cohen referred to himself as Trump’s “fixer”.
19
When you’re boss orders you to do things, and you do them for your boss, to claim it has nothing to do with the boss in the end is nonsense!
16
@mynameisnotsusan You may have just started following this story, but if you'd been paying attention earlier, you'd know that "fixer" is a perfectly accurate description of what Cohen did for Trump.
Someone who is merely working in a capacity as an attorney does not mortgage his condo to pay hush money to a porn star on behalf of his client.
25
So sad and so sordid but the tone is set from the top.
235
@Bruce Egert
We are now officially living in a banana republic.
17
I believe the saying is "The fish rots from the head."
3
So far with what Manafort has had to pay back and then if we can get trump's tax returns, this investigation will more than pay for itself.
27
Undoubtedly Mueller will not make this a tell all, just enough information to make trump twitter away the weekend.
12
I have no thoughts either Mr. Manafort nor Papadopoulos have arrived at their "Come to Jesus" moment while in prison. Both of these individuals have acted as sycophants and enablers of the least empathetic and biggest narcissist to ever become POTUS, Donald Trump. There has been no reform within either of these men while they shuffled about in the orange jump suit, eating prison apple sauce and airy bread with sliced bologna, and cartons of milk. I suspect each will emerge from their situation waiting for their promised "payoff" from Trump through promised channels. That pot of hush money coming from laundered money and erased links to Trump's sources: Russian criminal and oligarch syndicates, Saudi royal family, international criminal syndicates, and very wealthy donors to Trump via US PAC's. Nothing is changed in the mindset of these individuals, no shame or remorse will be felt - they have long since sold their souls to aspire to be rich and do anything in life to arrive at that station. (All of us know people like this; the antithesis of anything good in mankind.) It's my Christmas wish to Manafort, Papadopoulos, Giuliani, Stone, Corsi, Don Jr, Ivanka, Jared, Eric, Melania, and the cast of sordid actors who polish the fragile ego of Donald Trump that somewhere and sometime, their hubris, greed, and narcissism will careen into an event that forces them to acquire empathy and genuine care for people who live in the world under extreme trying circumstances.
23
@Peter Vander Arend
Good luck with that.
4
@Peter Vander Arend, Schadenfreud notwithstanding, I don't imagine that the more notorious amenities of prison life, available to most inmates, were suffered by Papadopoulos, or will be by subsequent convicted Trumpsters. Clean sheets, hot meals, and, most importantly, private showers are the more likely accommodations on offer at "Club Fed."
3
Happy holiday season, Donald! It may be the last one for many, many years where you get to roam beyond a prison block.
25
@Michael Are you taking bets?
@edward smith No. Unlike the Republicans, I do not like taking money from those that need it.
3
Trump's end will come sooner rather than later. Whether today's Mueller report is the trigger or the future testimony of Flynn and Cohen, there is no escape route. We are looking at President Pence before the end of 2019.
Trump's new stooges on the Supreme Court won't be enough to save him. Mueller's evidence will be thorough and detailed, and can only lead to indictments. Whoever Trump's lawyers end up being, they will study those documents and know they are already beaten. Advice: Get him to pay you up front.
The Republican horror show is not done, though. We are looking at President Pence, who believes that the earth is 7,000 years old.
For entertainment, I'm looking forward to listening to Mitch McConnell and friends trying to talk their way out of two years of unwavering support for an idiotic psychopath.
Our laughs won't last long, though, when we realize that the fossil fuel, weapons, drug, and mining industries are still in charge until 2021. In the meantime, we will depend on our media to tell us how to avoid a repeat of this horror show. I'm not holding my breath here.
58
@Mike Roddy
Pence was the head of the transition team. If Flynn gave significant information on members of that team, Pence may not last much longer than 45....
138
@Mike Roddy
"The Republican horror show is not done, though. We are looking at President Pence, who believes that the earth is 7,000 years old."
That says it all.
34
@Mike Roddy
If Pence is also found guilty because he was on the transition team, who is next in line to be President at the great Humpty trumpty Fall, the Leader of the House - now Nancy Pelosi?
30
As Trump burbles and rants on Twitter, he'll be exuding a lot of sweaty orange stains onto his collar.
If only Trump weren't so upset over Amazon that he wants to smash things. Amazon actually selsl disposable neck collar sweat pads!
12
i dont understand what will be revealed today
1
So, will Mueller make Trump stew all day before he finds out what is in the paperwork, or will he give the press all day to talk about it?
4
The great travesty that Trumptopia has consciously promoted and created involves conning the American people, especially those citizens who voted for him. He cares NOTHING for their welfare or well-being (unless they can offer him a business deal that allows his own bank account to profit). He has consciously and maliciously used the American people. He has no interest in Democracy, his interest is limited to Donald Trump. It is a travesty. What is also a travesty are the Mitch McConnell's and Paul Ryan's of the Senate and Congress who actively facilitated this torrid mess. Meanwhile Putin and Saudi Arabia sit by laughing and salivating over the potential demolition of the our democracy. WE THE PEOPLE put our differences aside and band together and STRIVE to HOLD ALL of our "so called" leaders who USED US out of their appetite for insatiable greed, ego and dishonesty accountable for their crimes. WE MUST DO SO for the country's welfare and that of coming generations. If "Trumptopia" isn't destroyed, the American Democracy will be.
49
@Leslie374 A sincere thank you for your comment which expresses my sentiments and, imho, the sentiments of thousands of others on both sides of the political aisle.
6
@Leslie374 The Flynn, Manafort, Papadopoulos trio should have followed the lead set by the Obama administration and plead the 5th amendment. That is how the O people stayed out of jail when they lied to Congress. The flotsam from the O administration will soon be called to account for their lies to Congress.
1
@Leslie374
We the people are the ones holding strong. It's 'we the hat wearers' that are afraid to come into the light.
3
I don't expect Mueller to reveal all and show his hand in the court filings to be made today. Since the investigation is ongoing as a good prosecutor he will play it close to the vest and only reveal that which is necessary to support the positions taken in the filings. Also expect redaction of portions of the filings where the information if revealed would damage the ongoing investigation.
161
Hopefully there will be enough evidence to indict Donald Trump, Jr., Ivanka Trump, Eric Trump and Jared Kushner for conspiring with the Russians, obstructing justice, witness tampering and bribery. Prosecuting convicting and sending these corrupt criminal fraudulent traitors to prison will MAGA.
Then on to the senior "witches" in the Trump scam Kellyanne Conway, Hope Hicks and Melania Trump.
Exposing whatever Trump is hiding from the American people in his personal and family income tax returns and business records is just the beginning. We need to recover all of his ill gotten gains and to dismantle his organized crime family aka the Trump Organization.
44
You forgot Pence in your first list, please God.
6
If this is all such a hoax, why the pervasive lying? I guess it’s just the norm for the Trump gang of swamp creatures.
18
Oh the Twitter feed is going BANANAS.
15
I was a child when President Nixon disgraced the office of the presidency, but I recall how upset all the adults were. The last thing I recall was that he unknowingly lost control of the military. he could not be trusted anymore. This administration makes Nixon's look tame in comparison. At least at that time we had a congress who would stand up and protect the constitution. I am very afraid that even after all the information comes out, this congress will do nothing. I never thought America's downfall would be during my lifetime.
90
@Anthony White
It wasn't "a congress" that stood up to Nixon, it was the Republicans in congress that told him in no uncertain terms that he had to leave.
I heard Paul Ryan was planning on doing that with Trump............Early April Fool's Day!
3
@Anthony White, "I am very afraid that even after all the information comes out, this congress will do nothing."
Wait until January, when the Democrats take control of the House, including its Intelligence, Judiciary and Foreign Affairs Committees.
1
It seems that Mueller has all his cards lined up and ready to play. New AG nominee? Perfect time to release enough of the picture to force Congress’ hand to get a promise from Barr to protect him. Mueller is the Alpha Go of federal prosecutors when it comes to strategy, while Trump is playing checkers and thinks he’s great at it, because everyone surrounding him tells him so.
17
@Ed M
" while Trump is playing checkers and thinks he’s great at it,"
Actually Trump is playing "Hungry , Hungry Hippos". Checkers is beyond him.
2
To anyone who has not read this morning’s tweets from Donald Trump, you should do so. If there was a scintilla of doubt that the President is guilty of both high crimes and/or misdemeanors, these tweets will dispel that doubt. The sheer desperation, consciousness of guilt, and abject fear that these tweets evidence is simply overwhelming. I hear a helicopter warming up.
51
@John David James
If Trump was innocent, he wouldn't be tweeting obsessively about it. By the way, shouldn't it be a "Warlock hunt?"
2
Trump, that grand leader, well, not so much, calls the investigation a "witch hunt". I believe the special prosecutor is calling it "which to hunt", and there are many yet to convict.
However, his adolescent tweet storms are serving their purpose in stirring up more hate among his red-hatted supporters regardless of the truth that Mueller is exacting from those he has prosecuted.
9
I don't think we're actually going to learn much detail from the Mueller investigation. To steal a joke from The Daily Show, "There was so much black on Flynn's sentencing document, a white lady called the cops on him." These new documents are going to be heavily redacted.
What we will learn is where on Mueller's spectrum of cooperation Cohen and Manafort fall. I would find Mueller's recommendation for Flynn hard to top. That's one end of the spectrum. Where is Mueller going to drop Manafort? That's the other goal post for now. We'll see where Cohen fits between the two.
5
There’s a Möet in the chiller that I’m popping off for lunch. The other is reserved for when Trump is perp-walked out of the White House.
To Paul & Michael:
It might get a bit lonely in the gated community where you are both headed but whatever happens, don’t pick up the soap.
No collusion, no collusion. And yet everyone in Trump’s orbit is dropping down like flies.
No amount of tweets and presidential appointments can swing the spotlight back to Trump. This is the beginning of Mueller Time and Trump is getting afraid.
Don Jr. and Jared Kushner, you two are next.
19
@Opinioned!
"Don Jr. and Jared Kushner, you two are next."
I am an atheist but I am thinking about going to church to pray that you are right.
1
My father did something similar on August 9, 1974!
1
A great chef uses honest ingredients and takes their time so everything is perfectly prepared.
I am famished and exhausted, but now enjoying the beginning of this long awaited repast...
This week's sentencing recommendation for Flynn was an excellent appetizer.
I now await the next course, sure it will not disappoint, and will cause no heartburn (at least not for me).
What will be for desert? Surprise me !
All know is I have champagne already waiting on ice for the end.
10
“Justice is itself the great standing policy of civil society; and any eminent departure from it, under any circumstances, lies under the suspicion of being no policy at all. “
~ Edmund Burke
America can have justice or lawlessness, but it can’t have both.
Robert Mueller, Vietnam Marine officer with a Bronze Star for heroism and Purple Heart and lifelong defender of the rule of American law
VS.
Cadet Bone Spurs, Scofflaw-In-Chief, Snake Oiler Par Excellence, Pathological Liar and Dunning-Kruger Exhibit #1
“I have no further questions, your honor....”
567
Robert Mueller for President! Republican. Decorated war veteran. Ability to keep mouth closed under stress. Integrity - literally to die for (see his war service). Solid anti-terrorist credentials - 13 years as head of the FBI - see The Threat Matrix. Knows the law. Able to negotiate sensitive agreements. Solid track record of honoring his word. Robert Mueller for President!
134
@Lou - I think Mueller is a fine man and an American citizen to be proud of, but before I vote for someone for President I want to know their views on foreign policy, economics, health care etc.
The presidency shouldn't be handed out as some kind of award for good behavior and being highly competent at one particular job doesn't necessarily mean a person would make a good President.
11
@DR
Absolutely agree. Plus, why subject Mueller to clean up after a fraudster.
4
@Lou
Yes, Mueller is outstanding character, but I don't think he would contemplate running.
I have a question to all the people on a comments board.
As we know many democrats will be running, it's getting overcrowded.
Who would be your preference for the next president?
I think Beto O'Rourke looks really good.
4
Mueller may ultimately achieve what Trump said he wanted to do: rid the government of swamp dwellers.
292
@dave
Calling all voters. Stay tuned.
4
"Will Andrew Weissman’s horrible and vicious prosecutorial past be listed in the Report. He wrongly destroyed people’s lives, took down great companies..." -- Trump tweet from this morning.
Andrew Weissmann destroyed the lives of many mobsters and their bosses. He also took down Enron and it's execs.
Trump's sole maneuver is to smear a bunch of people who have dedicated their long and very productive professional lives to incarcerating people like Trump.
691
@Vickie
Agreed.
Note too- Trump tweeted that bile that on Pearl Harbor Day.
46
@Vickie
Trump's Twitter tirades are the ravings of (a) a corrupt lunatic; or (b) a coddled and pampered infant who has never been told "no" to; or (c) both (a) and (b).
61
Vickie,
Donald Trump is doing exactly what criminals do when they're guilty: attack the credibility of law enforcement and prosecutors.
He's acting like a cornered animal. A guilty one.
82
If the entire transcript of Comey's testimony before the House Judiciary Committee will be released for public scrutiny, that might be a better deal than watching those sniveling ham actors grandstand before TV cameras.* Comey could be asked to testify again at a public hearing once the Democrats control the House, so no big deal and maybe a wise move to keep those attention seeking Congressmen away from the public eyes and ears.
* I really thought that Ms Linzy Graham should have been offered a special Oscar for his performance at the Senate Judiciary Committee's Cavanaugh "Hearing"
92
@RLW
Re "Ms Linzy Graham": So you insult Graham by referring to him as female? How is that any different from Kevin Hart insulting people by calling them gay?
Especially when the problems with Grahan's performance had nothing whatsoever to do with gender.
What a study in contrast between Trump and Mueller. Trump flies off the handle with his explosive tweeting and making decisions on impulse while Mueller quietly, competently goes about his task of getting to the truth. I hope the selection of Barr results in allowing Mueller to see his investigation to completion. I feel as if I'm watching a film noir of good guys (Mueller and his team) vs bad guys (Manafort, Stone, Trump, et al)
45
I figured if it's Friday it's Muellerday. And it could be quite a weekend. For me the question is how obdurate (or shameless) the GOP can be when confronted with impeachable realities. We are being tested, but we ought to know what about by now.
29
I am surprised at how often folks worry about whether Manafort or others might be pardoned by Trump. Who cares? In fact a pardon might be the best thing for justice.
A pardon only benefits the one who is pardoned. I certainly don't care if Manafort is in jail. Although the thought is lovely, having Manafort, Kushner, Don, Jr. or any other conspirators in jail is unimportant. If and when convicted, Trump can pardon them all.
What we must remember is that Manafort cannot avoid testifying under oath even after a pardon. And he can no longer plead the 5th and avoid telling the truth, because he can no longer incriminate himself, as he has no jeopardy. This is true of all these low-life scoundrels.
Trump is the prize. Let him pardon to his heart's content and thereafter subpoena his pardonees and make them sing.
I only care about one person going to jail. The one with hair to match the uniform.
192
Skin tone to match the uniform*
7
@Barking Doggerel
It should be noted that a presidential pardon does not erase the conviction or the type of conviction, i.e., a felony. If a lawyer, for example, receives a pardon, his license to practice will still be revoked. And his credit report will still show a felony.
He just won't go to jail or if in jail, he will be released. The crime it self will haunt him for the rest of his life.
16
@Barking Doggerel
If pardoned, Manafort's biggest fear is that he would become a much easier target for Putin initiated hit. He knows too much.
18
What all this inevitably points to is a sprawling case being constructed against the Trump Crime Family, and Mueller sending very clear signals that cooperation is a better road than hoping for a pardon.
128
“It’s like, Jesus, take the wheel, but scarier.”
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2018/12/trump-white-house-has-no-plan-counter-mueller-report/577417/
The best one-line characterization I have seen anywhere of our current political situation as Trump and we head into the weekend.
22
DJT's orange makeup will be melting off his face while he frantically fires off tweets to discredit whatever comes out today and further con his base.
Another chapter in the reality show.
30
Manafort is a victim too. That tailor who charged him $4000 for that suit surely took him to the cleaners!
146
@Edward James Dunne
The suit came with 2 pairs of pants.
8
@Edward James Dunne - Cut him some slack already - the only way he could "press" it in his cell was under his mattress.
2
TGIF! It's Mueller Time!
32
New Headline: Trump Just Fell Out of His Highchair!
34
He's the goodest spellor evur
24
@kurt spellor evur? I didn't know he speaks Latin...
1
I have never seen a story in politics that grew and grew as it developed over the course of several years, without ever abating, that did not lead to a significant conclusion. Watergate is the obvious example, but there are others such as Iran-Contra and the Weapons of Mass Destruction Debacle that led to the Iraq war. This story is bigger than all three of these examples combined and it has never shown any signs of slowing down.
Mueller's investigation will have a ending. A big one. And though it may be many more years, and we may have to wait until the President leaves office before he faces the consequences of his treasonous corruption, but there will be come a time when Mueller's report sees the light of day, the truth is revealed, and we all know exactly what Donald Trump is. And exactly what the GOP has wrought on our nation.
1283
@P. McGee
Like climate change though, the GOP are betting they'll be retired or dead before the controversy matters. The new GOP will simply blame the old guard while they attempt to pillage in the same fashion. It's all a game of hot potato where no ever gets stuck with the bill.
231
Thank you.
28
@P. McGee -- the only person convicted of anything associated with the false creation of WMD "intelligence" was Scooter Libby. Cheney, Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz all didn't just walk ... they sauntered insouciantly.
I think the odds are very high here that DJT will "pull a Christie." He will rope-a-dope it out to the end of his term, as his underlings and toadies take the falls. It will be interesting to see if Donald Jr. gets indicted ... and I wonder if Manafort's odd behavior is associated with trying to protect Little Donnie?
86
a primary issue in today's world is when will the Republicans, if ever, put country first over party.
335
@sbanicki a primary issue in today's world is when will the Democrats, if ever, put country first over party. You should know that Sbanicki... you live in Michigan.
2
@sbanicki When desperate try anything until something works to your advantage.
1
I'm dreaming of an orange Jumpsuit Christmas.
Seriously.
206
@Phyliss Dalmatian
And if not that, wouldn't it be a great way to celebrate Washington's and Lincoln's Birthdays? Or MLK's?
29
@Phyliss Dalmatian
To match the hair
23
@Phyliss Dalmatian
If there was justice for all in this country, he would have been behind bars a long long time ago. How many millions has him and his family stolen?
1
And earlier this morning, the president announced two very important appointments: attorney general and United Nations ambassador.
It would seem that none of these two major, news-breaking personnel changes—they would be breathtakingly important in otherwise normal times—is just a weak attempt by Donald Trump to now, in the face of the relentless Robert Mueller activity, shift the country’s attention from the scandals that have tugged at the underpinnings of his misbegotten administration since before it began.
I suppose that the Republican rubber-stamp Senate will try to get the AG confirmed as soon as possible so he can move quickly to put the brakes on Mr. Mueller. Won’t happen. This is going to come to full term and Trump won’t love the monster that he’s brought forth.
We can already hear it growling, snarling and hissing.
115
@Red Sox, '04, '07, '13, ‘18, Yes it is slouching toward Mar-a-Bozo to be born. And I hope it breaths fire.
7
Trumps twitter account is about to go into warp drive mode.
76
Popcorn: popped.
Ready to watch the barrage of new revelations today about Manafort, Flynn, and Cohen.
If there's anything Bobby Three Sticks has shown in his deliberate, methodical, and calculating construction of his case against Trump, Pence, and DJT's family, it's patience and care as details are revealed, the onion is peeled, and the guilty are finally brought to justice.
And just one other thought, after reading about Trump's undocumented immigrant staff at Bedminster who got in trouble for not cleaning orange makeup from one of his shirt collars: Does that stuff wash out of orange prison jumpers?
335
Popcorn? As if this is a movie and 'Bobby Three Sticks' is a character? Of all things, could you get serious about this one?
12
@FWS
Yes, I worry about how the media and our addictions to 24-7 screens with thousands of glam commentators has turned government, a serious and important process, into entertainment.
What, after all, is media's role in keeping us engaged in stuff they sell? I am an avid reader of The Times, and grateful for its investigative work especially, but concerned about the entertainment factor....lions vs. Christians in the coliseum? Thrills, win-lose mentality or attention to the difficult work of governing? A serious matter.
14
@JCTeller
Just wait the best is yet to come.
Unfortunately I make light of what is unfortunately a serious defect of our current government.
18
Not much to chew on today as Special Counsel is not going to give Trump any crumbs. When you are up against a proven liar who has no shame, one has to be on their A game 24-7.
30
Manafort's conduct makes no sense unless he is hoping to obtain a pardon from it.
I find it unbelievable that Trump will pardon Manafort; what's in it for Trump ... unless Manafort has some remaining secret Trump needs to protect?
Who is bluffing here?
39
@Lee Harrison He cannot pardon Manafort unless he is an even bigger idiot than he has proved himself so far. If he does it is an article of impeachment all by itself, and then in 3 weeks the House can compel Manafort to testify and he cannot plead the Fifth because he cannot incriminate himself for things he has been pardoned.
Manafort is a fool. He is going to prison for life for literally no reason at all.
18
On a related note: no president who is under investestigation should be allowed to pardon anyone in his circle, his family, his business, his administration, or any affiliated with the crimes committed with or on behalf of that President.
16
@Lee Harrison
Unless the Supremes, in a case presently before them, tip over decades of precedent regarding application of the Double Jeopardy Clause of the Constitution (unlikely with their conservative bent towards 'states rights') , Manafort could get a pardon from the liar-in-chief, and still be looking at hard time in a NY and/or VA state prison, jurisdiction s over which the POTUS has no pardon power.
9
Manafort's adult life is one big lie. Now he'll spend the rest of it behind bars...the fruits of delusion.
36
@JayDawg -- there's more to the aftermath of his crimes than just that. Manafort's money laundering and tax fraud has implications for Manafort's wife, depending on whether they filed joint returns, and how their finances were commingled.
Usually the courts don't go after wives of tax-frauds, and usually they don't really go after the money either. In this case it gets considerably more interesting because she is an attorney, and some of the fraudulent documents presented in court bear her signature ... notably a $3.4 million mortgage loan that the two of them received. The prosecution's claim was that this defrauded the bank, and Manafort's conviction makes that a legal fact.
One should also remember that Mueller put Fastow's wife in jail too, in the Enron investigation. Lea Fastow was a financial officer of Enron, and plead guilty, so her situation is not exsactly analogous ... but it certainly shows Bobby Three Sticks is willing to play rough ... and if I were Kathleen Manafort I'd be worried now about what this will cost her.
11
@JayDawg If Manafort's life is one big lie, what can we say about Donald Trump?
5
@Lee Harrison: Assuming Mrs. M know where the bodies are buried, she might prove a flippable asset to save her own skin, understanding where her husband has erred. As a lawyer she knows full well what her exposure is here, I expect they are already in negotiations.
Tune into Rachel Maddow (MSNBC 9 pm ET weeknights) tonight for a full explanation of what these court papers mean to the best of the media's reportable knowledge.
The afternoon folk at MSNBC have done a remarkable job in reporting as soon as the "news" breaks on this kind of thing. Thanks to all of them for their help in letting us know the full story.
246
@njglea
Totally agree, Rachel is one of the best...i just wish trump's unhinged base would switch from their beloved faux news state propaganda, or relocate to Russia if it's even possible to be brainwashed even more.
Now we have Faux news talking all coveted WH positions, since they can't find any decent people to fill the jobs.
What a travesty!
17