Tuesday, January 8, 2019

Paul Manafort’s Botched Redactions Reveal New Details on Trump-Russia Interactions


JUST IN: We also just got the DC Circuit's opinion affirming the contempt order in the mystery grand jury case. The news here is just what's in it, b/c recall that in December, the DC Cir issued the judgment and said an opinion would be forthcoming.


Van der Zwann is the son in law of Russian oligharch, German Khan ,who is the co-founder & co-owner of Alfa Bank. Zwann, with Manafort & Gates, worked for Ukr Yanukovych & engaged in a PR campaign to improve his image in the West


This 👇 First time I’ve connected this. 📍Manafort’s dinner with Kilimnik to discuss Deripaska’s plan came HOURS after Nader and Zamel pitched Don Jr on Psy-Group. 📍Reps of Russia, Israel, Saudi Arabia and UAE plotted on the SAME DAY w Don Jr and Manafort.


Just in case anyone was wondering, I can confirm that I am “CEO-1” in the SDNY’s indictment against Natalia Veselnitskaya today.


Jared Kushner: determined to follow in father’s footsteps


Trump "is writing the speech himself."


A lawsplainer -- why it would be an unconstitutional abuse of power for Trump to declare an emergency and try to build a wall:


MORE BOTCHED REDACTIONS: Manafort “may have discussed a Ukraine peace plan with Mr. Kilimnik on more than one occasion.” CONTEXT: During TRUMP campaign & after, Russia-aligned interests pushed Russia-Ukraine "peace plans," some of which included ending US sanctions vs. Russia.


An Administration that took kids hostage to convince their parents to abandon asylum claims has now taken the American government hostage to satisfy extremist supporters. To @realDonaldTrump, this is a game. But to countless Americans, this is their livelihood


NEWS: Late draft of Trump speech this afternoon doesn’t include declaration of national emergency over border dispute; Trump instead planning to call for bipartisanship in the name of national security.


OH LOOK ===> That Kilimnik guy again! Sharing polling data with a known Russian spy sounds pretty...espionage-y, even for Paulie Walnuts.


Spoiler Alert: The President will lie to the American people from the Oval Office tonight. The only crisis that exists is the one he manufactured and the only wall that's real is the one closing in on him.


Andrea Mitchell: ‘We are going to have to put Mitch McConnell on a milk carton’ because he’s missing amid shutdown


“Which former presidents told President Trump, as he said, that he should’ve built a wall? All their representatives have denied that that was the case.” @halliejackson to @VP Mike Pence


Question “Witch Hunt” chanters: What reason other than collusion would Manafort have shared Trump Campaign data with a Russian Associate?


This ad from Defending Democracy Together's Becoming American Initiative will run tonight just before President Trump's speech on ABC in Washington, D.C. and on television stations throughout Texas.


Meanwhile, rebuked by a Trump-appointed judge, Concord Management's defense team carries on with its legal strategy: trolling-so-hard.


The Democratic chairs of 7 House committees have sent a letter to Steve Mnuchin asking the Treasury "to explain the easing of sanctions on businesses tied to Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska."


What did we learn from the botched redactions? Mueller asked Manafort about: -- A Ukraine peace plan discussed w/ Kilimnik -- A Madrid meeting w/ Kilimnik -- Sharing 2016 polling data w/ Kilimnik -- A text exchange with someone wanting to namedrop Manafort if they met Trump


The mystery foreign-owned company fighting a subpoena related to Robert Mueller’s investigation will have to pay $50,000 a day until it complies by turning over information, the DC Circuit said in an opinion published in the case Tuesday.


It is truly blessing to have former Rep. @GabbyGiffords join us to introduce #HR8, the Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2019, eight years after the Tucson shooting.


Russian official with ties to lawyer in Trump Tower meeting dies in helicopter crash


Note: the fauxdacted #Manafort filings say that Manafort met the GRU in Spain to discuss a "Ukranian peace plan". You know who else worked on a "Ukranian peace plan"? Michael Cohen.


What’s laughable is that Trump is trying to manufacture a crisis to justify expanding his power.


Supreme Court rules against mystery corporation from ‘Country A’ fighting subpoena in Mueller investigation


Walls closing in for Trump family. NY prosecutors, not just Mueller, on their case.


House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy’s brother has won more than $7m in military contracts by claiming that he is a racial minority. Specifically, his brother has claimed that he is ⅛ Cherokee, a claim without any evidence to support it.


Another resignation: Anthony Zinni, a retired Marine Corps general and former head of U.S. Central Command ... is the latest four-star general to exit the admin. Zinni resigned after realizing he could not help resolve the Qatar dispute, he told CBS News.


Manafort lawyers say he's suffering from "severe gout" as well as "depression and anxiety"


The National Emergency pic.twitter.com/dRvFnL


Manafort may want to fire his lawyers. Also, um, this is collusion or attempted collusion by the campaign manager of the @realDonaldTrump campaign right?


BRING BACK THE FAIRNESS DOCTRINE. AND NO US MEDIA OWNED BY FOREIGN POWERS!


MAJOR: Natalia Veselnitskaya, the Russian attorney in the June 2016 Trump Tower meeting, charged with obstruction of justice in the Prevezon case. Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman said she fabricated evidence.


Paul Manafort has been accused of sharing 2016 polling data with a Russian operative


A few things to listen for tonight. 1) The words "crisis," "threat," "emergency," & "enemies" without evidence or on "secret" evidence. 2) Framing Trump's base as victims of these threats. 3) Blaming predecessors & opponents for not dealing with the threats, or for causing them.


  1.  1 hour ago
    4) Attacking media for not blindly repeating his narrative. Saying "the fake news will tell you.." 5) Blaming shutdown & "crisis" on others while positioning himself as the only one who can fix it. (If you enter a debate about solutions, you have accepted there is a crisis.)
    12 replies397 retweets1,054 likes
     
     
     
  2.  1 hour ago
    Of course, these things would also be said if there were a real crisis! So how to determine the difference? 1) Why now, & not during 2 years of GOP control? Can't blame Dem obstruction. 2) Emergency powers are for emergencies. Does he make a real case for desperate measures?
    19 replies358 retweets915 likes
     
     
     
  3.  1 hour ago
    3) Is there an attempt to justify a wall or emergency action on expert recommendations with a track record (not last few weeks)? DHS? FBI? Anything? 4) Is there a big picture view for a deal & legislation? Asylum seekers, families, visa overstays?
    3 replies195 retweets614 likes
     
     
     
  4.  1 hour ago
    5) Or will there just be a few selected anecdotes to scandalize and frighten people when the overall data & expert opinion is that there isn't a crisis at all?
    13 replies180 retweets602 likes
     
     
     
  5.  1 hour ago
    I'm flying to Las Vegas for CES & will miss the speech. A pity! But I'm afraid I know what it's going to sound like. I remember Putin's speeches about "a new crisis management system" & "strengthening unity" that were pretexts for crackdowns & demonizing media & opposition.
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  6.  53 minutes ago
    Putin used the terrorist attacks of Nord-Ost & Beslan, both made much worse by the authorities, to blame "the weakness of the state" and crack down in ways unrelated to terror & security. Being "strong" is a tell.

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