The indictments from Robert Mueller that everyone was waiting for this morning — those of Paul Manafort and Rick Gates — were quickly overshadowed by news that campaign adviser George Papadopolous had been arrested last summer and has been cooperating with the special counsel’s office ever since.
As Josh Marshall explains: “It shows a Trump foreign policy advisor in active communication with what appear to be Russian government officials or spies trying to get dirt on Hillary Clinton, arrange meetings with Russian government officials (even Vladimir Putin, rather ludicrously) and solicit Russian support. That an active foreign policy advisor was taking these actions while in active communication with the campaign about those actions is quite damning. An unnamed campaign official sent back word that a meeting with Trump himself was not happening.”
The release of the Papadopolous guilty pleas today made clear that Mueller has direct evidence of the Trump campaign “coordinating” with Russian officials. He tried to set up at least six meetings with Russian officials and the Trump team during 2016. It seems pretty clear now that many Trump campaign officials, including Donald Trump himself, were openly colluding with Russia throughout the campaign, as Ryan Lizza points out: “At every point, crucially, Papadopoulos loops in his superiors—immediate ones, distant ones, and at one point even the candidate himself. “Great work,” the campaign supervisor enthuses after he first reports the contact in March. On March 31st, according to the guilty plea, Papadopoulos reports personally to Donald Trump, and other senior policy officials, that “he had connections that could help arrange a meeting between then-candidate Trump and President Putin.” The plea does not record what the reaction in the room was, but whatever it was, it certainly did not discourage Papadopoulos from pressing ahead.”
Trump is "seething" as the Mueller probe reaches former aides, according to a Republican close to the White House https://t.co/yA4cxxzUEF pic.twitter.com/WpOrzEkFnM
— CNN (@CNN) October 30, 2017
“President Trump woke before dawn on Monday and burrowed in at the White House residence to wait for the Russia bombshell he knew was coming,” the Washington Post reports.
“Separated from most of his West Wing staff — who fretted over why he was late getting to the Oval Office — Trump clicked on the television and spent the morning playing fuming media critic, legal analyst and crisis communications strategist.”
“The president digested the news of the first indictments in Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s probe with exasperation and disgust… He called his lawyers repeatedly. He listened intently to cable news commentary. And, with rising irritation, he watched live footage of his onetime campaign adviser and confidant, Paul Manafort, turning himself in to the FBI.”
Papadopoulos' guilty plea is much bigger problem for Trump than the Manafort indictment – CNNPolitics https://t.co/wxzX2wLITT
— Richard W. Painter (@RWPUSA) October 30, 2017
Lawfare: The first big takeaway from this morning’s flurry of charging and plea documents with respect to Paul Manafort Jr., Richard Gates III, and George Papadopoulos is this: The President of the United States had as his campaign chairman a man who had allegedly served for years as an unregistered foreign agent for a puppet government of Vladimir Putin, a man who was allegedly laundering remarkable sums of money even while running the now-president’s campaign, a man who allegedly lied about all of this to the FBI and the Justice Department.”
“The second big takeaway is even starker: A member of President Trump’s campaign team now admits that he was working with people he knew to be tied to the Russian government to ‘arrange a meeting between the Campaign and the Russian government officials’ and to obtain ‘dirt’ on Hillary Clinton in the form of thousands of hacked emails—and that he lied about these activities to the FBI. He briefed President Trump on at least some them.”
“And here’s the rub: This is only Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s opening salvo. As opening salvos go, it’s a doozy.”
Financial Times: “The allegations in the federal indictment of Paul Manafort and Richard Gates — even considered in isolation — are enough to frighten any friend of America. If they are true, Donald Trump’s campaign manager from March to August 2016 — a period encompassing his nomination by the Republican party — was a criminal. Not a criminal in some abstract or technical sense: Mr Manafort is accused of laundering millions of dollars, evading taxes, and concealing his role as a lobbyist for a foreign government.”
“The latter point is the most alarming. It raises the possibility that a foreign power, without knowledge of the electorate, influenced the policy of the party that ultimately won the presidency.”
What did the Trump campaign know about the hacked emails, and when did they know it? https://t.co/PdwtKBgwOj
— Ezra Klein (@ezraklein) October 30, 2017
Jonathan Swan: “Nobody was surprised to learn that former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort is the first to be publicly indicted, along with his business partner Rick Gates, for alleged money laundering, failing to disclose foreign lobbying, and tax violations.”
“One of those sources told me ‘people are relieved it’s Manafort and not Flynn’ who was indicted.”
“I’ve had dozens of conversations about this subject with administration officials over the past months, and while nobody I’ve spoken to genuinely thinks collusion with Russia happened on the campaign, plenty worry about what Bob Mueller’s crack team of financial investigators will turn up on Trump and his allies.”
BUT:
Seems crystal clear the White House was totally caught off guard and entirely unprepared for Papadopolous guilty plea.
— Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) October 30, 2017
Republicans mostly quiet about indictments, but Mueller did get some support from one: Chuck Grassley https://t.co/3Y1UQEX2K2
— Russell Berman (@russellberman) October 30, 2017
Former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper told Politico that no matter how much President Trump rants about the “Russia hoax,” the 2016 hacking was not only real and aimed at electing Trump but constituted a major victory for a dangerous foreign adversary. Said Clapper: “The Russians have succeeded beyond their wildest expectations.” He added that the investigation of whether Trump’s team colluded with Russia constitutes a “cloud not only over the president, but the office of the presidency, the administration, the government and the country” until it is resolved.
Former Speaker John Boehner (R-OH), in a must-read Politico profile, says the Republican party is a completely adrift. Said Boehner: “Donald Trump’s not a Republican. He’s not a Democrat. He’s a populist. He doesn’t have an ideological bone in his body. So who, I ask, is the leader of the party? There is nobody.”
Who is Rick Gates? Paul Manafort's behind-the-scenes deputy gets dragged into the spotlight. https://t.co/0hsVKkoHfZ pic.twitter.com/ArPqOLRm5S
— Slate (@Slate) October 30, 2017
Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) told Bloomberg that “she’s opposed to two tax breaks for the wealthy that her party leaders are pushing for, indicating that her vote won’t be easy to win on President Trump’s top legislative priority.”
Said Collins: “I do not believe that the top rate should be lowered for individuals who are making more than $1 million a year. I don’t think there’s any need to eliminate the estate tax.”
Wall Street Journal: “The plan is to keep the tough trade-offs in the bill secret until after Halloween, then reach Thanksgiving with bills passed by the House and Senate and hit New Year’s Day with a bill on Mr. Trump’s desk. That’s close to financial-crisis speed, pushing Congress into a kind of emergency lawmaking mode it typically uses only when inaction means cataclysm.”
5 things we learned from Robert Mueller’s indictment of Paul Manafort https://t.co/OV6KNojsWg pic.twitter.com/CWNzyOEVa9
— Vox (@voxdotcom) October 30, 2017
A new Quinnipiac poll in Virginia finds Ralph Northam (D) holds a 17-pointlead over Ed Gillespie (R) in the race for governor, 53% to 36%.
Source close to House leadership on tax plan: "I don't think people realize how many sharp objects will be in" ithttps://t.co/eimZIPHVYa
— Axios (@axios) October 29, 2017
The FBI is investigating a $300 million contract awarded by Puerto Rico’s government power company to a tiny Montana energy firm to rebuild electrical infrastructure damaged in Hurricane Maria, the Wall Street Journal reports.
President Trump is expected to name Jerome Powell as the next chairman of the Federal Reserve, replacing Janet L. Yellen, the current chairwoman whose term expires early next year, the New York Times reports.
“Mr. Powell, a Fed governor since 2012, is a Republican with deep roots in the party’s establishment and in the financial industry. He has steadily supported the Fed’s current approach to monetary policy and financial regulation, creating an expectation that he would bring continuity to the role.”
Come on, any commentary on today’s picture?
It’s a story about a child, who lost his parent’s after a car crash and is adopted, very nice story. Typical DD……..nothing.
And the father’s name was….. George Papadopoulos. Boy, you conservatives are humorless. Yes, your leaders are all going to prison and your party is in ruins, but you have to laugh every once and a while.
Yes, your right. We laugh at Bill and Hillary, your leaders everyday!
https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwis9cuP-JrXAhXC7yYKHU1BDPMQjRwIBw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fteamcoco.com%2Fjokes%2Faugust-19-2015-today-is-bill-clinton-s-birthday-hillary-sent-bill-an-e-birthday-card-then-out-of-habit-she-immediately-deleted-it&psig=AOvVaw39GAt5IM4FTo4BCCgjPmGQ&ust=1509541873248091
Hey! Nice troll link there, pity no one gives a damn or will click on it. Suggest you reread it while chanting MAGA.
MAGA = Many Are Getting Arrested
Some people are getting cranky.
Its hilarious how badly you teabaggers wish Clinton would have won. I think you want it more than most of us real Americans do. At least we dont pretend she’s the president.
Go ahead and put them in jail, if you can. But that’s what all this conservative anger is about, isn’t it? You can’t find the dirt on them, even though you’re sure it’s there.
There’s a word for this. It’s over your head, so look it up: projection.
Oh, just BTW: I have railed against the Clintons for 25 years now, since before his first presidential election. They are in no sense my “leaders.” Only Republicans fall in line like that, because at root you’re a bunch of whipped little children.
The Dems lose all 3 branches of the Federal gov’t, most governorships, and over a thousand state representative seats. If any party “is in ruins”, it’s the Dems.
Tell yourself that while you stroke yourself to sleep.
How often do you do that for a restful night ?
🙂
Are you paid by the word or the post?
Here’s the other thing we know about Mueller. Mueller don’t leak. I am impressed over the discipline that kept Papadoupolos out of the media cross hairs. I am impressed that the ONLY real leak was to CNN (Fake News!) that indictments and arrests were coming the next day. Well played.
Read up on Manafort, he seems to not understand that you don’t spend your ill gotten gains with mad abandon so as to attract attention, short of a billboard he did just that. Seems the real interest has shifted to Papadopoulos who’s has now pled guilty to lying to the FBI, and the subject is contact with the Russians. Speculation is that he’s been wearing a wire for awhile. If so it will get interesting rather quickly. And as expected the Republicans are planning to spring their give away to the rich, also known as “tax reform”, after Halloween. Appropriate or what? It’s the same strategy that failed with Trumpcare but they repeat it anyway.
Obamacare was the same way!
“Lack of transparency is a huge political advantage,” Gruber said. “And basically, call it the stupidity of the American voter or whatever, but basically that was really, really critical for the thing to pass.” The Hill, Jonathan Gruber 11/10/2014.
Made Al happy!
Sorry, but until you fess up about what “business” you own in Delaware, you’re nothing but a liar to me.
Al. just showing you, that I gave credit, where I found the quote.
You claim to own a business. Prove it.
I’m going to give that attempt at Whataboutism 1 out of 5 points. It was not interesting, overplayed and generally displayed the lack of effort of someone who sits in front of Fox or Infowars all day.
Gee pa-noo-noo, I’m getting old but I still remember hearings where held over a period of weeks if not months on the ACA and the Republicans were invited to contribute. And thanks for the unrelated quote and ignoring the statement that this strategy does not work.
I have yet to meet anyone who’s vote was influenced by the Russians. Admit that you think Republican votes are illegitimate, and that this has all been just a silly prolonged temper tantrum…… Trump’s four year term will be over before you know it, so just chill out and accept that differing points of view are how this healthy republic works.
BTW, can someone please tell me a specific piece of information that the Russians used to supposedly influence votes…..Just one….Proof please.
So start with this announcement from the heads of DHS and DNI. Then you can take a look at the ODNI report from January. Then you can check in with the heads of the US intel agencies that agree that the Russians mounted an effort to influence the election.
Make sure to speak with each of them directly. Then come back and tell us what proof they gave you.
Ooh, a homework assignment! That’s the point – it’s not like their efforts were widely advertised. It was subliminal, making it all the more dangerous. It was an effort to deepen our division, confuse facts with fiction, and lead people like yourself to equate nonsense with actual facts. Seems as though they did a pretty good job to me.
Not widely advertised, but leaving enough of a trace for intelligence agencies (as well as Facebook, Google and Twitter) to follow the trail. They apparently scanned the systems of multiple states (including Delaware), which is alarming enough. Once the troll farm was discovered, we could see what they were trying to do. In terms of disinformation, that is. And what is it about conservatives (and far leftists) that makes them this gullible to Russian disinformation?
I couldn’t care less about the Russian influence on the election. Donald Trump has been criminally laundering Russian oligarch money for years. He’s a criminal, as this prosecution eventually will show.
So suppose you explain your political support for a guy who’s going to go to jail.
And spare me the nonsense about Hillary. I don’t like her, I dislike her husband even more, and if you have the evidence you need to jail them, too, go right ahead.
So now, back to you: Why are you so fond of criminals? Are you a criminal yourself?
“Why are you so fond of criminals? Are you a criminal yourself?” Typical response from AL
Rep. Jeb Hensarling is retiring from Congress.