Ex-Trump lawyer Cohen, in guilty plea, says made payments at candidate's direction

[mcambl61]

3 minutes ago, heybruce said:

Neither your opinion nor the opinion of a former FEC chairman change the fact that Cohen is guilty of campaign finance expenditures in violation of federal law, a violation done with the knowledge of Trump and paid for by Trump. 

if you think it is enough for impeachment, then I hope thenygo for it. then you can celebrate

and dance around the fire...until it fails

[heybruce]

26 minutes ago, mcambl61 said:

again, not a ruling a deal

 

 

we all get the breathless anticipation and glee.

Impeachment has been the goal since day one.

What happens if you do not get your wish?

 

You are in desperate denial of the obvious--Cohen is guilty of federal felonies.  Even Cohen doesn't deny this.

[heybruce]

25 minutes ago, mcambl61 said:

if you think it is enough for impeachment, then I hope thenygo for it. then you can celebrate

and dance around the fire...until it fails

With a Republican Congress this alone will not be enough.  But the investigation and court cases are proceeding, and elections are coming.

[Berkshire]

25 minutes ago, mcambl61 said:

if you think it is enough for impeachment, then I hope thenygo for it. then you can celebrate

and dance around the fire...until it fails

You should realize it's getting bad when even Fox News is getting fed-up with all the President's lies.  Check out Neil Cavuto as he churns out a bunch of Trump lies for all to see.  On Fox News no less.  Of course, Cavuto couldn't cover every single Trump lie because he'd be on the air for several days.  But we get the picture....

 

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/fox-news-neil-cavuto-donald-trump-problem-you_us_5b7f4998e4b0cd327dfb3b7e

 

[wayned]

7 minutes ago, heybruce said:

With a Republican Congress this alone will not be enough.  But the investigation and court cases are proceeding, and elections are coming.

Trump will finish his first term! Even if the Dems win control of both the House and Congress, he will not be convicted.  The House can rule to impeach him, but the Senate will never convict him as it requires a majority and they will never get the 67 votes required.

[utalkin2me]

On 8/21/2018 at 5:39 PM, jimmyyy said:

Cohen Lied to save his skin. The real truth will come out when the investigation of what the DNC did begins, which will be shortly. 

Don't you have to give up credible information to get a deal? If i get bisted for dealing drugs i cant just name a soccer mom as a drug kingpin and get set free. No matter how you slice it the cohn lied position does not make sense. 

[mtls2005]

3 minutes ago, wayned said:

Trump will finish his first term! Even if the Dems win control of both the House and Congress, he will not be convicted.  The House can rule to impeach him, but the Senate will never convict him as it requires a majority and they will never get the 67 votes required.

 

This is the accepted wisdom TODAY barring some unforeseen activity, event, charge, etc. But who knows what revelation will allow ~ 17 - 20 Republican Senators to vote for conviction? I think there are 16 left who voted to impeach Clinton for an Oval Office BJ.

 

 

[Becker]

40 minutes ago, mcambl61 said:

again, not a ruling a deal

 

 

we all get the breathless anticipation and glee.

Impeachment has been the goal since day one.

What happens if you do not get your wish?

 

Well, I for one am fervently hoping that he drops dead from a massive heart attack.

[heybruce]

5 minutes ago, wayned said:

Trump will finish his first term! Even if the Dems win control of both the House and Congress, he will not be convicted.  The House can rule to impeach him, but the Senate will never convict him as it requires a majority and they will never get the 67 votes required.

Unfortunately you are probably correct; unless Mueller exposes something that will give Republicans political cover when they turn on Trump. 

 

I'm convinced that a great many Republicans in the Senate don't like Trump (I'm puzzled how anyone could) but support him in their (cowardly) interest in political survival.  If Mueller can show that Trump is deeply indebted to Russian oligarchs and/or has engaged in massive money laundering on their behalf, that could change.

[stud858]

Political people never accept guilt of anything.

In this case it;s obvious it is a warlord hunt.

 

[GroveHillWanderer]

58 minutes ago, mcambl61 said:

the court has "ruled" nothing bruce, it is a plea bargain, you see a ruling comes from a judge and jury.

 

get the facts not an emotional breathless response

Firstly, this was not a plea bargain - it was a guilty plea. Cohen's lawyer has made it clear his client was not offered any kind of a deal in exchange for pleading guilty.

 

Also, you obviously don't know how a guilty plea works. Before the court can accept such a plea, they have to establish that there is a factual basis for the plea including evidence that a crime has been committed and that the defendant is guilty of that crime. So by accepting the plea, the judge has in effect 'ruled' on both of these elements.

 

Judges have a sworn duty to uphold the law and that includes making sure that a person is only found guilty if there is sufficient evidence, even when it involves in a guilty plea.

 

When you think about it, this is the only way it can work, both legally and logically. Otherwise anyone could just turn up in court and plead guilty to something whether it was a crime or not and whether they did it or not. Obviously, the law cannot be allowed to function in a way that permits people to be found guilty when they haven't committed a crime - and that isn't how it works.

[Berkshire]

23 minutes ago, wayned said:

Trump will finish his first term! Even if the Dems win control of both the House and Congress, he will not be convicted.  The House can rule to impeach him, but the Senate will never convict him as it requires a majority and they will never get the 67 votes required.

That's the current belief.  But you have to ask yourself why the current spineless GOP are so spineless?  It's not because they adore or admire Trump.  It's because they're afraid of his base.  Not a huge base, but very vocal.  Once Mueller completes his investigation and more revelation comes out (e.g., direct ties to Russia, money laundering, conspiracy, obstruction, and who knows what else), the support will diminish.  These self-serving Republicans will see the political tides turning and may finally grow a pair.  Never say never. 

[mtls2005]

How large was this safe? 

 

AP: National Enquirer hid damaging Trump stories in a safe

 

WASHINGTON (AP) — The National Enquirer kept a safe containing documents on hush money payments and other damaging stories it killed as part of its cozy relationship with Donald Trump leading up to the 2016 presidential election, people familiar with the arrangement told The Associated Press.

 

Five people familiar with the National Enquirer’s parent company, American Media Inc., who spoke to the AP on the condition of anonymity because they signed non-disclosure agreements, said the safe was a great source of power for Pecker, the company’s CEO.

 

The Trump records were stored alongside similar documents pertaining to other celebrities’ catch-and-kill deals, in which exclusive rights to people’s stories were bought with no intention of publishing to keep them out of the news. By keeping celebrities’ embarrassing secrets, the company was able to ingratiate itself with them and ask for favors in return.

 

https://apnews.com/143be3c52d4746af8546ca6772754407

 

 

 

David Pecker, Chief of National Enquirer’s Publisher, Is Said to Get Immunity in Trump Inquiry

 

In bringing their charges against Mr. Cohen this week, prosecutors defined American Media’s payment to Ms. McDougal as an illegal, coordinated campaign expenditure. Election law prohibits corporations from spending money to influence elections in conjunction with candidates or their representatives.

 

Dylan Howard, the company’s chief content officer, who is also said to be cooperating, was known to have a recording device in his office, according to people familiar with his operations. American Media would not comment.

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/23/us/politics/david-pecker-immunity-trump.html

 

 

Stick a fork in this turkey, he's "gestated".

 

 

 

[candide]

Rats have started deserting the sinking ship. I am eagerly waiting for the moment Jared will do the same.

[mtls2005]

3 minutes ago, candide said:

I am eagerly waiting for the moment Jared will do the same.

 

The Kushner family orange jumpsuit will be handed down from father to son.

 

 

[wayned]

12 minutes ago, candide said:

Rats have started deserting the sinking ship. I am eagerly waiting for the moment Jared will do the same.

The problem is that most of the rats realize that they can't swim and will drown if they desert!

[heybruce]

19 minutes ago, mtls2005 said:

How large was this safe? 

 

AP: National Enquirer hid damaging Trump stories in a safe

 

WASHINGTON (AP) — The National Enquirer kept a safe containing documents on hush money payments and other damaging stories it killed as part of its cozy relationship with Donald Trump leading up to the 2016 presidential election, people familiar with the arrangement told The Associated Press.

 

Five people familiar with the National Enquirer’s parent company, American Media Inc., who spoke to the AP on the condition of anonymity because they signed non-disclosure agreements, said the safe was a great source of power for Pecker, the company’s CEO.

 

The Trump records were stored alongside similar documents pertaining to other celebrities’ catch-and-kill deals, in which exclusive rights to people’s stories were bought with no intention of publishing to keep them out of the news. By keeping celebrities’ embarrassing secrets, the company was able to ingratiate itself with them and ask for favors in return.

 

https://apnews.com/143be3c52d4746af8546ca6772754407

 

 

 

David Pecker, Chief of National Enquirer’s Publisher, Is Said to Get Immunity in Trump Inquiry

 

In bringing their charges against Mr. Cohen this week, prosecutors defined American Media’s payment to Ms. McDougal as an illegal, coordinated campaign expenditure. Election law prohibits corporations from spending money to influence elections in conjunction with candidates or their representatives.

 

Dylan Howard, the company’s chief content officer, who is also said to be cooperating, was known to have a recording device in his office, according to people familiar with his operations. American Media would not comment.

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/23/us/politics/david-pecker-immunity-trump.html

 

 

Stick a fork in this turkey, he's "gestated".

 

 

 

Just think of the poetic justice: Trump being brought down by a Pecker.  The idea gives me a Woody.

[mtls2005]

Friday morning papers from tRUmp's hometown...

 

The Post is wonderful...Pecker looks a bit like Geraldo Rivera, hence the wink to Al Capone's vault.

 

Sessions is a Space Alien

 

Elvis Haunts My Toaster

 

The Bigfoot Workout - Sasquatch Those Pounds

[Morch]

4 hours ago, heybruce said:

Unfortunately you are probably correct; unless Mueller exposes something that will give Republicans political cover when they turn on Trump. 

 

I'm convinced that a great many Republicans in the Senate don't like Trump (I'm puzzled how anyone could) but support him in their (cowardly) interest in political survival.  If Mueller can show that Trump is deeply indebted to Russian oligarchs and/or has engaged in massive money laundering on their behalf, that could change.

 

4 hours ago, Berkshire said:

That's the current belief.  But you have to ask yourself why the current spineless GOP are so spineless?  It's not because they adore or admire Trump.  It's because they're afraid of his base.  Not a huge base, but very vocal.  Once Mueller completes his investigation and more revelation comes out (e.g., direct ties to Russia, money laundering, conspiracy, obstruction, and who knows what else), the support will diminish.  These self-serving Republicans will see the political tides turning and may finally grow a pair.  Never say never. 

 

With regard to political survival, it's more a question of whether supporting Trump becomes a liability. As for Trump's "base" - I don't think it's not necessarily about their actual numbers, but more to do with the level of activity and involvement they represent. Ina system with relatively low voter turnout, this becomes even more of a thing.

 

 

[mikebike]

7 hours ago, mcambl61 said:

the court has "ruled" nothing bruce, it is a plea bargain, you see a ruling comes from a judge and jury.

 

get the facts not an emotional breathless response

The court has most definitely ruled. The court does not accept a plea of guilty without ruling on the crime and evidence presented. 

 

[Thakkar]

8 hours ago, utalkin2me said:

Don't you have to give up credible information to get a deal? If i get bisted for dealing drugs i cant just name a soccer mom as a drug kingpin and get set free. No matter how you slice it the cohn lied position does not make sense. 

 

“Does Not Make Sense” belongs on red baseball caps at the next Trump rally. (Held at an exercise yard of a federal prison?)

[stud858]

9 minutes ago, Thakkar said:

 

“Does Not Make Sense” belongs on red baseball caps at the next Trump rally. (Held at an exercise yard of a federal prison?)

Yes. Some greats go to prison.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=zo2hXduaWq8

[Thakkar]

13 minutes ago, stud858 said:

Yes. Some greats go to prison.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=zo2hXduaWq8

 

Trump’s no good at telling jokes. I think gig will be to play the accordion:

 

 

[mcambl61]

On 8/22/2018 at 1:17 PM, mtls2005 said:

"Trump folks are worried about impeachment more than before. The thinking goes like this: this is something tangible, not a theoretical. And it didn't come from Mueller. Does not mean it will happen, but this has moved to a different stage in their minds."

 

Maggie Haberman

 

 

 

 

https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/aug/27/lanny-davis-admits-he-was-source-cnn-trump-tower-s/

 

ever wonder why these topics never make it to the website to be discussed??????

[mcambl61]

On 8/24/2018 at 7:11 PM, mikebike said:

The court has most definitely ruled. The court does not accept a plea of guilty without ruling on the crime and evidence presented. 

 

a plea to get off the hook by admitting guilt of something to get a reduced sentence versus a trial with evidence and a jury verdict are not the same thing mikey. but if you believe it, it must be true

[mtls2005]

Some have wondered why tRUmp didn't give Cohen a job in the Administration/White House, and Mueller has been asking witnesses about this matter.

 

 

 

 

In other Cohen news...

 

Kushner Companies and Michael Cohen accused of falsifying documents to push out tenants

 

Developer Charles Kushner, whose son Jared Kushner is a senior adviser to Donald Trump, and Michael Cohen, the president’s former personal lawyer, face scrutiny in New York for claims that they falsified construction permits.

It is believed that they were attempting to remove rent-regulated tenants from buildings scattered across the city.

 

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/kushner-companies-michael-cohen-fake-documents-fine-tenants-new-york-a8511501.html

[wayned]

1 hour ago, mtls2005 said:

Some have wondered why tRUmp didn't give Cohen a job in the Administration/White House, and Mueller has been asking witnesses about this matter.

 

 

 

 

In other Cohen news...

 

Kushner Companies and Michael Cohen accused of falsifying documents to push out tenants

 

Developer Charles Kushner, whose son Jared Kushner is a senior adviser to Donald Trump, and Michael Cohen, the president’s former personal lawyer, face scrutiny in New York for claims that they falsified construction permits.

It is believed that they were attempting to remove rent-regulated tenants from buildings scattered across the city.

 

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/kushner-companies-michael-cohen-fake-documents-fine-tenants-new-york-a8511501.html

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