Mueller Investigation

Cohen's opening statement.

Among the things Cohen will present tomorrow,

This is evidence that Trump committed a campaign finance felony after becoming President, possibly others depending on how it was recorded if it was a payment from the Trump Organization. So it's moot whether or not a President can be impeached over crimes committed before taking office, *cough*Dayton*cough*.

This is big. I might wake up early to watch this.

https://wordforge.net/index.php?posts/3124719/

Interesting.

So if Trump never even really thought he would win, that greatly undermines both the 'campaign finance violation' and most of the 'Russia Russia' theories.

"Accidental" campaign finance violation?

Or, as the saying goes, ignorance of the law is no excuse.

Not really, not if he fully intended to get on the political radar and make a credible showing, just didn't expect to win.

Why no thread on his Congressional testimony?

It's in this thread.

And the Republicans are all...

"No, Cohen is the doody head!! Shut up!! Shut up!! Shut uu-huh-huh-huuuupp!! ".

Once again @We Are Borg proves to be a moron.

Was there any good comedy?

Or was it most Cohen trying to remodel himself into the next Comey (transition himself from hated to darling by going all anti Trump)?

Muthafucka questioning just actually said "liar, liar, pants on fire!! ".

My parody bullets bounced off.

Does not belong in the Mueller thread.

Also, Trump did use his charity to pay for a massive portrait of himself.

Tuttle's idea that this undermines campaign financed violations is laughable - you could easily run and abuse the cash you know supporters are sending in without intending ever to win.

Hell, Trump's still at it, using re-election donations to pay Jared's legal fees...

At best, the law is fuzzy about whether paying hush money to a mistress is a "campaign expense" or a personal expense. And part of the statute defines "personal use" as any expenditure "used to fulfill any commitment, obligation, or expense of a person that would exist irrespective of the candidate's election campaign."

IT's tough to nail someone when "knowing and willful" violation is the legal standard, and that someone hired an attorney.

If simply discussing the court of public opinion, probably the opinion at this point is yawn aside from the devoted partisans.

Is that G'Kar sitting behind Cohen?

John Dean would be a better parallel.

I am just waiting for Stone to start eating raw fish and shoot people with his umbrella. We could have had Richie rich or Montana max as president, but we got Donald trump. He is the worst fail white faux rich kid ever. Even the afluenza kid seems to have more going for him mentally then fuckhead mcdumbass.

This guy comes as as much of a shitbag as Trump.

Sure it does.


>merge powers activate<

No, it doesn't.

Unless you want to re-title this thread as a catch-all along the lines of "POTUS is a dirtbag".

That’s why Mueller is investigating him.

Nostradamus effect: find something Trump said in the past and make it fit whatever narrative you create today.

He was talking about that exact same painting. He tweeted he "just found out" that it sold for $60 Grand, but he's the one that bought it through a straw purchaser...and he used Trump Foundation funds to pay for it.

Of course, none of that is anything new.

I'll admit that I wasn't expecting much our of AOC, but she avoided the grandstanding and managed to ask some of the best questions of the whole hearing.

It's the type of thing that gives hope for the political process going forward.

Politics has always been a giant mess that attracts those with grandstanding tendencies, but as the media landscape has changed the approach of politicians has as well. Once you could get your message out most effectively through press releases and interviews. Those traditional media platforms have been eroding and politicians generally have been resorting to more grandstanding in events like this to hopefully get their message out there.

AOC is part of the new wave of politicians who have grown up in the social media era. She already has a solid platform for getting her view out there, so can fall back to more genuine questioning in situations like this. Her age, race, and gender probably play a part in this as well. For better or worse, she has to do more to prove that she can actually do the job she was elected to.