Trump defends Russia business dealings as U.S. probe widens

[rooster59]

Trump defends Russia business dealings as U.S. probe widens

By Susan Heavey and Sarah N. Lynch

 

U.S. President Donald Trump pauses to talk to reporters as he departs on travel to Argentina from the White House in Washington, U.S., November 29, 2018. REUTERS/Jim Young

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - As President Donald Trump took part in the Group of 20 summit in Argentina on Friday, pressure on him was building back in Washington from Special Counsel Robert Mueller's long-running investigation into Russian meddling in U.S. politics.

 

Trump's former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, accused of lying to investigators, may face additional legal charges, U.S. prosecutors said on Friday, as Trump defended his 2016 business dealings in Russia while he was a presidential candidate as "very legal & very cool."

 

Mueller is looking into Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, possible collusion between Moscow and Trump's campaign, and possible obstruction of justice.

 

For most of his presidency, Trump has been shadowed by the investigation, which he has angrily dismissed as a "witch hunt" amid concerns in Congress that he might move to fire Mueller, triggering a constitutional crisis.

 

Legislation to protect Mueller has been proposed, but blocked by Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell.

 

At a court hearing on Friday, Mueller's team said new charges were possible against Manafort, one of numerous Trump associates swept up in the investigation.

 

Manafort has pleaded guilty to conspiracy against the United States and been convicted separately of bank and tax fraud. He had agreed to cooperate with Mueller but prosecutors have since accused him of breaching his plea deal by lying to investigators. He has said he disagrees with that accusation.

 

Whether new charges against him will follow has not been determined, a member of Mueller's team said in court.

 

On Thursday, Trump's former personal lawyer Michael Cohen pleaded guilty to lying to Congress about a proposed Trump skyscraper deal in Moscow that was never built.

 

In his plea, Cohen said efforts to pursue the project lasted longer, going deep into the 2016 U.S. presidential campaign, than he had previously told Congress. He said those efforts did not cease until June 2016, after Trump had effectively clinched the Republican presidential nomination.

 

In early-morning Twitter messages from Buenos Aires, Trump said he had "lightly looked" at a real estate project "somewhere in Russia" during his presidential bid, saying it was "very legal & very cool" to do so while campaigning.

 

During the 2016 presidential campaign, Trump repeatedly played down his business ties with Russia.

 

The Kremlin has denied U.S. intelligence agencies' findings that it meddled in the 2016 election. Both Russia and Trump have denied any collusion between them occurred.

 

Mueller's team has brought charges or secured convictions against more than two dozen Russian nationals and entities, as well as a number of Trump's associates.

 

Democrats and other critics said the latest revelations from Mueller's investigation showed Trump put his business interests above his obligation to speak truthfully to voters.

 

"The walls are beginning to close in. This begins to show reasons for the president and his campaign colluding with the Russians," said Representative Jerry Nadler, who is expected to become chairman of the House of Representatives Judiciary Committee when Democrats take control of the House in January.

 

After Cohen's guilty plea on Thursday, Trump canceled his planned meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the G20, citing the Ukraine crisis.

 

White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said Mueller's investigation is probably undermining ties with Russia, but she denied it was the reason Trump canceled the meeting.

 

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-12-01

 

[Tug]

Smacks of corruption to me really easy for the Russians to hold it over Donald’s head using a government office to further personal business interests plus it’s a hostile government thafs no witch hunt folks

[Samui Bodoh]

"...During the 2016 presidential campaign, Trump repeatedly played down his business ties with Russia..."

 

Or, put another way, he lied. Over and over again he lied. As he always lies. As he repeatedly lies. And, he even lies about his lies. Endless, endless lies.

 

His staff lied. His family lied. His campaign lied. His National Security Advisor lied. His Campaign Chairman lied. His Deputy Campaign Chairman lied. His personal lawyer lied. Other staff lied. Endless, endless lying.

 

He and everyone around him are lying liars who lie. Endlessly.

 

I have said it before and (sadly) need to say it again;

 

Donald Trump is an ever-expanding cloud of toxic waste that defiles everything it touches.

 

God help us all

 

[TopDeadSenter]

Sad to see the tension finally showing between Trump and Putin at the G20 summit. This witch-hunt has dragged on for so long now it has invariably caused friction between the two leaders through attrition even though no evidence whatsoever has been shown that proves Russian collusion cost Hillary her election. I am aware of more collusion between Clinton and Hungarian interests to attempt to swing elections, although that doesn't seem to get the attention it deserves. Also collusion with news networks to get the final debate questions before the debate. Cheating AND collusion in other words.

 If the left get their way we could very well end up in a world war. Time to grow up and stop this farcical witch hunt. Russia did not cost Hillary her election. She did it herself.

[stevenl]

Your last 2 sentences make sense.

[zaphod reborn]

1 hour ago, TopDeadSenter said:

Sad to see the tension finally showing between Trump and Putin at the G20 summit. This witch-hunt has dragged on for so long now it has invariably caused friction between the two leaders through attrition even though no evidence whatsoever has been shown that proves Russian collusion cost Hillary her election. I am aware of more collusion between Clinton and Hungarian interests to attempt to swing elections, although that doesn't seem to get the attention it deserves. Also collusion with news networks to get the final debate questions before the debate. Cheating AND collusion in other words.

 If the left get their way we could very well end up in a world war. Time to grow up and stop this farcical witch hunt. Russia did not cost Hillary her election. She did it herself.

If what Buzzfeed reported is true, that Trump offered a $50 million penthouse in Trump Tower to grease the Moscow Trump Tower deal, it is game over.  Trump will go to prison under the FCPA.   

[Boon Mee]

Since when is it a crime for a private citizen to engage in business before taking office. 

This latest Mueller Witch Hunt smacks of OTT desperation. 

[spidermike007]

Most of the world knew Putin has something on him. I believe in addition to potential business dealings, and financing either provided by, or sanctioned by the Russian government, there are the Moscow orgy tapes. I am convinced there are minors in that crowd, and urine is involved. No doubt the airing of those tapes would damage Trump even further than he has already damaged himself. Calling this a witch hunt, is simply demonstrating your obedience to your master. More than likely Trump is going down. Mueller is more than likely going to crush him like a mosquito. 

 

I smell a noxious mix of fear, desperation, guilt and panic coming from the Oval Office. He has never been in this position before. He does it to himself, and has only himself to blame. 

[mikebike]

45 minutes ago, Boon Mee said:

Since when is it a crime for a private citizen to engage in business before taking office. 

This latest Mueller Witch Hunt smacks of OTT desperation. 

It is a crime for a Presidential candidate to engage in potential conflict-of-interest business with a foreign power just before taking office.

 

The latest Mueller probe is right on target.

 

Fixed it for ya...

[Langsuan Man]

49 minutes ago, Boon Mee said:

Since when is it a crime for a private citizen to engage in business before taking office. 

This latest Mueller Witch Hunt smacks of OTT desperation. 

Since when is it acceptable for a president to lie to the American people, or is that the new norm ? 

 

What the Mueller witch hunt smacks of is Indictments 

 

source: https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/2/20/17031772/mueller-indictments-grand-jury

[sirineou]

1 hour ago, Boon Mee said:

Since when is it a crime for a private citizen to engage in business before taking office. 

This latest Mueller Witch Hunt smacks of OTT desperation. 

Since when private citizen is running for president and there is an implied quid pro quo with a hostile power. You help me be become president and i will help you....... 

  Then lied to cover it up, and took political positions that compromise the US that you all claim to love so much, so that the Russians will not expose their lies.  

Why you all defend this man . who is a PROVEN  liar, a thief, philanderer, scandal, is beyond me. IMO you are all worst than him, and a greater danger, since he will soon be gone, having extracted his pound of flesh, but sadly you all will remain.

   You are the disease!! he is simply the putrid ,festering wound the disease causes.

 

I don't even think you believe what you say, IMO you are simply a Troll. You Throw out a stink bomb. and then sit back and wait for reactions. You never provide evidence to support you opinion, you never come back to defend your position.

Simply a sad Troll. so Sad.

 

Edited December 1, 2018 by sirineou

[longtom]

On the list of Trump's lies/transgressions this one is way down at the bottom.

Don't focus on the peanuts, that will only help him to rail his base.

Focus on the 50 biggest ones, that should be enough.

Sent from my ASUS_X008D using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[OneMoreFarang]

I am sure Trumps business in Russia at that time was no secret.

If a presidential candidate would not be allowed to do that kind of business then he should not have been allowed as candidate!

 

I think the bigger issue here is that Trump constantly calls Muellers investigation a witch-hunt. And he constantly denies facts.

If Trump has nothing to hide then he should give Mueller all the information he wants. He should encourage Mueller to check all the details. Because if Trump is innocent then what would be better than getting officially confirmed that he is innocent?

 

But that's not what Trump is doing. Why would an innocent person fight a harmless investigation? No further questions.

[sirineou]

17 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

I am sure Trumps business in Russia at that time was no secret.

 Obviously a secret one that they lied to protect.

Do you think Trump would had won the election if all the things we know now about  his Russian involvement was revealed during the campaign? 

Imagine the headline "  Trump Organization planned to give $50 million penthouse to Putin amid Moscow deal"  or " Manafort unregistered Ukrainian agent" etc etc.

[OneMoreFarang]

5 minutes ago, sirineou said:

Do you think Trump would had won the election if all the things we know now about  his Russian involvement was revealed during the campaign? 

Are you sure you want a truthful answer to that one?

 

Do you remember: "Grab them by the p....." ? That, and lots of other things Trump did should have been the end of this campaign. No reasonable person would want a president, the most powerful person on this earth, to be like that. But 62 million Americans still voted for him.

[sirineou]

1 minute ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Are you sure you want a truthful answer to that one?

 

Do you remember: "Grab them by the p....." ? That, and lots of other things Trump did should have been the end of this campaign. No reasonable person would want a president, the most powerful person on this earth, to be like that. But 62 million Americans still voted for him.

 I am sure Trumpeters enjoy a litle "p.... grabbing" themselves.

But having their ass grabbed by the Russians?  IMO   Not so much. 

[Thingamabob]

7 hours ago, Samui Bodoh said:

"...During the 2016 presidential campaign, Trump repeatedly played down his business ties with Russia..."

 

Or, put another way, he lied. Over and over again he lied. As he always lies. As he repeatedly lies. And, he even lies about his lies. Endless, endless lies.

 

His staff lied. His family lied. His campaign lied. His National Security Advisor lied. His Campaign Chairman lied. His Deputy Campaign Chairman lied. His personal lawyer lied. Other staff lied. Endless, endless lying.

 

He and everyone around him are lying liars who lie. Endlessly.

 

I have said it before and (sadly) need to say it again;

 

Donald Trump is an ever-expanding cloud of toxic waste that defiles everything it touches.

 

God help us all

 

Rubbish. There is nothing remotely corrupt about this. Calm down for heaven's sake.

[Srikcir]

7 hours ago, TopDeadSenter said:

Russia did not cost Hillary her election.

“President Putin, did you want President Trump to win the election and did you direct any of your officials to help him do that?”

“Yes, I did. Yes, I did. Because he talked about bringing the U.S.–Russia relationship back to normal.”

https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2018/07/putin-trump-election-translation/565481/

[Tchooptip]

4 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

Most of the world knew Putin has something on him. I believe in addition to potential business dealings, and financing either provided by, or sanctioned by the Russian government, there are the Moscow orgy tapes. I am convinced there are minors in that crowd, and urine is involved. No doubt the airing of those tapes would damage Trump even further than he has already damaged himself. Calling this a witch hunt, is simply demonstrating your obedience to your master. More than likely Trump is going down. Mueller is more than likely going to crush him like a mosquito. 

 

I smell a noxious mix of fear, desperation, guilt and panic coming from the Oval Office. He has never been in this position before. He does it to himself, and has only himself to blame. 

and has only himself to blame. 

I'm afraid it is an absolute impossibility for this man 

•  

[grumpy 4680]

         Over the years Putin has been proven to be an infamous liar, so any denials from him of any collusion must therefore be true then.

[zaphod reborn]

6 hours ago, Boon Mee said:

Since when is it a crime for a private citizen to engage in business before taking office. 

This latest Mueller Witch Hunt smacks of OTT desperation. 

No one said doing business during an election is a crime.  However, several have lied under oath trying to protect Trump and one has to wonder why.  Could it be like Flynn and KT McFarland who lied about discussions of lifting Obama's election interference sanctions against Russia which blocked the Moscow tower development?  Or, could it be trying to cover up the "gift" to Putin of a penthouse in Trump Tower should the deal go through?  Or, was it like Stone, Papadopolous and Corsi who lied about coordinating WikiLeaks release of Podesta's hacked emails?  Flynn gets sentenced on Tuesday, and that will reveal much about the quid pro quo for lifing sanctions.  Mueller holds all the cards and he is systematically squeezing all the rats.  Stone and Don Jr. are next up to the plate.

[zaphod reborn]

6 hours ago, Boon Mee said:

 

 

Edited December 1, 2018 by zaphod reborn
please delete - double post

[Srikcir]

11 minutes ago, zaphod reborn said:

Could it be

Also that an American who attempts (consummation of a deal is not required) to bribe a foreign government for a benefit is illegal under the Foreign Corruption Practices Act?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foreign_Corrupt_Practices_Act

[mtls2005]

10 hours ago, TopDeadSenter said:

Sad to see the tension finally showing between Trump and Putin at the G20 summit.

 

 

[Ulic]

Liars, dam liars, and those who quote statistics. You can now add Trump and all the politicians of the world. Whether they lie and cheat to line their own pockets like third world politicians (and probably Trump) or whether they take money for re-election campaigns from special interest groups like in the USA so they can stay in power. They are all corrupt. From municipal politicians who control local zoning/development to the big dog politicians who control the countries tax and spend policies. Corrupt through and through.

[StreetCowboy]

An important part of The War On Truth is to make the abominable look normal.

“Politicians have always followed self-interest, and Trump’s abuse of his position is no different.

”Politicians have always been beholden to their paymasters, and Putin is no different from Big Pharma

”Anti-immigrant sentiment is not new”

In the Old Days, we envisaged a World War Three between Tyrany and The Free World.  Will USA change sides?

[Opl]

14 hours ago, Boon Mee said:

Since when is it a crime for a private citizen to engage in business before taking office. 

This latest Mueller Witch Hunt smacks of OTT desperation. 

since " The president has openly speculated that he could make money in the White House. “It’s very possible that I could be the first presidential candidate to run and make money on it,” he told Fortune in 2000. Trump has raised the art of the self-deal to unprecedented heights, enriching himself at the expense of taxpayers,” said Craig Holman, government affairs lobbyist for Public Citizen. “This requires a legislative response.”"

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/apr/16/trump-businesses-money-campaign-federal-agencies

[quandow]

16 hours ago, Boon Mee said:

Since when is it a crime for a private citizen to engage in business before taking office. 

This latest Mueller Witch Hunt smacks of OTT desperation. 

Aren't you weary of dragging out the same old baloney? It was funny the first hundred or so times, but you will never be taken seriously from here on in. The "Witch Hunt" has snared many witches, you've been told this repeatedly by myself and others, and there are facts to back that up. You're neck deep in poop yet choose to ignore it. Time will tell, I hope you step out of the poop before you're in over your head.

[mtls2005]

18 hours ago, Thingamabob said:

Rubbish. There is nothing remotely corrupt about this. Calm down for heaven's sake.

 

So why try to hide it during the primaries and election? Why lie about it? Why did no campaign staff know about this? Why was it kept from the American public?

 

 

 

 

Was it corrupt? I guess that depends on your definition of corruption, but it certainly has that trump taint on it.

 

 

 

[neeray]

On ‎11‎/‎30‎/‎2018 at 5:48 PM, Samui Bodoh said:

"...During the 2016 presidential campaign, Trump repeatedly played down his business ties with Russia..."

 

Or, put another way, he lied. Over and over again he lied. As he always lies. As he repeatedly lies. And, he even lies about his lies. Endless, endless lies.

 

His staff lied. His family lied. His campaign lied. His National Security Advisor lied. His Campaign Chairman lied. His Deputy Campaign Chairman lied. His personal lawyer lied. Other staff lied. Endless, endless lying.

 

He and everyone around him are lying liars who lie. Endlessly.

 

I have said it before and (sadly) need to say it again;

 

Donald Trump is an ever-expanding cloud of toxic waste that defiles everything it touches.

 

God help us all

 

Samui ..... I must ask you. Do you think Trump et al are liars?