Didn't Comey and Strzok do that for Obama? You know, Obama's 60 Minute FBI dog-whistle for Hillary's benefit, "There's no there, there."--i.e., their deep-swamp "transactions were intended to protect" her campaign for president.
Comey-Mueller's campaign to destroy Trump has become a farce looking for an ending--Comey-Lynch so trashed the FBI will it ever be what it once was, even under Hoover.
2
It looks more & more as if the President of the United States has committed crimes. As the net closes around him, he spends most of his day watching FOX & rage tweeting. How long can this go on?
17
Cant wait for the Russian Collusion charges to come out! It's not as valient to go after a president for campaign finance violations, especially those of the blackmail kind by a playmate and a pornstar. A little underwhelming for this 2 year debacle.
1
Lock him up!
(A chant good "for the goose is good for the gander").
6
Gee, I wonder how Trump plays in all this ? ( Sic ).
1
Strange. Two supposedly weak women whom no one would believe, Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal seem to be the strongest, determined adversaries who will bring this President. They had nothing to lose, so they stuck to the truth about Trump. Confirming that they were paid has resulted in evidence of one of the most serious charge which will doom this Presidency - breaking campaign finance laws. Of course, there's the other - Obstruction of Justice and Russian Collusion.
14
Follow Nixon's example: resign.
11
So what indeed is in AMI's famous safe? "Enquiring minds want to know!" And then they want the evidence found there used in service of vigorous prosecutions of this Trump's and his administration's malfeasance followed by findings of guilt and jail time for those who would undermine our country's bedrock principles.
6
AMI should pay a fine for its misconduct as part of the non-prosecution agreement. It appears to me that AMI intentionally engaged in fraud. I suggest $10M.
6
After Mr. Muller is done with these criminals, can he please investigate the banksters that caused the 2007-08 stock market fiasco?
11
When this is all over how are we educating kids about our Presidency!
9
So a tabloid baron had a safe full of Trump's sex scandals.
What do you think Putin's FSB/KGB has?
I suspect it goes way beyond the Russia dossier (almost all of which has been proven accurate so far).
The entire Republican Party needs to go through major decontamination after this fiasco. Consider actually vetting your candidates in the future and not leaving Putin his choice.
20
More and very significant trouble for our reality show president. Reports have referred to Mr. Pecker as "one of Donald Trump's closest friends'. Trump has no real friends, only people who think that they can profit from their relationship to to him. Once this is no longer the case, more and more of them will turn on Trump, just as Pecker and Michael Cohen have, and most of them will end up testifying before committees in the House of Representatives come January.
21
I grew up as a kid back in the 1960s staring at all those crazy headlines on the National Enquirer at my local candy store/newsstand. Stories about aliens, and the immortal headline..."I Cut Out Her Heart and Stomped on It." Believe me...you can look it up. Mr. Pecker was not the owner then, I admit. There were salacious stories no 12-year old could truly grasp back then. Little did I realize, fifty years later, I would be still reading about the National Enquirer and its salacious stories..but this time about our current, corrupt, and compromised president. SAD.
12
Is any thing done that might make a potential candidate's success more likely really campaign-contributions a crime? The phrase "are now firmly framed" is curiously vague. It certainly is not clear that whatever it is this article is referring to was a violation of any existing law. But rather the chain of recent events suggest that the determination that Trump or those who work for, or like him, are evil and, therefore, deserve to be punished or deposed from political office has been made by our 1% 'establishment'. Apparently because Trump has offended our elites via his open borders edicts - tariffs, bringing jobs back to US, threatening to slow the supply of slave-wage immigrant labor. So now our society's legal prosecutorial machinery that our 1% obviously can control is busy making up crime definitions to fit whatever behavior he and those around him may have done. The reason this is 'obvious' is that its familiar, what the Soviet and Chines communist police state's did to silence "dissidents" that went 'off message', or questioned the status quo of elite ideologies too much. And of course as our full jails indicate our prosecutorial system can wear done and bankrupt just about anyone into pleading guilty to make the interrogations and media torture stop in exchange for a short jail sentence. Which then establishes the de facto precedent that whatever someone like for example Cohen plead guilty to is a crime, regardless of whether the behavior was a crime or not.
1
@winthrop staples Rather confusing letter, if I may say so. You apparently have absolutely no expectations of ethical and/or legal behavior by the "commander in chief" of this country. It is still apparent that this man who bragged that he could shoot a person in public without losing the support of his followers still has that support. I believe that if you saw this behavior in someone you did not like, your response would not be so meek. Of course, we still have not seen much of the charges against Trump and his surrounding sycophants, but time will tell.
11
Name one thing this president has done that a more qualified Republican candidate couldn't have done within the boundaries of the law and in the context of the greater shared values of the American electorate?
One thing. Name one thing.
11
We only need to survive 2 more years. It will be very difficult for Trump to win re-election now that political moderates and suburban women (constituencies that were critical to his win in Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania in 2016) are woke to the likelihood that Trump committed felonies to get elected in the first place.
We will swear in a new president on January 20th, 2021 at approximately noon. One minute after the new president finishes the oath, the DOJ will indict Trump and the Secret Service will arrest him.
Let's look forward to that.
21
Question. On some news coverage the other evening, paired with this story, they showed that at the same time they were covering up negative stories, the Inquirer was repeatedly running negative (and often crazy) cover stories about Hillary.
Given that theyre admitting this was all in an attempt to favor Trump, can Hillary use this testimony to sue the Inquirer? They cant claim they were "absent malice"
24
Trump began paying Cohen to hush Stormy Daniels long before he became a presidential candidate. In 2011, Trump paid Cohen to stop “In Touch Weekly” from publishing Stormy’s story by threatening it with a lawsuit. When news that Cohen paid Daniels $130,000 to buy her silence first broke, the news media ridiculed Cohen’s claim that he paid out of his own his own pocket. We now know that he billed Trump for the $130,000 plus a fee for handling the nondisclosure agreement. Trump has the invoice to prove it.
Coen pleaded guilty to making a contribution that exceeded the $2,700 limit because prosectors offered to reduce his sentence for tax evasion and bank fraud. He got a break on felony charges by pleading guilty to a misdemeanor. But the money actually came from Trump, who cannot be charged with making an excessive campaign contribution because there is no limit on the amount a candidate can contribute to his own campaign.
The Federal Election Commission, which has jurisdiction over campaign finance violations, has known about the hush money payment or two years. But it has taken no action against Trump. The FEC has ruled that campaign money cannot be used to for such things as hush money that a candidate would have cause to pay even if he weren’t a candidate. This is why Trump paid out of his corporate picket rather than out of campaign funds. He has his 2011 legal action against “In Touch Weekly” to prove he was spending money to hush Stormy before he entered politics.
2
Stepping back from this story to position of perspective, Trump and the GOP have women quite an apparatus to manipulate the voting public:
1) "Catch and Kill" stories that might implicate the candidate - don't believe for a minute that this is only about extra-marital affairs!
2) Solicit help from foreign actors to obtain negative information on an opponent, and encourage its release!
3) Fabricate outright lies about opponents, and employ a network of conspirators (e.g. Alex Jones, Breitbart) to distribute disinformation!
Add to that the GOP:
1) Purging voter databases of eligible Democratic voters
2) Collecting and destroying Democratic ballots in a systematic manner
3) And that old standby, gerrymandering!
What a wicked web they weave indeed!
9
Don’t forget republican election fraud by harvesting democratic ballots and throwing them away.
5
Trump's blatant immorality makes him the perfect leader of the Republican Party. Birds of a feather!
15
It's ironic that the National Enquirer broke the John Edwards' story of his extramarital affair which led to campaign finance allegations.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Edwards_extramarital_affair#Initial_National_Enquirer_allegations
6
So, why exactly, did David Pecker turn on his “ close friend” of several decades? Is there some ploy here to get immunity because there is some worse dirt that has not come to light? Why not stone wall and play for a pardon if he is convicted?
4
Maybe because he can make more money printing the dirt. It’s value continues to grow
4
Why won't anyone name the tabloid publisher by name? It's not AMA that did the cover-up.
It was Mr. Pecker.
As in: "Mr. David Pecker paid Playboy models for their stories and then never published them to protect his friend, Mr. Donald J. Trump."
Thank you, I don't expect a reply. I know - or can imagine - why @NYT won't name a fellow... :)
Don't worry. I'm keeping my subscription..
1
The deal was with the corporation, not Pecker, and Pecker is cited seven times.
Waddya want, wicker?
3
When your best friends are Cohen & Pecker, well............what are your expectations?
6
Can't wait to see his tax returns early next year!! Although I'm sure Mueller already has them and a lot of what we're seeing now is based on the information therein.
8
New York state needs to get involved in this. State charges awaiting Trump would not be something that a future President is able to pardon.
11
The prosecution's theory that AMI could be criminally charged because "...its (AMI's) principal purpose in making the payment was to suppress the woman's story so as to prevent it from influencing the election," is a dangerous threat to freedom of the press and a contortion of the law. Consider this hypothetical: A newspaper whose liberal publisher was a vocal supporter of the Clinton campaign, purchased the same story, with the knowledge and encouragement of Hillary Clinton's lawyers, and admits that "...its principal purpose in making the payment was to publish the woman's story with the intent of influencing the election." Is that a crime, too? What is the opinion of the lawyers for the NYT?
2
Major Flaw in your theory: reputable news sources do not pay for news.
7
It is not the prosecution’s theory. It is a stated fact from the publisher of the National Enquirer that protecting the campaign was the purpose of the payments.
9
I am no fan of the current Executive Kakistocracy, but to attempt to impeach the President on the legal and moral grounds of hiding sexual trysts seems to miss the more important and substantial reasons to oust him (even jail him). It is by far more important to prove both Collusion with foreign counterparts, and even more important; "Follow the Money" - proving decades of serious tax evasion. Along with DJT as most likely being a minor cog in what is probably the largest international Mafia cartel ever yet uncovered. Nothing less will loosen the loyalties of DJT's sycophantic base. Nothing less will restrain a violent backlash from his base.
2
Candidate Trump, apparently, had gone out of his way to hide information that, if had gone out, might have affected his rise to the Oval Office.
It is worse if the subject is trying to become president that if already president, as in the Bill Clinton case.
10
It seems highly likely to me that if both these stories came out before the election, Hillary Clinton would be our President today.
12
Looks like Trump has been covering up affairs going back years with the help of the National Enquirer. Good luck trying to prove this was “campaign finance violation.”
https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/donald-trump-a-playboy-model-and-a-system-for-concealing-infidelity-national-enquirer-karen-mcdougal
1
Yes, he’s been covering up affairs for years. But he wasn’t running for president for years. That’s what makes these payments unique and possibly illegal.
3
Question - as a supermarket customer, at the checkout counter I often saw the National Enquirer with a horrid lead story about Hillary Clinton, including something about her illness. I also saw Trump portrayed as a hero who would save the country with a big magazine cover to boot. I always have to read something when waiting in line and that magazine can be skimmed very quickly between unloading the stuff and paying for the groceries. But, with these revelations out in public, I am wondering about the other stories that headlined that magazine and others owned by this company during the election. We know now that stories about Trump and out of marriage sex were suppressed by a coordinated effort involving Cohen, person I and the Tabloid Publisher, was there any coordination as to what would be in those magazines other than the pay off agreement to the two women? Were the positive covers and stories for Trump and constant negative covers and stories about Hillary just part of his love for his friend, or was there coordination for that as well. While we are talking about stories following what the campaign said precisely like a good public relations piece would do, what about FOXNews, fair and accurate(?) that often echoed (and still does) the Trump line - coincidence or plan? A curious mind wants to know.
10
"In admitting to the scheme, Mr. Pecker, his lieutenant Dylan Howard and A.M.I. are now protected from criminal prosecution."
Deal of the century given the implications of what these guys did. Justice is not served in this instance.
6
Hey - someone read my Christmas list, and it wasn't Santa Clause (unless he now has his JD!)
3
"The prevailing view at the Justice Department is that a sitting president cannot be indicted."
OK, so charge his sons, his daughter, her fiance, and anyone else who is not immune. Lock 'em up!
13
During Watergate, there were plenty of people who stuck with Richard Nixon to the bitter end. The arguments were predictable — it’s all politics, everybody does it, all politicians are crooks, etc.
Donald Trump knows his full past in all the sleazy details. His attacks on judges and the press have always seemed to me to be pre-emptive foils against the inevitable questions about the legality of his actions. He’ll continue such behavior as long as it yields results.
7
So what I’m reading is that it’s illegal to violate campaign finance law, but if you don’t get caught until after you’re president, then you can’t be indicted and it’s actually not a problem what you did.
13
If we are going to get Trump impeached we should open a new investigation into current criminal activities. What’s he and his cronies been doing since inauguration?
11
Can’t wait to see how Trump spins this one. The standard line is they are lying to avoid jail time
2
although i hope it won't happen, watch the democrats bungle yet another opportunity to hoist trump - and the entire republican party - by his/its own petard. the party simply has to find a way to connect with voters who have been, at best, forgiving of, and at worst, indifferent to, the president's misdeeds.
4
Is it just me, or is that recently, every time Trump comes up with some new self-serving lie—he’s moved on from “didn’t happen,” to “did happen but I never knew,” to, “did happen and I knew, but who cares?”—a new indictment or plea bargain or deal with prosecutors gets slapped down on the table?
I’d a lot rather not have all this drana, especially given this clown’s taking a wrecking bar to my country. But if I have to have it, I must say that I’m enjoying seeing Trump writhe on the griddle.
14
Democrats are desperate. With their collusion delusion and obstruction of justice nonsense falling apart around them, now they’re onto questionable campaign finance violations as “impeachable offenses.” They can’t get rid of Trump no matter how hard they try. That’s a good thing - it means our democracy is working and illegal, unconstitutional coups by the losing party are being effectively blocked.
5
@AVR
Funny, I thought illegal unconstitutional coups by the losing party was how we got to Trump in the first place.
17
If Obama had committed one tenth of the transgressions of Trump, the GOP and right wing media would have thousands permanently stationed outside the White House, with their pitch forks ready.
18
Sorry, who is the desperate one supposed to be here?
4
Trump’s conspiracies and extortion scams with Mr pecker go back years and should call into question as to whether RICO statutes were violated.
Pecker extorted celebrities for decades. ‘Feed the beast” or be fed to the beast.
7
When the Founders signed the Declaration of Independence, they knew they might be hanged, but they had the courage and vision to put their lives on the line. No such men currently occupy a seat in the Senate.
Plausible deniability combined with a Republican Senate and an astonishingly high number of morally bankrupt Americans equals a skating president. Unless Mueller has irrefutable evidence, an indictment will end with House impeachment--and might end there even with irrefutable evidence.
Given the permanent, historic and devastating nature of the loss of control for the GOP if the Senate were to convict him, the decision to convict goes well beyond punishing one idiot.
8
Read the National Enquirer front page hysteria throughout the campaign. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DuQAGB8VAAEvYNo.jpg
If the hush payments to the models were illegal campaign contributions, what about these screaming, lying headlines. Pecker should have been tried, convicted, and sent to prison.
8
The fat lady is about to start singing a glorious song!
12
Still trying figure out if DJT is extremely naive or extremely arrogant to think he could pull off being POTUS and getting away with his extremely shady past and associates.
10
It's hard to deny the affairs now.
So, why aren't all the Hillary haters who claimed they weren't voting for her because she didn't divorce her husband over his affair aren't calling on current First Lady to divorce her philandering husband?
Or was that claim against Hillary just a red herring?
21
@MarieMel
Melania is very comfortable and rich. So why should she give it up.It is a far cry compared to what her life in Slovenia would be.
1
Paying a prostitute does NOT violate campaign contributions laws.
You Trump haters must have forgotten about John Edward, the Democratic Prince Charming from NC, whose peccadillo was still in progress while campaigning! And he even fathered an illegitimate child while his wife was dying of cancer.
Mr. Edwards was indicted on felony charges of violating federal campaign contribution laws and was found NOT guilty.
Seriously, let the politician without sin among them cast that first stone at any adulterer.
3
Paying a prostitute to protect your campaign is a crime. Also, are you seriously arguing that since other politicians do it, Trump should be forgiven. And by the way, most politicians don’t engage in such behavior. And finally, since you argue that what the president did isn’t a crime, are you not outraged that Trump had unprotected sex with a porn star while married and the father of a newborn and then paid her $130,000 to keep quiet about it? Is that the president you want? Have you set the bar that low?
26
@Andrew wohl
Blackmailing someome is a crime. Paying hush money is not. The retired FEC Chairman has already said as much.
2
Cohen and AMI WERE found guilty. So much for your argument. Read the US codes yourself and you’ll see how you’re wrong:
52 USC 30101
(8)(A) The term "contribution" includes-
(i) any gift, subscription, loan, advance, or deposit of money or anything of value made by any person for the purpose of influencing any election for Federal office;
* 52 U.S. Code § 30116 – Limitations on contributions and expenditures
* 52 U.S. Code § 30118 – Contributions or expenditures by national banks, corporations, or labor organizations
8
It's called corroboration.
6
I wonder if one of those border wall prototypes in southern California would be large enough for Bob Mueller to use as a "crazy wall whiteboard" for keeping track of all the suspects and their interconnected lines in the Trump crimes.
6
The chickens coming home to roost will cause the perch to collapse.
7
Trump should be seriously concerned about being indicted by the Southern District of New York. He should also be impeached, and convicted.
11
I just hope there is clear and compelling evidence like a taped conversation that confirms what Cohen and Pecker are claiming. Trump can always claim they are lying and the sole objective of paying hush money was to avoid family embarrassment. Even with clear and compelling evidence his supporters will find some way to justify the crime ... without it however there is nothing much there.
1
Many years ago a certain John Profumo had a dubious relationship with a young woman named Christine Keeler. He was a government minister, and he had to admit to lying to the British Parliament about his affair. Like Mr Trump, Profumo was indirectly connected to Russian agents. Once the truth came out, Profumo resigned from office.
Now one can hardly hold his behaviour up to the light and say that it was exemplary: but he knew when he had reached the point where it was time to bow out of public life.
These days liars and deceivers create false paper trails (or rather data trails) amid such a fog of deception that nobody can really be sure who said or did what. "Honor bound" has become "Dishonor bound". Michael Cohen has chosen to return to the "honor" corner, even if he has only done so under pressure - which makes him a far better person than the man with the red hairpiece.
7
I loathe Trump as much as anyone
But if go back through presidential campaign history you will found countless people that were paid off to keep quiet about one thing or another.
2
...and that makes what Trump did Ok?
9
@Andrew wohl
Apparently so. We've moved on from Sheriff Trump cleaning up the swamp in DC to "Hey, what's the big deal, everybody else does it, so why can't Trump?"
5
It is encouraging that our system of government is exposing these clearly illegal and dishonest activities. Otherwise, they would have been swept under the rug and we would have been none the wiser. Like many, I’m tired of the Trump fantasy show and would prefer that our nation’s attention be focused on the problems (national and international) that face us in these very troubled times. But, I guess that we have to deal with the challenges posed by a corrupt administration first, as distracting as they may be.
12
This hush money story has been blown way out of proportion.
Let's see...
1. Trump has consensual sex with a pornstar and a Playboy model
2. Trump runs for president so the pornstar and Playboy model blackmail Trump: "Pay us money or we go public"
3. Trump pays them
That's how the American public sees this story.
1
If it’s all so innocent as you suggest then why did Trump go to such gargantuan lengths to conceal the payments?
23
@Alan - or deny the affairs?
But Pillary Hillary for not leaving her husband over the same thing.
10
@Luciano:
No, your version is not how the American public sees the story, or at least for many of us. He lied and tried to cover it up! That is what many people see.
And, as Alan (responding to you) says, if PINO was so innocent and it's not such a big deal, why did he go to such lengths to cover up the payments?
16
Trump can Twitter 'til hell freezes over, but the lies, dissembling and crooked dealing attributable to his family organization, to include his children, is beginning to unravel. His days as president may be numbered. He may well don an orange suit in future.
17
@Diogenes: From your mouth to God’s ear!
1
Where are the tweets proclaiming Pecker and the Enquirer as enemies of the people?
14
Just imagine, the New York Times, publishing a real world fact-based article whose headline reads like the National Enquirer!
Who would have ever thought that our Republic would come to this?
Thank you Mr. President for turning the swamp into a cesspool.
6
"Tabloid Publisher’s Deal in Hush-Money Inquiry Adds to Trump’s Danger"
What this shows is that Trump had no problem with cheating on his wife, pregnant at the time and then having a buddy spend $150,000.00 to keep it off the news. And this was in addition to another woman Trump was having sex with who was paid $130,000.00 to keep quite.
The possible question of morals doesn't even enter into the picture with Donald Trump. And what of his friends who would provide a huge amount of money to keep the woman quiet?
5
It’s time for Trump’s Evangelical base to hold a revival to wake up
And cleanse itself from the scourage of Trump, their immoral leader.
Recognize the fact that Trump is an immoral demogoug, not subject to change to a moral life.
Evangelical leaders must understand that Trump does not recognize, accept or appreciate religion.
7
2 rats do not make a successful impeachment. 1,000 rats would not. Why? Because the final jury is the U.S. Senate, the members of which, can also be impeached.
Was there a campaign contribution made? Not when the money was given to a prostitute. Who in the Senate has not had a prostitute supplied to them at some time? One of the requirements for locating the convention of either party, is to be sure there are enough prostitutes available in the chosen city. Remember, our Senators are mostly all old white men - not a bunch with any natural attraction to women.
Sorry Mueller fans, things just don't work the way you think - impeachment is a great rarity in the United States, and campaign finance shenanigans are super commonplace.
When you put it all together, with a 2/3 vote required, it's just not going to happen.
Proof? Bill "I did not have sex with that woman" Clinton. He walked, and so would Trump. And they had the stain on the blue dress.
So there it is: the stain on all of us - because we run our country with a dirty political system.
5
Clinton did not 'walk' He WAS impeached.
4
Federal election laws view anything of value given to a campaign as a campaign contribution, and thus subject to disclosure laws and contribution limits. It does not have to be cash, and it doesn't have to go directly to the campaign..it just has to provide a benefit to the campaign. Nice try at obfuscation.
"Everyone does it" is a poor excuse and even poorer legal defense.
And finally, soliciting prostitution IS a criminal offense. I believe a state offense, and therefore immune from a presidential pardon.
I think you may want to rethink your strategy...
1
@Jonathan
He did walk, he was found "not guilty" when tried by the Senate. Not guilty enough to go on to fantastically successful speaking tours; and not guilty enough to try and stuff his wife down Democrats throats in 2008, and in 2016, when he succeeded.
Impeachment by the house, is just an accusation; one that is very easy to toss off when you are tried by the Senate. Bill Clinton was neither convicted, nor damaged in any way; if that is not "walking", I don't know what is.
If having Trump impeached by the house, so he can be acquitted by the Senate, pleases you, that's fine. But be aware, that he will use the failure to convict to his full advantage - that is kind of the kind of thing that weasels are very good at.
Republican (oligarch manufactured, Christianity sustained) support for Trump will not crack no matter what the evidence of wrongdoing is. Since Trump's base is so solidly "Christian" and so solidly behind their tangerine Christ replacement and so thoroughly seduced by those with big donor wallets, it is nice to know that I can breathe out a sigh of relief. I, too, can therefore revel in crimes of all sorts. Sexual impropriety no longer matters. Seventh Commandment/Shmeventh Commandment. Cover-ups are recommended to alleviate the hassles to those who love true conscience-less freedom. We need to let the children know this right away! This ain't no Obama sissy-boy world where respect for women was considered proper. We get it, Republicans! We've seen the light! Women are placed on this planet to use and abuse. What fun for me! Our fathers in the Republican Party have got my back forever! Right on, dudes! Morality is a thing of the past. Sin is kinda cool when you think about it. I can get used to this new Jesus who thinks so too. Give me a death metal hymn, a goat head to sacrifice on Sunday morning, and a drunken blonde ready to go and America is great again. Believe me. Mission accomplished. Hallelujah!
2
Cohen gets 3 years wasn't he involved with foreign governments in illegal way or should be. Trump and family and repulicans need to be jailed but the laws have been written for the lawless and the rest of we the people are either serfs or in prisons.
1
The Justice Department must rescind its memo prohibiting indictments against The President Of The United States. It is quite presumptuous of the Justice Department to insert itself into what is a constitutional matter and should be adjudicated in the courts. Talk about being above the law, this memo is the ultimate "get out of jail free card". I think the memo itself could be attacked legally (an argument could be made that the memo is illegal and/or unconstitutional). This is the ultimate in political maneuvers to protect what in this case is a criminal President Of The United States.
3
My first encounters with the National Enquirer were as a very small child in the late 1950s; my babysitter was a subscriber, and I found the graphic depictions of human disembowelments, crush injuries, and mangled limbs to be both infinitely horrifying, fascinating, and disgusting. But I could not look away, and there it was, right on the coffee table next door.
All my life I have seen the Enquirer at the grocery checkout line, I ask myself what sort of people buy this trash? What sort of people so revel in human suffering, scandal, and the dark forces of hatred and evil that the premier purveyor of such tripe be placed front and center at places we buy food?
I have my answer, and so too shall you have yours: They live next door.
11
Time to lock Trump up . He blames everyone but himself for his evil ways
5
This is just the beginning, of the Trump crime family saga. The Special Counsel, is slowly but surely building a strong case. Because of the complicit Republicans in the Senate, Mr. Mueller will be exceptionally careful and precise in his investigation. This is very serious. Because as many of us, have long suspected Donald did collude with Putin, Putin did attack our democracy and Trump if not a Russian asset, is Putin's puppet! Why would Flynn, have the seat next to a powerful world leader (Putin) at a dinner in Moscow just before the 2016 election?!
All this will conclude that Donald J Trump is a traitor. Can't wait for his demise!
9
Remember the advice "Deep Throat" gave to Bob Woodward? "Follow the money!" Worked.....
3
@Craig Doyle
That wonderful line was added by William Goldman who did the screenplay. Mark Felt never uttered those words.
3
First there is still the Mueller report to come in 2019 which one suspects will have many indiscretions and criminal behavior by Trump and his cronies. So the payments to these women will only be one nail.
In a perfect world Trump should be tossed out for altering the judiciary for the next generation, put the final nail in the environment's coffin, enriched himself and his family at the expense of taxpayers, abused children, vastly increased the national debt, destroyed America's discourse and innumerable other crimes against the country, humanity and culture.
8
@JH Mintz
All who are really paying attention should focus a great deal of it on this subject of Trump abusing children. This is totally disgusting and unacceptable to be tolerated in a President of any nation, let alone the once great in truth USA, not the idiocy trumpeted by Trump!
3
It's a shame that American Media was allowed to cut a deal. This was our one chance to wipe this blight off the media map once and for all.
9
Dems have no choice. They cannot just sit on all this indictable evidence and do NOTHING!
They must start impeachment proceedings in January for Trump's many campaign finance violations, emolument violations, and obstruction of justice charges.
If this GOP Senate votes No on these first set of charges, Trump should then be brought up on different additional Impeachment (charges) for money laundering, tax fraud, conspiring with a foreign nation against the U.S.
Impeach until he's gone.
The POTUS can never be above the Law.
13
Not that I like The Enquirer, but if it is guilty of making an unreported campaign contribution by trying to help Trump get elected, why isn't Fox "News"?
7
I always was incredulous when looking at the headlines of supermarket tabloids,and the fact that there are a fair amount of people who believe the drivel that they publish is even more head smacking. Welcome to the world of alternative facts,where Hillary Clinton runs a sex slave ring, and Oprah has three heads. Maybe we need some sort of intelligence standard for voters,or the future is going to look more stupid than ever.
6
Why is there a criminal in the white house?
8
Russia and idiot Americans who fell for the lies.
7
@Mari I know many college educated people who voted for the guy...oh wait. Degrees aren't worth much these days are they?
1
Mueller: I have not yet begun to Bite!
That's true but he is certainly nibbling away from all the edges.
I think we are in for a grand Finale...stay tuned.
7
As the "onion" layers continues to be removed, the pungent scent of the corrupt administration gets more intense. By the time Mueller and team reach the nexus of the web of events leading up to the nefarious deeds of the despicable Trump administration, we will all be shedding tears of sadness and joy.
8
Pecker and his office safe must be the keeper of Trump’s dirtiest and darkest secrets. Big question to which we will learn the answer...how many stories did AMI purchase over the years from women who had affairs with Trump? It’s likely a much higher number than two.
10
@KB
Just Women?
Whatever happened to the safe full of Trump's buried stories that was supposed to be at the Enquirierer. Was that just made up, or is it in Mueller's office now?
Of course the really interesting thing is whether Trump is compromised by Russian intelligence. Money laundering would probably be at the heart of that, just like it is at the heart of this.
My best guess (yes it is only an educated guess) is that Trump was laundering money for Russian oligarchs who bought and sold his luxury apartments in Manhattan for cash, with help from Deutsche Bank. Putin would have all of the details on that, which would make Trump susceptible to blackmail by Russia. So Putin helped Trump win so he could have leverage over the White House. I can't prove it, but they did raid Duetche Bank and they are close to proving that Trump launders money. By the way, why would Trump need over 500 front companies (who he just gave tax breaks to), except to launder money?
I find it hilarious that people assert that Trump's prior dealings should be off limits to prosecutors. Are we really supposed to let a criminal do whatever he wants in the Oval Office just because he got elected? It's also hilarious that the same people who would lock up Clinton on a moment's notice think that when Trump confesses to crimes on TV it somehow immunizes him from prosecution.
Mueller only needs to cooroborate these confessions, like Trump admitting that he fired the FBI Director over the"Russia thing."
13
@McGloin
No! Mueller knows there is much more to be taken into account , and I have no doubt he intends to do just that. It should be quite a revelation when we finally get the unvarnished truth. Trust Mueller, a man of integrity, I would vote for President if it were possible. He reminds me of Judge Sirica who let no evil pass him by during Watergate.
1
Let me see if I understand this....Congress has their own taxpayer funded hush fund to secretly settle sexual harassment cases for sitting Congressmen. And Trump paid off 2 consenting women to keep his illicit affairs quiet. And Trump should be impeached so say democrats? Is this not hypocrisy?
4
FYI: Campaign Finance Laws. Educate yourself, doc!
8
In addition to shielding Trump, the tabloid was the source of the President's bizarre accusation that rival Ted Cruz's father may have been involved in The JFK Assassination. And Hillary's poor health, citing among other things, that she had two strokes. To think that Trump has the gall to complain about "fake news."
11
Why isn't what the National Enquirer does on a regular basis, ie taking money to remain silent about a scandal or misdeed by a celebrity, called by what it is, blackmail?
4
The only significance in the acquittal (on one count) and the mistrial (four or more 'others') determined by the jury (the acquittal) and the judge (the 'mistrial bunch') in the Edwards case is not that Edwards suffered no conviction, or that he wasn't re-tried on the 'surviving' counts -- 'tis but this: the court held (implicitly perhaps ... yet every bit as surely) that the facts alleged 'therein' (and analogous 'on the whole' to those that 'implicate' trump) constitute crimes (for which, upon proof of them, prison is 'deserved').
1
Isn't this the validation of Cohen's assertion that esteemed senators like Kennedy from LA are looking for? He and other RepublicanTrump protectors should be the ones to call for the House to begin impeachment hearings.
4
after reading the front page of today's NYT I checked out, as I often do, the FoxNews site and these stories are not even there.
Anywhere. The lead story is Trump canceling the the Christmas Holiday party for the press. The number one news source for Americans decrying the 'fake news' media. Oy.
14
Any lawyers out there- I'm still not clear on why Trump can't just say he was trying to avoid the embarrassment (granted he is shameless,) and attendant publicity as an international businessman by paying these women to stay silent- is that in fact a crime? Informed feedback welcomed ---
FYI: he violated Campaign Finance Laws.
6
Time for trump to step down in return for lesser charges. Do the right thing for the country and end this national disgrace.
6
If he steps down, he loses his protection from indictment.
3
I wish but, nope he won't. Unfortunately, the Democrats will have to press the DOJ to decided definitively "whether or not a sitting president can be indicted." Which will end up at the SCOTUS. Hopefully, they will say, yes. Donald nor anyone else is above the law!
We have corrupted ourselves.
Buying the National Enquirer, watching Fox News and reality tv, endlessly entertaining ourselves instead of actually doing something in life. Living in the wealthiest country in the history of the world, we allowed ourselves to rot inside.
Trump as president is definitive proof of our self rot.
20
Truer words have not been spoken as straightforward as yours!
8
I'm reminded of the musical group Deep Purple back in the late 60s? They had a hit song called, 'HUSH'. Kind of went , 'Hush, Hush, I thought I heard you calling my name.' Probably not Melania DJT is hearing.
I always thought the lyric was “I heard someone callin’ on me,” but you may be right.
Don't you love it? Sharks eating sharks.
Once again proof that there is no honor among thieves. Please, boys, destroy each other quickly to save OUR lives and planet.
10
Cohen broke the law. Cohen is going to jail, and the exact reasons are contained in the court documents. Those reasons include the fact that Trump ordered Cohen's crime.
The idea that a sitting president should not be indicted is an internal Justice Dept. rule. It is not the law.
The time is near when America will decide whether we are a nation of laws, or have a King named Donald.
9
As part of his plea deal, David Pecker ought to be forced to publish the Trump story in the National Enquirer. That’s the only way a lot of the Trump cultists will ever find out about it. This should happen immediately with front page headlines.
14
@Subject to change
Check with Roger Altman's Evercore to get AMI to publish. David Pecker doesn't own AMI
1
Could it be that many in Trump's orbit now see what a vile excuse of a human being he is? His performance as president has been nothing but astonishing, revealing what an absolute fool he really is. We may all soon learn whether these campaign finance violations are but the tip of a huge iceberg compared to the dubious real estate business this creature has been engaged in.
8
@LH - They don't care that Trump is vile, they care about saving their own skins.
The trouble is that this time there is no Senate Watergate Committee, no Sen. Sam Ervin to make penetrating wisecracks. There is only the implacable Mitch McConnell and his asphalt-like phalanx of indifferent quasi-co-conspirators lockstepped in a massive obstruction of justice. There will be no Senate supermajority vote to convict, ever, no matter what is revealed. Imagine the 2020 effect of an acquittal: An enraged President, his vengeful base, and an electorate cowed by the the sheer majesty of our govenment's cowardice. We are perhaps better off holding fire on impeachment, and not weighing down public opinion with a wretched, unappealable, and crushing acquittal. Public opinion could then do its proper job at the polls.
6
Except, that during Watergate, Nixon had won re-election in a landslide, and had a high approval rating. Donald, on the other hand, his DISapproval rating is 60%! Soon....the Republicans in the senate will realize that their own careers are on the line and will finally put country over party. Day is coming...wait for it.
2
Let’s not forget that Letitia James, New York’s incoming State Attorney General, has promised thorough investigations into potential criminal violations of state law by the Trump Organization and it’s inner circle. Those possible state offenses and any coverups of such are not pardonable. In time, as those involved, including the inner circle, seek to save themselves from indictment, prison and ruin, the full extent of corruption will come to light.
8
Just cruising the Fox News website (don't worry ... I will have a shower now) and I am most amused that I can find no reference to this news story.
15
AMI is owned by Evercore, Roger Altman. Cohan's attorney-Lanny Davis. AMI got immunity, what a surprise. David Pecker sold out long ago.
Clinton and the Democrats didn't win the election but is certainly winning the legal battles. Lawyers have absolutely no sense of conflict.
DOJ and its lawyers have no sense of equal justice. The people wonder why the American public doesn't trust the government.
This was not a conviction, its a plea deal. Worked out great for Cohen.
Next will come the extortion charges. AMI-Roger Altman clearly violated the campaign finance laws.
1
Trump’s fall will be the end of the Republican Party.
7
I think I'm going to use my Arduino to build a box that plays Another One Bites the Dust when I slap a big red button labeled "Indictment."
8
The hypocrisy of Republican self-righteousness is no longer hypocrisy. The GOP has transparently and unabashedly abandoned their former pretense of "country first" and are embracing any nation's worst nightmare--a sick, old, despot with criminal ties and a psychological need to dominate everything--with the hope of stealing all the country's money. It is interesting to me that AMI had the moral fortitude to abort the scheme and ask that the paperwork be destroyed.
11
To serve the Toxic Toad is to choose the path of darkness.
9
Never mind the lack of veracity by Cohen - there is audio where Trump implicates himself. That's him on the tape, not the so called "fake news".
Yet Trump continues to lie to all of America. His ego will prevent him from resigning; meaning this infection will spread until we amputate.
19
This whole discussion is so stupid.
Papers have been helping or undermining politicians since the founding of the Republic.
In the 2016 election, the entire news and editorial staff at the NYT was devoted to helping Hillary and undermining Trump.
If they start enforcing election laws and rounding up the culprits like these commenters want, the NYT won't be able to put out a paper.
Oh, by the way, The Chicago Tribune spent its money to go to court to open up Obama's Senate opponents' divorce records to help him get elected.
So does the Tribune get charged with campaign violations.
4
@True Observer There are none so blind as those who refuse to see.
7
LOL
The misogynistic media spent the last few weeks of that campaign trashing Hillary. There were more negative stories in the NY Times against Hillary Clinton in the last 2 weeks then there were of Donald Trump.
Even "liberal" NPR (Mara Liason) repeatedly trashed Hillary, saying that they were "equally bad choices". this was after 21 women came forward and accused Donald Trump of sexual assault.
6
@True Observer, not to mention leading the charge after she lost to have Trump's head put on a platter which then gets served every night to us on TV by MSNBC. There's rampant blatant manipulation constantly ongoing and we all know it. Declaring a campaign finance violation as akin to the treason assumed in Russian collusion, for which there is no evidence, is an affront to this nations intelligence and respect for fairness. It casts Democrats in a very selfish, vindictive and petty light. Sore losers who now gloat over their cleverness in trapping their prey. As a lifelong Democrat it's very distasteful and shameful to have to watch.
Trump: murders someone on 5th Avenue
NYTimes: "Shooting on 5th Avenue Adds to Trump's Danger"
9
@Snarky Mark
Exactly. So sick of it all. The average person would be picking up teeth after an elbow to the face, if they insulted people on the street, with just one of the things that rich little bone spurs says. Average people, CEO’s and Senators have lost their careers for just one of the hundreds of unethical, illegal things he has done. I just don’t get it.
8
When is Mueller going to bring charges to the 280 members of Congress for their payments of "hush-money" to violated women? Hey, I'm sure we could all somehow tie it to their campaign aspirations! They all used tax dollars, yours and mine, to do their dirty deeds while Mr. Trump, more honestly, used his own money. But I just got to say it, this paper sounds more and more like a schizophrenic off his meds.
3
Len-
Congress just passed legislation yesterday to address this issue...
The scope of Robert Mueller’s Inquiry is not related to Congressional conduct.
Actually, that belongs to us as voters-we must stop looking the other way or ignoring when conduct is unbecoming, amoral or illegal - regardless of party.
Please don’t conflate the Special Counsel’s Inquiry with other issues; we should address each individually.
6
The wheels of justice turn slowly...
5
...but exceedingly fine.
2
This campaign finance fraud scheme is going to look like tiddlywinks compared to conspiracy and obstruction of justice charges related to Russia interference in the presidential election.
11
AMI gets to decide which stories to publish. There was a business motive to kill this story. If Trump lost the election, the political news cycle would slow, costing them readership and money. Selling their move as a favor to Trump might also increase their access to a news maker. This complexity is why campaign funding restrictions should be abolished as for over substance and interfering with free speech.
If the payment is a private transaction for sex, then Trump could be arrested for prostitution. Either that or be charged for the violation of tax laws or both. Not too good a position to be in.
4
David Letterman went to the FBI when he was extorted. If Trump did not have an affair with the two women, why not go to the FBI? Thus, Hannity's claim Trump is a victim of extortion is absurd.
Trump always denied the claims, so why pay? The only reason is that he knew no one would believe his denials.
I have not seen any recent references to Trump's statement aboard Air Force One to a female reporter about the payment of moneys to the women. I recall Trump saying he knew nothing about the payments, that the reporter would have to ask Michael Cohen.
Now we know that Trump is on a recording talking about the very payments he denied knowing about.
How can any of his supporters believe anything he says?
Trump would have us believe that his supporters don't care and would revolt if he is removed. Sounds like a dictator trying to drum up a revolution or civil war. If he is calling citizens to revolt against the government, is that not treason?
And treason is an impeachable offense.
13
Cue AC/DC...
‘Dirty deeds/
Done dirt cheap’.
To paraphrase the genius comedian Paul Mooney, these folks have the protection of their complexions. Three years for that raft of illegal activity?? One feels increasingly demoralized by the trends here and elsewhere around the world.
3
The next thing I want to hear about Trump are the events involving his removal from office. My interest then would be the new reps taking on the spineless ageing garrulous, self preserving GOP wannabees like Schumer. Where Trump goes with his children and his baby mother is his business. His humiliation is mine.
1
Many of Trump's supporters seem to be admitting that the law was broken, but it will be a disappointment if collusion isn't proven. Therefore, to them, Trump didn't really commit a crime and the nation won't support impeachment.
Got news for you. He committed crimes to get himself elected. Outside the bubble of the minority of Trump's sycophants, the majority of the country doesn't like (hates) Trump.
If charges are announced, outside the bubble support for Trump will peel away quickly ( and that includes a large percentage of "never Hillary" voters).
Really not sure what's up with comparing this situation to President Clinton. Based on what happened to him, it's just a stupid comparison to mention. Are Trump's supporters trying to remind everyone that impeachment is necessary?
7
I wonder how much of the $150k McDougal has left.
Trump seems to have few real friends, just transactional “friends” whose loyalty fades when the transaction is done and the going gets tough. “Good guy” Manafort is not a real friend either. He’s playing for a pardon.
4
Having seen my first Trump bumper sticker I’m convinced we need a calm approach to removal of Trump. Maybe a private meeting between Mueller and Trump with a resignation and pardon on the table.
3
I suspect this is just the opening act. The main event will be when Mueller ties Trump and his family to money from Russia laundered into this country. I wonder if he would cut a deal to resign and receive a pardon to prevent his children from being indicted. This whole experience should make Americans feel proud of our country. Populist leaders do not always get held responsible for their misdeeds. Keep building your case Mr. Mueller, please.
27
Since prosecutors are accusing Trump of criminal campaign violations, he has to defend against the accusation. Cohen's plea deal and AMI's cooperation do not make Trump automatically guilty. Paying your personal money to keep embarrassing information from coming out before, during or after election is not a campaign contribution. No sane person would volunteer to disclose all such information. Tom Brokoaw, the news caster, once said he had information about Bill Clinton's affairs but kept quiet because he was in favor of Bill. Was that a campaign contribution?
2
@Alex E
If Brokaw actually did what you describe, that would be questionable journalistic ethics but not an illegal campaign contribution.
However, if Brokaw had purchased a story from a source harmful to Clinton, had done so to keep the story quiet for the purpose of assisting Clinton, and had coordinated the entire expenditure and scheme with Clinton, then yes, that's a campaign contribution.
15
@Alex E - Money equates to a contribution. I'm not sure how you missed that.
3
@Alex E First, he did not pay his own money. Cohen took out a fraudulent HELOC on his personal residence, which was more than one crime. Then, at David Dennison's direction, he set up a fraudulent corporation, solely to hide repayments, which is structuring. Dennison actually wanted to pay cash, which is money laundering. The list goes on and on. Campaign finance laws are intended to stop corruption in the election process. They need to be more vigorously enforced, not less. Of course, I am quite sure yo are probably one of the people who shouted, "Lock her up." The irony of it all would be amusing if our democracy were not at stake.
2
Clearly this story has legs. Several sets of them. Let's hope they fatally trip up this misbegotten presidency.
14
If instead the NYT bought the story. And then ran the story to damage Trump and help Clinton would that be a violation too?
4
@Jim
Among the many differences between the Times and the Enquirer is that the former doesn't pay for stories.
But if they'd obtained the info and published it, no, there's no law broken. That you can't see the difference between telling the truth and hiding it speaks volumes and requires no further comment.
6
@Jim
Yes, IF the NYT had purchased a story from a source harmful to Trump, had done so and run it for the purpose of assisting Clinton, and had coordinated the entire expenditure and scheme with Clinton, then yes, that's a campaign contribution.
So IF the NYT (or anyone else) had done what Trump did, yes, that would be a violation; just as it is in Trump's case.
What's your next question?
4
Except the NYT didn't buy the story. So there is that.
1
i am waiting for the response Michael Avenatti (sp?) files in the defamation suit Stormy Daniels filed in CA.
A republican judge dismissed the suit and has said she owes legal fees that Trump lawyers say range from 300-800 an hour.
The suit was because of Trump calling her a liar about the affair land other derogatory statements. Now this is out and AMI has admitted this, Avenatti has to be filing to have the dismissal overturned and allow the case to be heard. He is probably going to seek a different judge since the current one has obvious bias issues.
This could be fun!!
9
This is not the main story here because it remains to be seen how often, how much, and to what purpose Trump has thrown money around to buy what he wants. This also includes any "deals" he has made with foreign adversaries. Money is his god above all else. The Southern District also is going to embark on a giant investigation into the Trump organization and the whole bunch better get those cute designer orange suits ready. Truth forever.
9
There is no logic in talking about Trump without considering the historical circumstances which propelled him to be the President.
I happen to read, William Grimes, writing an article titled Looking Back in Anger at the Gilded Age’s Excesses. https://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/18/arts/18grim.html
“In the decades after the Civil War, the United States took a sharp right turn and has been wandering in the wilderness ever since, hopelessly lost. Conceived in liberty and dedicated to equal justice for all, it squandered the moral capital painfully accumulated during the war, selling its soul to big corporations and capitalist fat cats. This, in brief, is Jack Beatty’s thesis in “Age of Betrayal,” his indignant history of the Gilded Age, a long nightmare of repression, racism and greed from which the country, in his view, has never awakened…The evil work of the Gilded Age continues because the system it put in place remains substantially the same, enabled by a political culture that has insulated industrialism from democracy through a politics of distraction, based on the manipulation of real hatreds and sham issues.”
It is not as if Trump has arrived by magic and extremely likely future Presidents may make him look like saint!
6
I am old enough to have experienced Watergate! In the end Trump will leave The White House before the end of 2019. He will make a deal with Pence another bad apple but at least not insane. History is really repeating itself!
4
Trump is what he is. The public, especially here on the east coast, have known all about Trump since Reagan was president. He was elected in spite of his obvious shortcomings. He's not going to be removed from office in any way other than the mundane electoral way.
2
Whether a person who watches Reality Shows knows they are fake or believes they are real does not matter. Suspend disbelief or buy in 100%, the voyeurism, the collusion, the humiliation is a drug that this man wielded to become President.
Now the architecture behind the scenes is being revealed. It's ugly and manipulative and dishonest. There are some, intoxicated with the banality of it, that don't care. They want to be fed more titillating nonsense. Entertainment Trumps Law.
9
Let’s be real: Trump broke the law and he should pay for it, but his “family-focused”, “God-fearing”, “Christian” supporters would not have cared if they knew he cheated on his wife with a Playboy model AND a porn star, one of whom he had the affair while his wife was pregnant with their first child. They simply would not have cared. We know that now WITHOUT A DOUBT. I would bet we still have president whiny, scared, weak donald if they didn’t pay for the women’s silence.
5
Presidential "norms" have been blown to bits by trump as has everything he touches. Because indicting a sitting president is not prohibited but only a "norm" why not violate a norm in a time and place where norms are no longer the norm. There isn't a law prohibiting indicting a sitting president just as there aren't laws prohibiting trump from doing some of what he's done. It is just unbelievable that the elected officials of what once was the republican party, cannot see what they are allowing to happen. It is far past time for trump to be gone; he has obstructed justice, lies whenever he moves his lips and has brought the US to a situation where we are the laughingstock of the world. He is an embarrassment to all citizens of the world and has to be stopped before he actually blows us up.
11
Maybe legal trouble, but not political trouble. Trump's base in all in on Trump's moral and ethical depravity. All these family value voters and evangelicals have traded in their biblical teachings for the art of the deal---in this case---how to carry on extramarital affairs without being found out.
7
But Trump still maintains it is an illusion, and not collusion, and those who repeat the ''c'' word, may need an extra ablution, but the only resolution has to come from evolution of a Mueller solution. And there is a gallimaufry of legal opinions about Trump's impeachment possibility. Laurence Tribe may see a path to impeaching a sitting president, whereas Alan Dershowitz may gainsay it.
Trump, like a broken record, will tweet a smorgasbord of denials, feigning total innocence, which, to even a casual observer, will be akin to lowest forms of dissembling. And now his ex-pals are spilling the beans, right left and center. His cabinet, in addition, is resembling a pack of cards. At least four of his ex-aides have been sentenced to imprisonment.
One wonders, how Trump will behave towards his prison inmates! He probably may form a coalition, of sorts, with them and may even win the presidency of the prisons.
2
Trump began paying Cohen to hush Stormy Daniels long before he became a presidential candidate. In 2011, Cohen stopped In Touch Weekly from publishing Stormy’s story by threatening it with lawsuit. When news that Cohen paid Daniels $130,000 to buy her silence first broke, the news media ridiculed Cohen’s claim that he paid out of his own his own pocket. We now know that he billed Trump for the $130,000 plus a fee for handling the nondisclosure agreement. Trump has the bill and wire transfer to prove it.
The Federal Election Commission, which has jurisdiction over campaign finance violations, has known about the hush money payment or two years. But has taken no action against Trump. The FEC has ruled that campaign money cannot be used to for such things as hush money that a candidate would have cause to pay even if he weren’t a candidate. This is why Trop paid out of his corporate picket rather than out of campaign funds. He has the 2011 legal action against In Touch Weekly to prove he was spending money to hush Stormy before he entered politics. He paid Cohen to hush the story before he entered politics.
1
@William Case So what? So if I withdrew money from my bank and years later decided to rob it, I would still have committed a crime.
"Where have you gone, Allen Weisselberg?
A nation turns its lonely eyes to you,
Woo, woo, woo…"
12
I think the S.S.Trump is headed for the rocks! The rats are leaving the sinking ship like smart rats do. I am waiting for Trump and family to enter the bunker!
10
This "nothing burger" is turning into a full-on barbeque. 'Couldn't happen to a nicer guy. Invite the whole family, and someone please bring the borscht.
16
Corroboration of Cohen's statements....
Sorry Chuck Grassley, your "I can't trust a liar" defense of not investigating trump just went out the window.
DO YOUR JOB.
27
It's getting so bad that one needs to take a bath after reading the news. Who are these people and how do they fool half of our people half of the time?
21
they fool about 30% of the people, pretty much all the time, by playing to what this segment already believes, and framing their pitch in a way their base understands, based upon the hierarchical, supernatural, apocryphal organization of the fundamentalist Christian churches. the whole pack of them are modern day holy rollers, marching into town, banging a bass drum for Jesus, seekomg to fleece the rubes.
7
As the world turns in Trumplandia, we see the incessant tweets that falsely claim that he, Trump, is vindicated, this is fake news, it is a witch hunt (to me, it is a "witch to hunt"). We have a propaganda minister in the White House press room continuing the spreading of blatant lies that oozes from the Trump swamp.
Hopefully the majority of us see through the Trump smokescreen and realize that he is the fake, he is the serial liar, and he is not honorable.
Many Trump supporters state he is just like them. I shudder in disbelief that there are that many citizens of this country that pay hush money to his "conquests", that they engage into adolescent school yard bullying, and they are that ignorant of the fact Trump is out for Trump, as exhibited in the number of his associates heading off to the grey bar hotel.
Nixon was a crook. But, he at least spared us the spectacle of an impeachment and conviction by the Senate. Trump, in his ego-driven persona, will fracture this country further-in his ignorance.
19
what a legacy individual 1 leaves for his son barron. the rest of his kids (maybe with the exception of silly tiffany) and possibly his wife are as greedy, corrupt, and complicit as a crime family can be.
11
Kind like when Donna Brazile of CNN gave Hillary debate questions in an attempt to "influence the outcome of the 2016 election".
6
@Smiley Jackson - Not even close.
6
@Smiley Jackson
IF Brazile had purchased the debate questions in advance for the purpose of assisting Clinton, and had coordinated the entire expenditure and scheme with Clinton, then yes, that would have been "kind of like" what Trump did. But that's not what Brazile did, is it?
So yes, IF anyone else had done what Trump did, that would have been illegal, just as it is in Trump's case.
What's your next question?
2
The tone of media reports about Trump have changed recently. Before he was described as corrupt. Now he is described as a criminal. If this keeps up, we will be governed by President Pence. I suppose that would be something of an improvement.
2
@Clark Landrum
At least Pence does not tweet (or not as much); that means we might get better newspaper headlines.
The Christian Right has no choice but to forgive Trump, however, that forgiveness must be on hold until Trump admits wrongdoing and repents for it. What would be unforgivable is for them to forgive him if he continues to lie and does not come clean and ask for forgiveness. To forgive prematurely is a much of a sin as withholding forgiveness is. Giving support to Trump is forgiving him, prematurely, and that is an unforgivable sin.
2
The Federal Election commission, which has jurisdiction over campaign finance violations, has known that that American Media Inc. purchased exclusive rights to Karen McDougal story to prevent its publication since November 2016. The Wall Street Journal broke the story just before election day. Corporations are prohibited from making contributions directly to a candidate’s campaign. The FEC hasn’t charge AMI with making an illegal corporate contribution to the Trump campaign. The probable reason is that it doesn’t consider AMI’s decision to purchase but not publish McDougal’s story a campaign contribution.
The First Amendment says Congress shall make no law abridging the the freedom of the press. American newspapers and other news media outlets spend enormous amounts of money to influence the outcome of elections. The Clinton campaign could have urged AMI publish to purchase and print McDougal’s story without violating campaign finance laws. The Trump campaign violated no campaign laws by urging AMI to purchase but not print McDougal’s story.
1
@William Case As you surely must know, the Federal Elections Commission does not enforce our criminal laws. The DOJ does. Thank goodness we do not live in a banana republic, where a dictator controls our justice system.
2
@shep
As you surely must know, it is not a crime to pay hush money. It is a campaign financial violation only if the hush money come out of campaign fund. But you are obviously unaware that theThe FEC is part of the Justice Department. It handles both criminal and civil violations of campaign finance laws for the Justice Department.
Before we could rid ourselves of Nixon, we had to dispose of Agnew. Now, what to do with Pence?
1
Trump could have easily avoided this entire legal issue. Simply look into the camera and lie. “I did not have sex with any of these women, including Gennifer Flowers.” It worked perfectly for that other presidential candidate back in the 90s.
1
What does Trump do when a sex/criminal scandal in the news is going against him? Of course he sends his wife to Sean Hannity for a hard-hitting interview to explain what a wonderful loving person the President really is. And the TV fake news carries it uncritically to show they are not the enemy of the people. It is clear Trump is not going to quietly fold his tent and skull away.
2
The evidence is just pouring in now! Obstruction, collusion, campaign finance, tax crimes, conspiracy, money laundering, etc..
DJT’s allies (AMI) are turning on him
DJT’s associates are being indicted and sent to prison ( manafort, cohen )
The pressure is starting to wear on DJT ( l”ll shut down the government “)
I honestly believe Mueller is waiting for just the right time to ruin DJT’s Christmas and give the US public a big gift by dropping a huge announcement or report in the next two weeks.
Either way DJT is finished! It’s just a matter of time now.
9
But will Republicans do anything about this? Watergate was tame in comparison.
5
My fear is that every crook in America who thinks they can get in under the wire will be making deals to roll back environmental regulation, impose uber-conservative social policies and anything else they can in the short time remaining for the Trump administration. As we speak, Giuliani is negotiating for his lobbying firm with the torturous monsters in Bahrain.
10
So what is the big deal here? Everyone knows that Trump has had extramarital affairs with innumerable women and that he has acted in childish ways toward many women. He proudly disrespects women and has declared that to be the case on his notorious Access Hollywood recording. He lies so much that even he doesn't know if he is lying or telling the Truth. We all knew that before he was selected to be the Republican presidential candidate in 2016. Nevertheless he got enough votes in the right places to actually be selected POTUS. He is truly beyond redemption; yet he is still supported by millions of American voters. I am ashamed to be a citizen of a country that has selected such a despicable person as its leader, but too many others don't feel as I do. How do we wake up all those Trump supporters and show them how bad this guy really is for the country that they claim to respect as much as the rest of us????
584
@RLW
There are plenty of other strong, knowledgeable candidates with integrity and love of country to run against trump.
We as citizens and voters need to get behind these candidates and see that they win elections.
118
@RLW The answer to your question is that neither we nor anyone else is able to wake up Trump´s core support. By definition it is unwakeable. We need to speak to a constituency that could go either way, and the democrats did this with some success in November. We also need, every last one of us, to fight voter suppression, that seeming indelible stain on our democracy. The democrats need a truly viable candidate, one who credibly can address the kinds of centrist voters who find Trump very hard to swallow. And we need to get our the vote, every vote that is gettable. As for addressing Trump´s core, life is short, let´s not waste our time.
144
@RLW
You asked: "How do we wake up all those Trump supporters and show them how bad this guy really is for the country that they claim to respect as much as the rest of us?"
We wake them up by applying the rules of law to Trump, i.e. showing them that no one is above the law, and that justice prevails.
146
I’ve noticed that Fox News has not even covered this development. Yesterday their web site made no mention of it and their news did not cover it. It’s not a wonder those watching that network have no idea what is really happening and when impeachment is brought up for this massive fraud they will blame it on democratic politicians.
11
There is a wonderful ironic symmetry to this. Republicans impeached Clinton for lying under oath about one marital infidelity. Now we have Trump lying about affairs with women (a porn star and a playboy model) and committing federal crimes to keep voters from knowing the truth about them. Just watch as the GOP finds legalistic hairs to split over why Clinton's lies about extra marital dalliance is so much worse than Trump's lies about multiple dalliances.
719
@Bill Insert period after-'oath' (line 2) and 'lying' (line 3) and after 'lies' (line 6) and after 'lies' (line 7). Then you will have a more accurate statement. Cohen has been convicted for lying-to Congress, to the FBI, to the court. That's enough to get him (at least) 3 years.
10
@Bill Clinton was President when he lied. Trump was a candidate when the hush money was paid. Was it paid to influence the election? Maybe. Was it paid to protect his family? Maybe (and this, of course, would be the defense - and it's plausible). Trump was a known womanizer so the public finding out he had affairs would not have been a deal breaker. The issue in my mind is that a campaign finance violation is peanuts compared to collusion with Russia to influence the election outcome. The country has been waiting a long time now, and a campaign finance violation (if that's the guts of it) will be a letdown and probably help Trump.
32
@Catherine. Now there are reports of collusion between team Trump and the NRA in the way they spent their $30M on coordinated advertising. Stay tuned.
56
Trump misrepresented his qualifications for the job he applied for, leading to many voting for him that wouldn’t have done it otherwise.
In the business world, people get fired for actions such as the above. Trump should have the decency to resign.
1004
@Gian Piero "Trump should have the decency to resign."
I heartily agree. But "Trump," "decency" and "resign" - those are three mutually incompatible ideas.
239
@Gian Piero All true, but Trump studied at the feet of Roy Cohn. Not a chance that decency will enter into Trump's calculations. (It has also been reported that he refused to have contact with Cohn when Cohn was dying. Guess Trump learned his lessons well.)
55
Drumpf and decency cannot co-exist in the same sentence. @Gian Piero
64
Interested to hear how congressional Republicans respond to this. Can Grassley believe it now that AMI has confirmed Cohen's account? Will Warren Hatch return to his 1999 form, when he pushed for Bill Clinton's impeachment, saying:
“This great nation can tolerate a president who makes mistakes, but it cannot tolerate one who makes a mistake and then breaks the law to cover it up. Any other citizen would be prosecuted for these crimes.”
Of course not. As these men have shown, time and time again, they are not principled, they are power hungry.
1390
It’s “Orrin Hatch”, and he is leaving the Senate. Mitt Romney will hold that seat.
22
Hypocrite Orrin Hatch, Tanner ... (not Warren).
24
@Tanner
AMI has confirmed which Cohen lie? It's getting tough to keep track.
23
I am tired of the Trump reality show. Looking forward to the finale and regaining our respect in the world.
1480
Unfortunately that may be awhile; respect won’t be regained until Republicans start acting out of respect for our country.
113
@RP
I’m looking forward to its cancellation.
76
@RP
Can we hear an “Amen” on that, brothers and sisters in democracy?!
61
Only re-election can save individual 1 from an orange jumpsuit. The RNC is fighting hard to keep this from being an impeachment and subsequently a stain on the Republican party. This is one stain that won't come clean and we'll all be cleaning up the mess for years to come.
No surprise the little fish are grabbing at deals and playing nice as their secrets are revealed.
Many of Richard Nixon’s supporters hung in there
until he resigned, but not before. To be sure, with Trump’s ego, this president will never resign. But like Watergate all the president’s men are tumbling down, one by one. It’s only a matter of time before someone in the Republican Senate jumps ship. And then the MAGA nation will follow. Even Fox News is confused.
3
So what we finally see is that the election was "rigged", just as Trump said, but it was "rigged" for him. Could we please have a new election within the next few months?
5
"Establishing a nexus between Mr. Cohen’s efforts to silence the women and Mr. Trump’s campaign is central to making a criminal case of election law violations."
Showing a prima facie case is central to this stage of the case. This does that.
A prima facie case is not final proof, and not judgment of the finder of fact.
This is an important step, but let's not get ahead of ourselves or we will come up short from making too many assumptions.
3
"key participants in two hush-money schemes say the transactions were intended to protect Donald J. Trump’s campaign for president"
Key participants signed a document written by the prosecutor in the prosecutor's chosen words, as part of a deal to avoid more punishment.
That is not the same as proof that the prosecutor's interpretation was the understanding then, or the only possible understanding now.
A married man with kids can have many motives to keep his less reputable erotic affairs out of the press and public discussion.
The balance of motives and legal import of them will be decided by a judge, not by the staff attorney who drafts the statement required of the defendant as part of his deal.
So maybe, but far from conclusive. You may want it, and want it badly, but that doesn't mean you've got it.
2
@Mark Thomason
"A married man with kids can have many motives to keep his less reputable erotic affairs out of the press and public discussion."
Absolutely. Thing is, this married man with kids loved to boast about his erotic affairs, and was an active participant in having them splashed all over the NY tabloids. You'll have to admit that the timing of this married man's sudden concern with keeping his less reputable erotic affairs out of the press and public discussion, beginning in 2015, is one heck of a coincidence.
4
In an interview just two months ago, Melania Trump made it clear that Trump's affairs were not a concern of her's and that she didn't particularly care about them. So, much for his claim that the payments he made were for "personal" reasons. Why would he pay hundreds of thousands of dollars to hide affairs from a wife who wasn't concerned by them? Clearly, these payments were to influence the election. It has since been made clear, of course, that Republican voters are as unconcerned about Trump's affairs as Melania is, so he could have saved the money, and he wouldn't be in hot water now.
4
@Ms. Pea Perhaps the hush money payments were to prevent any embarrassment of Trump in the way Clinton was embarrassed?
Several members of my family are lawyers. We have three Democrats and one Republican which makes for interesting Thanksgiving dinners. They are unanimous the Donald is deep deep doo doo.
11
@John
Let me guess, the Republican voted for G W Bush but is a Never-Trumper? And you think the fact that one lawyer agrees with the other 3 means something? Don't 'Republicans' who voted for Gee Whiz but can't stomach Trump always agree with democrats afflicted with TDS? You think voting for G W Bush was the right vote? I didn't vote for him but did vote for our current American First President and will do so again in 2020.
@GregP - How's that vote working out for you? Are you enjoying your dirty air and water? Do you revel in the tax breaks for the 1%? Are you loving the alienation of our allies?
Don't bother thinking about 2020, your mango messiah will be gone by then.
1
@DR
Vote is working out orders of magnitude better than I hoped for. When I cast my vote all I really expected was to stop Clinton from ascending. If that's all Trump accomplished I would consider him a success on that basis alone. But not only did he stop her, he has jump started our economy and I have a JOB and a chance to find a better JOB in the future so very well for me is your answer. Haven't noticed a change in my air or water and as far as the 1% are concerned, you can be jealous and resentful if you want I have more important things to focus on than petty jealousy of others who were born to a better station than my own. The world has always had elites and those who are jealous of them. I am in neither camp you are in the latter. As for 2020, I will vote for Trump because he isn't going anywhere before then. Who you think is gonna get my vote in 2024?
This is our future. The House will hold hearings and debate endlessly. They will vote to impeach. The Senate will vote the other way. Trump is a clown and should be impeached although some of policies seem to be moving the needle finally on issues like China tariffing our products and stealing our technology.
Maybe Trump will cut a deal, resign and get out of town. That would leave us with President Pence. But a Trump resignation seems very unlikely. The winning strategy for Democrats may be to rope-a-dope the impeachment hearings so they are front and center in the election of 2020. Sadly, in the meantime the people's work is ignored. This is our modern political system.
4
@Dr. Frank N. Furter
Democrats will destroy their party if they try to rope-a-dope this President. That would be like your Aunt who is tone deaf facing off against Justin Timberlake in a singing contest.
If paying someone not to publish an article is illegal, how about paying someone to make false claims? Is it legal? 20+ women were paid in 2016 to claim Trump had sexually assaulted them. Did the payers violate election laws?
1
The issue is not with paying someone not to publish a story. It's about the fact that the campaign paid for it. That's a legal violation as we have seen.
2
@Yel
Your proof of such a specious claim is .....where?
Regardless of how many times you and other sycophants try to muddy the waters, trump violated campaign finance laws.
He committed two Felonies.
None of your "what-aboutisms" will change that.
5
Everyone knew Indiv 1 cheated on his wives, used sex workers, and grabbed a p*ssy every now and then. 60 some million even voted for the rascal. millions of them the so-called Evangelicals.
And everyone knows David Dennison and other redneck billionaires will pay hush money, even 6 figure hush money, in (failed) attempts to protect "reputations" and avoid divorces.
So why do we care so much now?
Because we need to impeach the most ignorant and unethical individual ever to be elected President before he further damages our democracy. our institutions, and our national security and international standing
11
It's the SQUALOR that hits me.
And we've known about it for some time. I know. But it still hits me.
Apart from surreptitious payments of huge sums of cash--apart from hush money, discreetly funneled through lawyers and legal personnel--
--apart from editors of The National Enquirer (!) getting into the act, faithfully killing stories for "their man"--
--apart from campaign laws that may or may not have been violated--
--it's all so SQUALID. Like kitchen utensils that feel (when you handle them) oily--greasy to the touch. They're not clean. You set them down somewhere and wash your hands.
It's been said a million times--but who cares?
We've NEVER had a President like this. NEVER.
Maybe the closest we've come is Warren G. Harding (died 1923 after three years in office). And the poor man strove to be discreet--though (I believe) even the Secret Service got involved. Now and then. Hustling Ms. Nan Britton down long corridors, out the back door while an irate Ms. Hardy went galumphing after them.
Then there were the secret trysts in a shoes closet--
--the two lovers rolling around on the floor--
--but enough! Enough!
But Mr. Donald J. Trump! Sakes, he leaves his predecessors in the shade. Or in the LIGHT, should I say?
It is now around 7:45. I just got up. Read this piece.
And you know, New York Times.
It's time for a morning shower. A LONG, HOT morning shower.
Pronto.
6
Trump’s precariousness hinges upon only one thing: do the billionaire Oligarchs running the GOP and the right-wing brainwashing machine want Trump, or are they ready for Pence?
8
@John Brews ..✅✅
They are ready for Pence.
Trump served his purpose. He got that tax cut for the rich and now he's just an embarrassment to all. Better to sweep him under the rug than let him shoot his mouth off more.
Pence is crazy too but he's not unhinged in the way Trump is.
God Almighty. 2 more years of all this nonsense.
May 2020 bring a removal of as many of the corrupt and entrenched Republicans as possible.
2
@John Brews ..✅✅ - For the one thousandth time...… Pence is most likely guilty in the Russian debacle as well as a few other misdeeds and will probably go down with Trump.
Wait! What? Does this mean that maybe-just maybe-crime doesn't pay? I mean, everyone knows that Trump has always been the leader of a white-collar crime syndicate. The only reason that he hasn't gone to jail already is his legal team and a lot of payoff agreements on the courthouse steps that never admit guilt. i.e. Trump U. Anybody in their right mind don't believe the plaintiffs had him by his gunny sack before he caved? I'm glad to see Cohen sentenced. Is he behind bars yet like some others? But watch out, folks. The blowback reaction by a desperate Trump and his GOP unindicted co-conspirators (remember that one, Watergate fans? Roger Ailes got away and started Fox.) So, if we can't get POTUS...yet, let's round up all the minions. Looking at you, Jared. What, Ivanka too? Merry Christmas, everybody!
2
@Martin Veintraub
God YES!
Eric, Don junior, Ivanka and Jared.
LOCK THEM UP!!! LOCK THEM UP!!! LOCK THEM UP!!!!
Payback is a you-know-what.
2
It's no wonder the Republicans in congress are desperately using the Google example of biased hits that they say enabled votes for Hillary. When all along, be it Facebook and the Russian blitz or the National Enquirer and Cohen, their new poster boy, Trump, received a well coordinated boost that made darn sure that every yahoo would vote ill-informed for the thief in the White House.
Republicans aren't interested in laws and fairness - just their oligarchical protections.
Republicans are irrelevant to a functional working democracy other than to destroy it.
9
The true meaning of "collusion" and the "old boy's network" gradually has come out into the light. Donald Trump's character neither makes him fit for a friend or business partner, yet his influence, money and the political climate has brought him to the highest position in the land. It appears that his reliance upon "fooling most of the people some of the time" has run out, It's a shame that we most likely need to wait until the next election for his Presidency to become a bad memory.
7
The president now admits that he did know about the hush money payments to stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal. But he says that these payments were nothing more than personal transactions and had nothing to do with his presidential campaign.
If he feels that these payments were so inconsequential why did he need to lie about not being aware of them way back in pre-history on Air Force one?
20
What is Muller waiting for?It’s time to indict Trump, and get on with uniting our country & saving our Planet.
10
Has the threshold for High Crimes and Misdemeanors been met?
15
The good thing about successful criminal prosecution is that it reveals the bullies for the weaklings that they really are. If only people understood that the aggressive and the arrogant are little cowards on the inside.
As Trump watches his former enablers walk away one by one, we’ll watch his mental collapse. Fasten your seatbelts, folks. It’s not going to be pretty.
18
The irony: we’ve spent millions looking at the Russians when it comes down to the ubiquitous “cherchez la femme” ... the whole sordid thing which could have been a delicious “House of Cards” turns into a tawdry little porn flick. Oh well, since he has to stay in office to stay out of jail, we can already assume the 2020 election is sufficiently rigged to ensure Trump wins just to avoid indictment; maybe we can skip the ever-more meaningless election process and just keep him in office by some sort of acclamation in the GOP-controlled Senate because the GOP, as proven in in Wisconsin, Michigan and North Carolina, is certainly not above jury rigging the system to any corrupt outcome they need to hold power
3
@PMIGuy - The Russian saga is still unfolding.
1
Anyone wondering why there's no reaction from Trump's supporters (other than the very few who read the NYT) should realize that FOX isn't covering it ... yet anyway.
And anyone wondering just how much trouble Trump might be in should read Letitia James interview with NBC, here
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/incoming-new-york-attorney-general-plans-wide-ranging-investigations-trump-n946706
Ms. James is the incoming AG for New York State, and she is vowing an intensive investigation of everything Trump, and prosecutions to follow.
New York State cannot prosecute for FECA violations, but the tax fraud and money laundering of Trump's payments to Cohen for the payoff to Cliffords is a slam-dunk conviction.
And the facts of the Trump/Cohen/Pecker/?? conspiracy would be admissible in that prosecution, as to intent and corroboration.
Conviction on the tax fraud and money laundering alone could net a sentence of 5 to 10.
18
Dear Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan; I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad tidings but there isn't any 'Batboy'. Oh, or any 'Populist Donald Trump'. Both were myths cooked up by a charlatan and another charlatan.
12
@Richard Mclaughlin
Dear Richard, “I’m (also) sorry to be the bearer of bad tidings but there isn’t and ‘Super Girl’ (either)”.
“Oh, or any (seriously) ‘Progressive Democratic’ party leaders.”
That faux progressive stunt of standing up to the current Emperor Trump on TV yesterday by Nancy was just another example, in the long history (at least since Slick Willie in 1992) of dollar drenched and more subtle deceits of ‘D’ Vichy party neoliberal-cons’ ‘deals’ to edge out ‘R’ Vichy ‘rougher-talking’ candidates — like Nancy’s ‘deal-making’ ploy to remain House speaker into her 80s, or like Hillary’s ‘deal making’ to throw Bernie under the bus and fulfill her ‘Empress-in-waiting’ devine rights.
1
@Alan MacDonald
Aww, what's wrong?
Weather too cold up there for you to be realistic and fair?
I used to vacation at Lake Sebago many moons ago and I always did think Maine people were, um, well it would be unkind to say what was wrong with them.
3
@Richard Mclaughlin - There is a "Batboy." His real name is Rudy Giuliani aka Nosferatu.
2
Before this person was voted into The White House it was already known that he was a liar, an adulterer, an exploiter of people, a failed businessman. Voters can be misled by slick campaigning but the GOP and evangelists are still supporting this venal, pitiful excuse for a human being. Apart from personal gain what can possibly support their stance?
9
The TV Media, in particular, should not shout-out questions to Trump such as, “Mr. President, do you have anything to say about Michael Cohen’s comment that he was covering up your ‘Dirty Deeds’”?
If they had any courage, sense of history, and journalist integrity, they would instead roughly shout something more pointed and revealing to ‘we the American people’, like this:
“Hey, Emperor Trump, your ‘Dirty Deeds’, which your ‘fixer’, Michael Cohen, finally disclosed, should cause you to resign, before your deceit totally turns ‘our country’ into a ‘Deal for your Empire’, eh?”
6
Have to wonder how Faux News will spin this storyline!
8
Trump has always played this as a political fight, not a legal one. So he plays to his base. Why Americans voted for this miscreant of a human being we will never know. But wait for the national media to start pounding him after the Mueller report. His support will evaporate. They like a blowhard.
7
Nothing more than money laundering. Now DJT is behaving like your garden variety con artist. Time to bring RICO into play so that all of his assets can be seized.
14
Seems to me the first amendment cuts both ways: media has the right to publish virtually anything it wishes. Likewise it has the right to fail to publish anything it wishes. Had it paid the prostitutes, and then published...would that have been a campaign contribution? No. So how can it be a campaign contribution to pay the prostitute and not publish? Goose and gander problem here. If the rag had paid her and then published, NYT and other "mainstream" media would have been raging with arguments in favor of the President. What hypocrisy.
1
Because paying money to suppress a story is the equivalent of a campaign contribution far surpassing the monetary limits of campaign contributions.
10
This is one more strand, though a very large strand, in the rope that Mueller is weaving to hang Donald Trump, the 45th president of the United States. Which is what he deserves, not because he was bedding porn stars and playmates and paying them hush-money, but because he was more interested in protecting his deals with Russians at the detriment of the security of the United States. The nation he took an oath to protect.
It is likely however, that Donald will not hang, we just don't like doing that to ex-presidents. He will resign the presidency, at the urging of most Republicans, and accept a diminished role as a retired commander-in-chief. Secret service protection for him but not for his family (unless they want to pay for it themselves). No presidential library. No state funeral and no recognition of the site as a national monument. And forfeiture of some of his prized possessions, like Mar-a-Lago or the Trump Tower.
3
One more step to cripple Trump. It's time for his followersto get it. He cheated..lied..scammed his way to The White House. The Presidency is haunted by the ghost of Nixon. Nixon had the smarts to resign and leave town. Time for Trump to fire up his jet and head to Moscow. We Don't want or need him, A total disgrace. His sons and daughter? Take them too. They are all guilty of falsely taking the office. Pence? He probably knew. He must have told "Mother Pence"..
Let's get this behind us and get back to the real business of the people.
Better heathcare..better public schools (bye Betsy) Fair taxes paid by all. Stop loop holes for the 1%.
Happy Days Will Be Here Again...when he's gone@
3
in my opinion, David Dennison , Individual 1, Donald Trump, should all be indicted and sent packing. I hope it's getting there.
3
Follow the money. Who authorized the checks to AMI and Michael Cohen? It's either President Trump or one of his 3 children. That's the next person to squeeze. I guess we'll learn soon if Trump will throw one of his own children under the bus too.
4
I never thought I would quote Donald Trump but here it goes.. “lock him up”. Company for Cohen... Manafort and who else?
3
the wages of sin to protect the candidate while coordinating with Wiki (Assange) to satiate the desire of his former landlord (RU) to flip US foreign policy re sanctions and build a tower in MCK for the arch-oligarch.
2
I can't wait to read the responses of those holier than thou
bible belt white evangelicals. Can they possibly exceed their level of hypocrisy that had them voting in droves for trump and
anyone endorsed by him on moral (of all things) grounds? How
about ralphie reed? You enjoying this display of roman paganism in high places?
This is exactly what we all knew, what we all expected would
eventually come out...there is no congressional trumpican
who cannot be excused from being forced to mumble his reactions in public for his constituents. How about newt g
o'holy hypocrite redux? Are you enjoying this so far?
And how about poor ole orrin hatch...? forced to bow out from public life - finally - with this slime firmly smeared all over the poor guy's suit...delicious.
2
tl;dr—Yet another Trump loyalist is dismayed to discover that Trump never repays your loyalty with his.
3
Donald is one of the most Thick-Skinned uneducated politician of all time. Some one in his place would have dropped out of election when the access Hollywood tape has come out.
NO, he would deny, deny and stay on until everything is blown out of controlled, end up being impeached or put into prison after 2020. I am waiting for the another Block Buster "Rise and Fall of Donald Trump", based on the true story of lies, denials and collusion. What a story on Redemption of Democracy in America.
Sadly, I don't think ANY of this will lead to the removal of D. Trump....his base is too hooked on him and convinced everyone is lying about everything....
And the Dems seem, for whatever reason, to still want to focus on things like transgender bathrooms (which the 2016 Democratic side of the election seemed, to my recollection, to be about nothing else)....
1
Here’s what we know...Trump lied and violated campaign election laws to get elected; Trump lied and committed treason when he worked with our long time enemy, Russia, to influence the outcome of the election; since being elected Trump and his family have used his government influence to enrich themselves and their associates; Trump has lied, lied repeatedly, and lied again to the American people.
The facts speak loudly that Trump is unfit to be President. The U.S. House of Representatives should immediately start impeachment proceedings so that all of the facts are laid bare for everyone to see and then let the voters dump Trump on Election Day in 2020.
Dump Trump 2020.
2
Here we go again! No prosecution. There is a difference between 'working up the ladder' and 'pardoning up the ladder'.
Cohen's sentence to a minimum security federal prison is just a 'safe place' for penning his tell-all and to pass time to let some people forget that he's a snitch.
Particularly egregious, Democrats and Republicans have agreed--- there is no eligible kingpin. Enter Manafort.
That makes this a damnable farce.
Regardless of any legal outcomes, the American people must decide, in local elections in 2019 and in the presidential election in 2020, whether they want to elect honest representatives and judges or if they prefer the allure of the con artist, the person who keeps company with all kinds of lowlifes and then pays them off. This includes all Republicans that support our President in the face of overwhelming evidence of both his incompetence and his dishonesty. I sincerely hope that the American people will look past the fearmongering and racebaiting tactics of the Republican party and elect representatives who represent the true face of America - one that values honesty and decency. Every election counts and every vote counts.
2
“Where the investigations go from here is not clear.” In other words, “Do not pass Go. Do not collect $200.”
Is it really that far fetched to believe that a man/woman who has plenty of affairs outside his/her marriage and pay hush money to cover up their lack of morals, also could be playing for another team (Russia) in politics?
How all these Christian religious fanatics can still support a guy who clearly him self has none of the values connected to Christianity (Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor, "No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money) is insane. What would Jesus do? I'm pretty sure he wouldn't do what DT or his voters are doing.
2
OK, perhaps I'm the one who is stupid. But I really fail to understand how paying off his ex-mistresses is a campaign violation. Sleazy, yeah. Unfaithful husband, yeah. But he didn't pay them with campaign funds. Not even Mueller has claimed that. There is a dangerous slide here. If we are to return to the standards of celibacy for politicians, then there are a few others who are going to have a problem - starting with San Francisco's Willie Brown, and two of his ex-girlfriends, Senator Kamala Harris and Mayor London Breed, both of whom have long since acknowledged rather substantial payoffs. Democrats may live to regret making this an issue.
They were campaign contributions since Cohen and Pecker intended to influence the election by making those payments.
4
How depressing. It was clear to me from the beginning that Trump was profoundly mentally ill, and capable of serious crimes. People who lack a conscience are capable of anything.
Whats really depressing is the fact that so many Americans were duped by this con man. He is not even a very good con man, yet so many Americans have been fooled by this guy. Does not say much about the judgment of the voting American public. Sad, very sad.
2
Never thought I'd be a fan of the National Enquirer.
2
The simple fact that Trump should get a slap on the wrist. A little fine. These "violations" are so ridiculous that we are actually reading them. And would not have made a difference.
There doesn't seem to be a single honest person in Trump's orbit. He is immersed in sleaze. Wonder how all those evangelicals convince themselves otherwise.
1
Well Mr. President, how’s it feel to be holding the mirror looking at yourself now. Do you think your base that you worked into a frenzy chanting “lock her up”, all while fraudulently becoming President of this great nation, won’t be turned against you? This great Nation deserves much better than you, sir. (I’m not certain you deserve even to be referred to as sir).
2
The un-indicted co-conspirator. Still don't see an impeachment winning in the Senate.
NYT be careful. Trump may not be culpable for hundreds of felonies.
" . . . a sitting president cannot be indicted" = someone is above the law
1
Oh what a tangled web we weave when we practice to deceive. Through the darkness they dance and deny, but justice will win in this times trial. For my country I do weep, and thus am up losing sleep. The air, the water, the future I breathe, in the hands of a ner do well so full of greed. Melania, what this night can you say, I do not care, will never sway. Goodnight America, I say good night, In this, crimes reveal, what is so not right.
So far Trump has been unscathed legally. Why is this allowed a President or anyone else. It is obvious now just how easy it is to use campaign funds (money contributed by unknowing Americans) based on lies, to do away with bad publicity which would have been more evidence to show just what a low-life Donald Trump is. An indication of his willingness to lie and pervert fairness, including up to perverting the law. So why now will he not be prosecuted and Cohen has been?
2
Early Deal? As in the National Enquirers started doing PR cleanup for Trump back in the Marla Maples era. Trying to drag this stuff into his 2016 campaign is an act of desperation by Mueller's team.
If he's anywhere near as rich as he claims, these piddly sums would be pocket change. So he's lying about his wealth, or he is incredibly cheap. Given the evidence provided by his behavior over the many years that he's been shamelessly striving for publicity, I'm thinking it's both.
2
Politics and bedfellows. Hm. More and more that adage does ring true as a reality than a TIC pun.
I'm amused when Trump calls others liars because no one has lied more than he. It seems every time he talks about an issue he is wrong when the details of what he's saying are examined. Why does he carp on in this manner? Does he believe that his base which in numbers might be closer to 30& rather than 50%?
Our President is a crook who believes he is above the law. It has been expedient for the GOP to concur with him, but the case is building effectively against this crime family. At some point, I suspect that Republican senators will find it in their best interests to wash their hands of him, lest they become tainted by association.
2
What I find odd about this whole fiasco is why Trump felt threatened by this particular dirt. Nothing else thrown at him – including accusations of sexual violence and direct evidence of rape talk – stuck.
Then there’s his track record of dodgy business practices and his 100% flips on policy issues like abortion.
Or, in short, his tenuous relationship with the truth.
Everyone who was paying attention should have known even without this extra information that he was morally and ethically unsuited for high office.
6
Enquirer has as much of a chance of stopping the Trump Presidency as the Hamilton Electors did? Remember that fantasy? Such a sad place to be when all you had to do to keep Trump out of the White House was nominate Anybody besides Clinton in 2016. That was an impossible task for Democrats though so here we sit. You are not going to Impeach this President because he had affairs and paid off women, before he even got to the White House. Period.
1
It may be true about not impeaching TRUMpp for his payments to cover affairs.
However, there is the small matter of possible collusion with a foreign power which could change the terrain. And, possible obstruction of justice. And, possible campaign violations. And, possible tax fraud. And, who's to say? The investigations into TRUMpp's and his cohort's activities are ongoing as of today.
1
"The prevailing view at the Justice Department is that a sitting president cannot be indicted." You mean, if Trump shot somebody on Madison Avenue tomorrow, those flunkies would refuse to indict? Give us a break!
3
Although your ultimate goal is to see The President put in jail he must first commit a crime.Your election law experts who claim
he is in jeopardy of having broken them need a refresher course in what they are.
We now know that Google was funding Latinx GOTV activities to (successfully) flip US House Districts to Democrats. A woman Google executive actually referred to these activities funded by Google in an internal email obtained by the House as “(silent donations)”.
Why isn’t Google being prosecuted for this Federal campaign financing violation?
Google’s illegal campaign contributions, not disclosed to the FEC, are no different from the activity discussed in this article.
1
Huummm. I assume these alleged activities are not being prosecuted because any investigation into these alleged activities is either non-existant of not complete.
What's the latest you've got?
Okay, and when on earth are they going to test the bogus theory that a sitting President can't be indicted? This is insane. We now have unequivocal evidence that the President committed criminal election fraud. We know the dark-money corrupted GOP won't do anything directly, but in the face of an indictment? I gotta think they'll finally move to impeach our criminal President when that evidence is presented in court because when it comes to saving their own skins, they are the greasy masters and will surely turn.
2
My question for Donald Trump: Exactly what does the drain look like when you are circling it closely?
1
Just because John Edwards was acquitted does not mean what he did wasn't illegal. Using the criminal Trump theory if someone is acquitted for killing his wife it must be legal and not criminal if I kill my wife. How low have we fallen. Clinton was impeached for just lying about an affair. But not to worry, there is a lot more stuff on Trump. Money laundering, tax fraud, Russian conspiracy all coming soon.
5
"An impeachable offense is whatever a majority of the House of Representatives considers it to be at a given moment in history." - Gerald R. Ford
I think if there is evidence of Russia collusion, present it. No one cares about this story. I doubt a single Republican would vote to impeach on this basis. And the longer this goes on, the better for Trump's re-election.
1
One thing at a time. Patience.
What is the point of Campaign Finance Laws if a candidate can successfully break those laws to get elected and by successfully getting elected cannot be prosecuted for those crimes. The idea a sitting president cannot be prosecuted is just wrong. What if he commits more crimes?
18
What matters is the damage to the country, and the world, environmentally, economically, and socially, specifically LGBT rights, animal rights, starving children in Yemen, where are moral leaders?
Watergate brought down a criminal long after the damage was done to the world.
8
And still McDonnell will not consider protecting the Mueller Investigation into Russian interference with the election. And why are they related. Because Trump did and most likely does anything he can get away with to protect the images he creates. And thinks they are genius not illegal.
3
@Just Me
Maybe the reason for that is this isn't the 1950's and Jeff Flake is not a real life Mr. Smith, going to Washington in 2020 like he fantasizes about. Mueller investigation is proceeding unabated and no one is signalling anything will change that. Yeah, every once in a while Guiliani says 'wrap it up', that isn't the same thing as Trump firing Mueller. No need for Flake's Grandstanding Bill and McConnell knows it so it won't get a vote. If you want to contribute to the Flake/Koons 2020 campaign go right and do so.
So people can use criminal means to help get elected to the presidency of the United States and they are shielded from prosecution. This is not wrong. All Americans should be equal under the law.
3
Atty Cohen says he blames himself for his predicament, then in the same breath blames Trump!
He gets 36 months in prison. Not a prison for serious offenders I’ll bet. Just one for the least dangerous offenders I’m sure. And he has 12 months after he begins serving his sentence to come forth with more incriminating information to strike a better deal. And regardless of whether he strikes a new deal or not, does anybody believe he won’t be released early for good behavior?
Most people would get 36 or more months just for multiple counts of tax fraud. What is wrong with our judicial system?
Had he saved himself a huge amount of money by representing himself and striking his own two deals, would he have secured the same leniency? Of course not because judges, prosecutors, and defense attorneys all belong to the same club - THEY ARE ALL ATTORNEYS! And if you are bold enough to represent yourself, even if you are an attorney, you will be forced to pay a higher price for your transgressions.
Meanwhile men and women who can’t afford capable counsel are forced to plead guilty 95% of the time and accept harsh punishments.
American society is corrupt beyond redemption. Democrat or Republican, it really doesn’t matter. Life has never been more unjust in the US.
11
How many GOP in Congress had knowledge of these crimes and are essentially accessory to obstruction and fraud? They can certainly spend their retirement explaining to their grandchildren why these kids' history books tell how the GOP aided and abetted what is likely the greatest Presidential conspiracy in our history
22
This newspaper is obviously savoring the drip-drip-drip confirmation of Trump-era venality it has so diligently reported. Which is OK, but readers might do well to check themselves a bit here.
Mueller is supposed to be looking for the Russia smoking gun. Along the way people are getting jailed for lying. And this story simply confirms Pecker's catch-and-kill gambit that was reported here last year, and might amount to a campaign violation Which is, in the end, a lower-grade crime than lying to the FBI. And that was what Ken Starr (and eventually the House) went after Clinton for, even though they also were supposed to be looking for something else (Whitewater).
So, Robert Mueller may be turning into Ken Starr right in front of our eyes. Stay tuned.
2
@Tim Clark
Robert Mueller has nothing to do with this indictment on campaign finance law. This case is been handled by a federal prosecutor appointed by Trump. What happened here was not a campaign finance violation as you want to wish it away. How many rich dudes give the New York Times money to forward that money to a mistress or lover. Why would the NYT call Obamas personal lawyer to warn him about a woman alleging an affair.
@Tim Clark. This is just the small bait Mueller has found along the way but he is still hot on the trail of the Russian part of this story.
2
@Michael
I bet that the people at the NYT got a chuckle reading your comment equating them with the National Enquirer.
Is there an actual law that forbids a sitting president from being indicted, or is it a policy? It looks like the president may be able to walk on two felony charges. In the interest of law and order the president must be held accountable if charged with breaking any laws. Or else we send a message that the president is above the law.
15
It seems like Trump will wind up in jail eventually, at least we can hope.
Former presidents get Secret Service protection for life. So will they assign some agents to stand outside his cell or what? That would be really strange.
And I wonder what kind of funeral his will be? I can't imagine anything like GHWB's. Probably more like New Years Eve or the 4th. Celebratory, fireworks, joy.
15
So, just so I understand where we are. We have a U.S. Justice Dept. conclusion our President committed a felony. We have a "policy" in that same Justice Dept. that says a sitting President cannot be indicted because it would be an unconstitutional to keep the President from fulfilling his Constitutional duties. And, we have a political party (GOP) that makes it impossible to impeach him. This is not a system that protects our democracy. This is a system that allows - in fact encourages - a political coupe by a criminal.
38
Trump’s only presentable defense now is that he didn’t know that he was party to a crime when he personally participated in the payment that amounted to criminal campaign finance violation. That of course is not a viable defense in a court of law, but it may be a winnable defense inside the blind court of Trump’s base and the see no evil, hear no evil Republican Party.
9
@G
trump has already made that defense when he declared on Air Force 1 that he didn't know about the payments to the women in question. Of course he was lying and I used this example when a Trump supporter challenged me to "name one lie that Trump has told, and 'don't hesitate.'" This lie came to mind immediately.
1
One of the lines in the article strikes me as odd; and that is "the prevailing view at the Justice Dept --- that a sitting President cannot be indicted". What if the President got to be the President by committing crimes? I do not see anywhere in the constitution that states a sitting President cannot be indicted. To wait till he leaves office to charge him with a crime by which he attained the powers of Presidency to begin with, in my mind absurd, and makes no sense.
36
@Mohan Das
This is patently absurd especially if the person required to face the law is abusing that very same law to not only shield himself but to tamper with witnesses to intimidate and undermine law enforcement.
The concept of not indicting a sitting president was meant to shield the integrity of office not the officeholder. That concept is now been weaponized to undermine and frustrate the rule of law.
The justice system can't be held at bay on the basis of legal generalities as with all courts each situation should be determined on the basis of individual and specific circumstances.
3
In my humble opinion there is no possibility that 1) Trump will be removed from office as a result of a conviction in the Senate (so why bother to impeach?); 2) that, even if indicted, any jury of twelve in the U.S. would agree convict him (if even a jury plus alternates could be chosen given the highly emotional responses to his Presidency across the country, let alone in New York, New Jersey and DC).
So, my feeling is that to make sure this guy, his associates and his family never ever again do anyone or our democracy any harm is to encourage all state attorneys general, wherever these crooks do business, to work to strip them all of their wealth, since much if not all of it, has been attained by illegal means.
12
@EMiller. Right now the Senate would not vote to impeach but in time, with more evidence, things can change quickly. Reading the history of Watergate can give a lot of insight.
2
I'm still wondering that if djt is a man of billions why did Cohen have to run all over to get the money to pay the girls off? $130 grand is pocket change in the life of a billionaire. Once we come back to is he really a "billionaire" or a prevaricator or cheapskate. Are we ever going to get his tax returns? A
19
The prosecutors should indict Trump on the campaign violations regarding the $ 150,000 and $ 130,000. If that fails because of procedural matters ("cannot indict a sitting president"), it will be postponed to January 2021, when Trump is no longer president. Either way Trump is indicted and is held to be not above the law. I would really like to see how the Supreme court decides if a sitting president can be indicted.
16
When the Titanic hits the iceberg, rats bail
11
Are the Evangelical supporters of Trump still happy with him? Is the GOP still trying to sell us the mantra that "Businessmen will straighten out government"? Are the wage earners happy withe Trump Tax Cuts? Are the farmers still waiting for someone to buy the soybeans that the Chinese will not touch? Are the chronically ill still waitng for the wonderful better, cheaper Trump replacement of the ACA?
72
To err is human. Cover-up is a way of life. But enough is enough, It's time to stand up for the sake of our constitutional democracy, traditional values and civility.
Our national prestige and jurisprudence are in danger. We should overcome this pain of growth as a nation.
18
I don't understand this notion of a sitting president cannot be charged with crimes that helped get him elected. With his connections to countries such as Russia and Saudi Arabia, stopping him now has become a matter of national security.
91
It’s important that we, the voters, not re-elect Trump so that he can be tried and convicted of breaking the law before the statute of limitations runs out. The sight of this fraud leaving the White House for the Big House will mark an historic low point yet provide the greatest example of a principle at least some of us still cherish: no one is above the law.
56
As much as our founders and authors of our constitution were great heroes and visionaries, wouldn’t you know they left out that no confidence thing. . .
26
@Charles Kaufman
Yes, we need a “no confidence” mechanism like the UK has.
[But I have “no confidence” we’ll have such a breakthrough, because were stuck with a 1700s document.]
1
A major step in the prosecutors’ case? Leading to what? We’re at this petty level after abandoning the dream of Russian collusion? Maybe it’s better simply to focus on 2020. Either Trump will win or not, but the people will decide—and no more lectures on the unfairness of the electoral college. All candidates are charged with understanding how it works and no more whining afterward!
6
It is unfair. Someone in Wyoming has 3.6 times more voting power than I, because I live in California. That’s right. We are taxed by the federal government the same but I have much less voting power. You think that’s okay?
63
Since it will inevitably be proved that our president was elected after running a campaign overflowing with fraudulent acts, is it too much to ask that in addition to his impeachment, that his judicial picks be rescinded, all the way up to the Supreme Court?
79
I hope the new House of Representatives begins impeachment proceedings regarding illegal campaign contributions.
I don't care what the GOP Senators think. I don't even care if the outcome keeps the president seated.
He must be served notice that we have had enough.
74
Except that knowing Trump, if impeachment is started but he isn't impeached, he'll take it as a divine mandate that he is the one true king.
1
With the reimbursement paid to Cohen being covered up as legal fees, I'd have thought that Internal revenue would have been charging Trump with tax evasion.
49
Trump didnt report the "loan" on his first official financial statement, and that is a felony. He can be charged with that at some point. The problem is the current DOJ OLC policy that a sitting president cant be indicted. There are so many crimes now, they should make an exception.
37
@Chris
Now there's a thought! Show us the tax returns, please!
3
Apparently, the IRS is still too busy auditing him...
1
"We need more individuals from the corporate world possessing zero political experience, zero political skills and zero moral compass running for President" -- should say absolutely no one who has been awake and/or woke the past two years.
54
Donald Trump has been focused since Day 1 on bringing
jobs, manufacturing, and investment back to a consumer based society possessed of a dwindling consumer class.
W didn't have this focus while he was draining the nation's coffers to support his Greek tragedy. O didn't have this focus while he was traipsing the world apologizing for America's sins while also setting back the tenor of the American spirit; and HRC certainly would not have had
this focus, as she would have been happy enough to
secure her place in history while ensuring the Clinton Foundation billions in post POTUS endowment.
So, now, you're telling me the one POTUS in generations who is trying to set right the ship of state and provide the American middle class with at least a fighting chance in a Darwinian world whose two major players are fighting for dwindling strategic resources, the access to which directly affects our citizen's pocket books, is going to be either indicted or impeached over this stuff; YHGTBFKM.
Congress, please bring this Mueller investigation...to an end.
7
If that is what he has been focused on, he certainly is a failure, on all counts. We’re still bleeding jobs and while every economy looks good on paper, it’s good only for the very wealthy. Perhaps you’re one of them? A majority of people are struggling to make ends meet
52
A consumer based society only works if the majority of the consumers have a high enough income to consume. If he really wanted to improve the economy, he wouldnt have been giving tax cuts to corporations or the wealthy that would only go towards paying executives and increasing stock buybacks. He would have worked toward raising the minimum wage so the average worker had more money to spend. He wouldnt have rolled back regulations set to pay people fairly for overtime. He would have spent money on improving local infrastructures that provide jobs so people had additional income to spend. And he would have set the example for other corporations by bringing back the manufacturing of his *own and his daughter's* goods to American factories from various Far East countries.
55
@Noel Knight You represent your own delusions (fueled by Fox News, and shared by many) as fact. They are not.
"...while he was traipsing the world apologizing for America's sins while also setting back the tenor of the American spirit" is a laughably (or tragically) inaccurate representation.
1
No jail time- no fines; nothing. To the average Joe and Jane (like me), there is a disheartening disconnect with the system of laws I know and the system of laws "these folks" operate under.
Is this why our current president never-ever-ever faced a criminal conviction? Simply settle and never "admit to wrong doing" even when every shred of evidence pointed to breaking the law? Money Laundering; housing discrimination; fraud (Trump University)...
This appears to be the way of those to-big-to-prosecute: Bankers; Wall Street Titans (Wells Fargo): No One Goes To Jail.
Jails are for the rest of us-obviously. And when incarceration simply cannot be avoided- a 12- day respite and 36 months are the saveur du jour.
Am I doing something wrong by doing everything right?
63
@Candlewick -- I think Trump will end up in jail ... have a little patience.
And I think he will end up in a New York jail, not a Federal one. He won't like that, at all.
Trump's also certain to pay some very large fines. He already paid NY State 1 M$ for "Trump University." His Trump Foundation is under investigation in New York State, and almost certain to cause very large fines, and all involved (including Jared and Ivanka) are possibly at risk of jail, though most observers rate that as unlikely.
Would you bet that the AG of New York would be unable to find anything seriously illegal in Trump's (and Trump's family) business dealings? Really?
30
@Candlewick The bankers are NOT too big to prosecute, just look at what Iceland did with their bankers after -08.
@Lee Harrison
It isn't merely about fines. The entire system of dual Justice; one for "us" and another for "them" is the issue. Your point, that "he already paid...." is the point. A one million dollar fine hardly came out of Trump's personal pocketbook; that's like me paying a ten dollar parking fine.
We go to jail; "they" do not. Ivanka and her brother should have been indicted several years ago; except New York's Manhattan Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr, Axed the case after a personal visit from a Trump attorney and a fat campaign donation.
1
This is going down ... and Trump is going down along with it.
Waiting for the tweet-storm of lies / denies and the manufactured crisis / drama to follow.
28
Golly whiz bang, I hope this does not diminish the reputation of the Enquirer as a legitimate news source. Do I now have to discount all of the stories about Andy's Aunt Bee or the last words of King Farouk? Our President certainly gave it a few boosts in his one and only election campaign as worthy of consideration in the truth department. That's good enough for me!
14
Where's the now-obvious mantra?
Collusion.
Collusion.
Collusion.
Triangulated with collaborating evidence and testimony:
Cohen
AMI/enquirer
SDNY
Even if you think this is off the path of the Russia investigation, Trump deserves to be on the receiving end of conflated rhetoric.
Let him stew in his Collusion juices, whichever pot they occupy now.
18
Perhaps the monetary value of round-the-clock boosterism on Faux News should be labeled as an unreported campaign contribution, especially since the Donald has laready filed his papers for the next election.
26
Not just failure to report. A coordinated excess in- kind contribution.
4
This story is one of the many examples of our current president and the way he encourages his group of associates to do the wrong thing.
This pitiful behavior should not be a surprise to the American people as we had plenty of warnings about Donald Trump before he was elected president.
Trump started his false "birther" story about Obama five years before our citizens decided to make him our president.
We had plenty of time to observe his "behavior" before we made him president.
It should be no surprise that Trump is at the center of all the current scandal.
The REAL surprise is that he was elected president after we had plenty of warning signs.
The REAL STORY here is about the average American who voted for Trump even after all the clear indications that he would be an inferior president if he was elected.
My disappointment is directed toward my fellow citizens who were warned about Trump also our outdated electoral college system that helped the wrong person to become president.
Many now feel that our problem is --Trump.
A few of us feel that our problem is us,the voters.
We had many warning signs, yet we elected Donald J. Trump as our current president.
Now we have this mess with The National Enquirer which is typical of Donald Trump,our president after all the warning signs.
The shame is on us.
46
Trump and supporters say this is all irrelevant to the Russian probe.
But wasn’t Bill/Monica irrelevant to the Whitewater probe?
30
Mueller was tasked with investigating Russian interference, and wherever that investigation might lead him. It’s the presidents other corruption that has led Mueller to so many other indictments. But you can be sure that Russian interference will be at the heart of the final indictment
21
Monica was a young girl barely in consenting age. Bill was the President of the US. What is the comparison? Has Trump been accused of any relationship with his employees? Misuse of power? Has Melania worked to degrade and disparage these women while in the White House? You may not like Trump but he has no where come near the Clintons in abuse of power.
"The prevailing view at the Justice Department is that a sitting president cannot be indicted, though prosecutors in Manhattan could consider charging him after leaving office."
. . . .
That may be true as to the prevailing "view".
But contrast that with the Supreme Court pronouncement in United States v. Lee, 106 US 196 (1882), wherein the Court stated:
"No man in this country is so high that he is above the law. No officer of the law may set that law at defiance with impunity. All the officers of the government, from the highest to the lowest, are creatures of the law, and are bound to obey it."
Id., 106 US at 220
52
Now we are seeing the extent of why Donald John Trump wanted Jefferson Beauregard Sessions to be his Inside-Fixer.
16
It's not the crime, it's the coverup.
14
@Peter Henry Sometimes, the coverup is the crime
The noose of truth tightens, day by day.
Any Trump acolyte that doesn't feel the squeeze is denying reality.
Same as always.
20
Let's hope that prosecutors are also looking into Trump's relationship to Rupert Murdock, as well. Likely, Murdock's organization did far more than AMI to help advance the wanna-be despot to power.
22
Trump gets more free publicity from the media that hates him than from Fox News. That coverage is why Trump was elected since less people trust the media than trust Trump. The current tempest in a teapot over payments to women regarding their stories of consensual sexual affairs does nothing to prove that Trump is a traitor who conspired with Russia, and only confirms what we all knew before the election - that Trump has always been a serial philanderer. If anything the release of those stories before the election would have given Trump even more publicity and would not have changed a single vote. Having lived through the Clinton sex scandals (most of which were non-consensual), it is disappointing that in the new millennium we are still wallowing in tawdry sex tales. Clinton was also charged with covering up some of his sexual exploits and after impeachment failed in the a Senate (which it will similarly fail here) his approval ratings increased. The same thing will happen here.
This means nothing, Trump will deny that he had anything to do with it and that he never had anything to do with Ms. McDougal.
Now if she comes forward with a credible witness then maybe it might mean something.
You know Trump will say innocent until proven guilty.
3
How about those multiple pictures of the 2 together?
I am furious that our DOJ demands a publication to force its biased view of "election standards " down the throats of its employees. This is patently a prior restraint on 2nd amendment activity and those employees should strenuously object to this brainwashing attempt on the part of DOJ. They are unwittingly being set up these for prosecution if they fail to meet this prescribed, illegal standard. Stick to prosecution and do not veer from your legal mandate.
First, you mean First Amendment, not second, as this involves speech, not guns. Second, it actually *is* DOJ's mandate to enforce the laws that Congress has passed. It is a corporation's responsibilty to make sure all of their employees are aware of any way a law might impact its operations, so this is a valid use of DOJ power, especially when it has been shown that a corporate culture has promoted long-term illegalities.
17
Agent Orange is rapidly becoming a very bitter acidic lemon.
13
The irony! Trump versus National Enquirer. They deserve each other. Each owes its success to lies.
29
A big question our country is going to face is whether trump should be sent to prison for his misdeeds or will he be allowed to quit Nixon style.
10
I’m sorry, but is it just me or does the goal post for impeachment simply keep moving?
Enough is enough!
25
No, it is just as the longer Trump is in office, more crimes are exposed. You want DOJ to ignore the evidence of murder they find while investigsting the noise complaint?
4
Time for Individual 1 to be indicted. But he’ll shut down the Government to try to distract the Base. Watch!
17
Sovietized media warning about "Danger" to Trump?
Real danger is to Congress and its deep-swamp membership, along with Langley's deep-swamp wall, become the casualty of a government collapse. Best outcome for the polis, no question.
Deep-swamp corruption replete. Only a matter of time.
1
Whole show looks ridiculous!
Less than savoury characteristics were more than obvious to us the non Americans.
It was incredible that whole lot of Americans went about electing him.
It’s to the credit of Trump that he is never a hypocrite and went about proclaiming “I could shoot somebody and not lose voters”, evidently he had perfectly understood the psyche of his followers.
Moot question is does Trump indeed reflect characteristic of an American citizen?
5
So all the noise over Russians influencing the election by catfishing on Facebook and releasing e-mails confirming the hypocrisy of Clinton and her minions has morphed into even more ridiculous claims that tabloid journalism articles regarding Trump having extramarital affairs would have influenced the election. Really? Trump had a well known reputation of having cheated on every wife and girlfriend he ever had and being a serial philanderer for decades. In the meantime Clinton's actual attempts to influence the election by paying for a false dossier regarding Trump and Russian golden showers used to obtain a bogus FISA warrant to use the Obama Justice Department receives no coverage.
5
Slowly the dossier is starting to be proved right on most accounts. But they don’t talk abut it in Russia.
11
Candidate Donald J. Trump can hardly use the same defense as candidate John Edwards did. Trump was on this third wife with a well-known reputation for infidelity and bragging that he could do anything he wanted with women. It's a little late to claim the payoffs were to hide his sexual dalliances from Wife No. 3 or even to spare her the public embarrassment. A "private transaction" not an intentional campaign finance violation? Nice try, but nah.
23
The hush payments and catch and kill payments were unnecessary. The truth that Donald had sex with these women would only have helped his campaign. Evangelicals admire nothing more than a philanderer. Americans love a playboy. A guy who is bedding women who are public sex objects is the most admired man in this country. He has what most men want; and most women want to get his attention. He is all but universally admired. More, he is what we want in a President. Sex appeal is the number one characteristic of celebrity. Rather than paid to be quiet, the women should have been paid to tell their story; except then no one would have believed them. The hush money was nothing more than a bona fide of their veracity, so we would know Donald was a ladies’ man.
4
Most women want to get his attention? No women I know would want his attention! Ugh!
3
There should be a requirement that AMI admit guilt and conspiracies with Trump on all of their Magazines. That would make sure Donald’s 36% get the message. Plus a retraction on all the negative Clinton stories.
21
In the law there is a doctrine known as "fruit of the poisonous tree". Evidence that is obtained illegally cannot be used. Likewise, if I rob a bank and buy a new Mercedes with the $$, the court isn't going to let me keep the car.
If Trump broke numerous laws to win the election, shouldn't the election be nullified along with his supreme court pick and other decisions he made?
32
It's disheartening to watch this slow motion unveiling of just how deeply Mr. Trump has drug the Presidency through his personal muck and offal, as revealed by his closest associates, employees and fixers. Serial adultery, gloating misogyny, conspiracies, corruption, payouts and coverups, and lies thick enough to pave a golf-cart breezeway through the deepening swamp.
But the hardest part is wondering how long it will be before the fiercest partisan Republicans realize they've tied their prospects to a through and through grifter.
18
@Neander Just listen to Senator Hatch make excuses in a taped for TV interview. These colluding Senators are no better than the drump. Their names will go down in infamy, along with his.
1
Is this what Watergate felt like?
It's starting to feel like no amount of rage tweeting, insults, or lies are going to allow Trump to evade the evidence piling up against him in this campaign felony investigation.
351
@Aardvark Avenger
Seems like the Trump administration is slowly but surely being infiltrated by the facts which indicate a lot of shady dealings and corrupt activities and we see the case developing ever so slowly, much like Watergate which sort of evolved and then took on a life of its own, overshadowing the administration/ Mr. Trump is trying as much as he can to focus attention away from all this bad news but at some point, it will be a futile gesture and will be too insidious for even Mr. Trump to rail against.
29
@Aardvark Avenger Indeed, also like Watergate it took two years to finally bring down the president. Mueller is like a patient boxer who isn't looking for the quick knockout. Mueller is going to wear him down after 12 rounds. He let Trump who is more akin to a brawler tire himself out in the early rounds. It may get to the point where the GOP in his corner may throw the towel in.
46
@Aardvark Avenger
It's SORT of like what Watergate felt like.
A major difference is that, back then, we did not have to contend with the fact that the members of the then-President's party who were in Congress were anti-American traitors. We were able to believe, rightly, that the republicans in Congress would put COUNTRY over party. And, when it counted, the majority of them did.
NOW, we have a republican party that is actively--and in plain view--undermining the Constitution, and our democracy.
Even if the Special Counsel, SDNY, the New York A.G., or the House Intelligence and Judiciary Committees ALL find evidence that Individual-1 sold the country to Putin (or actually did shoot someone on 5th Avenue) I do not believe a SINGLE Congressional republican would vote to impeach or convict him.
41
After this revelation, how can I rely on the Enquirer anymore for honest and accurate reporting?
17
Sounds like election fraud to me.
13
To all Trump's so called base....remember that pledge to clean the swamp?....well the swamp is alive, well and grown much wider and deeper under this embarrassment of a president!
19
The timing of the payments is interesting. McDougal is paid off in August 2016.
The second presidential debate was in early October 2016. Days before, the Access Hollywood tape is released. At the second debate, Trump as a "stunt" invites three of the women that Bill Clinton had affairs with to the debate itself to embarrass and throw off Hillary. During the debate, he stalks her around the stage looming over her and glaring. Then Stormy Daniels is paid off.
Tabloid trash, treason, and Trump. Strange bedfellows for evangelicals and Republicans.
22
“It ain’t over til it’s over”
1
Trump is a domestic terrorist and a threat to every living thing on the planet. Gang GOP is complicit , for the money and power which they have rightfully lost or have stolen since 2000.
15
Yawn. Not going to touch President Trump. Investigate any member of Congress. They’d be going to jail.
3
Kind of poetic that the National Enquirer (which
actually is a purveyor of fake news) is taking
our Grifter In Chief down.
17
I ask again and again?
Some people go to jail... Others who have done far far less have resigned, or been ruined...
Trump is beloved by the Christians who see him as their long awaited hope.
He still says “Fake News.” All his associates are flipping. Guess what? He did it all!!
Dear Lord! Why? Why is he still President?
20
None of this makes any difference until American outrage dominates this story. It should be incredibly easy at this point to boot this fake president, but it's not happening. I worry that the America I once thought I knew has no pulse any more. Trump aside, America is a disgrace.
15
It's routine for wealthy men to pay off women to settle nuisance accusations.
If Trump can show a history of such settlements, overly zealous federal prosecutors will be unable to tie them to the campaign.
3
@Rolf Nope. These payments were explicitly made to influence the election results.. something more than "nuisance accusations." Better read up on election law.
25
@Rolf - that's probably what his defense lawyers are doing right now. Good point.
2
While they’re running for POTUS and lying to the country? Sorry but there are laws that even the rich and powerful must abide by.
2
Mueller is executing a brilliant strategy that surrounds Trump and counters his much-discussed (by him, by Rudy, by GOP enablers) get-out-jail-gambits, including simply being President. He will be dogged by legal proceedings like he’s never experienced in his criminal business dealings to date. His children will be prosecuted and his business exposed and demolished. And it won’t necessarily be by Mueller, as NY state is fulled invested in taking him down.
29
So we’re at a point where the FBI is using the same strategy to unwind what’s actually going on as they use to work their way up the chain of organized crime, and at best only half the country thinks something is seriously wrong with the administration. We actually have the FBI stating unequivocally in court that the president broke the law. What an odd time to be alive in this country.
1057
@JH Almost 2/3 of the country thinks something is seriously wrong with this administration. The number of Trump voters who out-and-out support this kind of criminal behavior is shrinking.
The problem is with Congress, specifically with the Senate. We need 2/3 of them to go along with the voting public in order to put an end to this nightmare of a presidency, but they somehow believe that ignoring the Constitution and accepting bribes dressed up as campaign contributions is their best strategy for winning re-election.
May God help their souls if they still have one.
145
@JH
"FBI is using the same strategy... as they use on ... organized crime"
This IS organized crime! Of the worst sort too.
178
@JH
I have had this same emotion course through me, the sensation that something SO unusual (and foreign) is taking place, and that millions of Americans are in some kind of dream-state, that prevents them from running into the streets....and breaking stuff. I know that the thought has occurred to me, many times.
41
It is extremely notable that AMI was given this deal. Prosecutors would typically only give such an immunity deal in instances where they feel the defendant, in this case AMI, has information that will lead directly to the prosecution of a higher value defendant. Wonder who they may have in mind here?
788
Knowing the Enquirer, It’s probably Elvis or the space alien having his baby.
38
@Jeff B
Unlike other guilty parties, AMI doesn't care if it is pardoned or not.
So it will 'testify, truthfully,' pay its fines, and continue to enjoy its freedom. And Trump will call it a 'weak' company for caving to Comey.
25
@Jeff B Trump had a Catch and Kill payoff deal with AMI for many years, long before the election. I'd not be at all surprised if all sorts of "lower-level" criminal and civil laws were broken in conjunction with his silencing payoffs - think misreporting expenses on his tax returns, breaches of contracts, etc. The AMI relationship could be virtual treasure chest for a prosecutor.
21
I think Mr. Mueller is still working the top third of the iceberg, here. He’s taking down the little fish, one by one. Thing is, Individual 1 isn’t bright enough to be the big fish, he’s the just the punchline of the joke. Someone in the GOP has some serious explaining to do about why the RNC didn’t vet Individual 1 before he was nominated. This is our tax dollars going to pay for something that should never have happened in the first place. Whoever the kingmaker was here, that person cannot and should not ever be allowed anywhere near politics again. Every cent I’m paying for Mr. Mueller to do this job is worth twice the amount, especially if we find out who the kingmaker is in the process. That’s the person I want to see in Leavenworth. That’s the one who will make sweet the money we’re spending. I wish I could donate to the Special Counsel’s investigation, I would gladly do so.
592
@Sunnieskye
This isn’t Mueller. It’s the SDNY.
Trump is so corrupt, it takes multiple investigations to get to the bottom of that abyss.
84
@Sunnieskye. Paul Manafort forfeited real estate and cash estimated to be worth between 42 million and 46 million. Michael Cohen forfeited $500,000, was ordered to pay 1.39 million in back taxes, and pay a $50,000 fine. Mr. Mueller and the SDNY are making sure the Americans aren't on the hook for this one.
21
It’s “on the house”! Mueller has already paid for the investigation (and then some) through acquiring Manafort’s assets! It’s like Mueller is paying us to bear witness to the Trump Downfall in all its glory. Talk about the ‘Art of the Deal’!
30
Committing electoral fraud to become President appears to fit within our Founding Fathers' definition of "a high crime". Either way, it is up to the members of the House to determine what rises to that level. However, if they were looking for guidance from the people who actually wrote the Constitution, they could get going right now.
366
@Steve
You have got to be kidding. This crime didn't exist until fairly recently, if it a crime to begin with. Remember the conviction for bribery of the governor of Virginia? 9 Justices found the law unconstitutional as written and exercised. Campaign finance laws are vague. If you consider a violation "election fraud" every president including the last would not have finished their term.
1
@Steve
As a constitutional matter, I would think campaign violations constitute a high crime. Making the case for removal on FEC violations alone is an uphill battle though. Certainly not impossible but you're arguing a difficult case. Trump wasn't technically President at the time so you need to answer the question of whether the President can be impeached for crimes committed as a civilian. I think Trump's serial payments to Cohen cover this bar but it'll take awhile.
As a criminal matter, there are still a few defenses Trump is trying to use. The language involving "personal transactions" is the most recent example. This is a legitimate legal defense. Trump is essentially saying he would have made the payments regardless of the election so they can't be considered a campaign donation.
The prosecutors need to prove Trump was considering the election when making the payments and the action had a significant impact on the election. Moreover, they need to prove Trump was aware he was violating FEC laws when orchestrating the whole thing. The bar for prosecution is rather high. You're going to have a hard time making the constitutional case without the criminal case though.
Here's the good news. The bar for criminal prosecution is so high the DOJ normally hands campaign violations to the FEC for prosecution. SDNY did not. They feel they have enough evidence to win a conviction under criminal law. After McGahn, Cohen, and now Pecker, it's not hard to see why.
5
@Jay
Actually, 18 U.S.C. § 371 - conspiracy against the United States is the relevant law prosecutors are using to build a case against Trump.
The DOJ manual on the federal prosecution of election manuals specifically references § 371 as the appropriate law under which to prosecute false statements to the FEC in a manner intended to conceal information from the public.
https://www.justice.gov/criminal/file/1029066/download
Despite what Rand Paul will tell you, this is not a recent campaign law. The origin dates to William Taft. Sorry, you've been misinformed.
8
So, by turns great and small, the fog surrounding Donald Trump is beginning to clear. I just wonder how this drip...drip...drip of Special Prosecutor Robert Mueller’s investigation is playing in MAGA Nation. They complained bitterly that “there’s no there there,” and got all their information from either Fox News, Rush Limbaugh or Devin Nunes and Trey Gowdy. Now the drip looks like becoming a gusher.
Much has been made—since 2015–of the MSM’s inability and/or unwillingness to go after Trump as candidate or as president, and even if so inclined, they were demonstrably timid and fearful of offending sensitive opposing viewpoints. AMI is hardly “mainstream” and one would be elitist indeed—including nasty—to suggest that MAGA Nation’s reading taste leans hard to the fantastic and the borderline factual. But things being what they are, who can be surprised that a scandal sheet would be in cahoots with a greasy candidate and his (now felonious) “fixer?”
David Pecker’s conglomerate is just as culpable as Cohen for concealing from the public its right to know because they were in the service of corruption, not the truth.
It is to be hoped that Mr. Pecker now understands the gravity of his situation should investigators discover that, like Cohen, a lie is better than the truth.
Trump Nation’s “lock her up” chant will soon change from one gender to another and the perpetrators will be plural—“them”—not “her.” It’s a schadenfreude they so richly deserve. This gets better every day.
404
@Red Sox, '04, '07, '13, ‘18, All those drips are basically nothing to me and many others. In fact they indicate that there is nothing serious there, if it existed great Muller would have found it long ago.
1
Sure. And I have Ocean front property for sale in Knoxville.
24
@Red Sox, '04, '07, '13, ‘18,
An infinitesimally small percentage of Maga supporters would be aware of the source of the phrase 'there's no there there'. Gotta Love Gertrude.
Having said that I think there are many redeeming values re Oakland.
10
Why do we keep hearing/reading that "the view" of the justice department is that a sitting president cannot be indicted. The view is a television show. Is there a law that a sitting president cannot be indicted? No, there isn't so this president needs to be indicted, needs to be tried in a court of law and if found guilty, needs to be punished. Only in dictatorships, in totalitarian forms of government can presidents get away with committing crimes and not pay the price for doing so.
26
Ok, this potential campaign violation is more fuel to the fire, but I am more interested in finding actual collusion and the impacts of Trumps business interests with Putin. Unlike some media and in some in Congress, I am in no hurry to rush an investigation. It's only our country were talking about. Get it right.
24
Well, we’d still better go ahead and order an orange jumpsuit for Mr. Witch Hunt, as he’ll need it where he’s going.
8
Sure it does, but with so small of an increase that you can't measure it except in nanometers. Just more fantasy alternative reality thinking that those with TDS have all the time.
1
Keep denying reality, vulcanalex ....and enjoy your ride over the cliff.
49
Facts and verifiable evidence must not matter in your parallel universe. In the financial services industry we have known for years that he’s a crook and has little liquidity with an inflated net worth in his mind. In the private equity world, we have seen the numbers for his company and they’re laughable. That’s why he hasn’t been able to do business with any US Financial institution for 15 years. The road to Russia runs through Deutsche Bank!!
26
Alex, you might be able to measure the increase in Trump's jeopardy when the Trump Organization is charged by SDNY with laundering money and violating campaign finance laws.
Beyond the fact that tabloids can have such an impact on us, it’s so sad to me that so many people, organizations have been involved in Trump’s rise—and now descent. It takes a village. . .
43
@Christine
That "village" has been comprised of a complicit machinery of politicians, bankers (and other go-to people) who- for decades knew how much of a conman Trump was. But...he was a brash hometown boy from the old school of Favors asked for and Favors done.
Trump is probably the last of his era but as we have seen, scores of others are taking their 'game' to international waters.
4
Let’s face it based on what we’ve witnessed since his election I can’t say this is or was a dealbreaker for the base of the party.
They cared nothing of policy proposals or reputation. Their primary concern was his blatant hate fueled speech toward anyone not white just like them.
It’s amazing how his supporters find every explanation to excuse his actions. It’s like witnessing some deranged form of pretzel logic
106
His base will not abandon him unless he does not get “the wall”. That is why he is having such a temper tantrum.
7
If this is not a violation of election laws, what is? Let me guess, the Republican response will be that everyone does this during campaigns! If this passes we should stop pretending to be a democracy, look in the mirror, and admit the U.S. is nothing more than a criminal and corrupt corporate state masquerading as a democracy.
96
All these people are copping pleas or being convicted. They are all connected to Donald Trump, some intimately. Yet we are to believe that Trump knows nothing about any of it.
126
All of this with Cohen and Pecker and whoever else at the behest of the man occupying the Oval Office. Trump is complicit in the payments to hush up the salacious stories of his extramarital affairs, in direct violation of campaign finance regulations. He should be more than an indicted co-conspiritor for his part in all this, sitting president or not.
I will ask again, not only because of the violation of campaign finance regulations, but what is now becoming obvious ties of the Trump campaign to the Russian interference in the election, why could there not be some grounds for overturning the election results, rather than allowing Pence to take over as president? I am certainly not a Constitutional lawyer, but since the crimes were committed before Trump was elected president, would impeachment be applicable in this situation? This particular situation seems to be unique in our history. Trump's election has its basis in fraud on the part of Trump and those in his campaign. It calls for extraordinary measures to be taken.
80
@Diana: There was at least one stolen election. I believe of Benjamin Harrison. Impeachment for any alleged misconduct by a president is always applicable, but one needs a House of Representatives majority vote and a Senate 2/3rds vote to effectuate it. There's no one to carry an appeal to if the houses of Congress so vote; in this instance, Congress is supreme.
12
No. You only need Congress to impeach
You need the senate to convict
Bill Clinton was impeached, but not convicted
3
Some folks believe (strongly!) that Dubya's people stole the election for him (twice), and then there are those stories about Joe Kennedy....
This time it just feels much more sinister and seedier, probably because of the foreign influences and cyber-chicanery. Oh yeah, and the utter lack of fitness for office of Person-1.
4
Really? This is the big issue?
Anyone who has observed Donald Trump over the years knows that he regards many of the women he associates with as either paid sex toys or the perks of being a wealthy man. Thus, it comes as no surprise that some of the less principled members of this group of women occasionally get direct cash payments to purchase their silence.
We knew of this from his parade of wives and girlfriends. We knew it from the pre-election Access Hollywood tape. We knew it from just looking at Trump.
We know that many would say or do anything to get Trump out of office. But in all honesty, people voted for Trump with full knowledge that there would be bimbos, porn stars and affairs.
20
@AR Clayboy Yes and none of that has anything to do with doing his current job. Anybody who did not know his background must have been dead.
6
@AR Clayboy, all Trump comes off as from this is mortal flesh. Refreshing, really, in a country founded under not being a divine or royal monarchy. What could be more American?
1
@AR Clayboy
No, likely not the big issue, only the tip of the viceberg...all ahead full Commander Trump...
Yes, when you get down to it we are all mere mortals, but if that is the extent of your credentials for being POTUS, we really are sunk as a nation.
7
Wait, that's exactly what Cohen said!
Can't be true. Giuliani told us that Cohen was lying and that's why he is going to prison. So the Inquirer must be lying, too.
Trump was only lying initially out of loyalty to protect Cohen, but now that Cohen has been lying, Trump has decided to tell the truth.
That's the simple truth. I have no idea why everybody is so confused about it. Couldn't be simpler. Any lying 4 year old understands that.
16
For a president who says he is innocent, an awful lot of lies are returning to the roost!
32
But if this is right, then there is no more to see here?
Just to look at the other things, 2 plus 2, and, you know: Laws.
Huzzah! Pence ftw for 2 more years.
2
@Thomas Sandstorm - you are correct! Pence will be President soon enough, but, as you state, only for two years.
So both these affairs took place well before Trump’s run for President, and their publicly telling their stories would be done at the time they wanted would be exclusively to harm Trump’s chances, which is why he felt he needed to shut them up? Nice girls, definitely saint material. He’ll hath no fury like a woman scorned. And we’re really supposed to believe they’re powerless? Good thing extortion is not a crime.
2
@John Doe I don't think anybody said they were "nice girls." It doesn't matter whether they are "nice girls." That they committed extortion does, but more important than their behaving badly (after all, they have done other things that label them as not very nice) is how badly trump and Cohen behaved. They committed crimes, serious ones.
4
That no one at the enquirer will serve time while Mr. Cohen will just goes to show that justice is not blind when it comes to individuals vs. companies.
15
If Trump's presidency is built on various frauds against the American people, do certain lifetime appointments given by dint of the office so gained, stand?
I am wondering what an honorable honor would do? I would wonder about if I should be called "your honor" if in fact, I only held that title because a corrupt man stole an office.
24
@pjc Let's try thinking, almost everyone admits that the president is keeping his promises to the best of his ability, so nobody was defrauded, they knew exactly what they were getting, and now they are getting it.
2
@vulcanalex
Oh you mean like cheaper better healthcare?
A wall Mexico is paying for?
My 401k is down $12,000 right now.
Just waiting for the economy to collapse.
9
@vulcanalex
Disingenous and obtuse. Did the people as a whole assent to a defrauded election? Would even his supporters have bought in to the proposition, "if you get X, will it be ok if we break laws Y, and Z?"
Come on. That argument you are making. Please tell me you realize it is a simy argument that would not stand a lick of chance in a court of law.
"Your honor, I gave the plaintiff the money I had promised him." "Yes but you did that by committing an act of larceny elsewhere."
Vulcanalex, as a Talosian, I outrank you. And I say you are not being serious.
Only a Gorn would think otherwise.
1
Why would Karen McDougal settle for $150,000 for her story about a ten month affair? It's America and you gouge for everything you can get regardless of ethics, morality, friendship or compassion. It makes her look dumb. She probably wasn't aware of catch and kill, and expected a lot of spinoff contracts from the story. Seems like catch and kill should be legally culpable in an electoral situation.
5
@hpdrifter It all comes down to a practice called “catch and kill” among tabloid newspapers. The National Enquirer paid handsomely for the rights to Karen McDougal's story, just to keep it out of the public eye. In other words, she thought the story was going to be told and she received fair market value for the story. Of course it's all sleezy and illegal but with trump involved what else would you expect?
3
Clearly, Trump thought he was not going to win the presidency and then leverage the campaign into millions of dollars of brand enhancement and a new Fox type network under the Trump name. What a "The Producers" type backfire come to life. Trump always had too much dirt to legitimately become POTUS yet hubris brought him too far. We all will be singing "Springtime For Trump in DC" very soon.
25
It's the Republicans who should be impeaching Trump. Democrats could sit back and wait for the next election when the increasingly unpopular Trump takes down the entire Republican establishment. Republicans only hope is to Impeach Trump, get the milquetoast Pence in as President, and then pray. It is only going to get worse for them if they don't.
36
It's official. The National Enquirer now has more credibility than the president of the United States, and by proxy, more than the Republican party. What a time to be an American.
125
AMI is small fish. Prosecutor got what he needed, another witness so that it's not just Cohen's word against Trump. This deal gets AMI and Pecker giving evidence against Trump, corroborates Cohen's statements, and drives a nail into Trump's legal coffin on the hush money.
49
I'm curious to know what constitutes the "cooperation" that AMI is providing in return for not being indicted. Is/Was it just about Cohen/Trump or is there more to the story? There better be more, or else we were sold out by SDNY.
12
Why are they letting this company off the hook? They should be using it as a lesson in why corporations should not get involved in politics by fining it out of business.
37
@Geoff -- it's already in bankruptcy.
4
No wonder Trump was verbally so aggressive with Pelosi and Schumer and spewing out lies in front of reporters. The noose around Trump's neck is tightening and for a man like Trump, who is normally out of control, compulsive, incapable of deliberating before acting, a liar and embarrassingly crude and ignorant, this breakdown was over the top.
152
@ad rem
Unfortunately? I beg to differ.
13
@Paul Cohen Dream on. What Trump did, if proven to be in violation of the campaign finance laws was no different than Obama who was fined over $300k for his misdeeds. And BTW, this has nothing to do with the Russian collision that was supposed to be unearthed. Nothing there.
@ad rem - Pence is surely complicit in the Russian debacle. If Trump goes down, he will to.
33
They say that tax reform is an accountant's guarantor of employment.
This administration will, without a doubt, provide material for history books, psychological texts, journalism and political analysis for decades to come.
46
Trump will continue to protest his innocence. And claim witch-hunt.Claim betrayal by weak senior staff. But the truth is that he is bathing in sleaze.The Donald is the head of a massive criminal conspiracy against tha America people.The man is shameless.
134
@Milton Lewis Unfortunately, so are the deplorables.
9
@Milton Lewis -- there's a killer detail in this article that I suspect you mised, most people did.
"Indeed, the A.M.I. agreement with prosecutors said there was at least one other person associated with Mr. Trump’s campaign involved in an initial discussion in August 2015, attended by Mr. Cohen and Mr. Pecker, in which they agreed that the publisher..."
This kills Trump because it ties the conspiracy to Trump's campaign. In effect these guilty pleas and the physical evidence (money paid) turn Trump into a convict who hasn't been formally charged yet. Once charged, he has no defense.
The only reason he hasn't been indicted is because he's the president, and the feds are operating under the DOJ memo that says they cannot indict him.
But New York state can ... and I bet they will.
10
This is just one more shady Trump deal exposed by the light of truth.
While the disgust with Trump, his family and the GOP continues on a daily basis, I am grateful for the wealth of campaign propaganda the Trump family and their hangers on are providing for future 2020 Democrat contenders.
Keep shining the light NYT.
One term... or less.
65
During the campaign, trump asserted “vote for Hillary, and you’ll end up with a President under continuous federal criminal investigation.”
So, I did.
He was right.
1196
Best comment so far. Made me laugh at breakfast.
70
@Bobby Gladd
Made me laugh sort of, then I was sad
, thx
51
Or how about if he wanted Hillary locked up so bad then he simply should have had her work on his campaign!
Brilliant!
18
This is the beginning and all those in Congress who in lockstep support the President should be removed.
The House needs to be cleaned.
90
@Ian MacFarlane
The House will be under Democratic control in January 2019.
Now we need to do the same thing to the Senate. It is LONG past time for McConnell, Shelby, Graham, Cornyn, Inhofe, Grassley, Perdue and all the other Individual-1 enablers to find themselves unemployed.
It's quite common that a gang boss ordered his man to kill another boss, the actor got 10 years in prison and the boss 20 years or even more.
19
"The Emperor Has No Clothes"
50
Donald Trump should get what he has earned.
23
You couldn't possibly come up with a better name for someone who is involved in Trump's hanky panky.
31
Really?
If you need to have a "fixer", doesn't that make you a criminal?
58
@MeToo: If a "fixer" does honest and legal stuff, he's called a troubleshooter, not a fixer.
3
Not necessarily a criminal. But it certainly implies that one is crooked or broken...
1
It must be painful that beloved Donald's dear friends are ratting on him one by one--hope that Ivanka and his boys don't squeal on him too. Imagine how angry he'd be.
22
Would a former president who finds himself in jail still be entitled to 24/7 secret service protection?!
51
@Rw Wait, I'm guessing that was a joke, but it's a really interesting question. If it were to happen that he went to prison, my guess would be he'd be at one that might be more of a low-security prison, e.g., the one in Englewood, Colorado, where my former governor Rod Blagojevich (oh, Illinois state politics) is serving 14 years for being guilty of something like 17 crimes, major one was trying to sell Obama's Senate seat once Obama was POTUS. But the question about 24/7 security is still quite interesting!
17
I don't think that a former president's residence is a determining factor in his protection. There is no reason to think that Trump wouldn't have Secret Service protection for the lawfully prescribed 10 years.
1
@Rw
Even at club fed. He'd need it.
2
Of course you don't charge a company because companies don't get charged for things people get charged for even though companies are people and...uh, they're people too.
17
President Trump brought this on himself, he thought he could maintain his corrupted view of our laws and not face a level of scrutiny he could never be prepared for on the national level. Justice moves slowly but steadily, I'll gladly take America's justice served cold on Trump and his minions.
50
Is there a reason that, to the best of my knowledge, the reporting on the motivation for the hush money is described as just a general image maintenance item. We forget so fast: was not hushing one facet of a broader campaign? It seems that journalists should remind readers that hushing was in concert with such attrocities as the hypocritical October 9, 2016 pre-debate "press conference" and the seating of Juanita Broaddrick and Paula Jones (if I recall correctly in the front row) at the debate in which Trump physically stalked Clinton.
31
It's President Trump's Tax Returns prior to his election that may well verify the term High Crimes and Misdemeanors. How will they be gotten?
26
@R L Donahue Just what do you think might be in a tax return? Look at yours and think, there is nothing detailed there. One leaked and it showed he paid taxes.
Trump is desperately hiding something in his returns. Maybe they reveal just how much the Trump tax cut will save him.
6
@vulcanalex trump promised his followers that he'd show his taxes and like so many of his other lies, he flaked. If there was nothing to hide in his taxes, he would've gladly shared them, just for the pleasure of being vindicated. Whatever trump is hiding in his taxes, it's something he doesn't even want his 24/7 worshippers to know about.
2
Trump has already built a wall. And it's closing in on him fast.
38
I’m impressed with the portion of the plea agreement that requires the National Enquirer to train employees on how not to violate campaign laws in “catch and kill” situations, but shouldn’t that be “employees AND management”?
Employees don’t do this kind of stuff on their own,
48
Greed will e the downfall of the Trump family.
22
"Mr. Trump asked, “So what do we got to pay for this?”"
I hope that the answer to his question is: By doing time in jail!
33
Trump voters would have voted for him even if they knew about this.
22
@pat.....And what does that say about the Trump voters?
42
@W.A. Spitzer I think what it says about Trump voters is obvious. I mean they didn't care about three marriages, numerous affairs, several bankruptcies, the "birther" nonsense and on and on.
15
@W.A. Spitzer, that they wouldn’t have voted for Bill Clinton.
2
It’s ironic that the admissions from the head of what is generally considered a grocery store rag with a surname that befits his position is newsworthy. Nevertheless that’s where we are and on whom the anti-Trump prosecutors are citing in a pathetic attempt to add credibility to an investigation that is quickly losing it.
5
@tim k How you can conclude that the multiple investigations of DJT and Friends are "quickly losing credibility" is beyond me.
12
@tim k --they paid off McDougal for Trump, at Trump's explicit request. That's reality now: factual and legal.
Calling them sleaze is just naming Trump's associates.
9
It feels like an early Christmas! I'm going to need to increase my supply of popcorn and tea.
27
Lest at some point we exit from this nightmare into a new horror story, the "Presidency" of Potted Pence, a sort of 45.5, we must ALL recognize very clearly that if Trump's election was marred by fraud, then Pence's election is no more legitimate.
We must not allow this illegitimate mayonnaise white bread sandwich end up in the oval office through fraud.
69
@Upwising
Potted Pence? That’s almost as good as Half Pence or Two Pence.
Oh, but aren’t you looking forward to speeches like this one:
http://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/flashback-mike-pence-delivers-entire-speech-denying-evolution/
3
@Upwising
Agreed.
Hilliary Clinton was actually elected president.
7
@Upwising..won't happen.he's Russia "dirty"and Mueller's got him.not to worry about him.
1
An accurate use of the term “Fake News” is to describe the National Enquirer, but that is one publication Trump has not described as such. I hope when Trump is finally gone we can go back to calling things what they are, and not what Trump calls them.
32
During the campaign I recall Trump praising the amazing stories that the National Enquirer was printing, Pulitzer Prize worthy stories, he said.
If AMI prints all the stories they spent years burying and hoarding in Pecker's safe they will deserve an award:
"The Flying Fickle Finger of Fate Award".
19
Trump supporters always had Fox News and the National Enquirer to go to when they were looking for “journalism” free from Trump critiques. It turns out that the Enquirer was acting as a propaganda arm of the Trump campaign and committed felonies in doing so. One has to wonder what we will find if we lift up the rug at Fox.
53
You'll find that Murdoch & Melania are the next big power couple to be.
TRUMpp is not the only one who can jettison people when they are no longer useful.
1
My husband knows many more Trump supporters than I do, even though he's not a Trump supporter. Tonight I asked him why do people support Trump knowing he never paid his debts, knowing he cheated people with a scam university, knowing he committed adultery, knowing he mocks and insults people like a junior high bully, knowing that he bragged about his infidelity on the radio and in newspapers. My husband answered that, among the people he knows, they don't know Trump's background. They don't read the news, they don't watch the news except sometimes Fox, they don't own computers and aren't online, they only know other small town Trump supporters, and they know Trump is white and a man. That is all that matters to them, that Trump is not Obama.
233
@Linda
They really love him because he is racist. There are plenty of middle class whites that don't care if they end up poor, as long as minorities are worse off then they are. Look at the farmers and manufacturing people that continue to support him as they lose their livelihood or struggle to get by, due to his policies.
78
@Linda I knew all of that, it really does not matter to me or anybody who I know at least in voting. Now many I know dislike his style and those other things, but they like his promises and policies. That is the only things that matter in reality.
2
Pretty apt summation especially the part about him being white but don’t assume they are all a bunch of ignorant yokels.
I know a pair of people who work in intel who are all in for this man.
Amazing how people who have to undergo a polygraph (i.e. have to be truthful) seem to blindly support an openly avowed liar. And these people are smart enough to know the truth vs his lies.
I know they wouldn’t tolerate a lying spouse but they casually excuse his lies that will affect their long term finances, for instance the debt piled on by the tax bill.
20
Since every aspect of this has a Russian connection, lets not forget that which made the current dilemma possible. How much of this wouldn’t have happened absent their interference? Humility and self blame should be set aside so the blame can be correctly placed... at Russia’s doorstep.
No one posits that we are perfect. Just that our weaknesses and fears are very exploitable, and have been.
18
@RjW
Russian propaganda could not have reached so many Americans, and for so little money, if it were not for Facebook.
SDNY is the Fed Prosecutors referred to in the article. Donald almost certainly violated NY State laws in addition to Federal laws. No pardon for state charges. New Attorney General in NY takes office in Jan (she is black and female-two groups Donald is always attacking) is excited to investigate Donald. Donald Crime Family should be very worried. Very worried. Ray Sipe
300
@Ray Sipe wait until the laundering charges start spilling out....
2
Ironically, it's highly unlikely that Ms McDougal's revelations would have significantly changed the minds of Trump's supporters. They already heard the Hollywood tapes, knew about the fake Trump University, and his cheating of contractors. Adultery with porn stars couldn't damage his reputation any more already.
Essentially, Cohen is going to jail for helping a very selfish man who by the way, did not need the help and never even appreciated it. It must be painfully humiliating to be Michael Cohen.
114
@Merlin. They weren't doing it to sway his base, they were doing it to sway undecideds. This election was decided by three states where the difference was the equivalent of only 1 or 2 votes per precinct. If these actions were not needed, then why did Trump (he of the very good brain) risk breaking the law to do them?
153
@JP
They are “doing it” because “it” is illegal
4
@JP
I'm hard-pressed to believe there is such a thing as "undecideds" or "independents" in the current climate. Anyone who paid attention already knew of Trump's corruption and immorality, and did not need confessions of a porn star to be swayed.
8
The more complicated this gets, the more likely Trump is guilty. A person that wants to make you think they are innocent plays dumb. A person who plays dumb, but complicates his transactions, is guilty.
25
@DSS Exactly backwards, collusion with the Russian government is very simple, all this complex foolish ideas mean the president is innocent.
@vulcanalex So because you don't understand the complexity of trump's crimes and corruption, you're giving him a pass? Lol... okay.
2
And it’s not even Friday yet....
85
Well past time for women presidents.
161
@Fisherose. Nancy Pelosi = first woman president
20
@Fisherose; There should be nothing but women presidents for the next 200 years.
11
@mkc This is certainly not a fight-- because I want a women POTUS, too. But I'm hoping for Senator Amy Klobuchar. Check her out!
10
There must be a centipede involved here somewhere because shoe after shoe has been dropping!
101
And Trump is as plump as the very hungry caterpillar
2
The tabloids- they are constantly printing fake scandals, but when they have a real one, they bury it. O the irony!
405
@Will Rothfuss. Unless it involves a Democratic candidate like John Edwards.
13
That Pecker's not the only one in trouble ...
39
The total hyposcrisy of the Republican party and the other assorted Trump defenders is now on full display for all to see as they twist logic and facts to defend the indefensible. It will only become more obvious as time unfolds and more details come forward.
It is sad and pathetic to see the abandonment of principles. It is grossly transparent and shows blatant hypocrisy and disregard for honesty, truth, "Country first over party" and many other examples of why America had always stood out as a shining example of a 'government for the people and by the people' in a dangerous and uncertain world.
How much more must we see and watch unfold before right minded, honest, decent patriots of all political stripes stand up and demand justice.
Enough is enough - Trump must go and none too soon. He is a disgrace.
68
Agreed, but the problem with democracy is that the people can go haywire. As bad as Trump is, “his” people stick with him regardless. Haven’t we learned by now that a powerful, committed minority can run this show? I fear that many voters will become so disgusted and so alienated that they check out...and leave that crazy, committed minority to run the show again in 2020.
14
Sorry, but Trump did not commit a crime despite the breathless headlines:
http://yalejreg.com/nc/if-trump-jr-didnt-know-campaign-finance-law-he-didnt-break-it/
2
@AVR The article seems to be about Trump Jr. not the the head of the crime family. According to one report I heard on the fly and so don’t have any details is that a judicial reporter on Fox News said that Trump could be guilty of a felony. Other reports have experts saying he could get longer time in jail than Cohen. I have no idea what will happen to Trump and am just waiting for Mueller to reveal his findings.
But nice try.
longer jail
time than Cohen. I have no idea what will happen to Trump and will wait for Mueller to tell us.
But nice try.
10
@AVR
That article relates to jr...not trump.
There are laws besides those related to CFL....
8
Trump directed Cohen to commit crimes to influence the election. We don't really need to know more, do we?
17
We need a law wherein any country that abuses social media or the press to influence public opinion as did Russia, would immediately have their citizens US real estate holdings impounded pending the outcomes of judicial proceedings in our courts.
A parallel rule wherein all owners of real estate must validate their identity annually might help the law work, as well as discontinue the anonymous ownership of real property.
The condos in New York were the entry point for Russian operations to infect our body politic.
23
@RjW That would be most likely unconstitutional, how about I have a law that confiscates everything from every progressive?
Nice but a big disappointment. When will we hear about the direct talks between Trump and the Russians? That is what Mueller is supposed to be investigating. That’s how Democrats claim Hillary lost the election.
7
Robert Winchester,
Robert Mueller has a mandate to investigate any crimes he may find while conducting his investigation of Russian interference and conspiracy in the 2016 election.
By the way, do you remember Whitewater?
19
@Robert Winchester
Ken Starr was supposed to be investigating a land deal in Arkansas, and ended up with a sex scandal.
What goes around, comes around......
12
@Robert Winchester, every iceberg has a tip. Remember, Al Capone was not prosecuted for the Valentine's Day Massacre – just for tax evasion. He got locked up just as securely. What you know and what you can prove are often different. You can't always get what you want, but inquiring minds will often take what they can get.
7
Bottom line is the hush money was paid to conceal Trump's sexual encounters from the voters, not his family.
Individual 1 is clearly complicit in two felony crimes, which renders him an illegitimate President.
And since he committed crimes and cheated his way into office, Trump should not be immune from indictment.
118
@John Adams What a joke, everyone knew he had several affairs in his life, nobody cared who voted for him.
Then why pay the women anything?
Yes America, Donald Trump debased the National Enquirer. Think about that one.
Everything and everyone that Trump touches is debased. All of them. Every time. Thanks to the conservatives and Republicans he is now able to and is debasing our government and our nation.
167
Very interesting but likely of no material consequence. All this activity is of little practical value unless it can remove the cancer from the oval office.
If the trump base hasn't figured him out yet, nothing will change their unconditional support. Ditto for Republican senators, exemplified by Sen Hatch's comments earlier this week,. Unless they take a moral stand there will be no impeachment. Unfortunately eunuchs do not have the ability to regrow any, so that seems unlikely. Trump cannot be indicted while in office. So, where's the beef?
6
@D. Ben Moshe I know it's lame, and spineless, but I do think Republican Senators and their staff are paying attention to polls. I have Republican friends, whom I truly respect, who are turning against Trump. It's not the Trump base that matters to Hatch and (especially) McConnell. It's how other Republicans feel. They won't do anything on moral grounds; but they will do something if it looks like they won't be re-elected if they continue not to act. I only did a quick search, so numbers might be off a bit, but 21 Republicans up for re-election in 2020, to only 11 Democrats. These Republican Senators will definitely be keeping an eye on what the non-Trump Republicans are thinking.
13
@Jenn Yes those polls that got several dem senators eliminated. Fortunately the senate and the electoral college protects the majority from those progressive states imposing their foolish ideas on others.
Inside the President's bingo machine head, if A.M.I. popped up and held his attention, his brain would go into default mode. His neurons would find the proper fatuous file folder (of which he has multitudes). He would then simply have to dust it off. Make modifications. Compress it into 128 characters. Send it off. Get up and go get dressed. Knowing he started his day with a win.
8
For those of us not in The Base, we want to know why the “policy” of not indicting a sitting president cannot be revised to allow indictment, trial and imprisonment. Policy changes all the time, witness the gross changes in environment, criminal enforcement, immigration, and education policy during this administration. The man and his family and cult followers belong in cells. I blame 40% of this country and GOB members of Congress for this never ending mess.
25
Trump will have no problem explaining this or anything else. "The truth is a lie."
10
It's nice to think that there are people in prison who will actually enjoy the company of Donald Trump and sons.
14
Trump’s next TV guest appearance:
“Dancing With The Stars”
One can hope, can’t one?
6
@Bill bartelt
Dancing Behind Bars would be a better one for Trump.
44
@Linda
I hope SNL sees your post!!
11
I think the best result of these investigations and revelations is not to impeach him but destroy his power base in both houses of Congress making him a weak lame duck for two years. Impeachment can result in great trauma and more embitter his right wingnuts, racist and white supremacists supporters.
I don't think Russian assistance won the election for him but I think there was help by them. It is a serious business, most serious business removing a man who was elected by enough citizens to put him the office. Two years of a severely weakened Trump and GOP is enough.
There is time for prosecutions later.
22
The irony is that it wouldn't have mattered what claims were made -- Trump has a unique teflon-like coating where no matter what the scandal or level of criminality, treasonous or otherwise, it all seems to just slide off.
3
@Truthsayer It's good he has a teflon-like coating. Because everyone knows the most heinous crime a president could commit is wearing a tan suit. Teflon is far more presidential.
4
Another flipper despised by Trump and other crime bosses making him look guilty of campaign finance fraud to win the election defrauding the American voters including republicans. It seems much more shady dealings by Trump and his family of grifters will be exposed as Mueller probe continues and the House dems under a tough leader Ms. Pelosi exposes even more malfeasance. Republicans will move away slowly witness the MSB murdering a journalist allied with Jared who has financial difficulties. Jared and Ivanka are not in the White House for public service and they have no governmental experience but they are greedy spawn.
10
On the campaign trail, Trump repeatedly declared that Washington was broken and "that only I can fix it." Apparently he is a one-trick pony. His proposed solution to virtually everything is to throw money at it and hope it goes away.
Well, as we see today, that solution doesn't work. He can't even throw money at personal issues and make them go away.
16
Who were the "Trump campaign" officials, co-conspirators actually, criminally involved in this election law felony? We can expect, I would think, additional indictments in the future ensnaring those people working for the campaign. Wonder if Giuliani was one of them, providing "illegal advice" at the time?
21
F.Y.I., Conway became Trump's campaign manager in August, 2016.
4
The lifeblood of sleazy tabloids like National Enquirer has always been stories of this "ilk".
However, playing "devils advocate" for a moment, is any media company or publication under a legal compulsion to publish a story like this just because they are in possession of it?
If not, wouldn't that make the governments case weaker in that the customer (Cohen for Trump) paid them to "not do something" that they were not legally obligated to do anyway.
I understand that campaign finance law muddies the waters here, which is apparently where Cohen got impaled.
To be able to draw that bright a line that this transaction was definitively a campaign finance law violation is quite remarkable, given the overall "murk" of the the scenario.
There must be much more to this story that has yet to be revealed.
5
@JayK: It don't think it's quite that ambiguous. The point was that once the women were paid for their stories, they were unable to tell them anywhere. They were legally silenced. That was the point of the operation. It wasn't about the choice of the tabloids to publish or not, it was about buying control of the stories and silencing the women, who otherwise would have been out there, at large, with their potentially explosive stories...
16
@JayK:
Regardless of "action" or "inaction", AMI was paid to provide a result. The waters are not muddied, and the intricacies re campaign finance law, and its merits, should stand alone against the criminals' actions you have alluded to.
2
A lot of Trump supporters are saying that none of this is illegal or it doesn't rise to the level of high crimes and misdemeanors. Keep in mind that the GOP charged Bill Clinton with perjury and obstruction of justice. With Nixon, the articles of impeachment were for obstruction of justice, abuse of power, and contempt of Congress.
In both cases, it was not so much the severity of their crimes. It was what they did to cover up the activities, which on their own might not have been that serious. At some point, the House of Representatives will call the President to testify in front of them. It is a mathematical impossibility that President Trump can weather the process without perjuring himself.
181
@Netbadger
It doesn't matter to Trumpistan's Deplorables.
As far as they can tell, he's Making America Great Again with his criminal syndicate and keeping the 'caravan' out of the country as the deficit explodes and the peasants are reassured with warm bladder fluid falling on them from the Grand One Percent above.
Sad.
92
@Socrates a Deplorable here....
Mr. Trump changes would have been fatally damaged should the extortion payments would not had been made in the manner in which they paid the women blackmailing Candidate Trump - contrary to a statement made in the article about the payments to keep the women "silent before the 2016 election so Mr. Trump’s chances would not be damaged."
This story will not bring President Trump to adjudicate the Office of the Presidency. Richard Nixon’s resignation was due to his low popularity.
Based on his performance against Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer during the open to the press budget negotiations, President Trump has not imminent risk of losing one voter.
Mr. Cohen reasons for spending the next three years in jail are not due to these payments. They are relating to tax evasion schemes and overzealous prosecution.
1
@Netbadger First I doubt they would be that stupid and next he just would not come.
2
One falsifired invoice, two separate front companies set up to handle a financial transaction, and one more confirmation that a payment was made specifically to have an effect on Individual 1's election prospects. More bad news for Individual 1.
140
@WmC
U.S. Code › Title 18 › Part I › Chapter 19 › § 371
"Conspiracy to commit offense or to defraud United States"
If two or more persons conspire either to commit any offense against the United States, or to defraud the United States, or any agency thereof in any manner or for any purpose, and one or more of such persons do any act to effect the object of the conspiracy, each shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than five years, or both.
185
@Socrates
I think Trump has been in his own prison since getting elected.
13
@Socrates
Sorry, that is not Federal Election law and does not apply here. This is:
https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/52/30109
Federal Election Campaign Act (FACA) requires that someone “willfully and knowingly” has violated campaign finance law. You would have to prove Trump knew he was violating campaign finance law to have any claim rather than just trying to hush up an affair.
4
This is the type of cozy relationship with the press that Trump cultivated. Its convenience informs his expectations on how he should be treated. He could pay to hide stories or plant stories at will, sort of like the symbiotic relationship Trump has with Fox. No doubt Trump understands the business model after forty years, and what sells stories. Those who don't play his game are clearly out to get him, his enemies. He doesn't bear too much grudge at the institutional level, but the individuals need to be trained. They need to be more careful when they are negative, as he configures his revenge, and they must be rewarded for positive language. And in this way, we can find stories about the brilliant, insightful player in the newspapers, the image the president likes to cultivate.
23
So the only connection between Trump’s campaign and the hush money payments is AMI’s statement that there was a connection? I keep reading these articles and I can’t find any connection. He paid money to keep two women from publicizing their allegations of affairs. This happened while he was running for office.
Doesn’t there need to be more than that the two things happened concurrently? Doesn’t the money have to go or from the campaign coffers? Doesn’t there have to be some evidence that Trump said to somebody “hey if this comes out about years old affairs then it might keep the hypothetical tiny percentage of Americans who thought I was a faithful husband from voting for me?”
I guess if the prosecutors have anything they are keeping it quiet.
11
@MJC Indeed. They're keeping it quiet because any prosecutor worth his or her salt won't give away their hand prematurely. That said, I think it's safe to infer what others have already pointed out- namely, that AMI wouldn't have been offered a deal if the prosecutors didn't anticipate their assistance helping to net a bigger fish.
38
@MJC trump used his own money for most if not all his campaign, so the money he spent to keep the two ladies would have come from his own money, hence campaign funds.
1
An illegal campaign contribution doesn't come from the campaign, in this case it was from AMI and benefited the campaign.
6
It’s so delicious watching the rats deserting the sinking ship!
89
The most interesting thing about this part of the story unfolding is that it puts the lie to the theory being pedaled by Tucker Carlson et al, that Trump was the victim of extortion by these women and their lawyers. What becomes evident is that both were simply trying to sell their tawdry stories to the tawdriest of magazines, the National Enquirer. The magazine’s owner, the aptly named Mr. Pecker, simply saw an opportunity for a bit of leverage with a candidate for president, and took it. Trump is no more a victim than any other run of the mill sociopath. He is a perpetrator. He may well be able to use his various and sundry mental illnesses in mitigation at a sentencing hearing, but make no mistake, his guilt has crossed the proof beyond a reasonable doubt threshold.
285
@John David James - totally agree.
How can they be so dumb, especially after the Billy Bush interview. Talk about rose-colored glasses.
I'm not interested in salacious details, but I wonder what else David Pecker has locked up in his trove of suppressed articles. How many more upstanding members of the GOP have reason to quake in their shoes, how much more "dirt" was suppressed on Candidate 1?
We know, without a doubt, that AMI has nothing on the Clintons, because that would have been front page news for them....
48
Tick Tock, Tick Tock Mueller Time
28
This is all so sordid, but after all, our illegitimate president surrounded himself with grifters and liars. He has always lived in the sleaziest of worlds, and has brought the sleaze with him to Washington. Someone who avowed to "drain the swamp" should have made it clear that he'd replace it with a sewer!
58
Trump will have to change his MAGA slogan to: DFTM
Don't Follow The Money
10
Now that the nations most despicable ‘news’paper has decided that its time to do the right thing its also time for Americans to pick up the remote and turn off Fox News and the ravings of the white Nationalist stable genius.
90
This sitting President must be indicted--if impeached first--whatever--he must be held accountable......
19
Trump and the National Enquirer are a perfect fit.
29
Pecker paid 150k and Cohen then paid him 125K? Is that Trump refusing to pay the agreed upon price? That's as interesting as the deal itself.
20
...and the hits just keep coming. This is like watching a train wreck in slow motion - we know what is going to happen, so let's get on with it already.
Crooked Trump (if you have any doubts, just look at all his history and behavior and the fact that everyone around him is either tainted or in prison) will eventually wind up in prison with "Bubba", another morbidly-obese Whopper-eating sociopath who shares Trump's plumbing.
Pecker (love that name) has, I am sure, told much more than we have heard, as have Flynn, Cohen, Maniford and dozens of others. I am personally waiting to hear what Trump's complicit accountant has to say for THAT is where the REAL CRIMES in addition to Russia lie (perhaps also in collusion with Russia).
Senatorial sycophants cannot ever claim ignorance about this attack upon our Constitution and rule of law - they are an integral part of it and should be held as accountable as the Dotard Trump. It should be interesting when the new House investigates the crimes of the Senate, as they will undoubtedly do.
30
This is what reality TV has come to in 2018! I can’t wait for Season 3 in 2019! “Lock ‘em up!”
8
This guy probably has a vault full of incriminating information about Trump and could be the nail in the coffin of this presidency.
23
It isn't, "I the president," it's "We the people." Those in the West Wing and Fox News ought to have a clearer understanding of that, today.
21
I'm waiting for Mr. Mueller to disclose what he has on Mr. Trump's treasonous self-dealing with the Russians.
Mr. Trump's fanatic supporters rationalize the payoffs. Trump supporter Steve Buskirk explained on NPR today that he and other supporters respect Mr. Trump because he eschews vices like drinking. Womanizing is his vice. (I'm paraphrasing.) Listen to the six-minute interview here: https://www.npr.org/2018/12/12/675987852/president-trump-facing-legal-trouble
But treason is another animal altogether. Many will desert him when the magnitude of these crimes are revealed. Perhaps not Mr. Buskirk. . . .
10
@Mostly Rational Keep waiting and legal treason requires us to be at war with some country. Only time will tell but I bet there is no collusion.
@Mostly Rational, If there were evidence of (Russian?) money laundering through the Casinos and hotels, that could bring a RICO prosecution, where all his assets would be seized – a much better result than an indictment for lying.
4
There's really nothing new here that will cause the Republicans to do anything about the slug in the White House. All this has been in the papers and on TV all year at least. Congress has done nothing. Trump's voters have not turned on him. Apparently, the party that claims to be Godly adores Trump's ability to cheat on his wives, grab women by the genitals, and get away with it all. It's likely the men wish they too could get away with all his sins. The women seem to think they would do the same things for $150,000. Then, they stand up and preach the sanctity of life, claim to be honest church-goers, and chastise others for their lack of morality. Face it folks, we're stuck with this Republican-adored monster.
26
Please Robert Mueller, Lock them all up. The president reveals himself to be like a crime boss more and more each day. Trump tower meetings, Trump tower in Russia, violations of emolument clauses, Trump university, synergy with Russia (yes, collusion), paying off porn stars and play boy bunnies, obstruction of justice via firing of Comey, McCabe, and Sessions and the attempted firing of Mueller, the appointments of incompetents like Whitaker, and people who have no allegiance to their agencies like Pruitt, jailing of babies at the border, and the constant threatening to jail Hillary Clinton are getting to be too much to bear. And I'm sure I have only listed half of the misdeeds and unpresidential behavior. I wish Twitter would ban Trump for his bullying and dishonest tweeting! Be Best!
45
The National Enquires catch phrase was "enquiring minds want to know." They would never have anticipated those minds would be federal prosecuters.
42
Trump doesn't give loyalty, nor inspire it in others. Men who know all of his dirty secrets are going to be cooperating with Mueller.
Trump is sunk. I can't wait until it's over.
12
Next, investigations should turn to the members of congress who paid hush money - using tax payer funds - to cover up their, shall we say, indiscretions.
As the NY Times wrote in June: "Why Does Congress Make Taxpayers Pay Hush Money?"
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/25/opinion/congress-sexual-harassment.html
"Senate leaders are undermining efforts to bring full accountability for sexual harassment by members of Congress and other federal workers."
Call it sauce for the goose...
https://emcphd.wordpress.com
20
Where are the Republicans?
14
@ann - They are busy approving Federal judges at a rapid pace.
47
The testimony and corroborating documentation of David Pecker, Allen Weisselberg and Michael Cohen is going to provide prosecutors with a steady stream of criminal activity that Trump and his family have been engaging in for decades.
The results of the Russia investigation will be the icing on this corrupt Trump cake.
32
The vise grips are tightening.
7
@Mr. Mark
tightening on the vice.
Can't wait for The Big Squeeze!
4
More kindling for the great bonfire Mueller is building.
10
@Bigsister
Don't forget the House Dems get their shot at this stuff next month. I can't wait to see what the "Keeping Up With The Chumps" Reality TV Show has in store for us in Season 3! Couldn't happen to more deserving "Individual(-1)."
4
Honestly, there can't be a more appropriate connection between Donald Trump and American Media Inc., than through AMI's CEO, David Pecker. (You gotta love that last name - the obvious connection with Trump's small hands and a massively insecure inflated ego.) These are but two salacious tales revealed and confirmed - if there were two, there are most likely many more.
Then there is the whole Jeffrey Epstein and Palm Beach underage girls matter. As reported by Miami Herald, were 36 girls were identified, and a likely number of greater. https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/article220097825.html
This sordid tale was squashed by Sec. Labor Alex Acosta when he was the Dist. Atty in SE Florida. But why?
Everyone keeps questioning Trump about his personal life, and he keeps sloughing them off as "private transactions". But I'll proffer there are many people who know all the details about Donald Trump's private life - so much so that Trump is clearly compromised by this information. How long will Trump blatantly lie, and how long will Republicans toe the line and provide cover? It's also fair given high profile aspect of Melania Trump's anti-bullying, "Be Best" campaign that questions be directed to FLOTUS about what she knew and when she knew it.
16
Can someone please ask Mike Pence to repeat that drivel about what a good man Trump is?
22
Here we go. Classic mafia prosecution strategy—roll up the foot soldiers, the guys doing the dirty work first. Then, the big cheese stands alone.
Of course Individual 1 will maintain his innocence with various excuses from now until the end of time. Wasn’t it sheer hubris and/or insanity to take that escalator ride down in Trump Tower in the summer of 2015 to announce a run for President? Criminals always make a fatal mistake that unravels the whole scheme.
34
What's that expression about the fish rotting from the head down?
The American people were subjected to a royal scam, perpetrated by the king of scammers (those of us who grew up near NYC were already painfully aware of trump's nature). But shame on them for willingly being (and continuing to be) so easily bamboozled.
17
If Donald Trump would go to this much cover-up to hide payments made to quash stories related to his infidelity to protect him during the election, what did he do to cover-up illegal dealings in his business and likely with Russia?
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The Mueller investigation is the least of Trump's problems.
4
And, how do we know AMI hasn't shredded all the implicating documents?
Once again, the bigwigs get away with a slap on the wrist.
5
The United States of America used to be a well-respected superpower, looked to as the beacon of hope and liberty. Trump and his minions appear to savor it diminishing, not only our international standing but also being good neighbors to both Canada and Mexico. Now under his executive? orders he holds immigrant children in animal cages he backs out of the Paris accord on Climate Change, as well as the Iran Nuclear Agreement. What just to please his ill-educated base? May God give us patience, and the world too, for this foolishness to finally end so we can rebuild what trump has destroyed.
16
I don't see what the big deal is. Obama did the same stuff when he was a Multi-millionaire Real Estate guy in Manhattan.
Don't laugh - this will be the slant of the Three Stooges on FOX News.
10
Wouldn't our entire culture be fractionally detoxified if that tabloid simply vanished from major grocery store chain check out lines?
22
Seems curious that so many people and businesses were involved in the Clifford and McDougal cases, given that, according to the President, he never had carnal relations with either of them.
Who to believe?
11
Another layer of intrigue in which we hear about people who are not President Trump doing shady, film noire, pulp-fiction things for their own egos' sake. Some really stinky dots connected, but when they're linked, once again, there's no President Trump in the picture.
Oh, and remember how the Mueller inquisition's intention was to prove the entire Trump family's use of Russians to jimmy the 2016 election?
Yes, that house of cards has also fallen.
2
Why is it that the people that support Trump have such poor reading comprehension?
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@Terry Why is it that Hillary supporters don't understand the constitution, or think logically. See it is easy to post foolish sweepers.
@JBC
I wouldn't be counting your chickens just yet...the fat lady has yet to sing, my friend (although she is warming up in the Green Room).
2
I hope the prosecutors don't stop until the National Enquirer conceeds that Elvis really is dead.
Imagine the hatchet job the Enquirer could do on Trump if they weren't fair and balanced pals of his.
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Yes! A national necessity.
Also, to admit that the UFO was a dumpster out back.
2
Mueller must be getting tired of winning, just as Trump predicted.
7
The web of lies, false paperwork, shell companies, and payouts surrounding Trump’s philandering ways with multiple women may well be his downfall, nevermind whatever contact his campaign had with Russia to try and sway the election. Clinton was impeached for far less.
If there is any justice in this world, Trump will resign in disgrace, exit the White House, and promptly be shackled and led into the back of a paddywagon. It’s long past time his multi-decade criminal enterprise comes crashing down.
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@Dabney L unfortunately, resigning in disgrace presupposes feeling shame. Ain't gonna happen. .
Looks like prosecutors are on the door steps of Trump.
9
Talk about burying the lede. This is in the fifth graph:
"...had been made in coordination with the Trump campaign and was intended to suppress allegations about the candidate."
It is clear, and the procecutors agree, that the intention was to influence the outcome of a presidental election. So while Mueller will certainly get around to telling us all about the role that Russia played in the 2016 election, in coordination with the Trump campaign, we know now that the election of Trump was fraudulent. Crimes were committed.
Isn't that a much more important headline than AMI cooperating?
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"Under the arrangement, federal prosecutors in Manhattan agreed not to charge A.M.I. in return for the company’s cooperation."
At this point, we know that the National Enquirer and its chief worked with Cohen to buy and hide the story about Karen McDougal. What is the direction of the current investigation? What are the prosecutors gaining by getting the company's cooperation? Is it to go after Trump or is there something else they are trying to achieve? Cohen has already been sentenced so it is no longer about him. The article doesn't explain.
1
Initially, Nixon had a 60% approval rating, once the Watergate tapes hit the public his rating nose dived to 23%. Subsequently the Senate GOP informed Nixon he needed to resign because he lost their support; he would be impeached. Nixon resigned precisely because he was a crook. I suspect that once the public hears Cohen's recordings of Trump ordering Cohen to commit these felonious acts, Trump's doom will be sealed.
Add in Trump's election hush honey money case with Trump's apparent efforts to monetize the presidency aka collusion with Russians makes Trump not only a crook but a traitor. Is the Senate GOP going to defend both a crook and a traitor? Exactly. Trump is going down.
12
I'm thinking there must be a good many Republican power brokers and king-makers skulking in the shadows, plotting how best to repeal & replace that embarrassment of a man, from their party and the nation's leadership.
My thoughts and prayers are with them.
6
The Fox News the rotten to the corp propaganda station for the culture of corruption needs to be investigated also. Any one connected to the culture of corruption GOP cannot be trusted ever. Lock them up. I suspect Trump will 10 minutes before his term is up will resign and let the other bad guy Pence pardon him. They want less jails . We need more for them.
6
We are all familiar with the saying "follow the money", but for some men it should really be "follow the women".
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@Padfoot
Some appear gifted at following both.
2
When is Mueller's Russia investigation regarding Trump's alleged collusion with Russia to sabotage the election actually going to get around to finding any evidence of Trump's alleged collusion with Russia to sabotage the election? Mueller's investigation has become a farce about stripper payments and Manafort's tax returns. The Russia investigation has nothing to do with Russia. It has everything to do with sour grapes by the Democrats because they lost the election by imprudently promoting one of the weakest, most corrupt and most uncharismatic candidates for President in U.S. political history.
@BK: Right. You clearly cannot take the long view on what is happening (and has happened) with Trump and all of his corruption and schemes. Mueller's investigation is absolutely not a farce. Hillary Clinton would not have received almost 3,000,000 more votes if she was what you say. You need to look at things clearly.
9
@BK Probably never, if there was such surely it would be known long ago.
@bustersgirl Those votes came from a small number of states, if they all voted for Hillary it would have made no difference, it could have been much more, the popular vote means nothing.
1
Why are we not in the middle of impeachment proceedings right now? Even Democrat congressmen and senators say "it's too early, we need to wait for the Mueller report" - as if we need any further evidence beyond what is already public knowledge.
Impeach!
10
@KH Because people like you don't understand the reasons for impeachment, the history, or really anything much other than wanting your own fantasy alternative reality to be real.
1
@KH an impeachment investigation at this point might interfere with the Mueller or state investigations.
A House investigation would give Republicans a chance to muck about in things, remember Nunes is still there.
Better to let Mueller do his digging, efficiently and without a bunch of politically-inspired leaks or 'midnight rides'.
Frankly, what was the regular media doing before the 2016 elections? There must have been enough signals for it to investigate and inform the public about Trump and his trash. Instead, the Nation has been subjected to a total destruction. This is not the first time that the media has blinked.
5
@AKA This type of things were well known and covered, supporters of the president voted for policies, not some role model.
@vulcanalex Followers of trump voted for a reality-TV-host who conned them into believing trump knew or cared about policy.
Deep down, you know it's true.
5
@vulcanalex if you REALLY voted for policy, why are you letting Trump make US pay for the wall?
It's impossible to conjure away the image of the "Times's" editors fairly frothing at the mouth as they penned their feverishly hyperbolic headline about the "Prosecutor's Big Step" re the "hush money" paid to silence two women who allegedly had affairs with private citizen Trump. (The charges cover behavior which long preceded his campaign.) To maintain a proper perspective, let's recall the sad story of the unfortunate former Democratic nominee seeker, John Edwards (for those with short memories, he's the one whose haircuts cost $400, a good deal more in today's currency.) He was indicted for paying over $1 million -- the funds coming from wealthy donors -- to keep the story of his adulterous affair with Rielle Hunter out of the news. After almost a month of lurid tabloid testimony about the affair and the hush fund, Federal Election Commission auditors determined the money did not need to be reported in the campaign's financial disclosure reports -- indeed, they essentially acknowledged that campaign finance laws are so arcane a clear reading would require the services of the Oracle of Delphi. Sorry, this is, as the Athenians might have said, bupkes. These charges, even if "proven," mean nothing in and of themselves, and hardly rise to level of high crimes and misdemeanors. It is risible that serious people, which the editors of the "Times" must surely be, would confuse such garbage for gold.
4
@Dr. Svetistephen - your whataboutism is proof that you are the one who is not serious. And John Edwards has never been president.
1
Notice that the actual humans nvolved are being prosecuted, but the corporation is not.
4
Wow. How many people can hope that Trump will pardon them, given the numbers who played a part in smoothing his crooked path to power? At some point, the sheer weight of this confidence scam is going to bring it all down. Smart fella Ayres, fleeing town for Georgia, even quitting his job with Pence--at once!--rather than being Trump's Chief of Staff. Yes, he's a young man with ambitions, swimming away fast before the ship is swallowed and the undertow gets him. He won't be the only one, watch and see.
13
the origami pussycat is starting to unfold on a daily basis. and the others leaders of nations thought he was a paper tiger.
6
Most married people, if they stray, realize at some point that nothing good comes from adultery. Trump committed serial adultery against three wives and bragged about it on Howard Stern's show and by calling reporters, pretending he was John Miller or John Barron, and dishing on his affairs.
What a pathetic man to brag about his adultery in public. Hopefully, the lies, the heartbreak, the broken families Trump left behind have finally caught up with him.
28
The Corporation was given immunity, but not the CEO or officers that may have been involved.
16
The noose is tightening.
People close to Trump are being charged and convicted. Those who sincerely cooperate get light sentences or charges not brought; those who don't cooperate are feeling a heavier weight of the law. Past friends are turning on each other and on the "unnamed co-conspirator". Kelly is soon to end his working for Trump, and he must have a lot to tell. We know FBI has some evidence against Trump's kids, probably more than we suspect, but we don't yet know if they'll roll over on daddy. I haven't heard anyone say "nothingburger" in quite a while.
Even the reluctant Congress is showing fractures. A Dem House will push their own investigation forward, and impeachment is likely. GOP saw a blue wave and doesn't want a blue tsunami in 2020. Whether the Senate would try or convict is still up in the air, but they'll no longer be able to sit back in safety and leave it up to FBI.
It's taken a long time, a frustratingly long time, but the noose is tightening.
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Well worth the wait.
5
Wonderful news. This is shaping up to be a most delightful holiday season. I will just put NYT articles such as today’s under the tree, and call it good.
427
Which is a more cost-effective investment . . .
(a) hush money paid to a tabloid, that helps your election and eventual indictment;
(b) billions for an ineffective concrete wall, that also impairs the survival of local fauna;
(c) tuition payments to a fraudulent university;
(d) the expense of settling with students who paid under (c) for no appreciable benefit.
The best deals . . . are we through winning yet?
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@Curmudgeon74
So glad you brought up the issue of local fauna. There are many species, some endangered, whose migratory patterns would be disrupted by a wall. For example, jaguars have been recently observed using camera traps in Arizona - the first sightings since the last US jaguar was killed in1963 (Smithsonian, "Return of the Jaguar"). The ecological effects of a border wall need to carefully studied. Unfortunately, this seems not to be a priority for the current administration.
57
@Curmudgeon74 Not sure if we're through, but I know I'm tired of it.
5
@acadia Very few who want immigration control care about those things, I sure don't.
If the money came from Trump, rather than his campaign, is that illegal? A candidate can contribute as much as he wants to his own campaign. While this was extremely unethical, especially when he surrounded himself w/ Clinton accusers, and swore all of the women accusing him would be sued after the campaign...I’m just trying to find what law has been violated. Thanks!
8
@KBS Yes it's illegal because it has to be disclosed. And, of course, it wasn't disclosed intentionally to hide the hush money and thus the affairs on the eve of the election to help his chances in that election. That is the entire purpose of the disclosure requirements--so the public knows.
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@KBS
If Trump contributed money to his campaign and that money was used to hush the women to influence the election, in effect the money came from his campaign and it was illegal not to report it to the election authorities as required by law.
Yes indeed it was illegal, whether or not Trump contributed to his own campaign.
Some may say he intended to steal the election illegally.
55
@KBS
In this case it is not about which "fund" the money came from (campaign or personal); this is a bit of a red herring that the Trump "legal" team has been using as a defense.
By not allowing these affairs to become public during the campaign, the act of silencing the women was viewed as contributing toward his image (and thus as an in-kind contribution to the campaign.) Since these payments exceeded the personal contribution limit, they are in violation of the law.
43
The next to be indicted will be members of the Trump organization who knew of the reason for the payment and nonetheless recorded it on the company books as a business expense and then authorized it to be treated as such for tax purposes. The feds got Capone for taxes. It will be how they take down Trump.
615
Wait! They can't.
He's protected by the Eternal Audit.
22
@Victor James oh how sweet it will be to see the tears of don don jr, eric, and especially ivanka as they are led out of the white house
9
@Victor James And per Rachel Maddow the only people besides Trump CFO Weissleberg who had the ability to cut checks in the org are...Tah Dah!!! Trump's adult children.
This is getting good and it isn't even Xmas yet....
12
If it's not one thing, then it's another. The psychic toll on trump is reflected everyday; just look at the faces that he makes.
148
And his skin tone. Watch his shaky hand as he grasps Air Force One's handrail.
His hair isn't looking too good either...
4
America's tabloid President, who carefully spent the 1980's and 1990's courting the tabloid press with fake spokespeople named 'John Miller' and 'John Baron', finally gets hoisted by his own tabloid petard.
Delicious and delightful.
Hail to the National-Enquirer-In-Chief !
971
Bizarre even more when he named his
Son Barron.
82
@Socrates
Schadenfreude
36
@Socrates
Two years ago -- COLLUSION!! ... RUSSIAGATE!! ... TRUMP A RUSSIAN PUPPET!! -- all that is left is this tawdry prostitutes story, made even tawdrier by the inclusion of the loathsome The National Enquirer.
After two two years of investigation involving hundreds of FBI agents and computer experts, they come up with this picayune tenuous Election Act violation?
Cue Peggy Lee: "Is that all there is ... "
1
"I’m going to surround myself only with the best and most serious people."
August 2016, Donald Trump interview with Robert Costa from the Washington Post.
What an unethical group of people and a sleazy group of criminals the criminal-in chief has surrounded himself with.
635
As my father always told me: You can tell a lot about a person by the company he keeps. Want evidence for this? Look no further than 45.
30
@V Unfortunately,he isn’t done yet. More ungualified and unethical people will be put in government positions before this toxic human leaves office.
7
Why do I get the feeling a bunch of people are going to "take the fall" for Trump, he will get off scott free, and then he will pardon all the "fall guys" in the waning days of his administration?
27
@Brian H We only know a part of what Mueller has on Trump, Pence, and his evil cabal. When the whole story comes out I doubt that any of them will get off "Scott Free."
4
@Brian H
Perhaps NYC District Attorney has other pans for Trump?
3
@Brian H Would you risk your future on such a vague promise after watching how he has shafted so many of his underlings once they were no longer "useful?"
4
I know this is juicy material, and people are rooting to take Trump down. And if hush money payments are the pretext, so be it.
But I urge everyone to step back and be careful what you wish for. Impeachment must be based upon “high crimes and misdemeanors” . In a stricly legal, not emotional sense, there is certainly a strong argument that such payments, even in furtherance of a campaign do not exactly constitute a “high” crime, except, I guess if you want it to.
Then, regardless of the outcome of impeachment proceedings in the House, the likelihood of a vote to remove Trump by the Senate is exactly zero.
So what happens? The country is thrown into absolute turmoil perhaps for the next two years. Nothing seriosly needed gets accomplished and the president stays. Is this what is best for our country? Abandon the prospect of badly needed legislation for a futile effort.
The country suffers for two years. Nothing good comes of it, and, as the similarly misguided effort did for Clinton, Trump’s reelection might actually be made more likely. His base will be eager for revenge.
So other than maybe smug satisfaction for some, impeachment in this case brings nothing constructive and harms the country.
For over 200 years we have used elections to get rid of politicians. Let’s do that. It will bring far more gratification.
38
@Gino G
I generally agree if this were the whole scope of the charges, but I think I'll wait until the report comes out before judging the wisdom of impeachment. I have a feeling this is the first salvo of more serious transgressions to be brought to light.
189
@Gino G, I agree that impeachment in the house without removal by the senate is counterproductive virtue signalling. But, you're assuming that republicans have no breaking point. They do. Whether this is that point is yet to be seen. The moment they come around, I will support the bi-partisan effort.
72
Totally agree with the advice against impeachment, no matter how tempting. It should be reserved for serious crimes, which have not yet been introduced. Perhaps Mueller’s report will have information which cannot be explained away. Only then should our country endure the trauma of impeachment.
29
Can we say now that this prov es Trump violated campaign laws, paid hush money (ant tried to hide it), and lied all about it? It this enough fro "high crimes and misdemeanors"? Is this, coupled with other scandals enough for the spineless GOP to act on impeachment?
As it stands, at the moment, there is far more on Trump, than there ever was on Andrew Johnson, Nixon and Clinton combined. No matter what Nixon did, it pales in comparison to what Trump did to get elected, and what he has done in office.
One has to wonder when they act, before Trump any more damage?
404
@Nick Metrowsky: The violations of election law may be worthy of a fine but are probably not going to be the fulcrum upon which Donnie is leveraged into prison. That will be tax fraud, conspiracy, misuse of his foundation and hopefully treason.
12
@Nick Metrowsky
Let's agree never to use Bill Clinton as an example of impeachment. It was a perversion of the democratic process by repubs that led to his "impeachment" by the treason party(R).
And the repubs have remained traitors ever since. The party of lies and dirty tricks(R).
8
@Nick Metrowsky
It's not proven yet.
Investigate him.
Indict him,
Give him a fair trial.
1
People like Donald Trump don't keep friends. David Pecker is doing what everyone who has gotten caught up in Trump's web ends up doing: sing...
Pecker's Enquirer vault is said to contain all kinds of goodies. It was disclosed last year that Pecker didn't want materials destroyed. I wonder whether Mueller's team will be able to get access to some of the suppressed information Pecker is said to have in his company's possession.
It's going to be a while yet before the Trump roller coaster ride comes to a stop...
---
Things Trump Did While You Weren’t Looking https://wp.me/p2KJ3H-2ZW
234
I’m guessing there are some Russian treats in that vault!
10
@Rima Regas: We don't know yet whether or not Pecker had the "catch and kill" materials destroyed, after removing them from the safe in 2016. But I'd bet that the Mueller team and the SDNY know.
From the AP in August:
“But after The Wall Street Journal initially published the first details of Playboy model Karen McDougal’s catch-and-kill deal shortly before the 2016 election, those assets became a liability. Fearful that the documents might be used against American Media, Pecker and the company’s chief content officer, Dylan Howard, removed them from the safe in the weeks before Trump’s inauguration, according to one person directly familiar with the events.
It was unclear whether the documents were destroyed or simply were moved to a location known to fewer people.”
https://apnews.com/143be3c52d4746af8546ca6772754407
6
@Louise
It's possible Pecker might have ordered these documents destroyed. On the other hand, he might have kept them figuring that he was safe behind his status as a "newsman."
What's in the safe is leverage. It's the meal tickets he has amassed over a lifetime of blackmailing people. I'll be surprised if he destroyed anything. I could be wrong.
4