Thai Hostages Still Missing a Year After Hamas Attack

[snoop1130]

Trump's son-in-law Kushner says 'I did not collude' with foreign government

By Jeff Mason and Andy Sullivan

 

FILE PHOTO: White House Senior Advisor Jared Kushner listens during President Donald Trump's joint news conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in the East Room of the White House in Washington, U.S. on March 17, 2017. REUTERS/Jim Bourg/File Photo

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump's son-in-law and senior White House adviser Jared Kushner said on Monday that he "did not collude" with Russia and had roughly four meetings with Russian officials during the 2016 campaign and presidential transition.

 

In a written statement released ahead of his appearance before lawmakers in closed-door sessions, Kushner said his initial security clearance form had been submitted prematurely in error and had omitted all foreign contacts.

 

"I did not collude, nor know of anyone else in the campaign who colluded, with any foreign government," Kushner said.

 

"I had no improper contacts. I have not relied on Russian funds to finance my business activities in the private sector," he said.

 

Kushner faces two days of closed-door questioning from Congress this week as lawmakers try to determine whether Trump's campaign enlisted Russia's help to win the White House in last year's election.

 

He is expected to face questions about his contacts with Russian citizens and officials when he testifies before the Senate Intelligence Committee on Monday and the House of Representatives Intelligence Committee on Tuesday.

 

Trump has been dogged by allegations that his campaign aides worked with Russia, which U.S. intelligence agencies have accused of interfering in the election. Moscow has denied any interference, and Trump says his campaign did not collude with Russia.

 

Trump's son Donald Trump Jr. released emails this month that showed he appeared to welcome the prospect of damaging information from the Russian government about Trump's Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton.

 

Members of both committees say they are eager to hear about the June 2016 meeting involving Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya. Trump's son, Kushner and former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort all participated in the meeting.

 

Kushner described the meeting as a waste of time.

 

"I actually emailed an assistant from the meeting after I had been there for ten or so minutes and wrote 'Can u pls call me on my cell? Need excuse to get out of meeting'."

 

STARTING A DIALOGUE

 

Another congressional panel, the Senate Judiciary Committee, is negotiating with Manafort and Trump Jr. about testifying in a public hearing.

 

Kushner will also face questions about reports he tried to set up a secret back channel to Moscow, as well as other contacts with top Russian officials and business leaders during the presidential campaign and the transition period before he took office.

 

Kushner said he first met Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak in Washington in April 2016 and shook hands. He said he did not recall phone calls with Kislyak between April and November of that year as reported by Reuters, had not found evidence of the calls in phone records and was sceptical they took place.

 

In a meeting with Kislyak after the election, on Dec. 1, Kushner said he articulated a desire for the United States to have a fresh start with Russia.

 

"The fact that I was asking about ways to start a dialogue after election day should of course be viewed as strong evidence that I was not aware of one that existed before election day," he said.

 

Kushner did not initially disclose any meetings with Russians on forms he filed to get a government security clearance. He has since revised those forms several times.

 

Kushner said the form was initially submitted prematurely in error and omitted all foreign contacts he had had, not just those with Russian officials.

 

Trump says the investigations in Congress and the Justice Department are politically motivated.

 

"As the phony Russian Witch Hunt continues, two groups are laughing at this excuse for a lost election taking hold, Democrats and Russians!" the president wrote on Twitter on Sunday.

 

(Reporting by Jeff Mason and Andy Sullivan; Editing by Peter Cooney and Alison Williams)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-7-24

[iReason]

Jared Kushner sealed Manhattan real estate deal with oligarch's firm cited in money-laundering case

Donald Trump’s son-in-law bought part of old New York Times building from Soviet-born tycoon,

Guardian investigation into Russian money in NYC property market finds

 

Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of Donald Trump, who acts as his senior White House adviser, secured a multimillion-dollar Manhattan real estate deal with a Soviet-born oligarch whose company was cited in a major New York money laundering case now being probed by members of Congress."

 

"Leviev, a global tycoon known as the “king of diamonds”, was a business partner of the Russian-owned company Prevezon Holdings that was at the center of a multimillion-dollar lawsuit launched in New York."

 

"Under the leadership of US attorney Preet Bharara, who was fired by Trump in March, prosecutors pursued Prevezon for allegedly attempting to use Manhattan real estate deals to launder money stolen from the Russian treasury."

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jul/24/jared-kushner-new-york-russia-money-laundering

 

This scam was uncovered by Sergei Magnitsky. That name ring a bell?

 

Follow the money. 

The filthy money.

[kamahele]

Ah the benefits of privilege. Wangled himself to give private testimony instead of public and then releases and 11 page letter prior to the hearing and speaks publicly after the hearing to shape the story as the public will know only what he said outside of the hearing.  

[tonray]

Lest we forget, he set up a meeting with the Russian ambassador to attempt to setup a secure communications link, suggesting that he could use Russian equipment at the Russian embassy/consulate to directly talk to them. The Russian ambassador on intelligence intercepts was noted as saying that even to him this was pretty nuts (of course he said it in Russian)

 

This guy is playing spy vs spy with the intention of getting richer and nothing else.

[Dave67]

President Donald Trump’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., and former campaign manager Paul Manafort have agreed to be interviewed by staff of the Senate Judiciary Committee but will not appear at a public hearing next week, the committee said Friday.

The Judiciary Committee had requested that both appear at a hearing scheduled for Wednesday, and threatened to issue subpoenas if they refused.

On Friday the Judiciary Committee said, "Both Donald Trump, Jr. and Paul Manafort, through their attorneys, have agreed to negotiate to provide the committee with documents and be interviewed by committee members and staff prior to a public hearing."

"Therefore, we will not issue subpoenas for them tonight requiring their presence at Wednesday’s hearing but reserve the right to do so in the future," the committee said.

 

http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/manafort-trump-jr-be-interviewed-won-t-testify-senate-hearing-n785471

[ballpoint]

"Jared Kushner just threw Donald Trump Jr. under the bus. Bigly".

 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2017/07/24/jared-kushner-just-threw-donald-trump-jr-under-the-bus-bigly/?utm_term=.a2261863e202

 

[boomerangutang]

                            If he was the least bit crafty, it would be a more interesting story.  But because he and Trump Sr/Jr are dufus' who either lie or read what their lawyers tell them to read, it's almost sad.  As much as I blame Trump and  his criminal cohorts,  I also blame the Americans who voted for Trump - who enabled a group of dufuses to take over the Oval Office.   As an American, it's sad, watching my country devolve.  It's probably not much different than Romans who watched the Vandals enter their city and destroy it, marble column by marble column.

 

                        Thankfully, there are a bunch of good people still working within the beltway.  I watched today's interview with Senator Blumenthal.   He's like a breath of fresh air.   Why are the worst people occupying the Oval Office, while a lot of the best people falling by the wayside?   That's what we've been debating on this forum (and hundreds of other forums) for 20 months.

 

 

[iReason]

 

[craigt3365]

He's committed perjury and lied on his security clearance forms.  That's a big deal.  He'll likely get in hot water for this alone.

 

Collusion?  Who knows...but contacts with Russians?  Absolutely.

[iReason]

4 minutes ago, craigt3365 said:

He's committed perjury and lied on his security clearance forms.  That's a big deal.  He'll likely get in hot water for this alone.

Collusion?  Who knows...but contacts with Russians?  Absolutely.

 

Certainly collusion.

 

collusion noun secret or illegal cooperation or conspiracy, esp. in order to cheat or deceive others

 

Law: illegal cooperation or conspiracy, esp. between ostensible opponents in a lawsuit.

 

As far as breaking the law, it appears there is a good basis for it.

[Rancid]

Hmm, no doubt has had contacts with foreign governments, but one of them is regarded as OK for some reason, and the other is in the midst of the New McCarthyism.

 

In the original The Producers movie, it starred Zero Mostell with Gene Wilder, the much better movie IMHO,  Mostell was hunted down like many others by McCarthyists and has his life ruined. And here we are seeing this Orwellian rampage starting up again. Land of the free?

[Thakkar]

A nothing burger would be either:

"I didn't meet any Russians"

"Yes, I met Russians and here are the details"

 

A something burger looks something like this:

"I did not meet any Russians"

"I did not meet any Russians and I am signing these forms to declare same"

"Alright I met a Russian and I'm now amending my form"

"Well, ok, ok I met a few more Russians and I'm amending my amended forms"

"Alright I met Russians multiple times but we did not talk about elections."

"Okay, okay we talked about elections but not thing came of it."

"Here are eleven pages of explanations to show that I've been telling the truth all along even when I wasn't—can I go make Middle East peace now?"

 

T

[iReason]

 

[boomerangutang]

6 hours ago, kamahele said:

Ah the benefits of privilege. Wangled himself to give private testimony instead of public and then releases and 11 page letter prior to the hearing and speaks publicly after the hearing to shape the story as the public will know only what he said outside of the hearing.  

You're right. The WH, Trump, Kushner's lawyers, .....are all doing double back flips, trying to micro-manage this - so as little bits of shit hit the fan as possible. Yet, we're only hearing from those proven liars / cover-up fiends.   We're not hearing from any reasonable and/or law-abiding people, and we're not hearing from investigators or any jurists at this time. 

 

It's like if a paint-covered kid is asked why his bedroom has paint strewn all over its walls - AND HE IS THE ONLY ONE ASKED.  And he says, "it wasn't me.  I mean, there were open paint cans on the floor, but I didn't pick them up and throw them at the walls.  Maybe no one did.  Maybe the cans of paint threw themselves.  Maybe there was an earthquake.  Plus, it's not illegal to throw paint at walls.  And plus, I don't remember any paint throwing by anyone, not even the leader of my gang, who wrote a book about throwing paint at walls."   

[iReason]

 

[boomerangutang]

A dump truck loaded with manure loses its brakes and crashes into a house, collapsing the whole building.

 

A Trump supporter sees it, but because the dump truck is owned by the Trump family, he claims nothing at all happened, even though there is debris and dead bodies strewn all over.

 

That's how people outside the mega-duped Trump brigade see Trump fans: A group of people who, despite the most obvious crimes and cover-up, still maintain their refusal to see anything amiss.

[Basil B]

So Russia is not a foreign place... 

[tonray]

3 hours ago, Basil B said:

So Russia is not a foreign place... 

Not in Brighton Beach ny it's not

[selftaopath]

22 hours ago, craigt3365 said:

He's committed perjury and lied on his security clearance forms.  That's a big deal.  He'll likely get in hot water for this alone.

 

Collusion?  Who knows...but contacts with Russians?  Absolutely.

If Obama or any other Democrat did/said what 45 they would be going ballistic. But now? They (R) - stands for Russia -  just shrug their shoulders. What a bunch of spineless hypocrites. They can be understood as a party of liars and not very patriotic.

[iReason]

Firm of Oligarch Behind Trump Jr. Meeting Was “Primary Client” of Co. Probed for Money Laundering

Documents from a US government investigation reveal Aras Agalarov’s relationship with a firm that helped circulate $1.4 billion through US bank accounts. (sub-title)

 

"Documents obtained as part of that probe into possible money laundering show that Kaveladze’s main client at the time was Crocus International, a company headed by Aras Agalarov, who in 2013 partnered with Donald Trump to bring the Miss Universe contest to Moscow."

 

"On Monday, Levin, a onetime chairman of the Senate’s Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations who left Congress in 2015, sent a letter to special counsel Robert Mueller and the Republican and Democratic leaders of the Senate intelligence committee highlighting the probe (titled “Possible Money Laundering by U.S. Corporations Formed for Russian Entities”), which was undertaken at his request by the General Accounting Office (now known as the Government Accountability Office, or GAO)."

 

"The Russian businessman, who has lived in the United States since the early 1990s, was identified last week as one of the attendees of a June 2016 Trump Tower meeting between Trump’s top advisers—including Donald Trump Jr., Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, and then-campaign chairman Paul Manafort—and a Kremlin-tied lawyer who they were told had damaging information concerning Hillary Clinton."

http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2017/07/firm-of-oligarch-behind-trump-jr-meeting-was-primary-client-of-co-probed-for-money-laundering/

 

 

See Sen. Carl Levin's letter here:

https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/3900039-Letter-to-Mueller-Et-Al.html

 

CBO REPORT RUSSIAN LAUNDERING 2000

Suspicious Banking Activities

Possible Money Laundering by U.S. Corporations Formed for Russian Entities

See report here:

https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/3896773-CBO-REPORT-RUSSIAN-LAUNDERING-2000.html

[selftaopath]

How often do we hear anyone - when accused of something - admit it openly. People with integrity will but 45 and his regime don't have one shred of integrity. Then there's the Russia dictator. He's asked "did you hack U.S."? What does/will he invariably say. lol lol If people are liars why even bother asking them anything? 

 

I don't know why so many cable news shows ask 45 defenders anything. I could tell you/them what the general answer will be.

 

So I hope U.S. will get facts and prosecute; the sooner the better. Our democracy is being attacked. Is that so difficult to see/understand?