WTF Community

Day 509

General Discussion
#1

Updated 6/12/2018 9:33 AM PDT

1/ The Justice Department argued that Trump could continue to profit from foreign governments visiting his hotel in Washington, D.C. if he didn't explicitly provide something in return. A federal judge criticized the argument that Trump's financial interest in the Trump International Hotel in D.C. is constitutional. The lawsuit, brought by the District of Columbia and the state of Maryland, claims that Trump's profits from the hotel violate the Emoluments Clause, which prohibits government employees from receiving financial benefits outside of their official salary. The judge promised to decide by the end of the July whether to allow the case to proceed to the next stage. (New York Times / BuzzFeed News / CNN)

This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2018/06/12/day-509/
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#2

Let the googling begin!

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Day 508
#3

Friday is shaping up to be a really bad day for Paul.

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#4

So many trials, so little time.

The move came at the request of prosecutors from special counsel Robert Mueller’s office who said the earlier start date would conflict with a previously set hearing on another criminal case Manafort is facing in Washington.

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#5

Mueller is securing documents from meddling. Good.

Special counsel Robert Mueller’s office is asking federal Judge Dabney Friedrich for an order that would lock down documents shared with the Russian company Concord Management and Consulting, because of the potential for the information to be shared with foreign nationals and intelligence officials still working to sow discord in the US.
Prosecutors must turn over millions of pieces of data to the alleged Russian troll farm-backer in the coming months because the company has pleaded not guilty to a conspiracy charge Mueller filed in February and is preparing for a trial.

They’re particularly concerned about the information that could be shared with Yevgeny Prigozhin, a Russia-based oligarch known as "Putin’s chef," before he appears in the US court. Prigozhin is charged as a co-defendant in the case and also faces financial sanctions in the US but – like 12 others named in the indictment and two companies, the Internet Research Agency and Concord Catering – he is still technically a fugitive in the case. Because he is thought to be in Russia, Prigozhin may never face the charges in court here.
In the filing Tuesday, Mueller’s team alludes to the steps it took to bring the troll farm charges, and that investigators have used cooperating witnesses to build the case.

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#6

George Conway, KellyAnne’s lawyer husband is going up against The Federalist Society’s claim that appointing a Special Counsel is unconstitutional. Conway is presenting his argument, and he’s no T loyalist.

Take that in.

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#7

Fact Checker: Can the president be indicted or subpoenaed?

Seems like the Supreme Court would be the final arbiter of this…

From Washington Post’s Fact Checker

When an American citizen is investigated, prosecutors have the legal equivalent of superpowers. They can compel that person to produce documents or testify before a grand jury by serving a subpoena. If sufficient evidence is found, they can charge that person with a crime. But the Supreme Court has made clear the president isn’t an ordinary American.

So what is a special prosecutor to do? Can a president be subpoenaed or indicted? President Richard Nixon was served a subpoena for documents, but he resigned before being compelled to comply. Independent counsel Kenneth Starr served President Bill Clinton with a subpoena to testify before a grand jury but then withdrew the subpoena when Clinton agreed to testify voluntarily.

We don’t know what special counsel Robert S. Mueller III is thinking, nor do we know where his investigation into possible obstruction of justice stands. That hasn’t stopped lawmakers, pundits, legal analysts and Rudolph W. Giuliani, one of the president’s attorneys, from weighing in on the looming specters of a presidential subpoena or indictment.

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#8

@dragonfly9 I wonder if Chief Justice Gorsuch would recuse himself if this case was brought before the Supreme Court? :thinking:

#9

Interesting thought…yes, maybe?!

#10

This article does highlight that Mueller is needing to safeguard us from further Russian meddling in elections, and thereby securing documents. Similar to article posted today.

But there’s a recap video worth watching re: an overview of Russian influences in the T orbit - from early Trump Organization years, to campaign and now still meddling in trying to influence elections.

These details about collusion, conspiracy and supreme alignment with Russia run rampant through T’s actions.

We are still in the deny, deny, deny phase of T’ 'n Co despite the overwhelming evidence. See Obstruction charges - firing Comey, condemning Sessions, firing McCabe, very little actions towards remedying the electoral process, disrupting the G7 conference in deference to Russia. And more.

The list of prosecution targets is tightening around T’s neck via

Cohen being paid by Novartis, AT&T, Columbus Nova
DJT Junior’s who’s denying any involvement
Evidence of meetings in Trump Tower with Russians
Payments which can be considered money laundering from Russians for Real Estate etc.

And already those pleading guilty and being granted immunity, who are obviously filling in the gaps.
Michael Flynn
Rick Gates
George Papadapoulis

And the holdout
Paul Manafort

We are awaiting Mueller’s interviews with T, who may or may not testify.

Cohen is expected to be indicted soon. There’s going to be a lot of material hitting the fan this week methinks. :wink:

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#11

Mueller is turning the screws on why Manafort needs to be jailed before trial. These papers were just filed.

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#12

Nice recap! Every now and then I need to review a list like the one you assembled just to keep track of the myriad of links to Russian collusion. It truly is astounding. Let’s hope we see some progress on more indictments soon. This Friday, I’m prepared to either do a victory boogie on my balcony when Manafort is led away in handcuffs or grab a torch and pitchfork and hit the streets if he isn’t.

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#13

LOL…all things point to Friday bigly. Justice we hope tilts towards the victory boogie.

:man_dancing: :dancing_women: :man_dancing: :dancing_men: :man_dancing:

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#14

Government probing leaks with reporters. New tactics with inquiries.

@ashleyRParker (Wa Po reporter)

Scoop: A federal agent questioned @AliWatkins about her sources, and he had detailed records of her travel. He’s now being investigated, after we inquired about his actions.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/customs-and-border-protection-examining-agents-questioning-of-national-security-reporter/2018/06/12/05dac696-6e74-11e8-afd5-778aca903bbe_story.html?utm_term=.3f73191435ef by me, @mattzap, and @jackgillum

#15

A couple of points on the North Korea summit. Trump did not say that the agreement was expensive and provocative, he said that our joint military exercises, which he dismissively calls “war games,” are expensive (for us) and provocative (to North Korea). Also, the agreement doesn’t say Kim isn’t committed to full denuclearization of North Korea, but rather of the “Korean peninsula,” which could end up also meaning there could be no docking of US ships or flyovers by US planes, either of which may or may not be carrying a nuke - we never make that information available. That, of course, includes flyovers of the free part of the peninsula or ships docking there or even entering South Korean waters.

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#16

2 posts were merged into an existing topic: Day 510

#17

Unbelievable. Clearly Trump and his family are using the presidency to promoter their business and make money. Apparently there is no bar too low for Republicans.

Humor, memes, funny internet stuff etc
#18

It’s been clear from the start, unfortunately…and the GOP deserves to fall for supporting trump at any cost & without regard for the harm being done. Greedy cowards all…& worse. :face_with_symbols_over_mouth:

#19

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