Cambridge Analytica , a data firm that worked for President Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign, is shutting down following disclosures about its use of Facebook data and the campaign tactics it pitched to clients.
2 Likes
Is the issue with Trump sharing secrets or Trump’s lawyers being unable to be present for a potential interview with Mueller due to the classified nature of the topics?
Donald Trump lies repeatedly, but on big issues he tends to follow through, or try to follow through, on what he promises. Trump has now several times indicated his intention to meddle in the Justice Department and with the special counsel probe investigating him in order to protect himself. That, combined with a leak earlier this week and a shake-up on his legal team, point to the president escalating his skirmish with Robert Mueller and the Justice Department into a full-blown war.
This is at least the third time in a week that Trump has said he intends to intervene in the Justice Department. Last week, he told the hosts of Fox and Friends, “I have taken the position, and I don’t have to take this position and maybe I’ll change, that I will not be involved with the Justice Department.” A few minutes later, he added, “Our Justice Department, which I try and stay away from, but at some point I won’t, our Justice Department should be looking at that kind of stuff, not the nonsense of collusion with Russia.”
What is at the end of this path? Is it a battle in the courts over whether Mueller can subpoena him? Is it firing Mueller? Is it firing Rosenstein, with an eye to limiting Mueller’s scope? It’s too early to answer these questions, and besides, Trump has already sought to fire Mueller twice and backed down, so even his own decisions are often not final. Regardless, the president has made explicit that he intends to meddle in the probe, and so it should come as no surprise when he eventually does so.
3 Likes
@matt My issue is not about the lawyers being able to be present in an interview with Mueller. I’m concerned that Trump, wittingly or unwittingly, is sharing classified intel with people who do not have the proper clearance. And now that you mention it, I’m also concerned that people without clearance are not supervised in a way that prevents them from simply lifting documents off desks and perusing them. I have a feeling that a “mole” would find easy pickings in this White House.
Since my post, I found this:
The photo at the top of the article shows a “restricted access lockbag” on Trump’s desk which he casually left there during a photo shoot – undoubtedly the shoot included many people with low or no security clearance. I’m wondering if classified docs are often left “lying around” in various offices at the White House. BTW, this article (although over a year old) does a good job of detailing a slew of incidents that demonstrate Trump’s utter lack of respect for our nation’s precious secrets.
It’s sad for me to consider, that in the pre-Trump era, I never gave issues like this the slightest thought – and I believe that’s because I didn’t need to – but now I’m constantly inspecting the loose bolts that seem to be barely holding together this runaway train.
2 Likes
@dragonfly9 Thanks for your take on White House security (or rather the lack thereof) – I agree with your perspective. And thanks for the articles – I look forward to reading them this evening. Cheers!
2 Likes
Okay. That’s what today’s news re: security clearances is about, which is why I asked.
2 Likes
When are these bumblers going to get their story straight? Can’t wait to see what their new story will be tomorrow.
4 Likes
Breaking…with a horrendous war of words, along with the recognition that T did pay for Stormy Daniels.
Yes @Keaton_James bumblers all.
And more commentary from Guiliani tonight on Hannity “Comey is a very perverted man”
3 Likes
Good catch! This is kinda huge. 
2 Likes
Giuliani is about the stupidest man I have ever heard!
In any case, perhaps I am just an old fashion Canadian guy - but how on earth can any American believe tha Trump tells the truth ‘some or all of the time’ ? 76 % of republicans believe this ! - and even 6% of democrats believe this!!!
I certainly hope America gets back on track - starting with knowing the difference between truth and lies. It is basic and easy!
Giuliani is the PERFECT match for Trump - lie and deny. Keep telling the same story over and over and over again - hoping that they will change the truth.
FACT: Trump said, on tape, that he know nothing about the Stormy Daniels payment by Cohen. Obviously not - but now we know for sure. Thank you Giuliani!
And thank you Giuliani for proving campaign finance violations.
And also thanks for ‘ending the Meuller investigation in two weeks’
I don’t know what your definition of ‘idiot’ is - but I’ve found mine.
1 Like
@CRConrad – That doesn’t qualify as a “sham” – the news is that SCL Group and Cambridge Analytica are shutting down. That’s correct.
The part you’re responding to – and it would help if you would add details in the future – is that the players behind Cambridge Analytica set up a new company last year called Emerdata, which could be a front to rebrand Cambridge Analytica and SCL Group.
Here’s the salient details from NYT:
In recent months, executives at Cambridge Analytica and SCL Group, along with the Mercer family, have moved to created a new firm, Emerdata, based in Britain, according to British records. The new company’s directors include Johnson Ko Chun Shun, a Hong Kong financier and business partner of Erik Prince. Mr. Prince founded the private security firm Blackwater, which was renamed Xe Services after Blackwater contractors were convicted of killing Iraqi civilians.
Cambridge and SCL officials privately raised the possibility that Emerdata could be used for a Blackwater-style rebranding of Cambridge Analytica and the SCL Group, according two people with knowledge of the companies, who asked for anonymity to describe confidential conversations. One plan under consideration was to sell off the combined company’s data and intellectual property.
An executive and a part owner of SCL Group, Nigel Oakes, has publicly described Emerdata as a way of rolling up the two companies under one new banner. Efforts to reach him by phone on Wednesday were unsuccessful.
And more from BI:
The power players behind Cambridge Analytica set up a mysterious new data firm last year called Emerdata.
The New York Times reported that Emerdata could be a front to rebrand Cambridge Analytica and SCL Group after Cambridge Analytica was shut down on Wednesday.
The Times called it a “Blackwater-style” operation after the infamous private security firm changed its name when contractors were convicted of killing Iraqi civilians.
There are established links between Emerdata and Blackwater.
1 Like
Re: pay off to Stormy Daniel’s and Guilliani’s comments.
One particular critic is George Conway 3rd, who is KellyAnne’s husband and a lawyer. He has been super critical of what he sees as corrupt in this administration.
And for those reading the tea leaves - look at his Twitter header page - says we are in the 4th Qtr - 1st down. hmmmmm
@gtconway3d
https://www.fec.gov/help-candidates-and-committees/handling-loans-debts-and-advances/personal-loans-candidate/ https://twitter.com/gtconway3d/status/992015378762096640/photo/1
Yeah, well, I wan’t accusing you of perpetrating any sham.
And while you may object to my choice of words, the bits you quote from the NYT and BI also suggest that the purpose behind these actions is pretty much to try and deceive the public at large that CA has gone away, when actually it seems pretty certain that they’re really just going to continue under another name. So I was just boiling that down to a single word, which I still feel is, while perhaps not (yet) fully corrobarated, still arguably accurate: They’re almost certainly trying to perpetrate something on the public, and I still think that “something” is pretty much… a sham. What would you call it?
I didn’t know one had to extensively quote the article; text corresponding to what you posted from the NYT and BI is readily available at the El Reg link I posted, just a mouse-click away. (And as for reliability of sources, I think “The Vulture” is every bit as reliable as the NYT, and vastly superior to Business Insider.)
Nope, that’s a sham!
Does anyone here have some knowledge or insight into how access to classified information is policed within the White House? What I’m getting at here is this: What assurances do we have that people in Trump’s circle (appointees, staff, lawyers, visitors, etc.) are complying with the restrictions that apply to the level of their security clearance. Trump’s people are notorious for ignoring the rule of law so do we know for sure that those with low or no security clearance are not picking up and reading classified documents or discussing classified topics?
For example, during meetings attended by Jared Kushner, is there a specific person who has the responsiblity for shutting down a discussion when it strays into an area for which Kushner does not have clearance – or is this just “self enforced”? The same question could be asked of meetings with Trump’s lawyers. How do we know that when Trump is having a private one-on-one discussion with someone who has low or no clearance that Trump doesn’t blab secrets? We know he did that with Russian officials who were visiting him in the Oval Office shortly after he took office. How often has it happened since then? If anyone has any background on this, could you please share? Thanks! 
1 Like
I believe this is the fly in the ointment so to speak…T has little regard for who knows what (as you mentioned, delivering the Israeli secrets to the Russians in the Oval Office)…so the theory is I believe is that even if Kushner can not see the PDB, he could be told or handed a copy by Trump. Various pundits were saying this around the time Kelly was supposed to have gotten every staff member past the Security Clearances, or let them go. There is virtually no assurance on what the Prez can and can not leak. Kelly was supposed to police who was credentialed…and who can see what.
I quickly googled some articles in the recent past - One from Washington Post and one from Politico which sheds some light on it.
And as you say John Dowd had clearances, but the others lawyers did not. (McGahn did have clearances - see article) Wouldn’t they be looking for the evidence during campaign and early transition times of what may or may not be illegal for T and not necessarily looking at what Defense is saying about Russia, or NSA details?
Not sure I am really informed on this…but looking (like you) for indicators that this WH is keeping a close eye on who should see what. I believe that these sensitive matters are discussed within the T orbit - family for sure, and not at all locked up with regard to highly sensitive materials.
Linking a few articles on this.
3 Likes
@matt My favorite quotation from the article you recently posted (Robert Mueller has the President Cornered):
A source “very close” to Trump described the president’s current mood as some combination of Bobby Axelrod, Tony Soprano, and the shittiest Avenger:
“For the average human, nothing scares them more than legal issues. He. Does. Not. Care. His whole adult life has been spent in litigation. He’s not afraid of high-stakes legal stuff. … He’s just going to start swinging and knock people’s heads off.”
This source nailed Trump’s temperament! The article then goes on to do a great job of documenting why Trump has finally come around to taking this investigation seriously – it’s just now sinking in for him that he is in deep, deep trouble. Good. I hope he starts losing some sleep at night – like millions of Americans have done since November 8, 2016.
5 Likes