Beyond the Justice Department, I presume the New York Attorney General is on this case--state tax evasion, at a minimum.
3
A good scenario for people who believe in government, rule of law, ethics, human dignity and honor will be if the various Trump criminal and civil investigations continue until the 2020 elections. This will give Trump's GOP supporters a couple of years to continue their attempts to defend the indefensible either overtly or by their silence.
As more damning facts come forward from the various investigations some may be able to use reason to recognize that supporting Trump was a mistake, while those who continue to support Trump will be exposed as either irredeemable no-nothings or as the corrupt frauds they are.
I'm all for giving Democrats, ex-Republicans, and Independents two years to expose the corruption of Trump and GOP Trumpism and see how much animus seeps into the body politic come voting time.
Given the breadth and depth of the corruption already reported in the media, the spotlight of federal, state and congressional investigations could likely be the end of the GOP in it's current incarnation as a viable political party.
And that my friend is reason to celebrate.
5
Trump has been laundering money for russian oligarchs for decades. Everybody knows. We are just waiting for our so called “justice” system to do something about it. Pretty hard to take our “justice” system seriously. Or America for that matter. Patriotic people make me laugh. Maybe Mueller can restore an ounce of dignity, but we shall see.
4
Individual-1 says Cohen should do hard time. Okay.
1
So, in the Trump organization "... that kind of work was generally performed with few, if any, questions asked...."
That statement only re-enforces the perception that Trump didn't even do the basic research on the job he was pursuing in 2015/2016. Did he actually think that what he got away with in a family-held business wouldn't be scrutinized when he ran for and won (by a minority of votes cast) the nation's highest office?
No wonder he is mad all the time. He didn't expect this and has never experienced this before. He can't pay Mueller to just go away. He can't settle out of court. And, he can't counter-sue. Age 72 is a little late to be learning how the real world works, Donald.
8
Hey, they tried. Apparently Mueller couldn't get anything on Trump, so he brakes into Trump's lawyer's office, finds some things to prosecute, though completely unrelated to Trump's investigation. Then, Muller uses these things to pressure Trump's lawyer to testify against his own client. It's the dawn of a new day in our democracy. If you have a lawyer representing you, beware of our new reality, thanks to Mueller and the swamp!
Heretofore when we heard of campaign law violations they were vast sums flowing to a candidate for influence, not largesse distributed by a candidate for any reason.
The paradox I see here in the complaints about Trump's pay-offs is that if a candidate receives free good publicity from a newspaper or TV channel and his campaign estimates the value at $120000 in advertising neither the candidate not the paper or TV have to declare the value of the good review as a contribution. So an undeclared $120000 for good publicity is fine, but to pay the same amount to avoid bad publicity is a felony.
Those who tried to impeach Clinton over sex looked silly and that hate clouded whatever judgement they had. I hope Mueller has some sense so he won't be the next Starr.
So this is all about getting Trump and his supporters. This investigation had zero to do with Russian "collusion", since collusion is not a crime. This is a special counsel with a target in mind who is searching for a crime.
The only people that Failed 45 can tolerate close to him are fellow felons. He cannot tolerate anyone that plays it straight and clean, as they are the most likely to disrupt his crimes or flip on him later.
4
The reflection in the window of Michael Cohen’s car is of 26 Federal Plaza, where Nixon had his office - after Watergate.
5
Trump dismissed the hush money payments as a “private business transaction”. Trouble is, that seems to cover an alarming number of his activities as President of the United States.
3
Trump is going to rue the day he thought it would be another notch on his belt to run for president. All of the heat Trump is feeling is because he can't refrain from Tweeting.Trump's business is now under the microscope. Trump is loathed in his home state and New York may be smelling blood in the water. Can Trump stand New York's Attorney General going through his books? I cannot imagine New Yorkers circling the wagons to protect Trump.
10
The fact is that Trump would have made those payments for the sake of not incurring the wrath of Melania and losing the respect of his children. There is zero doubt that even if he was 100% certain that he had no chance of winning the election he would have made those payments just the same. And this was since he was running for office those women would have had every incentive to make their stories known, and the media would have broadcast their stories for days on end.
In addition a candidate is allowed to spend as much as they want, as they are not contributing to the campaign, and are certainly not limited to $1200. Hillary spent tens of thousands (at least) on clothing to wear for the purpose of being able to get elected. And Trump spent hundreds of thousands on jet fuel to fly to his campaign rallies. And who doesn't remember Ross Perot who basically self funded his presidential run.
Federal prosecutors often file charges based on novel interpretations of the law and Cohen decided to plead guilty because he was facing very valid charges on many other matters.
However if these charges are ever brought against Trump, either in impeachment proceedings or if he doesn't get re elected he will argue that no crime was committed and he will clearly win.
1
@Michael Stavsen - Are you really equating pants suits with payoffs to porn stars?
5
It’s not that the payments were made. It’s how they were made.
2
There is a very important issue here that the NYT has continuously failed to address. And that is whether those hush money payments paid for by the candidate himself is a campaign contribution, and whether a candidate is limited to what he can spend to the paltry sum of less than $2000.
The fact that federal prosecutors charge that a certain act constituted a violation of a certain law in no way means that this is at all the case. They often do this with the full understanding that it may not be a crime, but its an argument they are ready to make.
Trump spent tens of thousands of dollars for each flight he took on his massive plane to go to campaign rallies, why is the money he paid for that not an illegal campaign contribution. For that matter Hillary spent tens of thousands on new clothing to look good for the purpose of getting elected.
And a "campaign contribution" means contributing money to the coffers of a campaign. And the reason there are laws about it is to limit influence. What a candidate spends on his own is not a "contribution" and it is beyond absurd to argue that the candidate cannot spend more than $1200 for the purpose of being able to get elected.
At a minimum the NYT should have addressed the issue and asked experts on the issue whether a crime was committed here as it does in just about every issue.
2
FYI: NYT has addressed this.
2
It seems the American and our allied intel services must have 2nd thoughts on supplying highly sensitive intel to Trump as he has passed on intel from Israel to the Russian ambassador and foreign secretary in the Oval Office. This was revealed by Russian fotogs not America media who were denied access. Since it was disclosed recent testimony by Cohen ,Trump's personal lawyer that he was negotiating with the Kremlin on a Trump Moscow Hotel that would bring hundreds of millions$ to the TRump organization if completed , the motive for Trump disclosing the names of allied spies in Russia for Putin's help when he leaves office. The next private meeting with between Trump and Putin should not be in alone the risk too high as Trump values money above all else and if he loses office why not make the money.
3
This all could have been stopped, likely very quickly, had the RNC required Trump (and all GOP candidates, for that matter) to release his tax returns as a prerequisite to accepting the party’s nomination.
Then again, when have Republicans ever held Trump accountable?
23
Almost comedy. They have nothing. Literally. I read comment and don't know what planet I am on. If Bill Clinton beat his case. This isn't even a parking ticket compared to that. Waiting to be convinced.
1
Perhaps turn off faux state tv and watch or read the news?
17
It's early Christmas morning and it's still dark outside. He wakes up, sits on the side of the bed, slowly rubs his eyes, coughs a couple of times, and reaches for his phone to send out a couple of tweets. Downstairs, he passes the Christmas tree, and sees a solitary, wrapped package. There is no label on it. He stares at it for a moment, trying to determine where it came from. He picks it up and slowly shakes it. The package feels light and theres is a soft rustling noise. Curious, he sits on the sofa, and begins to unwrap it. The box isn't taped. He rests it on his lap, and lifts up the lid. Thick tissue paper covers the contents, and as he removes it, an article of clothing is uncovered. It is bright orange in color. He pulls it out of the box, stands up and holds it out so he can see the full length of it. It is an XXL jumpsuit with a name tag sewn on to the left pocket which reads...'Trump - ' with a 5-digit serial number concatenated to the end of it. Confused, he looks it over but finds nothing else, until he sees a large front pocket in the front. He unzips it, and reaches in to pull out an envelope, addressed, simply, 'Individual 1-A'. Angrily dropping the jumpsuit on the floor, he rips open the envelope and jerks the card out. It reads: "I thought you might need this for those long, solitary nights ahead. Leavenworth can be pretty cold this time of year."
Merry Xmas,
Bob
In her bed, Melania suddenly jolts up to the sound of an angry, roaring howl.
11
With the obvious direction this is steering the future of all the Trump gang, it shows a distinct lack of vision on his part to not have converted one of his country clubs to one of those executive millionaire golf and tennis 'prisons' as of yet. He could actually get paid by the Feds for housing his entire group, including himself!
4
I hope Mr. Weisselberg gave the Prosecutors Trump's Tax returns.
13
@Jean
He didn't. It would be a crime for him to do so without Trump"s permission.
@GMooG : Mueller can ....subpoena them!
1
Illegal acts by Trump Inc will be his ultimate downfall. The Stormy payment is just an appetizer in a 7 course meal.
14
Trump and his family and his business have been RICO fodder for decades. Only when the dope decided to run for president did he invite the bright light of scrutiny. Here's hoping he gets what he deserves.
19
Michale Cohen did not plea guilty to paying hush money to influence an election; that’s not illegal. He pleaded guilty to making an “excessive campaign contribution” that exceeded the $2,700 limit on individual contributions. If he had paid Stormy Daniel $2,700 instead of $1300,000, he would not have been charged with making an election campaign finance violation.
It is highly unlikely the the Federal Election Commission, which has jurisdiction over election campaign finance violations, considers the hush money payments campaign contributions. The FEC has ruled that campaign contributions cannot be used for such things as hush money payments, which a candidate might pay even if he were not a candidate. According to various sources, Cohen made hush money payments for Trump long before he enter the political area. This is why he billed the Trump Corporation, not the Trump campaign, for reimbursement. The FEC has known about the hush money payments since November 2016, when they were reported by the Wall Street Journal, but hasn’t taken action against Cohen, Trump, the Trump Organization or the Trump campaign.
5
@William Case
Cohen's attorney said it best
"This is Michael fulfilling his promise made on July 2nd to put his family and country first and tell the truth about Donald Trump," said Davis. "Today he stood up and testified under oath that Donald Trump directed him to commit a crime by making payments to two women for the principal purpose of influencing an election. If those payments were a crime for Michael Cohen, then why wouldn't they be a crime for Donald Trump?”
7
@Martin
Cohen didn't testify that Trump directed him to commit a crime. He testified that Trump directed him to pay hush money to Stormy Daniels and persuade the National Inquirer not to publish Karen McDougal account of her affair with Donald Trump. Whether this constructed an illegal campaign contribution is a matter of dispute,. The FEC has known about i9t since November 2016 and has filed no charge against Cohen or Trump.
@Martin
Do you really think that Trump said,"Michale, I direct you to commit a crime by making payments to two women for the principle purpose of influencing an election"? You don't think the do you. Beside Cohen only paid Stormy Daniels. He did pay Karen McDougal. He persuade the publish of the National Inquirer not to publish her story, Paying hush money to influence an election is not illegal unless the payments are made out of campaign funds, Cohen's lawyer persuaded him to plea guilty to making and excessive campaign contribution because the prosecutors offered to reduce the sentences for more serious charges. Cohen pleaded guilty of paying more than $2,700, the legal limit for individuals. He did not plea guilty to paying hush money; that's not illegal.
For a president who consistently bends, breaks, and ignores uncodified rules of presidential behavior, conduct, and norms, surely the Special Counsel can think twice about its uncodified policy of not indicting a sitting president. Maybe not for campaign finance violations, but for the larger crimes of conspiracy against the United States that these recent sentencings hint at. Surely.
10
I hope they nail him to the wall. His whole life is one big lie. Wrapped in layers of lies. He is rotten to the core. He cheats steals and lies to cover up the dishonesty. There isnt a truthful bone in his body. He will destroy anyone and anything around him. I hope they uncover the magnitude of deception. And shine the light of truth on all his trickery. He should be impeached and thrown out of office. He is a disgrace to America.
43
@Charles
I agree with every word you've written, and I suspect that many of your fellow Americans agree with you. Unfortunately, even if the new House starts impeachment proceedings, the Senate will yawn and do diddly-squat.
7
In reference to Trump's illegal occupation of our White House, and in his own words:
“He lied for this outcome and should, in my opinion, serve a full and complete sentence.”
18
I hope they nail him to the wall. His whole life is one big lie wrapped in layers of smaller ones. He has never told the truth his entire life. He lies,cheats steals. He doesnt have a truthful bone in his body. He destroys anyone and anything that he encounters. I hope they uncover his deception with the light of truth. He should be impeached and thrown out of office. He is a disgrace to America.
11
How can a company legally make hush money payments for any person's personal benefit? That's like using company money to pay for someone's vacation or flying their mistress in for a get-together. When you pay an expense with company money that is with pre-tax dollars, presumably, if you call it a company expense.
4
@Tim The Trump Organization is a private company. DJT & Co are the shareholders and are not responsible to any outsiders.
The supposed indictment of Trump is a legal joke, and the prosecutors know it. It will be laughed out of court.
2
Yeah, but some jokes are always funny. Look how Nixon laughed, laughed and laughed.
12
@Martin Gray - It hasn't been laughed at yet.
It's so cute to see the Trumpists suddenly think they're legal experts.
21
Let's check back in after a few more months and see who is laughing.
14
I have not read recently any analysis or comment on the taped telephone calls that Cohen made of his conversations with or concerning Trump or Russia.
People forget that the attorney-client privilege does not cover communications in furtherance of criminal or fraudulent activity.
Thus, the taped conversations could have been the map to obtain documents. The conversations could also confirm Trump's complicity in the matters Mueller has under consideration.
I hope the NYT can find more information about what these tapes reveal.
9
I just thank God for Mueller...every day. Please protect him and protect our democracy.
22
@RP Democracy? The repubs are stripping the power of all the elected Dem candidates about to go into office, and they are doing it everywhere! That is NOT a democracy!
14
@RPI am a Canadian and I thank god for Mr. Mueller also.
3
Why Trump cannot be indicted is beyond me. Most of his days are spent watching FOX TV, tweeting, eating Mc Donald’s fries and hamburgers, holding rallies where he spews his lies or playing golf.
He can’t get legislation passed so he signs executive orders many of which are overturned or blocked by the courts.
Doesn’t seem to me he’s too busy to have to defend himself from criminal charges,
31
The Trump family business.
Now that is a truely rich target environment.
17
There is really no criminal case to be made against Trump on campaign finance violations. Even if you take it as a given that hush money payments are campaign contributions - which is highly suspect in itself - in order for Trump to have committed a crime, he would have to have known that such payments were campaign finance violations and still gone ahead with it. If Cohen has a recording of Trump saying such a thing then maybe there is a case. But so far, we have no evidence that Trump would have known that these were considered campaign contributions. After all, would it seem okay to a lay person to use campaign contributions/funds to pay off Stormy Daniels? Of course not. Perhaps Cohen, as a lawyer for a politician, should have known campaign finance law- but Trump? The campaign finance laws are by no means clear enough for this to be a given even for a lawyer. It is actually quite likely that it would have been illegal to USE campaign funds for hush money payments. Hush money payments are probably something Trump has done before he was a candidate - and American Media was definitely buying up such stories on a regular basis for a number of celebrities. So unless the hush money payments ONLY intent was to influence the campaign, there is not even a violation here. Cohen can plead guilty to a poorly written law but that doesn't mean anything for Trump.
2
Fill in the word: “ignorance of the law is no _________”
24
Watching you guys talk yourselves into these Klein-bottle logics is really hilarious. Right up there with watching monkeys try to build a quantum computer out of sticks, dung, bananas, and Legos.
5
The absurd rule that a sitting president cannot be indicted ultimately means that a presidential candidate is free to violate campaign finance laws, but only if he wins.
That notion gives Justice Department rules greater force than Congressionally enacted law. That cannot stand.
12
@JustinRemember that Mr. Trump did not think he was going to win and was himself shocked that he did.
1
Most Americans are getting really tired of this Mueller investigation and it's dominance in the news, 18 months worth. It has morphed from collusion to campaign financing to paying off prostitutes to Trumps tax returns...What's next..he didn't tip the waiter?
The Democrats are salivating waiting for Jan. so they can start impeachment proceedings. Meanwhile in the real America we are still at war in Afghanistan after 17 years, next year our deficit will be 1 trillion dollars and our national debt will be 22 trillion dollars. It is also estimated that the big 3, social security, medicare, and medicaid, will become insolvent by 2030. Climate change is effecting our civilization like never before including a rise in sea levels and effecting our food production, and has rendered homeless thousands of people due to storms and wild fires.
Is any of this of concern? Apparently not. Indicting Donald Trump and his cast of miscreants is far more important than any of these other mundane issues. Just to emphasize how ridicules all of these investigations really are the Office of the President has a term limit of 4 years so the electorate can vote him out in 2 more year and the totally honest and above board Democrats can take over. There is also an understanding in the justice dept. that a sitting president can not be indicted, besides a a man of his wealth and with his lawyers will eventually walk away from all this with a smile on his face.
3
I take it that you are by some enchantment unaware that Trump’s not even trying to get out of Afghanistan, doubled the deficit this last year, already added $3 tril to the national debt, and—together with McConnell—has already attacked your health care and has Medicare and SSI in the gunsights.
11
Ken Starr's investigated Bill Clinton for six years from Whitewater to Monica Lewinsky.
11
This American is decidedly NOT tired of the investigation.
10
Peggy Noonan summed it up over the weekend. Trump World cannot stand the light of day. It must operate in the shadows, under the rocks. If you lift a rock, all you see is dirt, slime, and decay. This is Trump World. It will all come out, just as it did in Nixon World. It remains to be seen where individual Republicans in Congress and across the country will be standing in history...in the light or under the rocks. I think it’s time to choose.
25
No matter what Trump has done, he will never go to jail. President Pence (shudder) will pardon him.
2
@Susan
Pence may pardon him, but Pence has no swing when it comes to state laws... and you can bet NY will be coming after him.
5
Trump & his crime syndicate are, through their doings and self-inflicted undoing(s), a source of endless mirth and hilarity to millions of Americans. His interminable twittering, his ceaseless lying give the huddled American masses a chance to enjoy a show more entertaining than even Fox (Fake?) news. As America becomes progressively poorer, we do need more free entertainment.
There is a good chance that the huddled masses will vote for second term for Mr MAGAAA (Make America Grate Again And Again). For he makes us LAUGH.
5
Given the increasing number of revelations of gross malfeasance of the trump administration the one 'stick in the mud' is senate majority leader McConnell. Where is this man's spine? All you have to do to see where his priorities lie is glance at the statistics about the state he has helped govern since the mid-1980s. By any measure, Kentucky is a mess*. It is poor, unhealthy, under-employed, non-competitive, poorly educated, addicted, and despairing. While Mitch has been off playing tactician, his state has continued to sink. McConnell is a heartless, cold, ruthless man who is out for himself.
.........................................
* Kentucky:
/ #46 in Educational attainment..
/ #46 in Poverty.
/ #43 in Employment.
/ #43 in Medicare quality.
But #1 in obstructionist politicians.
33
The one good thing about the ideological purity demanded by the Fox News/Koch crowd is that for the past 30 years or so, the right's ability to debate with facts or to even lie convincingly have atrophied beyond belief because of the fox, rush, clear channel, sinclaire broadcasting junkfood they eat daily.
Their reasoning ability has atrophied so badly, in fact, that when kellyanne used the term "Alternative Facts", the mensa members on the right thought it was a perfectly logical statement.
9
@Victorious Yankee. Sorry, but victorious, superior and presumably spectacularly arrogant Yankees would not know a fact if it smacked them in the face. Hillary’s lawyers and the DNC paid a non-citizen to work with Russians to dig up dirt on Trump for the 2016 election. That is a fact, unlike the Russian collusion the left believes in. Fox News is more than Sean Hannity like CNN is more than dandy Don Lemon and could he be a Dem (?) Cuomo. Bret Baier has more integrity than the entire Morning Joe group.
1
Actually the Republicans started the inquiry you referred to. The dems did not pay Steele as you accuse. And tell us, what part of the dossier has been misproven?
8
I thought it was truly charming of you to throw a backhand gay slur Don Lemon’s way, though describing a guy born in Baton Rouge and educated at LSU as an effete yankee snob was really a bit much. Especially given that Hannity’s was born and raised in NYC, before he moved to plain-folks Santa Barbara to seek his fortune as a house painter.
7
it's all coming down..I wonder if Trump buys his Depends in bulk now?
7
All my years....the "Russian Bear".....hostile to our nation. And then, at lat count 16 people in the Trump orbit having contact with the Russians. And Trump,upon winning the Presidency, meets with them in The Oval Office--no U.S.cameras allowed in, only Russian media. Adding, quite insulting to our patriotic(that's why they're there) intelligence agencies who all said the Russian Bear messed with our election. Stupefying.
9
Nobody is willing to go after Trump in the way they would if, for instance, he was an illegal immigrant that got caught with a lapsed car registration. Since he wasn't photographed personally handing the money to these women, he will get off Scott free.
1
Donald has been committing crimes for decades; now on a mega scale. Jail time should be appropriate. Ray Sipe
7
So far we are a long, long way from the left’s relentless accusations of “Russian collusion that impacted the election.” If Mueller and his team of Trump haters had spent 2 years investigating the business dealings of almost any other heterosexual, male, New York real estate developer—or anyone else for that matter, they would find something to prosecute.
1
Meanwhile back at the ranch in the US the EPA is being gutted, the CFPB is being dismantled, Dodd–Frank is being compromised, the deficit is going through the roof, huge chunks of public lands are being sold off, world free trade is being seriously assailed, the justice department is being revamped with a slew of GOP biased appointees, and all while the FBI is being disemboweled.
22
It’s possible that the southern New York prosecutors have been wanting to indict the Donald for many years over criminal activity related to his business but just couldn’t until now. Ironic.
5
Jared Kushner's family investment in 666 5th Avenue was bailed up by Brookfield Partners to tune of $1.1 Billion on August 3. 2018. Property was in risk of default. The major investor in Brookfield is Qatar. Today, there is a summit in middle east, where the US is urging Saudia Arabia (MBS) to reduce tensions between the two countries.
Follow the money.
14
@Sam Remember when Trump sided with the Saudi's in criticizing Qatar of harboring terrorists and threatening a blockade? Right before the Kushner loan was funded.
Then Qatar became our friends again.
2
Follow the scent of the tax returns. Tax avoidance and money laundering was what Al Capone was booked on, the "small hands" analogy notwithstanding.
8
The Trump Organization's C.F.O., Allen Weisselberg, is a cooperating witness and has full immunity. He surely knows of all the nefarious financial dealings and criminal activity that the Trump family has engaged in through the years.
Regardless of the details of how Trump and his campaign conspired with the Russian government to win the election, Donald Trump and his crime family are in deep trouble.
10
Now I understaandwhat someone had in mind when the phrase '...like watching a car wreck in slow motion...' was coined. Each roll down the steep, long embankment is the discovery of another legal breach; each part flying off into the distance is another co-conspirator headed to prison; each nauseating, ear-splitting thud is the discovery of yet another guilty party...and when the smoking, battered hulk finally comes to rest...the ensuing flames will signal the final political demise of Individual-1.
7
This is a disgrace and a scandal, and Democrats will pay for it, big time.
1
I wonder why I am reminded of good old Daffy standing up, stiffly erect and faintly smouldering, extending one feathered finger to the skies, and spluttering...
“Of course you realize...this means WAR!!!”
5
What happened to the Russia investigation? Trump no saint, but we voted against Hillary ............................
2
...Clinton received three million more votes, so, no, we didn't vote for Trump.
15
@Bar tennant - Yep, and look how well that worked out for you.
5
@te. Yes and they were all from California, the land of the illegals. Under the law, which the left so despises, Trump won.
1
Mind-blurring tale of filth. President Dirt occupies the White House nonetheless. A blight on our nation.
22
Not to mention the emoluments clause!!!!!
21
And when do federal & state prosecutors expect to be "done" with that? It's hard to reach the bottom when there isn't one.
13
1. Hey, he only broke the law a LITTLE.
2. Anyway, he probably just broke the law to protect his family.
3. Come ON, Trump-haters—Trump’s got nothing to do with his personal lawyer, campaign manager, NSC head, and that passel of staffers.
4. Come on, already...everybody whips up a bunch of dummy corporations and financial cut-outs to hide their innocent stuff.
5. It’s not like Trump massively lied to ME...well, okay, he did, but I’m cool with it because judges and anyway Uranium One.
6. Just because 29 Putinoids got indicted for messing with our election, it’s not like that matters.
7. Obama got fined for campaign contributions, who cares if his campaign immediately fessed up and paid up.
8. Anyway I really hate Hillary and you should too.
9. I find that if I squeeze my eyes tight shut, I can’t see Trump’s entanglement with pretty much every moneyed thug on the planet.
10. My spirit guide, Karnak, assures me that Mr. Trump’s heart is pure and he never did nothing wrong, okay?
40
The porn star hush money payments were revealed. Just askin'....wasn't some guy involved in bringing in Bill Clinton's female accusers to the front row of a Democratic/Republican Presidential Debate. Looks kinda degrading to me. But the revelations do rekindle my sense there is some karma in the world.
18
Business insiders like Pres. Trump don't pay their own personal money for things -- they have their companies pay for them ("skimming").
6
Anyone who is a lawyer should know how to legally pay off a couple of women who want money to be quiet before an election. Trump is not responsible for any of the actions Cohen may have done illegally. Nobody forced Cohen to break the law, if it was broken in the first place. If asked to break a law, Cohen, by oath, must decline. Saying Trump made him do it is no defense. It should not be used as as a basis to implicate Trump. Cohen should be considered a lousy lawyer, not a witness to a supposed crime.
6
No matter the outcome with regard to President Trump, in my opinion, the entire Republican Party has been exposed. America will hopefully be wise enough to recognize the condition of government before them and vote to return America to at least something which can actually function for all the people.
21
PLEASE...ALL interviews & questioning of trump, his family, cabinet, advisors, staff, GOP, PR cheerleaders...UNDER OATH.
23
All red blooded Americans are praying nightly that this nightmare ends and Trump and his children are led away in handcuffs. Each and everyone of them is guilty of crimes against humanity. Add Steve Miller and Steve Bannon to the list as well.
Americans are sick to death of the corruption coming out of the White House.
31
Comments reveal many readers mistakingly believe Michael Cohen pleaded guilty to making hush money payments to influence an election, but he did no such thing. He pleaded guilty tp making a campaign contribution in excess of the $2,700 limit on individual contributions and to “causing” a corporation to make an illegal campaign contribution. There is nothing illegal about making hush money payments to influence an election, as long as the expenditures don’t exceed FECA limits.
3
Nice try, but about three inches straight to the left of your oddish comment is a clear explanation that Cohen admitted that the payouts were aimed at influencing the election, and carried out at Trump’s behest, and paid for by Trump.
19
He did other illegal things as well.
10
@Robert
Paying hush money to influence elections isn't legal unless they are made out of campaign contributions. Trump did not pay Cohen out of campaign contributions. Trump paid out of Trump Organization coffers because the FECe has ruled that campaign contributions cannot be used for such purposes.
Prosecutors may be done with Michael Cohen but they are not done with the investigation of the coordination of political activities between the Trump campaign and foreign officials. Today's article about Nigel Farage in The Times excludes any discussion of Farage's Brexit communications with Russian officials as reported by other news organizations.
4
You can bet that anyone who ever did business with the Trump organization for any reason in in touch work their lawyers today.
8
i have a novel idea of what to sentence these miscreants to when the felony merry-go-round stops; in lieu of sentencing Jr and Javanka make them live for duration of the sentence like average Americans.
their "sentence" would be to (a) limit W-2 income of the avg working person, ie about $50k for duration of the sentence (b) live in a house worth no more than average of the county where they would normally be imprisoned and eat, live etc on federal tax dime. fit them with tracking ankle bracelets, no choice of color, and use federal marshals to ensure they sleep at their average house every night. lastly, make their "job" for duration of their sentences social service; force them to work 40hrs a week in the neighborhoods of the unwashed they so revile and think themselves better than. a few might change; the trumps, nah!
I heard Ken Feinberg, 9/11 victims fund administrator's sad story about the stockbrokers, lawyers and management muckety-mucks during settlement, the only thing mattered to them was the size of their W-2s. it mattered more than their friends, family, faith, neighborhood and yes, even their children. a W-2 was the sole lens they viewed their entire selves thru. imagine someone like Cohen, Manafort etc who thinks large paychecks mean they're a "good" person. thats a textbook definition of mental illness if I ever heard one. so here's how to make them grasp reality and save taxpayers a whole bunch.
when Feinberg proposed a $6M settlement to a widow used to
5
If you want true punishment, without imprisonment than let's just RICO everything that crime family owns.
8
Mueller need to see trumps tax returns and banking information and it will be all over for the con don.
10
The Justice Department's prevailing view that "a sitting president cannot be indicted" is really just a "norm". Since the sitting President is braking most DOJ "norms", or at least not honoring them, why should the DOJ honor the "sitting president cannot be indicted" "norm"? Trump is breaking the "norms", let's break the "norm"!
11
what is the commentary on people like michael cohen and paul manafort who are more afraid of what the mob - american and/or russian - will do to each of them and their families than they are willing to stand up with whatever honor they have left to admit their crimes and take the punishment that comes in a country of laws?
they are fortunate to have the opportunity to come clean and potentially to protect the country by naming those who directed or were otherwise involved in these crimes, but the alternative consequences must look even worse.
maybe trump, putin, mbs, and others have a james bond enemy-like SPECTRE organization that operates without concern for the law. it sounds outrageous, but it doesn't seem to be out of the question.
2
A message for Andrew Kelly, the photographer: great image. Seems to underscore the story of Cohen, still not completely uncovered.
9
It appears that Cohen is willing to give up the goods on Trump but not his close mob connections in NYC, hence the two separate sentencing recommendations -- leniency from Mueller and max jail time from the NY AG.
Suppose Cohen was sent to work for Trump by the Russian mob way back in 2007. Part of his job would have been to get kompromat on Trump in order to have leverage on him. It would have made perfect sense for him to secretly record their conversations.
There are a few good possibilities why the Russians give up Trump and his family. 1) Trump did not completely fulfill his end of the bargain 2) In spite of 1 They have already gotten much more than they ever hoped possible 3) They know that's Trump's demise is imminent with or without their help and want to send a message to current and future puppets -- we have the goods and we will use them.
If my theory is correct, look for Butina do the same -- give up the NRA while protecting low-level Russian mobsters working in the US.
4
@Vickie ...The Southern District of New York is a federal agency. The Attorney General of New York did not file the sentencing recommendations on Cohen. Given that, your theory makes perfect sense.
Let's face it. Donald Trump is above the law. Any other person or for that matter any other president would have been impeached and indicted by now. The justice department rulings do not take precedent over the constitution except in the case of Trump. There has never been a president including Nixon who has undermined American democracy like Trump. That alone should give the DOJ reason to change its ruling that a sitting president can't be indicted.
11
Michael Cohen pleaded guilty to making a campaign contribution in excess of the $2,700 limit for individuals. However, Trump could not be charged with making an excessive contribution to his own campaign. According to the Federal Election Commission, “When candidates use their personal funds for campaign purposes, they are making contributions to their campaigns. Unlike other contributions, candidate contributions are not subject to any limits.”
However, the FEC points out that candidate contributions must be reported. So Trump could be fined from not reporting the money he paid to Michael Cohen to reimburse him for the $150,000 payments made to Karen McDougal and the $130,000 paid to Stormy Daniels as campaign contributions. The fine would be a fraction of the total paid to Cohen.
However, the the FEC is unlikely to agree with the U.S. Attorney General for the Southern District of New York that the hush money payments qualify as campaign contribution. It has known about the payments since November 2016, when the Wall Street Journal broke the story, but has lodged no charges against Trump or the Trump campaign.
2
Don't worry, there will be other charges
11
@William Case
Cohen's attorney said it best
"This is Michael fulfilling his promise made on July 2nd to put his family and country first and tell the truth about Donald Trump," said Davis. "Today he stood up and testified under oath that Donald Trump directed him to commit a crime by making payments to two women for the principal purpose of influencing an election. If those payments were a crime for Michael Cohen, then why wouldn't they be a crime for Donald Trump?”
6
How could gong after the President's family ever be interpreted as a politically motivated witch hunt ?
If by "gong after" you mean investigating and prosecuting crimes that the Trump family committed I agree with you that you would not call it a witch hunt. Just good old investigating and prosecuting.
10
Why should the DOJ adhere to the norm of not indicting a sitting president when the Congress, with the constitutional obligation to be a check on the executive has abdicated responsibility? Both Trump and the Senate under McConnell (long before Trump) have violated all manner of norms to an outrageous extent.
On top of that, if the President's crimes include fraud in obtaining office, it makes no sense to allow him to finish his term. If the Senate won't hold him accountable, the DOJ must.
9
The irony here is that Trump has been a shady operator and conman all his life but it was his foray into politics that is leading to the unraveling of his dishonest ways. By putting himself on the most visible stage in the world, the presidency, he opened himself up to scrutiny that he never would have had if he stayed put in Trump Tower. His hubris is going to lead to his downfall. I suspect that all those Republicans who tied their boats to his ship are soon going to be singing a different tune. If Trump is not impeached, the Republicans have a real problem on their hands in 2020.
19
@Scott Werden
Hubris is the operative word regarding all things Trump.
Of all his many monumental faults, Sin of Pride tops the list.
3
Campaign finance law is a fraught legal topic that has become so dauntingly complex that only those well-advised by skilled lawyers dare to go where angels fear to tread. Did Trump make these payments to spare himself and his family the embarrassment of these disclosures, or to cover this up to win an election everyone - such as the Times, and even Trump - was predicting with certainty he would lose? Or both? And if both, then what portion of this was an election law offense (which could be a civil or criminal offense, or both), and what was not? This news analysis (and others) avoids these questions, but they are the elephants in the room - a lot of elephants, a small room.
2
Beyond the fact that Cohen was explicit about why he conveyed the money, how he conveyed the money, how he got paid back and more, and who was directing him through all this, pretty much every single news story on this that I’ve heard has said that it may be difficult to go to court and prove Trump’s motives. And mentioned John Edwards.
And then they said that right now, it’s more a political case than a legal one, where these two felonies from Trump are concerned.
So your argument is really that yeah, Trump cheated on his latest wife a buncha times, then went to long and tangled lengths to hide what he was doing, then lied about the whole shebang a bunch more times, and that’s just fine by you?
3
The notion that a "sitting president" will not be indicted, will not withstand a charge of treason, as this treason is continuing and our national security is undermined. No one in their right mind will say 'yeah Trump is committing treason in conspiracy with Russia, but there is nothing the criminal justice system can do because he is a "sitting president"'! Our legal system is quite able to adjust to situations that, though quite unprecedented, place the country in peril.
PROSECUTE RUSSIAGATE!
13
Unfortunately, MAGATS will blame everyone but themselves for the crime family that is now occupying the White House. In fact, they will insist that crime is not crime.
Will we ever be able to remove the stench, once Trump and his administration are finally gone?
Quality nations have quality citizens. I guess that's why this nation is sinking. Sad.
12
Trump thinks Cohen should serve the whole sentence for lying to Congress and paying off the women he (Trump) had affairs with?
Meanwhile Flynn who acted on behalf of Trump (in the grand scheme of things) things) did far worse and is given no time. What is wrong with this picture?
Trump is a self-serving kingpin and for him Cohen is just collateral damage for daring to come clean. None of Trump's underlings acted alone or without his direction and knowledge. Indeed it is Trump the "leader" of the Trump organization who runs the show and is at the center of all of this corruption. Trump should be serving time with the rest of the cast of sleazy characters.
9
Our Oracle President: he is always talking about himself, only inside out, especially when he talks about others:
He said there was a rigged election.
He said there would be a Constitutional crisis.
Make it three for three with the Lock Somebody Up chant.
and finally "No Collusion" of course.
It's always Opposite Day in Trumpland.
14
please investigate Kushner & Ivanka, Don Jr & Eric! Trump crime family!
19
@DR_GRANNY
As crime families go, The Sopranos were a lot more fun. And they ate better food.
1
I do not believe Trump would have won the election if the American people had a chance to hear Ms. Daniels and Ms McDougal's testimonies about their affairs with the candidate for the presidency. They intended to speak right after the "grab 'em by the . . . " tape came out. Cohen and Trump paid for the women's silence, because their testimony would have been the final lewd straw to cause the Trump campaign to fold, and Trump, et al knew it, hence the payments.
12
I have got to say that with all the crazy stuff that's going on, I miss Roseanne Rosannadanna. Her levity would fit in so nicely.
8
Not easy to laugh while reading this stuff, but just did! Thanks!
3
It appears that there is an allegation of an illegal scheme to silence two women who claimed they had affairs with Mr. Trump. The claimed campaign finance law violation was that those unreported payments out of personal funds were made to influence an election.
But imagine if, instead, at Trump's direction, campaign contributions were the source of the hush money. Would that then have avoided the illegality? Imagine the popular and legal reactions that would arise if campaign contributions were so used.
Say a candidate for the Presidency spent money to improve their electability on: (a) cosmetic surgery; (b) commissioning someone to write a narrative about an aspect of the candidate’s life; (c) making a contribution to some interest group; (d) hiring a consultant to improve the candidate’s knowledge on some public policy topic or on the candidate’s presentation performance. Which of these would be deemed illegal if paid for from the candidate’s personal funds and be an impeachable offense?
Reductio ad absurdum
3
Nice try, but Trump and Cohen blew straight through the contribution limits at about Mach 1, created a massive tangle of financial cutouts to hide the sonic boom, and then massively lied to Congress and the FBI about the whole shebang.
4
The US Department of Justice needs to indict trump. The rationale to not to indict a sitting president is based upon an internal department policy not any law. The hiring of Whitaker vice Rosenstein as Acting AG violated an internal DOJ policy that noted Rod Rosenstein should have been appointed Acting AG and obliterated any pretense that DOJ policies and regulations are sacrosanct.
Consequently, using this same thought process, the president can and should be indicted.
5
I understand that "the prevailing view at the Justice Department is that a sitting president cannot be indicted", but how does DOJ reconcile the clear logical flaw in this view: a country in which felons cannot vote, but in which a felon can be President?
10
There’s no Federal law says felons can’t vote; they’re State laws, and anyway not being able to vote in an election doesn’t necessarily mean that you can’t be elected.
Trump told Cohen to arrange the hush money payments, but he did not direct Cohen to commit campaign finance violations. The Federal Election Commission, which has jurisdiction over campaign finance violations, has known about the hush money payments since November 2016, when the Wall Street Journal bake the story, but has filed no charges against Cohen, Trump, the Trump Organization or the Trump campaign. The probable reason is that the FEC doesn't consider the hush money payments campaign finance violations since they were made out of campaign donations.
The U.S. Attorney General for the Southern District of New York offered Cohen a reduced sentence on more serious charges if he agreed to plead guilty to campaign finance violations. Cohen guilty plea doesn't prove the hush money payments were campaign finance violations. It proves Cohen would rather spend less time behind bars.
@William Case, your devotion to an obviously losing cause became tiresome weeks ago. You have no reason to infer approval from the FEC's inaction, and more importantly, your paraphrase of the crime in which Trump seems to be involved is misleading. The memo doesn't say that Trump directed Cohen to "commit campaign finance violations." It says that Trump directed Cohen and coordinated with him as he "acted with the intent to influence" the election. Trump won't be able to plead ignorance.
6
@Dubious
Paying hush money to influence elections isn't illegal. Cohen was not charged for making hush money payments. He was charged with making a campaign contribution in excess of the $2,700 limit for individuals. Trump cannot be charged with making an excessive contribution to his own campaign. There is no limit on the amount a candidate can contribute to their on campaign.
For openers, you just said that Trump probably committed a felony: that’s generally what it’s called when you direct somebody to break the law, then go to considerable, convoluted lengths to conceal what you’re doing.
Otherwise, let me praise your psychic powers. It’s pretty impressive, seeing somebody read minds and witness events at which they were not present.
3
Here is the real smoking gun, ladies and gentlemen:
"Last month, Mr. Cohen unexpectedly struck a plea deal with Mr. Mueller over a new charge that he lied to Congress about plans to build a Trump Tower in Moscow during the 2016 presidential campaign."
News also reported that The Con Don was working with Putin in 2015 and that The Con Don was going to give Putin a $5 million plus suite in the tower.
It's not "collusion". Collusion is not a crime. It's corruption - plain and simple. When OUR hired/elected Socially Conscious Women and men take control of OUR U.S. House in January we will see some real investigations. Knowledgeable people who will head committees know just where the bodies are buried and will shine bright light on them.
It's up to WE THE PEOPLE to keep the pressure on until the Robber Barons are purged from OUR U.S. and state/local governments.
7
@njglea
Make that a $50 million penthouse suite in the Moscow tower. That's not small potatoes.
1
How could it possibly be that for 1 1/2 years the NYTs every day on their front page were reporting Trump Russia collusion and there is none and never was. This is where the term "Fake News" comes from.
@P McGrath
Discerning truth from fiction is slow work. Investigations can take several years before bearing fruit or, like EmailGate and BengazhiGate, are deemed fruitless and abandoned. This investigation is turning up lots of crimes committed, and is well worth the effort to remove corruption from our government.
14
First. Wow where to start. It is not “fake news” that there is an investigation. There is public evidence that demonstrates at least smoke. The investigation is ongoing.
The only evidence we have that there is no collusion comes from Trump’s twitter rants. His truthfulness index is subterranean
And the term “fake news” seems to come from the fact that inauguration crowd size was smaller than Obama’s.
The strategy of fake news comes right out of fascistic playbooks, and involves exactly the types of tactics being used by this administration.
The right to a free press is embedded as the FIRST amendment to the constitution.
And yet you suggest “nothing to see here”, move along
This places you into the realm of people who put party over country.
Truly deplorable.
15
@P McGrath Do you have some inside information about Trump? You say there was never any collusion,how do you know? As to the "fake news" that's Trump's wishful thinking. How do you explain that ALL his staff lied about their connections?
13
Where's the Russian collusion though?
This is going to pan out just like the Clinton investigation on Whitewater... all we're going to end up with is a stain on a blue dress.
What a waste of the tax payers money.
1
So all other criminal activities are fine with you yes? You can live with that? The initial investigation was charged with investigation Russian collusion and anything else that was discovered during the process.
Imagine any other politician with the level of egregious and potentially criminal activity that our current office holder has. Would you be saying the same thing?
12
Great! Please provide your evidence to the OSC and save us all time and money. Easy, no?
4
@Dsmith
The only charge and conviction of Turmp thus far is by you and the media.
Unfortunately for you that doesn't hold water within our legal system
Just think: we haven't even seen his tax returns yet!
11
Why not indict a sitting President? We indict s, governors, state legislators, city councilpersons, etc. This means that Presidents, despite the pious rhetoric, ARE above the law.
12
Where is the so called precedent that a sitting President cannot be indicted? Which previous President was a criminal participant who had a delayed indictment? Nixon was the only one who came close to an indictment, but he resigned before it could be filed to avoid impeachment. Then he was pardoned and could not be indicted.
If it's an established democratic principle that no one is above the law, it would make sense that when there is sufficient evidence of a crime that would likely result in a guilty verdict, there is no provision in the Constitution that prohibits an indictment. If Trump shot someone in the middle of 5th Avenue, would this so called precedent prevent indicting him? Inquiring minds want to know.
10
Did not know non-disclosure legal agreements are now illegal. Sure he didn't want the public to know about them but even more sure he didn't want Melanie to know about them. At most it's a campaign violation sure nothing criminal right?. Didn't Obama get fined some $500,000 for some unknown campaign violation also?. Btw Hillary financing the DNC is not a campaign violation?.
@Larry It's one thing to be fined ,it's another to commit fraud which is what Trump appears to have done. If the campaign violation was as you say "unknown" why was there a fine? There is no evidence Hillary financed the DNC. Why would she do that?
4
@John Lusk:From NPR -Brazile took over the DNC as interim chair following Debbie Wasserman Schultz's sudden resignation during the Democratic National Convention. Once she was at the party's helm, Brazile wrote that she discovered an agreement that "specified that in exchange for raising money and investing in the DNC, Hillary would control the party's finances, strategy, and all the money raised. Her campaign had the right of refusal of who would be the party communications director, and it would make final decisions on all the other staff."
Book Reveals Clinton Campaign Effectively Controlled DNC As Early As 2015
THE TWO-WAY
Book Reveals Clinton Campaign Effectively Controlled DNC As Early As 2015
This agreement has been seized on by everyone from President Trump to Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren as proof that the DNC "rigged" the 2016 primary for Clinton.
As with every crime family, the investigation really begins when they Follow the Money.
10
Trump does not deserve the honor of the title "President of the United States" due to his many and easy to prove "high crimes and misdemeanors." He needs to be impeached, even though his pack of sycophants in the Senate probably would not convict, if for no other reason than that his name would always have an asterisk next to it saying "Impeached."
4
The Democrats are rightly calculated in not wanting impeachment.
If Trump were impeached, there is a good chance that the GOP would throw toxic Trump over and install Pence for the remainder of Trump's term so that pastor Pence would be an incumbent president for the 2020 election, the GOP would have a much better chance of election in 2020.
Hopefully, we will soon learn that Pence (leader of the transition team) KNEW about the conspiracy with the Russians, so Pence could not ascend to the presidency - Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi would become president! Now, THAT would be delicious schadenfreude!
Oh, happy day!
17
The firing of FBI director Comey in May 2017 indicated that Trump was desperate to hide something -- something embarrassing/criminal. Since then, it's just been a case of getting to the details. Mueller is getting to them, even though Trump is not cooperating, i.e. refusing to be interviewed (he had said he would like to be interviewed by Mueller [Lie #2657]).
Can we take Trump's word? Like saying he knew nothing of the payment to Stormy, when Cohen has him on tape discussing the payment? He also says 'no collusion' every other day. Yeah, sure. Tell that to Mueller.
7
Tip of the iceberg. There is so much corruption here it is hard to fathom and we are all slowing growing numb to scandal and lies. We must remind ourselves every day that this is not normal. GOP, please stop listening to his lies and alternate narratives. Speak out...save us from this infestation of corruption, or you will not like your place in the history books.
3
Three things are clear at this point. This "Russia Collusion" investigation has no limits and will never end. Under no circumstances make a plea arrangement with Mueller's team, because they will use you and welch on their end of he arrangement. And last, the NYT's has already convicted Trump and his companies of "crimes"!
So much glee at being hateful. "I fear the Court has permanently encumbered the Republic with an institution that will do it great harm." SCJ Scalia. Sole descent on up holding Special Counsel appointment. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morrison_v._Olson
Looks like we have a fourth are of government.
Surely to God the writing is on the wall by now. Anyone who does not realize that none of these crimes does not have Individual 1-A at the very heart of all this insanity needs their head read. Trump is destined to join Tricky Dicky Nixon as a national disgrace to the White House and the American People. I can only say that as a Canadian it has been a horror show watching such blatant abuse of power by such a conflicted and morally corrupted individual for 2 long years now. I can only imagine what Americans; excluding his deluded base; have been going through. Thank God for Mueller.
371
@Greg Hodges You can hardly imagine how horribly sick we feel down here. The man is grotesque beyond measure.
58
@Greg Hodges
Trump seems to have managed, through the sheer prolificity of his malfeasance and untruthfulness, to create a new and lower standard for presidents. We can only hope it does not survive his term. There is no president in living memory who would not have been forced out of office before the present sorry state of affairs.
43
@Greg Hodges
There is nothing illegal about making hush money payments to influence an election, as long as the expenditures don’t exceed the FECA limit, which is $2,700 for individuals. Cohen pleaded guilty to making a campaign contribution in excess of the $2,700 limit. However, there are no limits on the amount a candidate can contribute to their own campaign. So Trump cannot be charged with making an excessive campaign contribution.
5
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York added the illegal campaign contribution charges to the Cohen plea bargain agreement knowing Cohen would confess to them to reduce his jail time on the more serious charges. However, the Federal Election Commission—not the Southern District of New York—has jurisdiction over campaign finance violations. The FEC has known about the hush money payments since November 2016, when the Wall Street Journal first reported that Donald Trump orchestrated the payments, but it hasn’t charged the Trump or the Trump campaign with any campaign finance violations. The probable reason is that the FEC disagrees that the hush money payments were illegal campaign contributions. The Cohen sentencing document shows none of the hush money was paid out of Trump campaign contributions. Cohen billed the Trump Organization, not the Trump campaign, for reimbursement.
William, if the FEC's jurisdiction over campaign finance violations is entirely exclusive as you seem to imagine it to be, then why is Cohen in any trouble with the SDNY on that count? Why in the world are federal prosecutors so bold as to enforce federal law? Could the answer be found in "Federal Prosecution of Election Offenses," Eighth Edition (December 2017)?
4
It must be so disappointing, absent the thrill of the hunt and the chase to doom our elected President's first term, to pin one's hopes for nailing President Trump on the "word" of a lying lawyer.
The other challenge here is to try to unravel how the politically biased SDNY scavengers possibly found any campaign finance morsels on this rotting carcass that is their "case".
Now they'll try to feast on the other family members. How decent and ethical.
Because our elected president has never lied
@JBC - That's actually some desperate cherry-picking on your part. Cohen is only the first witness, and the campaign contributions are just issue #1. Let's hear more about the Moscow real estate, DT Jr.'s dalliance with a hostile foreign power for campaign advantage (definitely illegal and probably directed by pops), Roger Stone's apparent psychic abilities, etc.
A bit puzzled by the last two bizarre sentences. Investigating potential criminal activity, even by family members of the primary suspect, is hardly "feasting"? And competent lawyering based on logic, evidence, and due process is typically considered "decent and ethical" -- words not applicable to the racist, misogynist, proudly ignorant, self-dealing vulgarian currently besmirching the White House.
1
American has free and fair elections, so long as the right candidate wins; if the wrong candidate wins, then everything about them, their associates, and their family is investigated.
The Clintons were never investigated by anyone, were they? You regularly win the competition for most biased hyper-partisan of the day.
10
In other words, "Why should you go to jail for a crime that SOMEONE ELSE saw you commit?"
1
I am nostalgic about the good old days when the president did not need a “fixer.”
2
Men have being for the silences of MIstresses and prostitutes for centuries. If they are suing their own money I don't consider it a crime. Having a person arrange the payouts for you is NOT a crime.
I resent the way everyone in piling on Trump and making a crime out of something which has been common practice for centuries.
This is not a probe - Mueller is running a witch hunt as liberal are trying to bring my President down. Making a crime out of something which has been done for centuries is nothing but a with hunt.
Slavery was also common practice for centuries. What is your point?
@Dsmith It is not a crime = its a pointless witch hunt and is wasting taxpayer money. It is private behaviour and none of the public's business. More recently Bill Clinton did the same thing.
GET THE POINT NOW.
Does anyone believe in equal justice under the law? First, illegal campaign contributions are usually just a fine. Ask President Obama. Second. Payments to lovers by contributors WAS taken to trial against John Edwards. A very hung jury said they weren’t political contributions. Justice chose not to retry. And finally third, can any jury find that Trump wouldn’t have paid the 2 women to keep the information away from the papers and wife? The agreements with the women were a bargain. Trump has a legal debt of $340,000 in front of a judge currently who ruled in his FAVOR against Daniels. He won, but collecting is a lot harder. Based on previous Trump actions to conceal previous bad acts, and how the Justice Department has handled other campaign violations, Mueller is playing politics. Can anyone honestly say that the investigation of Clinton was done with the same veracity? No grand jury, no prosecutions for lying, immunity to everyone involved without ever claiming guilt, and testimony not recorded or under oath. This is not a witch hunt. It is the ruthless power of unethical FBI agents unmasking, lying, and planning to oust the president of the US. Mueller should be just as diligent prosecuting the agents of the FBI, and all the conspirators who started this mess, or just describe what both sides did, and be done with it.
3
What are you so worried about? Trump hasn't been charged with any crimes yet.
1
Sounds as if you have already made a decision before the evidence is in. Why not let the investigation run its course. Or are you comfortable with other countries influencing the election? Shouldn’t we investigate even the shadow of impropriety?
I for one hope that one of the consequences of these investigations is that Julian Assange is held accountable for receiving hacked (stolen) material from the Russians. Although there may have been information in the material Assange received from the Russians which could affect the 2016 election, none of the information could have resulted in the death of people cooperating for the US in Afghanistan and the Middle East like his previous unredacted document dump did. He should be made to pay for jeopardizing other peoples’ lives.
6
I don’t think we will see Trump in an orange jump suit in a federal country club prison anytime soon. Yes, as we peel back the layers of the Russian interference and Trump organization, the story gets a lot juicier, but what I fear happening is something similar to Gerald Ford and Nixon. Trump resigns, Pence takes the helm and pardons Trump. GOP is happy because Pence is their political savior and helps put some layer of insulation between them and Trump’s mess. Makes the base happy. Pence is seen as a safe bet to bridge the gap between this mess and the 2020 elections. Trump rides off in the sunset and all his unfortunate minions get jail time.
6
I do not get the headline. Cohen knows lots about the Trump Family Business, and probably has tons of paper and other documentation that need explaining and context.
2
At what point do establishment Republicans, and the blindfolded, fringy right, begin to publicly recognize all the many ways they have allowed our country to be manipulated and sabotaged for their own political and/or financial gains? From the very top, down to the very bottom legions of Joe & Jane R Everyman, there is the foul stench of the calls "Hey, I got mine!!", with fists full, as they all scatter for cover.
I HATE what Republicans have done to this country, and anyone who didn't speak out at the very beginning in 2015, and stay spoken-out, is culpable on some level.
The business of our country, and our place in the world of nations, has come to a near halt, while we've been forced to examine the seamy gold underworld that is Trump.
I am nauseated, and sick to death of the lot of them.
10
Donald Trump and his Republican followers will destroy America's fragile democracy in their quest to gain and remain in total control. And, having shown how effective the demagogue play book works on a national scale, Trump won't be the last. If democracies like ours are to survive, there must come a paradigm shift in human thought.
In the near future, we will program the human mind in the computer based on a "survival" algorithm, which will provide irrefutable proof as to how we trick the mind with our ridiculous beliefs about what is supposed to survive - producing minds programmed de facto for destruction. These minds would see the survival of temporary power as more important than the survival of democracy. When we understand all this, we will begin the long trek back to reason and sanity.
See RevolutionOfReason.com
1
I had an argument Saturday with an intelligent woman who is an attorney and local assistant prosecutor who said- Nothing Trump did is as bad as what Hillary did. That is where the false equivalency begins. How do you even begin to argue with that logic?
Some facts worth arguing-
1. Hillary was exonerated of wrongdoing even by House Republicans who could find no crimes;
2. Bill Clinton confessed to Jennifer Flowers affair during his campaign;
3. Trump paid McDougal in cooperation with a News source to bury her story from public exposure;
4. Hillary was never accused of treason and collaborating with US enemies for personal gain;
5. Hillary is not the President and
only Trump committed possible crimes as President;
6.It is very telling that together with Mueller report we get Tillerson's comments about Trump
not caring if he violated certain laws;
7. Also telling is the brazen violations by Jared Kushner that are ongoing; back channels with Russians; advice to Crown Prince on covering up a murder of US newsman;and travel with Whitaker while Kushner is under investigation by the Justice Dept.
Unlike Eric Trump ( as seen on SNL), Kushner has no fear of getting caught since someone promised him a pardon.
This lawlessness has to stop. When will the rest of the GOP wake up?
and no Hillary did not trample on the Constitution like Donald does.
9
Yep! Keep wondering why Trump supporters keep going back to Hillary.
Even with nearly 3 million more votes, she's not president (doubt she ever will be). Trump supporters might want to accept that they won. Do a little Scoobie dance of victory, for Pete's sake.
Reflexive Hillary bashing sure does keep the base frothed up. If the reflexive Hillary bashing is also a response to secret worries that Trump really did mess up big-time, then the better move might be to figure out some real-world ways to help this country move forward in the aftermath as a united entity. Not as much fun as Hillary-bashing, but ... .
3
I have forgotten what reality looks like.
4
The Trump business enterprise had long ago ceased actually constructing anything tangible and instead has made most of its money selling the “Trump brand”. How is that “brand” looking now, as it seems to be stripped from another property each week? While jail time for any Trump may be wishful thinking, I suspect that with huge legal fees, large amounts of outstanding debt and diminishing revenue streams we may find the Trumps all back in bankruptcy court quite soon. “Karma” can indeed be a nasty woman.
3
Trump’s best bet might be to pull a Nixon. Resign and have his successor, Pence, pardon him.
3
I imagine that Trump thinks the Senate will be his last line of defense against impeachment, but then again, what if the individuals he's belittled and forced to grovel before him--say Rubio and the incoming Romney, for starters--grow spines and cast their votes accordingly? Who else might follow? Also the "sitting president" defense sounds a bit desperate with regard to potential criminal charges. Once he leaves office, whenever and however that unfolds, he's in legal jeopardy.
In the early, ugly days of Trump's odious reign, I thought he was making a serious mistake by insulting and immediately attacking the various intelligence agencies, a mistake he constantly doubled-down on. You can bet they've been working extra hard to assist Mueller's office, and this week's reports are barely the tip of the iceberg.
Trump has felt invincible in the inane "reality TV" and celebrity party worlds, and has been shielded by dad's wealth in his various real estate hustles, but D.C. hardball is just not something he was ready for. He's made too many enemies, and like most narcissistic, arrogant bullies, it's his recklessness and cluelessly high self-regard that will sink him.
As a warm-up for THE Donald's perp walk, I think we'll first be treated to the sight of Donald Jr. being led away in handcuffs. The transcripts of his conversations make clear that he's both guilty of accepting campaign help from a hostile foreign power, and is dumb as a post (genetics, I guess).
547
@Scottb wrote:
"Once he leaves office, whenever and however that unfolds, he's in legal jeopardy."
The way I understand it is if he leaves in two years he can be indicted, but after six years the statute of limitations will have expired.
25
@Scottb I would imagine Don Jr. has lied to Congress, if not the grand jury as well.
42
@Don Wiss
Right, and that's why he must not get reelected.
Once he's out he's fair game, but if he's reelected he won't get indicted, he'll be safe and sound for another torturous 4 years.
39
I sure hope that all this focus by Mueller's team on campaign finance shenanigans is just a sideshow (and perhaps an "insurance policy" - like getting Capone on income tax evasion).
Because we all know that the "big fish" here remains "collusion with Russia" during the 2016 campaign. Every time that Trump bellows, "There was no collusion!" - I hear Tricky Dick's refrain of "I am not a crook".
In September, 2016 we KNEW that our intelligence community had massive and conclusive evidence that Russia was orchestrating the "drip, drip, drip" of the Wikileaks releases of Podesta's embarrassing (but not criminal) e-mails.
And we KNOW that no legitimate bank would lend Trump money in recent years (or maybe it was more like the last decade).
And we KNOW that one of the Trump sons (hard to keep them apart - Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dumb) bragged years earlier that, "We get all the money we need from Russia".
And on July 16th of this year we watched Mr. Trump stand feet away from Putin on a Helsinki stage and proclaim that,
"President Putin was extremely strong and powerful in his denial today". That was Trump telling the stunned world, "I believe Putin's denial of collusion more than I believe the conclusions of my entire intelligence community".
C'mon, we KNOW that there was massive collusion between the Trump Organization (and subsequently the Trump campaign) and Putin and his mobbed-up oligarchs. This much smoke always indicates a fire.
What is Mr. Mueller waiting for?
221
@Dave I don't really mind the wait even though terrible damage is occurring daily because I know that Mueller's report with be thorough and fully documented and supported. It still will make little difference to the willfully ignorant but for anyone who has any doubts and wants "proof" (which is perfectly acceptable), it will be conclusive. Personally I think adequate proof has already been disclosed, but Mueller is finding more every day. Mueller has to be satisfied. I imagine he is frustrated that under every stone (and Stone), there is more corruption and evidence of conspiracy. He can't just ignore it.He has to pursue it. This will set required law school courses in constitutional and federal criminal procedure for as long as we remain a constitutional democracy (which I fear may not be long, no fault of Mueller's.
39
@Dave
One of the things that he was waiting for was the President's written answers to certain questions. That will seal 45's fate. His answers in writing showing he lied.
7
@Dave...What we KNOW, Dave, is that the IT Community claims to have known the Russians were interfering way back in 2012. 2012, Dave. And, what did they do for the next four years? And, on whose watch was the IT setting on their haunches? Who was it that told Putin, on a hot mic, not to worry, because after the 2012 election things would be copacetic between old friends? What party hired an opposition research firm and a foreign spook to conspire with Russian operatives to produce a dossier to influence the 2016 election? Yeah, y'all KNOW everything. Apparently y'all even KNOW more than Mueller. Impressive.
The idea that a sitting president cannot be indicted means he is above the law. That should never be tolerated in our democracy. If "all men are [truly] created equal," a president must also stand for his crimes, whether he is currently in office or not.
540
@Kristin
I agree. It is senseless for the president to be considered above the law and it is intolerable that a criminal to hold the office of the president of the United States. The statute of limitations for various potential charges against Trump, thanks to "tort reform" are such that he could not be indicted after he leaves office.
34
@Logical
Would a sealed indictment executed within the statute of limitations, to be unsealed when the incumbent leaves office, deal with the problem?
18
@Kristin
There's no reason Trump cannot be criminally prosecuted after leaving office. Meanwhile, the The Constitution lays out the method of getting rid of a dishonest chief executive: impeachment and trial. Impeachment is a political, not a criminal process.
If, should be actually be impeached, the Senate refuses to convict him, they will encounter the wrath of their constituencies. Or not!
Once the president leaves office, he is as accountable for his crimes as you or I would be.
11
Has anyone noticed both the Trump organization and the executives involved are guilty tax fraud on both state and federal levels. They claimed the repayment to Cohen of the $130,000 hush money payment to Stormy Daniels was a deductible legal expense. It was actually a repayment of an illegal campaign contribution that was non deductible if not out right illegal.
Hope you get a cell with a good view.
169
@John Goudge great comment, and there’s no NY state policy against indicting the president for state crimes
45
@John Goudge
This reminds me that Al Capone, for all crimes, was eventually sent to prison for tax evasion.
9
@John Goudge
There are no good views in the Protective Custody cellblock.
10
When Republican senators are convinced that propping up Trump is self-damaging, they will turn on him. Until then, the overt consequences of these and other findings are virtually nil. There are, however, important effects on behind-the-scenes dynamics.
Trump loses significant leverage. He needs the Senate Republicans as much as they need to be seen as supportive of Trump (to their base). Senate Republicans can start to make demands. For example, “you will not shut down the government”. Can they make Trump step up on the Kashoggi case? Let’s see.
Meanwhile, Trump also loses leverage with foreign powers. No longer is he seen as having the strength to govern. China will exploit this in the tariff game. Expect Trump to withdraw tariffs that Senate Republicans demand be removed.
108
@Tough Call
I think you're right about the shift in power dynamic. However, Republicans might want to think carefully about their bail out strategy. Trump's ship of state will sink like a rock once it starts to go. The hard loyalists will have a hard time creating enough distance to save their skins. Now it's a good time to create some separation from Trump's Titanic.
5
@Some Dude France has told trump to mind his own business. They do not comment on his problems & wants him out of theirs. More & more countries are turning on tweeting trump. He can't govern the US & he needs to not try to govern others.
5
Here's hoping that the prosecutors feel free to prosecute Trump's organized crime as a RICO offense, as well as "high crimes and misdemeanors" including Federal election fraud and of course the small matter of colluding with hostile foreign power. Aka treason.
Trump's whole career from real estate cons, multiple bankruptcies, Atlantic City casinos (and tax evasion penalties, for which Christie let Trump off the hook for a pittance), stiffing small contractors is an ongoing process of criminality, aided and abetted by his whole whole family. A true organized criminal racket.
The fact that this crook brought this organized crime mentality and activity to the White House should make ANY US citizen outraged.
Trump has smirched the White House, our government, and our democracy. It's hard to imagine that the punishment to fit these crimes should't be utterly severe -- and include jail time and a seizure of ill-gotten gains!
207
@NYer
Hummmm. Looking into a crystal ball...could that be a Shariff's sale foreclosure sign on the door at Trump Tower?
15
It seems that Mr. Mueller is wisely working with other prosecutors both in the southern district and on a New York state level. If that is the case the Mueller mandate to investigate within certain limits may no longer apply and the hold panoply of Trump family illegality will be revealed. and neither Trump, Congress, or a hand picked AG will not be able to stop it as long as prosecutors do things by the book and through the courts. If these crimes are prosecuted through State courts Trump will be unable to pardon those caught in the web of deceit.
Trump will fight like the devil to win reelection to avoid prosecution for himself as it seems no one will touch him while in office including his GOP congressional enablers who themselves should be brought up on charges for shielding him from impeachment.
But why should we be talking about Trump's twisting in the wind. All the evidence points to his being morally guilty as sin and all that is needed is more thorough investigation to wrap up the details and a congress and courts that will once and for all declare this man's and his family's guilt before the law.
143
@just Robert When did morals come into this investigation? Being immoral is a crime?
@Bar tennant
In the abstract sense, yes, since the law in a western democracy is based, in the abstract sense, on ideas of right and wrong.
4
The worst part of the Trump horror show is that underneath the pile of crimes he’s committed there’s buried a dysfunctional government, already shut down, even before he makes it official, which he’s likely to do soon for no other reason than to draw attention away from the trouble he is in.
148
The Dishonest Donald business is and has been a racketeering organization for many years.
A history of swindling contractors, fake university, investment scams, bankruptcies for profit, reneging on mortgages, suspect financing from suspect sources like the Bank of Cypress, these and several others should be brought to light as his business plan, it is racketeering, he calls it smart business, we call it swindling.
265
@David Underwood
And is Donald still claiming he did not have sex with McDougal and Stormy?
All those payments but never knew these women?
3
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Opponents of Trump who want to get rid of him should just argue their case on the political scene and stay away from legal shenanigans. If you want to promote the idea of a Deep State running a Phony Democracy, this is exactly how to go about it. If he needs to leave the White House, it should be because people arn’t voting for him and not as a martyr to an antinationalist conspiracy. Your nation will never again find common ground to unite on if something like that happens. I’m not kidding. In less stabile societies, events like these trigger civil war. Don’t do it!
31
Michael.... of course I respect your view, but equally if there are valid legal readers to pursue Trump business activities, it would be disingenuous, remiss, morally and legally incorrect for those avenues to be investigated. It may be the way to clear any allegations up, Trump family is innocent until proven guilty, but if there is any excessive zeal from DOJ, then the best chance of exposing it is via a NYT Free Press investigation and article(s), so why the lies and war on the Freedoms enshrined in your Constitution.
9
I think people would prefer to vote in a free and fair election. But, These men struck at the "pillars" of democracy making it impossible for a free and fair election through hush money and lying to the American public. Trump can never claim he was legitimately elected. The margin was so slim. I understand the Trump base is unflinching but the people who won Trump the election were swing voters and women. Had the news of a multimillion dollar deal with Vladimir Putin and two payoffs to woman whom Trump had affairs with, while Melania has just given birth been public, Trump would have or generously could have lost the election. I agree that it is dangerous to jail political opponents and that impeachment of a sitting president is an admission of failure by our democracy. But the founders wrote the articles for a reason. Trump gained the presidency through fraud. Men like Lindsey Graham have to be sick about this.
I can't stand Trump but I do admire his grit in the face of all the scrutiny. But now that he is just a plain old cheater I have no reverence for his "style". He's a nobody, because he stole from us all. He stole our ability to judge the leader of the free world in their merits. Donald, you're a big nothing.
38
@Michael, you're exagerating. Of course a elected President can and should be removable because of illegal activities, because if not then this means your elected officials are above law - the last thing any society wants!
Also, Trump's crimes aren't of the type that are morally debatable (the kind of crimes that may be illegal but morally right), his activities were sleazy stuff that's reprehensible no matter your political preference.
The only reason why Trump should not be impeached is that impeachment means that Pence becomes President, and he'll cause a lot more damage than The Donald.
14
Trump never thought he would win the presidency nor did he want to. It was a publicity stunt that is going to be the biggest backfire in history. Being president means an incredible amount of scrutiny, and Trump has been been cozy with criminals and criminal activities going back decades. Money laundering and campaign finance violations will be the tip of the iceberg. It will all come out eventually and it’s going to be bad. Like treason bad. Assuming we still have something approximating a functioning legal system (a more fragile assumption than I’d like to admit), a lot of people are going to prison, including members of the Trump-Kushner clan. We’re watching the biggest scandal in American history unfold before our eyes. It’s simultaneously nauseating and incredible to behold.
215
The Trump family business is a simple one, make money anyway you can and don't care about who gets hurt in the process.
12
Donald Trump koolaid: “My taxes are being audited so I cannot hand them over.”
Was that cherry, strawberry, lime, orange? His supporters swallowed it, after all. Not only swallowed this excuse for a very important issue, but they voted to make him President of the United States and accepted the big fat lie - taxes under audit and therefore inaccessible. The beginning of one lie on top of another, on top of another.
It’s getting harder and harder to think kindly of the Trump supporters. What will finally be the breaking point? Or maybe the’ll just prefer to send him friendly and loving cards and letters to prison or wherever the clan ends up.
Our family and friends have defended our country, given their lives to the military and maybe the grave, for this guy and his family? Pathetic. Sad.
Every time I see Donald Trump raise his hand to salute I feel nauseous and insulted.
46
I thought the goal was to find collusion with Russia. Since that seems unlikely, do they now have carts blanche to go after everything? How about parking tickets, jaywalking violations, littering? I look forward to an investigation of the Clinton Foundation and the Podestas.
6
This prosecution is by federal attorneys in New York, not Mueller’s staff.
9
@Jackson, typical Trump supporter and Fake Patriot. After all, Clinton isn't President of the USA, it's Trump, and had your country any value to you then you'd want an investigation as thorough as it can be to protect your country from damage.
But hey, country be damned, let's just focus on Clinton again.
And then you're surprised when people call you 'deplorables' or 'hicks'.
26
@Jackson
So you now know that Donald lied to you to get elected, and you're okay with that. Would you prefer not to know? Would you have withheld your vote if you knew that you were being lied to? Do you think future candidates should be allowed to do the same thing?
4
To see trump and his family in jail would cause a celebration worldwide.
24
Does anyone know if the trumps can be prosceute under. The RICO statute?
6
Are we to believe that whenever women came forward to acknowledge Trump's affairs Cohen just wrote a check w/o asking Trump first?
8
He’s a crook. They all know Trump’s goose is cooked. The gamble is over. Everyone’s bailing out. Time to go!
14
I believe it was Micheal Bloomberg, former mayor of NYC, who said New Yorkers knew a con artist when they saw one.
He was speaking of Trump at the time.
20
Without a doubt he was, I'm one of those New Yorkers. Glimmering letters on tall buildings don't impress. These days, more than ever, they make me nauseous.
9
Preponderance of evidence points to treason on the part of 45, and suborning treasonable activities on the henchmens' part. So far from being assured that "the system" will bring Trump to justice, one should consider that Russia is the prime mover in this criminal enterprise. Don't rule out a coup and takeover by a junta...
5
Donald Trump has a long list of nefarious business practices, which many well include money laundering for the Russian mafia, as well as possible tax fraud; the Mueller Team has most likely obtained Trump's tax returns. And, of course, his Foundation that also served him personally as his cash cow.
16
When part of your business is selling multi million dollar condos to anonymous billionaires the specter of money laundering abounds you.
2
Nepotism in the US Executive branch of Government is wrong and illegal. Does Trump know that ?
8
Trump's trials remind me of those videos showing imploding buildings...there's some noise, some smoke then the foundation begins to buckle and collapse...
10
Still waiting for collusion between the Trump campaign and the Russians to explain how an immensely popular and beloved Hillary Clinton could have lost to a reality TV clown. True, there were the private speeches at $400k a pop to the banksters and the private email server and the millions she and Bill hauled in from Russian oligarchs and banks in exchange for a 20% stake in our uranium deposits, err wait, I mean for their wisdom and noble charitable work with the Clinton foundation. Could it have been any of that? Ironically the only real 'collusion' between a campaign and those connected to the Russians has been the Clinton campaign continuing to fund the Steele dossier by Fusion One and then denying for months that it had anything to do with it until busted by the Washington Post. But I digress. I only Hillary had spent a little more time "colluding" with Wisconsin and Michigan we would be in this mess. Thanks again Hill.
4
As much as I’d like to see Trump rot in jail, this is my fantasy: whoever has the power to do so tells Trump, you’re going to go to jail for a long time unless you 1) resign 2) never get on social media ever again 3) never appear on TV or radio or give an interview to anyone 4) tell your supporters to respect the peaceful transfer of power. Violate any of these terms, and you will be charged with every crime that has been uncovered, up to and including treason.
22
Please let us cut to the chase. While these crimes may be high, the real crime is treason which Mr Trump has admitted to on numerous occasions.
23
In marked contrast, though, when it was discovered that Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign was guilty of violations involving nearly $2 million – an amount that dwarfs the $280,000 in Cohen’s case – the Obama Justice Department decided not to prosecute. Instead, the matter was quietly disposed of by a $375,000 fine by the Federal Election Commission.
Let that sink in...
3
Let this sink in. There is a difference under law between what amounted to a clerical error and the willful direction of campaign funds to influence an election. Even republican election lawyers make the distinction between these two scenarios.
4
@Mike .....Under U.S. law, campaign contributions, defined as things of value given to a campaign to influence an election, must be disclosed. Such payments are also limited to $2,700 per person.
I just don't understand this legal gobbledygook that you can't indict a sitting President. In this case, "Individual 1" was committing crimes BEFORE he was elected President. Moreover, these crimes were of the sort that enabled him to get elected (or more precisely, kept him from losing the election). Since he now occupies an office that he never would have occupied absent these crimes, why should he be protected from being indicted?
39
The Trump Advent Calendar, another window opened into the corrupt as all get out investigation continues. Each day, a new view into the Make America Corrupt Again red hat. The eagerly anticipated final treat, articles of impeachment for the holidays!
9
It is high time that he was impeached. And that he and his family face criminal charges for their dodgy actions. However, as long as McConnell runs the Senate, we will see no justice. Gerrymandering and the tyranny of the GOP’s minority rule are seeing to that.
12
Trump uses victimisation as a political weapon to appeal to his base. It makes them angry, and they only hold onto him and his lies even tighter. It's exactly the same tactic abusive people use in their close relationships to gain control over the narrative and absolve themselves of responsibility for their behaviour. I find it extremely disconcerting to think that he will actually use this to his political advantage to drum up sympathy among his base. I also believe that the man has no intentions of ever stepping down or leaving office, whether he's voted out or not is of no consequence to him.
15
We shall trust the process, and see results.
8
For Trump:
Recommended sentence - One year for every immigrant child separated from their family. One year for every child murdered in school since he took office. He promised gun violence would stop the day he took office. Pay back all money he has earned due to his presidancy including paying himself for golfing at his own properties. Leave no stone unturned. He will be the example to thwart this from happening in our government and our financial sector. One day for every varifiable lie. Throw away the key. No access to interviews while in prison and worst of the worst solitary confinement if warranted.
The only way to stop crime is through deterrence. Trump is but one of many.
This will not be over unless he pays dearly, for wasting our time, wasting our money, creating division between Americans, negating policy for the many to empower the few, reversing our environmental controls and weakening separation of Church and State.
If this doesn't happen, if our government fails to protect us from those disadvantaging us, there will be plenty of cause for revolution or civil war, something protected in our constitution by the 2nd ammendment.
If this is not enough reason than what is?
13
The investigations by the prosecutors in the Southern District of New York involve allegations on criminal wrongdoing in New York City and New York State. Would the District Attorney in Manhattan or the Srare Arrorney General also have jurisdiction over some or all of them? If so, are Trump and the Trump Organization also being investigated at the state level where the Justice Department' memo on not indicting a sitting President would not apply? I ask, because if serious felonies were committed by Trump himself, he must be help accountable for them under the law. Waiting until 2020 or even worse until 2024 would be unimaginably damaging to the very fabric of law and justice in the USA.
10
@Skeptic -- Cohen's law office and business practice is in New York State. Trump's payment of ≈ 430 k$ to Cohen for the Clifford's payoff was both tax fraud and financial transaction "structuring."
Letitia James (incoming AG of New York) should be all over this one ... it's a slam-dunk, as far as getting an indictment in New York.
15
Investigation of the Trump family businesses is likely to turn up a lot of dirt, crimes and grossly unethical conduct very damaging to any politician.
However, the Special Prosecutor was not appointed for that. Trump has said repeatedly that if it becomes that, he will shut it down.
Of course shutting it down would be a political crisis.
Who would win that political crisis. Don't assume shutting down the Special Prosecutor equal impeachment, is always wrong. That very much depends on what the Special Prosecutor does.
Those who loathe Trump want this wide ranging investigation. Understandably so. It was not authorized. It would never be authorized.
It very likely would not stand up in court, as a shopping expedition seeking crimes, any crimes, of someone a target because he is a political opponent.
Think for a moment how someone like Trump could misuse that power. That is why the courts are unlikely to permit such powers to any political body. It would be abused, every single time it could be. That is what political animals are.
So sure, it might get Trump. It would please many who loathe Trump. Those are not the only concerns. You create a secret police power to destroy political enemies, and you'll do far worse than anything you think Trump did.
4
I'm still struggling to understand how the $130,000 payment would be considered a campaign contribution or even a campaign finance violation. That sounds like a lot of baloney to me. The money paid was Trump's personal funds, right? And not from campaign funds, right? It seems in their zeal to nail Trump they're really stretching that.
3
Are you really trying to understand? If so, just google it, but leave out the opinion pieces in the results you get. There are plenty of actual news articles (again, not the opinion pieces like op-ed's) that can explain this. If that still makes you think this is a stretch, do the same search for John Edwards and see if that helps.
2
I've heard if Trump is brought to justice,
his base will consider it a political coup d'etat.
The re=education of these people must begin at once.
They were duped by WASP's of the Bush clan. Clinton and Obama offered hope for relief right up to the day after they took office.
It's understandable they don't want to find themselves
victims again. Trump hangers on need to be welcomed back into the multi hewed fabric of the American Family. We all need to shoulder the task of building a functional democracy gone missing since President Eisenhower.
4
It's highly unlikely Cohen is protecting Trump by his refusal to cooperate fully. He must have not skeletons, but graveyards in his backyard to warrant the risk he is taking with federal prosecutors.
5
Still waiting to hear more about how Trump and Trump family members allegedly used monies form the family charity to pay campaign expenses and also understand taxes are due on monies the family inherited. If memory serves me, Donald criticized the Clinton's for the handling of the contributions the Clintons accepted for the Clinton charity. The accusation was that those who gave money were buying influence.
4
Just because Cohen pleaded guilty to campaign finance violations doesn't mean he was guilty. He almost certainly would have been found not guilty at trial but plead to those charges to get a lighter overall sentence. Trump is allowed to spend unlimited amounts of his own money on his campaign. He financed these payments not a third party so no illegal contribution. If he had made the payments through the campaign, that would be illegal because then they would have said it was for personal reasons. Nothing wrong with paying for non disclosure. To be illegal it would have to be exclusively for campaign reasons but he probably would have made these trivial payments even he had not been running for office and rumor is he has paid off many women when he has been targeted by women in what are in substance blackmail schemes. John Edwards was found not guilty with a much worse fact patter because the amounts were paid by a third party supporter whose donations are limited by law unlike the candidate's own spending. Over $5 billion was spent on the 2016 cycle and roughly $500 million by Clinton and $300 million by Trump. Sorry but I'm not getting very excited over a few hundred thousand.
1
@Aurthur Phleger Clearly you did not read the article. Trump didn't pay the $430k to Cohen, the Trump Organization did. That is a very high a illegal campaign contribution. The limit is $2.5k.
6
I just hope the next (Democratic) president issues an executive order that Twitter is not to be used for official business by anyone on the Executive Branch. If we have learned nothing else, we should have learned that Twitter is beneath the seriousness of government. A minor point, I admit - but think about it - is it really so minor? Don't dignity and gravitas matter?
16
Unless the tweets provide documentation to support indictments.
2
@GH LOL - yeah, good point!
Aside from the bogus rants of the emotionally challenged Rand Paul or the poster child of the Top 10 worst governors, and human Northeaster, Gov. Bridge-gate Slim Christie, who else could support the idea of a prosecutor not being allowed to follow the crime-trail to where ever it may lead. Trump and friends are getting caught by the crimes they committed and nothing more.
Both Trump and Pence need to resign. If not they should be impeached. And lets not pretend any other party and it pols would get this far and still be in office. The National Republican Party, together with Trump and his family, is a den of thieves, liars and crooks and is in-fact a syndicate. And like all crime syndicates it rots from the head down. Only Jail time and forfeiture of ill gotten assets for all these low-life thieves and traitors would make America Great Again.
94
It's telling, the sentencing of these barbered and powdered folks. Judges tell them they must "pay a price" and then sentence them to 90 days. Were it not so sad, it would be laughable! Federal prisons teem with folks infinitely less culpable, and who have not had the benefit of every perk society has to offer as these white-collar mopes have had, and who are serving truly "hard" time.
Give Cohen 25 without parole. And if prosecutors say that exceeds the maximums for the crimes to which he plead guilty or could have been convicted, then they should charge these guys like they charge the hundreds of thousands of ghetto defendant/victims to portray to the public that they are "serious" about the war on crime.
37
I assume everything in this article is factual, but it is written as if it were an Op Ed Commentary. How can this sentence possibly be taken as bare fact:
"We should all step back and realize that before Donald Trump came on the national stage, all of this behavior by Cohen, Manafort, etc. would be a nothing more than part of a typical criminal enterprise. Donald Trump's "best people" have turned out to be the "very worst people" and America is diminished every day they are in power. "
7
And this was in what story? Didn’t see that in this one.
13
@steve Perhaps the severity of this malfeasance escapes you.
15
@steve It appears you have your articles mixed up. The quote you mentioned does not appear anywhere in this news article.
5
I cannot express with more emotion: How tragic it is that we have such a person as our president... that he would gain power in such a sordid manner!
57
Most sane people understand that Trump and family are no more than con-artists, grifters, Liars and cheats. However, regarding the larger picture of election interference at trumps request, and in particular, conspiracy with the Russians, not only should Trump be removed, but the entire Ticket should be negated. If Trump won with Russian help, so did Pence, whether he was aware or not. One is as guilty as the other. Who would have voted for Pence? No one with an ounce of smarts. I'm not saying this makes Hillary President, but possibly Pelosy.
68
@sunrise ... and I say that the Supreme Court nominations of Gorsuch and Kavanaugh and all Federal Bench appointments under Trump should be nullified. Seriously. These grifters do not deserve to affect the arc of American history for the next forty years. We deserve Merrick Garland at the least.
17
Death by a thousand cuts. It couldn’t happen to a better family. It is weird watching a slow moving steamroller run over the Trump empire.
53
All these lies.
The real scandal is that the US apparently lacks the moral and legal instruments to deal and rid itself of these imposters and gangsters.
This might be the biggest heist the world has ever seen.
91
@Pete Rogers I wouldn't be so sure that we lack the legal instruments. I get that you're impatient but much better for Mueller to be methodical and leave Trump no outs.
7
@Pete Rogers "Imposters?" They may not be the smartest gangsters, but they are the real thing.
6
I suspect a rexamination of Trump University would be revealing.
26
They already flunked the final.
11
@Long Island Dave -- the settlement of the civil suits and the 1 m$ fine Trump paid the state of NY foreclose any of that. Paying the fine is an admission of guilt, for the specific violation of calling it a "University" ... despite all the spin Trump and his toadies pretend on the topic.
The problem with the settlement is that it ended up paying the victims about 60 cents on the dollar, and that's a business model for the scammer.
8
@Lee Harrison
Lee Harrison does not know what he is talking about. Nothing in the settlement, or the payment of the settlement amount (not a fine) constitutes an admission of guilt or wrongdoing.
Is this an investigation of Russian meddling in a US campaign, and whether Trump 'colluded' with that, or a trolling expedition vis-a-vis Josef Stalin where we merely expect to be shown the crime for a given person?
3
Pearl Harbor anniversary recently. When I think about all the people who died fighting for our freedom and contrast that with the Russian agent that we have in the White House and the fact that so many people in this country are OK with that - it astounds me every minute of the day.
136
@Joe Adams
Agree 100%. Saddest of all is that when T is long gone his supporters still remain.
4
I would guess that most campaign finance violations involve accepting money, as in too much. Trump spent his own money illegally and conspiratorily to cover up illicit affairs. He deserves a prize.
5
The office of the president will never be the same.
It has been both dishonored and denatured of its former virtues by the current occupant and his sycophants.
The bar continues to be lowered... behold the new attorney general.
45
As soon as the Senate starts to feel the isolation that their Trump support has earned them "{Run for your life, we're all doomed" will motivate them to impeach Trump to save their own skins.
Surely the rats will leave the ship.
9
The House begins Articles of Impeachment. Frankly, it is this lack of civics knowledge that is most responsible for the White House becoming the house of trump.
21
@LaVerne Wheeler -- indeed. And though I am an ardent liberal and loathe Trump, I do not think an impeachment on the grounds of Trump's conspiracy to violate the campaign finance law would succeed in removing him.
Our problem as a nation is that there appears to be no remedy, for a crime by a President that would draw a substantial jail sentence. Tyler Eugene Haber was sentenced in 2015 to a term of 24 months for for coordinating $325,000 in federal election campaign contributions by a political action committee (PAC) to a congressional campaign committee.
That is clearly a lesser crime than the conspiracy among Trump, Cohen and Pecker to conceal contributions:the payoffs. Trump and Cohen are also guilty of tax evasion (in the means by which Cohen was repaid) , and the specific crime of "structuring" payments to do so.
3
The theater of this witch hunt is getting very old. Fire Mueller along with the conflicted and biased so called attorneys. Everyday this political theater continues it degrades everything our Country was founded on. The original mandate sold to the public was Russian collusion. After 2 years, over $30 Million no collusion was produced or proven, but the search for a crime continues. The longer it goes searching for a crime, I am more convinced the special counsel should have had a crime FIRST, then search for the INDIVIDUAL.
4
@Leon Kienow. Collusion and conspiracy have been clear for almost 2 years. Wake up and stop smelling the cofeve.
65
@Leon Kienow What about the convinctions thus far? Are those the witch hunts you speak of?
39
@Leon Kienow
See below. There is no mention of collusion, but the Special Counsel has found many links. Also note that this was an ongoing investigation which had to be independent of the Justice Department after President Trump tried to interfere with it, as he has admitted.
"The Special Counsel is authorized to conduct the investigation confirmed by then-FBI
Director James 8. Corney in testimony before the House Permanent Select Committee on
Intelligence on March 20, 2017, including:
(i) any links and/or coordination bet ween the Russian government and individuals
associated with the campaign of President Donald Trump; and
(ii) any matters that arose or may arise directly from the investigation; and
(iii) any other matters within the scope of 28 C.F.R. § 600.4(a). "
11
I am well and truly done hearing about those 2 women. While it is unfortunate that he is a philandering liar what should really concern ALL of us is that he is a brazen and contemptible traitor to this nation and to the Constitution he SWORE to uphold.
46
"One person familiar with Mr. Weisselberg’s work at the Trump Organization, who was not authorized to speak on his behalf, suggested that he might not have known the purpose of Mr. Cohen’s reimbursements, noting that Mr. Cohen often did personal legal work for the president and his family. That kind of work was generally performed with few, if any, questions asked, the person said."
That's just what anyone would expect a crumb like Trump to do.
There's a lot of his supporters who would enthusiastically wait to hear what Hannity has to say. But we all know what Hannity's words are worth. He's a wrecking ball.
10
Speaking of "Best People", here's hoping that Allen Weisselberg, CFO of the Trump Crime Family for 30 years and thus The Money Man is next up for investigation. His testimoney might thicken the plot further. While Weisselberg may not have signed the checks, he certainly prepared them for Individual-1 to sign. As they say "follow the money".
Maybe there'll be an end to this terrible show after all.
26
If they impeach Trump can they also make those rich people give back the money they stole, you know, that tax break scam thing...
34
@JW
Letting people keep more of the money they earn is not "stealing." "Stealing" is when the government takes your money and gives it to others.
Good luck to these corrupt prosecutors for trying weave a thin theory about how Trump’s personal funds to pay two women who were blackmailing him were “campaign finance violations.” Prosecutors tried that with John Edwards - and fell flat on their faces when the jury acquitted Edwards.
Politically this is a lose-lose situation for Democrats. Better accept they lost the 2016 election than try to abuse their power to grind political axes with phony collusion claims and politically charged legal theories that are as thin as the air they’re spun from. Voters notice that kind of stuff.
5
@AVR The 51% of us who voted Hillary do notice.
37
@AVR -- the Edwards indictment is clearly relevant to this matter, but a clear reading of the case does not support your conclusion, indeed it argues the opposite.
First, Edwards was indeed indicted. Secondly the outcome in 5 of the charges was mistrial, that DOJ did not choose to retry. There is no precedent of a jury verdict of innocent here.
But the most salient difference is that Edwards did not make any payment of his own, at all. What you cite as Trump's get-off-scot-free act is in fact what clearly impugns him.
The case against Edwards hinged on whether Edwards solicited or even knew of the money paid by Barron and Young. Edwards escaped on that issue.
Here there is proof that Trump knew and authorized the payments to Cohen, that repaid the money that went to Cliffords ("Stormy Daniels").
16
Robert Mueller is a Republican who was appointed by a Republican who was appointed by Republican Trump and approved by a Republican majority Senate.
12
If he somehow makes it to 2020 and runs again, he'll have to convince his base to reelect him just to keep him out of jail. Perhaps then they`ll chant "Don't Lock Him Up" instead.
65
It was always about the money, nothing else. Trump is a corrupt grifter, he owes Russian oligarchs plenty and he launders their dirty money as well. They own him. From the start, he was a made man, basically a covert Russian agent in the White House. He was so happy thinking he could pay off his debts by getting rid of sanctions and promoting Putin's agenda everywhere he could. But it's all gonna come crashing down, he's basically a dead man walking and too stupid to realize it.
94
@jbk Have to disagree...for him it's about (a) money, (b) power and adulation, (c) sex any deplorable way he can get it.
11
Given the reams of lies, cover-ups and pay-offs that are proven beyond any reasonable doubt just in the last couple of years in his short tenure as a pseudo-politician, I can only imagine what types of filth Mueller will find in his decades long private pre-pseudo politician life with zero oversight. This guy is going down hard. I only hope Mueller can tie Pence with some of these shenanigans as well, and if so, enter President Pelosi.
55
Imagine!!?!
14
Just honest advice to 45th. Please resign and go back to Trump Tower or Kallstadt, Germany. Make Kallstadt great again. That is what his Freddy the Granddaddy, the barber guy who crossed Atlantic in 1885 wanted. Freddy's ghost/ spirit will be happy.
21
It appears Trump talks like a crime boss because he is one and the family is on board ready to cash in on the presidency playing at international affairs they know nothing about. A motley group of grifters is occupying the White House with all the power of that office busy trying to build a financial empire based on the foreign policy of the United States. The democratic House needs to investigate what role Jared is playing with MSB including a read out of all their communications. There seems to be a fire sale on now as the Trumps see the show coming to a close so time to cash in where ever they can before shown the door.
55
I'm glad that the American people finally wised up after 242 years. Congress should send an official apology to King George III about that divine right of kings thing. Turns out the head of state *is* above the law. And all your self-styled "patriots" believe it, too. Rule Britannia!
15
It is certainly interesting to watch a "witch hunt" that is actually identifying witches.....
42
Time for Congress -- and the Press -- to put up or shut up. It is pretty clear that Trump has emotional issues that suggest he will soon act out in potentially dangerous ways. (Did everyone enjoy the stock market last week?) It's time to shut down his ability to tweet, and for Congress to tell him to stop doing any bad things to anyone.
If things to stop soon, well, hey, in a dozen years or so it won't really matter!
11
Donald didn't think anyone would notice.
Must see...the documentary about his early days.
Donald took Ivana on a skiing vacation...and Marla Maples too!!!
The ladies got together.
Ivana dumped Donald.
Hoist on his own petard.
Will Shakespeare would have loved it.
9
Shakespeare wouldn’t give Donald Trump the time of day. Please.
26
@Kan
Shakespeare loved rogues and rascals.
The world is full of dodgers...Donald just isn't very artful.
3
The best justice for the Trumps is street justice. No need to waste too much time and taxpayer money
20
Having just finished a four part Netflix series tracing Trump’s turbulent business career ending in his declaration that he would be running for President certain things are clear. As a business man Trump was unethical,dishonest amoral and had no regard for the ordinary supplier of goods or services.No different as President. Also very hands on and involved in all aspects of his development business.No different as POTUS. Based upon his history Trump was directly involved in all of the illegal activity of his corrupt regime.
79
Patrick Henry turned down James Madison's invitation to the Constitutional Convention writing, "I smelt a rat in Philadelphia tending toward the monarchy." Trump is the closest we've come to the monarch Americans have always held in contempt. Magistrates in DoJ have determined the president can't be indicted, a dangerous precedent that isn't law. The 25th Amendment allows for the succession of VP when the president can't perform. Americans must demand the Senate enact a law that the president can be indicted for felonies, otherwise we'll see Henry's warning become true.
24
So Facebook turns out to be the one that actually colluded with Russia, but why should that matter? Zuckerberg is not a president who isn’t Hillary. It’s pretty obvious what this is really all about. I know it’s as futile to write that as is blood in the water to sharks. It’s completely primal instinct that takes over, no matter how intellectual some might try and make it sound.
2
Actually, lemme explain this to ya in good old-fashioned Don Marquis and Damon Runyin Americanese.
Your boy’s been a lying, greedy crook since he was maybe 14, and the bills are starting to come in through the mail slot.
33
@John Doe So if FB colluded that proves Trump didn't? I take it you didn't exactly ace Logic 101.
5
@Robert -- It's amazing that Trump lived to run for president, given all the people he hurt in the construction and casino businesses. They tend to bury people who cheat them out of money, or even get in the way.
As late as 1972 a casino accountant who was stealing money from a casino in Vegas was found half buried and decomposing in the desert outside of town, with his mouth stuffed with cash. No one was ever prosecuted, though those who ordered his death were obvious.
And then of course there's Jimmy Hoffa -- who needed somebody who could use muscle to silence enemies. He told Sheeran, “I heard you paint houses.” Sheeran replied yes and added, “I also do my own plumbing” — meaning, he disposed of the bodies too. Reputedly it was Sheehan who killed Hoffa, much later.
Trump played around with these people.
2
Whether Donald Trump can be indicted is an interesting question. But whether the Trump Organization can be indicted is not in doubt. At the end of the day, the outcome might end up being exactly the same: bankruptcy, impeachment, incarceration.
35
The reality is, Trump can just say the payments to the pornstars were not campaign expenses but rather preventing his wife and others from finding out. That would be pretty hard to prove. The question is, what else will the CFO tell Mueller about unrelated events to save his skin.
8
@Cooper He can say whatever he wants. Will a jury believe him? Is there any other evidence? Fraud was committed, that's clear. Can it be tied to Trump. If it can Mueller will.
2
If Trump’s main goal is making money and not destroying the world, as he seems to be doing, why doesn’t the USA give him a secret payment of $20 billion for retiring early?
All problems solved ...
....and the country can go back to persecuting poor people who can go from innocent to prison cell “in the blink of an eye”.
16
These crimes hardly seem bad enough for Trump. A man with his rotten character must have done worse things. You can't pick up his way of speech and his mannerisms without associating with some real lowlifes, and without being one yourself. I assume these "revelations" are just a bit of foam skimmed off an ocean of wrongdoing.
62
'At the time of the payments to the two women, Mr. Trump was the head of the company, and although he turned over its management to his elder sons, he still owns it through a trust.'
In which jurisdiction and exactly when was this trust created? In the State of New York? In the State of Delaware? Panama?
Under the Hague Convention on trusts, trust disputes must be settled in the jurisdiction in which the trust was created, irrespective of where any property is.
The trustees of a trust own realty and/or personalty on behalf of the trust's named beneficiaries. A trustee can be a natural person such as Donald J Trump or a legal person such as an incorporated company limited by guarantee. Each of the named beneficiaries can be a natural or a legal person.
Every trust has a settlor, the person who settles a small sum, typically ten dollars, or a testator who leaves property in their will, to create the trust.
Every trust created by a settlor has a distinct name. The trust will usually have been created in writing and will have terms and conditions stipulating the rights, powers, discretions and duties of the trustees and the rights, if any, of the beneficiaries.
In this case, it seems that Donald J Trump was the settlor of this particular trust. Is Donald J Trump a trustee? Who are the other trustees?
Presumably, Donald J Trump is a named beneficiary. Are there any other named beneficiaries? If so, who?
12
While I sincerely hope Trump et al eventually wear orange jumpsuits, the larger issue of Climate Change is not going to be solved by Trump's removal. Pence has his own set of delusions meaning mitigation of Global Warming will be delayed for another two years.
At the precise moment when America needs JFK's vision and Eisenhower's organization to confront Climate Change, we're stuck with a Model T system of electing leaders. Those who "lie the best" rise to the top. No experience in science, government, admin or ethics is required.
Bottom line? America's problems go way beyond Trump & Pence and there is scant time to change the Titanic's course.
59
This family thing should prove to be fascinating.
17
Trump is too busy valiantly fighting Xi, Mueller, Democrats and his former employees. It is just too much. He needs to take the richly deserved rest and go on vacation by handing over the powers to the Vice President.
8
@Kodali
I suggest a long Russian sojourn. He has so many good friends there and I hear its charming in the winter! Or perhaps a long visit to Saudi Arabia where they rolled out that huge red carpet for him and they all did that fun dance with swords.
8
He can sojourn in Siberia: one hears that’s it’s nicer and nicer in the winter, not that that has anything to do with global warming.
8
@Robert
Good suggestion Robert! We've been told there's no global warming so of course there isn't.
2
Dear NYT:
What planet are these prosecutors from? What a tortured stretch of the campaign finance laws... dangerous, and likely unconstitutional.
These were obviously legal expenses -- not campaign contributions -- incurred in Cohen's reaching settlement with two women trying to blackmail Mr. Trump. Cohen was Trump's lawyer. He had paid off other owmen, before Trump even became a candidate. The funds were not campaign funds. The Trump organization, and Trump himself, had good reason to silence these women: to avoid reputational damage, and to preserve his family.
Only these rabid anti-Trump prosecutors, shamelessly attempting to extort testimony against Trump, would claim this constitutes a felony violation of campaign finance laws.
6
Should have been disclosed. These were material pay offs that could have swayed public opinion.
32
@Jorge
Yes, and also, since when did politicians start playing fair? Sit back and watch the production. Its like modern-day Shakespeare reality TV, Live!
3
@Jorge
How could they be legitimate legal expenses, paying off someone to keep quiet so that the public doesn't hear about it and spoil his chance for election?
At best it is unreported campaign contributions.
17
It would be great if the NYT could do an article by a couple of good lawyers on the issue of whether a hush money payment to women to keep quiet about consensual sexual activity prior to the election is a 'campaign contribution' or just a good old fashioned legal non-disclosure 'blackmail' payment to avoid damage to reputation and the marriage.
Btw, exact same problem wrecked Alexander Hamilton's career.
4
Hamilton never ran for president. You’re comparing Apples to Orange make up.
28
No special legal system for the powerful and rich please. If they're guilty, give them the same punishment any other American would get.
27
MAGA * Wanna Make America Great Again???...Dump Trump on his Rump!!!
36
There are many reasons not to make conclusions about Individual 1 by reading Cohen's plea deal.
Trump is making payments to other people in the entertainment business engaged in a consensual relationship. None of the other women who accused Trump of non-consensual advances are paid a dime.
Cohen is a lawyer and should have given proper legal advice.
The plea agreement states "has been helpful" but this is a boilerplate term of art.
2
Why the Republicans party research Trump before the election? If they did, they are all fake patriots.
9
We are in grave danger in the United States, not just because our president is a criminal, but because he is being protected by the Republican party, who, even if Trump is indicted by the House, will not convict him for his crimes in the Senate.
Republicans have now shown that they are willing to violate our national democratic principles to retain power (Wisconsin, North Carolina, Michigan, and vote suppression everywhere). This is incipient fascism. We must find ways to curtail this blatant power grab, or we will graduate to full-blown fascism very quickly.
218
@William O, Beeman
Just keep in mind there any MANY more of US than them.
25
POPCORN!!
Who knew this could be fun?
13
Yet Obama was let off the hook for campaign finance violations of a significantly larger magnitude that what Trump is accused of.
https://www.politico.com/story/2013/01/obama-2008-campaign-fined-375000-085784
2
@jaco
WOW! What a missed opportunity. Why were republicans so dumb as to not make a big deal out of this? Were they just totally incompetent? Asleep at the switch? Just loving Obama so much they looked the other way?
And I'm sure you are agree 2 wrongs don't make a right, correct? So, you agree we should go full-bore against "Trump", right?
14
@jaco
Wrong.
Obama campaign was accused of civil violation - not intentional and not criminal.
Cohen admitted to intentionally violating campaign laws on behalf of Trump- felonies
21
Oh, be nice. The poor Trumpist is doing the best he can with what he’s got, bless his (wizened) heart.
10
If they go after the Trump organization, there will be no Trump.
I wonder if 45’s personal taxes are still being audited, or are they?
24
@freeasabird Hopefully it should come out of all this that no candidate can run for president without providing transparent proof they have been a legal tax payer their whole working life.
3
What crimes have been comitted...Cohen plead guilty to "crimes" to save his family and finances from further harassment by a rogue Federal prosecutor; and will never be convicted of any crimes. As to the Feds proving arcane and technical campaign finance law violations to a jury, ask the prosecutors in the John Edwards trial how that turned out for them.
3
John, the facts known are much stronger against Trump as the payments were done less than 60 days from election instead of 11 months, Trump's involved 2 women not 1, Edwards 'reputation for being a good husband for only 1 woman was at stake, Melanie had reason to know Trump had cheated on her often so Trump cannot use the "I'm just trying to ensure my wife won't find out excuse" and these 2 affairs were 11 years earlier not recent like Edwards'.
11
Trump's family is a never-ending treasure trove of corruption, satisfyingly juicy for any lawyer worth his/her salt. How much longer should we tolerate mafiosi stealing our dignity, let alone money, while in public office...without a legislative branch of government doing it's job, regulate and control a runaway, unhinged, executive?
26
and New York City was ruined by people like this...
Poor people out. Rich people in...
What a sad story.
7
Dear Mr. Cohen,
I heard you say that you’d ‘take a bullet’ for Trump. Looks like you did. And that he fired it.
18
The FBI is taking the advice of Joe Friday of the TV series Dragnet, "just the facts maam, just the facts".
Democracy is on the line.
8
We should really demand his Senior Advisors ie family members with no experience or business representing this democracy Resign right now. They are definitely under investigation and they should never have been allowed to represent any facet of this government. Their presence in government itself should be enough to impeach that Orange buffoon!
19
This country’s immune system is starting to kick in. Whether or not that response will be enough to ward off a full-blown, mortal infection is yet to be seen. At the moment though, rule of law still exists.
41
How did something that reads like a bad politics/criminal novel become our reality?
22
Look towards Citizens United and gerrymandering.
34
@Ken
When we elected a reality tv personality to the highest office in the land.
23
On the bright side, stripes can be very slimming
21
Only the vertical ones.
18
The photo of Cohen in the limo, with buildings reflected from its windows is magnificent!
14
@Robin Luger Yes and looking wistfully at the blue sky which he may not see much of from his cell for a while.
1
I think it's possible America and the rest of the world are finally gonna get a glimpse at all those tax returns this so called business genius has been hiding.
28
1. Cohen made the payments from his personal account (not Campaign Finance Account):
“In August 2016, McDougal was paid $150,000 by American Media Inc., the parent company of the National Enquirer, for the rights to her story, which the company then shelved. In October 2016, Cohen used a home-equity line of credit to finance a $130,000 payment to Daniels.”
2. We know that the Trump Organization (not Campaign Finance Account) later reimbursed Cohen.
3. Cohen’s claim is unproven. In fact, Cohen made the claim under prosecutorial duress for a reduced sentence.
“Cohen told a judge that he directed the payments “for the principal purpose of influencing the election” and “in coordination with and at the direction of a candidate for federal office” — a reference to Trump.”
4. Cohen’s attorney Davis had his client plead to a non-crime. Having done so, the prosecutors and Davis maybe suborning perjury.
"subornation of perjury is the crime of persuading a person to commit perjury, the swearing of a false oath to tell the truth in a legal proceeding, whether spoken or written."
5
To me the most important thing is that Trump got help from Putin to win the White House. Putin wants to destroy NATO and bring a new world order into place, one in which the US has a lesser role. We have already lost our moral authority. See, for example, dysfunctional elections, failure to join international efforts to fight climate change, separation of children from their parents for political gain, etc. We are now the laughing stock of the world. The question remains: can our system meet this unprecedented challenge?
39
So is this going to be the new top of the list to do for the Party that loses the Presidential election/.....dig up as much dirt and Investigate no matter how pretty the crime....bet half the politicians if not more would be forced out of office if not the Government workforce as a whole if put under a Microscopic Witch Hunt like this Charade!
4
@There for the grace of A.I. goes I That describes the Republican approach to politics for the eight years of the Obama administration.
Now you have to defend a guy who paid off women for silence and act like all is normal.
25
34 witches and counting . . . And Mueller doesn't strike me as the "charades" type-- too serious, focused and competent, unlike his imbecilic prey. Pass the popcorn, this show's just getting started!
25
@There for the grace of A.I. goes I, when Adam Schiff gets into the driver’s seat, Trey Gowdy is going to look like a soap box derby racer. I hope the Democrats wipeout on their blue wave hubris. It disappointing to watch my Party find a way to sink lower than Republicans.
2
Who has been sued by more people than trump?
6
Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO): Those found guilty of racketeering can be fined up to $25,000 and sentenced to 20 years in prison per racketeering count. Beautiful.
23
Fully agree with many comments. Trump is running a criminal enterprise and has been for nearly his entire business career.
My question: what have NYC authorities and the US Attorney for Southern District of NY been doing while these egregious acts of mobster behavior have been ongoing? Asleep at the wheel or complicit?
NYC created this monster and the rest of the World has to deal with it.... We want answers.
73
I hope Mueller can shed some light on this.
16
I think it would be hilarious if in the end Deep Throat 2.0 turns out to be Melania.
Jokes aside; the end is near for Trump.
21
@Amelie. Indeed - deep throater!
4
A boatload of RATS. Sink Donny first.
10
Today: Done With Michael Cohen, Federal Prosecutors Shift Focus to Trump Family Business.
Future #1: Done with Trump Family Business, Federal Prosecutors Shift Focus to Trump Family.
Future #2: Done with Trump Family, Federal Prosecutors Shift Focus to Trump.
Future #3: Federal Prosecutors are Done with Trump. Now the House starts the impeachment process.
18
High level executive behavior the world over. This case will turn the corporate rock over for the general public to really see what lies beneath. I hope the public, however, doesn’t fall under the false impression that the expected degree of criminality in the Trump family is unique to them. The only thing different about them is the degree of incompetence that has landed them in this mess in the first place. This corruption is happening all over the world all the time.
33
Without any further investigation revealing Donald Trump's affairs, he's now reached the same level of criminality as Richard Nixon in Watergate. As the prosecutors from the Southern District of New York (SDNY) have already revealed with Michael Cohen's guilty pleas and "cooperartion," Trump is, as with Nixon, now an un-indicted co-conspirator in a petty crime that like Watergate was an attempt to influence the presidential election. And, as with Watergate, Trump has lied about it and tried to cover it up, and thus has now reached the level of an impeachable offense in the two felonies Cohen has pleaded guilty to that the SDNY prosecutors allege Trump ordered. And all of this does not even include the looming potential charges of obstruction of justice and conspiracy with Russia to rig the 2016 election that Special Counsel Robert Mueller is investigating. Given the enabling by "willing accomplice" in Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, it will probably take such charges for there be any really possibility that the Senate would ever vote to convict Trump on charges of impeachment and remove him from office. And, despite historical precedent, there is nothing in the Constitution to prevent either Mr. Mueller or the SDNY from indicting Mr. Trump, especially if the charges rise to the level of treason. We'll have to wait, but "winter is coming."
754
Well said. Thank you.
47
@Paul Wortman
Yes to everything you say.
However, I would go even farther on your comparison to Trump's criminality vs. Nixon's. Nixon's crimes were 100% domestic in nature. Trump's crimes involve complicity with and of a foreign adversary.
May that count for something when "winter" finally arrives.
222
@Paul Wortman,
You are right about the Constitution,I don’t know why they keep saying a President can’t be indicted?
67
I have to wonder if anyone sees the irony in the fact that the US congress up until 2017 had a slush fund set aside to settle and squash allegations of sexual improprieties against US senators and representatives:
https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2017/11/27/sexual-harassment-fund-exposes-congress-editorials-debates/898008001/
Clearly, the entire legislative branch was complicit in defrauding voters, and an investigation needs to begin immediately.
29
@Middleman MD. Even with Pelosi Ass’t speaker for part of the time. She’s too is a party to the insiders trading exclusion for members of Congress/ House.
1
@Middleman MD
As of last count, I got 23 upvotes for this comment, which was intended to be read as sarcasm. Just incredible.
1
I love the smell of indictments in the morning. It smells like victory, Righteousness and a balancing of lifelong Karma.
Delicious.
34
Hey! That’s my line!!
4
Seriously? Sorry.
6
More and more, I'm hoping (and expecting) that the Justice Dept will reconsider its policy about not indicting a sitting president. If the Justice Dept believes there's a chance the president got to be president by breaking laws, then the president must be forced to go through legal review. (Impeachment is not an adequate substitute since the GOP Congress may be complicit).
36
@Steve. The DOJ policy says that they will not indict a sitting president but says nothing about a sitting traitor who defrauded voters.
10
@Steve
Does the DOJ policy preclude sealed indictments, to be unsealed when the incumbent leaves office? That would seem to deal with what I understand to be DOJ's chief concern; namely, that prosecuting an incumbent would be too disruptive to said incumbent continuing to do his/her job.
3
@Steve. If the policy’s has constitutional teeth - fine. Otherwise it is just words.
3
Nail them all. Kushner included.
17
A substantial prison term is four years? One guy gets 14 days and now we are told Cohen is getting the book thrown at him with four years? Two years of the Mueller suspense show and we get prison sentences laughable to real criminals doing real hard time. Will people doing White Collar Crime which is really white crime ever be judged as harshly as people doing Crime?
20
@Steven McCain. The consequences of WCollar crime are usually MUCH worse! Yet they get off easy.
6
Nixon left because there was a "smoking gun". Where is the smoking gun here?
2
Well there is the felony he committed. More to follow.
10
@Greitje B
Trump ordering the payoff of a woman with whom he had an illicit affair is a violation of campaign finance law. Nixon's charge for his inevitable impeachment and conviction was perjury. Both about the same caliber of crime.
10
Out of curiosity I tuned in to Fox News State TV to see what the defense would be for Trump regarding the criminal campaign finance violation charges involving secret payoff's to women.
Aside from the usual claim that it was not a criminal violation one of the more creative spins was that it is known that Donald Trump has been paying off women all of his life to conceal adulterous affairs...so his payoffs during his presidential campaign had nothing to do with the campaign...it was just business as usual for Trump and therefore no crime here folks.
The rest of the panel nodded in affirmation, apparently satisfied they had demonstrated that Mr. Trump is not a bad guy after all.
746
@Mr. Bantree
This is amazing. Fox News is apparently more of a farce than I realized. I bet all the evangelicals, who tend to interpret the Bible literally, were nodding in agreement, somehow forgetting about that "thou shall not commit adultery" part.
184
So the spin is to normalize it. That is what Giuliani tries to do constantly.
136
@Mr. Bantree
You gest. Campaign Finance Law 101:
But legally Fox News is right. First, a candidate has the legal right and ability to contribute any amount they privately want - no limits!
Second, the payments were to "publicized affairs" to prevent further embarrassment to his family. After the Access Hollywood tape and years of tabloid NY city stories of his escapades do you really think these two "known" storied pay-offs would really affect the election?
Rudy knows. And who is Jerome Corsi, the next target?
14
Much as I want to see Trump be impeached AND go to jail, I would prefer that an impeachment be based on something much juicier than this campaign finance violation. Although a felony, and therefore sufficient, it is a little too subtle for the public. His impeachment, if we get that far, should be based on something that his supporters can understand, even if they refuse to believe it. I don't think that most of them can grasp the campaign finance thing, frankly. In ascending order of preference: money laundering; obstruction of justice; direct involvement with illegal Russian actions to influence the election (e.g., hacking the DNC); treason. I hope Mueller and the Southern District charge him with everything, and not just with one thing or another. There is no overdoing it on this snake that has nine lives.
1053
@XXX
You are right. It has to be something more obvious, more dramatic and more concrete.
Trump is guilty of so many things you have to choose the the biggest, most beautiful, tremendous crime of all, a concept his fan base can understand.
Trump is a long-term unconvicted criminal. Let's make it official.
141
@XXX. They got Capone on income tax evasion. But they got him.
69
@XXX
The reason does not need to be salacious, just effective. After all, it wasn't a hit man that took down Al Capone, the tax man did.
Maybe another reason we have not seen those tax returns.
71
Trump is is a dangerous empty suit who threatens world stability and democratic principles while dragging us toward environmental armageddon. Or worse. Would they he will be replaced by a more experienced, more thoughtful, less narcissistic person of any color, ethnicity, or gender. There are so many competent people out there. Let's elect one of them and save our country.
27
Suggestion: Wouldn't it be easier to investigate if anything was legal?
11
The Trump family make Nixon look like a saint.
16
Do not forget that Cohen was the DEPUTY FINANCE CHAIR of the RNC up until right before he was indicted. And he also paid off the hush money for Broidy, the FINANCE CHAIR for the RNC for covering up an affair and pregnancy. Broidy was a major funded to the Trump campaign.
It may be interesting to find out what other shady deals are happening at the RNC.
BTW, Broidy has been under investigation for
1) Bribing of New York State Comptroller and Conviction
2) Ukraine Criminal investigation that he had a deal to provide political support for VTB Bank and Investment Capital Ukraine (ICU), which acts as a financial advisor to President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko
3) Illegal Lobbying on behalf of the UAE and Saudi Arabi
4) Illegal Lobbying in Africa ana Romani
5) Shady Rick Gates payment
6) Selling of internet-mining tool
"Republican fundraiser Elliott Broidy under scrutiny over alleged deal with sanctioned Russian bank VTB." (same bank that offered Moscow deal with Trump)
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/03/trump-donor-ukraine-criminal-probe-180307124432781.html
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elliott_Broidy
21
This is a rambling re-hash of worn out facts, disjointed, confusing and in the end contradictory.
The article spends a lot of time articulating several reasons why Mr. Weisselberg should be concerned about abetting a campaign finance violation. Aware of the two payments for silence, repaying Trump for one payment and paying Cohen $420,000 for all his pay off contributions.
But then states "there's no indication that anyone in the Trump Orgaization will face charges in connection with the inquiry?" Confusing? What's the purpose?
For you haters: Unfortunately the Statute of Limitations has expired, for the financial wizards of the Southern District of New York, on Obama's $2,000,000 illegal campaign finance crimes of 2008 and the $375,000 fine by the FEC, still one of its highest. Why do you think we never heard about this?
7
I'd say we have not heard of the accusation you made about Obama because it is not true or you have twisted the facts. The Republican controlled house and Senate would have been all over that if true. Cite your source.
19
@jeffk
How about WAPO (1/4/13):
Besides the $375,000 fine, Bob Cole had previous record at $100,000, the...
The campaign accepted $1.8 million from 1,300 people who exceeded their lawful limit. Failed to return the excess within 60 days as law requires.
Kept $874,000 until FEC until FEC discovered they were unlawful. Finally, misrepresented dates on $85 million on other donations.The
What do you say now??
@Frank Leibold: Sounds like Obama's staff made a bookkeeping error on a number of small-time contributors (errors averaging around $1500 each, not 6 figures from close associates) and were duly fined for it. No indication the candidate was aware of it nor that he willfully directed his staff to behave illegally.
7
Of all people the president, who is the leader of the country, oois the one who should be charged. he or she is, is in fact, the most powerful individual inthe nation.
2
I suggest we all take a few hundred deep breaths and wait and see. The legal and political opinions at this stage are all over the place.
7
This is a rambling re-hash of worn out facts, disjointed, confusing and in the end contradictory.
The article spends a lot of time articulating several reasons why Mr. Weisselberg should be concerned about abetting a campaign finance violation. Aware of the two payments for silence, repaying Trump for one payment and paying Cohen $420,000 for all his pay off contributions.
But then states "there's no indication that anyone in the Trump Orgaization will face charges in connection with the inquiry?" Confusing?
Unfortunately the Statute of Limitations has expired, for the financial wizards of the Southern District of New York, on Obama's $2,000,000 illegal campaign finance crimes of 2008 and the $375,000 fine by the FEC, still one of its highest. Why do you think we never heard about this?
2
It disgusted me when Hillary Clinton was unnecessarily humiliated by the Lewinsky scandal. And one would have to be inhuman not to have felt tremendous pity for Silda Spitzer 10 years ago, or the wife of NJ governor Jim McGreevey back in 2004.
Should the men at the focus of these investigations and scandals practiced more self control? Sure. The reality though is that these men bend over backwards to cover up their indiscretions not just for political reasons, but to avoid humiliating their spouses and children. Are we really supposed to believe that Trump "defrauded" voters by suppressing information about infidelity when they knew information about him that was infinitely worse, but supported him anyway?
2
@Middleman MD, not to worry, there is far worse about to be known...
9
@Middleman MDwhat?
2
1) yes, he defrauded voters based on his own statements ; 2) hush payments were not to protect Melanie from being hurt because a) Trump doesn’t do anything for anyone but himself and b) if he didn’t want to hurt her then he wouldn’t be a serial adulterer in the first place; and 3) hard to feel bad for Melanie because she had to know what she was getting into by marrying this guy.
10
This is getting soooo good....
10
As Mueller's nuanced multi-pronged investigation proceeds, a synergy of the kind never imagined by Trump's Russian collaborators, appears to be taking shape.
18
@Tom So nuanced no one outside Mueller's team knows any of the facts/details.
2
@Tom, 'Synergy' in this context, can mean nothing less than Treason. I hope they all swing!
6
@HLB Engineering
Several judges have the unredacted versions of Mueller's submissions in their possession, with more to come.
Given the potential, and recently actual, vast human and fiscal impact of deliberately subverting democracy to alter the outcome of a Federal Election, it ought to be made a Federal Death Penalty offense, along with the current other definitions of Treason.
Apart from stopping corruption from the top down, it would put a stop to gerrymandering and the huge PAC donations from Self-serving individual and corporate donors.
5
Oh good lord, the Trump family business is going to be a bonanza for investigators. Individual 1 is the head of an entire criminal enterprise staffed with his progeny and other incompetent people. I cannot imagine these people following any rules. There has not been a single demonstration of that in their public behavior to date.
Pinpointing their sources of funds will be fascinating.
Just look a few examples of the messes they’ve made: Trump University, the Trump Foundation, the casino businesses, the abandoned hotel in Baku. The investigations ought to be truly hair raising.
124
This idea that a sitting President cannot be charged with a crime is absurd. It was a policy choice made during Watergate and renewed once. At *most* it is a policy precedent, but it is certainly not a statute or a court decision and certainly is not in the Constitution. Where did this absurd notion come from that it is ironclad? Jaworski went that route in order to raise the odds that Nixon would go quietly. Our circumstances are not the same. Yes, we, too, have to worry - a lot - about whether Trump will go quietly. But that worry leaves us with a choice. We are not bound to choose to let him off the hook.
260
@XXX
Amen.
The President of the United States is first and foremost an American citizen. And the President is the temporary elected hired help of the American people in one branch of our divided limited power constitutional republic. No President is above or below the law.
12
@XXX. Exactly. When it's evident that a "sitting president" has defrauded and committed crimes against the nation and it's laws, that is precisely when he should be indicted. Why should we tolerate having a criminal con man at the head of the executive branch of our government?
7
@XXX
It seems to me that a President, like a police officer or a priest, in theory has a higher duty of responsibility to the law because we are supposed to look to them for guidance.
5
Slowly and methodically, Robert Mueller is closing the circles around Trump, tighter and tighter, with each pass.
This is starting to have an effect. Nick Ayers. Mike Pence's chief of staff, did the unheard of thing for a man at his level and age: he turned down Trump's offer of John Kelly's job.
Sinking Ship Syndrome may have begun infecting the White House. Soon, it'll be Jared and Ivanka manning the phones outside the Oval Office...
Note to the incoming Congress... Our constitution needs a reboot. When there is evidence of fraud, as there is now against Trump, it shouldn't matter what job the perp has. There should be no question that prosecution is appropriate for president and mere mortals alike.
---
Things Trump Did While You Weren’t Looking https://wp.me/p2KJ3H-2ZW
186
@Rima Regas - you are SO right - and Ayers not only refused to work for Trump, he's going home to Georgia to hide!
75
Exactly what was ‘illegal’ in paying off 2 women and buy their silence to keep a potential PR mess out of the limelight? They both accepted the money.
As we all know, in this day and age, an actual wrongdoing doesn’t even have to take place; a mere allegation of it is sufficient.
6
@waldo Illegal use of campaign funds.
32
@waldo
Along those lines - are we talking prostitution by the women, or at a minimum extortion.
It seems to me if we are following the very letter of the law at some point extortion needs to be brought up and the accusers be charged where laws are broken in this regard.
Recently saw where one woman was paid many millions of dollars for not exposing a media executives sexual advances. Unless their career was so truly destroyed these kinds of imbalances are just that extortion.
4
Campaign finance laws required the payments be disclosed. Instead, they we're kept secret and Trump lied about it. That's why it's illegal.
55
Well, the president said he would shut down Robert Mueller's investigation if he crossed a "red line" about his family's finances. He didn't blink, Mr. President. Your move.
17
@Red Sox, '04, '07, '13, ‘18,
Well yes, but how will he find a red line amid all the red ink?
9
If paying off extortionists is all Mueller has then I'm not sure the American people are gonna be all that happy about the wasted investigation. In would not be a stretch for them to believe Trump's characterization of the Mueller probe as a witch hunt. Heck, they might even want a clear and full understanding of where it all started, and by whom.
3
@jaco
If this is the talking point Trump supporters are going with, it is going to be a massive failure. Even a Canadian can see that there was no extortion (Cohen and Trump would have leveraged actual extortion to not pay, yet they did not), but instead it was a coordinated effort to hush women so it would aid Trump in his electoral bid - all done against established rules and then lied about.
49
I think you can pretty much guarantee this is merely the preface to an epic tome of stuff Mueller is looking into.
32
@jaco
The Mueller investigation is not over.
Perhaps you should wait for the Grand Finale.
I don't think you'll be disappointed.
Patience, my friend, patience.
36
I find common sense in this nation terrifyingly absent. I wouldn't trust trump to clean my toilets let alone run my government. You can tell he is full of it in under 30 seconds. Are there honestly that many desperate, clueless saps in this country to trust this tool?
Perhaps we got the president (we) deserve.
396
@Sid Jagger Neither one of us deserves Trump. He was foisted on us as a consequence of the antiquated and racist Electoral College system, brought to us by James Madison, and others, in 1787. Time for it to go.
82
@Sid Jagger I personally wanted someone who cannot be trusted to run the govt, because I do not trust the govt and the best person to have running an entity that cannot be trusted is a man is isn't capable.
1
@Northwoods Cynic Um its not a racist system, what a ridiculous thing to claim. the system was designed to allow the states which during the time of the Articles of Confederation period were practically free functioning nation-states to ensure they have a say in things. the 3/5ths compromise was indeed a racist system for counting the populations which impacted how many representatives each state received. sad to see that many people just don't know American history.
7
There is currently a major shortage of Shingrix, the vaccine to prevent shingles, in this country.
I just spent a major portion of this weekend unsuccessfully trying to obtain the vaccine.
I cannot unequivocally state as a fact that the Trump administration has in any way contributed to this problem.
What I can say with certainty is that the current state of chaos and crisis that are now evident at Justice, Defense, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Housing and many other
departments of the federal government are clearly attributable
to incompetence and intentional malfeasance.
And these are impeachable offenses.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/25/well/live/shingles-vaccine-shortages-shingrix-glaxosmithkline.html
33
Trump International Properties and Money Launderers. When only the sleaziest will do. Bigly.
45
And yet, were it not for the Presidency, all of these lieutenants, Fred Trump included posthumously, would have gone completely undisturbed by the law...including those engaged in past conspiracy against elections foreign and domestic ( Manafort Stone, Conway, Stefan Halper, Jerome Corsi, etc.). What does that say about the real condition of our democracy? Pres. Trump is the symptom, not the cause.
104
@Fran Cisco
The Manhattan DA, for one, has a lot to answer for.
20
Very important comment, that needs to be made again and again. Outside the media limelight, this is how certain of our elites have worked angles for decades.
20
Trump thinks that Cohen should "serve a full and complete sentience" for committing the crimes that Trump ordered him to commit.
Stupid is as stupid does.
165
@common sense advocate
And orange seems to suit him.
11
@db2 - I'm rolling on the floor laughing - brilliant!
10
The most expansive racketeering case in American legal history. Extraordinary.
#MAGA?
70
Weisselberg is at the core of what has been happening. "Follow the money" was never a truer axiom.
The rest of bTrump's family is exposed, and that's where the hammer falls next.
28
Everyone in the Trump org is, no doubt, using burner phones. Or they should.
9
I am laughing a lot at the Trump defense comments here.
His goose is browning nicely. It is over for him, maybe not today, and maybe he will get to serve his terrible term out, but he is not going to bounce back from this ever.
Who will he have to save him after he limps out of office? His base? Because no one in their right mind will loan him money then. His base will be much poorer and suffering more from that giant tax cut for the rich which they and we have to pay for, and we will all be gasping for breath from the polluted air, and getting sick from the poisoned water. Not to mention the devastating and escalating effects of climate change which he helped speed even faster. And no, raking the forest does not help.
Are you trump supporters planning to crowd fund this loser then? Trump supporters you cannot sue him like the defrauded students of trump U did. Sorry you were duped, it happens to everyone one time or another. Try helping getting money out of politics so your elected people work for YOU!
178
@cheerful dramatist Any day you don't march to the gallows is a holiday. See: Any day above ground.
4
@cheerful dramatist And then when will the Russians come to collect whatever it is he owes them. And they will come for him.
12
Things would have to get really stinky for them to abandon him, because nobody likes to look foolish. At this point, Ego kicks in and refuses to see what is self-evident. That is why the Dems should not crow or appear triumphant. Well, against any GOP candidate, sure, but not the "poorly educated" that The Donald loves.
3
Would you buy a used car from Donald Trump ?
If yes, then he probably seems very Presidential to you.
To most of us, though, the guy seems a like a cheap snake oil salesman, a TV infomercial 'star', a time-share salesman presenting you 'the opportunity of a lifetime', and the proud shameless President of Trump University, one of the largest consumer fraud cases in United States history.
Hail to the Sleazeball-In-Chief !
536
The great Richard Hofstadter once described Nixon and his crew as representing a shift from "the New Dealers to the car dealers." What shift then does Tumpism represent?
41
@Socrates I prefer bright, new, shiny.
6
@Scottb shift from the car dealers to the money launderers and mobsters.
28
This should show future culture of corruption GOP bad guys you really can't trust anyone. People will talk to authorities and turn you in when they will get jail time just by associating with you. I hope Mrs Trump now leaves since the truth is out about her multiple times cheating husband and leaves him broke. After all he won't need all his so called billions in prison. LOL
7
I bet the President looks longingly back to the days when he could amble about in a environment where no questions would be asked. A place where greasing someone's palm would cover up your problems and get you through the deal.
Sorry for your loss, Mr. President. Now that you have been president, it will never be the same, at least in this country. Heck, you could end up in the slammer. Maybe you should find a nice kingdom to buy.
42
@richard wiesner I see a dacha on the Black Sea and a villa on the Red Sea.
5
I grew up in a fishing community in the Northwest. In those days, in that community, a person's word was terribly important. "He's as good as his word." meant something. Doing the honorable thing meant something. You helped each other out because you were part of a community of like minded people. As a kid, I knew we weren't rich and I also knew we were honest and honorable. (Aside from the family history of bootlegging during the 20s) At this point, through his behavior and what we have learned through court filings, President Trump is neither a man of his word nor an honorable person. Mitch McConnell, are you?
294
@Capt'n- I think Merrick Garland could answer that question!
73
@Capt'n
Merrick Garland? Yes.
Barak Obama could also answer that question.
9
@Capt'n
If Trump were an honorable man he would resign after fully admitting what he had done and apologizing to the American people. And by fully accepting his legal and morally due political punishment aka criminal indictment and impeachment. No pardons for Trump nor his family and friends.
Or Trump could honorably kill himself.
7
Oh my goodness, what a tangled web we weave when we first begin to deceive!
The walls of deceit that Mr. Trump began building decades ago are finally coming back to haunt him.
His closest advisors, many of whom have pleaded guilty to various crimes, have shed light on the years of shady deals and lies that the Trump business empire have operated under.
Our president is a shameful character. How did the US voters fall for such a tale?
A famous quote, dating back to 1786, states "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me."
The United States voters will have the opportunity to express their outrage at this president and his despicable behavior in November 2018.
Let's make the most of our responsibility to voice our opinion!
25
@David I like GWB's update:
"Fool me twice, we won't get fooled again." A little credit to The Who.
1
We should all step back and realize that before Donald Trump came on the national stage, all of this behavior by Cohen, Manafort, etc. would be a nothing more than part of a typical criminal enterprise. Donald Trump's "best people" have turned out to be the "very worst people" and America is diminished every day they are in power.
1380
@Son Of Liberty
Agreed, my concern here is that there are many, many other such enterprises for which there is not enough will to dig into. This organization (Trump's) likely existed in a space where this behavior was normalized somehow. Its a bisection of our country's elite, the same elite that just got a tax break.
131
@George-Trump has over 500 shell companies which is why his tax returns matter and need to be made public. Trump registered 8 companies with names tied to Saudi Arabia, such as "THC Jeddah Hotel Advisor LLC" and "DT Jeddah Technical Services" and made Saudi Arabia his first foreign destination after gaining office. Hopefully the FBI has accessed his shady offshore accounts.
46
@Son Of Liberty
We should all be ashamed and frightened by remembering that 63 million of our fellow Americans including 58% of the white voting majority elected Donald Trump President of the United States knowing exactly who he was and was not.
For them MAGA is a real and neccessary exaltation and elevation of their American vision and their beloved President Trump.
32
Trump likely defrauded the voters, but then so did he defraud the poor saps who enrolled in his "University," or the average folks who made the poor choice of doing construction work for him in NYC.
What does it matter? Probably nothing because, like Jim Jones, Rajneesh, the Maharishi and Der Fuhrer, he is the leader of a cult.
Cult followers are immune to anything that might tarnish the image of their lord and their fealty. Unless Mueller has video of some horrible unnatural acts. . and even that might not do it, Don is Teflon coated
19
@joe "...Unless Mueller has video of some horrible unnatural acts...." LOL - Mueller, probably not. But Vlad has them, most likely.
Who cares? All this stuff does is satisfy Washington gossip and irritate the part of the country that makes things work.
6
@lifelong Dem
People who believe that no one is above the law cares. I bet you'd care a lot more if you heard Hilary Clinton was accused of the same thing.
Lock him up.
126
I'd be willing to bet there is much more here, and most likely in the form of a corporate slush fund. We already know that Cohen had set up phony corporation for the payments, so what other payments have been made to figures involved with Trump family business dealings via phony corporation(s).
I think you have to assume there are multiple phony corps set up for payments.
16
@Martin - Yeah, it's called the Donald J. Trump Foundation. The charity with 99% "operational expenses"
14
@Steve B
Sadly many charities operate At 97% operational expenses. I saw a news report on it a while back.
When the inevitable time comes to sentence Trump in the near future, the only downside is that he, at 71, would not have the lifespan to serve out what he deserves.
216
It may be the case that the Justice Department will forbid indicting a siting president. But the Trump Organization and the Trump Campaign are not the sitting president.
Payments to the president's paramours were funneled through the Trump Organization and the Campaign. That is, arguably, fraud and money laundering in addition to campaign finance violations.
I would almost prefer to see Mueller charge the Trump Campaign with multiple felonies, perhaps even a RICO count or two, just as the Republican primary season gets going.
It would also be a joy to see the Trump Organization charged and convicted of multiple felonies. Before the next election.
As for Trump himself? Who really cares what happens to him after he leaves office, so long as he's broke and friendless.
50
@William Verick
Agree - good thinking. None of us knows anything so it's all speculation, but charging the companies with numerous crimes (and you can bet Allen Weisselberg knows EVERYTHING); charging dumb Donny Jr. with lying and complicity with the Russians; maybe Kushner too
...and pretty soon Trump himself will blow a gasket as the noose tightens. They don't need to impeach him, just make it all unbearable for him.
9
@William Verick
He's broke and friendless now isnt he?Friendless apart from his immediate, rather odd, family.
4
@William Verick
I care. I care because I want him to pay back the American taxpayers for all the trips he has taken to his "southern White House" (gag), the rallies while using Air Force One, the way too frequent golfing trips, the expense incurred while his wife and son lived in NYC after he was elected, etc. And Etc. My mind boggles at the blithe discard of his expenses. And the defence I get is that he doesn't collect his salary? That's rich (no pun intended). He has cost us unnecessary MILLIONS. And we are just supposed to swallow it? He owes us, big time. Then think of this: Is he going to get Secret Service coverage for the rest of his life?!? So he will leach off of us until the day he dies. Not fair. Not right. I am all for our leaders taking much needed vacations in high stress important jobs, but he takes that need to a ridiculous level!
He's another rich guy gaming the system and I think most Americans are sick of it - and angry. The law needs to throw the book at these type of people and mete out real justice. The horrendous joke of all this, is now it is in the highest form of our government.
2
Wilful ignorance is not a defense.
7
But... But... What about the conspiracy with Russia to manipulate the 2016 presidential election?? I thought that was what the Mueller investigation was all about? Guess it is a witch hunt after all.
4
@jaco
The special counsel authorizing documents allowed him to recommend for prosecution anyone found committing criminal acts, even those who had nothing to do with the election.
So, not a witch hunt. Just following the rules.
97
@jaco They found the witch.
20
@jaco Just recall the special counsel investigation in to the Clinton's activities related to Whitewater and then ending up with Monica Lewinsky and the blue dress. Their charter is to follow wherever the evidence leads.
29
If the fact that Trump scammed the American people by covering up negative information about himself (most likely in violation of campaign finance laws) and denying business interests in Russia while he had them isn't sufficient grounds for impeachment, we need to revise our system of governance because it isn't working properly!
69
It seems that Trump is illegally sitting in the White House.
294
@Cora
Lock him up ,lock him up oh that chant sounds so good.
8
When he's not spending millions of taxpayer dollars playing golf.
11
And for this, trump wants cohen to serve the full sentence ! Now that is throw a guy under the bus !
10
So, I guess Mueller will be crossing that"red line" Trump said no to cross.
Pity
38
Why pity and why should he not?
2
When Trump's tax returns are finally made public, they should be published for the general public to read.
I predict we'll see this extraordinary work of fiction top the NYT's list of bestsellers.
140
That last sentence made me laugh out loud. Bravo.
If Mueller aims directly at Trump and misses -- that will be the end of special prosecutors.. forever. See: independent counsels, too.
2
@HLB Engineering
I don’t think he even has to aim directly. He’s just slowly and methodically circling in.
End of the special council? With 32 indictments so far? And how many guilty pleas?
Here’s the big question: what will it take for you to admit that Trump is no more than the lying, criminal swindler that about 90% of New Yorkers already know him to be?
96
@HLB Engineering
Impossible to miss, he doesn't need to aim. Mueller is waiting for the Trump Tower people to finish building the prison. It will be on Riker's Island so the Trump family may be close to home.
We are liberals and a kindly people.
10
@Chris W
I guess somehow you missed the special council investigation and impeachment of Bill Clinton?
Well, let me tell you, that was a real mess. And you can look it up!
1
Payments to a porn star and playmate... Via a lying attorney who admitted he paid, not Trump, with absolutely no evidence otherwise, ... And that is a smoking gun? That cohen, not Trump made an illegal campaign contribution ?
But somehow you are trying to hang the same charge on Trump?!
It's amusing the mental gymnastics the left tries in order to validate their insanity.
5
There are recordings of Trump and Cohen discussing what form of payment to use for the hushing. It's Trump's transgression and Trump's money; he clearly has the last word. As to the investigation: no mental gymnastics, just proof, logic, and dogged lawyering. Here's to the beginning of the end of this vile stain on the country.
247
@Brian Fraiser... ummmm.. trump had the affair.. not Cohen. just sayin.
13
@Brian Fraiser
You have made a seminal argument worth considering.
2
Why...Selective???
Why Not...Every Politician...of every kind.
Possibly they will argue that Cohen acted alone. As a personal lawyer of “individual 1” Cohen must know way more than he is disclosing.
1
Heavier hitting evidence is yet to be revealed, the coups de grace! Yes! Mueller is to be memorialized as savior. Better than any episode of the APPRENTICE for WE hold the verdict, YOU'RE FIRED!, in our votes.
27
Do they really expect us to believe that the trump campaign is the only one to ever pay off someone with dirt in their candidate. I mean come on. That has been going on in politics since politics started. The entire charade is ridiculous. Prosecutors are just mad that their preferred candidate lost. None of this has anything to do with collusion.
5
@D B the prosecutors are Republicans as is Meuller. Trump is their party candidate. Trump and his entire team have been sloppily illegal and feel they're above the law. Shows how unfit he is for the job.
21
@D B
The classic "other people" defense. Other people have shoplifted, probably since shops and stores started! Why should I have to pay when others haven't? I mean, come on! Also, people have been murdering each other since Cain murdered Abel! I mean, come on! I guess God was just mad that his preferred son was killed.
24
@D B
Very few politicians have ever had the deep ties to organized crime that Trump has. And no one as far as I know has engaged in conspiracy with a foreign power to win an election.
Watch, when evidence of this conspiracy come out, “collusion,” the Don will say, “Collusion? So what. There’s nothing illegal about collusion.”
18
Mueller had to worry that without plea deals -- the malefactors in the Trump Affairs -- would be sobbing to juries in federal courtrooms all over the eastern seaboard. See: invertebrates.
3
@HLB Engineering
Manafort is already sobbing because he can’t wear his $5000.00 suit to his sentencing!
3
Puzzle: If President Trump repeats his claim often enough that Mueller, Rosenstein and others investigating him are vengeful Democrats, does that and can that changer their party registration magically from Republican to Democratic?
10
“..and there is no indication that anyone at the company [Trump Organization] will face charges in connection with the inquiry.”
Has @NYT been sleeping under a rock? You could ingest just a hint of what your readers are thinking, couldn’t you? Does that not qualify as an “indication”? The ship is sinking and the stewards are equivocating about the depth of sea water about their shoes? Good god, it’s MAYDAY time and you still don’t get it.
13
If anything is to bring about the demise of Robert Mueller, it is the investigation into Trump's taxes, businesses and family. The question now is what the reaction will be of the GOP if and when the special prosecutor's termination takes place.
8
@James Mazzarella: We only know he hasn't yet brought charges against the Trump family or business, and he hasn't revealed anything about their taxes. This doesn't by any means indicate he hasn't already investigated them.
Really? Payments to a pornstar and a playmate are what they're latching on to?
3
@Don Q
“He lied for this outcome and should, in my opinion, serve a full and complete sentence.”
What's good for the goose ....
12
@Don Q yep. If you are stepping into the political arena, you have to know the law.
8
@Don Q
Nope. A lifetime of corruption and tax evasion!
1
Ah yes, the Trump family business!
“We need to run the country like a business!” The first time we heard that was from Ross Perot in 1992. It sounded goofy then but Trump really is running the country like a business...a Donald Trump business. What a mess.
I wonder just one thing. Has anyone told Trump that the President doesn’t get to declare bankruptcy and open up shop down the road?
464
@Sera
Actually he is bankrupting us (with help) and will be successful. The debt will
cause an economic collapse.,
44
If by "down the road" you mean "comfortable asylum in Russia," then yes, probably.
23
I recall that W's supporters were enthused at having the “first MBA president”.
How did that work out for everyone?
26
All of this because her serene highness Hillary lost the election. See: sore losers all.
9
@HLB Engineering
Somewhere in the woods at Chappaqua a grandmother in pants suit laughs...
15
@HLB Engineering Mueller and his team are Republicans! Haha! They never wanted her highness.
16
@HLB Engineering
Remember, the don kept saying during the campaign that it was all rigged? I guess he was right.
15
Expect investigators to have a field day with the Trump Crime Family business. Between stiffing contractors, money laundering, tax evasion and an anticipated panoply of felonious activity, the whole family will be in matching orange jumpsuits by the middle of next year. At least law-abiding Americans hope this is the case. The sooner this criminal clan is brought to justice, the faster we can restore Democracy — and some semblance of normalcy — to America.
1529
@H. Clark In the navy field day is anything but a happy occasion.
5
@H. Clark I share your assessment of the Trump family's business practices, but I'm not optimistic that any of them will do jail time. The banks and other financial institutions that nearly ruined the U.S. and other nations & decimated the nest-eggs of many Americans have never suffered any consequences. In fact, they got bailed out. There is one form of justice for the rich & connected, and another for us regular folks. I'd be satisfied just to see him out of the Oval Office.
125
@H. Clark
Should the convicted members of the Trump Enterprise be given a "slap on the wrist" penalty?
If it intended to "reform" the criminals so they do it again, then a huge $$$ fine may work.
If these criminals have no shame and unlikely to reform their behavior, then a long-term jail may be more appropriate.
30
May a forthcoming headline soon proclaim: "Done with the Trump Family Business, Federal Prosecutors Shift Focus to Trump Family."
180
@Housden Remember, when the Dems take the White House. See: Sauce for the goose...
4
@Housden
Why? It's one-and-the-same. There is no "family" there in a conventional sense. They seem congenitally unable. Missing genes.
Adams family would be nearest comparison, but even they were basically decent and human.
3
Let’s not forget it was the bookkeeper that brought Al Capone down...
308
Like pulling a lose thread, Mueller methodically unravels this mystery, slowly leaving the emperor with no clothes.
It really starting to heat up now. Should be a fun holiday season for some of us; for others, maybe not so much (Trump, Don Jr., Kusher, Ivanka, etc.).
Keep it coming, Mr. Mueller.
377
@Otis-T When you're the emperor you don't need clothes.
4
@HLB Engineering
This emperor should always cover... ahh, never mind.
9
@HLB Engineering
One needs clothes if one is a eunuch.
15
[[Mr. Trump lashed out at Mr. Cohen on Twitter, saying, “He lied for this outcome and should, in my opinion, serve a full and complete sentence.”]]
Again...the lack of self awareness, irony and/or karma in Trump world is astonishing.
471
The Never Ending Story.
5
Bedfellows make strange politics.
1